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President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruling Zanu PF party is being ravaged by infighting, especially in his home province of Midlands following controversial primary elections that were marred by vote rigging and violence. Documents obtained by this publication show that Zanu PF has since lined up a series of crisis meetings to cool simmering tensions and divisions following the chaotic primary polls.

Source: Minister petitioned over Binga chieftainship wrangle – The Southern Eye

The lawyers said July Moyo is yet to respond to the letter.

A traditional leader in Binga, Matabeleland North has petitioned Local Government and Public Works minister July Moyo over a chieftainship row in the district.

In a letter dated May 11, directed to Moyo through his lawyer Dumisani Dube from Dube Legal Practice, Peter Mwembe told the minister that he was the rightful heir to the position of Chief Binga.

“Our client further advises that he is of the Tonga tribe in Zambezi Valley in Binga and that the Binga chieftaincy is a matriarchal one and the chieftaincy from the year 1900 when the Binga chieftaincy originated it lay with the Siakabuwa lineage,” his lawyer wrote.

His lawyer said problems started in 1994 when the late Gasta Siakulya claimed the chieftaincy.

“When Siakabuwa died, he was succeeded by Siazuza and when Siazuza died in 1939 he was succeeded by Shinkonkole and when Shinkonkole died in 1994 that is when problems started when the late Gasta Siakulya a Muleya, started claiming the chieftaincy,” he wrote.

“The late Gasta Siakulya used his connections and unscrupulous ways to deprive the rightful heir to Shinkonkole, Patrick Simankolyo of his right to chieftaincy and the said Gasta Siakulya Muleya was appointed chief in the year 2000.”

Siakulya passed away sometime in 2019.

“Upon the death of Gasta, he (Mwembe) made further representations at the district administrator’s office and other offices about his right to the chieftaincy in terms of the customs and traditions of the Tonga tribe.

“His efforts have also been unfruitful,” the lawyer wrote.

“He is aware that the Matabeleland North Provincial Assembly of Chiefs met at the late Gasta Siakulya Muleya’s homestead to appoint a new chief and our client made efforts to make his representations, but he was not given an opportunity and the successor was chosen from Gasta Siakulya Muleya’s family which perpetuated the wrongful Chieftaincy depriving the Tonga people of their rightful chief in terms of their customs and traditions.”

The lawyer said Mwembe is reliably informed that Grey Sikalelu was chosen by the Provincial Assembly of Chiefs as the heir apparent.

“Neither Gasta Siakulya Muleya, nor Grey Sikalelu Muleya is in any way related to Siakabuwa, Siazuza or Chinkonkole and there is no way they could have been legitimately appointed as Chief Binga,” he noted.

“As per the family tree, Grey Sikalelu Muleya does not even exist and by virtue of that, Grey Sikalelu cannot be legitimately appointed as a chief and therefore he cannot be inaugurated,” he said.

“Had the provincial assembly of chiefs considered his representations and the customary principles of succession of the Binga chieftainship in making the recommendations to the president, they would have found that our client is the rightful candidate for chieftaincy. “

He added that it was only the Siakabuwa lineage which has entitlement to chieftainship and Grey Sikalelu Muleya not being from the same lineage could not claim any right to the chieftaincy and should have never been appointed as such.

“Your office can assist in stopping this injustice and bring the matter to the Matabeleland North Provincial Assembly of Chiefs.”

The lawyers said Moyo is yet to respond to the letter.

Source: Auditor-General Chiri retires after 40 years – The Zimbabwe Independent

Auditor-General Mildred Chiri

ZIMBABWE’S Auditor-General, Mildred Chiri  — a tough financial investigator whose reports and frank commentary ruffled feathers across government and state-owned enterprises, has retired after 40 years in public service, the Zimbabwe Independent can reveal.

Of those four decades, 19 years were spent as Auditor-General. Chiri, who this week confirmed that she had left her high profile public service role, joined the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor-General as an audit assistant in 1983 before rising to the position of Auditor General in February 2004.

In an interview with the Independent, Chiri said: “My term of office has ended and I have officially retired definitely.

“The two terms have now come to an end.”

But it was an eventful period. Upon assuming office, Chiri set out to uncover high level mismanagement and corruption across government and other state agencies. Sadly, her recommendations were largely ignored. For many years, senior public servants, who were exposed by her investigations, were never arrested.

Chiri won the respect and admiration of many Zimbabweans for her exposés.

During her tenure, Chiri cleared audit backlogs, which went back to as far as 2000. In a controversial move in 2017, former finance and economic development minister, Patrick Chinamasa, abruptly ended Chiri’s employment.

But outraged lawmakers demanded her reinstatement, forcing Chinamasa to bow down to pressure. Chinamasa had planned to replace Chiri with former Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) general manager, Mike Ndudzo. Legislators rejected the appointment and questioned the logic behind dismissing Chiri after acquitting herself well in her job.

They argued that Ndudzo had failed at IDC, a wholly government-owned investment company. In  one  of  her  best  reports  released  in 2019, Chiri  said government in  2018 overspent by more than ZW$2 billion without seeking parliamentary approval, while various departments and local authorities flagrantly flouted accounting procedures. The Zimbabwe dollar was at the time rated at par with the greenback. Chiri said according to the 2018 budget, government was supposed to spend ZW$4,6 billion from the consolidated account, but ended up blowing ZW$7,1 billion.

“The excess expenditure was still to be regularised in terms of section 307 of the Constitution,” Chiri said in the report, which came out in June 2019.

She exposed a litany of gross accounting malpractices by government departments, parastatals and local authorities, which led to the loss of millions of dollars of public funds. Chiri said in some instances, goods and services were paid for but remained unutilised for several years and in some cases they were not delivered.

“There was no evidence that the ministries had followed up deliveries of the outstanding goods,” she said.

“Ministries processed payments amounting to ZW$7 280 598 and ZW$232 187 526 that were not adequately supported with receipts, invoices of goods received notes and competitive quotations and this made it difficult for me to ascertain if these funds were used for the intended purposes,” she noted.

The outgoing AG noted that government ministries were slow in debt collection, with the debts ballooning from ZW$133 897 975 in 2017 to ZW$416 852 415 in 2018.

She also stated that of the ZW$100 000 released by Treasury to the Department of Social Welfare to pay old persons, only 39% of the amount was used for the intended purpose, with the bulk of the money spent on administration costs, hotel bookings and officials’ subsistence allowances. On State entities, Chiri said governance shortcomings continued to dominate her findings. She  singled  out  entities,  such  as the Zimbabwe Schools  Examinations  Council (Zimsec) and the power utility firm, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), for failing to put to good use public assets acquired.

“Despite acquiring a printing press in 2016, Zimsec was still outsourcing printing services for examination papers and in 2017, the council incurred a total cost of ZW$2 million for the printing of June and November examination papers,” Chiri said.

“ZETDC has not taken delivery of transformers nine years after making a payment of ZW$4,9 million to Pito Investment. The same contractor was also paid ZW$561 935 in advance by the Zimbabwe Power Company in 2016 and has not delivered.

“The Grain Marketing Board also made an advance payment for maize worth ZW$1 014 163 in 2016 and to date, this maize has not been delivered,” she added in the explosive report.

A Harare woman is seeking US$300 per month in child support from her ex-husband for their one-month-old baby. Jacqueline Chikwere told a Harare magistrate on Friday that the infant needs medical care, food and clothing. However, the baby’s father Chucknorris Chigande claims he cannot afford the amount as it exceeds his salary. He says he […]

The post One-month-old baby’s needs set father and mother on collision course in court first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

Source: Ex-soldier sues businessman for wrongful arrest – The Southern Eye

THE Bulawayo High Court is set to hear a case where a former Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) captain Solomon Ndlovu is suing businessman Osfael Mazibuko, for causing his wrongful arrest and conviction.

Ndlovu is suing Mazibuko for damages and multiple losses he incurred while in jail after he caused his wrongful arrest on car theft charges.

He is claiming US$102 800 as payment for the loss of his houses, 78 heads of cattle and tractors.

He was convicted in January 2018 for theft of a motor vehicle by Beitbridge regional magistrate Mark Dzira who sentenced him to six years in jail with two months suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

Five months were suspended on condition he restituted Mazibuko with US$2 500, leaving him with an effective 65 months to serve.

Ndlovu appealed against the sentence and conviction at the High Court and was acquitted.

“The hearing on my case has been set down for May 30 before Justice Nokuthula Moyo,” Ndlovu told Sunday Southern Eye.

“That will be a trial but what pains me is that Mazibuko is now saying he did not cause my arrest for theft, but claims that he lent me the car.”

In July 2021, Ndlovu sued Mazibuko and his manager Dennis Ndlovu claiming damages he suffered after his arrest.

In February, both parties appeared before the court in a pre- trial meeting in which the respondents said they were not prepared to compensate Ndlovu, resulting in the matter proceeding to a hearing.

 “The plaintiff  also claims payment of damages for wrongful malicious prosecution and imprisonment in the sum of the equivalent  of US$52 000, contumelia and loss of his family, wife, job and income including pension benefits amounting to the equivalent of US$50 000, the claim being made jointly and severally against the defendants the one paying the other to be absolved and cost of suit,” reads the summons.

In his declaration, Ndlovu said in May 2016, he entered into an agreement of sale with Mazibuko to buy a Toyota Hilux body on wheels (registration number ADG9909).

 “Around April 2017, the first defendant (Mazibuko) lodged a report to members of the Central Intelligence Organisation alleging that I stole his car, a Toyota Hilux truck,” he said.

“Using the influence of CIO operatives, the first defendant went to Makhado Police Station in Beitbridge and made a false criminal report.”

Ndlovu said as a result of the false report, he was arrested, charged, convicted and jailed for theft of a motor vehicle when there was a signed agreement of sale.

In their plea, Mazibuko and his manager claimed that Ndlovu had borrowed the car for use.

“The police and the courts carried out their constitutional duty without the influence of the defendants, investigations were done and the plaintiff was tried resulting in him being convicted,” they submitted.

“The agreement of sale produced at trial was never signed by the defendants and they deny the signature contained on the same.

“No payment was ever received for the said vehicle as the same was never subject of a sale agreement between.”