‘Looting’ minors case delayed again

Source: ‘Looting’ minors case delayed again | Daily News BULAWAYO’s Emakhandeni minors who allegedly took part in the violent January lootings have missed out on their school lessons with the hearing of their case suffering repeated delays. The minors aged between six and 13 years appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Joseph Mabeza facing theft charges. […]

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Source: 'Looting' minors case delayed again | Daily News

BULAWAYO’s Emakhandeni minors who allegedly took part in the violent January lootings have missed out on their school lessons with the hearing of their case suffering repeated delays.

The minors aged between six and 13 years appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Joseph Mabeza facing theft charges.

The State agreed to postpone the matter to a later date during the April school holidays after realising that the schooling minors had been attending court for weeks without any progress on the matter.

Tinashe Runganga, the defence lawyer submitted that the matter was taking too long to finalise and further made indications that defence would apply for the matter to be placed off remand.
Prosecuting Caroline Matanga said the State still awaits the probation officers’ reports.

It is the State’s case that on January 15 at around midday, the minors were part of a mob which went to Apollo Shopping in Emakhandeni, where they allegedly looted groceries and 129 pool tokens.

They allegedly participated in violent skirmishes with the law enforcers who were trying to maintain law and order during the violent protests.

After outnumbering the police officers, the accused persons reportedly broke into the shops at Apollo Shopping Centre.

The suspects were arrested after police received a tip off from members of the public leading to the recovery of some of the stolen items.

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Fierce battle for council seat

Source: Fierce battle for council seat | Daily News THE battle for the Cowdray Park ward 28 council seat has reached fever pitch with parties contesting in the by-election leaving nothing to chance. The by-election has been set for this coming Saturday and the official campaign period ends today (Wednesday). While other parties like MDC, […]

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Source: Fierce battle for council seat | Daily News

THE battle for the Cowdray Park ward 28 council seat has reached fever pitch with parties contesting in the by-election leaving nothing to chance.

The by-election has been set for this coming Saturday and the official campaign period ends today (Wednesday).

While other parties like MDC, Zapu and ZEFF and MRP have shown their strong intentions to claim the seat which fell vacant following the death of an MDC councillor Happy Ncube in December last year, Zanu PF on Friday surprisingly deployed top party officials led by Vice President Kembo Mohadi to drum up support for the party’s candidate.

On the other hand, Zapu president Dumiso Dabengwa who has just returned from two-month sick leave, on Sunday led his troops to Cowdray Park where he also conducted a road show and later a rally, as the battle intensifies.

The country’s main opposition party, the MDC, is fielding two candidates — Collet Ndlovu and Nomagugu Sibanda in the by-election. While the party claims to have expelled Sibanda, investigations by Southern News showed that, she was actively involved in the campaign with full support from some party seniors.

Zanu PF has since the year 2000 struggled to win seats in the second capital, but the ruling party never seems to read much into history confidently deploying a high powered delegation — a first in decades, to convince the people of Cowdray Park suburb to change their minds.

Secretary for Administration Obert Mpofu, deputy national commissar Omega Hungwe, former ministers Mike Bimha and David Parirenyatwa the secretary for Indigenisation and health respectively, politburo members Tshinga Dube, Absolom Sikhosana and Angeline Masuku among others made the team that descended on the suburb ahead of the election.
In a bid to win their hearts, Mohadi donated 60 tonnes of maize and 30 tonnes of rice to residents, in what has been widely viewed as a clear vote buying gimmick.

Perhaps the ruling party has been buoyed by the current restructuring exercise in the city, which the party insisted was the best way to revive its fortunes

Zanu PF chose well-known local businessman Kidwell Mujuru to represent it in the election where 18 candidates are vying for the seat.

The Cowdray Park ward has one of the largest voting populations of 23 3041. Accordingly, Zec established 36 polling stations for the purposes of the by-election.

The ward has for the past two weeks been a hive of activity with campaign flyers, t-shirts and posters of different political parties a common sight. Road shows and door-to-door campaigns have also been something that one cannot ignore.
But Zanu PF seemed to have realised the importance of the election, hosting a huge rally on Friday in the suburb.

“Since 2000, we have been losing been losing both general and local authority elections to the opposition.
“It boggles my mind to see Zanu PF losing elections to the MDC. This must come to a stop. Let us make sure that the situation changes, starting with Cowdray Park.

“Let’s also give this young man a chance by voting for him. We will show you what government is capable of doing for its people,” Mohadi told the rally.

If Zanu PF manages to win the seat, it will be a wake-up call for the main opposition MDC who for the past two decades have relied heavily on urban areas as their strongholds.

Zanu PF has one MP in Bulawayo Raji Modi, who won the Bulawayo South seat in the July 30 harmonised election after the party capitalised on the confusion by MDC which also fielded two candidates.

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ED, CSOs meeting divides Matabeleland

Source: ED, CSOs meeting divides Matabeleland | Daily News PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent meeting with a vocal civic society grouping has received with mixed reactions. Mnangagwa surprisingly met with Matabeleland Collective at State House in Bulawayo where the civic organisation presented him with a number of issues. Social media has been abrasive against the team […]

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Source: ED, CSOs meeting divides Matabeleland | Daily News

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s recent meeting with a vocal civic society grouping has received with mixed reactions.
Mnangagwa surprisingly met with Matabeleland Collective at State House in Bulawayo where the civic organisation presented him with a number of issues.

Social media has been abrasive against the team led by Women of Zimbabwe Arise (Woza) director Jenni Williams that met Mnangagwa at State House.

Some have questioned the invitation criteria used while others have raised red flag over the leadership of the civic society grouping which they claim might have been greased to take a softer stance against Mnangagwa who some in the region view as being part of perpetrators of the Gukurahundi massacres.

To make matter worse, soon after meeting Mnangagwa, Williams took to Twitter to share her excitement for her milestone achievement to finally share the high table with the country’s first citizen.

“At first I thought that was PR & politicking but when I saw him taking notes as we deliberated; that was incredible. When he said he was a listening President I felt he meant it,” she posted.
This was, however, received by mixed feelings with many saying she was clearly sounding like she has been “captured” by the State.

Prominent Bulawayo-based activist, Josphat Mzaca Ngulube also posted on his Facebook wall saying: “This Matabeleland collective sounds nonsensical, whose purpose is it serving besides being used as a gimmick to cleanse ED in Mat.”

Zapu spokesperson Iphithule Maphosa also added to the criticism saying: “To those who met Scarfman at Bulawayo State House…who were you representing?”
MRP spokesperson Mbonisi Gumbo however, defended Matabeleland Collective’s meeting with Mnangagwa.

“Some of us have known about the existence of Matabeleland Collective for quite some time now. We are aware that the initiative is well intended.
“It must be understood that this initiative was not created to meet Mnangagwa but to defend the Mthwakazi space the same way we do in politics.

“It is worth noting that everything that was presented to Mnangagwa by the Matabeleland Collective is exactly what we as Matabeleland politicians have been raising,” Gumbo posted.
Matabeleland Collective spokesperson Dumisani Nkomo said the grouping was non-partisan.

“We are not partisan we are not an appendage of any political party. Whenever we have issues we address them to the relevant people, that’s how advocacy works in any part of the world.

“For instance, the issue of Gukurahundi, we invited Mnangagwa and we spoke clearly about, just like we did on devolution and other issues because we feel it’s him who should address those issues. And trust me we are going to hold the government accountable on those issues,” Nkomo told Daily News.
The meeting was a first for both parties as this never happened during former president Robert Mugabe’s 37-year reign.

While at State House, the civic society representatives managed to touch on such crucial issues as the decriminalisation of Gukurahundi, reburials, access to documentation, devolution and harmonisation of laws among others, to which the president positively promised to address.

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VIDEO: Zanu PF confiscating donated goods 

Chimanimani – A convoy of ZANU PF vehicles is at Silver Streams near here confiscating donated goods into the back of their twin cabs which bear the ZANU PF logos. Source: VIDEO: Zanu PF confiscating donated goods – The Zimbabwean Several of these vehicles have already driven offloaded. According to some lorry drivers who were […]

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Chimanimani – A convoy of ZANU PF vehicles is at Silver Streams near here confiscating donated goods into the back of their twin cabs which bear the ZANU PF logos.

Source: VIDEO: Zanu PF confiscating donated goods – The Zimbabwean

Several of these vehicles have already driven offloaded.

According to some lorry drivers who were stopped at Silver Streams this morning the Zanu pf officials ordered them to surrender their goods saying the party was the only authorized distributor of donated goods.

A helicopter delivers donated goods which are then distributed by Zanu pf officials in branded vehicles.

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Politics of Patronage and Relief Aid frustrates PYD

Platform for Youth Development Trust (PYD) is shocked and traumatized by the levels of mistrust, hate and gross partisanship taking place in Manicaland at a time that unity and compassion is needed the most to insulate the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai. Source: Politics of Patronage and Relief Aid frustrates PYD – The Zimbabwean The […]

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Platform for Youth Development Trust (PYD) is shocked and traumatized by the levels of mistrust, hate and gross partisanship taking place in Manicaland at a time that unity and compassion is needed the most to insulate the devastating effects of Cyclone Idai.

Source: Politics of Patronage and Relief Aid frustrates PYD – The Zimbabwean

The social and mainstream media has been inundated and awash with pictures and videos of distressed calls from Cyclone Idai victims requesting for help and relief, especially in the ravaged areas of Chimanimani and Chipinge districts. Zimbabwe experienced torrential rainfall caused by Cyclone Idai from the 15th to 17th of March 2019 which caused high winds and heavy precipitation in Chimanimani and Chipinge.  The majorities of the affected families in these districts survive on subsistence farming and have little or no alternative source of income. The cyclone Idai has worsened the dire food situation.

PYD has been part of the various civic society organizations and local community stakeholders who have been sharing information for the public and well-wishers to understand the gravity of the damage so as to provide basic relief and intervention. Whilst the humanitarian response from the local, national and international level has been overwhelming and touching, this is being soiled by heartless political vultures that are bending on wanting to score political value and mileage over a natural disaster such as Cyclone Idai.

PYD Director, Mr Claris Madhuku expressed dismay at some of the events that are already taking place in Chimanimani and Chipinge

“I have witnessed political jostling of men and women, some in their political party regalia wanting to control the food relief by using their partisan emotions and discretion. This is inhumane and must be condemned for shaming the morality of the nation” Madhuku fumed

Although the Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services who is also Senator for Chimanimani Monica Mutsvangwa has refuted the allegations that there were Zanu PF structures, including former trainees of the Border Gezi who have denied food aid to victims purported to be supporting the opposition, evidence is overwhelming.

PYD has observed that the issue of food aid and relief in rural communities has been at the Centre of local politics in rural Zimbabwe. Food aid has always been used as a weapon of influence and patronage rather than broader social justice and empowerment objectives. As community-based organization, PYD is fully aware that this practice will have negative effects on community development which is likely to result in increased vulnerability and the deepening of social insecurity to the victims of Cyclone Idai. Divisive politics during this disaster period must be discouraged because it makes communities vulnerable and deprived from genuine livelihood support by government.

Platform for Youth Development has also observed that the politicization of food relief is negatively affecting women and children in Chimanimani and Chipinge. Cynthia Gwenzi who is the Gender and Wellness Officer for PYD noted that

“When partisanship is used on food relief, it is the women and children who are disadvantaged the most because they will have no one to represent them without being exposed to the vulnerabilities of patronage and abuse. In most cases, partisanship leads to physical force which then discriminates women and children” Cynthia Gwenzi suggested

Cyclone Idai has affected Chimanimani and Chipinge districts the most by disrupting water and sanitation facilities, damaging road networks, cutting power supply and displacing people including loss of life. According to the Inter-Agency Rapid Assessment/Appraisal Update on Cyclone Idai disaster, 29 000 households were affected in Chimanimani and 21 000 households in Chipinge. At the same time, 8000 people were displaced in Chimanimani whereas 3000 were also displaced in Chipinge. The Cyclone Idai has inflicted damage to 37% (121 000) of the Chipinge rural population which are now in urgent need of food assistance with a total of 77% (114 000) also requiring food assistance in Chimanimani. The statistics from the inter agency rapid assessment update pose a grim picture as the source of livelihoods were wiped out as indicated by 24000 hectares of dry land that have been destroyed in Chipinge and 300 hectares in Chimanimani also facing the same fate. The death toll for Manicaland Province stands at 259 with over 300 people still missing.

PYD has always raised this issue of partisan food distribution due to the fact that the victims are in dire need of emergency relief to the counter debilitating effects of cyclone Idai. To curb against this embarrassing situation, all political party structures must be removed from the food distribution process in favor of professional persons who are linked to those donating the aid.

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