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Zanele Moyo bled to death, photo shows

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This graphic shows the trail of blood leading to Zanele’s bathroom and Zambian Stephen Kenneth Newman Chitobolo, who was the last to be seen with Zanele last Wednesday

This graphic shows the trail of blood leading to Zanele’s bathroom and Zambian Stephen Kenneth Newman Chitobolo, who was the last to be seen with Zanele last Wednesday

Bulawayo Bureau—
Zanele Moyo, the daughter of Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo bled to her death in her Cape Town apartment bathroom, a dramatic new photograph shows. The shock picture obtained by The Chronicle yesterday reveals a floor smeared with what appears to be a significant amount of blood.

Related………….

The blood appears to start from the doorway of the bathroom leading to a toilet cubicle. It is the spot where the University of Cape Town student’s lifeless body was found lying face down shortly before midday last Saturday. She was fully clothed, dressed in the same outfit she had been last seen wearing on Wednesday last week – the day her family believes she met her fate.

Her family says despite earlier being told by police that Zanele also had a head injury, the coroner had found no external injuries. A small depression on her forehead, which had become covered in blood, is thought to have misled early police responders.

South African police say the cause of death remains a mystery, but they are tracking two Zambian men, including one Stephen Kenneth Newman Chitobolo, who was the last to be seen with Zanele.

Stephen, according to sources close to the investigation, has become a key person of interest after he used Zanele’s phone last Wednesday evening to call her friend, Nicole Bento, to tell her Zanele was “passing out”. Nicole did not make much of the call, believing her friend had just taken one too many.

Stephen, who was thought to have fled to Zambia, was spotted at the OR Tambo International Airport last night by Zanele’s friend and sister, who were travelling to Zimbabwe. He has told the Moyo family and investigators that he will hand himself in before Friday this week to help detectives piece together Zanele’s final few hours.

The second man, who has been named as Leo Milimo, is thought to have left Cape Town for Johannesburg or Pretoria. Leo, according to Zanele’s friends, introduced Zanele to Stephen three weeks ago after having earlier met her through a mutual friend, Rumbidzai Choto.

As the family digests the distressing new image of the bloodied scene where Zanele drew her last breath, concerns were being raised last night over the pace and course of the police investigation.

The Moyo family has expressed dismay over the handling of the criminal investigation which, apart from Stephen’s account, hinges on a post-mortem and toxicology tests whose results police have now told the family could take up to six weeks.

The family says when Zanele’s body was found on Saturday morning, she was still wearing the same clothes she wore to a dinner date with Stephen on Wednesday evening.

But the family says given all the facts available to them and the police, they were shocked when they received her death certificate on Monday which indicated the date of death as the day her body was found.

Top Harare lawyer Terrence Hussein, who travelled with Prof Moyo to Cape Town on Sunday, yesterday said they were troubled by the lack of forensic inquiry to establish the time of death as expected in criminal investigations.

Hussein told The Chronicle from Cape Town: “The date of death was indicated as the 17th [of October] whereas all the facts point to that the date of death is at least two days prior. The coroner has told us that they didn’t ascertain the date of death because they were not asked to do so by the police.

“All the coroner has done is to put the date of death from what they deduced, rather than what they ascertained. It would’ve been better to ascertain scientifically. It gives you an accurate picture of what took place and also when connecting individuals to a scene.

“Now, if you want to question people they can simply escape by saying they were not there when Zanele died. “You literally immunise all suspects, you give a defence. It is inconsistent with the strict requirements of a criminal investigation, which this one is.”

Dramatising his point, Mr Hussein said “the absurdity of what they have done is the equivalent of discovering someone who died in the Soweto Uprisings in 1976 and putting today as the date of their death simply because the body was found today”.

No comment could be obtained from Western Cape Police yesterday. Meanwhile, Prof Moyo’s daughter, Nokuthula, last night had a shock encounter at the airport with the man suspected to have had a hand in her sister’s death.

Nokuthula was travelling to Zimbabwe from Cape Town via OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg when she came face-to-face with Chitobolo, the last person to see 20-year-old Zanele alive.

Family friend Philip Chiyangwa said Nokuthula, who was travelling with Zanele’s high school friend, Rumbidzai Choto, was shocked to see Stephen, who is being sought by Western Cape Police. Rumbidzai, who introduced Zanele to Stephen’s friend, Leo Milimo, before he in turn introduced her to Stephen, pointed him out.

“What are the chances of Zanele’s sister meeting this man at a very busy airport 1 400km away from the scene where her sister died? I’m not too big on the supernatural, but you must think it’s Zanele’s spirit at work,” Dr Chiyangwa said, adding police were informed of the sighting.


Rallies, Mnangagwa absence explained

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George Charamba 2

Mr George Charamba

Felex Share Senior Reporter—
Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa is not snubbing the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe’s countrywide rallies as his role as leader of Government business in Parliament demands that he attends to pressing national issues raised by legislators in the House, Presidential spokesperson Mr George Charamba said yesterday.

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Mr Charamba said President Mugabe equally split roles for VP Mnangagwa and his counterpart Phelekezela Mphoko and no one had neither a big nor small assignment. This, he said, was meant to accelerate the implementation of Zim-Asset, reinforced through the 10-Point Plan for economic growth.

Recent tours by the Zanu-PF Women’s League, led by its secretary Amai Mugabe, have been held during the week, coinciding with Parliamentary sittings and this resulted in only Vice President Mphoko attending the rallies. In July, President Mugabe reshuffled Cabinet and assigned VP Mphoko additional responsibilities to superintend Government policy co-ordination and implementation.

A combination of these two factors has seen the private media concocting baseless viewpoints, claiming that VP Mnangagwa was being sidelined because “he does not see eye-to-eye with the First Lady because they were competing to succeed President Mugabe.”

The papers claimed that VP Mnangagwa’s powers had been “whittled” adding that by attending the rallies, VP Mphoko was “overtaking” VP Mnangagwa in the Zanu-PF pecking order. However, Mr Charamba, said Cde Mnangagwa’s absence from the rallies simply related to a clash of programmes.

Said Mr Charamba: “Parliament is in session and Vice President Mnangagwa is the leader of Government business in the House. It was not possible for the Vice President to be with the First Lady. In any event let it not be forgotten that at the first meeting of the (Zanu-PF) Women’s League in Kadoma both Vice Presidents were there and VP Mnangagwa took a leading role. Even today (yesterday), VP Mnangagwa had to leave Cabinet going to Parliament,” Mr Charamba said.

The President, he said, had split the oversight load for the VPs to make work manageable. He said VP Mnangagwa was in charge of the resource mobilisation committee in and outside the country and spearheaded the project of investment. VP Mphoko on the other hand was assigned the oversight role on implementation of Government programmes.

“That is why you notice that when it comes to raising resources in Government, VP Mnangagwa is in charge,” Mr Charamba said. “Just recently he was able to raise resources worth $200 million for wheat for the country. Even delegations from foreign countries you see them passing through his office. He is working closely with Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa and other ministers who are part of the resource mobilisation committee.”

Mr Charamba went on: “As for VP Mphoko you see him criss-crossing the country looking at roads, railway lines, dam projects and parastatals. This is part of his mandate. This is not a new mandate but it is a policy implementation mandate that has been upgraded to the level of Vice President to ensure projects under ZimAsset and Public Sector Investment Projects (PSIP) come under close and tight supervision and meet set timelines.”

He said the two VPs converged to the President to keep him updated on progress made on all fronts. “In terms of the two assignments, no assignment is too small or too big as both are complementary and of mutually reinforcing importance,” Mr Charamba said.

“It has never been this smooth for the President. He feels assisted, he feels the burden of governing is getting lighter, thanks to the two VPs who are working harmoniously in a non-rivaled fashion and with amazing diligence. The President is happy.”

He also dismissed the notion that the First Lady had paraded her powers and forced the postponement of last week’s Politburo meeting saying she was responding to “distress calls” from the people of Mashonaland Central province. The meeting, which was slated for Wednesday took place the following day as the First Lady and her team were in Rushinga.

“In the first place, the Women’s League announced their fixture at very short notice which is why the Politburo date had to be changed,” Mr Charamba said. “It was at short notice because of the distress calls that had come from Rushinga over food shortages as well as Chimhanda irrigation project which needed support. So, the First Lady had to quickly accommodate that plea.”

Amai Mugabe, who unveiled farming equipment that would be used to resuscitate four irrigation schemes in the province on top of food stuffs she handed out, is on record saying she has no differences with the Vice Presidents.

President mourns Zanele Moyo

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Zanele Moyo

Zanele Moyo

Herald Reporters
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday commiserated with the Moyo family following the death of Zanele (20), the fourth daughter of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo.

Zanele, who was a first year Political Science, International Relations and Gender Studies student at the University of Cape Town, was found dead in her apartment last Saturday morning.

An investigation into the cause of her death is in progress. In his condolence message, President Mugabe urged the Moyo family to be strong during this period.

“In this hour of deep anguish and grief following the tragic passing on of your beloved daughter Zanele, may I, on behalf of the Party, zanu-pf, Government, my family, and on my own behalf, express my heartfelt condolences to you, Professor, and to your dear wife and the entire Moyo family, on this saddest loss,” he said.

“I am sure your decision to send Zanele to university stemmed from your parental desire and hope to see her bud into a young and conscious professional who would be fully kitted for a long life ahead. Alas, that was not to be! Today that vivacious life has been abruptly cut short, cut in its prime tenderness. The heavy grief that afflicts you and your family is not hard for a parent to fathom, feel and share.”

President Mugabe said the party and Government were with the Moyo family during the trying time.

“You are in our thoughts as you go through the heart-rending motions of this whole tragedy. All the same we urge you, your lovely wife and the family to keep strong and hopeful, always praying for Zanele as she transits to a new life in another realm, a life beyond what we mortals can ever comprehend.

“May her dear soul rest in eternal peace,” he said.

In a statement, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Christopher Mushohwe said Government was saddened by the death of Zanele.

“It was a great shock for me to receive on Saturday the sad news about the death of your beloved daughter, Zanele, in her Cape Town apartment in South Africa.

“We can only imagine the amount of pain you must be going through following her tragic death. It is devastating for any parent to lose a child at such a young age just when you think they are about to realize their own dreams. What a terrible blow to visit any family!” said Minister Mushohwe.

“On behalf of the Deputy Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Permanent Secretary, Principal Director, Director and all members of staff, my wife and family and indeed on my own behalf, I extend our heartfelt condolences to you, your dear wife and the Moyo family, on the loss of your beloved ‘angel’.

“Rest assured our hearts and prayers are with you during this hour of bereavement. May her departed soul rest in eternal peace!”

Mourners are gathered at number 7 Rosary Close, Borrowdale in Harare.

Family spokesperson Simiso Mlevu, said Zanele’s body was expected in the country today and burial was set for Friday at Glen Forest Cemetery.

“We were expecting the body today (yesterday) but due to some logistical problems, we now expect it to arrive tomorrow (today),” she said.

Ms Mlevu said Zanele’s body will arrive at the Harare International Airport today at midday and will be taken to Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour.

The body would then be taken to Prof Moyo’s home in Borrowdale before being laid to rest at Glen Forest on Friday at 2pm.

Litmus test for trade unionism…Constitutionality of NECs under spotlight

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judge_09Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter—
The constitutionality of National Employment Councils (NECs) and the law compelling employers to subscribe to them and to be bound by their Collective Bargaining Agreements has been put under spotlight after the Supreme Court yesterday referred the dispute to the Constitutional Court for determination.

Recently, the High Court ruled that companies were not obliged to register or pay levies to NECs, a development that is likely to leave firms with the power to pay any amounts to their workers without any stipulated minimum wages or salaries. The move is likely to end the era of NECs and trade unionism, which heavily rely on funds from employers’ subscriptions.

Justice Lavender Makoni made the ruling in a case involving NetOne Cellular (Private) Limited and the National Employment Council for Communications and Allied Services Industry. The NEC appealed to the Supreme Court against the judgment.

Yesterday, Advocate Lewis Uriri and Mr Caleb Mucheche, who were representing the NEC, convinced the Supreme Court that the matter was a constitutional one and that the full bench should decide on the constitutionality of collecting money from employers as NEC subscriptions and compelling employers to abide by the CBAs even if they were not party to the negotiations.

The Supreme Court then referred the case to the Constitutional Court for determination of constitutional issues. In a judgment delivered in favour of NetOne Cellular Private Limited, Justice Makoni said the compulsory collection of funds from employers for the sustenance of NECs was unconstitutional.

NetOne took the NEC for the Communications and Allied Services Industry and the Ministry of Labour and Social Services to the High Court contesting the constitutionality of a collective bargaining agreement forcing the company to register with the NEC and to pay some dues.

The judge ruled that forcing employers to register with NECs was a violation of their right to freedom of association as enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe. “It is declared as follows: The imposition upon the applicant (NetOne) of the requirement to register with the second respondent (NEC for Communication and Allied Services) is a violation of the applicant’s constitutional right to freedom of association.

“The Collective Bargaining Agreement for the Communications and Allied Services Industry (are in violation of Section 21 of the Constitution to the extent that they provide for the infringements declared in paragraphs of this order. “It is ordered that Section 2(a), 33 and 36 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the Communications and Allied Services Industry (SI 1 of 2012) are struck down. There will be no order as to costs,” ruled Justice Makoni.

NEC for Communication and Allied Services Industry argued that the prima facie infringement of the applicant’’s right to freedom of association is a permissible derogation in terms of Section 23(3) (c) of the old Constitution. It also argued that the obligation to pay levies was not a violation of the Constitution because it arose in terms of the law.

“The court a quo erred and by declaring that sections 2(a), 33 and 36 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the Communications and Allied Services Industry SI 1 of 2012 are in violation of Section 21 of the Constitution and are struck down,” reads part of the notice of appeal.

The NEC argued that the High Court, in terms of the former Constitution, had no jurisdiction to declare any legislation unconstitutional. But NetOne argued that it decided not to be part of the NEC and that the CBA compelling the company to pay dues and to register with the NEC was unconstitutional.

“The right to freedom of association embraces the right to form and join associations, the right not to be compelled to belong to any association and the right not to admit persons to membership of an association. “As an incident of this right, an employee may belong to any trade union of his choice, without necessarily imposing any obligations on his employer who has no association with that union.

“By the same token, an employer may participate in the affairs of a national employment council but is not compelled to do so,” reads NetOne’s heads of argument. NetOne also argued that its right to property will be violated by compulsory payment of money to the NEC as subscription against their will.

NetOne argued that it does not want to be part of NEC for communication and Allied Services Industry and that it was not part of the CBA in question.

Govt rolls out 100 000t food relief

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Minister Mupfumira

Minister Mupfumira

Walter Nyamukondiwa Chinhoyi Bureau
Government will this week start distributing at least 100 000 tonnes of maize to hunger-stricken and vulnerable groups across the country. This would be done with assistance from some development partners.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Cde Prisca Mupfumira said a process to identify the people in need of food assistance had already been concluded.

“We have slightly over 100 000 tonnes ready for distribution to people in need of food assistance across the country,” said Cde Mupfumira. “The maize is there and is being handled by my ministry.”

She said distribution would start this week. Government has secured 45 000 tonnes of maize while other partners such as the World Food Programme contributed the remainder.

Minister Mupfumira said the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee findings helped ascertain the number of people in need of food assistance. Cde Mupfumira is also the Senator for Makonde constituency which covers Chinhoyi town, Makonde Rural and Mhangura.

The report says about two million people are in need of food assistance throughout the country. She said people in urban areas would also benefit under the Public Assistance Programme.

Makonde district administrator Mrs Plaxidiah Chirongoma said distribution had already targeting 18 000 people.

“We have over 400 tonnes that we start distributing in Makonde district on Tuesday to about 3 000 households with about 18 000 people,” she said.

Hunger is affecting some children in perennially dry areas such as Hurungwe, Kariba and Makonde districts where school dropouts are reportedly on the increase.

Makonde National Assembly member Cde Kindness Paradza said most areas in his constituency were in desperate need of food assistance.

Proportional representation MP Cde Jeniffer Mhlanga said several wards in Makonde were in need of food while those in farming communities were better off.

Meanwhile, football and netball teams from Makonde district, including Makonde Rural, Mhangura and Chinhoyi participated in the Senator Mupfumira Makonde Sports Tournament at the weekend and walked away with prize money, medals and trophies.

LATEST: Zanele’s body arrives

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The hearse carrying Zanele's body being escorted to Nyaradzo funeral parlour in Harare today.

The hearse carrying Zanele’s body being escorted to Nyaradzo funeral parlour in Harare today.

Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
The body of Zanele, fourth daughter of Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Professor Jonathan Moyo arrived in Harare from South Africa today.

Zanele (20), who was a first year Political Science, International Relations and Gender Studies student at the University of Cape Town, was found dead in her apartment on Saturday.

Professor Jonathan Moyo and wife Beatrice at Nyaradzo funeral parlour.

Professor Jonathan Moyo sits next to his wife Beatrice at Nyaradzo funeral parlour.

An investigation into the cause of her death is in progress.

The body was received at the Harare International Airport by her mother, Mrs Beatrice Moyo, family members and senior Government officials before it was taken to Nyaradzo funeral Parlour in Willowvale .

A short service was conducted for Zanele before body viewing by the parents, her siblings and other close relatives.

Details to follow…

‘Govt to pursue Zanele matter’

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President Mugabe addresses mourners at the funeral of Zanele, the daughter to Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo (seated on the right), while Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere listens in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Justin Mutenda)

President Mugabe addresses mourners at the funeral of Zanele, the daughter to Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo (seated on the right), while Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere listens in Harare yesterday. — (Picture by Justin Mutenda)

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
President Mugabe yesterday said Government was not convinced by the explanation given by South African authorities regarding the death of Zanele, daughter of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo who was found dead in her apartment on Saturday.

The President said this after visiting Prof Moyo’s residence in Harare to pay his condolences. This was after Prof Moyo gave a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding Zanele’s death. In his explanation, Prof Moyo exposed some of the glaring inconsistencies in the whole matter.

Also Read:

One of the shocking revelations that Prof Moyo brought to the attention of President Mugabe was that the South African doctors who conducted the post mortem said toxicology results would only be out after five years.

Again, after the post-mortem, police said they had ruled out any foul play.

This is despite that the family had not raised any suspicion on the death. After being quizzed as to why they were pinning the matter on foul play, Prof Moyo said the authorities backtracked saying they had used a wrong term instead they wanted to say there was no external wound on her body.

Prof Moyo said although earlier it was indicated that there were plenty of bottles of alcohol in Zanele’s apartment, they discovered a small amount of marijuana when they went to the apartment.

“When we were in the apartment we were told that Zanele was last seen on Wednesday the 14th in the company of a Zambian guy called Stephen who is about 26 or 28 years old whom Zanele had only known for three weeks after being introduced to him by her friend Rumbie,” he said.

Stephen had become a key person of interest after he used Zanele’s phone last Wednesday evening to call her friend Nicole Bento to tell her that Zanele was ‘passing out’.

Prof Moyo said when Stephen was contacted he said he had travelled to Zambia to attend his father’s funeral.

Stephen was, however, spotted at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday night by Zanele’s friend and sister who were travelling to Zimbabwe.

After receiving that information, Prof Moyo said he alerted the investigating officer who questioned where he was getting that information.

Responding to Prof Moyo’s account, President Mugabe questioned the five-year period for the toxicology results.

He also queried why the South African police seemed to be reluctant to investigate the matter.

President Mugabe said the Government would pursue the matter until a satisfactory explanation was given.

“We heard that there was a Zambian who had the knowledge that she was dying and he alerted others,” he said.

“That is where we ask whether this was reported to the police or not. If it was reported, what kind of police are they who do not institute investigations on such a matter in a satisfactory manner?

“Ko iyeyu aiti huyai ndinoda kuenda kuZambia kune rufu rwababa vangu asi une rufu rwaunarwo ipapo, wobva wada kurwusiya woenda kune rufu rwababa vako. Tine chokwadi chekuti munhu wese anosungirwa kukoshesa baba vake asi waita rufu rwuri pamakumbo ako haukande chitunha pasi uchiti ndoenda kuna baba vangu. Munhu wese ane pfungwa dzakakwana anoti aah hongu rwababa vangu ndarunzwa asi rwandinarwo pano nderwurwu ndochiona kuti rufu ndarwubata sei ndichiripo. Kana tapedza kuradzika uyu kana kumuisa mumaoko evabereki ndopandingaende.

“Then the same person is spotted again at the airport. You question whether he had gone to attend a funeral for real or it was just a way of trying escape because he might be suspected to be the killer.”

President Mugabe said Stephen should be questioned and give a satisfactory answer.

“Ngavatipe tsananaguro ingatigutsewo. Vana chirembawo zvamatiudza, ah zvinenge zvinoratidza kuti hameno zvavari kuvanziridzawo. Kuti tozokupai result yepost mortem kwapera makore mashanu, mati mambonzwawo post mortem ine urefu hwakadaro? Pamusana pei? Saka sehurumende tichada kuti tirambe tichienderera kuti aiwa tichiti hatina kugutswa. Hongu pangadai pakaita mufaro, hapangadai pakaita kurwa here? Hapangadai pakaita kurwisana kwekuroverana pasi here?”

President Mugabe urged the Moyo family to take comfort in the fact that the nation was walking with them during this difficult moment.

He said Zanele’s mysterious death would continue to disturb the family but they should know that was the nature of life.

Several Cabinet ministers, senior Government officials and services chiefs yesterday also visited the Moyo family to pay their condolences.

Zanele will be buried tomorrow at Glen Forest Memorial Park in Harare.

Zanele’s body arrives for burial

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The hearse carrying Zanele Moyo’s body is escorted by police to Nyaradzo funeral parlour in Willowvale, Harare, yesterday. — (Picture by Tawanda Mudimu)

The hearse carrying Zanele Moyo’s body is escorted by police to Nyaradzo funeral parlour in Willowvale, Harare, yesterday. — (Picture by Tawanda Mudimu)

Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
The body of Zanele, the fourth daughter of Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, arrived in Harare yesterday from South Africa where she was found dead in her apartment on Saturday.

Prof Moyo went to South Africa to collect Zanele’s body on Sunday and was accompanied by family friend and businessman Philip Chiyangwa, and lawyer Terrence Hussein.

Zanele (20) was a first year Political Science, International Relations and Gender Studies student at the University of Cape Town.

Read More:

There was a sombre atmosphere at the Harare International Airport as relatives waited for the body. Others were singing church hymns consoling the family.

The body was welcomed by Zanele’s mother, Mrs Beatrice Moyo, family members and senior Government officials before it was escorted to Nyaradzo Funeral Parlour in Willowvale.

A short service was conducted before body viewing by her parents, siblings and other close relatives.

Zanele will be buried tomorrow at Glen Forest Memorial Park.


PSMAS funnels $100k to minister. . . money unprocedurally sent to Parirenyatwa’s company account

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Dr Parirenyatwa

Dr Parirenyatwa

Paidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa was unprocedurally paid $100 000 by struggling Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS), The Herald can reveal.

Documents seen by The Herald showed that during interim management, which was headed by Dr Parirenyatwa’s subordinate Dr Gibson Mhlanga, PSMAS authorised an urgent payment of $100 000 into Dr Parirenyatwa’s account through his private company CHEST.

PSMAS then effected an electronic bank transfer of $90 000, less 10 percent tax, into CHEST’s CBZ Rusape Branch account number 010222710180015 on May 13, 2014 as claims payment.

Also Read:

Sources within PSMAS said the money paid to Dr Parirenyatwa was well above his claims of patients he had seen at his surgery only amounting to $23 000.

According to these figures, the minister allegedly pocketed $77 000 for services not rendered to the society.

Dr Parirenyatwa, however, said the transaction was above board as PSMAS had not paid him for services rendered to its members for a long time.

“It’s all above board. It is called capitation where a service provider can request an insurer to pay him more than what he is owed,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

“This money would then be recovered through future claims to the insurer by the service provider. It is a common norm in the medical industry,” he said.

Dr Parirenyatwa said at that time, PSMAS owed him in excess of $55 000 in unpaid claims.

This happened at a time when PSMAS was reeling in debt amounting to about $140 million in unpaid bills to service providers and its pharmacies under the Premier Service Medical Investments (PSMI) were characterised with drug stock outs.

On Tuesday, Dr Parirenyatwa together with Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira ordered PSMAS board chairman Mr Jeremiah Bvirindi, to reinstate suspended managing director Mr Henry Mandishona despite him facing a slew of allegations, including prejudicing the financially-crippled society of nearly $300 000 in a space of four months.

It is alleged that during his short period at PSMAS, Mr Mandishona made unsanctioned donations totalling $126 538,00 of which some of the beneficiaries were paid sums of $19 860.00 twice.

It is also alleged that Mr Mandishona caused a payment of $48 460.00 to LASOF Leadership Institute for training of all PSMAS staff members throughout the country- training that was never done to this date and the money was not paid back to the society.

Mr Mandishona is also alleged to have engaged MaCoTra and Chess Employment to do strategy advisory work without authorisation from the PSMAS board and paid out in excess of $65 000. This was not budgeted for according to the society’s annual budget.

On July 16 2015, a sum of $8 100 was also paid to Mr Mandishona for unspecified purpose, with no supporting documents.

In addition, he allegedly amended his contract from a salary of $13 000 to $19 350 and instead of having one company car valued at $80 000, he allegedly altered his contract to two cars one valued at $100 000 and another valued at $125 000.

Mr Mandishona made several other transactions single handedly, worsening the society’s financial status.

It is upon this background that the Bvirindi led board; sent Mr Mandishona on forced leave pending investigations. According to PSMAS statement a fortnight ago, Mr Mandishona was scheduled for a disciplinary hearing instituted by the board tomorrow (Friday).

But Government through Dr Parirenyatwa and Minister Mupfumira ordered the board to reinstate Mr Mandishona on the basis that these allegations did not warrant the board to suspend the managing director.

“Having looked at the pertinent issues we are convinced that their nature, scope and magnitude can be resolved whilst the society continues to run under the leadership of the board and the management of the substantive managing director,” reads part of the Ministers’ joint statement.

Meanwhile, PSMAS board of directors is allegedly divided over reinstatement of Mr Mandishona with those seconded by Government insisting that they cannot defy a directive by their employer.

PSMAS has been facing a myriad of challenges ranging from a ballooning bebt which now stands at $140 million and part of its challenges were as a result of looting by senior management.

Failure by the society to settle claims with service providers resulted in them denying treatment to PSMAS members leaving them with no option but to resort to PSMI facilities- PSMAS’s investment arm- which was also facing challenges in stocking medicines.

Sino-Zim mega deals pick pace

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Minister Joram Gumbo

Minister Joram Gumbo

Felex Share Senior Reporter
A nine-member Chinese delegation arrived in Zimbabwe yesterday for site visits and meetings with senior Government officials as the implementation of the mega deals sealed last year intensifies.

The delegation is led by the China International Trade representative Mr Zhang Xiangchen and includes director generals and deputy director generals of various Chinese government arms.

The Asian country has agreed to immediately bankroll a number of selected infrastructure projects sealed during President Mugabe’s State visit to China last year, with experts from the National Development and Reform Commission — the economic planning body of China — visiting Zimbabwe recently to verify the bankability of the projects before financing them.

The financial support to the much-needed key economic enablers is expected to create thousands of jobs and spur economic growth in line with Zim-Asset.

The delegation’s areas of focus include the expansion of Hwange 7 and 8 Thermal Power Station, special economic zones, construction of the national pharmaceuticals warehouse in Harare and construction of the new Parliament building in Mt Hampden.

Meetings will also be held on the construction and rehabilitation of road and rail networks, allocation of funds provided by the Chinese government and consultations on the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in December.

The delegation is expected to visit some of the sites where the projects are either being carried out or expected to take off.

Yesterday the delegation immediately got down to business and toured the Victoria Falls International Airport which is being expanded at a cost of $150 million with the support of China Exim Bank.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Joram Gumbo led the tour.

“We toured the (Victoria Falls) airport runway which is about four kilometres and took them through the new international terminal building which is almost complete,” said the Minister after the tour.

“Final touches are being worked out on the project and we hope that by the end of November it will be open for use.”

Minister Gumbo said work on the airport also entailed upgrading the domestic terminal building, constructing a new fire station and a new control tower.

“The runway is currently under testing as all the civil works and equipment installation has been completed,” he said.

“Finishing works including painting and flooring are ongoing on the new terminal building with physical completion at 90 percent.”

In terms of the loan draw-down, he said, $120 million had been released to date towards the project.

Minister Gumbo said the airport would facilitate the development of the tourism sector through increasing accessibility to the country.

“It will become the gateway to Central and Southern Africa and it means more tourists will access the area easily. We expect to have closed door meetings again tomorrow with the same team.”

The delegation is also expected to meet Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira in Victoria Falls today before coming to Harare for meetings with Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other Government ministers, led by Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi tomorrow.

Identified projects, whose funding is ready, include special economic zones to be constructed in Harare and Bulawayo, dualisation of major roads, rehabilitation of the national railway and completion of water projects.

LATEST: MPs told to resign

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Cde Mudenda

Cde Mudenda

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter—
Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda has told legislators that do not take Parliament business seriously to resign from their seats. He said he will issue a statement next week outlining measures to be taken against those that continue to absent themselves from the House’s business. Advocate Mudenda said this during a pre-budget briefing in Harare today.

“On Tuesday (next week) I am going to make a statement on attendance in the House,” he said. “We have to take parliamentary business seriously because of the mandate we have from the electorate. So, if there is going to be a pinch or a bite do not cry. “If you have so many things to do, please resign from your Parliament seat.”

On Thursday last week the National Assembly had to adjourn early after the number of legislators present failed to reach a quorum. At least 70 MPs should be present at any given time to make up the quorum. The adjournment happened during debate on the General Laws Amendment Bill presented by Vice President and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The Bill was at the committee stage and the debate was only concluded on Tuesday this week. On Wednesday, debate had to be stopped briefly after the legislators present were below the quorum. Last year, Advocate Mudenda warned parliamentarians that were in the habit of attending Parliament briefly for the purposes of having their names registered and leave to do their personal businesses.

Parliamentarians are supposed to give a notice if they are not available for business, while those who absent themselves without leave from the Speaker for 21 consecutive days risk losing their seats.

Mandishona storms PSMAS

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Mr Mandishona

Mr Mandishona

Senior Health Reporter
THERE was drama at Premier Service Medical Aid Society headquarters yesterday when suspended managing director, Mr Henry Mandishona, stormed the premises in the company of two hefty bodyguards demanding his office keys.

Mr Mandishona, whose scheduled return has divided the board, reportedly threatened staff for signing a petition against his return.

“He went to the first, third and sixth floors threatening staff for signing a petition against his reinstatement and proclaimed that he was coming back tomorrow (today),” said an employee who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Read More:

This came as it emerged that the PSMAS board is divided on implementing a Government directive to reinstate him.

There are three board members employed by the Government at PSMAS who are against other board members who insist on the independence of the private institution.

Government, through the Ministry of Health and Child Care, is the regulator of medical aid societies in Zimbabwe with the sole mandate of licensing and de-licensing medical aid societies.

Major contributors to PSMAS yesterday said the Government directive to reinstate Mr Mandishona was untenable.

Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association chief executive Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said the directive deprived the board of its independence.

“PSMAS is owned by its members but what is happening now raises a lot of eyebrows as there is interest from higher offices on management of the society’s affairs. We are now beginning to think there is more to the whole PSMAS saga than what meets the eye,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said while the board was also on the wrong for taking issues outside the boardroom, Government should let the board do its work as mandated by its owners who are the members.

“The board then reports back to its constituency for guidance on thorny issues,” he said.

Mr Ndlovu said what Government did was also against good corporate governance practices as it is both the regulator and now want to play the oversight role of how PSMAS should be run.

“They should have let the disciplinary hearing go ahead and then intervene only when the society fails to meet its obligations that it is licensed to do, that is providing health insurance to its members,” he said.

Apex secretary general Mr Richard Gundani said PSMAS members were concerned with poor service delivery at the expense of greedy individuals and boardroom squabbles.

“What we want to see from a members’ point of view is improvement of service delivery for our members,” he said.

Mr Gundani said all stakeholders should strive to ensure that in all they did, PSMAS members were not shortchanged.

By end of day yesterday, it was not yet clear whether Mr Mandishona’s disciplinary hearing set for today will continue given the Government directive.

But one of the board members who spoke on condition of anonymity said Government had no jurisdiction to stop the disciplinary hearing as they were not answerable to Government, but to PSMAS members who voted for them into the board.

The board member said in that regard, Mr Mandishona’s hearing should proceed without interference as he has a case to answer.

“They (Government) talked of appointing an arbitrator, to arbitrate what? It’s as if they are saying Mr Mandishona is fighting with the board yet in actual fact Mr Mandishona has a disciplinary case, which does not require an arbitrator,” said the board member.

Mr Mandishona is facing multiple charges ranging from abuse of office, abuse of funds and fraud- all prejudicing the society of nearly $300 000 in only four months.

He was appointed into office on May 1 by interim management led by Dr Gibson Mhlanga who was seconded by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

Taxman moves in on churches

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Mr Pasi

Mr Pasi

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Reporter
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority has written letters to several churches demanding information which it intends to use to calculate how much tax they owe, as moves gather momentum to ensure churches pay taxes for the first time.

Investigations by The Herald revealed that a number of churches were in possession of the letter demanding a list of financial documents to assess and come up with the figures owing in tax arrears.

This came at a time when Zimra has raided churches like the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe’s accounts for not complying with paying taxes.

Also read:

On September 24, 2015, Zimra wrote a letter to Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s United Family International Church, demanding some financial documents and other papers relevant for the taxing exercise.

In terms of the letter signed by Zimra manager (domestic Taxes) for its Regional One, Mr E Tafireyi, UFIC was asked to produce the following:

1 A listing of all associated companies.

2 Financial statements for the period between 2012 to 2014.

3 Summarised monthly cash book for the year 2012 to date.

4 Stock records for the same period (to include both opening and closing)

5 Monthly sales schedules for the same period

6 Purchase invoices and or bills of entries for imports for the same period

7 VAT input tax claim schedules for the same period

8 Suppliers tax clearances (ITF263) for the same period

9 ITF16 and payroll summaries for the years 2012 to 2014

10 Asset registers including those for associated companies

11 List of directors including for all associated companies and their physical address and breakdown of non-executive directors fees and details of withholding tax remittances if there are any non-executive directors.

12 Name and addresses of the shareholders including for all associated and related companies.

Sources said the same letter was written to several other churches.

According to the letter, Zimra wanted its two investigating officers J Mutezo and T Mandiona to access the requested documents for the authority’s verification exercise.

“Messrs J Mutezo and T Mandiona are Zimra officers authorised to carry out a verification on the tax affairs of UFIC for period January 1 2012 to date,” read the letter.

“Following the meeting at Zimra Kurima offices with Mr Elias Hwenga on the 9th instant, where we agreed that UFIC avail the below listed information, it is with this and in cognisance that we further write in follow up to our earlier request for the below listed information to be availed by Monday 28 September 2015, for the completion of the verification exercise.”

The Herald understands that several pentecostal churches were under probe for tax evasion, although Zimra commissioner general Mr Gershem Pasi is on record saying the commission was still working on a legislative framework on taxing churches.

Zimra spokesperson Mr Canisius Mudzimu refused to comment on the matter and ignored questions sent to him two days ago despite several follow-ups made.

The Herald understands that some AFM in Zimbabwe churches in areas like Kwekwe and Karoi have been taxed in excess of $100 000 and had their accounts garnished.

Sources said Zimra officials would disguise as church members and check on the monies contributed during services.

Zimra is reportedly tracking the churches from the imported vehicles that have some exemption, down to the pastors’ rented houses in a bid to come up with an appropriate tax.

Some churches announce the total offerings at the end of the each session and tithes raised, the evidence that may be used by the taxman in arriving at figures owing in tax.

Last month, Zimra reportedly raided Prophet Walter Magaya’s Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries, probing the church over numerous donations that had been done to the needy.

Appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Small and Medium Enterprises and Cooperatives Development recently Mr Pasi said:

“We are now focusing on them (churches) and we have engaged them, we are setting parameters,” he said.

“We don’t care how they make their money and come November, we will be through with our legislative proposals to the minister (of Finance and Economic Development Patrick Chinamasa), which will tighten that area because we have seen loopholes there. They are not immune to taxation.”

Chinese team hail mega deals progress

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Minister Joram Gumbo

Minister Joram Gumbo

Felex Share Senior Reporter
China is satisfied with progress made in the implementation of projects that have taken off under mega deals signed when President Mugabe made a State visit to the Asian country last year.

A Chinese delegation, which is in Zimbabwe for site visits and discussions on the state of the projects, yesterday said it was impressed.

The mega deals are in critical sectors such as energy, roads, national rail network, telecommunications, agriculture and tourism.

The nine-member delegation, led by China International Trade representative Mr Zhang Xiangchen held discussions with Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister Joram Gumbo yesterday on the progress made on the dualisation of major roads and expansion of the Victoria Falls International Airport and what needed to be done to refurbish the rail network.

Read more:

This was after the delegation toured the Victoria Falls International Airport which is being expanded with the $150 million secured from the China Exim Bank.

To date, $120 million has been released for the project which entails expansion of the runway, upgrading of the domestic terminal building, construction of a new fire station and a new control tower.

The project is 90 percent complete.

“They are very impressed with the progress that has been made on the ground,” said Minister Gumbo. “The last time they visited it was not like that and we are almost complete. They are happy.”

Minister Gumbo said they had also discussed other areas where Zimbabwe needed concessionary loans.

“We touched on the aviation industry where we need them to assist us in opening an aviation training centre for our locals,” he said.

“We talked on the progress made on the dualisation of the country’s major roads as well as the refurbishment of Harare, Kariba, Buffalo and Joshua Nkomo airports and rehabilitation of the railway line.”

Government has already invited firms to submit bids for the dualisation of the Harare-Beitbridge and the Harare-Chirundu highways, with three of the 12 bidders having been forwarded to Government for final selection.

The road provides a key link between Zimbabwe and South Africa, its major trading partner in the region and also provides access for several countries in the region.

Minister Gumbo said during the meeting he emphasised that Chinese contractors should use local materials in executing their work and should also partner with local companies.

“They said they were willing to work with us, but they also stressed on public private partnerships, especially on the road projects so that there is dual ownership,” he said.

The Chinese delegation also met Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira and discussed projects under the telecommunications sector.

Today, the delegation is expected to meet Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa and various ministers led by Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi.

Discussions are expected on the expansion of Hwange Thermal Power Station where the financial closure is expected to be sealed before end of year.

The $1,1 billion project, being implemented by Sino Hydro of China, is expected to add 600MW to the national grid.

Work on the expansion of Kariba Power Station is underway. This is expected to add 300MW to the national grid at a cost of $533 million.

China has agreed to immediately bankroll a number of selected infrastructure projects with experts from the National Development and Reform Commission — the Asian country’s economic planning body — visiting the country recently to verify the bankability of the projects before financing them.

The financial support to the much-needed key economic enablers is expected to create thousands of jobs and spur economic growth.

The delegation would also focus on special economic zones, construction of the national pharmaceuticals warehouse and construction of the new Parliament Building.

China: Creating facts on British ground

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Nathaniel Manheru THE OTHER SIDE

What is it that makes Robert Mugabe rattle his enemies so unfailingly?
Even when he does nothing at all?

We have been having a big debate on the local media, more accurately, on a portion of it. I notice the same debate is raging in South Africa, this in the wake of a drift towards the consolidation of media laws by the ANC government. A new feature of that consolidation is the creation of a Media Tribunal, some Zimbabwe Media Commission by another name. The larger point mustn’t be lost: there is a general drift towards a regulated media ethos, a drift the local media can choose to ignore at their own peril. The media think governments are their problem; they are still to learn and admit that they are their own problem, with the fate that awaits them being that of being noosed by their own rules and ethics.

Deeper than education
I must confess to enormous amusement and education from a South African new media outfit, News24. It has been around for quite a while, which is why my calling it “new media” has no pun intended, only a classification asserted. It ran a piece on #FeesMustFall students protests which have rocked South Africa lately, forcing President Zuma to intervene, and to cancel the decision by his Government to hike university fees. Given the history of student-led tragedies in South African struggle history, and of course the recent Marikana tragedy, Zuma could only act conciliatory. The same story was reported on by most mainstream media in South Africa, not least by Mail and Guardian, which argued the protests went deeper than the cost of tertiary education; that they were about ever diminishing prospects for the youth in present-day South Africa.

President Jacob Zuma

President Jacob Zuma

Envious of our protests
But News 24 saw matters differently, raising the heroic side of the protests in relation to the rest of Africa, principally Zimbabwe. #FeesMustFall student protests, asserted News 24, have been received “with admiration and something approaching envy” by Zimbabweans who do not enjoy the same freedoms at home! Amazing how a press well tuned to the defence of its nation can defy absurdity, brave even the farcical, all to turn a negative into a comparative bad positive, all to reissue a nation facing challenges in positive light.

Of course News24 has correctly read the real threat arising from this wave of student protests: South Africa’s institutions of higher education, themselves big earners of foreign currency through overseas studentship, might lose out to rival universities in the region, principally those in Zimbabwe where educational standards, especially at undergraduate level, are quite competitive.

This unsettling feature is already apparent, what with numbers of regional students enrolling in local universities yearly growing. And of course the Open University system has stopped the down-South track for many Zimbabweans who sought degrees through unisa. Give it to the South African press; it knows what to defend.

Where history does not help
I was quite intrigued by the turn the ongoing debate on the illusion of a grand opposition coalition has taken. Of course we saw a Tendai Biti telling an ever dwindling catchment in Victoria Falls that Tsvangirai is “a corpse”. I hope those that see Biti think he himself is anything else beyond being a cadaver that has taken too long to be put away. Politically! Of course we heard Welshman Ncube telling the Bulawayo quill club that he does not hate Tsvangirai, chronicling the many times in the past, the many capacities — again in the past — in which he has worked together with, and served, Tsvangirai. Now, Welshman is no average brains. Surely not hating is not necessarily loving? And past affinities say nothing about present estrangement. In fact it is those affinities in the past which raise the issue, is that not so Prof? And the rule is always clear: don’t confront what you can’t convince. I would have let that one pass.

Tendai Biti

Tendai Biti

Tied/tired and toasted Tsvangirai
I am not talking about the above jibes, above rationalisations. I am talking about a layer of sentiment ventilated through the little-known Transform Zimbabwe. Its provincial chairperson, one Clifford Chimbidzikai, confirmed a meeting in Masvingo with People First’s Dzikamai Mavhaire, the second time we hear of reports linking the former Energy minister to this shadowy political rumour. Chimbidzikai disclosed Mavhaire attempted to sell and buttress Joice Mujuru as president of an opposition grand coalition, itself yet another rumour, another allegation. “Mavhaire came to us last week but we feel it is too early to come up with a candidate for the president of the coalition if it is to be successful. Above all there is a problem of policy and ideological differences here.

To us Patriotic Front is somehow a product of Mugabe’s whims. How come they now want to portray themselves as saints yet they presided over gross violation of human rights”, stressed Chimbidzikai. Zivanai Muzorodzi took the suspicion and scepticism huge miles farther. Stressing the need to weigh the authenticity of Mujuru’s project, Muzorodzi warned: “Mugabe is not finished and we have to be wary of intelligence elements in the whole issue. I strongly believe this attempt to push for Mujuru’s candidature for a coalition will surprise all and sundry as she is likely to pull out of the race when the entire nation has pinned hopes on her . . . I am not against a coalition though but I feel Morgan Tsvangirai is a tried and tested opposition leader who will not betray our hopes. The whole set-up is tricky”. Of course Muzorodzi punts for Tsvangirai, even exaggerating his power over the voter, and making a malapropic mistake: he says Tsvangirai is “tried and tested”. Of course he means Tsvangirai is “tied/tired and toasted”!

Dzikamai Mavhaire

Dzikamai Mavhaire

Sexy bum in a show
That aside, there is a profound presentiment of fatal suspicion likely to thwart efforts at a grand coalition. Looking at the matter, it is not hard to see that the Mujuru side is trying hard — too hard — to project a sexy bum in the opposition show. The latest one is Didymus Mutasa who claims he always knew and respected Tsvangirai’s principled stance against the “rotten” ZANU-PF to which, ironically, he was the third strongest man! Far from raising Tsvangirai’s profile, or projecting Mutasa as contrite, the belaboured effort betrays the difficulties the People people are facing in seeking to tap into opposition ranks, and of course to ingratiate themselves with opposition leadership.

If you add Jim Kunaka’s pathetic show, the point rings poignant. Which does present a forbidding scenario: a People First which has been spat out by ZANU-PF, and which is unwanted in opposition ranks. The document recently released by Margaret Dongo in the name of the People First, puts to the fore its infantile, farcical side, something possibly explaining why even the unconditional supporters of People First, the opposition press, are too ashamed to even acknowledge it. And the word doing rounds in newsrooms that the rumoured leader of People First says standing against Mugabe is like “moving without a petticoat”, does not help matters, let alone allay fears she cannot be trusted to play outside ZANU-PF.

Didymus Mutasa

Didymus Mutasa

Piquing egos, wrecking prospects
But even with godly goodwill, headlines like “Mujuru center of gravity for the opposition forces” do not help matters at all. They pique egos, wreck prospects. Much worse, dynamics in MDC-T continue to bear down on the proposed “sleep together”, until is turns into a snoring and gasping competition. It is official: Tsvangirai’s leadership stands challenged. The group challenging him has no intention of breaking away this time around. They have drawn lessons from past exfoliations.

They want to wrestle the reins of the party. They will ensure Tsvangirai — a man they describe as “a sitting duck” — is sufficiently discredited and disqualified for continued leadership. The Mahlangu matter was the tip of an iceberg. His going back to console the bereaved family highlights his ever diminishing options, underlines his own bereavement on the leadership question. The image etched in my mind is of Chamisa as a pall-bearer. Never the wide-mouthed Gutu’s press release announcing Tsvangirai’s doubtful trip to Bulawayo. The “cobra” does not drown in the Save River; it adapts. Equally, the cobra does not save Save waters from the October heatwave. When the waters flow, the cobra flows and hunts in them: when the heat hits in waves, it is the waters which vanish. The ides of March may be come; it is not gone.

This rumoured Confucian prize
Robert Mugabe, what is it that rattles his opponents? Even when he does nothing absolutely? The wires are awash with reports that some Chinese outfit — Confucious something — decided to award him a peace prize. He is not involved; he is not there to receive the rumoured prize. In fact he is firmly on Zimbabwean soil, carrying out chores of governance. Not even his system takes note of the so-called award. What is more, the Chinese government makes it clear the so-called prize is not “affiliated with the Chinese government”. Yet here, the private press is agog, together with the opposition it is beholden to, tripping one another to pass the severest judgment, hurl the bitterest epithet on the prize which has nothing to do with Mugabe except by ascription. The supposed recipient is mum, here even, not a whit Confucian. Just what is the story? Even some little institution so far away from us, and seeking to raise its own profile by forcing an association with Robert Mugabe, creates a threatening factor for the opposition! Chii nhai? Poverty of agenda!

Opium war then, financial assistance now
President Xi Jinping has concluded his State visit to the United Kingdom. Read through the long lenses of history, the visit itself suggests a powerful Chinese polity creating facts, stamping a footprint on the once hairy chest of Albion. Of course by way of heritage, history, invention and even economic performance, Britain, in spite of her vaunted self-estimate, has always been second to China. If not about a tilted trade balance sheet, what else was the opium war about? British trade with an increasingly assertive China — assertive numerically and economically — rested on pushing opium onto, and into, the Chinese people.

Seeing what havoc that potent plant was wreaking on his people, the Chinese monarch decided to ban this deadly mainstay of British cargo ships docking on the shores of China through Hong Kong. The British would none of it. They went to war, a war meant to force the Chinese populace to smoke opium, willy-nilly. Tragically, the Chinese lost that war, with it, Hong Kong which only came back after more than a century of British occupation. So China has always been a beater of Britons, provided of course the war-led narcotic factor is not an issue. Check who is warring against the Talibans for trading in opium! But that is not my real point.

Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping

Red in the face
My real point is that Britain has looked East willy-nilly. Or, as a columnist in the Guardian put it, Britain left itself red in the face in trying to make a success of this much-awaited State Visit. And the figures compelled it. Just in 2014, Britain received $5,1bn in Chinese investments, well ahead of Italy, Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands. Between 2000 and 2014, Chinese investments in UK totalled $16bn, again ahead of any other Nation in Europe. Today UK wants to be China’s preferred partner in Europe, China’s second largest trading partner in the world, after the US. The target year is 2025.

Those are the hard facts, including that China will give UK £6bn for the construction of a nuclear plant at Hinkley Point, in Somerset. Little wonder that every Briton who mattered wore red, in a colour symbolism that underlined the need to please and kowtow to the Chinese delegation. The carpets were red, officials from Minister Theresa May to the Duchess of Cambridge Kate, bedecked themselves in red, as was Guildhall, venue of the official banquet after Buckingham Palace. “If you act like a panting puppy”, said the waspish James McGregor, a commentator, “the object of your attention is going to think they have got you on a leash.” Ruled Britannia Ruled!

Summoning the British bulldog
But the Chinese taught the world one important thing. That, as Achebe put, if a child washes himself clean, he can eat with the Kings. No, he can summon royalty, summon it like some British bulldog! The economy was the dish, the water, the hand, that washed. A big lesson that an underdog in history, can become the master in the present. And throughout the visit, the Chinese stuck to their dark suits popularised by the late Chairman Mao. They would not concede ground, even sartorially.

Their British hosts hobbled in, dragging their tailed coats, to an indifferent, unimpressed Chinese delegation. Or they adopted red, Chinese red! Royal blue was nowhere in sight. Banished! I recall a big row some years back when our President paid a similar State visit. Our mission tried its “damnedest” to insert President Mugabe into British sartorial banqueting tradition: white tie, black, tailed coat that recalled Dickens’ comical Guppy. He snubbed the recommendation, much to the chagrin of our grovelling diplomats who turned out for dinner all British, in dress and deed, in the process cutting perfect parodying effigies representing grotesquery of the culturally beaten and smitten. We can’t be masters for as long as we exhibit such psychological vassalage. Those that fight masterdom, revolt all the way, to become a new people. We have to learn to create new facts on the ground, if ever we are to rebuild.

Icho!

nathaniel.manheru@zimpapers.co.zw


‘Return PSMAS $100k, resign’

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Dr Parirenyatwa

Dr Parirenyatwa

Herald Reporter
Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa should return the $100 000 advance payment that was unprocedurally made to him by Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) last year and resign from holding a public office, the society’s members and service providers have said.

While investigations by The Herald yesterday showed that capitation no longer exists in the medical insurance industry, particularly with PSMAS which is sitting on debt in excess of US$140 million, The Herald newsroom was inundated with calls from service providers and members demanding the Cabinet minister to return the money and resign.

Also Read:

Zimbabwe Medical Association secretary-general Dr Shingi Bopoto said some medical practitioners had gone for over three years without receiving even a cent for services rendered to PSMAS members, yet a Cabinet minister who is also apparently the regulator of medical services was getting an advance ahead of everyone else.

Dr Bopoto said ZiMA approached the Ministry of Health in February last year registering its concerns over reluctance by medical aid societies to reimburse service providers at a gazetted tariff, but to no avail.

He said two months down the line, the same regulator was given an advance by one of the medical aid societies —PSMAS — whose debts apparently constitute three quarters of unpaid claims.

“How is it possible that a medical aid that is not paying anyone is able to give an advance to the regulator? That needs to be really, really examined. So the minister is not acting because he was given an advance.”

Dr Bopoto said to date, service providers across the medical industry are owed over $200 million in unpaid claims, the majority of which are unpaid claims by PSMAS.

The advance given to Dr Parirenyatwa could have paid at least 45 general practitioners $2 000 each.

“If he is wearing his regulatory hat, he should do what the regulations require him to do. If he then goes to provide services to PSMAS members, he should claim like all of us,” said Dr Bopoto.

Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu slammed the minister for meddling in PSMAS affairs.

“Management and minister are conflicted. There is a conflict of interest, this must be investigated, if found to be true corrective measures must be taken,” said Mr Ndlovu.

Mr Ndlovu said Dr Parirenyatwa further compromised himself by reversing decisions made by the board.

“By redirecting actions of the board, the minister could be compromising himself further and even compromising service delivery and causing the same management team that he is protecting to be conflicted too,” said Mr Ndlovu.

Dr Parirenyatwa recently ordered PSMAS board to reinstate suspended managing director Mr Henry Mandishona facing allegations of prejudicing the society over $300 000 in a period of only four months among other allegations.

“We want a systems audit, how can a minister claim an advance from an organisation he is supposed to superintend and he gets it ahead of everybody and he sees nothing wrong with it?” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said instead of getting better, the PSMAS situation was actually deteriorating as members continue to face difficulties in accessing medical services as and when they require them.

PSMAS member Mr Rex Chikoti had no kind words for the minister either. Mr Chikoti said he got ill sometime in 2012 and was admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital, where a bill of $12 263 accrued during a nine month period that he was sick.

“During that period I bought medicine and other sundries which were not available at the institution totalling to $4 324,” he said.

He said to date PSMAS has not paid Parirenyatwa hospital its dues and the hospital was demanding that money from him.

Adding that his application for reimbursement of the $4 324, which he used for medication that was not available at the institution was also turned down.

“Now what is coming out is really sad, that when some of us as poor as we are claimed reimbursements of what we used, we were denied but others were given money they had not worked for, not just money but huge sums of money,” he said.

A service provider who spoke on condition of anonymity and is owed over $500 000 by the society since 2013 said he entered into an agreement with PSMAS to attend to its members at a time all doctors were denying treatment to PSMAS members.

The doctor said last year, he approached the society for just $10 000 from all that he is owed but his request was turned down on the basis that the society was financially crippled.

“What surprises me now is that the same time I asked for what I was owed, another doctor was actually given an advance for services yet to be rendered,” said the doctor.

“This is really disturbing and we eagerly wait to see what happens to his case or it will end a natural death,” he said.

Another PSMAS member interviewed called for the resignation of the Minister for abusing his office, thereby disadvantaging many patients on PSMAS.

“It is very obvious the Minister abused his office and we would like to urge him to refund that money forthwith and thereafter if he could do the honorable thing and resign. Our leaders need to know that by holding a public office means they are accountable to the people and Dr Parirenyatwa has set a bad example of leadership,” she said.

Many PSMAS members are today failing to access services from preferred service providers as they are required to pay cash upfront defying the whole logic of medical insurance.

Owing to acts of mismanagement of funds by the society’s top echelon, the society has not been able to pay service providers resulting in them demanding cash upfront from PSMAS members.

Private Hospitals Association chairperson Mrs Merissa Kambani said capitation was a principle known in the medical business, but how it is applied and to who lies with the insurer.

“It is usually dependant on the relationship between the service provider and the funder,” she said.

Investigations by The Herald indicated that there used to be such an arrangement between Mars and Cimas where the two entities actually signed a contract with a fixed, pre-arranged monthly payment calculated one year in advance.

It remained fixed for that year, regardless of how often the patient needed the services.

The Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZiNA) chairman for Harare province Mr Enock Dongo expressed disappointment with the latest revelations at PSMAS, which he said were contributing to doctors’ reluctance to accept PSMAS cards.

Mr Dongo said abuse of funds by PSMAS management and advances paid to certain individuals further crippled the institution.

“What bothers us most is the fact that monies are deducted from our pay slips every month, but we are not getting any service. “Our members are not being attended to, no doctor is accepting PSMAS cards except at Government institutions and PSMI facilities,” he said.

No compensation for razed houses

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Deputy Minister Chingosho

Deputy Minister Chingosho

Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
Government will not compensate residents whose houses are being razed down for building on undesignated sites, Parliamentarians heard on Thursday.

From now on, no one including those under cooperatives, will be allowed to build houses without approval from the Government and without all the required infrastructure.

No resident will also be allowed to construct houses before land developments are complete.

Thousands of home-seekers in Harare had their houses destroyed after they built houses at undesignated points.

They were duped by land barons who allocated them stands at illegal sites after paying thousands of dollars.

Deputy Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Christopher Chingosho, said Government was in the process of reclaiming areas that were invaded by land barons.

He made the remarks in the Senate on Thursday while fielding questions from the floor.

“There will be no compensation to those people whose houses were destroyed because they constructed in wrong places or constructed without following the Government’s rules and regulations because most people are those in peri-urban areas,” said Deputy Minister Chingosho.

“When you go in the peri-urban area, the condition is that you go there on temporary basis and whatever you do there is temporary. People were advised not to construct permanent structures.

“This message is clear to everybody but it is now being complicated by those land barons, some of whom claim to own those pieces of land and ask people to pay them. The Ministry is seriously dealing with such cases and some of the land barons have been brought to book.”

However, Senators took the Deputy Minister to task querying why Government waited for people to first construct their houses before destroying them.

Zanu-PF Senator for Manicaland, Cde Shadreck Chipanga queried: “Why were they allowed to construct these structures in the first place without the Government moving in to stop them?”

Mashonaland Central representative, Cde Alice Chimbudzi (Zanu-PF) added: “What is your policy as Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing in imparting knowledge to people so that they know their rights in as far as construction of acquired land is concerned?”

Deputy Minister Chingosho said most of the land that was illegally parcelled out by land barons were under local authorities.

He said Government instructed local authorities to move in and stop illegal land allocations, failure of which they would be held accountable.

“You would find that the city councils or the municipalities and even within those municipalities, you will find that there are authorities within that local authority who are even worsening the problem by involving themselves in the land baron scandal.

“The Ministry is now working closely with councils and a deadline has been set to say, by the end of this year, any local authority whose area is still seen practising or affected by that problem, it will be squarely the local authority itself to explain to the Ministry. It is a complicated problem where you find the responsible authorities spearheading that problem,” said Deputy Minister Chingosho.

He added that land invasions would be a thing of the past by early next year as Government and local authorities were working on mechanisms to stop the scourge.

“The new policy as far as the Ministry is concerned in land distribution is that, as with immediate effect, nobody is going to be allowed to construct any structure without the approval of the Ministry and without servicing the land so that there are roads, water ways and all other infrastructural necessities.

“Therefore, if people are to be resettled or given land, it is supposed to have been serviced already with the entire infrastructure that is essential for people to live properly,” said Deputy Minister Chingosho.

Thousands of illegal structures in Harare have been destroyed with a number of alleged land appearing before the courts.

Electricity tariff increase looms

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Minister Undenge

Minister Undenge

Felex Share Senior Reporter
Zimbabweans have to “bite the bullet” and embrace significant power tariff increases beginning next year if the load-shedding hours are to be reduced, Energy and Power Development Minister Dr Samuel Undenge has said.

This will be as a result of the emergency power plants that Zesa intends to unveil beginning February next year as it battles to boost the country’s electricity generation.

The country is experiencing serious power shortages.

Addressing a Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting in Harare last week, Minister Undenge said Cabinet had already approved the introduction of emergency power plants which generate power using gas or diesel.

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He said while the country waited for the big power projects to bear fruit, the current situation called for “sacrifices” and tariff adjustments were unavoidable next year.

“Tariff adjustments are inevitable in 2016 but we will make sure that these will be minimum,” Minister Undenge said.

“Zambia recently announced a tariff hike of almost 100 percent. The situation we are in is not normal and therefore we need to bite the bullet. Power is not going to come cheaply. We will have to sacrifice if we are to lessen our load-shedding hours. Yes, things are tough but we should pay for our services.”

Consumers are being levied about 9,86c/kWh and the use of diesel generators will see cost moving to 14c/kWh.

Previous attempts by Zesa to increase the tariffs were turned down by the regulator, the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority.

Minister Undenge said meteorologists were forecasting a low rainfall season and Zesa might be forced to reduce water consumption at Kariba further worsening the situation.

“The immediate solution to avert a near disaster is to install what are called emergency power plants,” he said.

“These are modules of diesel generators which can be installed in the shortest possible time. We are already working on installing these as early as February 2016. This has already been approved by Cabinet. To most of you this is nothing new as you have back- up generators at your companies as well as homes.”

He added: “I have no doubt that your experience so far with these generators is that they are convenient but are expensive to run. If you were to put a tariff on them then certainly this will not be less than 35c/kWh whereas our tariff is on average 10c/kWh. The advantage with the emergency power plants which we are installing is that the final tariff will be a blend of the tariffs of all generators hence we will be well below 35c/kWh (14c/kWh).”

Minister Undenge said Zesa would begin with emergency power plants of 200MW which will later be complemented by the 120MW that will come from the Mutare Peaking Power Plant.

The Mutare power plant, which will take just under 18 months to complete, would be powered by a dual mechanism that can either run on gas or diesel and is one of the priority projects targeted under Zim-Asset.

Zesa engineers have done due diligence on Ansaldo Energia, the Italian company that will supply the contractor, Helcraw Electrical (Pvt) Ltd, with equipment and a ground-breaking ceremony is expected soon to pay way for construction.

Countries like Mozambique, Botswana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia have gone the route of emergency power suppliers to alleviate power shortages.

Tanzania, which announced plans to switch off all hydropower plants this month due to low water levels in its dams, is renting diesel-powered generators provided by the emergency power suppliers.

Minister Undenge said to avoid a further accumulation of the $1 billion owed Zesa by consumers, every customer should be either on prepayment meters or smart meters.

“Only this way can we be assured that our collections will meet our obligations especially funding of new projects and such initiatives like emergency power plants,” he said.

The country has been experiencing acute power outages due to the low water levels at Kariba Dam with some residents going for 18 hours a day without electricity

ZPC is generating under half of the required 2 200MW and is working on various other projects, including expansion of existing power plants that will produce over 3 000MW in the next six years.

The projects, some of which are funded by the Chinese, are worth an estimated $5 billion and are in line with the provisions of Zim-Asset.

The current crisis has seen Government ordering major mining companies and other large electricity consumers to reduce consumption by up to 25 percent.

Security cantonments have also been asked to load-shed non-critical areas.

Kasukuwere warns schemers

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Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere pays his last respects to provincial liberation war heroine Cde Margaret Zinyemba in Chiweshe yesterday

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere pays his last respects to provincial liberation war heroine Cde Margaret Zinyemba in Chiweshe yesterday

Felex Share Senior Reporter
Divisive and devious tactics by plotters against President Mugabe ahead of Zanu-PF’s Annual National People’s Conference will come to naught, the revolutionary party’s national commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere has said.

Cde Kasukuwere said there was no vacancy for the top post in the party and Government.

He warned Politburo and Central Committee members against interfering with the lower structures of the party to position themselves.

The conference is slated for Victoria Falls from December 7 to 13.

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Cde Kasukuwere made the remarks in Chiweshe yesterday while addressing hundreds of mourners at the burial of former Mazowe West legislator Cde Margaret Zinyemba.

Cde Zinyemba (76) died on Friday and was declared a provincial liberation war heroine.

“We are not going to carry chaos to Victoria Falls,” Cde Kasukuwere said.

“Hakuna zuva rinobuda rimwe risati ranyura. There are some who are not sleeping scheming and thinking about positioning themselves. Let them know that positions come from God. Today, that person who was given a responsibility to lead is President Mugabe. Let the country go forward because President Mugabe has done very well for our people. We stand behind President Mugabe only. If you go out of that then it is your own problem.”

He added: “Zanu-PF meetings have got minutes and if you see anything to the contrary know that you are being led astray. There are some who schemed against Zanu-PF during the night, but where are they today? Some are even begging us to readmit them.”

Cde Kasukuwere said some senior party leaders had become “masters of confusion” in their respective provinces interfering with the restructuring exercises.

“If we catch you trying to cause confusion in the party you are gone,” he said.

“There are some provinces which are giving us problems where a high-ranking official goes to the cell and creates problems. Wanga wasvika nguvai kucell? You interfere with district elections who has invited you there? When you were given a Politburo or Central Committee position were you not happy? So why interfere with other people’s positions.”

“Kungopihwa chigaro watova master of confusion. Be satisfied with your position. Descending on the lower structures of the party, below your own ranks is unacceptable. Issues to do with provinces are handled through the commissariat. No leader in the party has authority to go outside the structures and deal with individual provinces whether or not one comes from that province. We have got procedures.”

Cde Kasukuwere said all provinces should have completed the restructuring by month end and there was no room for fictitious districts.

“We are going to meet all the chairpersons on Friday and make countrywide tours to ensure there is order,” he said.

“We have to put to an end some of the unnecessary fissures in the provinces.”

He warned party members against taking party issues to the private media or various social media platforms saying the party had laid down procedures of airing grievances.

Cde Kasukuwere blasted the Mashonaland Central lands committee for letting down Cde Zinyemba by denying her a farm despite the immense contribution she made during the liberation struggle.

The farm she was allocated was grabbed by an Asian with the help of senior Zanu-PF and Government officials in the province.

“That land belongs to the people of Mazowe. Amai Zinyemba fought for this land, but she died without a farm?”

Minister of State for Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs Advocate Martin Dinha promised to take up the issue with Lands and Rural Resettlement Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora when he visits the province this week.

Minister Dinha said Zimbabwe could not have been where it is now were it not for the “diligence, selflessness and bravery” of people like Cde Zinyemba.

Cde Zinyemba joined Zanu-PF in 1964 and during the war she worked with the comrades who operated in Chiweshe, Bindura, Goromonzi and Chinamhora.

She held senior leadership positions in the party and became the first woman to be elected vice chairperson at the Mazowe rural district council.

In Parliament, she chaired the Local Government Portfolio Committee and was also in the Standing Rules and Orders Committee between 2005 and 2008.

Govt introduces fixed toll fee

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Herald Reporter
Motorists living within a 10-kilometre radius of a tollgate will now pay a monthly toll fee of $10, Government has said.

This comes as a reprieve to the motorists who have been paying the mandatory $2 each time they pass through a tollgate, which could be several times a day depending on their business, or even the double toll just to get to the nearest shops.

In a Government gazette published on Friday, only light motor vehicles whose owners reside within the stipulated distance would qualify for the discount.

“Residents living in areas within a 10km radius from a tollgate situated in their jurisdiction shall be required to pay a monthly toll fee of $10 only,” reads the gazette.

Zinara said tollgate exemption tickets were designed as a reprieve to motorists who reside within and around toll gate areas from paying inordinately high toll gate fees.

Motorists who have been requesting tollgate exemption from the Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) include those who live in Marondera, Goromonzi, Mazowe and Dema, but few of these are likely to benefit.

Because of where existing toll gates are sited, those who live in the satellite towns of Harare are unlikely to benefit since tollgates are not built too close to urban areas.

The main beneficiaries are farmers and people in centres near a tollgate who need to move through the tollgate frequently simply driving around their neighbourhood.

The exemption will cater for one tollgate only.

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