Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

The parallel market exchange rate has remained high even with the 2019 Monetary Policy Statement that made floated the RTGS currency against the US dollar. Having opened the week at 3.5, the rate has closed at 3.6. Bank Rates The current bank exchange rates for the RTGS$ today are as follows RTGS$ to USD: 2.5219 […]

Source: HIV, Aids activist raises Zim flag high | Newsday (News)

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

HIV and Aids activist, Tendai Westerhof this week co-chaired a conference in the Untied States on retroviruses and opportunistic infections (CROI) as a woman living openly with the disease.

Westerhof co-chaired the symposium on anti-retroviral treatment and reproduction together with Meg Doherty of World Health Organisation (WHO).

CROI is an annual global conference where clinicians and scientists with an interest in understanding the current state of knowledge regarding the use of anti-retrovial treatment in women gather to exchange notes.

Westerhof told NewsDay that: “The platform offers us the opportunity to explain to the world what efforts we are making in fighting the disease in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole.

“The platform also updates in all scientific researches and finding of the cures, vaccine of the HIV and treatment of various opportunistic infections. As we raise the Zimbabwe flag high we were also happy to note that our national hero Oliver Mtukudzi’s music was played throughout the day in every plenary and sessions room, the corridors and it brought such melodies and exciting atmosphere as the international community remembered him.”

Westerhof said Zimbabwe was among the three southern African countries cited by WHO as having drastically reduced incidents of new HIV infections in recent years.

CROI 2019, which started on March 4, closed yesterday at the Washington State Convention Centre in Seattle.

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A popular Harare bouncer urinated on the head of a suspected cellphone thief in a ritual to free the suspect from a 'curse' yesterday. Sensei Cletus claims that Madzibaba Stephen told him to urinate on the thief who had confessed to have stolen the former's phone at his office along Central Avenue. Cletus said the […]

Source: State withdraws charges against shot, injured cop – NewsDay Zimbabwe March 8, 2019

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

The State yesterday withdrew charges against a police officer who was shot and injured by his colleagues during January’s protests against fuel price hikes, citing lack of evidence.

Ignatius Zuze was shot and arrested in Epworth for participating in the violent anti-government protests.

The State, represented by Sebastian Mutizirwa, told magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa that the State was no longer pursuing the matter as there was no evidence linking Zuze to committing the offence.

Zuze was being represented by Lorretta Makumbe, a member of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

The cop failed to appear for trial together with other 61 Epworth suspected protesters after he was hospitalised under police guard following gunshot injuries he sustained.

However, some of the suspects who were arrested together with Zuze have since been acquitted of the allegations for lack of evidence.

The Epworth residents were accused of barricading Chiremba Road using stones and burning some vehicle tyres and pulling down a sign post at a police station, which the State said disturbed free human and traffic movement.

But magistrate Francis Mapfumo ruled that the State failed to establish a compelling case against the Epworth residents which would warrant that they be placed on their defence.

In that case, magistrate also ruled that the evidence led during trial by the State was shown to be manifestly unreliable, hence it was not safe to rely upon it and that most of the accused persons were not even at the scene of the crime as no one claimed to have identified them committing any offence.

The post State withdraws charges against shot, injured cop  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: CMED tasked to supply fuel, equipment to road authorities | Newsday (News)

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

Government has tasked CMED to supply fuel and road equipment to local authorities to help speed up road infrastructure projects currently underway.

Speaking to local authorities from Midlands province during a tour of roads under rehabilitation in Mberengwa-Mataga yesterday, Transport and Infrastructure Development minister Joel Biggie Matiza said government was aware of the crisis to secure fuel and road equipment by local authorities, hence the need to empower CMED with the central role to supply councils.

“There will be a flood of activities that is going to come, especially now that there are some tenders for major roads which have been awarded. We need to resource ourselves. There are opportunities with Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara). Yes the money is not enough, but it’s not a one-day event, but a continuous event where we will then want to source equipment,” Matiza said.

“We want CMED to be equipped so that it can be the major supplier of equipment to road authorities and also to the Department of Roads; that is work in progress. It is very central just like Zinara. It is also very central to the activities of road rehabilitation and building new roads. Now we will be having fuel being delivered to provinces where roads are being built through CMED. That is the programme we are working on, so that we don’t delay projects.”

Local authorities told government that their road infrastructure projects were being derailed because of fuel shortages and fluctuating prices of equipment.

Matiza vowed to name and shame road authorities failing to exhaust money disbursed by Zinara. Government has allocated over $900 million for investment in the road sector under the 2019 infrastructure investment plan.

“We want to see that money being utilised, because wherever there are potholes and other issues, it’s because of non-acquittals,” he said.

“At the end of the day people are pointing fingers at MPs and councillors and yet we have people who are sitting on those things. That will force me to publish the list of those who have not acquitted. Let’s move fast to try and do work because you are the people on the ground. The money is there to do the work. So there is no MP, you just need to do your acquittals and get them to Zinara,” Matiza said.

Government is upgrading 781km of road networks, re-gravelling 483km and constructing 22 bridges under the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP).

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