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I will always support Chamisa, says dismissed ZPCS officer

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I will always support Chamisa, says dismissed ZPCS officer
John Mahlabera and Nelson Chamisa

Clayton Shereni

A
former Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officer, John
Mahlabera has vowed to continue supporting MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa
despite losing his job over a tweet in which he professed his undying support
for the opposition leader.

“Come
to Chiredzi my President”, Mahlabera tweeted in the build up to the 2018
harmomised elections.

It
is this tweet that courted trouble for the prison officer who was immediately
suspended and ultimately dismissed from the service but despite losing
everything, Mahlabera who is now hustling in the streets of Harare says that
his support for Chamisa will never die.

“My
crime was supporting my president Nelson Chamisa. I lost my job because of that
but I am not apologetic.

“It
is who I am and now I am looking forward. There is no time to look back because
no one can really change my political opinion.

“I
have no fixed job at the moment and I am hustling like most Zimbabweans to
provide for my family,” said Mahlabera.

A
few weeks after Mahlabera’s tweet, Chamisa headed to Chiredzi and addressed one of
his biggest 2018 campaign rallies in Tshovani Stadium and Mahlabera was called
to the stage where Chamisa paraded him and praised his gutsy character.

Mahlabera
was charged of contravening the Prisons Staff Disciplinary Regulations of 1984.

Although
he pleaded not guilty to the charges, Mahlabera was found guilty of using
‘disloyal’ or ‘traitorous’ words against President Emmerson Mnangagwa and contravening
Prisons Staff Disciplinary Regulations 
of 1984 which led to his dismissal.

Mahlabera
tried to make an appeal earlier this year but it was ignored by former prisons
boss Paradzai Zimhondi.

  

‘No bond paper at Mutare Central Police Station’

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‘No bond paper at Mutare Central Police Station’

 

Felix Matasva

MUTARE – The Central Police station here has been hard hit by bond
paper shortages since late year, with the general public being asked by
officers to provide their own so that their cases may be processed, TellZim
News can report.

This reporter recently observed a
complainant being asked by an officer to buy his own bond paper so that the
docket could be processed.

The officer was then seen using a
blank side of an already used A4 bond paper to print something else.

Police officers who spoke to
TellZim News confirmed the shortage of bond paper at the provincial police
headquarters.

They painted a glaring picture
that the force is underfunded as most officers were asking complainants to buy
stationery for their cases to be processed.

 “These things should not be said but that’s
what is happening on the ground. Sometimes we use our own money to process the
paper work because the station does not have any stationery at all. Only the
bosses’ offices have some paper and equipment,” said one police officer.

One complainant who spoke to
TellZim News said he had to spend his own money after the investigating officer
handling the case of his stolen cellphone requested him to do so.

“The investigating officer
said that the process will take too long since a court order would be needed to
allow NetOne, Econet and Telecel to start tracking my phone. The officer told
me that there was a lot of bond paper needed to start the process and the
station did not have even one for my case and I had to provide the papers,”
said one complainant.

Manicaland provincial police
assistant spokesperson Assistant Inspector Luxson Chananda refuted shortages of
stationery at the station.

“We have no shortages of
bond paper at the central police station. Bond paper is needed at an advanced
stage of investigation processes of police cases. When a complainant reports a
case, an RRB is used and the later processes will be the baby of ZRP.

“There are departments
specifically meant to provide essentials needed for operation of police
business. If ever there are any shortages, we find ways to deal with it,”
said Chananda.

He urged members of the public to
report to police authorities whenever requested to provide any form of stationery
saying such behavior was uncalled for.

“The public must use proper
platforms to lodge complaints rather than approach the media. We do not condone
instances whereby the public is requested to provide stationery by police
officers.

“Some officers are corrupt
and may want to solicit stationery for their own children at home. The public
must report such nefarious activities to public relations department, officers
in charge and commanding officers,” said Chananda.

Mukungunugwa new Zanu PF Masvingo youth chair

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Mukungunugwa new Zanu PF Masvingo youth chair

 

Godfrey Mukungunugwa

 

Upenyu Chaota

The
Zanu PF Masvingo provincial youth league has co-opted Chivi Rural District
Council (RDC) chairperson Godfrey Mukungugwa as the provincial chairperson
after his predecessor, Brian Munyoro, stepped down opting to contest for the
Gutu District Coordinating Committee (DCC) chairperson position.

The
Zanu PF DCC template stipulates that any member who holds a provincial or any
higher post should resign first before contesting for a DCC post.

Munyoro
has since sailed through uncontested for the Gutu DCC chairperson position.

Mukungunugwa’s co-option awaits ratification by the Masvingo Provincial Coordinating Committee
(PCC).

Mukungunugwa
said that he will carry on from where Munyoro left and promised to work
together with all the youth in Masvingo to push President Mnangagwa’s vision.

“It is
an honour to be entrusted with the leadership of the youth league in Masvingo.
As you know, Masvingo is a one party state and we would like to keep it that
way working together with the provincial leadership.

“I will
use my experience to make sure that the youth take a lead in growing Zanu PF in
the province. We need to come up with a plan to make sure that the youthful
population in our province come to join and work with Zanu PF because it is the
only home where they will find sound leadership.

“The
youth are the drivers of President Mnangagwa’s vision 2030 and we would like to
demystify what that vision is because most people just talk about it and not
understand what it means,” said Mukungunugwa.

He said
for the nation to achieve an upper middle income economy by 2030 it takes a
collective effort from the youth.

“The
youth have to stand up and steer this ship towards vision 2030. Our President
has shared his vision with us and it is time to go to work. Vision 2030 has
nothing to do with politics but has everything to do with Zimbabwe and
Zimbabweans,” said Mukungunugwa.

He said
he will make sure that the youth in Masvingo are empowered so that they can be
a part of the development projects and feel ownership.

“We
have a lot of opportunities in mining and agriculture for our youth in the
province and we will make sure that we leave no one behind.

“The
youth have to be a part of the development projects in our province. We want
many youth councilors, ministers and legislators from Masvingo,” said
Mukungunugwa.

Other co-options into the youth league include Masvingo Urban Ward 10 councillor
Sengerai Manyanga who assumes the secretary for commissariat portfolio and
John Paradza as the secretary for finance.

 

The Zupco monopoly is unsustainable

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The Zupco monopoly is unsustainable

 

Kombi drivers and owners demostrating at Zupco depot in Masvingotoday


…kombi operators argue as strike
hits Masvingo

Colleen Chitsa

Masvingo commuter omnibus
operators contracted by the Zimbabwe United Passengers Company (Zupco) today,
November 16, went on strike and pulled their vehicles off the road, complaining
that the state-owned company had not paid them for up to the past three months.

Many drivers and kombi owners
gathered outside the Zupco depot in Masvingo where they picketed against the
regional Zupco management which they accused of corruption and taking the
services of contracted operators for granted.

Some of the operators and drivers
who agreed to speak to TellZim said the local depot of the passenger company
was poorly managed, with management engaged in corruption.

“Other regions are paying their
contractors well in time. But here in Masvingo, some of us haven’t been paid
for up to three months. We play our part in meeting our contractual obligations
but they don’t do their part. I am not able to pay my drivers’ salaries because
my kombis that are running in the Zupco name are not being paid for,” said one
operator who preferred anonymity.

Another one said the monopoly
created by government in the commuter omnibus sector was not sustainable as
government had proved again and again that it was not good at running businesses
viably.

“These are the first signs that
the monopoly they are creating will result in havoc. It’s only a few months
that we signed the contracts and they are already defaulting on the terms that
they themselves set. We are going nowhere; we must be allowed to operate
independently as had always been the case before the lockdown,” he said.

As a result of the strike and the
resultant shortage of kombis on the road, many commuters had to walk from as
far as Victoria Ranch to town for work.

When contacted for comment, Zupco
Masvingo depot manager Wiseman Ziweni said they were making efforts to break
the impasse.

“The problem is that drivers
refused to go to work demanding that all money owed to them be paid first. We
are making arrangements to see if the money can be paid as a matter of urgency,”
said Ziweni

 

 

 

 

Informal economy needs social security, says VISET

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Informal economy needs social security, says VISET

TellZim Reporter

The Vendors Initiative for Social
and Economic Transformation (VISET) last week joined the rest of the world in
celebrating International Vendors Day, with focus on finding ways to extend
social security for people working in the informal economy.

The Viset commemorations were held
under the theme, ‘Social Security and the
future of the Informal Economy Work’.

This year’s commemorations are
being held when the world is struggling to cope with ravaging and desolating effects
of Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Viset said greater
recognition and assistance should be given to the informal sector in light of
the vast contributions that it makes to economies.

“The day calls for recognition of
the contribution street vendors make to national development and to raise
awareness on the significant challenges street vendors face. Street vendors
still face considerable challenges in going about trying to earn a decent living.
“Whilst there are some peculiar challenges to the trade, on the whole street vendors
face similar challenges in plying their trade on the African continent and
globally,” the statement reads.

The vendors’ organization also
states that many socio-political and economic factors have led to the increase
of people working in the informal sector of economies.

“At present, it is estimated that
across the continent, the informal sector accounts for over 65 percent of
employment, with street vending providing much of that number.
It is thus imperative for national and local governments to begin to respect
and respond to the needs of the informal sector,” the statement reads.

Viset also called for social
protection for people working in the informal sector, saying lockdowns in many
countries had left street vendors economically vulnerable.

“Most interventions that were said
to cushion people during the lockdowns were poorly thought out and their
implementation woefully inadequate characterised by allegations of corruption.

“Part of this maybe ascribed to the
fact that there are no proper policies guiding the provision of social safety
nets for the informal economy in instances where people are unable to engage in
their trade. Most social security bodies are designed for the formal sector,
yet evidence at hand shows that more employment is now being found in the
informal,” the statement further reads.

 

 

 

  

Agric ministry staff demand Covid-19 risk allowance

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Agric ministry staff demand Covid-19 risk allowance

 

….‘we are drivers of Pfumvudza’

Upenyu Chaota

The Zimbabwe Agricultural
Professional and Technical Association (ZAPTA), who represent members from the
Ministry of Agriculture, is knocking on the Minister of Finance Professor
Mthuli Ncube’s door demanding a share of the Covid-19 risk allowance cake.

ZAPTA said member of staff in the
Ministry of Agriculture were the backbone of the economy; working with
communities non-stop, driving the government’s Pfumvudza programme.

They argue that despite their
enormous contribution to the economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic,
government has failed to provide them with risk allowances.

In a letter to Ncube, dated
November 11, ZAPTA secretary general Zivaishe Zhou says while other civil servants
were receiving risk allowances, Agriculture staff are ignored.

“This has seen the nation
progressing in its initiatives in combating hunger and starvation. This attracts
the need to offer COVID-19 risk allowances to agricultural staff as well. Your
good ministry is known of striving towards uplifting its stakeholders which
also include agricultural employees.

“So many times agricultural
employees have been left out yet they are the ones feeding the nation. As
ZAPTA, we propose for at least 50% of risk allowance because we have been
interacting with farmers since the pandemic of COVID-19 started.

“The salary increment announced
by the government is far less than our expectations. It is just a drop in an
ocean. The increase is procedurally defective and grossly insufficient in
quantum,” reads the letter.

ZAPTA says that its commitment,
despite the existence of the Covid-19 pandemic, had seen the nation making
positive strides towards ensuring food security.

“ZAPTA would like to express its
concerns over 10 percent risk allowances that your Ministry has committed to
offer to all government teachers.

“It’s a noble idea and
appreciated. ZAPTA represent members in the Ministry of Agriculture in which
you join hands with in order to meet economic objectives through improvement of
agricultural production and enhancement of food security.

“Members in the ministry have
been working since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our members are the
drivers of the Pfumvudza programme since its inception and this gives us
confidence in this request,” reads the letter.

Glenview girl Talliah Kachuta finally undergoes colostomy surgery

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Glenview girl Talliah Kachuta finally undergoes colostomy surgery

 

Talliah Kachuta’s colostomy has now been closed 

Colleen Chitsa

Three-year-old Talliah Kachuta, who
was born without an anal passage and has been using a hole drilled on the side
of her stomach to pass excrement, has finally undergone a colostomy closure operation;
allowing her to use her anal passage for the first time.

The minor, whose family stays in
Glenview, Harare, where her father is a policeman, first underwent an operation
to open up her anal passage at birth but doctors also performed a colostomy so
that the anal passage could be given time to heal.

A colostomy is a surgical
procedure to bring out one end of the large intestine (colon) through the
stomach so that faeces could be passed through there rather than through the
anal passage.

However, the child continued to
use the stomach hole for longer than was necessary because her parents could
not afford another operation to close the colostomy and re-divert the bottom end
of the colon to the anal passage.

TellZim published the family’s
story on October 23 and a few days later, well-wishers began to contribute money
towards the required surgical procedure which was finally performed by Dr
Chitsaka at Harare Hospital on October 29.

“After the story began
circulating, we received around $5 600 in donations through EcoCash, $5000 from
the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church in Glenview and it was enough for the
surgical operation. When we came back from the hospital, the church again gave
us US$100. Another US$100 was put together through contributions by different police
stations in Harare and we are still receiving donations from other people,”
said the girls’ mother Patricia Timire.

Timire said help from SDA was
facilitated largely by church elder Alois Nyamazana who had been greatly moved
by the family’s plight.

“I thank everybody who made this
happen including TellZim, Elder Nyamazana and his church as well as everybody
who contributed in cash, kind and prayers. Words are not enough to express our
gratitude and relief. Talliah is now using the normal excretion organ and is
now playing with other children without being stigmatized,” said Timire.

To read the first story on the
issue use the below link:

https://tellzim.com/2020/10/child-born-without-anus-pleads-for-us7.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anxiety as new Mwonzora recalls beckon

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Anxiety as new Mwonzora recalls beckon

 

Mutare Mayor Blessing Tandi

…as Mwonzora ‘backtracks’ on new purge

Moses
Ziyambi

A letter purportedly signed
by disputed MDC-T secretary general Douglass Mwonzora notifying the Minister of
Local government, Public Works and National Housing of the recall of 87 MDC
Alliance councillors from across the country has triggered new jitters in the
party.

Among those purportedly being recalled
are City of Mutare Mayor Blessing Tandi and seven other councillors from the
city namely Kudakwashe Chisango of Ward 18, Edson Kalulu of Ward 4, Simon  Mapuvire of Ward 5, John Nyamhoka of Ward 17,
Monica Mukwada of Ward 13 and Sophia Gwasira of Ward 8.

In Masvingo, the names of Cllrs
Tarusenga Vhembo (Ward 3) Godfrey Kurauone (Ward 4), Daniel Mberikunashe (Ward
5) and Tafadzwa Musekiwa (Ward 7) are part of the list.

Other local authorities affected include
Chipinge Urban (four councilors), City of Gweru (four councillors), Seke Rural
(two councillors), Chegutu Municipality (three councillors), and Zvishavane
Urban (three councillors).

When contacted to authenticate the
letter, Mwonzora at first sounded hesitant to give a definitive answer, saying
he was not sure if the letter was genuine or not even though he had been told
that the document bore his signature.

He asked that the letter be sent to him
so that he could verify, after which he dismissed the letter as not authentic.

 “You seek to verify the authenticity of
a letter which does not have a logo? No, it’s not authentic. That’s what I can
tell you,” said Mwonzora, even though TellZim saw a copy of the letter which
bears the MDC-T logo and which many sources confirmed as authentic.

One source said the letter was indeed
authentic but the Mwonzora camp was deliberately creating convenient ambiguities
around it as a way of testing the waters.

“The letter was indeed signed by
Mwonzora but he left many gaps including using an old date (30 September) for
his own convenience. He is sending a signal that our time is up unless we bow
down and worship him. It will not happen,” said one affected councillor who
requested anonymity.

Mutare Mayor Tandi said he had not seen
the letter and no official communication on the issue had reached him.

Cllrs Kurauone and Musekiwa said they
saw the letter on social media but no official communication regarding their
anticipated recall had reached them.

Use this link to access related story:

https://tellzim.com/2020/09/mwonzora-axe-hangs-over-masvingo.html 





 

Masvingo taxi driver killer sent 21 years

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Masvingo taxi driver killer sent 21 years

 

Guilty of murder….Chakanetsa Kambarami

Mark
Chavunduka

A 36-year-old who shocked
many people by killing a taxi driver at Backpackers Rest lodge in Masvingo back
in June 2019 was this week found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison
by High Court judge Justice Garainesu Mawadze.

Chakanetsa Kambarami was given an 18-year sentence
for murder and four years for stealing the deceased Josiah Rimai’s Toyota Fun
Cargo. One year was suspended on condition of good behavior.

It was the State’s case
that on June 02, 2019 at around 09:00hrs, Kambarami and his wife went to
Masvingo Polytechnic College bus stop where they boarded the now deceased’s
pirate taxi ostensibly to go to Great Zimbabwe Monuments near Nemanwa growth
point.

The now deceased Rimai was
working with his assistant one Lucky Willard Dube. On their way to Nemanwa
growth point, the accused decided to hire the now deceased’s pirate taxi for
the day and to pay the now deceased whatever fees he would make plying the
Masvingo-Nemanwa- Mashate route.

Rimai agreed and off-loaded
other passengers at Mashate after which he remained with his assistant, the
accused, and accused’s wife.

The accused then
offered to buy the now deceased and his assistant beer and they then spent much
of the day drinking and roasting meat at Nemanwa growth point. Later that day,
they went to Backpackers Lodge where Kambarami had booked a room.

All this while,
Kambarami presented himself as a Good Samaritan, giving Rimai a pair of track
suits, a pair of tekkies and sunglasses.

They then drove to
Dunira Mall in Victoria Ranch where they had more fun drinking and braiing.

After some time, Dube
was left behind while the three drove back to Backpackers Lodge where Kambarami
later accused Rimai of proposing love to his wife before beginning to assault
him.

They then left the room
and drove away, with Kambarami continuing to assault Rimai before dumping him
along a dusty stretch of road to Sundowners Lodge outside Rujeko.

The following morning,
Rimai was found unconscious and he was pronounced dead upon admission at
Masvingo Provincial Hospital.

 

 

 

Kurauone leaves country for medical treatment

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Kurauone leaves country for medical treatment

 

Godfrey Kurauone

….fears colon cancer
poisoning

…as warrant of arrest
hangs overhead


TellZim Reporter

MDC Alliance national
youth organising secretary Godfrey Kurauone has left the country for an unknown
destination where he is receiving medical treatment following his lengthy
incarceration at Masvingo Remand Prison.

Kurauone spent 42 days
in remand prison on allegations of participating in the abortive July 31
demonstrations by blocking a road in Mashava, with many attempts to secure bail
failing.

TellZim News managed to
get in touch with Kurauone, who is also the councillor for Masvingo Urban Ward
4, but he refused to provide his exact location ‘for safety reasons’.

“I am out of the
country to seek specialist medical attention following my protracted detention
in the remand prison. I was advised that the kind of attention I need could be
easier obtained outside the country. As you know, I had abdominal pain problems
even before I went to prison and I am taking all the precautions in case
somebody took advantage of that situation and pulled a Patson on me,” said
Kurauone.

He was referring to
fellow MDC Alliance activist Patson Dzamara who died of colon cancer in August,
with many in the party, including party president Nelson Chamisa alleging that
he was poisoned the same way that former party leader Morgan Tsvangirai was allegedly
poisoned by state actors.

Chamisa also suggested
that the party’s Glenview North Member of Parliament (MP) Kennedy Dinar, who
died on November 05, was the latest victim of poisoning by state actors.

Kurauone said he will
be back in the country to face his legal troubles including a warrant of arrest
issued against him when he failed to appear in court on October 26 to answer to
charges of undermining the authority of the President.

“I could not attend the
court session due to health problems but I will be ready to come back and face
it all. I am by no mean a fugitive from justice because I will be coming back
home soon. I have already undergone a lot of medical tests and I am currently
waiting for results,” Kurauone said.

Kurauone, who maintains
that he is innocent, claiming he is being targeted for his vocal opposition political
activism, said he underwent blood tests, lever examination, heart and kidney
tests as well as a full-body scan.

He said he will
continue to fight for the rights of citizens with the limitations provided for by
the law.

Kurauone was arrested
on July 31 and was released from remand prison on September 10 after being
acquitted on charges of blocking the free movement of traffic along the road to
Zvamahande in Mashava.

Before his acquittal, the
State had dropped a charge of criminal nuisance which Kurauone also faced.

July 31 was the day
that Transform Zimbabwe (TZ) Jacob Ngarivhume called for nationwide shutdown
protests against the deteriorating economic, political and human rights
situation in the country.

The protests did not
succeed as government implemented a severe lockdown of all cities and towns,
with Ngarivhume himself being arrested in the days before July 31.

 

 

 

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