Lupane Varsity student crowned Miss Tourism uncontested. The search for MTZ queen was cancelled in 2019 after some of the 19 finalists were injured in a road accident in Vumba on their way to Eden Lodge for a boot camp. Organisers of the prestigious Miss Tourism Zimbabwe (MTZ) have crowned second-year Lupane State University student, Chipo Mandiudza as queen without holding a contest.

Without going to contest, the 21-year-old, Mandiudza studying towards a degree in marketing was hand-picked and crowned the MTZ queen on Tuesday night at a ceremony held in Bulawayo.

Mandiudza is set to represent Zimbabwe in the Miss Tourism International that will be held virtually on December 15.

The pageant licence holder, Sarah Mpofu-Sibanda, who has been locked down in Australia since 2019 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, said due to pressure from Miss Tourism International, they had to choose a queen without hosting a contest.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on all industries and the beauty, fashion and modelling industry has not been spared. As Miss Tourism Zimbabwe we were led into a forced sabbatical of course coupled with the after effects of the 2019 MTZ horrible accident,” she said.

“In an all-fairness gesture, we decided to give a first refusal offer to the 2019 finalists. Consideration and engagements done, only a few responded with some unfortunately having reached the cut-off age, some married or engaged and others now mothers.”

Mpofu-Sibanda said the queen was chosen by a panel of local and international judges. “From the few who sent in their documents and fell within the Miss Tourism International criteria for judging, a winner was identified by our highly able national and international judges,” she said.

“The judges included former beauty queens and businesswoman, Lorraine Maphala-Phiri, Nokuthaba Sibanda Manungo, Sibusisiwe Dube, who is also the chairperson of MTZ, an internationally acclaimed model based in Germany, Marble Nyathi and Godfrey Koti, a model who is currently the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority spokesperson.”

Mandiudza said it was her dream to get an opportunity to represent the country on a global ramp. “I am overwhelmed, confused, happy and nervous. A lot of emotions are running within me. When I got the news that I was the chosen one, I was shocked, but I thought that it was my time now,” she said.

“It has always been in mind that one day I will achieve the spotlight and an opportunity to represent my country on a global stage. It was something that I had been praying for, finally I have got it and will use it to make an impact in the lives of the youth.”

Source – NewZimbabwe

In other news – RBZ orders Mobile Network Operators to reduce airtime price vouchers

RBZ orders Mobile Network Operators to reduce airtime price vouchers. Mobile Telecommunications and Mobile Phone Service Providers, Measures to curb abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s Financial Intelligence Unit has issued measures to curb the abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering…Learn More.

The post Lupane Varsity student crowned Miss Tourism uncontested appeared first on Mbare Times.

Gwanda horrific accident kills 3 on the spot. According to a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) statement, a Toyota Hilux with nine passengers on board burst a rear left tyre, veered off the road, overturned, and landed on its roof at 198 km peg along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road.

Three people were killed while seven others were injured in a horrific road traffic accident a few kilometres from Gwanda town on Friday afternoon.

The victims all died on the spot while the seven who were injured were ferried to Gwanda Provincial Hospital where they were admitted. Police posted on Twitter:

The ZRP confirms a fatal RTA which occurred on 22/10/21 at 1530 hrs at 198 km peg along Bulawayo-Beitbridge Rd, in which three people died on the spot while seven others were injured.

A Toyota Hilux vehicle, with nine passengers on board, burst a rear left tyre resulting in the vehicle veering off the road before it overturned and landed on its roof. The bodies of the victims were taken to Gwanda Provincial Hospital for post-mortem while the injured were admitted to the same hospital.

In other news – RBZ orders Mobile Network Operators to reduce airtime price vouchers

RBZ orders Mobile Network Operators to reduce airtime price vouchers. Mobile Telecommunications and Mobile Phone Service Providers, Measures to curb abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s Financial Intelligence Unit has issued measures to curb the abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering…Learn More.

The post Gwanda horrific accident kills 3 on the spot appeared first on Mbare Times.

Zim-Born 21-year-old Ruva Chigwedere transforming US Havard Theatre. Chigwedere immigrated to the United States from Zimbabwe at age four. When she moved from New Jersey to Cambridge for college, she planned to study economics in the hopes of securing a stable job; a career in the arts didn’t guarantee that.

“To me, leadership has always meant service,” said singer, actor, and writer Ruva Chigwedere ‘21. In her four years at Harvard, she honed her craft and created spaces for Black artists on campus.

However, she soon realised that her true passion was acting, and so decided to gain as much experience in Harvard theater productions as possible. Chigwedere eventually chose to concentrate jointly in Theatre, Dance, and Media and History and Literature.

Chigwedere attended the Shakespeare Summer School Program at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts and played Kate in “Taming of the Shrew.”

Then, in the fall of 2018, Chigwedere auditioned for the Harvard College Opera production of “Cendrillon.” Though initially cast in a featured ensemble role, the directors promoted her to the principal role of Dorothée. Chigwedere emphasized how the production allowed her to gain much more experience in a short amount of time.

Chigwedere also joined the Kuumba Singers, which was founded in 1970 in the midst of the political turmoil of the Civil Rights Movement, two years after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. “They were one of the spaces in the Black community that I felt most at home in,” Ruva says. She also stressed the importance of the group’s continuing legacy of Black community organizing.

“The spirit of [the Kuumba Singers] really mimics some of the Black community organizations that were fighting for justice during the time,” she said. Chigwedere’s contributions to the Harvard community don’t stop there: She also expanded the reach of the Harvard Black Community & Student Theatre Group, or BlackC.A.S.T., a student-run organization that supports Black student theater artists.

When Chigwedere arrived at Harvard, the organization had taken a long hiatus, and its reputation was less than stellar. “The stereotype that BlackC.A.S.T. had in the Harvard theater community at the time was that they couldn’t put together a good show,” Chigwedere says. Hoping to reinvigorate the group, she joined the board, serving as secretary and then co-president.

One of her goals was addressing the organization’s lack of institutional memory and creating mechanisms for passing down knowledge about theater to younger students.

“There are people who know how to do things, individual people have their connections to different groups. That has been one of BlackC.A.S.T.’s strengths, but also its greatest fault: that things end with people,” Chigwedere says. “Once a person graduates, a connection is lost.”

Her other accomplishments with BlackC.A.S.T. include solidifying the group’s relationship with other Harvard theater institutions — such as the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club and the American Repertory Theatre — and reaffirming its connections with other Black student organizations.

As a sophomore, Chigwedere directed the Black Playwrights Festival, an annual showcase of student works. The 2021 Festival, which took place virtually in March, focused on the theme “Some Kind of Tomorrow,” featuring readings from five student playwrights and a conversation with playwrights Lydia R. Diamond and Michael R. Jackson.

Chigwedere’s desire to cultivate a space for the Black artistic community at Harvard came out of her appreciation for Black students before her who created safer spaces.

“Yes, this is a white supremacist institution. And there’s so many different things that have happened that have been traumatizing, or that have been painful for me to experience as a Black person,” she said. “But I’m able to take up space and to be seen as [making] valuable contributions on this campus because of those people.”

Still, Chigwedere has long been frustrated by the treatment of Black women in Harvard theater. “It made me really sad to see … how Black women were systematically kept out of different places,” she said.

And the problem isn’t unique to Harvard. Chigwedere realized while reading her program at a West End production of “Dreamgirls” that there is a dearth of roles for Black women in theater. “In every one of those actors’ resumes, they were either Deena or Effie in “Dreamgirls” and they were either Celie or Nettie in “The Color Purple,” she says.

“There are just two roles out there.” Her desire to change that narrative motivated her to write her senior thesis, a play titled “For Daughters of Ezili; or, How to be a Black Girl and Find Love and Survive 101.”

“I’m going to need to create something for me in order to be able to work,” Chigwedere says. The result was a celebration of Black women’s complexity and joy. After graduation, Ruva continued to develop her thesis play for production, and is planning to possibly audition for conservatory and write her own music.

Her advice to current students? Prioritize. “I wish I could shake every single Harvard student,” she said. “The more you stretch yourself thin, the more you will hate all the things that you actually love doing.”

Source – NewZimbabwe

In other news – RBZ orders Mobile Network Operators to reduce airtime price vouchers

RBZ orders Mobile Network Operators to reduce airtime price vouchers. Mobile Telecommunications and Mobile Phone Service Providers, Measures to curb abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s Financial Intelligence Unit has issued measures to curb the abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering…Learn More.

The post Zim-Born 21-year-old Ruva Chigwedere transforming US Havard Theatre appeared first on Mbare Times.

Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident. The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over a 2019 accident. Moyo told NewsDay that after the accident, Mohadi undertook to pay for the repairs to her car, as well as three other cars that were damaged as a result of his conduct. She said:

He had promised to fix my car, but he later kept quiet until I fixed my car using my own money. When I called him and told him I had fixed my car, he said I should keep the receipts and he would reimburse me. But until today, there is nothing and he has now blocked my numbers.

Moyo said Kgosidintsi owed her US$800 for the repairs, and that the former Vice-President had asked her to give him the quotations, but nothing materialised from him too.

She alleged that Kgosidintsi later claimed that he was a student, while his father was a civil servant and so they could not afford to pay that kind of amount. Moyo added that Kgosidintsi blocked her number when she kept calling him.

Source – Pindula News

In other news – RBZ orders Mobile Network Operators to reduce airtime price vouchers

RBZ orders Mobile Network Operators to reduce airtime price vouchers. Mobile Telecommunications and Mobile Phone Service Providers, Measures to curb abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s Financial Intelligence Unit has issued measures to curb the abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering…Learn More.

The post Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident appeared first on Mbare Times.

BancABC launches co-branded cards to upgrade International Payment Systems. Speaking at the launch, BancABC chief executive officer (CEO) Lance Mambondiani said the bank was the pioneering provider of the service in Zimbabwe.

BancABC has launched co-branded Mastercard and Zimswitch payment cards to enhance international payment systems. Mambondiani added: We are delighted to be the first to market with this solution.

It is thanks to the collaborative partnership between Mastercard, a global financial services powerhouse and Zimswitch, our national switch. There has been a lot of work that has gone into launching this project from all the teams involved and my gratitude is to the teams that have worked tirelessly to deliver this innovation.

BancABC said it will be introducing several co-branded card innovations to suit different market segments, such as the ‘Home and Away’ card, which links to both local and foreign currency accounts. The bank will also be introducing a combo card onto which up to four different currencies can be loaded.

The new BancABC cards will include EMV Chip and PIN technology providing cardholders with additional peace of mind while making them more difficult to counterfeit.

According to Charlton Goredema, Vice President of Country Business Development, Botswana and Zimbabwe at Mastercard, people are increasingly embracing digital payments – a trend that has accelerated due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cyril Nyatsanza, CEO of Zimswitch, added that the provision of convenient, innovative and secure payment solutions will contribute to and encourage positive market developments on multiple fronts.

Source – Pindula News

In other news – Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident

Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident. The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over a 2019…Learn More.

The post BancABC launches co-branded cards to upgrade International Payment Systems appeared first on Mbare Times.

High court cancels order to attach RBZ assets over debts. RBZ assets had been attached following an order of the same court which registered an arbitral award in HC 3207/19. The High Court has ruled that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s assets cannot be attached in a lawsuit over more than US$26 million in unsettled debt with a London-based grain and fertiliser exporter, Holbud Limited.

The bank then approached the High Court seeking an order declaring that its assets were subject to the provisions of the State Liabilities Act and, therefore, could not be attached.

The Reserve Bank also argued that the amount claimed by Holbud under the arbitral award registered before the High Court was also the subject of the Reserve Bank (Debt Assumption) Act No 2 of 2015, and consequently was not subject to further execution.

After hearing submissions from both parties’ counsel, Justice Webster Chinamora ruled in favour of the RBZ, agreeing with its legal position that its assets were protected by law and that it had never waived these rights in its dealings with Holbud.

In terms of the State Liabilities Act as read with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Act, the RBZ’s assets cannot be the subject of an order of execution, meaning that no one can attach them for sale to satisfy a debt. Holbud sought to argue that RBZ waived its right to this protection from the State Liabilities Act, so Justice Chinamora had to determine whether such waiver had been proved.

Justice Chinamora that the commitment by Holbud to pay funds into the RBZ’s offshore accounts did not amount to either an express or assumed waiver of rights accorded to the bank by the law. Holbud claimed to have received two Treasury Bills totalling US$40 246 217, which matured on March 25, 2017, and February 24, 2017.

The proceeds of the matured bills were to be paid to Holbud’s bankers in the United Kingdom but the RBZ had challenges repatriating the proceeds into offshore accounts of Holbud as instructed. The RBZ and Holbud then entered into an arrangement whereby Holbud availed to the RBZ part of the proceeds of the Treasury Bills amounting to US$26 million.

The RBZ would in turn avail the funds for lending to eligible entities under a finance facility before and after exports on condition that half of the export proceeds would be credited to the RBZ’s nominated Nostro account for subsequent payment of its obligations to Holbud.

The RBZ agreed to settle the debt by paying four instalments of US$6 500 000 between January and September 2018 but failed to fulfil its contractual obligations leading to the matter being referred to an arbitrator, Retired judge Justice George Smith who ordered the RBZ to settle the debt.

Source – The Herald

In other news – Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident

Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident. The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over a 2019…Learn More.

The post High court cancels order to attach RBZ assets over debts appeared first on Mbare Times.

Update: Missing 1-year-old girl might have been snatched by maid. Prisca Dindinga told NewsDay that she went to report at Budiriro 2 Police Station but was asked to make a formal report for a missing person after 24 hours.

A 29-year-old woman is appealing for information about the whereabouts of her one-year-old daughter who went missing Sunday morning in Budiriro 4 high-density suburb.

She said she suspected that Mitchell had been snatched by a woman who was employed as a maid in the neighbourhood. Dindinga said:

In the morning at around 7 am, I was doing my normal household chores indoors and my child went outside, as usual, to play with her siblings.

When I went outside to check on my children, she was missing. I inquired about her whereabouts from some people who were around and someone told me that they had seen a maid from the neighbourhood with my child.

She said the maid cannot be accounted for.

Harare provincial spokesperson Inspector Mwanza said the police were yet to investigate the matter. Dindinga told NewsDay Sunday evening that attempts to locate her child had been fruitless and was now “hopeless”.

Anyone who might have information about the missing child can contact Dindinga at 0783 711 975 or the local police.

Source – Pindula News

In other news – RBZ orders Mobile Network Operators to reduce airtime price vouchers

RBZ orders Mobile Network Operators to reduce airtime price vouchers. Mobile Telecommunications and Mobile Phone Service Providers, Measures to curb abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering.

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ)’s Financial Intelligence Unit has issued measures to curb the abuse of physical airtime vouchers for money laundering…Learn More.

The post Update: Missing 1-year-old girl might have been snatched by maid appeared first on Mbare Times.

Evangelist gets away with murder as court cautions him for f!nger!ng and fondl!ng woman. Peter Mensah is said to have anointed the lady with Borges oil with the intent of delivering her from “spiritual marriage,”. When the judge asked Peter if he would be happy if such an act was done to any of his three daughters, the accused replied in the negative.

An Adentan Circuit Court has cautioned an evangelist accused of fondling a lady and inserting his finger into her vagina, to desist from such conduct.

Mrs Sedinam Awo Balokah, the Judge, cautioned Mensah saying, “Go and sin no more.” The judge said if the accused continued with such acts, he would not go free. According to the Judge, the punishment for such an act, when found guilty, was a custodial sentence.

The Court’s caution came after Prosecuting Superintendent Patience Mario informed the court that the complainant was not in court and that Police had received a letter of withdrawal in respect of the matter. The accused told the Court that the matter had been dealt with by some elders and the victim aged 25 years had been compensated.

Mensah, who is also a carpenter, was charged with indecent assault. The source gathered that the complainant resides in Accra and the accused is also a resident within the Accra metropolis.

On August 11, this year at about 8:30 am, the accused, under the guise of praying for the complainant lured her into his room and administrated a spray on her during which she felt weak and helpless. Accused allegedly undressed the complainant and smeared Borges oil all over her body.

Accused inserted his fingers into the complainant’s vagina because he was exorcising an evil spirit from her. After the act, the complainant reported the matter to the Police and the accused was arrested. A caution statement was taken from him.

Source – Zimgazette

In other news – Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident

Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident. The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over a 2019…Learn More.

The post Evangelist gets away with murder as court cautions him for f!nger!ng and fondl!ng woman appeared first on Mbare Times.

39-year-old Kariba man killed in a crocodile attack, body not yet found. Sources told NewZimbabwe.com an enormous croc jumped onto the boat and snatched Edmore Kaduwa (39), whose remains are yet to be recovered. The incident occurred at the Muchenga fishing camp area.

Parks rangers are searching for a crocodile after it jumped into a fishing boat and snapped fisherman Friday night. “Kaduwa was fishing with his unidentified colleague around 7pm when a large crocodile named Macheni jumped into the boat, cusped him using its jaws before pulling him into the water,” a fisherman who witnessed the gruesome incident live said.

Kaduwa’s partner escaped the attack before swimming to safety. A search party of divers has been scouring the expansive waters for Kaduwa’s body since last night, but nothing has been found yet.

The incident comes a few days after another attack that saw an unidentified man’s mutilated body parts and intestines were buried. Residents have raised alarm over the two recent incidents describing them as “bizarre.”

“Crocodiles have been attacking humans since time immemorial, but this latest incident in which it grabbed a person aboard a boat is suspicious.

“I believe a cleansing ceremony would see an end to such mysterious deaths,” said Nomsa Katsikadova. Three deaths have been reported in October alone in the resort town. Kariba residents mostly survive on fishing.

Source – Zimgazette

In other news – Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident

Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident. The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over a 2019…Learn More.

The post 39-year-old Kariba man killed in a crocodile attack, body not yet found appeared first on Mbare Times.

WhatsApp launches new update that will make the world’s most popular messaging app fully encrypted. The Facebook-owned app, which has more than 2 billion active users worldwide, will introduce password-protected backups of messages for both Android and iOS users.

WhatsApp has announced a major new update that it claims will make the world’s most popular messaging app fully encrypted. With end-to-end encrypted backups, WhatsApp has completed its mission of providing a fully encrypted messaging experience, which it began five years ago by rolling out end-to-end encryption for instant messaging as standard.

The latest update offers an extra, optional layer of security to protect backups of text, audio, images and video stored either on Google Drive or Apple’s iCloud.

“Neither WhatsApp nor your backup service provider will be able to read your backups or access the key required to unlock it,” a WhatsApp blog post stated. “No other global messaging service at this scale provides this level of security for their users’ messages, media, voice messages, video calls, and chat backups.”

A spokesperson added: “This is a really big privacy advancement, particularly at our scale… We believe that this will give our users a meaningful advancement in the safety of their personal messages.”

The feature will be made available gradually, with only users running the latest version of the app able to access it.

To create an end-to-end encrypted backup, WhatsApp users will need to go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backups > End-to-End Encrypted Backup, and then follow the prompts to create one.

The latest update comes amid a legal challenge by the Citizens campaign group, which condemned the use of privacy-focussed messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal by ministers and government officials.

Source – Zimgazette

In other news – Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident

Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident. The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over a 2019…Learn More.

The post WhatsApp launches new update that will make the world’s most popular messaging app fully encrypted appeared first on Mbare Times.

Horror as shooting at a wedding: Pics. It’s alleged that a group of men came next door to a wedding, shot a man, his girlfriend and the couple’s son on Saturday at around 6 pm. They then started shooting randomly at residents.

A day of celebration turned into a day of tragedy. A couple lost their only son on their wedding day after a shooting left seven residents dead and five injured. “This was supposed to be a day of unity and all things beautiful but it has brought sadness and grief into our lives instead,” she said.

She said Philani Dlamini (28) was her only child. “I was under the table and crying while the shooting was taking place,” she said. When she came out from under the table, she saw her son’s lifeless body lying on the ground.

“I broke down,” she said. “In a moment it turned into the worst day of my life. Not only did I lose my son but I also lost friends who left their homes to enjoy my special day with me.” The groom, Prince Dlamini said his son was next door when the shooting started.

“He was with the family next door. We’re shocked and in pain,” said the devastated father. He said he has no idea why these men started shooting. Lucas Lekebe (50) who lost his 42-year-old niece said all he knows is that she was attending the wedding when she was shot.

“We all want answers. I want the people behind this to rot in jail,” said Lucas. “Anyone who knew her would tell you that my niece was a respectful woman. Residents said there were eight gunmen and not just one.

“The person who was standing next to me was also struck by a bullet and died. Bullets were coming from all directions. I’m grateful to be alive,” she said. The Gauteng SAPS spokesman, Brigadier Brenda Muridili said it’s reported that a lone gunman entered a house and shot the owner and his girlfriend as well as a neighbour.

She said on the suspect’s way out, he is alleged to have continued to shoot randomly. “The street was busy as there was a wedding celebration nearby. The police have registered a case of murder and attempted murder for investigation,” said Muridili.

Source – Zimgazette

In other news – Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident

Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident. The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over a 2019…Learn More.

The post Horror as shooting at a wedding: Pics appeared first on Mbare Times.

ZANU PF’s 19th Annual National People’s Conference to start Wednesday. A Central Committee meeting will be held the following day before proceedings move to Bindura for the main plenary. The 19th Zanu PF Annual National People’s Conference is scheduled to start on Wednesday with a Politburo meeting at the party’s national headquarters in Harare.

The party’s President and First Secretary, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, will deliver the opening address on Friday before closing the indaba with another address the following day.

This year’s hybrid conference will witness provincial delegates following proceedings virtually at different venues countrywide, while the senior national leadership will congregate at the main venue in Bindura.

The conference is being held under the theme: “Growing and Modernising the Economy Towards Vision 2030”. In an interview, Zanu PF director of information and publicity, Cde Tafadzwa Mugwadi, said all was in place for the indaba.

He said the the meeting will also focus on food security and nutrition, social services and poverty eradication, macroeconomic stability and re-engagement, inclusive growth and value addition.

Last year’s conference was cancelled on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. The event comes amid reports of factionalism in the governing party with one Sybeth Musengezi having approached the courts, allegedly at Vice President Chiwenga’s command, challenging Mnangagwa’s presidency.

Source – Pindula News

In other news – Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident

Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident. The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over a 2019…Learn More.

The post ZANU PF’s 19th Annual National People’s Conference to start Wednesday appeared first on Mbare Times.

2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime. Some of the weapons have been used to commit violent crimes such as armed robberies, which are on the increase countrywide.

Police have busted a syndicate of suspects that have illegally traded in over 50 guns, including two officers stationed at the Zimbabwe Republic Police armouries in Harare and Chinhoyi.

The two officers at the centre of the scandal, William Nhata (35) who worked at the ZRP police national arms’ depot in Harare and Constable Crive Kadambure (42) who was stationed at the Mashonaland West Provincial Armoury in Chinhoyi.

Kadambure was recently arrested with his alleged accomplices Wonder Tawanda Kwaramba (36), who is an ex-police officer and a civilian Edmore Manuwere (28) for dealing in more than 40 high-calibre weapons. Police documents in possession of The Sunday Mail suggest that police were tipped off about the syndicate that has since January 2019 to date been dealing in firearms.

The syndicate approached registered firearms dealers across the country where they purchased forty-four high calibre rifles. They went on to obtain fake firearm certificates with fake serial numbers and references enabling them to purchase firearms from the registered dealers. Read the police documents:

Thereafter the accused sold to or traded the firearms with poachers and armed robbers both inside and outside the country. Acting on the information, the detectives managed to arrest the three accused persons in Harare, Bulawayo and Chinhoyi. The team managed to obtain firearms registers from registered dealers and established the accused person had made several purchases.

Kwaramba is also involved in another case, in which he is accused of dealing in firearms with Taona Javangwe (43) of Nkulumane suburb in Bulawayo. Upon his arrest early this month, Javangwe, who is charged with being in possession of two firearms illegally, implicated Kwaramba.

Nhata was arrested last week and appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with fraud and contravention of the firearms act by illegally trading in firearms since October 2019.

Another suspect, Patrick Chirara from Karoi, is facing eight counts of illegally dealing in firearms, which had fake certificates. Police records say Chirara sold the guns to armed robbers.

Source – Pindula News

In other news – Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident

Resident Reports Former VP Mohadi’s son to Police over accident. The accident reportedly happened on August 24, 2019, in Bulawayo and Mohadi, of Glen Lorne in Harare, paid a fine for driving without due care and attention.

A Bulawayo resident Sibukekile Moyo has filed a police complaint against former Vice-President Kembo Mohadi’s son, Kgosidintsi, over a 2019…Learn More.

The post 2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime appeared first on Mbare Times.

Anti-Sanctions march in pictures. Zimbabwe on Monday 25 October commemorated the Anti-sanctions Day with some taking it to the streets calling the removal of sanctions. Below are pictures of the march held in Kwekwe in the Midlands province. Zimbabweans across the country commemorated the Sadc-initiated Anti-Sanctions Day by holding peaceful demonstrations denouncing the embargoes imposed by some Western countries against Zimbabwe.

Yesterday’s demonstration was in line with the decision by the regional bloc — Sadc — which set aside October 25 of every year to call for the removal of the illegal sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union in the early 2000.

The sanctions were imposed after Zimbabwe embarked on the land reform aimed at correcting historical land imbalances which saw a few minority whites owning large tracts of land at the expense of the majority black Zimbabweans. People in Manicaland province held a solidarity march to call for the removal of illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

Events were held in Mutare, Rusape, Chimanimani and Chipinge under the theme: “Friend to All, Enemy to None: Forging Ahead and Enhancing Innovation and Productivity in Adversity of Sanctions” as the province spoke with one voice in a loud, unequivocal chorus.

In Chimanimani, people marched with placards denouncing the sanctions. Some of the placards read “Remove sanctions,” “Pasi Nemasanctions” and “Do not politicise Cyclone Idai”.

In Mutare, the procession marched down Herbert Chitepo Street and gathered at Meikles Park where speakers took turns to denounce the embargoes, which have caused untold suffering to the majority of Zimbabweans.

In a speech read on his behalf by Zanu PF Manicaland Province acting secretary for administration, Cde Misheck Mugadza, the party’s provincial chairman, Cde Mike Madiro, said it was a fallacy to think of the sanctions as being targeted. “As the people of Manicaland, we are strongly calling for the unconditional removal of these illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe,” said Cde Madiro.

In Hwedza district, Mashonaland East province people marched to the business centre from the district development coordinator’s offices.

Addressing the procession in Hwedza, Youth Business League founder Mr McNorman Chitongo highlighted that Zimbabwe’s inability to access capital loans and it’s alienation from Western financial markets has cost the nation billions in revenue.

Legal practitioner Advocate Itai Ndudzo unpacked the import of the sanctions with regards to the land acquisition programme at the turn of the century.

In Matabeleland South, the main event was held in Gwanda where the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Abednico Ncube led about 1 500 on a march from Caltex Service Station to Greenland Shopping Complex. The group went around major roads linking the many high-density suburbs where Cde Ncube made his address and emphasised on the need for people to register to vote in the next harmonised elections.

He also bemoaned the effects of the illegal sanctions, which he said were an impediment to many economic and infrastructure development initiatives in the province and countrywide.

Ordinary persons in Chinhoyi and the rest of Mashonaland West joined the rest of the nation and region in marching against illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

Among those who marched were vendors, journalists, and representatives of business organisations, student unions, political parties and affiliated groups.

Speaking on the sidelines of the march, James Juru, an informal trader, implored everyone to join the cause which has since been supported by all Sadc member states.

Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services officials led the march, which was highly supported.

Scores of people in Bindura marched against the illegal sanctions which are hitting hard on the ordinary people which include the youths.

Speaking on the sidelines of the march, youth leader and son to the late national hero Border Gezi, Cde Michael Gezi, said it is time that the sanctions must go as they are not hurting the “targeted” people but are affecting ordinary Zimbabweans.

“Sanctions are affecting various facets of our lives including the health sector as the government cannot stock enough medication in our hospitals,” said Mr Gezi. Most companies are not functioning at full capacity as they are on the sanctions list and cannot access offshore credit lines to buy raw materials, resulting in job losses.

Source – Pindula News/The Herald

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Job Sikhala speaks on a poster of himself being MDC Alliance’s 2023 elections Presidential candidate. He says the poster was created by the ruling ZANU PF in connivance with the central intelligence organisation (CIO) to create confusion and hatred in the opposition party.

Opposition MDC Alliance’s deputy chairperson, Job Sikhala has dismissed as rubbish a poster circulating on social media that claims he is the MDC Alliance candidate in the 2023 presidential election. He said:

Dear Zimbabweans; It is not all the rubbish & nonsense I respond to, but I can not allow this scandalous scam by the CIO & the ZANU PF intelligence to destabilize our party & its unity. They are circulating this nonsense to cause hatred. Our President is Adv Nelson Chamisa.

This comes amid reports that Chamisa no longer trusts Sikhala. Some observers cite the appointment of a co-vice chairperson, Sesel Zvidzai as proof of the mistrust Chamisa has.

Sikhala, who once led a splinter group, MDC 99, is one of the most senior members in the MDC and is regarded as one of the most vocal people in the party.

Source – Pindula News

In other news – 2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime

2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime. Some of the weapons have been used to commit violent crimes such as armed robberies, which are on the increase countrywide.

Police have busted a syndicate of suspects that have illegally traded in over 50 guns, including two officers stationed at the Zimbabwe Republic Police armouries in Harare and…Learn More.

The post Job Sikhala speaks on a poster of himself being MDC Alliance’s 2023 elections Presidential candidate appeared first on Mbare Times.

UK and the US, speak on Zimbabwe’s Anti-Sanctions Day marches. UK dismissed claims by the ZANU PF government that the sanctions are behind Zimbabwe’s economic woes as they have, among others, blocked trade.

The United Kingdom (UK) has claimed that its sanctions on Zimbabwe are asset freezes and travel bans on 5 Zimbabwean individuals for corruption and rights abuses.

In a series of messages on Twitter, the UK embassy in Zimbabwe said: Trade between the UK and Zimbabwe was 244m USD last financial year

UK sanctions are asset freezes and travel bans on 5 Zimbabwean individuals for corruption & rights abuses. They don’t stop trade.

Let’s get this straight: the UK imposed asset freezes and a UK travel ban earlier this year on 5 individuals for corruption and serious human rights abuses. The UK has no economic sanctions on Zimbabwe #itsnotsanctions.

The facts: trade between the UK and Zimbabwe was 244m USD last FY, with Zim exports to the UK reaching 55m USD. The UK and Zimbabwe have a bilateral trade deal which gives Zimbabwe duty & quota-free access to UK markets.

Meanwhile, the United States of America said its sanctions on Zimbabwe were imposed to encourage good governance and to foster democracy. Said the US embassy in Harare:

Advancing democracy, promoting human rights and protecting fundamental freedoms continue to be top priorities for the United States. America stands with the Zimbabwean people as you strive for a more democratic and prosperous future.

The Zimbabwe sanctions program aims to encourage those sanctioned individuals to stop facilitating corruption and start respecting fundamental rights and democratic aspirations.

The U.S. government can lift sanctions once it determines sanctioned individuals have stopped undermining democracy, violating human rights, or facilitating corruption. The European Union said none of its restrictive measures on Zimbabwe targets trade. Added the EU delegation in Zimbabwe:

Zimbabwean goods have a tariff and quota free privileged access to the #EU market as granted by the Economic and Partnership Agreement (#EPA) ratified in 2012.

These statements when Zimbabwe and the rest of SADC are commemorating the Anti-Sanctions Day (25 October).

They are also issued when a United Nations special rapporteur, Alena Douhan, in Zimbabwe on a 10-day visit to ascertain the effects of sanctions imposed on individuals and some corporates in the country.

Source – Pindula News

In other news – 2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime

2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime. Some of the weapons have been used to commit violent crimes such as armed robberies, which are on the increase countrywide.

Police have busted a syndicate of suspects that have illegally traded in over 50 guns, including two officers stationed at the Zimbabwe Republic Police armouries in Harare and…Learn More.

The post UK and the US, speak on Zimbabwe’s Anti-Sanctions Day marches appeared first on Mbare Times.

Update: Sudan Army detain Prime Minister and dissolve transitional govt. The Sudanese military has arrested Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other senior officials prompting thousands of protesters to throng into the streets of the capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman.

The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors has said that three people died of gunshot wounds while at least 80 others were injured after being shot by military forces during protests against a military takeover on Monday. Hamdok was moved to an undisclosed location after he refused to issue a statement in support of the coup, said the information ministry.

The chairman of Sudan’s ruling body General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan later announced the dissolution of the transitional government and the sovereign council and declared a nationwide state of emergency.

Sudan has been on edge since a failed coup plot last month increased between military and civilian groups meant to be sharing power following the toppling of the country’s longtime leader Omar al-Bashir two years ago.

The coup also comes just weeks before the military was supposed to hand the leadership of the council that runs the country over to civilians.

The United States said the Sudanese military’s takeover of the state apparatus is completely unacceptable and will have long-lasting consequences with respect to the US- Sudanese relations. The African Union Commission head Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed “deep dismay” over the volatile political situation in Sudan.

Mahamat called on the immediate resumption of consultations between the civilian and military wings of the transitional government. Britain also said the military coup in Sudan was an unacceptable betrayal of the Sudanese people and called on security forces there to release the country’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

Source – Al Jazeera

In other news – 2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime

2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime. Some of the weapons have been used to commit violent crimes such as armed robberies, which are on the increase countrywide.

Police have busted a syndicate of suspects that have illegally traded in over 50 guns, including two officers stationed at the Zimbabwe Republic Police armouries in Harare and…Learn More.

The post Update: Sudan Army detain Prime Minister and dissolve transitional govt appeared first on Mbare Times.

Rapper Stunner’s hit song inspires DStv to launch TisuMaShark Campaign. Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said the idea behind the campaign is to communicate how they create value for their stakeholders.

DStv has launched a campaign called TisuMaShark that was inspired by Stunner and Bahupi’shit song. The campaign is also aimed at highlighting the diversity and characteristics of DStv’s customers, showing how their lives can influence other people for the better and how their successes can be emulated. Dziva said:

Some years ago Stunner and BaShupi had a hit song called TisuMaShark and the campaign has flowed from this.

In our campaign we are looking to showing how our customers are leaders and people worth emulating, so the campaign pays homage to their ideas, strengths, successes and exemplary lives.

The profiles will be gentle insights into the people selected, highlighting how DStv has enriched their lives, what makes them tick and showing how they contribute to families, businesses, communities and the country as a whole.

Dziva added that they chose sharks because they are sharp, savvy, decisive and have many positive characteristics. She added that a print and online campaign will feature regular profiles and will be sustained so that a variety of people can be platformed.

The campaign is aimed at highlighting the resilience some individuals had even in the face of challenges including the COVID-19.

Source – Pindula News

In other news – 2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime

2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime. Some of the weapons have been used to commit violent crimes such as armed robberies, which are on the increase countrywide.

Police have busted a syndicate of suspects that have illegally traded in over 50 guns, including two officers stationed at the Zimbabwe Republic Police armouries in Harare and…Learn More.

The post Rapper Stunner’s hit song inspires DStv to launch TisuMaShark Campaign appeared first on Mbare Times.

Cyclone Idai survivors’ goats dying in numbers. The goats are suspected to have died from a disease which also affected local goat species owned by other villagers not part of the scheme.

Survivors of Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani were left in a serious predicament after 200 goats donated to them under the World Bank funded Zimbabwe Idai Recovery project died within a short space of time.

A total of 250 households each received three goats from the project’s implementing partner World Vision Zimbabwe.

The goats were sourced by the Food and Agricultural organisation (FAO) under a project called leveraging the economic advancement of the disadvantaged (LEAD) meant to support families affected by the 2019 Cyclone Idai.

Some beneficiaries of the project who spoke to New.Zimbabwe.com said they strongly suspect the animals were not properly inspected and screened before they were distributed in the area. One of the affected villagers said:

I have lost two of the goats which I received from World Vision. The health of some of the goats was questionable right from the word go. We do not even know where these animals were sourced from,”

Another farmer who was not a beneficiary of the project said he lost three of his high breed goats from a disease that he suspect was transmitted by the donated goats.

He said he is worried that some of the goats might affect his remaining goats. World Vision staff and local Zanu PF councillors reportedly identified the beneficiaries of the project.

When reached for comment, a World Vision official Edmore Chikazhe said his organisation was only involved in the distribution of the goats.

Brain Nhlema FAO’s Head of Irrigation and Tawanda Msomali the project’s veterinary doctor said the goats might have died because of stress adding that they were still conducting investigations.

Source – NewZimbabwe

In other news – 2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime

2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime. Some of the weapons have been used to commit violent crimes such as armed robberies, which are on the increase countrywide.

Police have busted a syndicate of suspects that have illegally traded in over 50 guns, including two officers stationed at the Zimbabwe Republic Police armouries in Harare and…Learn More.

The post Cyclone Idai survivors’ goats dying in numbers appeared first on Mbare Times.

ZRP nab 2 bogus cops. On 22/10/21, police in Mutawatawa joined hands with members of the public and managed to arrest two of the several armed robbery suspects, Chikomborero Gono (28) and Luckson Tsingano (32) who were masquerading as police officers.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Friday last week arrested two armed robbers who were masquerading as police officers. The duo is said to have been involved in several robbery cases. Said the police in a statement:

The suspects robbed Tinotenda Karumazondo (21) employed at a local gold milling company of USD15 000, 49g gold and a cellphone before kidnapping him, tying him with shoelaces and spraying him with an unknown substance that made him go unconscious.

A member of the public sustained a gunshot injury on the palm during the exercise. The two suspects are assisting the police with investigations whilst the other suspects are at large.

This comes after police announced the arrest of a syndicate that was dealing in guns. Two police officers who were part of the syndicate were also arrested.

Police said some of the guns were being sold to armed robbers. Cases of armed robberies have been on the rise in the country lately.

Source – Pindula News

In other news – 2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime

2 Cops arrested in guns bust crime. Some of the weapons have been used to commit violent crimes such as armed robberies, which are on the increase countrywide.

Police have busted a syndicate of suspects that have illegally traded in over 50 guns, including two officers stationed at the Zimbabwe Republic Police armouries in Harare and…Learn More.

The post ZRP nab 2 bogus cops appeared first on Mbare Times.