Category: zimbabwe

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information Nick Mangwana has bemoaned that churches have exhibited [...]

Source: MDC protests frozen over scourge | The Standard (Local News)

By Brenna Matendere

The Nelson Chamisa-led MDC has suspended meetings by its provincial assemblies to mobilise people to protest against the deteriorating economic situation in the country until the coronavirus outbreak is over.

Chamisa and his lieutenants have been holding meetings with party structures to organise protests to force President Emmerson Mnangagwa to the negotiating table.

Amos Chibaya, the MDC organising secretary, said the party’s provincial youth conferences that were supposed to be rolled out countrywide as part of a mobilisation strategy ahead of the “final push” had since been shelved.

“We had started some programmes, but now we are putting them on hold,” he said.

“However, it does not mean we are giving up in our fight against the dictatorship. We just want to allow the coronavirus to pass..

“As you are well aware, the people’s president Nelson Chamisa launched the Zimbabwe Lock Out Coronavirus programme otherwise known as the #Zim-lock campaign as part of our contributions to fight against the coronavirus.

“So, we are suspending party meetings until further notice.”

Chibaya said for now the party would play its part in ensuring that Zimbabweans were aware of the coronavirus and help prevent a deadly outbreak.

“We urge the nation to take all the safety precautions, including practicing hygiene wherever you are, and also urge family members to do the same,” he said.

“We will continue to give direction on the way forward in terms of our journey for change in this country.”

Besides the MDC, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions has also been mobilising for a “national shutdown”s to protest against the falling standards of living.
Mnangagwa last week declared a a state of national disaster and banned gatherings of more than 100 people.

He also announced a number of other measures to stop the spread of the disease. Zimbabwe has two confirmed cases of coronavirus so far.

The post MDC protests frozen over scourge appeared first on The Standard.

The post MDC protests frozen over scourge appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Mpofu under fire over Nkomo | The Standard (Local News)

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

THE opposition Zapu has said the late vice-president Joshua Nkomo could be turning in his grave because of the leadership of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whom it accused of persecuting the veteran nationalist in the 1980s, leading to him fleeing the country to seek refuge overseas.

Zapu was responding to an opinon piece published in the state-controlled media written by Zanu PF secretary for administration and former Umguza legislator Obert Mpofu.

In the article titled: Dr Joshua Nkomo happy with ED, Mpofu claimed Mnangagwa had honoured the late Zapu leader by allowing the holding of Independence Day celebrations in Bulawayo, a first since independence.

The celebrations have since been postponed because of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Mpofu claimed the celebrations would have honoured Nkomo’s legacy.

Zapu southern region communications director Patrick Ndlovu, however, argued the late vice-president could not be happy with his tormentors who are refusing to acknowledge their “evil deeds” which led to Nkomo fleeing the country.

Nkomo was accused of trying to overthrow the government after an arms cache was allegedly found at one of the properties owned by his party.

The veteran nationalist, who also survived an assassination attempt at his Pelandaba house in 1983, was forced to flee the country fearing for his life as government unleashed vicious violence, killing thousands of civilians after the “discovery” of the arms cache.

“As a party, we are surprised that someone who defected from Zapu to join Zanu can now speak on behalf of the party,” Ndlovu said.

“They do not have any legitimacy to speak on behalf of Zapu, let alone Nkomo whom they persecuted in life.

“It is an insult to Nkomo; he died a bitter man; they never apologised and continue to refuse to do so over the Gukurahundi killings….”

Nkomo, who was born on June 7, 1917 died on July 1, 1999 at the age of 82.

The late former president Robert Mugabe claimed huge amounts of arms had been uncovered on farms owned by Zapu for use to ostensibly overthrow his government to justify the deployment of the Fifth Brigade.

After the “discovery” of the weapons, Mugabe fired Nkomo, Josiah Chinamano and Joseph Msika (all late), Transport minister and Natural Resources minister respectively, from government on charges of plotting to overthrow his government, culminating in the Gukurahundi massacres which led to the killing of thousands of civilians.

However, despite all the persecution and suffering at the hands of government, Nkomo returned home from exile in Britain and subsequently signed the Unity Accord with Mugabe in 1987.

The post Mpofu under fire over Nkomo appeared first on The Standard.

The post Mpofu under fire over Nkomo appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Byo braces for another dry year | The Standard (Local News)

BY SILAS NKALA

BULAWAYO’S supply dams did not receive significant inflows during the just-ended rainy season and council will continue to maintain the 96-hour-water rationing schedule, an official has said.

The Meteorological Services Department recently announced that the 2019/20 rainy season had ended.

Council spokersperson Nesisa Mpofu said the city’s five supply dams – all located in the dry Matabeleland South – were 33% full and the local authority was worried that water levels were declining rapidly.

Bulawayo introduced a tight water-rationing regime early last year as its supply dams ran dry.

“The city’s dams are at 33.27% as of [Friday],” Mpofu said. “Currently the city is on 96-hour shedding due to the limited available water resources.

“If rains are not received, council will continue to lobby for support from government and maintain shedding until the next rainy season.”

Council insists that the supply dams have become too small for the city’s growing population and has been lobbying the government to build more water sources.

The government is responsible for the provision of bulk water supplies while the city council purifies and distributes the commodity.

“Council continues to lobby for a permanent water supply situation,” Mpofu said.

“This is complemented with campaigns on various platforms to stakeholders on water conservation and improved water demand management.

“Council applied to government for declaration of Bulawayo as a water shortage area.”

For decades, the local authority has been pushing for the implementation of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water Project, which is viewed as the city’s permanent solution to the perennial water shortages.

“Our hope is that this will be granted so that resources can be mobilised from development partners to support urgent projects, like rehabilitation of boreholes in the Nyamandlovu aquifer, expansion of the ground water supply to Epping Forest, which has a potential for another 10 megalitres of water per day, the duplication of the Mtshabezi pipeline with a potential for an additional 5ml (million litres) per day, and the extension of the Mtshabezi pipeline from Umzingwane to Ncema waterworks.”

Mpofu encouraged residents to continue saving water and adhering to conservation practices so as to push the limited resources to the next rainy season.

Mpofu said Umzingwane and Upper Ncema dams had since been decommissioned, while Insiza Dam was 35,81% full, Inyankuni (50,96%), Lower Ncema (14.97%) and Mtshabezi (57,09%), and of the two decommissioned dams, Umzingwane was at 3,03% while Upper Ncema was at 2%.

Bulawayo received heavy downpours early this month and some of the dams around the city such as Umguza and Khami spilled.

The city’s supply dams, however, received little inflow as they fall outside the city’s catchment area.

The post Byo braces for another dry year appeared first on The Standard.

The post Byo braces for another dry year appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.