By Stephen Chadenga

LESS-PRIVILLEGED families in Gweru are set to benefit from a US$ 13 000 grant provided by the United States of America for the construction of toilets and a poultry rearing project.

Gweru Residents Forum (GRF) director Charles Mazorodze said 480 women in Mkoba will benefit from the poultry project while a section of Mtapa suburb, which has been facing ablution challenges for years would benefit from the construction of toilets.

“The Unites States awarded the Gweru Residents Forum a $13 782 Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund grant to establish a poultry rearing project for six wards benefiting 480 women and their households (in Mkoba),” he said.

“GRF will also construct toilets in the high-density suburb of Mtapa to improve sanitation. Very soon we will call a meeting to discuss the projects before commencing.”

Mazorodze said the poultry project was aimed at helping women generate income to help eradicate poverty.

He said the building of toilets would improve sanitary conditions in the low income section of Mtapa suburb.

“We will also assist beneficiaries, particularly of the poultry project on how best they can run their businesses as well as marketing strategies,” he said.

GRF’s intervention comes at time there has been growing calls for people living in urban areas to be provided with food aid as starvation wreaks havoc across the country.

Recently, government announced that food aid distribution would be rolled out in both rural and urban areas.

The programme is, however, yet to be launched.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

OPPOSITION party leaders forming President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Political Actors Dialogue (Polad) platform have been left seething with anger after the Zanu PF leader ignored their proposals regarding steps to be followed before gazetting of the controversial Constitutional Amendment Bill.

Mnangagwa last met his Polad team at his farm last month and the 19 parties in attendance allegedly agreed that the proposed constitutional changes be debated at their platform before being gazetted and taken to Parliament.

However, Mnangagwa ignored the suggestions and railroaded the changes through Cabinet and had them gazetted by Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi without Polad members’ consent.

“During the last meeting of Polad, one of the resolutions read out was that the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill should not be gazetted, but instead brought to Polad where it would be discussed and other parties input,” constitutional law expert and National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader Lovemore Madhuku fumed yesterday.

“It was agreed that a Bill would then be brought to Parliament with amendments also from other political parties and instead of focusing on the Zanu PF needs, we will have an omnibus Bill, but that was not followed. But they went ahead and gazetted the Bill.”

The NCA leader said he would soon mobilise other parties and use Polad and other avenues to campaign against the passing of the Bill into an Act.

“Obviously we are not happy that our first resolution as Polad was not respected. We are dealing with Zanu PF, which is in the old mode and we expected that,” Madhuku said.

“You must know that Zanu PF is not used to the culture of getting advice. But we are not pulling out of Polad because it’s the only platform that we have, because we don’t have representatives in Parliament.”

But Ziyambi defended his move to gazette the amendment, saying Polad was not part of the law-making process and, therefore, did not deserve to be consulted.

“We are shocked that they want to stop a process which is allowed by the country’s laws. They want us to sit down and consult them. Yes, they are in Polad, but if you check with Bills, we don’t take them to Polad,” he said.

“They are trying to make Polad an arm of government. If they have their views and ideas, they can discuss them there and then they are brought to Cabinet and discussed, then they become policy.

But that we, as government, to go to them to ask them on laws, policies or budgets as they want us to do, that would mean we have lost the mandate that we were given by the people to rule.”

The Justice minister said Zanu PF would use its two-thirds majority in Parliament to change the Constitution.

MDC-T vice-president Obert Gutu described the development as “unfortunate”.

“I would be lying if I said we are happy … There has been a media spin out there painting Polad as a platform for wanting to loot government coffers, wanting cars and allowances. It is very unfortunate that we lost a brilliant opportunity to show that Polad is a serious dialoguing platform. We are not happy,” he said.

“Our question is why not give us an opportunity to ventilate this issue? If Polad is going to be an effective dialoguing platform, those in authority should take it seriously. It would have been progressive to show the right degree of seriousness by giving us an opportunity to discuss the amendments.”

Eighteen fringe opposition parties were represented at the Kwekwe meeting, among them the People’s Rainbow Coalition leader Lucia Matibenga and the Thokozani Khupe-led MDC-T.

These parties garnered less than 2% of total votes cast in the 2018 elections.

The Nelson Chamisa-led MDC, which has refused to be part of Polad, said the latest development had vindicated their decision to stay out of the platform.

At the weekend, Chamisa said joining Polad would be giving the nation false hope, and instead demanded real talks mediated by a neutral person and guaranteed by Sadc and the African Union.

“We saw Polad 1 when Ian Smith had talks with (the late former Prime Minister Abel) Muzorewa, giving the nation false hope. We saw how Zanu PF acts when there are no guarantees, especially what happened during the GNU [Government of National Unity],” Chamisa said.

“Now I will not join Polad 2 and give the people false hope because if results don’t come, people will lose hope in national processes and we don’t want that to happen.”

BY CHARLES LAITON

VICE-PRESIDENT Kembo Mohadi’s estranged wife, Tambudzani, has vowed to attach her former husband’s property to enable her to get an equal share of the couple’s matrimonial property following the dissolution of their marriage in March last year.

This came after Mohadi approached the High Court in November last year seeking an order to nullify the two writs of execution obtained by his ex-wife against his movable and immovable properties.

But Tambudzani has challenged the application on the basis that it is fatally defective, wrong and bad at law.

“This application for review of a writ and draft order is fatally defective. Only a decision or proceedings of the court may be reviewed. A writ of execution is compiled by the register pursuant to a decision of the court and therefore the writ cannot be reviewed. The application as a whole is wrong and bad at law. The application is seeking to review a document, which is neither a decision nor proceedings,” Tambudzani said in her opposing affidavit.

She claimed Mohadi had failed to comply with a consent paper agreement which he signed and was registered as a court order by High Court judge Justice David Mangota on March 1, 2019.

But Mohadi accused Tambudzani of misinterpreting the terms of the consent paper.

He said the two writs of execution issued by the Registrar of the High Court on October 14, 2019 were grossly irregular, misleading and misrepresented the facts of the matter.

However, in her opposing affidavit, Tambudzani dismissed Mohadi’s claims, saying: “The parties have not failed to reach a consensus on how the consent paper should be interpreted and enforced.

The applicant (Mohadi) has failed to adhere to the terms of the consent paper which he willingly signed. The first respondent (Tambudzani) is proceeding to enforce the consent paper via the execution process provided by law. The writs issued are neither misleading nor a misrepresentation, but are in accordance with the consent paper.

“The first respondent conceded to this error and it has subsequently withdrawn the incorrect writ and the first respondent has issued out a new one as per the consent paper.”
The matter is pending.

BY FIDELITY MHLANGA

ZIMBABWE’s top foreign currency earner, tobacco, has been hit hard by the extremely hot weather conditions, which are likely to significantly reduce yields, especially where there are no irrigation facilities.

The dry spell, which has not spared other crops and livestock, has wilted the non-irrigated tobacco crop amid fears this could scupper this year’s crop sales. Zimbabwe earns an estimated US$1 billion annually from tobacco exports.

“The rainfall pattern has been very variable and most dryland crops have not grown sufficiently to get beyond the vegetative stage. If adequate rainfall is received within the next seven days or so the crops would be able to recover significantly. Irrigated crops are being reaped and cured,” Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) chief executive Andrew Matibiri said.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union president Shadreck Makombe bemoaned the effects of the prevailing heatwave.

“The situation on the ground is bad. It is very dry for both irrigated and dry land crops and there is no water in dams giving rise to high false ripening,” Makombe said.

Latest data from TIMB shows that as of December 20 last year, total hectarage under tobacco marginally grew by 2,8% to 81 977 against 79 708 hectares planted during same period last year.

A paltry 13 083 hectares are under irrigation with the rest relying on rain-fed water. Moreso, the number of farmers who registered to grow tobacco tumbled 15% to 143 568 from 168 735 prior year.

Zimbabwe Farmers’ Union president Paul Zakariya painted a bleak outlook about the state of the tobacco crop.

“The situation is quite stressful. The crop is heat stressed and in urgent need for moisture. Farmers can only hope that the anticipated rains this week will bring relief,” Zakariya said.

Asked if the dry spell will affect overall 2020 crop output Zakariya said: “That’s a very difficult question to answer … The output depends very much on circumstances that are well beyond our control. Rainfall anytime now can be a huge game-changer! No definite statistics can be given at this stage.”

Unlike in previous seasons when farmers made rich pickings due to getting paid in hard currency, the just-ended season saw the central bank paying farmers just 50% of their earnings per sale in foreign currency. The rest was paid in the devaluing local currency.

Consequently, most farmers said they failed to recoup their investments as the local currency eroded their earnings as a result of its loss in value.

To worsen matters, when receiving the local currency component of their earnings, transaction delays occurred.

In the past season, the average price of the golden leaf was deplorably low at $2 per kg, down from $2,92 registered in the prior season, decimating farmers’ earnings. Despite recording poor prices, total output grew to 259 million kg in the 2019 season from 253 million kg the previous year.

By Desmond Chingarande

THE Apex Council yesterday resolved that civil servants would not report for work if the government fails to adjust their salaries when the parties meet on Friday.

Addressing journalists after a meeting in Harare, Apex Council vice-secretary Gibson Mushangu said their strategy would be determined by the outcome of their meeting with government.

“We have resolved that no pay increase, no work. Our members have remained incapacitated and the government is not doing anything in terms of our demands,” he said.

“We had requested a cushion in December for our members to have something on Christmas and New Year holidays, but the government gave us cold shoulders.”

“We cannot pre-empt the strategy we are going to take and the outcome of that Friday meeting will determine the way forward. Prices have been surging everyday, but our salary remained stagnant. We cannot go back to work as most of our members are still on holiday,” the Apex Council member said.

“We have been negotiating with the government for the better part of last year and this is one of the items we are discussing on Friday. We do not need to knock at government’s door every time. We need a solution and that solution is to rate our salaries to the US dollar we used to get against the equivalent rate.”

The government has been pushing forward dates for civil servants’ salary negotiations. Teachers unions have been accusing the Apex Council of going to bed with the government, saying they were not representing civil servants, but serving the interests of the employer.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe spokesperson Takavafira Zhou said they had no faith in Apex’s firefighting methods, saying it “pacifies and dupes” civil servants.

“We have no faith in (its) methods. We are, however, ready to work with progressive affiliates of Apex. We will never accept leadership of an industrial action led by Apex because they are sponsored by the government and we know it’s part of their continuous romance with government,” he said.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure concurred with Zhou, saying the Apex Council ceased to represent the suffering workers, but were now representing the government.

“The Apex Council is an illegal entity which was also fraudulently constituted. The grouping has traditionally chosen to go to bed with the employer,” he said.

“We have faith in some individuals at the Council. We hope they will be able to push for progressive resolutions.”

Teachers have already resolved not to report for work on the schools opening day next Tuesday.

BY CHARLES LAITON

BUSINESSMAN, Shingirai Albert Munyeza and his co-director Watenga Wilmer Munyeza, in a company called Ringsilver Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, have lost two Harare properties over US$122 000 in outstanding levies owed to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).

High Court judge Justice Christopher Dube-Banda issued the order on December 4, 2019 following an application by the ZTA for the lifting and piercing of the corporate veil in respect of Ringsilver Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd.

In his founding affidavit, ZTA’s head of finance William Stima, submitted that the Munyezas and their firm had failed to meet their obligations in terms of submitting levies to the tourism authority.

“This is an application for an order lifting and piercing the corporate veil of the first respondent (Ringsilver Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd) and for a declaratour that any property in the names of or in which the second and third respondents (Shingirai Albert Munyeza, Watenga Wilmer Munyeza) hold shareholding, rights, interest or title be declared executable to the extent of their shareholding or ownership, to meet outstanding debts due and payable to the applicant (ZTA) incurred by the first respondent,” Stima said.

Shingirai, who is an adviser to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, had opposed the application saying he had always remitted levies but, due to viability issues stemming from a challenging operating environment and tough franchise conditions, his firm had failed to continue operating.

However, his submissions did not find favour with Justice Dube-Banda, who ruled against him and his company.

“The application for the lifting and piercing of the corporate veil in respect of Ringsilver Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd be and is hereby granted.

“The second and third respondents be and are hereby held jointly and severally liable to pay the judgment debt and interest in case number HC7708/18 due and payable to the applicant,” Justice Dube-Banda said.

“A certain piece of land situate in the district of Salisbury called stand 12567 Salisbury Township of stand 11227A Salisbury Township measuring 1573 square metres held under deed of transfer 4962/1997 be and hereby declared executable in satisfaction of the court order in HC7708/18 and an undivided 2,982% share being share No 5 in certain piece of land situate in the district of Salisbury measuring 2 379 square metres called stand 1773 Salisbury Township held under deed of transfer 3145/1998 be and hereby declared executable in satisfaction of the court order in HC7708/18.”

Tadiwanashe Nyangani (right) was named Man of the Match after Zim Under-19 stunned giants South Africa by 31 runs at the on-going quadrangular series in Durban, yesterday

BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE

THE Zimbabwe Under-19 cricket made a huge statement yesterday ahead of the World Cup after stunning giants South Africa by 31 runs at the on-going quadrangular series in Durban.

It was the Zimbabwe team’s only victory of the competition after they lost to New Zealand in a close contest as well as another defeat to India.

The big win saw Prosper Utseya’s boys finish the group in third place behind winners India and South Africa, with whom they are tied on two points, while New Zealand anchor the group with the same number of points.

Zimbabwe will now play New Zealand in the third place play-off tomorrow, while India and South Africa battle it out for the championship.

Young leg spinner Tadiwanashe Nyangani claimed five wickets for 45 runs to help Zimbabwe defend a competitive 269 run target and successfully derail the hosts’ run chase.

Earlier, captain Dion Myers had starred with the bat scoring his second half century of the competition with a valiant 70 runs with inform all-rounder Wesley Madhevere also reaching the 50 run mark for the second time after he was dismissed for 55.

Madhevere put together a 100 run third wicket partnership with Milton Shumba that helped Zimbabwe post a challenging total in the final group game.

South Africa had won the toss and sent Zimbabwe in to bat first.

South Africa looked like they were going to comfortably chase down 269 for their second win of the competition posting 50 runs in just 8.3 overs, opener Bryce Parsons leading from the front.

The hosts struggled for runs after Parson was removed for 65 by Nkosilathi Nungu, becoming the third scalp for Zimbabwe with the team on 104.

Nyangani then snared three wickets in quick succession as South Africa found themselves reeling on 151 for 7.

But an eighth wicket 50-run partnership between Merrick Brett (37) and Tiaan van Vuuren (48) pulled the hosts back into contention before Nyangani bowled out Brett.

Myers delivered victory for Zimbabwe grabbing the final wicket with the second ball of the 47th over.

The quadrangular series has given Zimbabwe a good platform to prepare for the World Cup which runs from January 17 – February 9 in South Africa.

Zimbabwe have a score to settle with New Zealand in the third place play-off of the four-team tournament after they lost the previous encounter from a winning position.

Another victory for Zimbabwe against another cricket giant will boost their confidence ahead of the World Cup.

BY TAWANDA TAFIRENYIKA

HARARE football giants Caps United are set to dump “bad apples” in a major reshuffle ahead of the new season with several senior players, among them midfielder Dominic Mukandi, goalkeeper Prosper Chigumba and Valentine Musarurwa, targeted as victims.

Caps captain Hardlife Zvirekwi, defender Godwin Goriyati and striker Dominic Chungwa are also among several players reported to be on their way out.

The players who the club wants out were identified as the trouble causers towards the end of last term which led to the squad striking ahead of the penultimate match against Ngezi Platinum Stars to press for payment of their dues.

Caps went on to lose the match 3-2, surrendering the top spot to FC Platinum who also went on to win against the Green Machine in the last match of the season to retain the league title.

With four matches to go in the campaign, Caps seemed to have a firm grip of the league title, but they collapsed in spectacular fashion. Ahead of the match against Ngezi, Caps missed two days of training due to players’ industrial action.

For 2020, the Green Machine have decided not to offer contracts to some of the “ring leaders” in the strike, while those also identified as trouble causers but still with running contracts such as Goriati, will also be shipped out.

Zvirekwi has, however, not hidden his loyalty to the club and told NewsDay Sport last week that he still wants to play for at least two more years.

The Green Machine are set to kick-off preparations for the new season on January 20 and reports suggest that they could start the campaign with a virtually new-look squad.

Some of the targeted senior players still have running contracts, but the club hierarchy is understood to be unhappy with the conduct of some senior players, especially in the dying moments of the championship race last term where they disrupted training, demanding outstanding payments.

Informed sources said the events leading up to the Ngezi match, in particular, did not go down well with the club management, who have decided to ship out players who were fingered to have influenced others into boycotting training.

The conduct of these players is seen as one of the contributing factors for their failure to win the championship last term.

Efforts to get a comment from Caps management were fruitless yesterday.

Caps have been very active in the transfer market after coach Darlington Dodo was asked to push the refresh button.

The Harare giants have so far signed Leeroy Mavhunga from Yadah FC and Harare City forward Tatenda Tumba and are also reportedly still very active on the market targeting several stars as they prepare for the new season.

Caps will, however, find it difficult to fill the void left by Soccer Star of the Year Joel Ngodzo who departed for Zambia to join Buildcon following the expiry of his contract on December 31.