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A chilling incident has cast a long shadow over Zimbabwe, as a serving soldier from the elite One Commando Regiment, Learnmore Gwenyaya, has been incarcerated for four years following a brutal knife-point robbery of a Roman Catholic priest, Father Kanisious Mashati, in Headlands. The audacious crime, which saw Gwenyaya and two accomplices invade the priest’s […]

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High Court Challenge Threatens to Halt Zimbabwe’s Controversial CAB 3 Amidst Escalating Intimidation Harare – A political scientist’s audacious High Court challenge is poised to become the most significant legal hurdle yet for Zimbabwe’s contentious Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB 3), a legislative effort that has ignited widespread opposition and drawn accusations of undermining […]

The post Political Scientist promised ‘death by shooting’ for lodging High Court’s most promising application to stop CAB 3 first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

BULAWAYO – A sombre atmosphere has descended upon the suburb of Entumbane following a series of events that have left neighbours and local authorities grappling for answers. On a quiet Sunday at Mpilo Central Hospital, an 11-year-old girl became a mother, bringing a baby girl into a world that has already treated her with unimaginable […]

The post She agreed to have lula lula with her father: Says Bulawayo woman as her 11-year-old daughter gives birth first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

Source: Police acquire motorcycles for traffic enforcement – herald

Freeman Razemba-Senior Reporter

POLICE have acquired more motorcycles, which will be used in traffic enforcement and patrols countrywide.

The all-purpose terrain motorcycles will be allocated to police stations for effective management of scene attendance, crime management, general and specific patrols and tackling reckless driving conduct on the roads.

In a statement, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi called on the public to cooperate with law enforcement agents.

“Police Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba has commissioned a batch of motorcycles for urban centres policing, rural patrol and traffic enforcement throughout the country. The all-terrain motorcycles will be allocated to police stations for effective management of scene attendance, crime management, general and specific patrols and tackling reckless driving conduct on the roads.

“The ZRP implores Zimbabweans to cooperate with police officers performing duties while riding the motorcycles,” he said.

In January, the ZRP acquired high-powered boats, motorbikes and additional patrol vehicles in a major boost to law enforcement, emergency response and crime-fighting operations across the country.

The new equipment was strategically deployed to police provinces and stations to strengthen patrols, for rescue missions and enhance rapid-response capabilities, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.

Commissioner-General Mutamba then released several boats for operations along major waterways for police operations, which include rescue activities, water escorts and patrols.

He also commissioned police bikes for scene attendance and patrols in areas with rugged terrain.

The motorbikes were deployed in farming communities, rural areas and central business districts across all provinces, enabling officers to respond quickly to incidents in difficult-to-access locations.

Comm Nyathi said: “As part of the modernisation drive, ZRP has also commissioned new vehicles for the Police Canine Unit.

“As part of efforts to provide improved and quality service to Zimbabweans, the ZRP also commissioned new vehicles for use by the Police Canine Unit to attend to reports of crime, track suspects, manage public order situations, sniff for drugs and conduct general searches during crowd control activities.”

In December, the ZRP also launched a dedicated Special Tactics Troop — a highly trained rapid-response unit modelled on elite police forces such as South Africa’s Special Task Force, Kenya’s Recce Company and the United Kingdom’s Specialist Firearms Command.

The unit, which graduated after intensive training, will respond to high-risk incidents such as armed robberies, kidnappings, murder and smuggling.

In addition, Comm-Gen Mutamba has deployed three more vehicles to the National Highway Patrol Unit.

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Source: Legislators back CAB3 during debate – herald

Herald Reporter

PARLIAMENTARIANS yesterday began debating the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, which was tabled in the National Assembly on Wednesday by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi.

There was overwhelming support for the Bill by the legislators, mirroring the same endorsement by people across the country during public consultations.

However, some legislators did not seem to appreciate proposals to disband the Zimbabwe Gender Commission, arguing that such a move would reverse gains made in promoting gender equality and women’s rights.

Yesterday’s debate was largely centred on proposals to extend the electoral cycle for the President, Parliament and local authorities from five to seven years, as well as the election of the President by Parliament.

A report by the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, which led the public consultations, shows that a majority of submissions strongly favoured changing the election of the President from a direct public vote to election by Parliament.

The Committee said supporters argued that the proposed model would foster greater collaboration and confidence between the Executive and Parliament, ultimately enhancing governance and policy alignment.

The report said submissions also emphasised that electing the President through Parliament would substantially reduce the immense financial costs of organising nationwide presidential elections, which have previously been marred by political tension, violence and contestation over results.

The Committee further reported that submissions supported extending the electoral cycle of the President and Members of Parliament from five to seven years and applying the change to the incumbent.

Buhera Central legislator Honourable Samson Matema said amending the Constitution was in tandem with responding to the demands of changing times.

“Amendments are, therefore, inevitable in light of the above as we work towards reforming, reinforcing, strengthening, clarifying, aligning, and/or harmonising certain provisions and prescriptions of existing statutes in their text,” he said.

“CAB3 is doing exactly that. The road that we are walking is not new with respect to how a President is elected.

“At the advent of our independence, Parliament elected both the President and the Prime Minister.

“Constitutional Amendment 7 of 1987 had the effect of introducing a direct election.”

Honourable Matema added that universal adult suffrage speaks to giving people the right to vote, as provided for in Section 67 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, “which is very explicit” in terms of who is entitled to vote.

“It does not say how people vote, and therefore how the Executive is selected. It is historically and legislatively obtuse and forced to present and claim direct presidential elections as some sacred liberation war inheritance,” he said.

He said the country’s first two elections post the liberation struggle gave the nation both the President and Prime Minister via Parliament.

“There is no debate, Mr Speaker, that for the past three decades, we have heard contestations around the election results with respect to the President, and for no reason other than political posturing and grandstanding.

“In the face of the posturing that I referred to, Mr Speaker Sir, how do we negotiate our way to an election that cannot be challenged? We need to retrace our political footsteps back to 1980, recalibrate, realign, reposition and relaunch”.

MP Matema said CAB3 is prescribing an indirect election of the President via a joint sitting of the Senate and House of Assembly, with legislators carrying the voices of their constituencies.

Zaka South legislator Honourable Clemence Chiduwa also supported the proposed amendment that would allow the President to be elected by Parliament.

He said the voting model promotes stability, accountability and mature democratic governance.

“Democracy is not measured only by a national contest; democracy is measured by whether the system produces legitimate leadership, strong institutions and effective governments.

“The people elect members of Parliament to represent their will, make laws, approve budgets and hold the Executive to account.

“If Parliament carries the people’s mandate in all these critical matters, then it also has the democratic legitimacy to elect the President on behalf of the nation.

“This is not a denial of democracy; it is representative democracy in action,” he said.

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