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Source: Chinese national challenges continued detention after bail granted on murder charge -Newsday Zimbabwe

HARARE – A Chinese national facing a murder charge and held at Mutoko Remand Prison has filed an urgent application in the High Court, alleging he is being unlawfully detained under a “discriminatory” government policy targeting Chinese citizens, even after being granted bail.

The applicant, Quijun Yu, was granted bail of US$5,000 by the High Court on a murder charge and ordered to surrender his passport and title deeds. However, upon compliance, he was not released.

In court papers, Yu states that prison authorities informed him his release required authorisation from the Chief Director of Immigration and the Minister of State Security. He claims this was due to a “purported standing government security cluster policy that any Chinese national charged with murder should not be released from custody even where bail pending trial has been granted by the Courts.”

The application names the Chief Director of Immigration, the Minister of State Security, the Minister of Home Affairs, and the Attorney General as respondents. Yu seeks a declaration that the alleged policy is unlawful and demands his immediate release to give effect to the bail order.

Central to his case is the allegation that the Chief Director of Immigration “unilaterally” cancelled his work permit to effect the continued detention. His lawyer, Admire Rubaba, argues this action was illegal on multiple grounds.

“The law clearly provides that the decision to cancel a permit without notice is the sole preserve of the Minister Of Home Affairs,” the application reads. It contends the Chief Director “usurped” this power and failed to provide Yu with prior notice or an opportunity to make representations, rendering the cancellation “a nullity in law.”

Yu’s affidavit asserts the policy and the permit cancellation are discriminatory. “This stands in stark contrast to the treatment of other foreign nationals who, upon being granted bail, are released from custody,” he states.

He argues he is being punished as a convict while still presumed innocent.

By citing ministers, the application explicitly seeks clarification on whether such a policy against Chinese nationals officially exists.

“I have accordingly cited the… Respondents to clarify whether it is now government policy that once a Chinese national is charged… they should never be released from custody even in the face of a bail order,” Yu states.

The case has been set down for hearing at the High Court. The respondents are expected to file opposing papers.

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Freeman Razemba in VICTORIA FALLS

NATIONWIDE consultations on the proposed Road Accident Fund (RAF) Bill, a key legislative reform aimed at providing medical care, compensation and funeral assistance to victims are nearing completion.

Officials from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development have held stakeholder consultations in all other provinces,except for Harare.

Chiefs and various interest groups welcomed Government’s move to introduce a comprehensive post-crash support system.

Dates for consultations in Harare were expected to be announced soon.

The proposed Bill seeks to establish a statutory fund that will offer timely medical assistance, cover funeral expenses and provide compensation to people injured in road traffic accidents, as well as to families of the deceased.

Authorities say the legislation will fundamentally overhaul Zimbabwe’s post-crash response and strengthen the country’s social protection framework.

Government officials have described the RAF Bill as a critical pillar in achieving Vision 2030, arguing that safer transport systems and effective post-crash management are essential for sustainable development.

Feedback from earlier consultations indicates growing public consensus around the need for broader reform beyond compensation.

Citizens and traditional leaders have called for a more proactive and preventive approach to road safety, including greater investment in safer road engineering, improved signage and sustained public awareness campaigns.

Stakeholders have also urged Government to capacitate health facilities so that clinics and hospitals are better equipped to manage trauma cases.

Another key proposal has been the ring-fencing of part of the fund’s resources for road rehabilitation, particularly in accident-prone areas.

The emphasis on accident prevention has emerged as a recurring theme throughout the consultations.

Addressing stakeholders in Victoria Falls yesterday in a speech read on his behalf by Central Vehicle Registry Registrar Mr Saston Muzenda, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said Zimbabwe’s push for the RAF Bill is anchored in alarming road accident statistics.

“According to the Road Safety Performance Review, a traffic crash occurs every 15 minutes in Zimbabwe. Over 35 000 crashes occur annually, an average of at least five people are killed every day, more than 1 800 people die every year and over 10 000 are injured annually,” said Minister Mhona.

He said the Road Safety Performance Review, which was launched by President Mnangagwa on January 12, 2022, was conducted to strengthen Zimbabwe’s road safety management capacity and improve the national road safety record.

Minister Mhona noted that the situation is being worsened by a growing vehicle population, which is placing increasing pressure on road infrastructure, leading to more crashes and fatalities.

He said Zimbabwe’s road safety reforms are also aligned with global initiatives, including the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 74/299, which declared the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 with a target to halve road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.

“The inclusion of road safety targets in the Sustainable Development Goals reflects universal recognition that deaths and injuries from road crashes are now among the most serious threats to sustainable development,” he said.

Minister Mhona said road safety must be treated as an integrated policy issue, intersecting with climate change, public health, urban planning and transport management.

He said Zimbabwe’s road safety strategy is anchored on five pillars — road safety management, safer roads and mobility, road user behaviour, safer vehicles and a robust post-crash management system — noting that while progress has been made in most areas, the absence of a public post-crash management regime has remained a major gap.

“Countries such as South Africa, Botswana and Namibia established public post-crash management systems years ago, and we have been lagging behind in this area,” he said.

“In that vein, we are now formulating a solid commitment towards establishing a robust post-crash management regime through the Road Accident Fund Bill.”

The proposed reforms build on measures announced in the 2024 National Budget, where Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube proposed that third-party motor vehicle insurance be administered by Government to ensure that accident victims receive timely medical care and compensation.

Third-party motor vehicle insurance is compulsory under the Road Traffic Act and is currently provided by private insurers, covering death, injury and property damage involving passengers and other road users.

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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

SOUTH African border authorities have intercepted 33 more children who were being illegally transported from South Africa to Zimbabwe through the Beitbridge Border Post.

The interception comes as authorities from Zimbabwe and South Africa continue to coordinate efforts to curb child smuggling, which tends to spike during school holidays when children are ferried between the two countries by couriers.

Last week, another 20 children were intercepted after being smuggled through an illegal crossing point into Zimbabwe.

South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) Commissioner, Dr Michael Masiapato, said the latest group of children, aged between four and 15, was intercepted on Tuesday.

He said the minors were travelling in an omnibus accompanied by two adult males.

“At approximately 12 midday, a BMA junior border guard deployed during the relief shift stopped and searched a minibus taxi at the port of entry,” said Dr Masiapato.

“The vehicle, a Siyaya Zimbabwe-registered taxi, was found to be transporting 33 undocumented minor children between the ages of four and 15, who were travelling from South Africa to Zimbabwe.”

Dr Masiapato said two Zimbabwean male suspects, aged 32 and 23, were arrested for allegedly facilitating the illegal movement of the children across the border.

“Criminal cases have been opened against both suspects in terms of the Immigration Act in relation to the facilitation of illegal entry and movement of undocumented persons,” he said.

All the children were immediately handed over to South Africa’s Department of Social Development for further processing, in line with child protection protocols and the country’s domestic and international obligations to safeguard vulnerable persons.

Authorities have reiterated calls to parents and guardians to follow proper legal procedures when travelling with minors across borders to prevent abuse, trafficking and exploitation.

Despite stiff fines imposed by the South African Home Affairs on omalayitsha caught smuggling undocumented travellers or those with expired passports or no valid visas, into South Africa, cases of smuggling such persons are on the increase.

Those caught smuggling undocumented persons are fined R15 000 per person.

The Zimbabwe-South Africa Cross-Border Co-ordination Committee for Unaccompanied and Separated Migrant Children has on many occasions raised concern over the rampant smuggling of minors into the neighbouring country.

The committee is made up of officials from the two countries’ social service departments, immigration, police, non-governmental organisations and human rights lawyers.

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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Reporter

ZIMBABWE has intensified efforts to build homegrown information systems and tighten cyber defences as the evolution of digital technologies continues to redefine national security in modern states, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere has said.

In an interview after his presentation at the Zimbabwe National Defence University yesterday, Dr Muswere said the country’s security now extends far beyond physical borders, as new digital vulnerabilities demand new forms of protection.

“We focused on the evolution of information systems as a threat to national security. The presentation mainly centred on what the Government of Zimbabwe has been able to develop in order to guarantee national security in terms of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Dr Muswere said the country has accelerated the development of critical legislation and policies meant to build a secure digital ecosystem.

“Under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, the Government of Zimbabwe has been in a position to develop the Cyber and Data Protection Act, to amend the Broadcasting Services Act, to develop the National Artificial Intelligence Framework and the AI Strategy, and to develop in 2022 the National ICT Policy and recently the first Integrated Media Policy,” he said.

These measures, he added, were designed to counter emerging forms of digital aggression.

Dr Muswere said the country has accelerated the development of critical legislation and policies meant to build a secure digital ecosystem.

Government had also been in a position to deal with social media imperialism and social media terrorism.

Beyond defence, Dr Muswere said the policies were also driving national development by empowering institutions to innovate.

“At the same time, the policies that have been put in place also support the transformation of education to Heritage-Based Education 5.0, which supports innovation hubs, services and productivity.

“They support ideation to productivity and the production of services, in particular hardware and software development across all universities, colleges and many other institutions,” he said.

This innovation drive is also central to strengthening Zimbabwe’s control over its media and digital space guaranteeing media sovereignty.

Dr Muswere added that national security in the digital age goes beyond traditional definitions of territorial integrity, which is no longer defined only in terms of the perimeter of a country’s boundaries.

“It has been redefined by cybersecurity, cyberattacks, vulnerabilities, threats, and also the policies and programmes that the Government of Zimbabwe has put in place to defend the cyberspace of our nation,” he said.

The Innovation Fund launched by President Mnangagwa in 2018 is part of efforts to grow homegrown capacities.

Dr Muswere said all the strategies aim to create a safe and secure cybersecurity framework and environment as the country moves towards an upper-middle-income society by 2030.

He also warned that Africa faces risks related to the procurement of foreign information systems, describing dependence on external technologies as a rising threat to national security.

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HARARE – Former Chugutu West MP Dexter Nduna was due before Kadoma magistrates on Wednesday following his arrest on charges of obstructing justice.

Nduna, a lawyer, allegedly threatened to unleash vicious dogs on the Messenger of Court who arrived as his home to attach one of his vehicles, a Toyota Fortuner, over a $41,000 debt.

The Messenger of Court was forced to abort his mission and called the police.

The post Ex-Chegutu MP Dexter Nduna arrested appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.