Zanu PF hounds traditional leaders

Source: Zanu PF hounds traditional leaders -Newsday Zimbabwe ZANU PF has ordered chiefs to strip village heads and headmen who entertain opposition parties ahead of the August 23 election of their titles. President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently rewarded village heads and headmen with a pay rise ahead of the elections. However, Zimbabwe’s Constitution prohibits traditional leaders […]

Source: Zanu PF hounds traditional leaders -Newsday Zimbabwe

ZANU PF has ordered chiefs to strip village heads and headmen who entertain opposition parties ahead of the August 23 election of their titles.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently rewarded village heads and headmen with a pay rise ahead of the elections.

However, Zimbabwe’s Constitution prohibits traditional leaders from being members of any political party or participating in partisan politics.

Addressing a rally at Maybole Maboleni business centre in Lower Gweru on Saturday last week, Zanu PF Midlands provincial chairperson Daniel Mackenzie Ncube warned village heads and headmen who entertain opposition parties.

“Traditional leaders and Zanu PF are one thing; there is no difference. Anyone who entertains opposition parties must be removed and we won’t tolerate that,” Ncube said.

“Don’t be apologetic about it, we don’t want sellouts. We will not tolerate any village head or headman who entertains the opposition. We will strip them of their titles and they will be made to answer to the people.”

He said he was closely monitoring traditional leaders.

“That’s why we introduced the Patriot Act so that we deal with these people accordingly.  We are keeping a close eye on everyone who wants to support the opposition,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Chirumanzu — Fidelis Mudzengi — has ordered his subjects to vote for the ruling Zanu PF party.

Addressing a meeting in Chirumanzu recently, Chief Chirumanzu warned that he would deal with opposition party supporters in his area.

“Election time has come and Mnangagwa has been doing wonderful work for us and we should return the favour by voting for him,” he reportedly said.

“Note that if you are a village head you have no choice, but to vote for Zanu PF. You don’t have any excuse; we will maintain our tradition and culture.”

He warned villagers against supporting Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).

“Don’t tell me about democracy and these CCC sellouts, they don’t know anything about the traditions and cultures of this country,” Chief Chirumanzu said.

However, Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said Zanu PF had no such policy.

“Zanu PF has no such policy or programme as it fully abides by the 2013 Constitution of Zimbabwe it was co-author and co-sponsor. The Constitution recognises the chieftaincy as an apolitical historical and customary institution,” Mutsvangwa said.

Mnangagwa recently rewarded village heads and headmen with a pay rise and pampered chiefs with vehicles and connected their homes to the national electricity power grid.

According to information gathered by the NewsDay, the village heads and headmen now earn US$50, plus a $100 000 local currency component.

Apart from the pay rise, the traditional leaders have been put on government medical aid catering for the village head, spouse and three children.

Traditional leaders have been asked to open bank accounts since their salaries are now being paid through the Salary Service Bureau.

Concern has been raised over traditional leaders who continue to dabble in partisan politics, saying this will impact on the secrecy and integrity of the ballot in the 2023 polls.

Garden boy sneaks into ex-employer’s house, steals 57kg gold and cash

Gardener, friend nabbed for gold heist at employer’s Bulawayo home A gardener and his accomplice have been arrested in Bulawayo for looting close to US$18,000 worth of cash and gold from the home of the gardener’s former employer over a fiv…

Gardener, friend nabbed for gold heist at employer’s Bulawayo home A gardener and his accomplice have been arrested in Bulawayo for looting close to US$18,000 worth of cash and gold from the home of the gardener’s former employer over a five-month period. Andrew Chirasha, 28, once worked as a gardener for the 35-year-old victim in […]

The post Garden boy sneaks into ex-employer’s house, steals 57kg gold and cash first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

Zim hosting 20 000 refugees: Govt 

Source: Zim hosting 20 000 refugees: Govt –Newsday Zimbabwe ZIMBABWE is hosting an estimated 20 000 refugees and asylum seekers most whom are facing challenges in obtaining identity documents for children born in the country, a senior government official has said. Some 15 000 refugees, according to Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage minister Kazembe Kazembe, […]

Source: Zim hosting 20 000 refugees: Govt –Newsday Zimbabwe

ZIMBABWE is hosting an estimated 20 000 refugees and asylum seekers most whom are facing challenges in obtaining identity documents for children born in the country, a senior government official has said.

Some 15 000 refugees, according to Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage minister Kazembe Kazembe, are at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge, Manicaland province

He said Tongogara was facing a host of challenges, including inadequate resources to support the refugee population, access to basic needs such as food, water, sanitation, health, basic education facilities and transport for patients to hospital.

Speaking at the launch of the Zimbabwe National Migration Policy in Harare yesterday, Kazembe pledged government’s commitment to ensuring effective policy implementation so that the policy framework does not fail.

He also called for a review of the country’s legislation, including the Zimbabwe Immigration Act, to reflect and align it with national priorities and modern-day migration realities.

Kazembe also said President Emmerson Mnangagwa issued a directive to regularise the status of all persons in Zimbabwe by providing them with identity documents.

“More than 10 000 migrants from Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique were registered and issued with certificates, identity cards and permanent residence free of charge as recognition of the strong and historical ties of people within the Sadc [Southern African Development Community] region,” he said.

Kazembe called for measures that ensure Zimbabwe is not a source, transit and destination country for smuggled or trafficked migrants.

“The scourges of terrorism, human trafficking, human smuggling and money laundering are increasingly placing a demand on governments to widely co-operate in order to counter Trans National Organised Crimes,” he said.

“Conflicts around the world continue to exacerbate the asylum and refugee crisis creating challenges for various States to facilitate passage or serve as hosts to refugees.

“It is against this background that migration issues can no longer be relegated to policy peripheries but must constitute core socio-economic and political considerations,” Kazembe added.

In a statement ahead of the launch yesterday, IOM Zimbabwe chief of mission Mario Lito Malanca highlighted the importance of continued co-operation among partners, while reiterating the importance of effective policy implementation.

“The government of Zimbabwe had demonstrated its sincere commitment to managing migration in an effective way through the adoption of this policy.

“The policy is a living document and a dynamic tool which if implemented well — as government has committed to do — will advance the socio-economic well-being of migrants and society,” he said.

IOM assisted with technical support in the development of the policy which seeks to address migration challenges, while tapping into the positive benefits of migration for Zimbabwe’s social and economic development.

Zim food secure: Cabinet

Source: Zim food secure: Cabinet -Newsday Zimbabwe GOVERNMENT has claimed that the country is food secure despite humanitarian organisations insisting that Zimbabwe is among nations in the global hunger zones. According to World Food Programme (WFP)’s food security and markets monitoring report released recently, at least 4,1 million people are in urgent need of food […]

Source: Zim food secure: Cabinet -Newsday Zimbabwe

GOVERNMENT has claimed that the country is food secure despite humanitarian organisations insisting that Zimbabwe is among nations in the global hunger zones.

According to World Food Programme (WFP)’s food security and markets monitoring report released recently, at least 4,1 million people are in urgent need of food aid.

The figure represents a 14% increase from the 3,6 million people estimated at the beginning of April this year.

However, during a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said a Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVAC) report had established that resilience-building initiatives in the agricultural sector ensured that there was a 59% increase in food crop production in 2023 compared to the previous season.

“Thus, Zimbabwe’s food security is guaranteed until the next agricultural production season, thereby enabling rural communities to withstand systematic and particular shocks they experience, such as Cyclone Freddy and late onset of rains,” she said.

“Government also proactively took effective market-based mitigatory measures to combat price increases experienced in the economy.”

The minister indicated that because of the improved food security situation, “what used to be called ZimVAC is now Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee. This is because the term vulnerability no longer apply as Zimbabwe is food secure, the economy is stable and growing and the country”.

Mutsvangwa also said it had been established that in terms of social protection, government was the major source of support in rural areas, while assistance from the United Nations and/or non-governmental organisations decreased between 2022 and 2023.

“Regarding water sanitation and hygiene, the assessment found that about 83% of rural households are accessing water within a distance of improved sanitation … About 61% of rural households had access to toilets in the more needy areas,” she said.

Mutsvangwa said the report also established that the provision of health-related services was going on well, with most households in all provinces travelling less than 5km to the nearest health facility, and having access to health and nutrition information and village health workers’ services.

Previously, the Famine Early Warning Systems Network highlighted that although the 2023 harvests improved food availability and access, in deficit-producing areas, widespread stressed acute food insecurity outcomes still exist while in surplus-producing areas minimal outcomes are more prevalent.