Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Bribes rock Mnangagwa term extension plot -Newsday Zimbabwe

FRESH allegations have emerged of large sums of money changing hands to influence voting in the Senate regarding the controversial Constitution Amendment No 3 Bill (CAB3).

Impeccable sources claimed that some Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislators were paid up to US$10 000 each this week to support the extension of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term proposed in the Bill.

Debate on the Bill, which proposes a raft of changes to the 2013 Constitution, began last week and MPs are expected to decide its fate this week.

Among the most far-reaching proposals is a two-year extension of Mnangagwa’s presidency, which would also see the removal of the direct election of the President.

A week ago, former army generals and senior civil servants, represented by Retired Air Vice-Marshal Henry Muchena, claimed they had evidence that all legislators would receive bribes of up to US$50 000 from a prominent businessman.

While the Bill is expected to sail through during voting in the National Assembly, where Zanu PF enjoys an unassailable majority, the ruling party is short of three senators in the Upper House.

Some legislators said the ruling party was still not certain about the voting pattern in the Senate and that this could explain the heightened use of money.

Sources said the US$10 000 “bribes” were delivered early this week through a senior official in the faction led by self-imposed CCC secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu.

These alleged bribes follow growing opposition within the CCC of the Bill, specifically regarding the extension of presidential term limits and the scrapping of direct elections for the head of State.

In a surprise turn of events, Tshabangu’s camp previously indicated it would withhold support until Zanu PF agreed to certain demands.

However, some CCC MPs aligned with the controversial interim secretary-general have since defied the party position by openly declaring their support for CAB 3 during National Assembly debates.

On Tuesday, Susan Matsunga, the Budiriro North MP, shocked her party colleagues with her effusive praise for Mnangagwa while supporting the Bill — a piece of legislation that has divided Zanu PF.

Matsunga argued that Mnangagwa should be granted more years in office due to the infrastructure projects he implemented such as the Trabablas Interchange.

“If we look at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport . . . we can see that there is modernisation there because of the development that is happening,” she said.

Notably, Matsunga has been a prominent beneficiary of borehole drilling programmes led by Mnangagwa’s adviser Paul Tungwarara.

Meanwhile, Tshabangu’s spokesperson, Nqobizitha Mlilo, dismissed the allegations that CCC legislators were paid to support the Bill as “petty”.

“To reduce the high-stakes theatre of constitutional negotiation to a petty transactional smear is an indictment of our public discourse,” Mlilo said, adding that the camp was negotiating for substantive changes rather than offering unconditional support.

“We are not voting cows,” Mlilo insisted.

“Zanu PF must pay in the currency of genuine, sincere and meaningful concessions in the national interest.”

He argued that in its current form, the Bill is “unworkable” and that Parliament should not be used to “blindly implement Zanu PF conference resolutions”.

While several opposition MPs continue to publicly oppose the Bill, accusing its supporters of facilitating a Zanu PF agenda, Tshabangu’s camp maintains that its engagement is focused on securing structural political reforms.

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Source: High Court orders forfeiture of 8 vehicles linked to Harare, Ruwa robberies -Newsday Zimbabwe

HARARE, June 11 (NewsDay Live) — The High Court has ordered the civil forfeiture of eight motor vehicles linked to a suspected eight-man robbery gang terrorising Harare and Ruwa residents.

The ruling, issued by the High Court sitting at Harare, marks a major escalation in the State’s aggressive legal policy of hitting runaway suspects where it hurts the most: their mobile assets.

By targeting the vehicles used by the suspects, authorities effectively choke the logistical support systems that enable fugitives to evade arrest and remain on the run.

The forfeiture order stems from the high-profile legal battle of the Prosecutor-General vs Square Chimweta and Seven Others.

Chimweta, previously linked to a series of violent armed robberies in Harare and Ruwa, is listed alongside seven others who are still at large.

The suspects identified in the State outline  include Square Chimweta, Hilton Mutsopotsi, Daniel Chijoko, Joseph Meki, Leonard Huni, Makudo Muzenda, Stephen Mudzingwa, and Sam Malunga.

The court-ordered seizure covers a diverse fleet of vehicles, ranging from hatchbacks to premium sedans and utility trucks.

To block the fugitives from transferring ownership or hiding the assets behind third-party proxies, the High Court also cited the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) as the ninth respondent in the case.

The court ordered the CVR to register all the eight forfeited vehicles as State assets, effectively preventing the suspects from  reclaiming them through backdoor channels.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) welcomed the landmark judgment, noting that it cements a hardline judicial stance against individuals trying to escape justice.

In a statement, the NPAZ highlighted that the ruling directly reinforces the State’s constitutional mandate to systematically reclaim ill-gotten property and crime-enabling assets through civil forfeiture proceedings.

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Source: RioZim workers endorse corporate rescue option to safeguard jobs -Newsday Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union (ZDAMWU) has thrown its weight behind efforts to place the country’s  mining giant RioZim Limited under corporate rescue to save jobs.

In an affidavit filed at the High Court Commercial Division under case number HCHC282/26, ZDAMWU secretary-general Justice Chinhema said the union supported the application in a bid to safeguard workers’ livelihoods and preserve the company as a going concern.

The matter is between Tendai Rwodzi as applicant and RioZim Limited, the Master of the High Court and the Registrar of Companies as respondents.

“The union, both independently as a creditor and on behalf of its members, has a substantial and legitimate interest in the first respondent’s future, as it seeks to preserve its members’ jobs, which are widely regarded as one of the many economic and social benefits of a successful corporate rescue,” read part of the union’s affidavit.

ZDAMWU argued that RioZim’s financial statements and independent auditors’ reports reveal severe financial distress that justifies placing the company under corporate rescue supervision.

The union cited accumulated losses, liquidity challenges and insolvency as evidence of deepening financial instability.

Court papers state that RioZim incurred a net loss of ZWG739 million in 2025, while current liabilities exceeded current assets by more than ZWG2.9 billion.

Total liabilities reportedly surpassed total assets by over ZWG1.5 billion.

The auditors warned that RioZim’s survival was heavily dependent on securing sufficient funding to sustain operations.

ZDAMWU also highlighted the dramatic collapse in gold production, which reportedly dropped by 80% from 428 kilogrammes to  84 kilogrammes during the year under review.

“This reduction amounts to about seven kilograms of gold per month, which is insufficient to cover operating costs,” the affidavit notes.

The union further argued that RioZim recorded a gross loss of ZWG61 million before operating expenses, indicating that production costs had overtaken revenues.

According to the court papers, the company has been surviving on borrowings instead of income generated from operations.

“There is no injection of fresh capital from shareholders, nor any indication that the Group is operating profitably and sustainably,” ZDAMWU stated.

The union argued that the auditors’ concerns suggest the company may eventually be forced to prepare financial statements on a liquidation basis if conditions continue deteriorating.

Corporate rescue proceedings are designed to rehabilitate financially distressed companies while protecting creditors, employees and stakeholders from immediate liquidation.

The matter is expected to determine whether RioZim can be restructured and stabilised or allowed to face collapse under mounting financial pressures.

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Source: Bulawayo residents urged to brace for water cuts as council fixes leakages on Citerion pipeline –Newsday Zimbabwe

BULAWAYO, June 11 (Newsday Live)- Residents in most parts of Bulawayo will likely go without running water from Sunday as the council carries out emergency repairs on the Criterion feeder pipeline.

Town clerk Christopher Dube said heavy water leakages had been noted along Goderich Avenue/Tshabalala Drive in the Donnington West industrial area.

“Work begins on Sunday, 14 June 2026, and is expected to be completed by Tuesday, 16 June 2026,” Dube said.

“Areas to be affected include: all Pumula suburbs, Mpopoma South, Sizinda, Tshabalala, Lobengula, Steeldale and Westondale industries, Thorngrove Hospital and Industrial area, Delta Bon Accord, Kelvin Industries, Pelandaba, Minyela, and nearby surrounding areas.”

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Source: Govt in initiative to bridge science teachers gap – herald

Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister Simelisizwe Sibanda (right) hands over cash prizes and a trophy to the overall best student, 35-year-old Ms Vimbainashe Mamhova who graduated with four distinctions in Early Childhood Development at Bondolfi Teachers’ College in Masvingo yesterday. – Picture: MHTEISTD Communications and Advocacy Officer Kudakwashe Hunda.

Trust Freddy-Herald Correspondent

THE Government has moved to address the shortage of science educators in schools, with Bondolfi Teachers’ College set to roll out a specialised secondary science teacher-training programme in August.

The initiative, backed by the State-funded retooling and upgrading of the institution’s science laboratories, forms part of a broader national strategy to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education across Zimbabwe.

Deputy Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Simelisizwe Sibanda, said this at the Bondolfi Teachers’ College’s 61st graduation and prize-giving ceremony in Masvingo yesterday.

The event, which ran under the theme, “Empowering 21st Century educators: Driving industrialisation through Heritage-Based Excellence”, saw 347 graduates being capped.

Ms Vimbainashe Mamhova emerged as the overall best graduating student and received cash prizes from six corporate sponsors.

Addressing the gathering, Deputy Minister Sibanda said the launch of the science programme complements ongoing Government efforts to expand the pool of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) educators to drive national industrialisation.

“Zimbabwe continues to face a shortage of secondary STEM teachers.

“I am, therefore, pleased to announce that Bondolfi Teachers College will launch its Diploma in Secondary Science Teacher Education Programme in August 2026,” Deputy Minister Sibanda said.

He added that the Tertiary Education Services Council will oversee the recruitment and placement of high-calibre academic personnel to support the programme.

“The Tertiary Education Services Council stands ready to provide the necessary academic personnel, and the Ministry will work closely with the Council to ensure recruitment and placement meet the highest standards.”

Deputy Minister Sibanda also revealed that the Government has formally engaged with the Treasury to release development grants for church-run tertiary institutions.

“The Ministry has formally engaged Treasury for the release of the development grant to church-run colleges,” he said.

“We recognise the immense contribution faith-based institutions have made to teacher education, particularly in under-served rural areas, and it is right that our Government fulfils its obligation to support their development.

“We shall continue to engage Treasury to prioritise these disbursements without much delay.”

Of the graduating class, 315 were female and 32 were male, representing a 90,9 percent to 9,1 percent gender split.

The cohort comprised 120 General Course and 227 Early Childhood Development (ECD) educators.

Deputy Minister Sibanda noted that the gender disparity remains a challenge and called for targeted strategies to attract more male students into the teaching profession to ensure inclusivity.

He also challenged the 347 graduates to spearhead Zimbabwe’s industrialisation through “heritage-based excellence”, a core pillar of the country’s economic blueprint towards Vision 2030.

Bondolfi Teachers’ College principal Dr Esnati Macharaga expressed gratitude to the Government and reiterated the college’s commitment to producing 21st-century educators who are innovative, technologically competent and grounded in national heritage.

“We recognise that teachers are not merely transmitters of knowledge but architects of society,” Dr Macharaga said.

“We believe that excellence in education is best achieved when our students appreciate where they come from and use that foundation to innovate for the future.”

Speaking after her historic academic clean sweep, Ms Mamhova challenged other women and girls to strive for academic excellence.

“I enrolled for an Early Childhood Development Diploma in 2023, completed it, and emerged as the overall best graduating student,” she said.

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