Stanley Goreraza | The Mnangagwa government is beginning to frighten me. How can they ever be reformist, good intended and then go and develop good relations with an internationally condemned, isolated and hated regime like the one in North Korea?
North Korea has a consistent record of the worst human rights atrocities against it’s own people in the whole wide world. It is this same North Korea that trained the Zimbabwean 5th Brigade which went on to commit the worst human rights abuses in the 38 years of Zimbabwe’s existence. It makes you wonder what Mnangagwa and his government want from a regime which gathers political prisoners in a school yard and shells them to small pieces with tank fire, forcing primary school children to watch the horror!
The North Korean regime is pure evil, pure evil that has no equal in this world. Any relations, let alone military relations would mean Zimbabwe condones and has no problem with North Koreas frightening human rights record.
Does Mnangagwa want to put together another 5th brigade to kill innocent Zimbabweans like they did in the eighties?
We should have no relations with a country like North Korea, no relations whatsoever.
A long colourful scarf worn by President Emmerson Mnangagwa during his recent trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, has been a topic of discussion on various social media platforms, and now, a hot selling item in Zimbabwe.
“It’s been an overwhelming response,” Celia Rukato, founder of the Harare-based textile company that has been selling the scarf for about three years, said.
In explaining how the scarf that is now referred to as the “Presidential Scarf” became part of the Zimbabwe delegation in Davos, Rukato of Chjaa Enterprises Private Limited, said: “That was completely, to be honest, a surprise on our end.”
Rukato said she simply delivered a few scarves to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ahead of the Davos trip for consideration, but it was not until word started getting around on social media about the President wearing the scarf, that she realised her efforts had paid off.
She said the scarf came about as an experiment to capture the culture and identity of Zimbabwe.
“Our family spent a long time living in South Africa. Despite regular visits back home annually, we constantly sought ways of being reminded of Zimbabwe and ways of showcasing national pride outwardly.
“We were also increasingly presented with opportunities that required us to showcase our “Zimbabweanness” when interacting with the global community across a series of platforms. A common go-to for showcasing culture for many people is through clothing, or traditional attire. In our case, this was often difficult because, beyond being able to perhaps wear clothing specific to a Zimbabwean ethnic group (Ndebele traditional attire, for example), there was little we could wear that would identify us as distinctly Zimbabwean.
“It is in this context that we were inspired to create designs and an aesthetic that we believe showcases the dignity and pride we feel in being Zimbabwean,” Rukato explained.
“From the onset we firmly understood that the Zimrocks scarf had to be rooted in our history as Zimbabweans and had to present an overall aesthetic that is clearly not aligned to any one political party. The product had to be one that all/any Zimbabwean could identify with irrespective of race, tribe or political allegiance. It is for this reason that, when designing the scarf, we settled on the Zimbabwe national colours.”
The colours of the scarf, black, green, white, gold and red, displayed as horizontal stripes, are all official colours of the Zimbabwe flag.
“These colours represent our collective historical and cultural significance and are articulated by the Zimbabwean flag and coat of arms,” said Rukato.
Celebrating being Zimbabwean, Rukato said, was a choice that every individual needs to actively make.
“When we began this project, we chose to focus on how we could contribute towards pride and positivity about being Zimbabwean. The scarf, therefore, represents the embracing of what it means to be Zimbabwean with all the good and the bad; because this is who we are.”
Since its debut in Davos, the scarf, which Rukato said her company never really marketed much outside Zimbabwe’s embassies in different countries, is literally selling itself. She said Zimbabweans are now contacting her company through various social media platforms, to place their orders. The scarf is being sold for $16.
“It’s really exciting to just see how people are reacting and are excited about it,” Rukato said of her product which the Zimbabwe public overlooked since its creation three years ago.
“We’re thrilled by the gradual conversation that the scarf has been able to illicit. It is a powerful thing to see Zimbabweans from all walks of life, in both Zimbabwe and around the world, showing enthusiasm for being able to wear the Zimbabwean colours proudly.”
She said the response from the public was quite encouraging considering that three years ago when the scarves were introduced, they did not receive such a reception.
“I’d say when we had initially put it out on the market, we’d see, you know, the raised eyebrow, ok, what’s this about? But I think that’s really just the discussion that as Zimbabweans we need to have,” said Rukato, adding that there’s more to the scarf than what it appears to be on the surface.
“It’s not that the scarf is the answer, but I think it’s just a step toward in finding how we can express our identity and culture and I guess, what we’re about through our dress, so it’s just the beginning, I believe,” said Rukato.
The scarf is now being worn by most Government officials when conducting national duty outside Zimbabwe as well as different ambassadors. People who have been spotted donning the scarf are British Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Catriona Lang, Tourism Minister Prisca Mupfumira and Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa.
“It’s been incredible to have the scarf being ordered and worn by Zimbabweans as far away as London.”
But among them all, the biggest fan of the scarves is undeniably President Mnangagwa whose outfits are incomplete without the scarf. This is really one piece of clothing that somehow reminds him of the people of Zimbabwe who have their hopes of a better nation pinned on him.
On the President constantly wearing the scarf, Rukato said: “For us, the donning of the scarf by President Mnangagwa is an invitation to all Zimbabweans and all those who appreciate the history and beauty of the country to join hands and contribute to the building of a Great Zimbabwe, whose future is as bright as the scarf. Through the scarf, we’re saying, ‘let us be proudly Zimbabwean!”.
In addition to the scarf, Rukato designs and prints a series of fabrics that are inspired by historical monuments and symbols across Zimbabwe.
“In addition to the knitted version that is currently available, we are working on other versions of the scarf on printed cotton, printed silk and other varieties. Chronicle
The High Court has upheld the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) decision to nullify all November 2017 Ordinary Level results for four St David’s Bonda High School pupils who were caught cheating in the Mathematics Paper 2 public examination.
Zimsec nullified all the November 2017 examination results for the pupils – Mazvita Vela, Tendai Nyamuronda, Valentine Pedzayi and Akino Linda – for cheating after they managed to access the examination paper in advance.
Justice Happias Zhou made the ruling following an urgent application brought by Mr Mike Vela, Mr Albert Nyamuronda, Mr Joseph Pedzayi and Ms Brenda Hatinahama, who were acting on behalf of their affected daughters.
The parents wanted Zimsec to release their children’s results.
In his ruling, Justice Zhou intimated that the courts should not be seen to undermine the efforts of authorities that are charged with the responsibility of protecting the integrity of the public examination system.
“Exams are matters of national importance and it is necessary for Zimsec to be allowed to act in order to preserve its integrity,” said Justice Zhou.
“The court will be condoning an illegal conduct if it ignored the findings made by the examination body.”
Ms Hatinahama withdrew from the case after it was proved by Zimsec that she was buying examination papers for her daughter and sending them in advance of the scheduled examination through Whatsapp messages.
Justice Zhou noted with great concern that the evidence presented by Zimsec suggested that she was party to the cheating.
The parents were represented by Mr Simon Chabuka, while Zimsec was represented by Advocate Thabani Mpofu, who was instructed by Mr Zvobgo Tawanda Zvobgo of Dube, Manikai and Hwacha.
Mr Zvobgo said the ruling was an indication of the courts’ resolve and commitment to protect the integrity of Zimbabwe’s education system.
“The actions of Zimsec are reasonably justified in a democratic society,” he said.
“If it is established that a student cheated, even in one subject, then that student is not a credible candidate. The entirety of their results should be nullified as was done in the past case.”
The pupils were asking the court to set aside Zimsec’s decision and to endorse all their results as final and definitive.
The four pupils were on October 17 last year allegedly caught by the teachers with questions and pre-written answers of the actual 2017 ‘O’ level Mathematics Paper 2.
It was also alleged that the four had premature access to the examination questions via social media platforms.
The quartet did not deny the allegations. This resulted in their results for all the subjects they sat for being withheld.
The parents, who accompanied their children to collect the results recently, were shocked when the school head gave them documents entitled “Examination Malpractice” dated November 8, 2017, which had details of the allegations.
Last week, the parents, who felt hard done, filed an urgent chamber application demanding the immediate release of the results, arguing the decision taken by Zimsec was drastic and violated the children’s constitutional rights for administrative conduct.
Mr Vela, who deposed an affidavit, claimed that Zimsec’s decision was irrational in the circumstances as it failed to give reasons for the drastic action it took.
The parents argued that Zimsec was discriminating against their children since other examination cheats were not treated in the same way.
Recently, the High Court endorsed nullification of English Paper 2 results and ruled that the English examination results should be based on English Paper 1 written in November last year. Herald
THe severe cash shortage brought about by a debilitating liquidity crunch has severely reduced the use of automated teller machines (ATMs).
An ATM is an electronic telecommunications device that enables customers of financial institutions to perform transactions such as cash withdrawals, deposits, transfer funds, or obtaining account information, at any time and without the need for direct interaction with bank staff.
However, since the advent of cash shortages most banks have resorted to giving money over the counter, resulting in long, winding queues at most financial institutions.
ATMs are now only used occasionally when banks look to reduce the pressure in banking halls which has resulted in most machines gathering dust at great cost to financial institutions.
The use of ATMs has also been affected by the introduction of bond coins by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe which cannot be dispensed through ATMs. Some banks are now giving depositors cash in coin denominations of US$1, 50c, 25c and even as little as 10c.
A senior banking official pointed out that while there has been a significant increase in point-of-sale transactions there has been a dramatic decline in ATM cash transactions.
He said this has come at a huge cost to the banks. “Obviously ATMs come at a huge expense in terms of capital outlay,” the official said.
“ATMs cost anything between US$25 000 to US$50 000 and there is also the cost of the software licence.”
He said ATMs are no longer being used for their core purpose, which is dispensing cash.
This, he said, affects the overall value financial institutions are getting from ATMs.
FBC group marketing head Priscilla Sadomba said the cash deficit in the market has affected the use of their ATMs.
“The current cash shortages prevailing in the market have affected optimum utilisatilation of ATMs, particularly for the purposes of cash. Generally there is limited activity on usage of ATMs for cash dispensation. In a normal environment our ATMs dispense cash 24/7,” Sadomba said.
“While ATMs have primarily been used for cash dispensing, other transactional and non-transactional services are also available for the banking public such as bill payments to various service providers, inter account transfers, PIN change, balance enquiry amongst other things.
“This has allowed us to decongest branches as some services are now accessible via the ATM.” Economist John Robertson points out that the drastic reduction in the use of ATMs is costly to banks.
“The ATMs are growing old and dusty,” Robertson said. “The money being spent on the equipment by banks is not being recovered. The convenience of ATMs for depositors has disappeared. It is a serious problem.”
He said the introduction of bond coins “has not helped” in addressing the problem. Zimbabwe Independent
Zanu PF National Political Commissar Retired Lieutenant General Engelbert Rugeje says aspiring party candidates who want to be members of parliament will be required to travel as a team during campaigning, emphasizing that hate speech will not be tolerated.
He said this as he addressed the party’s provincial chairpersons who gathered in Masvingo for a meeting.
Zanu PF provincial chairpersons from across the country gathered in Masvingo for a commissariat workshop where the party’s National Political Commissar addressed them on issues which included guidelines for aspiring candidates during the primary elections.
Retired Lieutenant General Rugeje cautioned aspiring candidates to avoid using hate speech against their competitors saying they should instead focus on telling the electorate what they have to offer.
“All those who want to be MPs will be travelling in groups during campaigns. You give each other time to address the people. We don’t want hate speech, we advocate for unity and peace,” he said.
The National Political Commissar also told the chairpersons that the Zanu PF party manifesto has been completed with the Politburo giving its approval, adding that it will be distributed to the party members in the next few weeks.agencies
President Emmerson Mnangagwa left Harare for Kasane, Botswana to join his counterparts from Botswana and Zambia.
The three leaders will inspect the Kazungula rail-road bridge mooted in 2005 and construction began three years ago.
Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia relations will go a gear up when the three leaders are expected to see the progress made at the rail-road bridge which is almost complete.
The bridge links Zambia and Botswana but is also SADC infrastructure that is a part of the north-south corridor.
The people of Zimbabwe and Botswana opened a new page when President Mnangagwa visited Botswana recently on a state visit.
Meanwhile, Kembo Mohadi is the Acting President.- state media
A deal has been put on the table to end the bickering between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his predecessor, Robert Mugabe, as the ruling Zanu PF party races against time to end internal discord before harmonised elections to be held by July 31.
Mugabe, 94, a stubborn but charismatic figure revered for leading the struggle for liberation, yet reviled for rights abuses, electoral theft and vandalising the economy during his 37 years in power, was ousted in a soft military coup that enthroned Mnangagwa, 75, last November.
There has been palpable tension between the two erstwhile allies, with Mugabe accusing his successor of ill-treating him, ruling unconstitutionally and also alleging the country was now under military rule.
A plan to draw Mugabe and Mnangagwa into a binding rapprochement process looks like a last, desperate gamble by key figures of the Generation 40 (G40) political faction — the target of the coup by the military — who are keen to end one of the ruling party’s most intractable feuds since its formation in 1963.
The deal involves bringing the long ruling veteran from the cold as a ruling party “elder” to back his former deputy’s presidential bid in mid-year elections.
Former Foreign Affairs minister Walter Mzembi — who was expelled from the ruling party in November 2017 and subsequently expelled from Parliament but insists his “heart and soul remains embedded in the ideals, principles and ideological construct of Zanu PF” — is attempting to bring together the feuding leaders for a national dialogue as tensions escalate, amid untested claims that Mugabe is surreptitiously sponsoring opposition to Mnangagwa in a vengeful bid to torpedo his presidential bid.
The deal involves Mugabe settling into the rhythm of private life as a hero of the revolution and father of his country, and embracing the Mnangagwa administration and coming to terms with it as well as giving it stability and direction if asked.
It envisages Mugabe retiring to a life outside of the public eye and publishing his memoirs, with a ceremonial advisory role.
The Daily News can report that G40 has now split, with an exiled faction led by propagandist and acerbic former Information minister Jonathan Moyo now backing the National Patriotic Front (NPF), led in the interim by retired brigadier-general Ambrose Mutinhiri, in what is likely to split the ruling party vote at the forthcoming polls.
Another faction of G40 members led by Mzembi, who is on a political sabbatical, and former Sports minister Makhosini Hlongwane — which remains in Zimbabwe — is pushing the initiative to bring Mugabe and Mnangagwa to the negotiating table, and possibly also get the purged G40 cabal readmitted into the party.
The ruling party’s politburo on Wednesday, however, resolved that all expelled G40 cadres — comprising mainly the party’s intelligentsia which remains in orbit — can only be considered for readmission after five years, according to the party’s constitution.
The delicate talks, aimed at unifying the political arch rivals, and avoiding the complete implosion of Zanu PF so that it goes into the mid-year elections as one, united fighting party, is confronted with deep-seated suspicions and profound animosities.
Mzembi declined to comment on the delicate, ongoing talks.
“I am not at liberty to comment on that at this stage,” he told the Daily News.
Hlongwane told the Daily News: “I can’t talk about that.”
Mzembi’s initiative, first unveiled to Mugabe three weeks ago at his Blue Roof residence in the leafy Borrowdale suburb in Harare, followed a sharp escalation in hostilities between the two leaders.
The first meeting last month — attended by former first lady Grace Mugabe — lasted three-and-half hours, where the ex-ministers frantically persuaded Mugabe to accept that Mnangagwa’s rule which brought an abrupt end to his 37-year rule — was now irreversible.
Mugabe had initially ruled out any prospect of taking part in any talks with Mnangagwa insisting he seized power unconstitutionally.
But the two former ministers reportedly asked Mugabe to reflect on the consequences of his intransigence as a founding Zanu PF leader and his failure to reconcile with his successor, failure to unite a party he formed and the spectre of the nascent opposition exploiting the situation in its continuing effort to confine the ruling party to the dustbins of history.
The Daily News understands the talks were not easy, but Mugabe conceded the team had tabled a “superior argument” and then assigned the duo to hammer out a discussion document.
Interestingly, Grace also reportedly threw her weight behind the unity initiative aimed at making her husband and Mnangagwa find each other.
And on Thursday last week, Mugabe met again with Mzembi and Hlongwane at his Blue Roof residence in the absence of Grace in a tense meeting that reportedly lasted for four hours, and finally agreed to a deal to engage Mnangagwa for talks.
Grace later gave the talks a thumbs-up.
This was after Mugabe was run through a framework of engagement with Mnangagwa.
The initiative by Mzembi and Hlongwane — both former leaders of the Zimbabwe delegation to the African Caribbean and Pacific-European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels — comes as Mnangagwa is cementing his leadership of a country increasingly eyed by investors for its impressive variety of mineral deposits comprising more than 60 minerals and metals.
The mooted deal hives out a significant chunk from a solution that had been cobbled by the Sadc Troika in Luanda and the regional bloc’s secretariat to diffuse the situation in Zimbabwe during the course of Operation Restore Legacy.
The Daily News understands after a tough debate at his Blue Roof mansion last week Thursday, Mzembi managed to persuade Mugabe to accept the proposition of a role similar to Zambian independence leader Kenneth Kaunda — who at 94 is the same age as Mugabe and is known as “Africa’s Gandhi”.
Mahatma Gandhi employed non-violent civil disobedience to lead India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.
The former Cabinet ministers are yet to present the initiative to Mnangagwa.
It remains unclear if Mnangagwa would be willing to engage in dialogue, but Mugabe has reportedly assigned the brokers to reach out to the president and agree on a possible way forward for the sake of peace, unity and development — the ruling party’s central policy theme.
The talks should establish a timetable and an agenda for future meetings.
After Mzembi and Hlongwane’s meeting with Mugabe — a day before Mutinhiri also met the ousted former president — the State media claimed the duo has been conscripted into the retired brigadier-general’s NPF, an allegation the two have strenuously denied.
The two said their visit had absolutely nothing to do with the “fiction published”.
“It is not a crime for Zimbabweans to visit each other, let alone a former head of State; in fact it is a privilege and honour to ‘steal’ four hours of his retirement time which he should be sharing with his closest family and grandchildren,” the ex-ministers said in joint statement. Daily News
KAt least $39 million has been availed by Government as severance packages for civil servants as the State moves to trim its workforce and reduce staff costs. About $12 million will go towards retiring employees aged 65 and above.
A total $17 million will pay about 3 188 youth officers dismissed last year while $8,7 million is set to be availed to civil servants retired for not possessing requisite qualifications. Government is in the process of implementing measures to reduce its wage bill which will also entail downsizing diplomatic missions in other countries.
At least $120 million is estimated to be going towards Government salaries each month.
The Sunday Mail understands that Government has offered voluntary retirement packages for its employees in various departments.
Secretary for Finance and Economic Planning Mr Willard Manungo said Government ministries have been notified of the staff rationalisation measures.
“To operationalise the above measures, Treasury has already issued an administrative circular which provides guidelines to accounting officers and heads of institutional commissions,” he said.
“With regards to the wage bill reduction measures, Treasury has since advised the Civil Service Commission to proceed to implement specific expenditure management measures with regards to the adoption of lean administrative structures, introduction of a voluntary retirement scheme and maintaining the freeze on filling non-critical posts.
“In particular, Treasury recently availed US$39 157 000 to fund the retirement of Government officials.
“His Excellency, the President, approved the downsizing of our diplomatic missions, taking into account our current economic environment and affordability principles.
“Pursuant to the above commitments, an Inter-Ministerial Committee, led by the Ministers of Finance and Economic Development and Foreign Affairs and International Trade, has since been constituted with the remit of proposing specific measures and attendant financial savings for the consideration and approval of Cabinet.
“The committee also comprises senior officials from various Government Ministries and agencies such as the Office of the President and Cabinet, Foreign Affairs, Civil Service Commission and Treasury.”
In his 2018 Budget Statement, Finance and Economic Planning Minister Cde Patrick Chinamasa indicated that Government was going to introduce stern measures to reduce the wage bill.
According to a 2015 Civil Service Audit, Government had 188 070 employees, excluding uniformed forces and personnel under the Health Services Board. Sunday MailThank state Media
Former President Mr Robert Mugabe for years received his salary in cash, and has demanded that the same arrangement apply to his pension lump sum of nearly half a million dollars and monthly pension payments of over $13 000, The Sunday Mail can reveal.
Documents in our possession show Mr Mugabe wants his pension lump sum of $467 200 and monthly pension of $13 333 in cash.
The documents show Mr Mugabe had been getting monthly cash payments of $20 000 while still Head of State and Government, even as ordinary Zimbabweans queued for days on end to access amounts as low as $20 from banks.
Though it could not be ascertained by the time of writing if the payments were done in foreign currency or bond notes, The Sunday Mail established that former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe is also getting a monthly payment of $2 170 from the State.
On March 1, 2018, the Chair of the Public Service Commission, Mr Mariyawanda Nzuwah wrote to Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangudya asking monetary authorities to avail the cash for Mr Mugabe.
The letter was copied to Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, Secretary for Finance and Economic Development Mr Willard Manungo and the Secretary for the PSC, Mrs Pretty Sunguro.
Mr Nzuwah said Mr Mugabe was entitled to a pension in terms of the Presidential Pension and Retirement Benefits Act (Chapter 2:05).
“Section 2 of the principal Act as amended states that the former President of Zimbabwe is entitled to a pension that is equal to salary and allowances payable to the serving President of Zimbabwe.
“Section 10 of the principal Act as amended states that the former President of Zimbabwe can commute a portion of his pension not exceeding one-third of a pension payable to him.
“The former President opted to commute one-third of his pension and he is therefore entitled to monthly pension of $13 333 and lump sum pension amounting to $467 200.
“The former President was being paid his salary in cash and he has requested that the same arrangement be maintained.
“We are kindly requesting you to avail cash amounting to $467 200 and monthly cash amounts of $13 333 for us to pay the former President of Zimbabwe his pension benefits,” wrote Mr Nzuwah.
Since he resigned in November 2017, Mr Mugabe has received $80 000 in pension, while Mrs Mugabe has received $8 680.
The payments to Mr Mugabe were made on January 5, 2018 ($40 000), January 29, 2018 ($20 000) and February 28, 2018.
The two payments on January 5 were because Mr Mugabe had not received his pension for November and December 2017 due to administrative issues hence the double instalment to offset arrears.
He got a third instalment at the end of January as his pension for that month, with the fourth also coming as scheduled in February.
Mrs Mugabe received instalments of $2 170 in November and December 2017, and January and February 2018.
Our source at the Public Service Commission said the Mugabes “should be pleased that their pensions are coming on time and in cash when under his (Mr Mugabe’s) administration civil servants and pensioners were never sure of when they would be paid”.
The source also said they found the arrangement “quite uncomfortable” seeing as Mr Mugabe had “preached plastic and electronic money use by day while leaning on bureacrats to give him cash at night”.
Official comment could not be obtained from the PSC and the Office of the President and Cabinet. However, when asked by a senior official in the President’s Office if it was normal practice to pay Heads of State and Government in cash, more so in a country facing liquidity challenges, The Sunday Mail was told that President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over from Mr Mugabe, had been left bemused by the arrangement.
“I can tell you for a fact, because I was there, that a lady (name withheld) from CBZ Bank came with a sack of cash to President Mnangagwa’s Office when his first pay day arrived. The President asked her what the money was for, and she pulled out a form and said it was his salary and he must sign for it.
“The President said it was highly irregular and irresponsible, and the lady indicated that cash salary payments were standard for the old man (Mr Mugabe) and she assumed that was how things were done for the highest office in the land.
“His Excellency gave her his bank account number and told her to do a transfer as is done for everyone else, and told her that if he needed cash he would queue for it like everyone else because the cash shortages affected all Zimbabweans and he would demand no such preferential and irregular treatment.” State Media
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is living true to his pledge of free, fair and credible polling with his administration today opening unrestricted access for the first international election observer team.
A Sadc mission arrives today for a week-long pre-election assessment, and will meet officials from Government, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, political parties and civil society.
The visit, which is in line with the Sadc Principles and Guidelines Governing Conduct of Democratic Elections, will appriise the regional body of Zimbabwe’s plan for a credible poll. Elections for the President, parliamentarians and councillors are due between July 21 and August 21, 2018.
The Sunday Mail understands that the arrival of the Sadc delegation is a precursor to other teams from the African Union and European Union, which are expected in Zimbabwe soon on similar missions.
President Mnangagwa’s administration is on an aggressive re-engagement drive with the international community and has pledged to invite international election observers, marking the end of the isolationist policies of the previous regime.
Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ambassador Joey Bimha said last week that, “Both Sadc and the AU are coming for the pre-election assessment process.
“It was decided that observing elections now entails long term observation and not just the polling process. The intention is that long-term observation guarantees stability and creates room for more thorough observation.
“Observation is now being done at three stages. The first one entails observing the pre-election period, the second stage is the campaigns and the polling, before a final team is sent to assess stability and acceptability after results have been announced.
“The Sadc Electoral Advisory Council is instrumental in this regards and will send a team. We will be having the Sadc team for the pre-election stage between March 11 and 17; they will be here to assess if the environment is conducive for holding a credible, free and fair election.
“While here, they will have discussions with Government, the ruling party, opposition parties, civic society and the elections management body so as to ascertain what the situation is like before the elections are held.
“For the AU team, we do not have a date as yet but they will be here in the coming weeks. I’m not sure about the dates for the EU team, but off hand I think they will be around the same time we will be hosting the AU delegation.”
According to the Sadc Principles, a “Goodwill Mission” should be dispatched for pre-election assessment, with the mandate to – among other things – evalate possible conflict and offer advice.
Sadc member states are required to invite a regional observer mission to observe their elections based on the provisions of the Sadc Treaty, the Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Co-operation and the Sadc Principles and Guidelines Governing Conduct of Democratic Elections.
The Sadc Executive Secretary will, in consultation with the country holding elections, constitute and send an assessment missions in the period prior to elections.
The guidelines read in part: “In order to ensure the effective application of the Sadc Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, the SEAC shall undertake Goodwill Missions in line with Article 9.2 of the SEAC Structures, Rules and Procedures.”
The mission is expected to: “Reflect on possible conflict situations in respective countries on matters pertaining to electoral processes and render advise to the Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Polices, Defence and Security Co-operation on the development of mediation strategies, before, during and after elections;
“Based on the findings of the Goodwill Mission, report to the MCO on whether the political environment is conducive to the holding of free, fair, transparent, credible, and peaceful elections in conformity with the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections;
“Encourage the specific SADC Member State holding elections to adhere to international best practices in all elections;
“Advise the specific Member State holding elections on strategies for enhancing and consolidating the capacity of the elections management body (EMB);
“Encourage the specific Member State holding elections to uphold and respect the independence and autonomy of the (EMB);
“Encourage the revision and improvement of electoral laws, codes of conduct and regulations in line with the Sadc Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections.”
The AU, on its part, dispatches a pre-election observer mission upon receiving an invitation from the nation planning polls.
The mission will determine, among other things, the existence of a “level playing field”.
“In advance of the election date, the Head of the AU Election Mission should advise the AU Commission whether the necessary conditions and environment for a free and fair election as agreed in the AU principles governing democratic elections, have been satisfied,” read part of the AU guidelines on elections.
“Whatever the advice received by the Commission should be confirmed in a public statement by the Chairperson of the Commission.
“The assessment team will establish whether or not conditions for organising credible, legitimate, free and fair elections in accordance with the Durban Declaration are in place in the country.”
More than 5,3 million Zimbabweans have registered to vote under a biometric voter registration programme.
Government is also amending the Electoral Act to include provisions giving a cut-off date for candidates to withdraw their candidature after being duly nominated.
Zimbabwe Election Support Network chairperson Mr Andrew Makoni said pre-election monitoring teams were crucial as issues that result in a contested election result usually arose before actual voting.
He said: “If observers arrive on the eve of an election they are likely to miss out on things they ought to have looked at like whether there was an enabling environment before the elections were held. There is need to assess the environment at least four or so months before the elections.” Sunday Mail
Vice President Chiwenga’s wife Mary says she will wear what she wants and does not care what people think.
Mary Chiwenga, Second Lady |“I know people say I like showing my shoulders, that’s me and I will not change. So I always say whether they like it or not, they can’t change who I am and this is me. I dress exactly how I want to dress, I don’t change because people say I must change, no! I change because I feel the change is necessary.
“Michelle Obama dresses like me and people applaud her and appreciate her for that because she is not trying to be someone else. Melania Trump dresses like I dress and everybody loves it, no-one complains,” she said in the interview with the Daily News.
“It’s very myopic for people to say because you are wearing a dress that is sleeveless of whatever design, then they say you are crazy. I don’t pick it up from that context.
“When I leave home like this, my husband loves it. If I wear a short dress, my husband loves it. If I wear jeans depending on where I’m going, my husband loves it. I will never leave home with a dress that my husband doesn’t approve of.
“The outfit that I wore at congress; when I walked out of the bedroom, my husband was like ‘oh my, vamaGumbo, makachena, today I am going to walk holding your hand’. He said it jokingly. And people started saying oh, her boobs were out, we could see her cleavage, whatever. If you got it, flaunt it, why hide it?”
“Well, it’s not my problem that there are women out there who can’t wear that. The reason why people complain is that they know they cannot wear the same things that you are able to wear. I like looking very classy and very sexy, that’s me, and because I have sex appeal, so I don’t change.”
“There is an MP that came here… and we had a small talk and finally she got to her subject about my dressing. She said she had been sent by women from the party to maybe convince me to wear African attires and things like that, but I refused and I said I am not trying to fit into anybody’s league. My husband is happy with the way I dress and it’s not about to change. And you can take that back to them.”
Ambrose Mutinhiri | What is G40? The theory or assumption that the so-called G40 members make up the core of NPF is just a spin. The core of NPF is made up of the core that made up Zanu PF before the November 15, 2017 military coup that unconstitutionally deposed president Mugabe and illegally imposed Mnangagwa.
That core of Zanu PF as it was before the coup has joined hands with a cross-section of other Zimbabweans from across the political divide to found and establish NPF whose immediate objective is to restore constitutional order, normalcy, democracy and legitimacy in Zimbabwe. You must understand that the military coup left Zanu PF in tatters.
Beneficiaries of the coup can, of course, gather in meetings here and there claiming to be Zanu PF (but) they and everyone else who was truly Zanu PF before the military coup know that the coup destroyed Zanu PF. There’s no real Zanu PF out there. All you have are make-believe appearances of Zanu PF, which will come to historic grief at the polls when the real Zanu PF speaks through the ballot against bullets.
In the end, politics will always lead the gun and triumph over it. History is full of lessons about that.
By Lionel Saungweme | In a major political setback for embattled Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) Vice President, Thokozani Khupe, the MDC-T Matabeleland North Provincial Administration Committee (PAC) has been dissolved. Thirteen District committees, which make up the Matabeleland North Provincial Executive and Committee met, at Cross Dete near Hwange, yesterday and dissolved PAC. The move by the districts renders Khupe weak in a province she boasted as her own.
Article 6.9.1.9 of the MDC-T Constitution states that “there shall be a Provincial Administrative Committee of the Province which shall be Chaired by the Chairperson of the Province and whose other members shall be;
(a) The Deputy Chairperson
(b) The Provincial Secretary and Deputy Secretary
(c) The Provincial Treasurer
(d) The Organising Secretary and Deputy Organising Secretary
(e) The Secretary for Information and Publicity
(f) The Secretary for Elections
(g) Chairperson and Secretary of the Provincial Assembly of Women
(h) The Chairperson and Secretary of the Assembly of Youth.”
The same article further states that “the Provincial Administrative Committee shall be responsible for the day to administration of the Province and shall report to the Provincial Executive and shall have no right to make any policy or executive decision.”
The PAC is therefore a strategic committee, which before its dissolution was comprised mostly by members who are loyal to Khupe. Known hardcore Khupe loyalists such as Hon Lwazi Sibanda and Betty Thwala were among the affected.
“MDC-T is now being labelled a violent party. Our PAC members are always involved in the violent skirmishes in Bulawayo,” said Matabeleland North Provincial Secretary, Mxolisi Ndlovu.
“Our members in this province have been implicated several times in violent disturbances. They destabilise Bulawayo Province for the benefit of Khupe. That behaviour, which tarnishes the image of the party must come to an end,” said Ndlovu.
Intra party clashes broke out in Bulawayo between supporters of Hon Chamisa and Khupe on 4 March 2018. Twelve party members, including the MDC-T Bulawayo Provincial Chairman, Gift Banda, were arrested and charged with public violence in a case that has come to be known as the MDC-T Dozen. The public including Western diplomats have condemned the violence, which has prompted the Bulawayo MDC-T Provincial Executive and Committee to issue an apology to party supporters.
“In addition, if you examine the members comprising the thirteen districts, you will realise that about 98% of the members are Ndebele. So Khupe cannot now raise her tribal arguments because her puppets have been booted out by real Ndebele people,” said Ndlovu.
Relationships have soured since the death of MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai on Valentine’s Day. Khupe has been given acres of space by the state media to attack MDC-T Acting President Nelson Chamisa. In one interview with The Herald Khupe stated “Tsvangirai dies and you go on with a meeting to appoint yourself as leader. How shameful!”
With the breakdown in relationship, Khupe has been holding meetings in Matabeleland North province. She has been rallying women in what is suspected to be either a bhora musango (electoral sabotage) or preps for the formation of a new political party.
The dissolution of PAC should therefore come across as Khupe’s waterloo as her foot soldiers have effectively been stripped of authority. The ramifications are that Khupe can no longer legitimately reach out to MDC-T structures in the province without breaching protocol.
At a rally held in Nkayi on Friday 9 March 2018, Khupe hinted that she will not allow the PAC to be dissolved. However, yesterday’s meeting by the 13 districts out rightly defied her.
“We have come to this situation because people tell lies about VP Khupe. They are saying bad things about her to tarnish her politically. She is a good person,” said Hon Lwazi Sibanda.
