Herald Reporter
The Zimbabwe National Defence College will soon be upgraded to national university status following gazetting of the Zimbabwe National Defence University Bill on Friday.

This is contained in the latest Government Gazette published last week.

The university will be established as a service to the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

The President shall be the Chancellor of the university.

“He shall have the right to preside over any assembly or meeting and recommend the Council and the Senate,” reads the gazette.

“The Chancellor shall confer degrees, diplomas and other awards and distinctions of the university and to withdraw or restore any such awards.”

Interviews for applicants to be considered for the Vice Chancellor and Commandant posts, will be held by a joint committee of the Council and the Senate.

“The university shall also consist of one or more Pro Vice-Chancellors, members of the Council, Senate and staff.”

“Terms and conditions of service for each category of staff including the Vice Chancellor and Commandant and every Pro Vice- Chancellor, shall be determined by the council in consultation with the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development.

“The minister shall endeavour to ensure that at least half of the appointed members of the university are women.

“Funds for the university shall come from an endowment fund, monies appropriated by Parliament, commercial investments and tuition.”

The university will not be discriminatory.

“No test or religion or political belief, race, ethnic origin, nationality or gender shall be imposed upon or be required of any person in order to entitle him/her to be admitted as a member of staff or student.

The university will be one of the research organs of the Zimbabwe National Security Council.

“It will be a national strategic analysis and advisory institution and premier institution of higher learning for defence and security.

“It shall also provide higher education and training in national policy and strategy formulation for military and civilian leaders.

“The objective of the university is also to nurture and preserve the spirit of unity and patriotism in pursuit of sustainable moral, social and economic growth for the country.”

Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
Government has called on farmers and merchants to diversify their agricultural activities to safeguard livelihoods and the economy as tobacco production comes under threat from an anti-smoking lobby being spearheaded by the Framework Convention in Tobacco Control.

The lobby group is under the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made said this at the closure of the 2015 marketing season and national tobacco workshop.

Dr Made said Government was aware of the challenges being faced in the tobacco sector and was working with other countries to safeguard the industry.

“The emergence of the nicotine delivery systems and electronic cigarettes to replace traditional cigarettes is also raising many questions about the sustainability of tobacco cultivation.

“Government will continue to work with other countries to ensure that the tobacco industry is not to be unnecessarily disturbed, leaving the livelihoods of our farmers and the economy endangered.

“My ministry has continued its efforts for the promotion of agricultural diversification by promoting the production of other commodities which include cotton, horticulture, tea, cassava, soyabeans, groundnuts and other legumes to diversify the agricultural export base,” he said.

Government is also working towards reviving the cotton sector by reconstituting the Cotton Marketing Board to improve marketing opportunities and viability in the cotton sector and support livelihoods of farmers in marginal rainfall areas.

The workshop was running under the theme “Promoting Viability, Quality, Sustainability and Adapting to Climate Change”.

Dr Made said the theme was relevant to the main issues affecting the tobacco industry and other agricultural sectors in Zimbabwe.

“The recent 10-point plan as enunciated by President Mugabe in his latest State of the Nation Address, is very clear on the need to revitalise agriculture and the agro-processing value chain.

“I applaud the efforts made by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development together with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe who negotiated with banks to lower the interest rates,” he said.

TIMB chairperson Mrs Monica Chinamasa expressed concern over the decline in tobacco prices from an all-time high of $3,67 per kg in 2013 to $2,95 per kg in 2015.

She advised farmers to enhance their earnings through increased productivity and quality.

“Unfortunately for growers, it is not easy to simply increase the yield, and quality under the current unfavourable economic environment where some inputs and labour are seemingly overpriced.

“The situation is made worse by a depressed electricity supply situation that forces growers to run generators for extended periods and thereby increasing the costs of production,” she said.

She said tobacco growers required training on production and applauded contractors for offering extension and training services to farmers.

Mrs Chinamasa said since last year, TIMB and Farmers’ Development Trust had also been offering growers training on all important aspects of tobacco production.

Herald Reporter
Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko visited the Russian embassy in Harare last week to convey condolences following the death of 224 passengers, including cabin crew members, aboard a Russian airline that crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula last Saturday.

“On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Zimbabwe and on my own behalf, I wish to express our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of the Russian Federation, at the tragic airline crash on October 31 2015, resulting in the loss of 224 lives,” wrote VP Mphoko in a book of condolence opened at the embassy.

“Our sympathies and prayers are with all those who have lost their loved ones and the entire people of the Russian Federation. May the souls of the dear departed rest in peace.”

VP Mphoko, who once represented Zimbabwe in Moscow, was welcomed at the embassy by Russian Ambassador Mr Sergey Bakharev.

According to reports, head of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency Mr Alexander Neradko said claims that external factors may have been the reason behind the Airbus A321 crash in the Sinai Peninsula were not based on real facts so far.

The Airbus A321 passenger airliner with 217 passengers and seven crew members on board crashed in the Sinai Peninsula on Ocrober 31, leaving no survivors.

Earlier on, the Russian airline Kogalymavia, which operated the ill-fated A321 plane, said that external factors were the likely cause for the deadly crash.

Russia’s aviation watchdog, Rosaviatsia, said yesterday that it was premature to come to any conclusions over the cause of the A321 passenger jet crash.

Lovemore Meya Herald Correspondent
CHITUNGWIZA residents worry over the high- speed chases taking place in the town with council tow-trucks chasing errant kombi drivers.

They said this was putting their children’s lives at risk. Mrs Mary Gumbo of Unit A said letting her children play outside the gate was now dangerous as they risked being run over by kombis and pursuing council vehicles.

“My child almost got hit by a commuter omnibus when it was being chased by a council vehicle. This is complete madness because we cannot be enslaved in our own community,” she fumed.

Mr Shepherd Ncube of Zengeza 2 called upon council authorities to place measures that did not put people’s lives in danger.

“It is a very serious problem we are having here,” Mr Ncube said. He said those involved in these pursuits should know that there are a lot of people who use the same roads.

“We are calling upon those responsible to place measures that enable our communities to be habitable without fear of being killed,” he said. Morgan Duri, a commuter omnibus driver who plies the Harare-Chitungwiza route, had no kind words for Chitungwiza Municipality.

“They are complicating our lives and we are no longer safe on the roads,” Duri said. “Speeding has become the order of the day and residents risk being run over.

“At Makoni Shopping Centre rank we are paying $2 to rank marshals for loading passengers, imagine when I get 15 passengers, what will I remain with,” he said.

Another driver for Makoni-Machipisa route said working as a commuter omnibus driver had become a nightmare.

“Before Park Rite came in, life was good in Chitungwiza. However, after their partnership with council, we are in trouble. One is required to pay $100 fine for parking on the roadside, which is unrealistic,” said John Moyo.

Chitungwiza Municipality spokesperson Mr Zephania Mandirahwe professed ignorance on the matter.

Dr Kereke

Fidelis Munyoro Chief Court Reporter
Bikita West legislator Dr Munyaradzi Kereke yesterday got a reprieve after the Constitutional Court granted his application to stop his prosecution on charges of raping an 11-year-old relative.

Dr Kereke had sought an order to stay the prosecution until his constitutional challenge to the validity of a statute allowing private prosecution is determined by the highest court.

Through his lawyer Mr James Makiya of Makiya and Partners instructing Advocate Lewis Uriri, he scurried to the apex court after the Prosecutor-General’s Office issued the certificate for private prosecution of the legislator.

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Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku — sitting in his chambers — granted Dr Kereke the relief he sought and set November 18 as the date to hear Dr Kereke’s application.

Mr Makiya confirmed the latest development in an interview with The Herald yesterday.

“I want to confirm that today the Constitutional Court has granted an order not to institute criminal proceedings against our client until the main case challenging the issue of Section 16 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act,” said Mr Makiya.

“Between now and the finalisation of that main case, no one should institute any criminal proceedings against my client.”

In the main case, Dr Kereke is contesting the validity of Section 16 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.

The statute compels Prosecutor-General Mr Johannes Tomana to issue a certificate for private prosecution where he declines to sue.

But in the interlocutory application, Dr Kereke wanted the court to stop the girl’s grandfather, Mr Francis Maramwidze, from proceeding with his prosecution until his application is finalised.

Dr Kereke said the Constitutional Court ordered Mr Tomana to issue the certificate before November 11.

He feared that Mr Maramwidze would rush to prosecute him before the apex court had determined the constitutionality of Section 16 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act.

He wanted that section of the law struck down. The legislator contends that the statute is a threat to his fundamental rights and equal protection of the law under Section 56 (1) of the Constitution read together with Section 260 (1) (2) of the supreme law.

It was also Dr Kereke’s fears that his constitutional application was likely to be heard next year, yet Mr Maramwidze was at large to prosecute him any time.

Dr Kereke is accused of raping the girl at gun point at his Mt Pleasant home in Harare in 2010, but Mr Tomana had been refusing prosecution pleading lack of evidence.

Mr Tomana was last week forced to issue out the certificate after the court slapped him with a 30-day term of imprisonment wholly suspended on condition that he complied with the court order within 10 days.

He had refused to comply with the court orders arguing that the independence of his office was being undermined. He also argued that he was using his discretion to ascertain whether or not there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Dr Kereke.

Mr Tomana also issued Telecel Zimbabwe a certificate to privately prosecute its key shareholder Jane Mutasa on charges of fraud involving $1, 7 million of airtime recharge cards. But Telecel is reported to be no longer interested in prosecuting its case.

The PG also issued a certificate of private prosecution against Vivek Solanki, who is facing charges of swindling African Medical Investments in an ownership wrangle over a hospital.

Elita Chikwati Agriculture Reporter
Zimbabwe is the major flue-cured tobacco producer in Africa and occupies fifth position in the world as many communal farmers joined the lucrative farming sector following the land reform programme.

A recent study by BDO Zimbabwe Chartered Accountants revealed that the country only trails China, Brazil, India and the United States in tobacco production.

The BDO Zimbabwe study highlights that new tobacco growers, mostly communal farmers, had taken up tobacco farming since 2000, the year the country embarked on the land reform programme.

Also Read:

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This resulted in changes in the demographics of the tobacco farmers, which saw at least 62 percent of those who produced the crop during the 2013-14 season being small to medium-scale communal farmers.

The sector used to be dominated by white former commercial farmers.

“The increase in tobacco production over the years is also attributed to an increase in average tobacco selling prices, funding from tobacco merchants through contract farming and timeous realisation of sale proceeds,” said BDO Zimbabwe.

“Proceeds from selling tobacco are received on the day the crop is sold.

“The average tobacco selling price in Zimbabwe compares favourably with prices realised in other tobacco producing countries. Tobacco contributed 10 to 12 percent to the Gross Domestic Product for the 2014 fiscal year and with a crop value of about $685 million marketed during the season.”

According to the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board statistics, every year a huge number of new farmers register to grow the crop.

“For the 2014-15 growing season, there were 28 769 new registrations with TIMB,” the board said.

“The 2015/216 season had recorded 17 433 new registrations by June 30 2015.

“Production increased from 58,5 million kg in 2010; 123,5 million kg in 2011; 132,5 million kg in 2012; 144 million kg in 2013, 216 million kg in 2015 and 2015 recorded a decline to 198 million kg due to poor rainfall season.”

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa said many people were willing to grow tobacco because of the cash crop’s orderly marketing.

He said farmers followed the trends on the market and would go for the highest paying crop.

“Farmers make decisions just like any other business people, and will go for the highly paying crop. some farmers are shifting from tobacco after realising low profits,” he said.

Zimbabwe Farmers Union director Mr Paul Zakariya urged farmers to aim at increasing yield per unit area other than increasing hectarage.

“Farmers should aim for high productivity per unit area. It is better to grow a small piece of land that is easily manageable in terms of fertilisers and other inputs,” he said.

Nyahuni Adventist High School

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter
FOUR pupils, two boys and two girls, who were expelled from Nyahuni Adventist High School for allegedly engaging in sexual activities, are challenging the headmaster’s decision at the High Court.

The quartet that is sitting for Advanced Level final examinations, argued that the expulsion was driven by malice on the part of the headmaster who took the hard stance without any proof that they became intimate.

It was the school’s allegation that the two brothers who stayed with the matron, a relative, spent a night in the house with the girls that had sneaked out of the boarding school’s hostels.

The headmaster Mr Sheckleton Makamba assumed that the four could have indulged in sexual activities before expelling them.

Another, a cousin to the boys, was not spared because she was in the same house where the offence could have been committed despite the fact that she officially stayed at the house.

The pupils’ lawyer Mr Charles Nyika of Nyika, Kanengoni and Partners indicated in the papers filed of record that the girls were prepared to undergo some medical examination to prove their innocence.

A fortnight ago, High Court Judge Justice Charles Hungwe, ordered the school to allow the pupils back into the school and boarding premises pending determination of the propriety of the headmaster’s decision to expel them.

“It is ordered that pending the determination of the present application on November 11 2015, the respondents be and are hereby directed to permit the applicants to resume their normal enrolment at Nyahuni Adventist High School, including admission into the boarding facilities and sitting for their 2015 final examinations,” the judge ruled.

The headmaster, Minister of Primary and Secondary Education and the provincial education director for Mashonaland East were listed as respondents while the parents represented their children as applicants.

According to a founding affidavit by one of the girls’ parents, the provincial education director stopped the parents from taking their daughters for medical examination.

“I, together with second applicant (another parent) advised the provincial education director that we were prepared to have the children taken for medical examination, but he indicated that it was no longer necessary as the Ministry had not ratified the actions by the third respondent (headmaster),” he said.

The parent said the headmaster personally phoned him informing him of the expulsion and the reasons thereof.

“On or around the 18th of September 2015, I received a telephone call from the third respondent (headmaster) advising that he had suspended my child, together with four other students on charges of engaging in sexual activities at the school.

“I immediately advised the school that they could not suspend the children without having advised us and/or constituting a proper disciplinary hearing,” he said.

It is the parents’ argument that there was no proof that the children engaged in sexual activities and that the visit by the two girls to the matron’s house did not warrant expulsion.

“It is important to have this Honourable Court take note that the 2nd applicant’s children (two boys and a girl) stay within the perimeters of the girls’ hostels, as the mother is a matron at the school, and it is an arrangement that the school ratified and therefore cannot turn around and say the visit by the children is not sanctioned. They are friends,” a parent said.

The headmaster reportedly denied the children access to the school and boarding facilities to an extent that they were living on food from well-wishers.

It was also argued that the school head’s decision was tantamount to an abuse of authority and denying the children their right to education.

“The third respondent is abusing our children and this is tantamount to abusing his office and the likelihood that they are going to fail is very high as they have been traumatised, and have been denied their basic right to education,” said a parent.

In his opposing papers, the headmaster Mr Makamba dismissed the bulk of the contents of the founding affidavit as false.

Instead, he said the boys and the two girls were lovers and that the matron’s house was out of bounds for the girls who were boarders.

“The girls (names withheld) are borders at the school. The matron’s house is out of bounds to them.

“X (boy) had a love affair with Y (girl), though the boy denied it.

“J (another girl) had a love relationship with K (another boy), who initially denied but subsequently admitted to it.

“The girls called the boys’ sister ‘auntie’ and the matron called them varoora,” said the headmaster.

The headmaster said the expulsion was proper and that the court must make a decision that is in the best interest of the majority of the pupils at the school.

Bulawayo Bureau
Zanu-PF has won two council seats in Gweru’s ward 5 and ward 11 that fell vacant following the sacking of MDC-T councillors for corruption.

Cdes Simon Chapukira and Silas Furo won in Saturday’s polls to claim seats previously occupied by the MDC-T’s Albert Chirau in ward 5 and Moses Marecha in ward 11.

The MDC-T councillors were fired by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere for misusing council property among other charges.

The MDC-T which says it will only participate in polls once electoral reforms are instituted, boycotted the by-elections.

Cde Chapukira won in ward 5 with 322 votes against an independent candidate, Peter Muchirawehondo, who managed 264 votes.

Cde Furo won in ward 11, garnering 376 votes against two independent candidates, Mulamuli Muguti who got 11 votes and Samson Tavengahama who had 184 votes.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Gweru District Elections Officer, Joshua Mhino said the polls were peaceful.

“The elections held last Saturday were fair. I’m happy we did not have any challenges and they were held in a very peaceful environment. We had enough manpower that is why we didn’t have any challenges in running the elections,” said Mhino.

Zanu-PF Midlands provincial spokesperson, Cde Cornelius Mupereri said the results show that they were on course to winning the 2018 general elections.

“What came out of these elections shows us that the Zanu-PF machine is now well oiled and we will be running very well considering we are gaining course here in the Midlands and the whole of Zimbabwe,” he said.

“Our hopes are now high and I believe we will claim everything in the 2018 harmonised elections.”

Innocent Ruwende Municipal Reporter
The Harare City Council rationalisation exercise, which saw 173 employees retired from its clinics has crippled service delivery at health centres.

According to the recent minutes of the Audit Committee, council directed audit manager Mr Joseph Issa, to carry out an audit exercise on the rationalisation process to ascertain its impact and to see whether council had benefited from the exercise.

“The audit manager reported that the audit team visited seven city health centres consisting of polyclinics, family health services clinics and one satellite clinic and noted that long queues were still in existence,” reads part of the minutes.

“The causes were the reduction in staff compliment by a total of 173 employees due to retirement age limit recently introduced through the council rationalisation exercise.

“The staff reduction affected both supervisory and operational staff performance quantitatively and qualitatively.”

The team also observed that there was an outdated staff establishment in the face of new settlements created in rural to urban migration.

Acting town clerk Mrs Josephine Ncube reported that heads of departments were working with consultants in addressing its impact and coming with a working structure.

The committee tasked director of Health Services Dr Prosper Chonzi to ensure that staff in clinics and hospitals had staggered tea and lunch breaks to ensure that patients are attended to all the time.

The committee resolved that Dr Chonzi follows up with the Ministry of Health and Child Care to work towards achieving the recommended nurse to patient ratio for planning purposes.

He was also tasked to review the staff establishment in relation to the additional functions and increases in population in liaison with the Management Services Group.

The Audit committee said there was need for the upgrading of satellite clinics like Hopley and Caledonia into polyclinic status.

The city last year reduced its workforce from 9 000 to 6 500 through retirement and retrenchment.

Mr Mandishona

Herald Reporter
The matter in which suspended Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) managing director Mr Henry Mandishona was seeking the intervention by the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare in his delayed disciplinary hearing by his employer has been postponed to November 27, 2015.

PSMAS lawyer Mr James Muzangaza of Muzangaza, Mandaza and Tomana said the matter was postponed on two grounds — that the society was still seized with the matter, and that he (Muzangaza) could not attend the hearing yesterday as he was engaged elsewhere.

“The basis of the postponement was that the employer (PSMAS) was still seized with the matter, which was supposed to be heard tomorrow (today) but Mr Mandishona’s lawyer Mr Innocent Chagonda requested that the hearing be moved to Monday 16 November 2015, which we all agreed to.

“Secondly, I could not attend the hearing today (yesterday) at the Ministry as I was also engaged elsewhere,” said Mr Muzangaza.

The fallout between Mr Mandishona and PSMAS started on September 24, when he was suspended from work pending investigations into a number of allegations ranging from corruption and mismanagement to bad corporate governance. Following completion of the investigations, Mr Mandishona was advised that his hearing would take place on October 8, 2015.

Since then the hearing has failed to take place on three occasions with his lawyer requesting for postponement of the matter on the one hand and on the other, Government taking positions on the matter.

The delays resulted in Mr Mandishona’s case going for over 30 days without being heard, forcing him to seek intervention by the labour officer arguing the stipulated time when his case should have been heard had lapsed.

All has not been well at PSMAS as reports say Mr Mandishona was being targeted for ouster after he indicated that all the people who unduly benefited from the society’s resources should pay back.

This, according to insiders, resulted in a spirited campaign by the beneficiaries to oust him.

President Mugabe

Bulawayo Bureau
GREAT Zimbabwe University (GZU) in Masvingo Province is building a state-of-the-art School of Education named after President Mugabe. The school, Robert Mugabe School of Education, is nearing completion ahead of its expected opening next year.

A visit to the site in the Masvingo city industrial area yesterday revealed that the project is almost 90 percent complete.

GZU Vice Chancellor Professor Rungano Zvobgo said they named the school after the luminary as a way to reaffirm the university’s focus to produce top graduates.

Prof Zvobgo said President Mugabe is a scholar par excellence throughout Africa and the naming of the school after him was a way of honouring the President’s achievements in the area of education.

He said the cost of the project had been reduced given that the university provides bricks from its own brick-making initiative and some materials have been donated by strategic partners.

He said the university was happy to be associated with the man whose astute leadership skills and vision in education has proved to be second to none in the entire Southern African Development Community (sadc) region, and beyond.

“We are giving honour to both living and late luminaries as a university through naming faculties after them.

“With the assistance of our parent ministry’s department of Manpower Training and Development, we are currently constructing the iconic, Robert Mugabe School of Education, which will be like no other in the region, to celebrate God’s gift of our President to this nation,” said Prof Zvobgo.

“Education is his passion and we have made it our responsibility to turn that passion into visible reality.

“We continue to live President Mugabe’s dream and walk with him as we strive to develop the country’s human capital base.”

He said the infrastructure will be a gesture to the President’s astute leadership skills and unparalleled vision in academic matters.

“Imagine, this was some ramshackle building which we have turned into a magnificent attraction.

“The idea is to provide enough learning space for the students and above all, add honour to our President in style,” he said.

Prof Zvobgo said they have renamed the law school after the late national hero Herbert Chitepo, the country’s first black lawyer.

“Further to the Hebert Chitepo Law School, which was officially commissioned by the President last year, we will have the following, Gary Magadzire School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences.

“This is named after the late Gary Magadzire, who was a long-serving Zimbabwe National Farmers’ Union president and was declared a national hero; Joshua Nkomo School of Arts and Humanities, named after the late Vice President Joshua Nkomo, who helped in uniting Zimbabweans from different cultural persuasions,” he said.

The School of Culture and Heritage Studies will be the Muzenda School of Culture and Heritage Studies after the late Vice President Simon Muzenda in recognition of his efforts in promoting culture.

“Munhumutapa School of Commerce has been named after Munhumutapa who established a world trade centre which linked Zimbabwe with Asia, Europe and the Arab world.

Dr Gandawa

Herald Reporter
Zimbabwe is set to receive $1 million from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to support Information Communication and Technology (ICT) programmes in schools and tertiary institutions.

Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Deputy Minister Dr Godfrey Gandawa, said this in an interview from Paris, France where he is attending the 38th General Conference of UN organisation.

The $1 million is in addition to $87 000 Harare got from the organisation last month for technical assistance for capacity development in pursuit of the return of cultural properties illicitly exported to Western countries by settler colonialists.

Dr Gandawa said he met UNESCO director general, Mrs Irina Bokova, yesterday where he conveyed the country’s gratitude for its continued support in several programmes and made further requests for support in areas like broadcasting content and the recognition of Zimbabwean experts to higher levels within the organisation, among other issues.

“I appreciated the extra budgetary assistance that Zimbabwe is set to receive that is the Korean Trust-In Fund where the country is set to benefit $1million under the ICTs in education programmes,” said Dr Gandawa.

He said some of the requests he made related to the operationalisation of various sustainable development goals applying to UNESCO’s areas of competence, such as ensuring inclusive and quality education and promotion of lifelong learning for all.

“I also made requests for assistance to enable the country to implement the new curriculum, which emphasised technical and vocational education and training (T-VET), science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM), and training of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from early childhood development,” said Dr Gandawa.

On the recognition of Zimbabwean personnel to higher levels, Deputy Minister Gandawa pledged to submit a database of experts for UNESCO’s consideration.

In her response, Mrs Bokova directed the UNESCO regional office in Harare to look at Zimbabwe’s request since most of them fell in the organisation’s priority list.

On Monday, Dr Gandawa delivered a speech where he expressed Zimbabwe’s wish to see increased collaboration between and amongst researchers to narrow the north-south development divide that continued to widen even in the face of the entry of sustainable development goals.

“In particular, not only is the role of new and emerging technologies critical, but also the introduction of science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) school enrichment programmes, with a focus on the youth and the girl child,” said Deputy Minister Gandawa in his speech.

The meeting that started on November 3 will end on November 18, and is being attended by representatives from all of UNESCO’s Member States.

Cde Khaya Moyo

Tichaona Zindoga Political Editor
THE Rhodesian Diaspora — remnants of the old racist settler rule in Zimbabwe — have today and this weekend lined up activities to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence and observers said this is a warning that Zimbabweans must not drop guard in protecting the country’s independence and sovereignty.

Rhodesian strongman Ian Smith on November 11, 1965, declared the UDI purporting self-determination from the “mother country” Britain, a widely condemned move that paved way for heightened Rhodesian apartheid.

The outraged world imposed sanctions on the Smith regime but Rhodesia was helped to wriggle out of the United Nations sanctions by apartheid South Africa, the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique and the Unites States which continued to trade with Rhodesia effectively busting the measures.

Britain was half-hearted in its response, refusing to impose sanctions on Mr Smith who was thus emboldened to repress the majority black population.

Nostalgic Rhodesians in Britain, Australia, New Zealand and America have this week been advertising events on social media and the Internet to mark the anniversary of UDI.

Over the weekend, the Rhodesian Services Association of Western Australia invited “all Rhodesians and friends” to a celebratory dinner at Government House Ballroom St Georges Terrace in Perth.

The money raised from raffle tickets was ostensibly meant to be donated to an outfit called Zimbabwe Pensioner Support Fund.

Another event was slated for Bedford, Britain over the same weekend.

This weekend, events will be held at Novotel Waterloo, England; and Mesa, Arizona, among others.

Another notice reads, “In Association with the British South Africa Police Regimental Association (Australia) And in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Ian Smith’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence. You are invited to attend a UDI ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WEEKEND Where: COFFS HARBOUR, New South Wales” with various events and activities arranged.

The Facebook page, Rhodesians Worldwide, is awash with messages of Rhodesian solidarity and scores of posts denigrating Zimbabwe’s independence and calling for regime change.

Yesterday the ruling party Zanu-PF slammed the Rhodesians.

“Those people are unrepentant and incorrigible. Zimbabwe will never be a colony again and they can go to hell,” said the party’s spokesman Cde Simon Khaya Moyo. He said Zimbabwe celebrated independence day which is inclusive of all people, showing the revolutionary nature of the Zanu-PF leadership.

War Veterans Affairs Minister Cde Chris Mutsvangwa notes that the Rhodesian elements were adherents to a racist ideology which killed so many Zimbabweans and caused so much suffering on either side of the colour line.

“Their myopia eventually led to the demise of their miscreant Rhodesian settler minority nation. Now their extinguished memories only exist in the non-physical world of cyberspace,” he said.

Zanu-PF UK chairman Ndavaningi Nick Mangwana said: “The Rhodesians are just a bunch of sore losers with misplaced nostalgia.

Celebrating Rhodesia is an insult to the formerly suppressed majority and the memory of our fallen heroes.

The whole purpose of UDI was to frustrate Zimbabwe from joining the wave of African countries gaining independence from the imperialistic powers like Britain and France.”

He added: “If there are people 35 years after real Zimbabwean Independence who think that UDI and the then continued marginalisation of the indigenous populations of

Zimbabwe is worth celebrating, then the only conclusion is that it is an obstinate outfit who are feasting on a sentimentality of evil.”

The opposition MDC-T, which was launched as an anti-thesis to the country’s liberation ideals, has traditionally been represented at the celebrations in Australia by former ambassador to Australia Jacqueline Zwambila.

Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha signs a memorandum of Understanding with the president of El Badaoui Group Mr Georges El Badaoui in Harare yesterday. —(Picture by Beauty Muchakazi)

Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
Zimbabwe will soon design and manufacture its own car model which it envisages to export to other African countries and has since engaged an Italian firm to spearhead the project.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Harare yesterday between the Government and the Italian firm El Badaoui Group on the cooperation to come up with the car model.

El Badaoui Group president Mr Georges El Badaoui, who is also the Zimbabwean Honorary Consulate General in Milan, has since visited Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries to assess the infrastructure in place.

The design and manufacture of the car model is in line with the Government’s stance of value addition and beneficiation, which is expected to turn the country into a regional giant of exporting finished products.

President Mugabe has been at the forefront of calling for value addition and beneficiation, especially of minerals, and has since sold the idea to the African continent as the chairperson of the African Union.

During his tenure as Sadc chairperson between August 2014 and August this year, the President turned the region’s focus on value addition and beneficiation, which became part of the theme of the regional body’s last two summits.

Addressing a Press conference after the signing of the MoU, Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha said his ministry was submitting the MoU through the relevant processes.

“One of the areas of co-operation with Mr El Badaoui’s company is the establishment of an entity to spearhead the design and manufacture of a Zimbabwean-made car with potential for export throughout Africa,” he said.

“Mr El Badaoui visited Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries to assess the infrastructure currently in place. We are still working on the logistics of where the plant will be located and which institutions will be involved. Our thrust was to first come up with a framework, a process we have already done.

“This will get the ball rolling. We are looking at which institutions will be involved in creating this prototype. It is expected that the implementation of the MoU will assist in the rejuvenation of the manufacturing sector as well as expand the range of exported products to the region and beyond.”

Minister Bimha said further areas of cooperation with the El Badaoui Group included the establishment of an innovation company to undertake research and analysis of the country’s natural resources.

The resources would be processed into final products ready for export.

Plans are also afoot to establish a food outlet to prepare food for exhibition at the Milan Expo.

Burgers made from Zimbabwean crocodile meat, zebra burger and baobab fruit juice attracted a lot of attention at the just-ended Milan Expo where people queued to buy them.

Minister Bimha said the establishment of the innovation company will enhance the analysis of the country’s raw materials with the aim of value addition and beneficiation.

He said institutions of higher learning will spearhead the establishment of the entities and their operations.

“These three areas discussed were just less than one percent of opportunities to be realised in future cooperation according to Mr El Badaoui, ” said Minister Bimha.

“Zimbabwe successfully participated at the just-ended Expo Milan 2015 with a number of positive outcomes which included the production of innovative value added products.

Raw materials taken to Milan including herbs like makoni, zumbani and resurrection were developed into high quality liquor drinks.

Mr El Badaoui said Zimbabwe Is endowed with natural resources which can be exploited at a low cost.

Asked how much his company was going to invest in Zimbabwe, Mr El Badaoui said he was mostly interested in innovation than in figures.

“We will make a huge investment, but first we must focus on innovation,” he said. “We must first see what can be done before talking about figures. Of cause, we will channel funds into the country.

“Zimbabwe is endowed with a lot of natural resources. What is needed is the right idea to process them at a low cost.”

The late Gen Mujuru

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter
MORE properties belonging to the estate of the late General Solomon Mujuru have been identified registered in various companies he co-owned with businessman Mr James Makamba, who is in self-imposed exile.

Mujuru family lawyer Mr Thakor Kewada, wrote to the executor Mr Stern Mufara, informing him of the existence of the properties.

The letter was also copied to the Office of the Master of the High Court and it is now part of the file.

This was after Mr Mufara had already tendered a first account of the estate, which had a few properties, a development that led the private media into prematurely describing the late hero as a “pauper”.

The first account of the estate had assets registered in the name of the late national hero only and the executor indicating that he was still trying to identify more assets belonging to the estate, but registered in other names.

According to Mr Kewada, the late national hero and Mr Makamba were co-directors in six companies namely:

Thurlow and Company Private Limited

Valley Meat Supplies Private Limited

Kalmic Investments Private Limited

Bindura Discount Private Limited

Athenitis Properties Private Limited and

Rylance Farms Private Limited

When the two had a fall out, they agreed to share the properties owned by the companies and Mujuru’s share remained registered under the name of Thurlow.

The agreement between the late Gen Mujuru and Mr Makamba was also filed with the office of the Master of the High Court for consideration in asset identification and sharing.

In terms of the agreement, Gen Mujuru was allocated eight stands along Muhacha Drive in Chiwaridzo, Bindura (Stands 1404 to 1410 Muhacha) and one along Mutsamvi Drive in the same suburb. Gen Mujuru also got the remaining Extent of Thurlows Paddock, Lot 1 of Thurlows Paddock and Kimberley Reef Store Site.

He was also given Stand Number 242 Wray Avenue, Bindura and Bindura Dog Kennels at Stand Number 1A Artherstone Road.

All the properties allocated to Gen Mujuru were registered under the name of Thurlow and Company, while Makamba got several others including Stand Numbers 1399 to 1403 Muhacha Drive in Bindura.

Meanwhile, the estate has been ordered to pay the former owners of Ruzambu Farm — Hanagwe Investments, $1,5 million as compensation of movable assets that perished in the hands of the late national hero at the height of the land reform programme.

The late national hero since 2004, and for unknown reasons, just sat on the summons and did not even challenge the claim despite provisions available protecting him, until his death in August 2011.

Hanagwe, through its lawyers Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans, filed an application for default judgment in 2012, which was finally granted in August this year.

High Court judge Justice Mary Dube ordered Gen Mujuru posthumously, together with the Minister of Lands and Rural Resettlement, Minister of Local Government and the then war veterans leader in Beatrice — a Cde Zhou — to pay $1 469 440 to Hanagwe.

However, the two ministers were cited in their official capacities and their property cannot be attached over the case leaving the estate of the late Gen Mujuru vulnerable.

Paul Mavhima

Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter
School authorities countrywide could have embezzled millions of dollars from levies paid by parents, compromising infrastructural development at these institutions, an audit ordered by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has revealed.

So far, about 1 800 schools (18 percent) have been audited, with auditors from the head office in Harare and those at provincial and district levels unearthing massive doctoring of accounts to conceal the shenanigans.

Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Professor Paul Mavhima confirmed yesterday that the findings of the audit exposed how authorities misappropriated funds.

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He said about $1 billion was raised by schools through levies every year, of which if misappropriation was allowed to continue, it would result in schools failing to do infrastructure development at schools.

“We did a round of audits where we deployed our head office auditors and also our auditors from the provinces and districts,” said Prof Mavhima.

“I don’t want to paint a rosy picture, yes we have problems especially where SDC (School Development Committee) funds are concerned.

“The round of audits that we did unearthed a number of problems. The most common was abuse of SDC funds and the typical problem was in the receipting process where different amounts are written in the top copy and the carbon copy.

“Typically, the top copy because it’s going to the person who is paying the money, reflects the correct amount but the bottom copy reflects a smaller amount. The difference is then misappropriated. We need as a ministry and Government to make sure that we find ways to plug those holes.”

Prof Mavhima said in order for the Government to plug the holes, there was need to audit all schools since the audit indicated that misappropriation was rampant.

He said the anomalies were picked in both urban and rural schools.

Prof Mavhima said his ministry was in the process of consolidating audit reports from all the provinces to determine the gravity of misappropriation and come up with possible solutions to the problems.

“We have realised that there is need for us to continue with this exercise. It would be good if we could cover all the schools every year or at least 50 percent of the schools every year. When you have a situation where the probability of being audited is high, then there is likely to be compliance, people are more likely to be diligent particularly the headmasters and the SDCs, they will be more diligent knowing that we are being followed.

“But if they know that no one is watching and the probability of being audited is next to nothing, then they will do whatever they want. It’s important for us to gather and mobilise resources to ensure it’s an annual thing.

“By and large, SDC funds are the largest contributor to the development of school infrastructure. What Government largely contributes at the moment is payment of teachers.

“If we don’t pay particular attention to proper and appropriate management of SDC resources, then we will be doing ourselves a disservice because that is the biggest source for developing schools in terms of infrastructure development. Remember about $1 billion nationwide comes from SDC levies so there is need to manage it well,” said Prof Mavhima.

He said some school authorities accused of misappropriating funds had been arrested and subsequently convicted with some of them jailed for at least five years.

Prof Mavhima said the audit was meant to check if schools complied with regulations and to identify gaps existent in their operations.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education ordered a schools audit early this year following reports of school fees embezzlement.

Takunda Maodza Assistant News Editor
MWEYAMUTSVENE Mission headmaster, his wife and deputy head will be dragged before a disciplinary hearing for blocking a barefooted Form Four pupil, Belvin Chibi, from writing his final Zimsec examinations after investigations nailed the trio.

Manicaland Provincial Education director Mr Edward Shumba confirmed the development in an interview with The Herald yesterday. A report prepared by a team of investigators dispatched by Government to Bocha recently showed that the trio — Mr Abel Zebron Rubende, his wife Mrs Nyasha Rubende and the deputy headmaster Mr Gwinyai Chakwakwama had a case to answer.

Chibi is an orphan who had registered to write five subjects, but was barred by Mrs Rubende from sitting for three papers — English (Paper 1 and 2) and Commerce because he had no school shoes.

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The incident attracted wide condemnation from Zimbabweans at large.

Mr Shumba said investigations were complete and the report nails Mr Rubende, Mrs Rubende and Mr Chakwakwama.

“The report indicates that it is true the headmaster’s wife blocked Chibi from writing the examination, which was not procedural. The aggravating factor is that on the day of writing English Paper 2, the headmaster was interrogating the child in his office about the incident ,which is worse as the child missed another examination in the process,” Mr Shumba said.

He said processes were already underway to bring the trio before a disciplinary hearing to answer to charges that include incompetence.

“At the moment we have instructed the District Education Officer to charge the headmaster and to instruct the head to charge this woman,” said Mr Shumba.

Asked why Mr Chakwakwama was being charged for an offence committed by the headmaster’s wife, he said: “The deputy head heard the headmaster’s wife telling the child that he was not going to write the examination. He should have stopped her. The deputy head will therefore be charged with incompetent negligence in the performance of his duty.”

“After that the senior woman (Mrs Rubende) would be charged for depriving the child the right to education by denying him the right to write the examinations. Those would be the procedures they would be charged with.”

Mr Shumba said the Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education Mrs Sylvia Masango Utete will have a final say on the fate of the headmaster and his deputy once the hearing had been conducted.

“The provincial education director will make a decision over the senior teacher (Mrs Rubende) because she is junior in terms of grading,” he said.

The process is expected to take about three months. Chibi is an orphan who stays with his 65-year old grandmother, Mrs Edna Musagomba. A fortnight ago Mr Rubende signed an agreement with Chibi’s guardian offering to meet the boy’s education costs next year if he agrees to repeat.

“The school shall assist Belvin Chibi Form Four in 2016 in the following — pay for his examination fees for five subjects, pay for his tuition fees for three terms and pay for his boarding fees if enrolled with the school,” reads the agreement.

Morgan Tsvangirai

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai allegedly misled the opposition party’s national council a fortnight ago that Bulawayo Senator Matson Hlalo did not withdraw his litigation against the party, yet the two struck a deal where they agreed to defer court actions while pursuing internal remedies on how to deal with the contentious post of provincial chairperson for Bulawayo.

The opposition party’s national council resolved to expel Sen Hlalo for allegedly defying the party directive to withdraw his court action, in which he was challenging the ascension of Mr Gift Banda as the party’s provincial chairperson for Bulawayo ahead of him.

But according to documents at hand, Sen Hlalo wrote a letter to Mr Tsvangirai agreeing to abandon the court action consistent with an earlier meeting the two convened at Harvest House offices, the party’s headquarters.

Mr Tsvangirai is now under fire for allegedly misleading the national council to expel Sen Hlalo as part of a grand plan to elbow out those aligned to national executive member, Mr Nelson Chamisa.

According to minutes available, Mr Tsvangirai held a meeting with Sen Hlalo on April 20, 2015 where it was agreed that the outspoken legislator would put his court action in abeyance pending investigation by the arbiter general.

An arbiter general is provided for in the opposition party’s constitution to preside over disputes.

Sen Hlalo subsequently wrote to Mr Tsvangirai committing himself to what had been agreed in the earlier meeting.

The meeting was attended by Bulawayo legislator, Ms Nicole Brown and Bulawayo Central National Assembly member Ms Dorcas Sibanda who was acting chairperson of the province.

“It was agreed that Hon Hlalo was going to put his court case on hold in order to allow the arbiter general to carry out an independent inquiry into Bulawayo province problems. It was also resolved in the meeting that Gift Banda would stand aside as soon as Hon Dorcas Sibanda becomes acting chairperson of the province,” reads the minutes.

Three days after the meeting, Sen Hlalo wrote a letter addressed to Mr Tsvangirai committing himself to complying with what they had agreed in the meeting.

“Reference is made to a meeting I had with you, Mr President and Honourable N Brown and D Sibanda on 20 April 2015 at the party headquarters. Following a meeting with my legal practitioners and guided at all times by the best interest of the party that I so highly regard, I wish to advise that I have agreed and will not prosecute the matters that I filed at the High Court of Bulawayo pending the finalisation of investigations by the Arbiter Genera,” reads the letter by Sen Hlalo.

He implored Mr Tsvangirai to ensure that the arbiter general spoke with all parties to the dispute.

“That the Arbiter General’s investigations will be all encompassing, seek representation from all parties, including myself and some of our members who are respected and objective,” reads part of the letter written by Sen Hlalo.

He proposed that findings should be discussed before adoption.

Contacted MDC-T spokesperson, Mr Obert Gutu, insisted that the party had acted properly in handling the case of Sen Hlalo.

“The national council deliberated on Senator Hlalo’s case and a resolution was adopted as we have already communicated to the relevant stakeholders. This matter was handled very transparently and amicably. I am pretty sure that Hon Hlalo himself is aware of the process that took place. Everything was done in accordance with the dictates of the party constitution.The MDC is a party of excellence. We follow our rules and regulations. No party member will be subjected to unfair treatment,” said Mr Gutu.

The arbiter general, Wilbert Musamirapamwe, implicated party vice president Ms Thokozani Khupe and organising secretary, Mr Abednico Bhebhe of fuelling divisions and disharmony in the party, an observation that went unheeded by Mr Tsvangirai.

The MDC-T has been embroiled in factional fights pitting Mr Tsvangirai on one hand and Mr Chamisa on the other.

This is not the first time Mr Tsvangirai has lied to the MDC-T national council having cut his teeth by misrepresenting the council’s position on participating in the Senate elections in 2005, a development that led to the first of the party’s many splits on October 12 that year.

Mr Chikaura

Samantha Chigogo Herald Correspondent
Government has released $14,5 million to the Grain Marketing Board, effectively clearing all outstanding 2014-15 marketing season payments. In the past three months, Government had released about $54,5 million to enable the farmers to adequately prepare for the forthcoming season.

Part of the disbursed money, GMB chairman Mr Charles Chikaura said yesterday, would be used to cover payments for grain delivered during the 2015-16 grain marketing season.

This comes amid revelations that some farmers have no bank accounts, resulting in more than $480 000 lying idle at various GMB depots countrywide.

“As at today’s date (yesterday) a total amount of $11 007 255 had been paid to farmers’ respective bank accounts while the balance of $3 492 744 is at our depots in cash and will be paid to farmers without bank accounts,” Mr Chikaura.

“Farmers are urged to visit their depots to collect their payments. These payments effectively clear all outstanding farmer payments for the 2014-15 marketing season and any farmer who delivered grain during that marketing season and has not been paid should immediately contact the GMB corporate communications department or report to their respective depot managers who are under instruction to forward all such queries to the GMB head office for immediate attention.”

Farmers need the money to buy inputs with seed houses having indicated that there was slow uptake of the seeds from the farmers due to cash constraints.

Mr Chikaura said a substantial amount of money remained uncollected because farmers had no bank accounts.

The situation, he said, was more prevalent at depots in Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland East provinces.

“It is also evident that some farmers without bank accounts are not collecting their payments at depots where they delivered their grain,” he said.

“As at today’s date, GMB depots countrywide are holding a total of $480 158 in uncollected farmer cash payments from previous disbursements dating back to August 2015. Accordingly, farmers without bank accounts who delivered grain in the previous marketing season and have not been paid are urged to visit their respective depots to collect their payments.”

Mr Chikaura said any queries related to payments effected through bank transfers should be directed to the respective depot managers or the GMB hotline telephone line04-701898 or emailed to publicrelations@gmbdura.co.zw <mailto:publicrelations@gmbdura.co.zw>.

“Farmers are also advised that Government has put in place a financing plan to clear outstanding farmer payments for the current marketing season 2015-16,” he said.

“The plan is already being implemented through the GMB and outstanding payments are expected to be cleared as soon as pos- sible.”

Despite challenges in non-payment, farmers have continued delivering maize to the GMB with more than 26 950 tonnes having been delivered to the national silo this year.

Government is this year planning to assist 300 000 vulnerable households through inputs support schemes at a cost of $28 million.

The inputs support package will comprise a 10kg bag of maize seed, a 50kg bag of Compound D and a bag of Ammonium Nitrate for top dressing fertilisers.

Government is also working on arrangements to bring in private sector participation in agriculture financing while it focuses on supporting vulnerable household farmers through an input pack scheme.

Minister Mupfumira

Felex Share Senior Reporter
Ministries have finished examining the civil service audit as Government draws closer to implementing a rationalisation that is expected to bring major reforms in the public service sector.

Implementation of the audit will see a reduction of the civil service wage bill with Government departments with replicated functions being merged, several workers being redeployed and the functions of all departments being streamlined.

This is in line with the Zim-Asset Public Administration, Governance and Performance Management sub-cluster which is guided by the Results Based Management System and focuses on budgeting and resourcing, public sector modernisation and civil service reform, fostering good governance and building capacities for public sector institutions.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira (pictured right) yesterday said in an interview that the input by various ministries would be tabled in Cabinet next week for adoption, with implementation of key reforms beginning thereafter.

“We gave them (ministries) the final audit report, in line with the Cabinet directive, for them to have a look at it and also have their input and this they have finished,” she said.

“We are going to discuss about their comments and recommendations in the next Cabinet sitting. The Ministries were studying the report and consulting with the departments under their purview and now each ministry has a global position with regards to the recommendations.

“It is all about rationalising the civil service with a view cut down the wage bill and do away with unnecessary expenditure. After Cabinet deliberates on the document, we will start implementing the recommendations in totality. People should also know that rationalising is not a one day event but a process meaning even after the first measures are taken, we will continue looking at various ways of reforming our civil service.”

It is understood that the Information, Media and Broadcasting Services; and Tourism and Hospitality Industry ministries have already collapsed unnecessary departments while The Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development has redeployed idle extension officers who were duplicating duties.

Auditors project that full implementation of the recommendations spelt out in the audit will see Government saving more than $400 million annually.

Government wants to streamline its labour costs as public sector salaries are gobbling 83 percent of revenue, inhibiting capacity to steer socio-economic development.

Chief labour cost drivers, according to the audit, are flagrant abuse of overtime allowances and leave days, salary fraud, idle manpower, role duplication and uncoordinated staff recruitment.

The Audit Report recommends centralised staff recruitment, merging some departments, streamlining roles and functions of remaining departments and cutting salary support to grant-aided institutions.

School Development Associations have been employing their own teachers unprocedurally, compelling Government to pay teachers who did not come through the authorised establishment.

The audit also suggests scrapping manpower development benefits, curtailing promotions and withholding salaries for the 3 000-plus absentee civil servants caught out by the audit.

Leave days will be monitored and anyone linked to salary fraud will be disciplined.

In the first half of 2015, Treasury spent US$1,54 billion on labour costs against revenue of US$1,718 billion.

Monthly, US$120 million is spent on salaries, with the least-paid taking home about US$380.

Government has 188 070 workers, excluding the uniformed forces and Health Services Board personnel.