Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

HARARE — Lawyers for 22-year-old Kelsea Mnangagwa, second wife of Collins Mnangagwa, twin son of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, have written to First Lady Auxiliia Mnangagwa denying any role in a scandal engulfing the first family.

“It has never been our intention to scandalise you or the first family,” the lawyers, Admire Rubaya and Everson Chatambudza, wrote. The letter follows reports that the first lady had become physical with Kelsea’s mother, Amina Jessub Arab, demanding she lift an alleged spell cast on Collins and return assets said to be worth over $10 million allegedly stolen from her son.

Kelsea’s lawyers say the allegations were manufactured by “others, opportunists, detractors and adversaries of the first family… to cause disharmony,” insisting “our client is not party to that scandalous enterprise, and neither are we.”

Kelsea, who faces drug possession and money laundering charges, remains in custody in Harare seeking bail. She was arrested on August 4. Her mother, sister and aunt are being held without bail at Mlondolozi Prison near Bulawayo on separate drug charges. Social media commentators have suggested the first lady is exerting pressure on the legal process – a suggestion said to have angered her.

 

Kelsea is now appealing for “an amicable solution to the current dispute.” Her lawyers say she “is fully committed to taking whatever steps are necessary to achieve an amicable resolution” and “has reflected deeply on the events that have unfolded.”

She is “very sorry that this issue has escalated to such great heights,” the lawyers said, and “profusely apologises for what has befallen the name of the first family” – an apparent reference to her defence that it was Collins who bought her the disputed properties, a claim that would raise questions about his own source of wealth. Police allege Kelsea bought the properties through a drug-dealing enterprise.

“Our client holds the institution of the first family in the highest regard and is deeply pained that her name has become entangled in a narrative she never sought to create,” the lawyers said, expressing hope that “direct and respectful dialogue” could bring closure.

The first lady, who had been in Chimoio, Mozambique, returned home at lunchtime on Wednesday.

LETTER BY KELSEA TAFIRENYIKA’S LAWYERS TO FIRST LADY AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA IN FULL: Apology and Clarification

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DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – Tanzania’s vice president resigned Tuesday, saying he wanted to respect the president’s wishes, weeks after a newspaper was suspended for reporting deep divisions within the government.

“I have decided to retire from politics and public service,” Emmanuel Nchimbi said in a post shared on Instagram.

The message written in Swahili said that his resignation would take effect on 4 September.

He added that he had promised Hassan he would resign should she wish a different vice president and was “convinced beyond doubt that the president desires change.”

Government spokesman Emmanuel John Nchimbi, in a statement posted on X, said: “Constitutional procedures to ⁠appoint another vice president of the United Republic ​of Tanzania will be undertaken.”

Nchimbi was ​earlier the secretary general of the president’s ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
He drew criticism from some in the party for ​remarks last month they considered unnecessary, when he ​told an event hosted by a rights group that he ‌would ⁠urge Tanzanians to fight for a new constitution.

“A constitution that leads us toward development, not just material and economic development, but the development of dignity ​and the ​human worth ⁠of every person living in Tanzania,” Nchimbi said in the commercial capital of ​Dar es Salaam.

Hassan emerged the winner of last ​year’s ⁠presidential election, securing nearly 98 percent in a vote marred by deadly violence.

A government-appointed inquiry panel said at ⁠least ​518 people were killed in ​the unrest, spurred by the exclusion of leading opposition candidates from ​the elections.

Nchimbi’s resignation comes a week after the suspension of the critical Mwanahalisi newspaper, which published an article alleging Nchimbi was unwilling to step down from his position following pressure from the ruling party.

Quoting anonymous sources, the paper alleged that the vice-president had disagreed with Hassan.

Hassan became president following the death of authoritarian leader John Magufuli in March 2021 and was initially praised for easing restrictions on the opposition and media.

However, the opposition now accuses Hassan of a return to the policies of her predecessor.

The country ranks 117th out of 180 countries for press freedom, according to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). – AFP/Reuters

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GUTU – Robbers made off with an undisclosed amount of money after breaking into a bank through the roof in Mpandawana, Gutu, in the early hours of Tuesday.

The robbers appeared to have targeted an ATM inside the bank, which they blew up with explosives during the raid.

A hole was visible in the bank’s roof on Tuesday as ZB Bank announced the temporary closure of the branch.

The Masvingo Mirror reported that the branch manager, who rushed to the scene after the alarm was triggered, “was injured as he ran away from the robbers.”

The robbery is the second targeting ZB Bank in less than three months, following a raid at its Ngezi branch.

The bank has not said how much was taken as police probe the incident.

Source: ZimLive

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LOS ANGELES — Suge Knight has made a striking claim from prison, alleging that lawyers representing Duane “Keefe D” Davis offered him $1 million to testify that Davis was not inside the vehicle involved in the 1996 shooting that killed Tupac Shakur.

According to AllHipHop.com, Knight said he rejected the alleged offer, maintaining that his loyalty to Tupac could not be bought. The former Death Row Records boss has declined to take the witness stand in the high-profile murder trial but continues to make public comments about the case.

Knight reportedly told TMZ Live that Davis’ legal team wanted him to testify that the defendant was not in the car during the shooting. Knight claims he refused the proposal and the money attached to it.

“My loyalty to Tupac can’t be compromised,” Knight said, according to the report.

The allegation adds another dramatic layer to a trial that has already revived intense public interest in the circumstances surrounding Tupac’s death.

Knight Remains Outside the Witness Stand

Knight has consistently indicated that he does not want to become a witness in the prosecution of Davis, who is facing a first-degree murder charge in connection with Tupac’s killing.

Yet his latest comments put him back at the centre of the case. AllHipHop.com noted the irony of Knight refusing to testify while continuing to publicly discuss the evidence and circumstances surrounding the prosecution.

Knight has suggested that whether he were called by the defence or prosecutors, his testimony could create difficulties for either side.

Davis has pleaded not guilty to the charge. Prosecutors allege that he orchestrated the shooting as retaliation following a confrontation involving his nephew, Orlando Anderson, and Tupac’s entourage at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Tupac Trial Brings New Testimony

The trial, which began on August 18, has featured testimony aimed at reconstructing the events that preceded the shooting and establishing Davis’ alleged role within the gang hierarchy.

On August 25, Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean took the stand and described travelling with Tupac and Knight when a Cadillac pulled alongside their vehicle.

He testified that he saw an arm and firearm emerge from the vehicle before shots were fired. According to his account, Tupac warned those around him to get down because another round of gunfire could follow.

The testimony has provided prosecutors with an eyewitness account of the shooting and the moments surrounding it.

Retired Compton police detective Robert Ladd also testified about Davis’ alleged standing within the Southside Compton Crips. Prosecutors have sought to establish that Davis occupied a position that gave him authority within the gang.

Ballistics evidence presented during the proceedings has also been used to establish that the cartridge cases recovered from the crime scene came from the same firearm.

Prosecution Builds Its Case

Prosecutors are attempting to connect several elements of the case: the confrontation at the MGM Grand, the alleged gang retaliation that followed, Davis’ position within the organisation and statements he made over the years about Tupac’s killing.

Davis was arrested in 2023 after decades of speculation surrounding the murder. The case represents one of the most significant developments in the investigation into Tupac’s death, nearly three decades after the rapper was fatally shot in Las Vegas.

Knight’s latest allegation about the supposed $1 million offer is not, by itself, evidence that such an offer was made. However, his claim has added another dramatic element to a trial already attracting worldwide attention.

As proceedings continue, Knight remains outside the courtroom as a witness but firmly within the public conversation surrounding one of hip-hop’s most enduring mysteries.

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Kelsea Tadiwa Tafirenyika has issued a profuse apology to First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa as she seeks an amicable settlement to a dispute that has placed the President’s daughter-in-law at the centre of a widening drugs and money-laundering case. The apology was delivered through her lawyers while she remained in custody in Harare. Tafirenyika said she […]

The post I’m really sorry and I’ll do whatever I can for an amicable solution: Auxillia Mnangagwa’s daughter-in-law profusely apologises first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.