Category: zimbabwe

Source: Judgment reserved in MDC activists bail application | The Herald

Yeukai Karengezeka Herald Correspondent
High Court Judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi yesterday reserved judgment in the case involving 15 MDC activists who were remanded in custody for allegedly participating in an unsanctioned public gathering that promoted public violence in Chitungwiza last month.

Justice Chitapi said he will deliver his ruling on Friday.

The accused persons approached the High Court after they were denied bail a fortnight ago at the Chitungwiza Magistrates Court. The applicants were represented by Mr Tapiwa Muchineripi and Mr Job Sikhala from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights while the state that was represented by Mr Tozivepi Mapfuwa.

The state consented to the granting of bail on condition that each accused person pays $300. The applicants’ lawyers objected to the amount and proposed $100 which they said was affordable to their clients.

Among the accused are MDC youth spokesman Stephen Chuma (32) is being charged alongside Nyasha Mutsindikwa (23), Elton Tendai Marimbe (21), Dambudzo Leeroy Mhike (29), Tendai Timuri (40), Jabulani Chatindiara (42), Chris Murecha (35), Terrence Manjengwa (25), John Mulevelengi (43) Brian Mushakwe (26), Tanyaradzwa Zawaire (26), and Taurai Nyamanhindi (36).

Allegations are that the on February 29 around 6am, MDC youths numbering about two hundred were moving from Huruyadzo Business Centre proceeding towards Total Service Station in Chitungwiza. The accused persons and others who are still at large were chanting MDC party slogans and threatening other members of the public they would come across.

They also went to Job Sikhala’s house who is the Zengeza West legislator and police observed that some of them were holding stones, knives and catapults.

When the police ordered them to disperse the activists allegedly retaliated against the police by throwing missiles at them and two officers sustained injuries.

Nyamanhindi was positively identified by the police officers as the one who was inciting others to attack police.

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Source: Official Zimbabwe exchange rate falls by a third as central bank loosens grip | Nasdaq

The official exchange rate for Zimbabwe’s dollar fell 32% on Wednesday against the greenback, its biggest daily fall since the minister of finance announced last week that the country would adopt a “managed float” to fend off a currency crisis.

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Source: US$24m for fuel | Herald (Business)

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has released US$23,89 million for the purchase of fuel to be sold in local currency for the week March 16 to 22.

RBZ governor Dr John Mangudya made the announcement in a statement released on Monday. The central bank promised to make public such allocations so as to dissuade speculative hoarding of the product resulting in long queuing hours.

The release is part of the apex bank’s US$120 million target for this month, which is meant to import about 200 million litres of fuel.

Government has also welcomed the move to publicise the allocations with Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi, saying this would close information gaps between the bank, petroleum firms and the industry regulator, which some firms were abusing to create an artificial shortage. — Business Reporter.

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Source: COVID-19: Courts to decongest | The Herald

Harare Magistrates’ Court

Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
The Harare Magistrate Court will with immediate effect be solemnising a maximum of 10 marriages per day, acting Chief Magistrate Mr Munamato Mtevedzi has said.

This follows the declaration of a National Disaster issued by President Mnangagwa yesterday in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. On average, the Harare Magistrates Court solemnises between 30-40 marriages per day.

In a statement, acting Chief Magistrate Mr Munamato Mtevedzi said the Secretary of the Judiciary Service Commission had directed that hygiene standards must be improved at all court houses in the country.

“With the guidance of the Secretary and in consultation with other stakeholders, we are exploring the feasibility of other available courses of action to decongest courthouses,” he said.

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Source: Punish parties that force children to attend political rallies: TaLi – NewsDay Zimbabwe

CHILDREN’S rights lobby group, Tag a Life International (TaLI) has said political parties should desist from coercing children to attend their political gatherings because the practice was unconstitutional.

BY LORRAINE MUROMO/HARRIET CHIKANDIWA

“The law does not allow any coercion, it is against the law. We expect the law to deal with any of those political parties who coerce children, for example, if they are going to be forced to leave school to attend political gatherings. Children should be allowed to be in school,” TaLI founding director Nyaradzo Mashayamombe said.

Zanu PF has in the past been accused of bussing children to its gatherings.

In October 2017, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission was forced to probe former First Lady Grace Mugabe for reportedly commandeering schoolchildren to attend her political events.

This was after the Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe lodged a complaint that Grace’s gatherings were disrupting children’s learning as well as violating their rights.

Mashayamombe said: “I think we saw in the last regime that children would be used to attend rallies. We hoped the current ruling party would not do the same.

“We have also seen some children in the opposition wearing regalia for the opposition party and I also recall a time where there were hints that there were children who had attended opposition party rallies. The bottom line is, no political party is supposed to force children in school uniform to political gatherings, unless the children are being brought by their parents,” she added

TaLI, in conjunction with Every Child in School, expressed concern over the recent examination fees hike by the government, claiming it was beyond the reach of many.

Parents will have to fork out $125 for Grade Seven examination fees, while one Ordinary Level subject has been pegged at $90 and $165 for a single Advanced Level subject.

“The State continues to shift the 47% of examination fees to be the responsibility of parents, despite the Constitution and the Education Amendment Act of 2019 being clear that it is the primary responsibility of the government to provide State-funded basic education. Therefore, this is unacceptable and illegal,” Mashayamombe

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