Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Govt to splash on riot gear . . . as ED reveals plan to stop using army in demos | Daily News

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has revealed government’s plan to buy riot hardware and water cannons for police officers in a bid to stop relying on the military in containing violent demonstrations.

This comes as a South African non-governmental organisation Gift for the Givers recently donated R55 million to government for training police officers and purchasing protective gear for use during riotous situations.

Mnangagwa and his government have suffered huge setbacks in their re-engagement efforts with Western governments and the United States of America due to the January riots in which the military was accused of gunning down protesters.

While the European Union (EU) spared the 76-year-old veteran Zanu PF leader and his colleagues from been hit with further sanctions, the US extended them by another year citing “disproportionate” use of force by soldiers during the January riots — which were sparked by a steep fuel price increase announced by Mnangagwa — ahead of his trip to Eastern Europe.

In an interview during his short visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last weekend, in which he explained the involvement of the army in quelling civil disturbances, Mnangagwa said his government had set sights on equipping police to avoid future intervention by the military in civil policing matters.

He said currently police were ill-equipped to contain the demonstrations, “the only people we can call are the army to stop the destruction and bring law and order”. Comparing the country’s riots to the French yellow vests protests that have been sweeping France for the past four months, he said the police did not have necessary tools to contain protests hence the use of the military.

“The French police use water cannon and they use batons, but we don’t have those things. “We need to acquire them so that we can deal with civil disturbances,” said Mnangagwa. In January this year, police and soldiers were engaged in running battles with protesters who flooded the streets of Harare, Bulawayo and other towns — to protest the steep fuel price hikes which were announced by Mnangagwa ahead of his tour of Eastern Europe.

Property worth hundreds of thousands of dollars was also destroyed and looted in the mayhem which ensued, after thousands of workers heeded a three-day strike call by labour unions. At the same time, security forces unleashed a brutal crackdown against the protesters, the opposition and civil society leaders, in a move which received wide condemnation in the country and around the world.

Mnangagwa, who was feted like a king when he replaced ousted former president Robert Mugabe in November 2017, initially lifted the mood of crisis-weary Zimbabweans who were hopeful at the time that he would turn around the country’s economic fortunes.

However, the post-July 30, 2018 election shootings — which left at least six civilians dead when the military used live ammunition to quell an ugly demonstration in Harare’s central business district (CBD) — and dozens of deaths during this year’s fuel riots, as well as the subsequent vicious clampdown of dissenting voices — are seen as having dented his international image significantly, in addition to harming his chances of getting financial support from Western countries.

Last month, Mugabe launched a blistering attack on Mnangagwa over government’s handling of the January riots and its subsequent use of soldiers to quell the ugly disturbances.

Mugabe made the attacks as he celebrated his 95th birthday celebrations at his palatial Borrowdale home — which is commonly referred to as the Blue Roof — to renew his feud with his once longtime aide, following his fall from power after nearly four decades at the helm of the country.

“You want to shower yourself with praises despite being at the top? You are not God ED. Today you are at the top, tomorrow you will be at the bottom. Keep that in mind. “God has his own way of punishing rogues and cruel people.

“He who is obsessed with seeing corpses everyday will soon realise that people would clamour too to see his corpse one day. I say to soldiers ‘stop killing people’. “What you are doing (killing people) is going to catch up with you very, very soon. Just tomorrow, it would have caught up with you,” the bitter Mugabe warned ominously in reports relayed to the outside world via his associates.

“People should love their army … they should not fear the army. We can’t continue with people being bashed on the head.
“So, I say to you, ‘get your lessons correct’. Let’s create an environment where our people are happy, not what’s happening now.
“We will not shy away or be afraid to talk. No! Let’s be frank with each other,” Mugabe said further during his birthday celebrations.

Mnangagwa’s under pressure government has since hired a top American reputation management firm — to spruce up Zimbabwe’s international image and to lobby US President Donald Trump’s government in a bid to improve frosty relations between Harare and Washington.

This comes after a disappointed Trump renewed America’s targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe for another year— accusing Mnangagwa and his government of not doing much to improve Harare’s democratic credentials since Mugabe fell from power in November 2017.

The public relations company which has been contracted by Zimbabwe, Ballard Partners, is headed by prominent Washington lobbyist Brian Ballard — who is also said to be a top fundraiser for Trump’s political campaigns.

According to the details of the contract between Harare and Ballard Partners, which was signed last month by Foreign minister Sibusiso Moyo, the government will pay the American firm a whopping US$500 000 a year for its services.

Well-placed sources told the Daily News yesterday that Ballard Partners is — among other things — expected to help Harare shed off its pariah status in Washington, while also working to assist Zimbabwe to access critically-needed funding from international financial institutions.

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Source: Mamombe seeks to be removed from remand | Daily News

MDC Harare West MP Joana Mamombe yesterday notified the State that she intends to apply for refusal of further remand if the State does not provide her with a trial date on the next court date.

Mamombe is charged with subversion after she held a press conference where she allegedly invited members of her constituency to join hands with trade unions to overthrow President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

The State had undertaken to finish investigations by April 4.
“If the State does not furnish the accused with a trial date, we will challenge further remand,” Mamombe’s lawyer Jeremiah Bamu told the court. Provincial magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa endorsed the notice on the record.

Allegations against Mamombe are that on January 14, 2019, she held a presser at Civic Centre in Marlborough in her capacity as MDC MP. The court heard that Mamombe together with members of her constituency planned to join hands with other trade unions to coerce and invite them to overthrow Mnangagwa’s government.

It is further alleged that the 25-year-old legislator urged members of her constituency to resort to civil disobedience and demonstrations to shut down Zimbabwe in response to public outcry over fuel price hikes, shortages and high cost of living.

The court heard that between January 14 and 16, 2019 and in response to Mamombe’s presser, members of the opposition, various trade unionists, pressure groups, youth forums and members of the public engaged in violent protests across the country.

As a result property was destroyed, lives were lost, several police officers and members of the public were also injured.

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Source: ‘Cyclone victims being buried in mass graves’ | Newsday (News)

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

RESCUE efforts continued yesterday in the Cyclone Idai-ravaged Chimanimani and Chipinge districts amid reports that some people who died in the disaster could have been buried in mass graves, although government officials denied the reports.

Affected villagers told NewsDay on Monday that they were aware of individuals and relatives that were still missing and who they suspect could have been buried in mass graves.

Barbara Chikumbanwe, of Chimanimani, said she was aware of relatives and strangers who were buried in mass graves.

“I think there are more than 100 people who are missing. People are being buried in mass graves. Strangers are being buried together,” she said.

Another villager, Munyaradzi Sithole, from Nyanyadzi in Chimanimani, said the situation was worse than what people were talking about.

“We have people who are being buried in twos or threes,” she said

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, who toured the affected areas on Monday, said the figure of Cyclone Idai casualties being given by government was lower than actual numbers.

“I think the figures are far higher than the reports we are getting from the (government) and because of the way we have responded to the crisis, I don’t think we have evidence and information gathering capacity to be able to figure out the extent of the causalities and figure out the real numbers,” he said

“It’s a wake up call on us as authorities and leadership that in future, we must have disaster preparedness mechanisms.”

Local Government minister July Moyo told journalists that government was not aware of mass graves.

“No, no we don’t have that information. Graves have been dug and people are being buried individually,” he said.

“But some of the victims were not taken to their homes, but they have been buried in a decent manner. Youths have been digging graves, not one grave.
If that has happened we don’t have that information.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was in Mutare in the afternoon and visited affected areas after attending a Cabinet meeting in the morning.

Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga arrived in Mutare yesterday morning ahead of Mnangagwa.

Addressing journalists at Mutare government complex yesterday, Agriculture minister and Defence acting minister Perrance Shiri commended Zimbabweans for chipping in with donations to assist the cyclone survivors.

The post ‘Cyclone victims being buried in mass graves’ appeared first on NewsDay Zimbabwe.

The post ‘Cyclone victims being buried in mass graves’ appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: ED, Chamisa cannot lead dialogue: Clergy | Daily News

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his opposition counterpart Nelson Chamisa can never be the best candidates to conduct dialogue as they cannot represent the ordinary people’s wishes on the ground, the clergy have said.

This comes at a time Mnangagwa has invited opposition parties only for what he has termed national dialogue towards solving the country’s myriad problems which range from social, political and economic issues. However, Chamisa has snubbed the dialogue, in a development that has left the country on tenterhooks.

Speaking during the launch of Churches Convergence on Peace (CCOP) a consortium of three faith-based organisations, last Friday, Reverend Ray Motsi said dialogue should not be an elitist forum.
He went on to say Mnangagwa and Chamisa are not the only greatest thinkers the country has ever had.

“The national dialogue is not limited to Zanu PF and MDC. It is not limited to civic organisations alone. It has to demonstrate the fact that it is national in terms of composition and inclusivity. “We are talking about government, political parties, citizens, civic society organisations and traditional leaders, everybody must be involved.

It is not just for special people but for everybody who is Zimbabwean”. “We need to move from this elite mentality of Mnangagwa and Chamisa as if they are the only people who can think more than others. The people who are having problems are ordinary people.

“The people that bear the brand of the crisis are chiefs and pastors, who are with the citizens in communities,” said Motsi, a theologian and peace-building expert. He added that traditional leaders and the church must come forward “ … and say they are tired of politics and political parties; they want people to speak and be heard”.

Explaining the effects of an elitist dialogue, Motsi said the latest move by Mnangagwa cannot be separated from the Lancaster House talks in 1979. “What we have had in Zimbabwe so far are elites’ meetings from the Lancaster House, agreement of Unity Accord to the Government of National Unity (GNU), it was never inclusive.

“It never included the people of Zimbabwe. There were people who went there on behalf of the citizens. That is not what we are talking about when we talk about the national dialogue,” Motsi said.

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Source: Coca-Cola fast-tracks collection, recycling of PET plastic bottles | Daily News

PETRICOZIM, a beverage industry collaborative initiative created in Zimbabwe eight years ago to address the post-consumer PET problem, has created jobs and new income opportunities in the recycling sector.

The collaborative project which started as a Coca-Cola System initiative, featuring Coca-Cola Central Africa, Delta Beverages, Mutare Bottling Company and Schweppes Zimbabwe Limited, has yielded excellent results, collecting over two thousand tonnes of plastic a year.

According to a statement recently released by Coca-Cola on the occasion of Global Recycling Day, which is commemorated on March 18 every year, the beverages giant expressed its commitment to continue accelerating the collection and recycling of PET plastic bottles across Southern & East Africa. This is part of a focused “World Without Waste” campaign which aims to collect and recycle the equivalent of 100 percent of the packaging the company sells by 2030.

As part of the “World Without Waste” campaign, Coca-Cola, along with its bottling partners and other industry partners across Southern & East Africa, will invest over US$38 million to stimulate plastic recycling industries and educate people about what, how and where to recycle.

“We have shifted our business priorities to ensure value is added to our post-consumer plastic bottles so that they don’t end up as waste. I like to think of it as creating a new currency with plastic — developing our bottles into valuable resources that can drive a green economy,” said Bruno Pietracci, President of Coca-Cola Southern and East Africa.

The campaign will fast track three pillars of the World Without Waste vision: Design; Collect; and Partner. The idea is to design bottles which are easy to recycle and are themselves made partly out of recycled material; create collecting opportunities by stimulating recycling industries; and partnering with others in the value chain to reduce plastic waste.

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