HARARE – A publication based in the United Kingdom has added to the mystery around President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s offspring by claiming the 76-year-old former Zanla combatant has a total of 18 children.

The crafty politician, who loyally served under former president Robert Mugabe for nearly six decades before a wedge was drawn between them at the height of Zanu PF party squabbles over his succession, is known for keeping to himself details about his family.

The only time he shared information about his family was in March when his publicists published a biography on his official website, claiming Mnangagwa had nine children, sired with two wives — Jayne and Auxillia.

Curiously, the list of children was later deleted from the website amid indications that it was not conclusive.

In an interview with Mnangagwa’s most prominent son, Emmerson Junior, the UK’s Sunday Times boldly stated in its latest edition that the Zanu PF leader has 18 children.

The paper quotes Emmerson Jnr as saying: “So my brothers and I told him (Mnangagwa) it’s not safe for you to be here. Usually he didn’t take us seriously, but to our surpr
ise he said, ‘OK, let’s get in the car and go.’”

Without directly quoting Mnangagwa’s son, the Sunday Times goes on to state: “They took temporary shelter in an unfinished house one of their other brothers — Mnangagwa has 18 children — was building in a Harare suburb. Plans to escape in a private jet fell through. Plan B was medical evacuation”.

The report is certain to add to the mystery given that Mnangagwa’s official website only listed nine children; six form his late wife Jayne and Auxillia’s three boys.
With Jayne, the couple was blessed with six children, Farai, Tasiwa, Vimbayi, Tapiwa, Tariro and Emmerson (junior) Tanaka, while Mnangagwa and Auxillia have been blessed with three children – Emmerson (junior), Sean and Collins.

The president’s portal describes Mnangagwa as “a father and family man, ED Mnangagwa is dedicated to the education of his family, and has educated all of his children without exception”.

“Most are now employed or run their own businesses and are independent of their father, with degrees ranging from diplomacy, business studies, marketing, law, sound engineering, nursing, creative advertising design, psychology and actuarial science. He has more than a dozen grandchildren and he is very close to all of them.

“He is known as a unifier in the immediate and extended family, a humble man with a keen sense of humour, he always has time for the children. He is dedicated to his family and to the wider family that is his country, Zimbabwe,” the website notes.

Whenever there is talk around Mnangagwa’s children, friends and foes alike do not seem to know with certainty how many offspring he has.

This is not really uncommon among Zimbabwean men, especially those in polygamous relationships.

At a rally in Rushinga before her downfall, former first lady Grace Mugabe sensationally claimed that Mnangagwa, who had become her subject of ridicule, had more than 70 children.

Jonathan Moyo, an ally of the former vice president who later turned into his fiercest critic, also claimed at some point that Mnangagwa had at least 41 children.

“Well in the spirit of the so-called new dispensation allegedly based on truths and transparency, the public awaits confirmation of whispers that Emmerson has at least 41 children,” Moyo wrote on his Twitter account while in exile.

Revelations by the Sunday Times put Mnangagwa in the same league with both serving and former heads of state known to have large families.

Closer home, former South African president Jacob Zuma has over 22 children. Zuma became the first polygamist leader South Africa has ever had, having married six times. Hate him or like him, Zuma does not make any apologies for it.

In one of his television interviews, Zuma said: “There are plenty of politicians who have mistresses and children that they hide so as to pretend they are monogamous. I prefer to be open. I love my wives and I am proud of my children.”

Beyond the African continent, John Tyler, who served the United States from 1841 to 1845, is listed as having the largest family.

He had 15 children between the years 1815 and 1860.

He had them with two different wives.

Eight were with his first wife, Lettia Tyler, and the other seven were with his second wife, Julia Gardiner.

Some of the children became doctors, veterans of the civil war, and powerful politicians.

Others died at a young age, and some of them vanished into history virtually unknown. However, all of them were able to point to their father as one of the presidents of the US.

Masvingo City Council is proposing that Hofmeyer Street, the third busiest road in the CBD be renamed after democracy and human rights defender and icon, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai.

• Morgan Tsvangirai’s Child Kicked Out Of School Over Unpaid Fees

• Morgan Tsvangirai’s Sister Dies

DEPUTY finance minister Terrence Mukupe drew widespread condemnation again Thursday after he claimed that opposition politician and former cabinet minister Tendai Biti is on HIV treatment.

Tendai Biti – MDC Alliance

It was the second time Mukupe has caused outrage this week after he was strongly reprimanded by the government for claiming that the military would not allow MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa to take over power if the latter wins elections expected this July.

On Thursday tempers flared during a live radio debate which featured the now controversial junior minister and former treasury chief Tendai Biti who is also opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader.

Mukupe is the seating MP for Harare East with Biti one of his main challengers in the constituency.

Earlier this week, the Zanu PF official had described Biti as the country’s worst ever finance minister, prompting the radio station to invite the PDP leader to defend himself.

Programme presenters had a torrid time to restrain Mukupe from repeatedly interjecting while the PDP was speaking.

A frustrated Biti then said he found it demeaning for the radio station to invite him to debate a clown.

“Ndozvanda mbotaura zviye zviye kuti nyaya dzenyika hadzisi nyaya dzemubawa, hadzisi nyaya dzembanje (that’s why I said matters are State are not pub talk),” said Biti.

“If you hold a public office you must be serious; you can’t be a clown. So, kundidaidza kuno(inviting me) to come and debate with such clown, I find it very demeaning.”

Mukupe shot back saying; “If you are going to start trading insults … can you take that back! Biti has a problem of always resorting to insults.

“Every time you do an interview you want to insult people; present facts, don’t insult. Just deal with facts don’t insult people Mr Biti.

“Wambonwa mapiritsi ako here nhasi (did you take your tablets today)?”
Stunned programme presenters reminded Mukupe that the show was being broadcast live.

But Mukupe persisted, adding; “Iye anondiudza zvekudakwa, iye anonwa maARV ake here nhasi (he (Biti) talks about me being a drunkard, but did he take his ARV tablets today).”

The minister’s remarks drew outrage on social media with many demanding his sacking.

Said Harare lawyer and independent parliamentary aspirant Fadzayi Mahere;

UK-based political analyst Alex Magaisa described the minister as an “utter disgrace”

A journalist also claimed that Mukupe had assaulted his wife who was part of the production team during a separate radio interview on the same day.

The minister was however, defiant, quipping;

The late MDC founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s child has been chucked out of school for failing to pay school fees, the Daily News can report.

As a result, the mother of the child — born out of wedlock — has through her lawyers, written to the executors of the late former trade unionist’s estate, asking for assistance, amid claims that Tsvangirai left nothing meaningful to his name.

The executors and some of the beneficiaries met in Harare last Friday to discuss the estate, with indications that the only property in Tsvangirai’s name is the Strathaven home in Harare, which he co-owned with his late wife, Susan.

Tsvangirai died on February 14, this year after succumbing to colon cancer.

He left behind several children, sired with different women, some of whom are now claiming a share of his estate.

Of note is the child he sired with a Bulawayo woman, Lorreta Leonie Nobesuthu Nyathi, who is now a student nurse.

Nyathi, through her lawyer Wellington Magaya from Coghlan and Welsh Legal practitioners, has written to the executors of Tsvangirai’s estate, Innocent Chagonda and Charles Maunga, demanding assistance.

In the letter, she reveals that Tsvangirai’s minor child has been out of school for four weeks due to non-payment of fees, amounting to 28 800 rands.

“We act for Ethan Tsvangirai, a minor child and beneficiary of the estate of the late … Tsvangirai. As you may be aware, the minor child is still in primary school and he depended solely on his father before his demise. The mother of the minor child is currently unemployed and has not been able to pay for the minor child’s school fees. She is even struggling to feed the minor child,” reads part of the letter dated May 15, 2018.

“We write to advise that the minor child has been barred from attending school as a result of non-payment of school fees. The outstanding fees are in the sum of ZAR28 800. He has been out of school for four weeks. We kindly request that the finalisation be expedited so that the minor child is not affected. The school has requested a written undertaking from the executor that fees will be paid as soon as the estate is finalised. We kindly request that you provide the undertaking. This is a matter which involves the welfare of a minor child and we kindly request that this matter be given priority”.

Efforts to have the executors write a letter confirming that they would pay for the school fees once the estate has been finalised hit a brick wall last Friday, after they challenged the suggestion.

The Friday meeting was attended by Magaya, who was representing Ethan, Cephas Mavhondo, representing Elizabeth Tsvangirai, who is Tsvangirai’s surviving spouse, Brighton Pabwe, who represented Tsvangirai’s brothers Manase and Collins, his children Garikai and Vincent as well as Tsvangirai’s other wife Nobuhle Marylin Ndiweni.

According to a source who attended the meeting, Ndiweni, who claims to have been customarily married to the late former Prime Minister, is said to have a 10-month old baby, whom she claims to be Tsvangirai’s child.

During the meeting, it was also discovered that the herd of cattle left by Tsvangirai, was actually jointly owned with his brother under a company called Pakuru Farming and Chemicals.

The brother claimed they initially had about 200 cows and by the time of Tsvangirai’s death only 45 had been left, after the rest had been disposed off by Tsvangirai.

It was also realised that the Highlands home, where Tsvangirai was staying, was registered in government’s name, even though the former prime minister had been given a two-year period within which to buy the house.

Tsvangirai had reportedly raised about $800 000 for the house, which was banked in CFX Bank before the financial institution closed down.

While Elizabeth is in charge of three other houses, she claims they were not part of the estate, stating that she bought the other two before she got married to Tsvangirai, adding that the other one is registered under one of her companies.

With nothing now at hand to take care of Ethan’s school fees, the meeting suggested that Vincent and Garikai, who are currently staying at Tsvangirai’s Strathaven house, must pay rent to meet some of these demands, a point which is still under consideration.

“As it stands, there is nothing that any of the beneficiaries can clutch on to pay for school fees, because it is proving that the former prime minister left nothing meaningful to his name,” a source close to the issue told the Daily News.

On the other hand, lawyers representing Ethan are also contemplating claiming maintenance from Tsvangirai’s estate to foot the child’s school fees.

Sources also told the Daily News that Elizabeth revealed during the meeting that the MDC had promised to periodically release money to the family but the money was coming in dribs and drabs.

Despite assurances from President Emmerson Mnangagwa in January this year that he was going to pay Tsvangirai a lump sum for the period that he was in government as prime minister, nothing has been paid so far.-newsday

SOCIAL media users yesterday posted mixed reactions to aspiring Harare West parliamentarian Joana Mamombe’s sentiments that she is not MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa’s side chick.

• Joana Mamombe Speaks On Her Relationship With Nelson Chamisa

Some urged her not to give interviews, while others advised her to carry her cross as there “is no smoke without a fire”.

Below is the thread of tweets on H-Metro’s handle, @HMetro_

@matigary: “Bottom of FormShe is a side chick. Akada kutaurisa tichaakanda maFaira pajekerere.”

@Mamoxn: “Ok let’s say she’s a side chick. Saka?”

@TichRay: “Some rumors are better not responded to and at this particular time it would be better not to grant interviews at all cost.”

@SekuruRoddie: “Pwere dziri kuita lack advice, it’s a shame.”

@TichRay: “It’s a big shame. She’s just given oxygen to a suffocating rumor.”

@matigary: “LOL it was either naive or intentional. The letter being designed to keep political fores (sic) guessing.”

@GarikaiMhlanga: “She is not his side chick but small house.”

@milidzanithabs: “Chero mukadaro ndikumuvhotera chete.”

@GudovekuDotito: “I already have my copy.”

@luteleedmore: “maybe she was promoted to main chick.”

@MukanyaWoyee: “Panopfungaira pane moto.“

@mashokoalbert: “She is a social media activist and thinking that she will make it in Hre West.Handei tione.”

@joemanjoe: “Imbotisiirai President wedu akadero timbomuvhotera ahwina vozomutsvaga voita maside chicks. Asifuni bumbulu.”

@GongSr: “Budisai ka ma files acho makamirirei.”

@CdeTichatonga: “Riri kuzomuvhotera noma kanjani. We will not be derailed by confused cockroaches.”

@Nelsonchamisa2: “Who doesn’t have a side chick even the former great president Mugabe had a side chick.”

@CPasipanodya: “Chamisa chete chete!”

@LuckyMtandadzi: “Kana akaita zvine basa rei.“

@twoboiGuzu: “H metro muri ana …… Wevanhu……bombol.”

@mushoremunashe: “Tazvijaira izvi takuiziva trik yavo.”

@tozvitaura: “kuvhunduka chati kwatara hunge une katurikwa.”

@sibbsniel: “I am yet to see a side chick that admits to being a side chick given the circumstances. Even mbavha chaiyo inototi, “ varikunditi ndakaba”. Carry your cross Joana.”

@sauz55: “Chidhumo chaiye aiva nema lawyer.“

@ndiniActress: “Zanu at it again. African politics is so childish though.”

@NeroristW: “Joanna dzikama,, don’t force. Us to expose you more, gara pasi.”

@abutrekka: “its election season a time of madness people will do just about anything to get a grip of the holy grail of power morals will be discareded (sic) into the trash bin for the sake of getting ahead.”

@NormanMasiyache: “Dirty linen out of the closet, anyway with me that stuff is normal that there are small houses or girl friend but NC must try to involve her wife as and when he goes for the rallies, it’s like he has a lot to hide.”

@JLoudly: “Smear campaign just hit the Next level!!!”

ZIMBABWE’S parliament has rejected a proposal to pay allowances to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his two vice presidents Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi’s spouses on the basis that it was illegal and unsustainable.
The development comes as Mary Chiwenga — Vice President Chiwenga’s wife — has reportedly won a multi-million dollar contract to manage government’s travel arrangements locally and abroad.
“The spouse of a president shall be entitled to an allowance calculated at fifty per centum of the salary and allowances payable in terms of section two to the president,” reads a proposed amendment to the Presidential Salary and Allowances Act, which was tabled before the august house recently.

VICE President Constantino Chiwenga will today officially launch the artificial insemination programme and bull donation under the livestock revitalisation programme in the Midlands province at Mandava Stadium in Zvishavane.

Constantino Chiwenga and wife, Marry

The livestock revitalisation programme is being spearheaded by the Zimbabwe Agricultural Society (ZAS) in conjunction with Mimosa Mines.

•  Uebert Angel’s Top Pastor Who He Recently Elevated to Be Reverend’s Nude Pictures Exposed Extramarital Affair

Buy Zimbabwe Company is also a partner to the project.

During the event, Mimosa will hand over the $1 million Mandava Stadium to Zvishavane Town Council.

The programme is targeting to have 30 000 cattle artificially inseminated by the end of 2019.

• Joana Mamombe Speaks On Her Relationship With Nelson Chamisa

According to the programme, VP Chiwenga will be accompanied by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement, Retired Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, July Moyo and Winston Chitando, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development.

The high powered delegation will tour Mimosa surface mine after which VP Chiwenga will launch the artificial insemination programme and bull donation at the mine before officiating at the Mandava Stadium handover ceremony.

The cattle breeds that will be used as part of the livestock revitalisation programme are the Boran, Tuli and Mashona. The breeds will help improve communal livestock by providing pedigree strength associated with each cattle type.

Mimosa’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes started to take a strategic perspective in the 1990s, substantially contributing to community development.

Mimosa values community engagement in its approach to CSR and holds liaison meetings on a quarterly basis in order to enable community leaders to take the lead in defining CSR initiatives that respond to their priorities.

The company also has a wider scope of influence outside its immediate environment and participates in countrywide activities that cover a wide spectrum of disciplines mostly in health and education.

Established in 1895, the ZAS is arguably the biggest private member-based and member-driven Society in Zimbabwe. Its mandate is to promote agriculture and its supporting activities and to facilitate agricultural development that ultimately impacts positively on rural livelihoods.

The intended outcomes of the Livestock Revitalisation Programme include increased and improved indigenous breeds nationally, improved regular incomes for participating rural households, improved food and nutrition security, improved rural livelihoods, improved national socio-economic development, promotion of sustainable agricultural processes.-Chronicle

Former President Robert Mugabe

Former President Robert Mugabe today failed to turn up to give evidence in the “$15 billion missing diamonds” hearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Mines and Energy but committee chairperson Temba Mliswa admitted that Mugabe was not legally obliged to attend.

• Uebert Angel’s Top Pastor Who He Recently Elevated to Be Reverend’s Nude Pictures Exposed Extramarital Affair

Instead Mliswa said his committee had realised that 9am was too early for the 94-year-old former leader and had therefore rescheduled the hearing at 2pm on Monday.

The Insider has queried before whether it is really necessary to summon Mugabe to testify unless this is merely meant to humiliate him or to get mileage for Mliswa.

• Drunk Zimbabwean Man Mandla Calvin Gumbo Strips Completely Naked On Facebook Live ,Threatens to Masturbate 

Mliswa today claimed the committee did not intend to humiliate Mugabe.

“We are not here to humiliate him, we expect him to have enough time to prepare. So on Monday at 2pm we expect him here,” Mliswa was quoted by French news agency, AFP, as saying.

But The Insider has asked before what the point of calling Mugabe is because of the overwhelming evidence that there is no way the country lost $15 billion worth of diamonds.

Besides, Mugabe seems to have lost some memory since he left office.

He told an international television interviewer that there was no way his wife Grace could ever become president because she was not even a member of the party- ZANU-PF.

Grace was not just a member but was the leader of the party’s women’s league and a member of its politburo, the party’s highest decision-making body outside congress.

“If Mugabe cannot remember that his wife was a member of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front and was vying to become president, what makes one think he can remember what happened to Zimbabwe’s diamonds?” The Insider asked.

Axed Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs minister Webster Shamu yesterday said he will not question or judge President Emmerson Mnangagwa following his sacking from government on Monday, claiming it was not his place to do so.

 

In an interview yesterday, Shamu said it was Mnangagwa’s prerogative to appoint or fire and he will not question the decision.

“I am not the President,” he said when asked to comment on his sacking.

“The President appoints and the President fires. I am not the President and I cannot speak about what His Excellency has done.”

Repeated efforts to get Shamu to respond to various questions were brick-walled, as he kept on saying it was not his place to comment on Mnangagwa’s decisions.

“I am not His Excellency, the President. I am not here to stand as judge over His Excellency’s action. I have never done that in my life. I am not here to judge him, no, that is not my job. I am here to listen to what he say,” he said.

Shamu has been in and out of government as a minister, but his recent sacking came as a surprise considering that elections were around the corner.

Shamu is known for his excessive bootlicking of the Zanu PF leadership and at one point earned himself the nickname Cremora, after he likened deposed President Robert Mugabe to the coffee creamer. Previously, he was kicked out of Zanu PF in 2014 for allegedly supporting former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s bid to take over from Mugabe.

The former Zanu PF national commissar later bounced back at the end of Mugabe’s era as a Provincial Affairs minister in October last year, itself a shock decision and was reappointed by Mnangagwa.

Yesterday, Zanu PF supporters in Mashonaland West celebrated Shamu’s sacking, with pirate taxi drivers blowing their horns and spinning their wheels at the former minister’s offices when news of his sacking filtered in.

Shamu was accused by his colleagues in Zanu PF of protecting white former commercial farmers for a fee and belong to the “wrong basket” in the succession struggle.

A Zimbabwe parliamentary committee gathered Wednesday to hear evidence from former president Robert Mugabe, but there was no immediate sign that he would attend.

Lawmakers want to question Mugabe over his 2016 claim that the country had lost $15 billion in revenue due to corruption and foreign exploitation in the diamond sector.

The parliamentary schedule said Mugabe, who is 94 and in frail health, was due to give oral evidence but that his attendance was still to be confirmed.

Mugabe was not present on Wednesday morning as the committee met to start the hearing at 9:00 am (0700 GMT) and there was no extra security at the parliament building in the capital Harare.

Journalists were asked to leave the committee room and told they would be called back later in the morning.

The head of the mines committee, independent lawmaker Temba Mliswa, told state-run The Herald newspaper on Tuesday that a letter summoning Mugabe was delivered last week.

“We now expect him to come,” he said, but added that Mugabe had not confirmed his attendance and was not legally obliged to attend.

No one in Mugabe’s office was available to comment.

Mugabe ruled from 1980 until he was ousted from office in November after a brief military takeover and has not been seen in public since.

He was replaced by his former deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa, a veteran loyalist in the ruling ZANU-PF party who was backed by senior military officers.

Zimbabwe discovered alluvial diamonds in Chiadzwa, in the east of the country, more than 10 years ago.

The parliament committee has already interviewed former ministers, police and intelligence chiefs on mining at Chiadzwa.

Zimbabwe is due to hold elections in July or August, the first since Mugabe was unseated, with ZANU-PF widely predicted to retain power.

Petina Gappah ‘s dirty operations were on Tuesday exposed on social media twitter after she sent a message to a wrong recipient.

• Petina Gappah And Natalie Jabangwe Clash Over President Mnangagwa

Gappah who claims to be president Mnangagwa’s advisor sent a message to a Matigary on twitter plotting to a dirty campaign to remove Minister Terence Mukupe.

• EcoCash CEO Named Among World Economic Forum’s 100 Of The World’s Brightest Under 40

Unknown to her, she was writing to another Matigary whose handle is @RealMatigari  .  

Read Twits Below:

Verily I tell you doubters that this is not photoshopped.@VascoDaGappah @DavidColtart @pmnangagwa @Mathuthu @nqabamatshazi @Wamagaisa pic.twitter.com/jrlIvYr1CZ

— Matigary (@Realmatigari) May 22, 2018

We went on to have a decent discussion. @DavidColtart @VascoDaGappah @tmukupe @BitiTendai @ali_naka @Wamagaisa @Mathuthu pic.twitter.com/DN7nWBHKAq

— Matigary (@Realmatigari) May 22, 2018

• Petina Gappah And Natalie Jabangwe Clash Over President Mnangagwa

Petina Gappah ‘s dirty operations were on Tuesday exposed on social media twitter after she sent a message to a wrong recipient.

• Petina Gappah And Natalie Jabangwe Clash Over President Mnangagwa

Gappah who claims to be president Mnangagwa’s advisor sent a message to a Matigary on twitter plotting to a dirty campaign to remove Minister Terence Mukupe.

• EcoCash CEO Named Among World Economic Forum’s 100 Of The World’s Brightest Under 40

Unknown to her, she was writing to another Matigary whose handle is @RealMatigari  .  

Read Twits Below:

Verily I tell you doubters that this is not photoshopped.@VascoDaGappah @DavidColtart @pmnangagwa @Mathuthu @nqabamatshazi @Wamagaisa pic.twitter.com/jrlIvYr1CZ

— Matigary (@Realmatigari) May 22, 2018

We went on to have a decent discussion. @DavidColtart @VascoDaGappah @tmukupe @BitiTendai @ali_naka @Wamagaisa @Mathuthu pic.twitter.com/DN7nWBHKAq

— Matigary (@Realmatigari) May 22, 2018

• Petina Gappah And Natalie Jabangwe Clash Over President Mnangagwa

In an interview with HMetro, aspiring Harare West MDC-T candidate Joana Mamombe denied being Nelson Chamisa’s lover describing such allegations as malicious.

She also said her decision to stand the Harare West seat against incumbent MP Jessie Majome was not engineered by anyone in the top MDC-T hierarchy. Said Mamombe:

Those that are saying I am a side chick of (Nelson) Chamisa are being malicious (laughs). People will always bring things up. I cannot make people like me. Right now there is no need for me to speak of my marital status because that has nothing to do with my aspirations. Leadership has nothing to do with marital status.

More: HMetro

In a display of sexist abuse, MDC-T members loyal to Nelson Chamisa chanted “Hure, Hure” in an apparent reference to Thokozani Khupe after the Supreme Court ruling on the party today. “Hure” is Shona for “Whore”

More: ZimMediaReview

Former local government minister Saviour Kasukuwere has returned from self-imposed exile and landed at Robert Mugabe International Airport at 12 pm today amid a demonstration by Zanu PF youths led by Harare province youth chairperson Godwin Gomwe who accused him of corruption among many other issues.

According to sources Kasukuwere was immediately taken aside by the Law and Order officials for questioning.

The former Zanu PF national commissar escaped into exile together with former Higher Education minister Jonathan Moyo following the November 2017 coup which forced then president Robert Mugabe to give up power to Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo who was later moved to Higher Education has come out guns blazing on his former permanent secretary George Charamba exposing him as the author of the recently launched “Under the Eaves” column that is published by the Herald on Saturdays.

He says Charamba was also the author of Manheru which he stopped writing before switching to the new column under the pyseudonym by Igomombe.

Charamba has served all of Zimbabwe’s three presidents: Canaan Banana, Robert Mugabe and Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Moyo says Charamba is violating the national constitution by authoring the column because he is a civil servant “yet he acts like a politician & is now tackling opposition politicians “UNDER THE EAVES” on behalf of #ZanuPF”.

The constitution forbids civil servants from acting in a partisan manner and from furthering the interests of any political party or cause.

Moyo traces Charamba’s history from the time he joined the civil service in 1984 to date and says he faked affection for former President Robert Mugabe yet the untold truth was that he hated both Mugabe and his wife Grace because of the misfortunes of his relative only named as Ms Kadungure.

Moyo also says Charamba is embarrassing Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga by writing speeches with Albion jawbreakers for him.

He says Charamba was identified by the British government as a “rising bureaucrat” in 1995 and was recruited through a Chevening scholarship which he used to full effect “in terms of making Albion contacts, widening & deepening his wordsmith skills from Shakespearean archives!”

Source: Insider

In an interview with The Times, Emmerson Mnangagwa Jr narrates how his father President Emmerson Mnangagwa managed to escape after being fired by his predecessor Robert Mugabe.

He narrates how they manoeuvred through an area with landmines in the dark. Mnangagwa Jr also narrates how after making it through the area that had landmines, his cellphone attracted a Renamo rebel who pointed an AK 47 at his father’s head. He says President Mnangagwa bribed the rebel with $2 000 cash.

He says that his father met with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga when he was still General. Part of the story in The Times reads:

Mnangagwa was frequently visited, however, by General Constantino Chiwenga, the head of the Zimbabwean military, who “would come and offer his shoulder to Dad”. The two men had known each other since the 1970s liberation war against the Rhodesian government. Chiwenga would play a crucial role in the endgame of this drama.

More: The Times UK

THE National Patriotic Front (NPF) has put its ceremonial leader Mr Ambrose Mutinhiri to pasture for allegedly abusing funds amid revelations that nomadic spokesperson Mr Jealousy Mawarire is in the firing line for allegedly abusing money meant for the importation of T-shirts, video leaks featuring fugitives Professor Jonathan Moyo and Mr Patrick Zhuwao have revealed.

The series of videos, which went viral on Twitter yesterday, suggest former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe, funds the NPF project, although she is not mentioned by name.

In his riposte, Mr Mawarire reveals Prof Moyo is hiding in Kenya.

The video captures Prof Moyo and Mr Zhuwao discussing the fall of Mr Mutinhiri and Mr Mawarire while on their way to a restaurant in a foreign country.

Prof Moyo is heard asking Mr Zhuwao: “Are you going to tell muchembere? She was getting to know him (Mawarire). She had not reached a point where she is like sold over. I think she liked his courage and Jealousy anoenda kuSAPES and pick some stories unoziva, some CIO snippets, which she would like to hear,” says Prof Moyo.

He added: “But it was a promising relationship but whether it had reached the level of trust, I am not sure. Like the way I hear about these T-shirts might vhiringa Jealousy, these T-shirts stories. She does not like things like that. She will start thinking kuti imbavha because story yacho yakabhenda bhenda.

“Where are the T-shirts? Arikuborder (they laugh).”

Prof Moyo then reveals that all was not well for Mr Mutinhiri.

“If he (Mawarire) is not careful, because Mutinhiri was destroyed by that $14 000, which she never got to appreciate kuti yakashandiswa sei. Vabva vatanga kufunga kuti the guy is a thief. That was the first damage before yokuti mari waiteyi nayo, any meeting? Nothing! Manje ukapihwa kuti enda undotenga 10 000 T-shirts, two weeks later there is zero received. Yeah, shamwari hameno zvake,” Prof Moyo is recorded adding “its her money. Iye Jealousy hanti aigara achiti if you can’t account for a dollar how can you account for a million? That will haunt him (They laugh).”

He also mocks Mawarire as a late comer to politics.

“Zvepolitics if you come late . . . If word moves now kuti Jealousy can’t account for these T-shirts, ah finish because vana Jaboon, which you need to take into account, vakagara vasingade vana Jealousy and in politics ukagara usingadi munhu then you compromise because you do not want to be misunderstood, unomumirira nechinhingi chako wakahwanda, if the bastard shows up pwaa pwaa pwaa (they laugh) because the most damaging attack in politics is we told you so,” adds Prof Moyo.

He then laughs at NPF members who had backed Mawarire.

Mr Mawarire

“Maibvunzwa kuti munomuziva Jealousy movhaira kuti tinomuziva why are you asking? Unongomirira your day ndosaka taitaura imi muchiti what, what. Jaboon, Mashange, Jim Kunaka, Mahoka, all those do not like Jealousy.

“Vamwe vacho they used to like Mai Mujuru vanofunga kuti Jealousy akavatengesa Mai Mujuru, kurasisa and all that,” Prof Moyo says.

He laughs at Mawarire for blowing away yet another political career in NPF.

“Isu takanga tamuwanira an opportunity to rediscover and re-invent himself . . . we were giving him backup. I do not know if he ever appreciated that.”

Prof Moyo is further heard saying ever since they left Mawarire in the cold, he had not released any statement.

“Taiona even matweets ake, they were informed by the discussions, but manje now zvava zvekuti I am just keeping my eyes on the ball. Taimutaurira. He is young but unnecessarily naïve,” he says adding, “He is an incorrigible liar.’’

As they sit down in a restaurant, Prof Moyo is heard telling the waiter that he is “very tired”.

But Mawarire last night came out guns blazing and dismissing Prof Moyo as a petty thief.

“Put this on record, if someone is a petty thief who stole even money meant for his daughter’s funeral, let alone ZIMDEF funds, that individual is surely bound to have hallucinations about people stealing.

“He dreams stealing, lives stealing and always thinks stealing,” said Mawarire.

He claimed the T-shirts were donated to NPF by a well-wisher.

“I am telling you, you cannot rely on someone who is in Kenya to say maT-shirts haasi kupihwa vanhu. Angaita audit yemaT-shirts arikupihwa vanhu arikuKenya here? How can Jonathan Moyo make an audit of the T-shirts from his hiding hole in Kenya? He should concentrate on running away,” said Mr Mawarire.

He claimed Mrs Mugabe had nothing to do with the T-shirts, saying it was a ploy by Prof Moyo to drag her name into the mud.

“The T-shirts were paid in rand from a South African account. She (Mrs Mugabe) did not give me the money. We can give evidence that R335 000 was paid from an account in South Africa that does not belong to Mai Mugabe,” added Mr Mawarire.

He insisted that Mr Mutinhiri was still the NPF leader and also claimed that Prof Moyo and Mr Zhuwao were never members of that party. The NPF is up in smoke with senior party members at each other throat.

Last week, Prof Moyo and Mr Zhuwao lampooned Mr Saviour Kasukuwere, accusing him of selling out after he indicated that he was returning to Zimbabwe from his hiding.

They claimed Mr Kasukuwere was cutting deals with the new administration.-Herald

Former President Robert Mugabe is expected to give oral evidence tomorrow before a Parliamentary Portfolio committee of Mines and Energy on diamond leakages at Chiadzwa diamond fields which he indicated in 2016 as pegged at $15 billion.

The decision to summon the former Head of State and Government followed a claim he made in February 2016 that the country could have been prejudiced of more than $15 billion in unrealised diamond revenue from Chiadzwa.

Parliament’s portfolio committee on Mines and Energy chaired by Norton MP Mr Temba Mliswa (Independent) is set to hear evidence from Mr Mugabe who resigned in November pending impeachment proceedings against him.

Mr Mliswa confirmed the development yesterday.

“A letter was written and delivered to him last week. We now expect him to come. While his office has not yet confirmed, that it not a legal requirement but is usually done out of courtesy. The most important thing is that we have discharged our obligation, we have summoned him,” said Mr Mliswa.

He said the inquiry was not a witch-hunt but was aimed at getting the truth on the utilisation of national resources.“The committee was of the view that we might even hold the meeting at his residence considering his age. It was just an alternative view that we were suggesting,” he said.

A source at Parliament however, shot down the proposal to hold the meeting at Mr Mugabe’s Blue Roof residence in Harare.

“The letter inviting him was delivered on Thursday last week. That suggestion to hold the meeting at his residence is not supported by any law or Standing Order. That would be unprecedented and not permissible. It would set a bad precedent hence we will not allow that,” said a Parliament staffer.

“The fact that Mr Mugabe has not confirmed his attendance is not of any consequence to us. It is not a legal requirement but done out of courtesy. He might even pitch up without confirming and that has happened with several witnesses in respect of other committees. We will however, further make inquiries but we can confirm that we delivered the invitation last Thursday,” said the source.

Parliament has since indicated on its committee schedule the pending appearance of Mr Mugabe.

“Subject to confirmation, oral evidence from His Excellency, the former president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Comrade R. G. Mugabe, on diamond mining revenues,” read the notice posted yesterday.

The committee has since held meetings with several other stakeholders regarding diamond extraction at Chiadzwa before Government consolidated the mining firms into one firm.

Some of the people who have since given evidence include the former Minister of Mines, Walter Chidhakwa, former permanent secretaries of the ministry, Professor Francis Gudyanga and Prince Mupazviriho, former Home Affairs Minister Dr Ignatious Chombo. Other entities include Zimbabwe Republic Police, Central Intelligence Organisation, Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation, Minerals Marketing and Corporation of Zimbabwe. among others.

Former cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere has said that this experiences in the past 6 months in exile have allowed him to appreciate what ordinary Zimbabweans go through.

Kasukuwere fled the country in November after the fall of former president Robert Mugabe following a military intervention. In an interview with the Sunday Times, Kasukuwere said,

Once you have left your nation, it’s not easy, it’s not pleasant at all. For the first time, I have a better understanding and deeper knowledge of how citizens feel. It is not a pleasant thing at all, it’s something that none of us should ever wish on anybody … We must learn to resolve our issues and find each other.

…I have had to adapt to the environment, live within my means and do away with yesterday’s appetites. I can’t afford either the luxury or the pleasures of things such as a holiday, all those things are no longer a priority.  Where I used to drive around with lots of security personnel, it’s gone. I have had to learn to take care of myself. I always used to tell people to get ready for a ‘rainy day’ and to never get used to having someone carrying your bags.

More: Sunday Times

THE Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy has resolved to meet former President Robert Mugabe at his private home instead of dragging him to Parliament to answer questions on the missing $15 billion diamond revenue.

President Mugabe receives a token of appreciation from Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University Chancellor Professor Ezekiel Guti after he officially opened the new institution in Bindura on Friday. Looking on is the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe. – (Picture by Believe Nyakudjara)

This comes amid speculative reports that the high-profile meeting could be held on Wednesday at Mugabe’s Blue Roof mansion in Borrowdale, Harare.

• #ZanuPFPrimaries: Vimbai Mutinhiri Blasts Glo Diamond’s Candidature Saying She Has Blood On Her Hands

The chairperson of the committee, Temba Mliswa said his committee was comfortable with meeting Mugabe at his residence.

“The committee has already resolved that Kennedy Chokuda (Clerk of Parliament) must look at the issue of writing to Mugabe to appear before the committee, and there is pressure that there is need for transparency over the issue of the missing $15 billion revenue.

“Parliament is prepared to give the former Head of State respect and to meet him at his Blue Roof mansion because he is old,” he said.

• Robert Mugabe Approaches Chamisa In Bid to Topple Mnangagwa :Report

Mliswa said the meeting was not meant to grill or humiliate Mugabe, but a fact-finding mission to break the puzzle over the missing diamond revenue, which the former leader alluded to at a public meeting in 2016.

“It is now up to the Parliament administration to get communication to Mugabe because his evidence will be critical in terms of us concluding our report. We need to do that before Parliament is dissolved for the 2018 general elections.

“As a committee, we can go to Mugabe’s house to meet him there to respect his age,” he said.

Chokuda yesterday could not confirm if they had already summoned Mugabe to appear before the committee.

“I am not yet sure if the letter to summon Mugabe was delivered because I have not been at work. However, he can be asked to appear before the committee if the situation warrants that,” he said without giving further details.

Several top government bigwigs have already been grilled over the matter. These include former Mines ministers Obert Mpofu, and Walter Chidakwa, ex-State security ministers Didymus Mutasa and Sydney Sekeramai, former Home Affairs minister Ignatious Chombo (Home Affairs) and Central Intelligence Organisation, police and the army bosses.-Newsday

MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa has been approached by emissaries claiming to represent former president Robert Mugabe and seeking an electoral pact, it has been revealed.

According to impeccable sources, National Patriotic Front (NPF) leaders led by Eunice Sandi Moyo met Chamisa last Thursday for two hours at his Harare offices where the issue of a possible coalition was raised.

Mugabe in March pledged to support the NPF if it was committed to dislodging President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom he said was in power illegally following a coup against him in November last year.

Former Bikita South MP Jeppy Jaboon and former Harare South MP Shadreck Mashayamombe accompanied Sandi Moyo to the meeting.

However, the meeting said to have caused division in the NPF with some leaders claiming that they were not consulted. They disputed claims that the three were sent by Mugabe.

There is a feeling among some NPF leaders that the party should first establish structures before negotiating electoral pacts.

NPF spokesperson Jealousy Mawarire, who was reportedly unaware of the meeting and got to know about it when he called Chamisa while his three colleagues were still at the MDC Alliance leader’s offices, said Mugabe had not instructed anyone to hold coalition talks on his behalf.

He admitted calling Chamisa but said there was nothing extraordinary about the phone called as they always interacted.

“It is unfortunate if any colleague is dragging the name of President Mugabe into their private discussions with the MDC,” Mawarire said.

“We have not made it a secret as a party that we are free to consult President Mugabe on any matter that we see fit but certainly, we have not consulted him or sought his opinion on the need to enter into an electoral pact with any political party.

“It is unfortunate that some comrades find it expedient to strengthen their bargaining positions by falsely claiming that their actions are backed by NPF and have Mugabe’s blessings.”

He said the party had not yet appointed any team to negotiate for an electoral pact and has not even opened up consultations for the same.

“Any attempt to do it outside the party is selfish and not strategic and not helpful to the party’s envisaged alliance partners,” Mawarire said.

“ The NPF believes in the collective wisdom of its supporters.”

Mashayamombe and Jaboon were both not reachable for comment but the former Harare South MP addressed an MDC Alliance rally in Harare South a few weeks ago.

MDC-T deputy spokesperson Tabitha Khumalo referred questions to MDC Alliance spokesperson Welshman Ncube. But Ncube was not picking his calls last night.

Meanwhile, an NPF meeting chaired by Sandi Moyo on April 10 and another one on April 9 chaired by party leader Ambrose Mutinhiri resolved to first build strong structures and make an internal appraisal of the strength and weaknesses of the party before entering into any coalition pact for electoral purposes.-Standard

BILL Taylor, in his article Do you pass the leadership test, alludes to the fact that the true mark of a leader is the willingness to stick with a bold course of action — an unconventional business strategy, a unique product development roadmap, a controversial marketing campaign, which even the rest of the world would wonder why you are not marching in step with the status quo.

By Edwin Ndlovu

Taylor further states that leaders instil in their people a hope for success and self belief.

Positive leaders empower people to accomplish their goals.

As the election season nears, electioneering has started, political parties and their alliances and coalitions have upped their game and it is a fact to say the real contest is between Zanu PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC Alliance’s Nelson Chamisa.

The elections are dubbed the clash of the old and new order.

While Mnangagwa promises some change as well, it is debatable whether a Zanu PF government, which he has been part of since 1980, can bring any positive change to the country after it had been in power for a solid 38 years.

It is easier for a man to be impregnated by a woman than for Mnangagwa and Zanu PF to bring change the people of Zimbabwe desire.

A free, fair and credible election can never produce a Zanu PF victory.

Chamisa stands alone as the only presidential candidate capable of winning the election.

He has what it takes to become the first democratically elected leader of the country, who is acceptable across the wide section of our society.

In Ndebele we say “inkunzi ikhethwa ematholeni”, which literally means a leader is identified or chosen in early stages of life.

Chamisa fits in very well in that Ndebele proverb.

Chamisa announced his entry into politics during his college days when he was appointed Harare Polytechnic’s Student’s Representative Council (SRC) president in his first year in 1998.

The college’s authorities took notice of his presence and suspended him for allegedly inciting violence.

He was readmitted after a High Court ruling.

He was not dissuaded by the suspension but hardened and was later on elected Zimbabwe National Students’ Union secretary general the following year.

He was to become the MDC youth president and Kuwadzana MP at 25.

His bravery and outspokenness won the hearts of the MDC family leading to his appointment as the party’s spokesperson where he rose through the ranks to become its leader today.

There has been debate about the seniority of the party leadership in some quarters, but those who know the genesis of the movement would agree with me that of the eight management committee members of the party in 2000, he together with Welshman Ncube and Gift Chimanikire are the only survivors after the deaths of our dear leaders, Morgan Tsvangirai, Gibson Sibanda, Isaac Matongo and Fletcher Dulini Ncube.

The other survivor is Lucia Matibenga, who is now a member of a coalition led by former Vice-President, Joice Mujuru.

Since being ushered in as the country’s leader, Mnangagwa has said one positive truth, just one, that the voice of the people is the voice of God.

When MDC-T structures, the national council and national executive, were debating and voting for a new party leader, I went around listening to the voice of people.

I attended Tsvangirai’s burial and thousands of mourners sang a song that literally said as much as they were now orphans, Chamisa was there to look after them.

I attended rallies in Masvingo, Kwekwe, Gweru, Plumtree and Bulawayo, where the crowds sang the same song, the people had chosen their leader.

When one thought Chamisa had been endorsed by party structures and general members only, leaders of political parties in the alliance also added their voices, saying Chamisa was the only foot forward.

Who then would go against the voice of the people, which is the voice of God?

In terms of appreciating issues, Chamisa is miles ahead of other presidential hopefuls.

He understands the legal terrain, is spiritually connected as a pastor and has several qualifications in marketing, political science, international relations and diplomacy and governance and development studies.

Chamisa’s campaign message is pregnant with hope for transformation.

So far he has addressed issues directly affecting the people, like eradicating corruption, an improved transport network, hence, the call for bullet trains and spaghetti roads, which is confusing the junta, hence, Steve Jobs argued that innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.

While Chamisa agrees that the land redistribution is irreversible, he argues that his administration would in an honest and transparent manner do a land audit and also allocate title to the land.

The message resonates well with the general populace.

It is also pleasing to note that he fully understands the plight of our traditional leaders and former freedom fighters and promises to address their plight in the shortest possible time.

What makes Chamisa’s promises acceptable is that he and his team were tried and tested during the government of national unity of 2009 to 2013.

Tendai Biti, Welshman Ncube, David Coltart are still in the team.

Their transformation agenda is on course.

Our economy improved and liquidity challenges disappeared during Biti’s reign as Finance minister.

Teachers went back to the classrooms during Coltart’s reign as Education minister and Ncube rehabilitated some industries that were operating below 10% to move to about 60% operational and he shall be remembered forever for getting Ziscosteel an investor, but Zanu PF functionaries, who are still in power today, torpedoed the deal for selfish reasons.

When Chamisa speaks of a transformation agenda, he really means it. He has the zeal, the will and the right tools to use.

It is very displeasing to note that those who have been dining with Mugabe since 1980 still want to push the blame to the old man alone and present themselves as angels to the people of Zimbabwe, we have seen the signal on how to deal with them.

The nation is optimistic that change is nigh and Chamisa is the man.

Their transformation agenda is on course.

Our economy improved and liquidity challenges disappeared during Biti’s reign as Finance minister.

Teachers went back to the classrooms during Coltart’s reign as Education minister and Ncube rehabilitated some industries that were operating below 10% to move to about 60% operational and he shall be remembered forever for getting Ziscosteel an investor, but Zanu PF functionaries, who are still in power today, torpedoed the deal for selfish reasons.

When Chamisa speaks of a transformation agenda, he really means it.

He has the zeal, the will and the right tools to use.

It is very displeasing to note that those who have been dining with Mugabe since 1980 still want to push the blame to the old man alone and present themselves as angels to the people of Zimbabwe, we have seen the signal on how to deal with them.

The nation is optimistic that change is nigh and Chamisa is the man.

Warren G Bennis sums it all when he says leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality, which Chamisa can with God willing.

strong> Edwin Ndlovu is the People’s Democratic Party deputy spokesperson, he writes in his personal capacity

Zimbabwean Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s mother-in-law, Helga Mubaiwa, has reportedly taken the ruling Zanu-PF party and its national commissar Engelbert Rugeje to court contesting her defeat in the just-ended primary elections.

Helga Mubaiwa

Mubaiwa’s daughter Mary, is married to Chiwenga.

In February, Mubaiwa was introduced to hundreds of villagers by leaders in Manyame rural district in Seke as the next member of parliament. This was after she reportedly helped  the area complete the construction of a local clinic and school.

A New Zimbabwe.com report quoted Manyame rural district chairperson, Dickson Mudzara, as saying at the time that Seke was in need of business people like Mubaiwa to contest in elections and represent them in parliament as some politicians had proven to be incompetent after failing to complete the construction of Whealerdale Clinic and St Hughes primary school.

Mubaiwa was, however, defeated by Munyaradzi Kashambe in the recently ended party primaries in Seke.

A News Day report said that Mubaiwa disputed the results, “claiming the polls were marred by a litany of irregularities, which include shambolic voters’ rolls and alleged use of a police bus to transport polling officers and ballot papers”.

Grand chance

The report said that Mubaiwa had since launched an urgent High Court application to block Kashambe from campaigning pending the disposition of her appeal.

In court papers, Mubaiwa, said that she was aggrieved over the outcome of the primary votes.

“For many reasons . . . I was aggrieved by the outcome of the said primary election. And after the result was announced on the night of May 9, 2018, I immediately noted an appeal to the relevant authority. It remains pending,” she was quoted as saying.

“I have no doubt that my said appeal has positive prospects. In fact, there is a grand chance that a rerun may be ordered as a consequence of my said appeal.”

This came amid reports that a number of the ruling Zanu-PF heavyweights fell by the wayside in the party’s primary elections.

Zimbabwe was set to go to the polls before the end of August.

THE Zimbabwean gay community said Emmerson Mnangagwa led Zanu PF should conduct a hate speech free election campaign, if the new President was democratic and different from his predecessor, Robert Mugabe.

Samba Chesterfield, Director of Gays and Lesbians Association of Zimbabwe, prepares to hoist their offical flag alongside the Zimbabwean flag during belated comemoration of International Day against Xenophobia and Transphobia in Harare, Saturday, May, 19, 2012.Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has often called on for the Gays and Lesbians to be punished for their behaviour which he said was worse than pigs and dogs.The Gay Community officially erected a rainbow flag alongside the Zimbabwean flag at their premises calling it a symbol of hope for the Future(AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

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GALZ director Chester Samba presented the challenge to Mnangagwa in a statement to mark the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia which is celebrated on 17 May.

Unlike his predecessor, President Mnangagwa since ascending to the highest post in the land has been saying that he respects human rights.

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Samba who this time did not mention any harassment of his members by the new Harare administration as was the case during Mugabe’s era said they were going to be convinced that Zanu PF had changed and now respected human rights if the ruling party did not denounce gays during the election campaign period.

“The lesson Zimbabweans have been well taught by 37 years of Zanu PF governance under Robert Mugabe is that democracy does not lie solely in majority rule. Certain fundamental principles must be adhered to beyond regular elections,” said Samba.

“The elections must take place under conditions where freedom of speech and expression are respected, the right to life and liberty are preserved, and there is equality before the law and freedom from discrimination. Freedom from discrimination and equality before the law imply minority rights. Without these, tyranny of the majority prevails. Accordingly, any constitutional democracy should bind itself to these fundamental principles,” he said.

Mugabe, who was ousted by the military in November last year, used to denounce gays whenever he got to the podium.

As a result of Mugabe anti-gay statements members of GALZ were routinely subjected to physical assaults by Zanu PF sympathizers including state security agents who would raid them at private events.

“As GALZ we realise that there needs to be a fundamental change in Zimbabwe’s political culture. The change involves an acceptance that those opposed to one’s policies, who hold different opinions or who are simply different, are not enemies. They deserve equal protection of the law and freedom from violence and discrimination.

The building of this new political culture requires determined leadership, leaders who direct their constituents away from the past politics of discrimination and intolerance, leaders who reject attempts to gain votes through hate speech and cheap populism by inciting and exacerbating prejudice against those who are different,” said Samba.

“GALZ believes that leaders in Zimbabwe, whether politicians, members of civil society or church leaders, have a duty to lead Zimbabwe towards a new and democratic order. A fully democratic order is one that abandons the politics of hatred and intolerance; it is one that abandons unfair discrimination against any group, regardless of how popular or unpopular the group may be in society,” he said.

DEPUTY Finance Minister Terrence Mukupe surprised guests to a roundtable discussion in Harare Tuesday after he said corruption could be positive for the country.

In his address, Mukupe said he had read some article to that effect and that he had some life lessons to prove the benefits that the scourge could yield for the nation.

Corruption has been a major headache for the country over the years despite the existence of an anti-graft commission which is a constitutional body.

“I read an article to the effect that corruption can be also positive for the country. After going through that article I can actually give you some life lessons I had. I remember when I was advisor to ESSAR (An Indian company that wanted to invest in Ziscosteel) and ESSAR wanted to come into Zimbabwe, someone approached me and said the fundamental mistake you are making with ESSAR is that you don’t have a local partner.

“Make sure that you have a local partner if your things are going to work well. And I remember the Indian investor said to me; but government is my partner and I would like to believe that everything would work well.

“And the response that this guy made was that government is not a person and it does not eat, it does not breath, it is not motivated to make the transaction work well. So by you giving away part of your transaction to someone else, that person is going to make sure that they wake up every day because they are motivated to make sure that the transaction works. So that is a case of positive corruption,” he said.

Mukupe said at one point a minister in former President Robert Mugabe’s cabinet, who was accused of massive corruption, turned out to be the one who contributed more than any other to the national fiscus.

“So how do you then explain that? So I guess it’s an issue that if we were to assume that he was corrupt, then I guess his goals were aligned with the goals of government and everything else was moving on well and it became positive corruption for the country,” he said.

Mukupe said legislation could only do so much to address the issue of corruption as it was deep rooted in society whose moral fibre had decayed so much that people were now normalizing the abnormal.

“It’s the moral fibre of our society and what I always say is that as Zimbabweans we are generally corrupt people and the reason why I say we are generally a corrupt people is that if we were to do a quick survey privately, anonymously in this room here probably over 90 percent of the people here have bribed some police officer sometime,” he said.

Mukupe was recently accused of assaulting a senior accounts officer in the ministry of finance for giving him what the thought was small travel allowance.

Ahead of that the minister (then an MP) was mentioned in the fuel scam involving four tankers that entered the country with 140 000 litres of diesel purportedly in transit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose contents were emptied in Chitungwiza and replaced with water.

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority did not charge excise duty for the fuel at Forbes Border Post after being duped the cargo was destined for the DRC. This prejudiced the State of $55 650.

Zimra intercepted the four tankers at Chirundu Border Post after detecting a suspicious detour using its newly installed electronic cargo tracking system, and upon inspecting the trucks discovered that they were now carrying water.

Early this year, six settlers at Caledonia approached High Court accusing Mukupe of invading and seizing their stands claiming he wanted to build state-of-the art offices for Zanu PF.

In their urgent chamber application which they filed in February, the six said they had been left with no option but to approach the court for recourse after the officers at Mabvuku Police Station, were threatened with loss of employment if they attempted to evict the minister.

The case was, however, dismissed with costs.-NewZim

MURAMBINDA – The MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa has promised the people of Buhera that Murambinda Growth Point will be turned into a city once he is elected into office in the national elections coming in two months time.

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MDC Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa yesterday said he was young and could impregnate any woman to prove how energetic he was in yet another show of sexism.

The misfiring MDC-T faction leader recently pledged to give President Mnangagwa his 18-year-old sister if he manages five percent in this year’s harmonised elections.

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Chamisa’s remarks sparked outrage from Zimbabweans across the body politic.

He apologised last Thursday for his sexist remarks saying: “If anyone felt hurt about the joke I am sorry. It was just a political banter that I used to illustrate that even if I promised to give him (Mnangagwa) my most prized possession, he would still not be able to defeat us in a free and fair election.”

But yesterday, Mr Chamisa repeated the sexist remarks while addressing a rally at Maboleni Business Centre in Lower Gweru.

“As we go to an election this year, we must say goodbye to old age leadership. We want young and energetic leaders like me. Is there anyone who can doubt that I am energetic? Just give me any woman here and see if I will fail to score,” said Mr Chamisa.

The increasingly gerontophobic MDC-T faction leader is accused of leading a campaign to marginalise perceived old people in his side of the MDC and this week incumbent MP for Harare West Jessie Majome opened up about the abuse she was being subjected to that saw her withdraw from the party’s primary elections.

Ms Majome said she had been told that she was old and should retire to the countryside to herd donkeys.

Mr Chamisa, who was addressing a gathering that largely comprised Ndebele speaking people and added: “You think I don’t know Ndebele? You are wrong. Totally wrong! I can propose love in Ndebele.”

Ironically, Mr Chamisa said it was difficult to lead a nation without seeking advice from the elderly.

“We have our elderly people like the ones standing with me here.

“You cannot lead a nation without taping wisdom and working with the elderly. We need elder people in leadership for us to steer the country forward,” said Mr Chamisa.

Mr Chamisa is a trained pastor with AFM.-Herald

Thanks to his predecessor, his country has all but run out of cash. Restoring trust will be hard

UNTIL recently Priscilla Magaya was an administrator in a printing firm in Harare, Zimbabwe’s sunny capital. Today she spends her days on the side of a street, clutching a thick bundle of different banknotes. A few weeks ago, after two years of not paying her wages, her employer went bust. Ms Magaya turned to money trading, swapping real American dollars for Zimbabwe’s confusing profusion of local paper. For $100 in actual greenbacks, buyers get $120 in bright green “bond notes”—a Zimbabwean currency introduced in 2016 that is meant to be pegged to the dollar—or $140 in mobile money, which is also meant to be on a par with real dollars. Her earnings are “not something that I can survive on”, she says, but she has no other option.

Two years ago money in Zimbabwe was simple: everyone used the American dollar, introduced in 2009 after hyperinflation destroyed the Zimbabwean version. Since then, however, banks have run out of real dollars because the cash-strapped and unscrupulous government grabs them in exchange for all-but-worthless IOUs. Zimbabwe is becoming the world’s first cashless economy, but not in a good way. ATMs are empty. Banks allow customers to withdraw just $20 a day, not in real dollars but in local bond notes. Long queues form each morning. Most people rely on electronic bank transfers or mobile money to pay their bills, usually at a hefty premium.

All this loopiness was originally the fault of Zimbabwe’s former president, Robert Mugabe, who was ousted in a coup last year after 37 years in power. Can his successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, restore sanity? It will not be easy. The fiscal deficit was a daunting 11% of GDP in 2017. Unpaid doctors and teachers are striking. Businesses are folding like useless banknotes. Elections are due by August. The ruling party is itching to splurge cash on pre-ballot handouts and, perhaps, voter intimidation.

Mr Mnangagwa has spent the past few months jetting around the world, usually wearing a Zimbabwean-flag scarf over his suit, trying to raise money. So often does he say “Zimbabwe is open for business” that it has become a meme. Though he claims to have secured some $11bn of promises of foreign direct investment, many doubt that it will amount to much. Since the coup “things have actually got worse,” says Tendai Biti, an opposition activist and former finance minister who served in the government of national unity after disputed elections in 2009. Prices have gone up as real dollars have become even more scarce.

Zimbabwe used to rely on farming (especially tobacco) for foreign exchange. Mr Mugabe wrecked the country’s largest export industry by grabbing land from white farmers and handing it to cronies who often knew little about farming. As agricultural output collapsed and jobs disappeared, the economy nosedived. Monthly inflation hit 80,000,000,000%, by one estimate. Worthless $100trn notes from that time are now used as bookmarks.

Since 2009 the economy has recovered somewhat. Farming has grown again, partly thanks to the leasing of farms back to their previous owners, and partly thanks to the replacement of the old currency by the dollar. But Zimbabwe still cannot feed itself. Despite bumper rains, more than 1m people may not have had enough to eat earlier this year, according to USAID, America’s aid agency. And the cash crunch hits rural areas particularly hard. “I am getting nothing out of farming,” says a 43-year-old tobacco farmer who gives his name as Cloud. He must travel almost 50km from his home to buy anything with the electronic money in which he is paid.

Mr Mnangagwa’s best hope is that after he wins the elections he can persuade international lenders, such as the IMF, to renew Zimbabwe’s lines of credit, which were cut under Mr Mugabe. Foreign investors could also bring in more hard currency: Zimbabwe has plenty of gold and platinum, much of which isn’t being exploited.

But much more will have to change before Zimbabwe can really be called open for business. Under Mr Mugabe, legions of ruling-party loyalists were hired as civil servants and endless irksome rules were written so they could demand bribes not to enforce them. As formal businesses have shut or gone underground, tax collection has plummeted. Zimbabweans have moved from offices and factories into informal jobs such as hustling. Roads have crumbled and many of the best-educated workers have emigrated. Ms Magaya tentatively predicts that things will get better. But she worries that “it will take as long to fix the country as it took to destroy it.” In the meantime, she is hoping perhaps to move to South Africa.