Acting President Joice Mujuru welcomes outgoing South Korean Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Kwang-chul Lew at her Munhumutapa Offices in Harare yesterday

Herald Reporter
South Korean companies are keen to invest in Zimbabwe and strengthen the bilateral relations existing between the two countries, outgoing Seoul ambassador to Harare Mr Kwang-Chul Lew said yesterday. The envoy paid a courtesy call on Acting President Joice Mujuru at her Munhumutapa Offices to bid her farewell. Mr Kwang said Zimbabwe’s economy had great potential to become one the best on the continent.

“I came to say goodbye to Her Excellency (Acting President Mujuru) and we discussed a number of issues. The country has economic potential and we have a number of South Korean companies who want to come and invest in the country once the requirements are agreed on,” he said.

“It is my hope that we are going to strengthen economic relations that are beneficiary to the two countries.”

He said Zimbabwe’s strength in mining and agriculture would take the country far.

“Zimbabwe has four pillars of the economy which include mining, agriculture, manufacturing, trade and commerce and I don’t know which one is going to make a big impact first but these pillars will take them far as far as the growth of the economy is concerned,” Mr Kwang said.

“It is these areas that must be used and properly managed to develop the country’s industry to a high level.”

He said South Korean companies were interested in infrastructure, energy and resources development.

“During my tenure a number of Zimbabwean ministers have gone to South Korea to exchange ideas and several delegations have come here to discuss business. This must continue to be consolidated,” he said.

South Korea, which is a strong ally of the United States, has maintained good, cordial and co-operative ties with Zimbabwe since the establishment of diplomatic ties with Harare in 1994.

The country has rendered assistance to Zimbabwe in various sectors including agriculture, health, education, energy, technical training as well as water and sanitation.

Swaga Mama
Some of you have been asking me to discuss the topic of contraceptives in schools. Should condoms and pills and other contraceptives be put in toilets at academic institutions?
Most adults would say no, period. This is based on moral principles and traditional cultural values which say that young people should abstain until marriage, so there will be no discussion on their contraception wants.

Some teens, away from parental and teacher censure would say yes.

They would say that they have the right to choose what to do with their bodies.

Personally I feel that the best thing to do is to let teens have all the information so that they can make informed decisions. But ultimately the adoption of principles is an individual decision.

In the matter of contraceptives in schools, as a parent and a teacher I also say no, those things have no place in our educational institutions and I am going to give you three reasons why.

First of all the argument for putting condoms in schools says many teens are having sex anyway as shown by the number of teen pregnancies, abortions and other indicators.

But I say that just because some teens are making bad choices with their lives, there is no need to then make them the standard by which we view a whole generation.

By putting contraceptives in schools, I feel this is deliberately encouraging students who have decided to abstain to consider becoming sexually active because we will be saying that is the normal thing to do.

Secondly, I think that there is nothing wrong with keeping encouraging young people to delay their sexual debut or to abstain. It is never too late to take a different road in life.

And if teens decide not to take that advice, then they must think out their decision and the walk to the health centre or to the shops will give them the opportunity to do just that.

Finally, my biggest argument is that there are no bedrooms at school. Even in boarding schools there are no facilities for students to use as sex nests.

Those of you who choose to have sex have to make arrangements for places where they can do this.

If you are innovative enough to find a venue, then surely you are clever enough to take care of your contraceptive needs without the help of the school authorities.

At the end of the day, the decisions are yours to make. After all, it is your life to build or ruin, as you choose.

But never forget that the present is the past that you will look back at in the future. Are you going to be filled with regret at the opportunities that you wasted or are you going to feel satisfaction at how you handled your life from the word go?

Noah Pito in HURUNGWE
Government should impose stiffer penalties on child rapists including castration and long prison terms as a solution to the vice that has devastated lives and hopes of many children, an official has said.
Zanu-PF Mashonaland West Provincial chairlady Cde Constance Shamu said this while addressing hundreds of women who gathered at Magunje Growth Point for the belated commemoration of International Women’s Day on Friday.

Cde Shamu said the current custodial sentences on rapists were not deterrent enough as some perpetrators had the potential of repeating the offences upon release from jails.

“Even if such perpetrators are locked up in jail for 30 years, they have the potential of getting back to their old tricks when they complete their sentences. Government must consider the burdizzo (device for castrating bulls). I feel this will put an end to this scourge.

“President Mugabe last year also proposed this. I think it is the most deterrent penalty of all the options at our disposal. This view should be forwarded to (Woman’s Affairs Gender and Community Development Minister) Mai (Oppah) Muchinguri,” she said.

Cde Shamu thanked President Mugabe and Government for bringing changes that have subsequently emancipated women from several forms of injustices particularly through the introduction of the Domestic Violence Act, Equals Pay Legislation, Legal Age of Majority Act and the Labour Relations Act among others. She hailed the new Constitution, which she said put men and women on the same footing, hence this year’s theme, “Celebrating women’s gains through constitutional provisions”.

Cde Shamu urged women in Hurungwe to take up lucrative ventures like mining, which over the years had remained the preserve of men, saying under the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset), men and women should work side by side for the development of the country.

Hurungwe District Administrator Ms Tsana Chirau said she was happy that women were fairly represented in key leadership posts in the district.

“While I hold the office of the DA, we also have two female MPs in the district, Cde Sarah Mahoka for Hurungwe East constituency and Cde Goodluck Kwaramba for Hurungwe constituency (women’s quota).

“At the Hurungwe Rural District Council we also have two women heading the Social Services Department and that of Agriculture and Natural Resources while Karoi GMB and the Department of Lands are also headed by women. I can’t enumerate them all, in fact there are various key posts now in the hands of women in the district, this is highly commended,” she said.

Cde Shamu thanked Mrs Miriam Kagoro, head of the Department of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development in the area for organising a successful event that brought together women from Hurungwe’s five constituencies for the first time in history. She also donated household utensils and linen which were later used as prizes in a modelling show also held during the same occasion.

International Women’s Day commemorations are held annually on March 8 across the world to celebrate the social, political and economic achievements of women, while also focusing attention on areas that need improvement.

Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa’s United Family International Church members march in Harare yesterday ahead of the church’s mega event dubbed Judgement Night 2 on Saturday.

Herald Reporters
Thousands of United Family International Church members, led by Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa, yesterday marched through the streets of Harare ahead of their mega event dubbed Judgment Night 2 set for Saturday at the National Sports Stadium.
They marched from the City Sports Centre just outside the Central Business District to Africa Unity Square.

UFIC spokesperson Pastor Prime Kufakunesu said people should expect a lot from Judgment Night 2.

“Judgment night is set to transform the lives of many and it is important to note that what happens in the physical is not just physical, it all begins in the spiritual,” he said.

“Our spirits have registered that something has taken place in the heavens and God is ready to judge our enemies or any kind of demon fighting us.”

Among the marchers were international visitors who are already in the country for Judgment Night 2 and Pastor Kufakunesu said they were humbled to learn that people were flying and driving in from abroad.

The UFIC members, clad in t-shirts inscribed with messages related to Judgment Night 2 and singing, stretched for more than three kilometres and were led by the Zimbabwe National Army brass band and drum majorettes.

Organisers say they expect some 150 000 people to attend the event which Prophet Makandiwa has described as “a defining moment”.

Arrangements have been made to accommodate many of the participants outside the National Sports Stadium which has an official carrying capacity of 60 000.

The march included a clean-up campaign where members of the church’s cleaning department swept parts of the streets.

Catholics from Kuwadzana Parish celebrate Palm Sunday, which falls on the penultimate Sunday before Easter. The procession commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem

Herald Reporter
MonsignoR Kizito Mhembere yesterday led hundreds of Roman Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish worshippers in a march to celebrate Palm Sunday in Harare.
The procession, led by priests, which is also known as Passion Sunday, saw worshippers march along Herbert Chitepo Avenue and Sam Nujoma Street, while waving palm branches as part of the celebration to mark the beginning of Easter. In an interview, one of the priests, Father Joseph Dandiro, said during Palm Sunday, Catholics celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.

“Jesus entered Jerusalem as king and liberator of humanity. It is about the agony Jesus went through before he met his death.

“Palm Sunday, often referred to as Passion Sunday, marks the beginning of the holy week as Jesus begins his journey to the cross, which ends on Easter Sunday.

“This day is important, as you can see Christians waving palm branches the same way the crowds greeted Jesus when he entered Jerusalem by waving palm branches and covering his path with palm branches,” he said.

Father Dandiro added that the day was also meant to celebrate the life of Jesus.

“We are also celebrating his leadership because Jesus was Lord and King sent by God which many did not understand as they took him for the son of Joseph and Mary,” he said.

A girl who was part of the procession said she had no idea what the day symbolised but was merely following her mother’s instructions to attend church.

Dr Chombo

Municipal Reporter
Government has given illegal settlers in Chitungwiza and Seke communal lands three weeks to demolish and vacate their structures, while calling for the arrest of land barons who swindled home seekers of millions of dollars.
Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo last week said the people had exposed themselves to varying degrees of danger by settling on wetlands, municipal servitude lines, and too close to high voltage power pylons.

An audit of land management and allocation in Chitungwiza and Seke revealed that more than 14 000 residential stands were illegally allocated in the two areas.

Of these, 8 260 stands are in Chitungwiza and 6 200 are in Seke under Manyame Rural District Council.

The land was reserved for clinics, churches, schools, cemeteries, recreational facilities and roads.

“What human rights are those when some people intentionally settle and expose themselves and society at large to inevitable catastrophe, as some of our erstwhile detractors masquerading as gurus of human rights upholders, would want us to believe?

“We categorically say no to this kind of upholding of human rights. In this connection let me here and now unequivocally pronounce that henceforth, we are giving all those improperly settled exactly three weeks to voluntarily relocate themselves, failure of which Government with assistance from police shall provide assisted exit,” Minister Chombo said.

He was speaking at the launch of the Housing Co-operatives Operational Framework and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Infrastructure Provision.

Environment, Water and Climate Minister Saviour Kasukuwere said Chitungwiza had 912ha of wetlands of which 723 had already been built on.

“Our ancestors used to grow rice in these wetlands but now we have replaced rice with houses. I know we all want land to build on but we should get land in appropriate areas.

“You have made money, yes you are a land baron but are you going to sleep well knowing that the people you sold land to are drinking sewer water? We must do things correctly,” he said.

Minister Kasukuwere urged the Environmental Management Agency officers to educate residents on wetlands preservation.

Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Deputy Minister Joel Biggie Matiza said there was rampant corruption in Chitungwiza with councillors passing irregular resolutions on land allocations.

“There was duplication of stand numbers and a lot of backdating of the waiting list. Barons had set up their own parallel council which was dishing out land and approving plans,” he said.

He said they had faced resistance from barons who were using their networks to stop demolitions.

Chitungwiza Town Clerk Mr George Makunde said more than 4 000 people in the town would be affected by the demolitions.

“We will institute measures to make sure that some form of restitution comes to council from the land barons,” he added.

Geoffrey Nyarota

Peter Matambanadzo Senior Reporter
The Information and Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI), which was established last year to promote and elevate the standards of media practice in Zimbabwe, will today start a nationwide tour looking into challenges affecting media operations and identify opportunities and prospects for the industry.
In an interview yesterday, IMPI chairman Geoffrey Nyarota, said the outreach programme would commence in Marondera, Rusape, Mutare, Chimanimani and Masvingo before visiting other areas.

“The outreach programme will involve public meetings, interviews and general discussions with media and information stakeholders as well as members of the public on various issues concerning the media,” Nyarota said.

He said there were seven thematic committees set up to cover issues including media as business, information platforms and content of media products, media training capacity building and ethics, media law reform and access to information, employment opportunities and conditions of service of journalists, polarisation, perception and interference as well as gender issues and media advocacy.

“We will be inquiring into all these issues that have aroused complaints and concerns.

“When we finish we transcribe the information from the thematic committees and go through it before we submit our final report of our findings to the Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Ministry,” he said.

Nyarota said the panel had been given four months to undertake the inquiry and had already received nine Isuzu twin cabs to undertake their mandate.

“In July, we then submit our findings based on information we received from the people. We will then attach our recommendations that improve the media of Zimbabwe. So we encourage people to send information on their views on the information industry,” Nyarota said.

He said the reports would be forwarded to Parliament by the ministry.

IMPI, which comprises of 28 members including several senior journalists and experts from other professions, was launched last year by the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services to assess the state of the information and media industry in the country.

Some of the experts include deputy chairperson, Thembe Khumalo and members Dumisani Muleya, Pikirai Deketeke, Chris Chivinge, Foster Dongozi, media lecturer Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri and Plaxedes Wenyika.

The panel is also expected to inquire into media funding challenges, issues of access, ownership, media diversity and staff welfare among other issues.

The establishment of the panel; the brain child of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Professor Jonathan Moyo and his team, followed familiriasation tours of media houses made by the ministry after the elections.

This is the first systematic and comprehensive inquiry into the state of the information sector since independence.

Midlands Correspondent
Zanu-PF romped to victory in council by-elections, winning the Mkoba Ward 12 seat in Gweru at the weekend. Its candidate, Cde Charles Simbi, defeated MDC-T and NCA candidates.
Cde Simbi garnered 556 votes while his bitter rival, Mr Fortunate Chiokori of MDC-T, got 486 votes and Mr Richard Ndlovu of NCA polled 64 votes.

The latest win consolidated Zanu-PF’s dominance in local government countrywide with its council haul rising to 1 501 wards to MDC-T’s 442.

There are 92 local authorities countrywide that consist of 1 958 wards.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission provincial election officer Mrs Dorcas Mpofu confirmed the results.

Ward 12, which was declared vacant following the death of Councillor Elvis Mavhondo of MDC-T last year becomes Zanu-PF’s third council seat out of 19.

Zanu-PF Midlands chairman Cde Jason Machaya said the win was timely considering that the party was in the process of implementing Zim-Asset.

“We are happy that we managed to secure Ward 12 seat in Mkoba. This shows that people have confidence in the revolutionary party and that they have received and understood the message in our economic blueprint (ZimAsset).

“We were solidly united when we went into this election unlike the other parties which were divided as reflected by their infighting. People have lost confidence in other parties. For instance, in the last election, MDC-T got about 1 200 votes but this time they got less votes.

“We would also want to thank the people in Gweru for voting peacefully during this council by-election,” he said.

Cde Simbi said he was ready to deliver.

“People have shown confidence in me and I will not disappoint them. We endeared ourselves to the people through Zim-Asset.

“We want to fully implement the economic blueprint in urban centres as is being done in rural areas,” he said.

Agriculture Reporters
Flue-cured tobacco worth US$227 million has been sold at the country’s auction floors as deliveries increase ahead of the Independence and Easter holidays. Many farmers want to sell their crop before auction floors close from April 18 to 21.
Long queues of lorries laden with tobacco bales were the order of the day at auction floors in Harare yesterday.

Statistics from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board show that 72 million kilogrammes of the golden leaf have been sold since February, with auction floors handling 23 million kg and contract floors accounting for 49 million kg.

The Tobacco Sales Floor is laying around 8 800 bales per day, Boka Tobacco Floors 4 600 bales and Premier Tobacco Floors 4 800 bales.

The highest price paid at the auction floors remains US$4,99 per kg.

TIMB chief executive Dr Andrew Matibiri said, “This season tobacco prices are a bit depressed than the previous season,” attributing this to a lower crop quality.

Boka Tobacco Floors operations manager Mr Moses Bias said the quality of crop being delivered was steadily improving.

“We have had an increase in the deliveries. We are now at the peak period,” he added.

Premier Tobacco Floors managing director Mr Philemon Mangena said some farmers were delivering their crop to the floors without having made prior booking arrangements.

“Most farmers want to sell their crop before the holidays. Those who would have booked before coming to the floors will not wait in the queues, but deliver their crop as they come.”

Farmers were expectedly divided on the fairness of prices on offer.

“A good crop fetches a high price while a low quality crop will have a low price. The prices are fair,” said Raffingora farmer, Mr Andrew Sabau.

Hurungwe farmer Mrs Enedy Chinheya differed, saying: “The prices are discouraging. I got US$2 per kg and I am very disappointed.”

Around 180 million kg of tobacco are expected to be sold at the auction floors this season.

Herald Reporter
MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai does not have capacity to head a united front of opposition parties seeking to remove Zanu-PF and President Mugabe from power, MDC leader Professor Welshman Ncube has said.
Speaking to online media at the weekend, Prof Ncube said the opposition would only defeat the revolutionary party if they formed a formidable united front.

However, he said Mr Tsvangirai did not have the wherewithal to lead such a coalition.

“I have no doubt that if we are able to put forward a candidate as opposition, a candidate of a united front, that candidate would win the next election in Zimbabwe,” he said.

“The identity of that candidate (for the coalition), the name of that candidate matters not.

“What matters is that candidate must be an undoubted democrat. I regret to say I do not classify Tsvangirai in that category,” he said.

Prof Ncube described his political opponent and MDC-T leader, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai as undemocratic, insisting his party would not join the outfit as it was characterised by violence and dictatorship.

Mr Tsvangirai has been on a countrywide tour to drum up support following calls by senior party officials under the tag MDC-Team for him to step down for fanning violence, being undemocratic as well as losing six consecutive elections.

“You cannot invite people to a big tent. It doesn’t matter how big it is if it is a rotten tent.

‘‘As long as it is a tent which stinks to high heaven with dictatorship, violence, violation of everything that we stood for against (President) Mugabe, it can be big as you want it . . . it can contain millions of people, it’s not worth the numbers that it has,” he said.

“I have absolutely no respect and I am absolutely not impressed by the big tent politics which has no conception of what the struggle against Mugabe is.”

Prof Ncube was the secretary-general of the MDC before it split in 2005 following disagreements over participation in Senate elections and other party issues that included Mr Tsvangirai’s dictatorial tendencies and use of violence to silence critics.

A number of officials then, that include Ms Priscillah Misihairabwi-Mushonga, Ms Trudy Stevenson, Edwin Mushoriwa and former Director of Security Mr Peter Guhu were assaulted by youths loyal to Mr Tsvangirai.

The MDC-T’s former deputy treasurer general, Mr Elton Mangoma, was assaulted outside Harvest House after he had written to Mr Tsvangirai asking him to step down.

Herald Reporter
The 34th Independence Day commemorations will give Zanu-PF the opportunity to thank Zimbabweans for their unwavering support during last year’s harmonised elections, provincial leaders have said.
Friday’s celebrations will be held under the theme “Zimbabwe @34: Defending Our Sovereignty and Providing an Enabling Environment for Economic and Social Transformation”.

The main celebrations will be at the National Sports Stadium in Harare, while others will be held at provincial, district and ward levels.

Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs will read President Mugabe’s speech across the country.

The annual Children’s Party, hosted by President Mugabe for school children from the country’s 10 provinces, will be held on Thursday at the City Sports Centre in the capital.

Chairman of the Harare organising committee Mr Alfred Tome said all was set for the big event with school children and members of the uniformed forces conducting rehearsals regularly.

“This is an event where we are coming out of a very important year where we defeated imperialists once and for all,” he said. “Every patriotic Zimbabwean should not miss these celebrations because they are different from the usual ones we had in the past years. We have been furnished with the theme which is for economic and social development of the country.”

Mr Tome said people should be seated early to avoid a repeat of last year where hundreds were locked out as the stadium was full.

“There is entertainment lined up where popular musicians will be performing. People should be there early. We have so far 25 buses to carry people to and from the stadium at the usual pick up points.”

Mashonaland East Provincial Affairs Minister Simbaneuta Mudarikwa said they were putting the final touches on local preparations.

“Everyone is looking forward to the day and some of the districts in the province like Uzumba-Maramba-Pfungwe have so far raised more than 84 beasts, 602 goats and over US$6 000 for the celebrations.

“This is a sign that it is a time to celebrate and remember the sacrifices made for independence to come.”

Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti said the local organising committee would have a preparatory meeting today to tie up “loose ends”.

His Matabeleland North counterpart, Ambassador Cain Mathema, said Government would use the celebrations to remind the nation to keep its focus on Zim-Asset.

JOB SIKHALA

Herald Reporter
Police are keen to quiz MDC-T’s Job Sikhala over utterances that he made at the weekend where he urged party supporters to brace for “war” against the Government.
Police chief spokesperson Senior Assistant Commisioner Charity Charamba confirmed the development last night.
“We have invited him over utterances he made at a rally in Kuwadzana at the weekend,” she said. Sikhala’s lawyer and MDC-T official Mr Obert Gutu said he had talked to officials at the Law and Order section and assured them that he would come with Sikhala this morning.

“I have made an arrangement with the officers that we will take my client to Harare Central Police tomorrow at 10am,” he said. “We do not know what they want, but if law enforcement agents invite us, my client is a law abiding citizen so he will duly comply.”

Mr Gutu said enquiries he made showed the police wanted to quiz Sikhala over some utterances he made at a rally.

Sikhala, who returned to the MDC-T fold recently, addressed party supporters in Harare’s Kuwadzana suburb where he attempted to incite people against the Government. Sikhala was accompanied by MDC-T national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa at the rally.

Information and Media Panel of Inquiry chairperson Geoff Nyarota clashes with Zanu- PF secretary for labour and production for Manicaland Cde Nathan Mhiripiri during an outreach programme in Rusape yesterday. (Picture by Innocent Makawa)

Lloyd Gumbo in Rusape
Zanu-PF secretary for labour and production in Manicaland province, Cde Nathan Mhiripiri yesterday disrupted an outreach of the Information and Media Panel of Inquiry in Rusape saying he had not been officially informed about it.
He also protested the inclusion of IMPI chairperson, Mr Geoffrey Nyarota, in the panel, saying he would use the forum to further MDC-T interests.

Mr Nyarota contested and lost a parliamentary race in the July 31, 2013 harmonised elections on an MDC-T ticket.

Government established IMPI to assess state of the information and media industry in Zimbabwe. It is the first such study of the information sector since independence.

Cde Mhiripiri arrived during cluster group consultations and threatened to lock people inside Vhengere Hall while some people who accompanied him said they would assault everyone.

“The person leading this delegation contested at the last elections on an MDC-T ticket,” he said. “He is now using this platform to mislead our people. I am the secretary for labour and production in this province, why was I not informed about this meeting? We don’t want our people to be misled.

“You people should go back and tell whoever sent you that Cde Mhiripiri sent us back and advised us to come back when you have informed us about the meeting.”

Cde Mhiripiri claimed Mr Nyarota had an axe to grind with Zanu-PF after his electoral loss. Mr Nyarota implored Cde Mhiripiri to stop the threats and advised him that the panel was on Government business and would fulfil its mandate.

“These meetings were advertised in the Press since last week.

“We did not have to come to Mhiripiri to inform you that there would be a meeting. It’s unfortunate that we are just starting our outreach so we have learnt a few things about how to address those issues going forward,” said Mr Nyarota.

The cluster groups prematurely ended their meetings as Cde Mhiripiri stole the show and headed to Marondera earlier than scheduled.

Both meetings had low attendance which Mr Nyarota attributed to poor communication.

“We got off to a reasonable start but the beginning of any project always entails challenges, i.e. communications about the project. In Marondera people gathered before the advertised time so by the time we got there, we found them gone. But we had a contingent plan to follow them wherever they were, like at the markets, to get their views. In Rusape, the meeting generated so much interest as we got a lot of feedback.

“However, going forward, we will ensure people are informed. The meeting in Mutare tomorrow (today) will be at Queen’s Hall not City Hall as advertised in the Press,” said Mr Nyarota.

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists secretary-general Foster Dongozi said most of the public’s submissions yesterday would contribute to growth of a better information and media sector.

“The issues being raised by journalists are that they want a national employment council and creation of an environment that is safe for their operations.

“Media consumers on the other hand are saying there is a need to improve content quality while at the same time imploring journalists to be ethical and professional,” he said.

Contributors said there was a need for the media to stop their obsession with politics and write more people-centred stories.

Play the video below

They also implored all media organisations to respect the country and Government of the day.

Some contributors called for opening up of the airwaves to engender greater diversity, especially in regard to the electronic media; while national broadcaster ZTV was urged to improve its programming, though others said it was doing well under the economic  circumstances.

They also hailed The Herald for providing reliable information while castigating some sections of the private media for publishing misleading and inaccurate information.

Ali Sadiki

Prosper Dembedza Court Reporter
FC Platinum and Warriors midfielder Ali Sadiki was today ordered to pay monthly maintenance of $352 for the upkeep of his daughter and maintenance for his ex-wife’s eight-months pregnancy.

Harare magistrate Mr Tafadzwa Muvhami also ordered Sadiki to pay another one off payment of $300 for the expenses of his unborn child with the ex-wife Sharon Chimwanza before the end of April.

In passing the judgement, Mr Muvhami said the parties stayed together for seven years before separating three weeks ago.

He said Chimwanza claimed $600 for herself and $517 for one minor child.

“The court has noted that the applicant is eight months pregnant and she revealed that the respondent was neglecting his child,” said Mr Muvhami.

“It is understood that the respondent did not oppose that the applicant wants to be maintained as he offered $200.The child should be included in the order.”

Mr Muvhami said the court took into consideration that it was the duty of the parents to take care of the children.

“I will take into consideration that the respondent earns $800 only and I will give 50 percent of every amount claimed as it is the duty of all parents to take care of the child,” he said.

Sadiki was last week summoned to the Harare civil court by Chimwanza who was claiming $1 117 for the upkeep of their daughter and maintenance of her eight months pregnancy.

Chimwanza told the court that the footballer was not taking care of her eight months pregnancy and their daughter.

She said Sadiki also played for the national squad where he gets paid $800 together with camping allowance and was recently in Malawi with the national team where he was paid $800.

Snr Assist Com Charamba

Crime Reporter
The MDC-T Binga North Member of Parliament Prince Madubeko Sibanda who was arrested on Monday on allegations of drugging, raping and infecting a 17-year-old girl with a sexually-transmitted infection in Victoria Falls is still in custody.
It is reported that Sibanda handed himself over to police after the teenager reported on Sunday about the alleged rape which left her hospitalised with an unspecified STI.
When she was raped in November last year, she was allegedly given $20 as inducement not to reveal the matter to anyone.
Investigations have revealed that the teenager is the daughter of a senior MDC-T party official in Matabeleland North province.
Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba confirmed the arrest.
“He is still in police custody and assisting with investigations. He will appear in court soon once investigations have been completed,” she said.
She said last year on November 12, Sibanda met her in Victoria Falls and offered her a lift to Mkhosana high density suburb.
Sibanda then gave the teenager a drink believed to have been laced with a drug and she became weak.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said Sibanda diverted the route and drove to a bushy area along the Victoria Falls-Kazungula Road where he raped her.
“He gave her $20 and ordered her not to inform anyone about the matter,” she said.
It is reported that the teenager, who was studying at a Victoria Falls private college, almost failed to write her final Ordinary level examinations after falling ill with a sexually-transmitted infection.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said the girl’s parents questioned her and she revealed the matter.
Her father confronted Sibanda and it is alleged that they agreed an out-of-court settlement.
Sibanda later failed to honour the agreement and a report was made to the police.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said rape was a serious offence which attract a stiff penalty and should not be negotiated between families.
She said the force would ensure that they execute their duties without fear or favour regardless of one’s position in society.

Midlands Correspondent
OVER 20 000 people in the Midlands Province contracted Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) between January and September last year.
Statistics released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care yesterday during a breakfast meeting organised by the National Aids Council (NAC) Midlands Province showed that 20 306 STI cases were recorded between January and September with Gokwe South, Zvishavane and Vungu districts constituting over 50 percent of the recorded cases.

Gweru district medical officer, Dr Shakespeare Mureyani said of the cases, 12 349 cases were females while 7 957 were males.
Dr Mureyani, however, said the recorded cases had dropped marginally compared to the same period last year.

“According to these figures, women are at higher risk compared to men,” he said.
Dr Mureyani said Midlands recorded a high number of deaths as a result of opportunistic infections after some parts of the province were hit by a shortage of anti-retroviral drugs while some of the patients resisted ARV treatment.

“We recorded 1 443 deaths as a result of opportunistic infections in the province. This was mainly due to ARV drug interruptions in Gokwe South. We faced serious resistance by patients,” he said.

Dr Mureyani said there was a low turnout to voluntary male circumcision in the province.
“We were targeting 9 450 people between 15 and 49 years to undergo voluntary male circumcision last year but we only managed to circumcise 6 861,” he said.

NAC Midlands provincial monitoring and evaluation officer, Ms Margaret Mika recently said some parts of Midlands were also hit by shortage of supply of drugs for people living with HIV.

“There are 84 467 people on first line ART in the province, of which 6 297 are children and 78 170 are adults.
Stock outs were reported in Gokwe South and Chirumanzu due to logistical hiccups at Natpharm,” she said.

Herald Reporter
Real Open Opportunities for Transformation Support (Roots), a local youth lobby group, has launched a programme in Bindura to foster fruitful synergies and form partnerships that promote economic empowerment of young people.
This comes after a survey indicated that 75 percent of working age youths in Zimbabwe are not formally employed.
Recently, launching the Partners Inception programme, Roots co-ordinator Ms Wadzanai Mazingaise said the organisation would assist youths to start profitable projects in their communities.

“Our mission is to become a vehicle that promotes economic justice for young people to recognise and realise their personal development and sexual reproductive health rights.

“We want to capacitate young people who are responsible and economically empowered. Roots’ work is premised on the fact that if chances of young people to access resources are increased, they can break the cycle of poverty that exists in many communities. They in turn can increase their choices and options,” she said.
She said youths in Bindura should form clusters focusing on different projects to enable them to access financial support.

“We want to work with various stakeholders here in Bindura to find more and better ways of funding youths projects for the betterment of the community at large,” she said.

Representing National Assember member for Bindura North constituency Cde Kenneth Musanhi (ZANU-PF), Mr Stanley Jaji said Government was committed to assisting youths to start their own businesses in line indigenisation and empowerment policies.

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Presidential Affairs Minister and ZANU-PF secretary for administration Cde Dydmus Mutasa yesterday distanced himself from claims by the party’s Mashonaland West provincial chairperson, Cde Temba Mliswa, that he tried to facilitate an out-of-court settlement in a US$165 million dispute with businessman, Mr Conrad Billy Rautenbach.

Cde Mliswa also alleged that his uncle, Cde Mutasa, used his influence as a party heavyweight in Manicaland province to allow Mr Rautenbach to set up the Chisumbanje ethanol plant.

Arda chairperson, Cde Basil Nyabadza — who Cde Mliswa said had a house bought for him by Mr Rautenbach — also reiterated he knew nothing of the allegations and would privately pursue action against the Hurungwe West legislator.

He declined to say what action he would be taking, though previously he had said he would file a complaint with the police. State-owned Arda is a shareholder in the Chisumbanje project, which is trading as Green Fuel.

Cde Mliswa has claimed he is owed more than US$165 million for facilitating Mr Rautenbach’s interests in Hwange Colliery, Unki Platinum and Chisumbanje.
His allegations dragged in the Arda chair and Cde Mutasa.

Cde Mutasa yesterday said, “I don’t want to be interviewed about those issues. They have nothing to do with me. Mliswa has got his own life and I have my own life. Don’t mix. I don’t want to talk about that again.”

Cde Nyabadza said, “I have already taken a position after I took some advice. I will handle it from a personal point of view.”

He said his action would be made known when the time was ripe.

“I am not saying I have abandoned the (police) case. It’s a personal issue that I will handle as such,” said Cde Nyabadza, former ZANU-PF Manicaland interim provincial chair.

Two weeks ago, Cde Mliswa said Cdes Mutasa and Nyabadza tried to mediate in his multimillion dollar dispute with Mr Rautenbach. He said he helped Mr Rautenbach get platinum concessions at Unki and to supply coal to Hwange Colliery.

Cde Mliswa said Mr Rautenbach sold the Unki concession for US$1 billion and he was entitled to 10 percent of that (US$100 million).

Further, he said he was not paid US$10 per tonne of coal and US$5 per tonne of coke supplied by Mr Rautenbach to Hwange. He alleged the money was not paid and that.

On top of that, he wants ten percent of the value of Green Fuel, which he said was worth US$650 million. Cde Mliswa said Mr Rautenbach exported ethanol and coal even as Zimbabwe faced an energy crisis.

He went on, “The onus is on you (journalists) to go and ask the Honourable Minister (Cde Mutasa) ‘did Billy ask you to settle this out of court?’ Because he is an Honourable MP and he so happens to be my uncle, I trusted my uncle. I decided that the matter be settled out of court because he had gone and asked him to do that.

“Basil Nyabadza was there. I am the one who took Billy to Arda.  Basil Nyabadza never knew Billy. Why was I in a flight from Harare to Arda? Certainly I was not a flight attendant. It is a helicopter, a helicopter does not need a flight attendant. So what was I doing? It would be good for him (Billy) to answer what I was doing on that flight,” he said.

Cde Mliswa said he wanted to set up the ethanol plant but did not have the finances, hence he roped in Mr Rautenbach.

He claimed Mr Rautenbach bought Cde Nyabadza a house in Mutare and gave “brown envelopes” to several politicians — who he said he would soon expose — to oil his deals.

Dr Chimedza

Health Reporter
ABOUT 9 000 girls aged 10-years-old from two districts in the country will receive an anti-cervical cancer vaccine under a 20-month pilot project.
At a Press conference on the sidelines of the human papilloma virus (HPV) training of health workers in Harare yesterday, Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Paul Chimedza said vaccinations would start on May 19 in Beitbridge and Marondera.

Dr Chimedza said 4 441 girls were earmarked to receive the vaccine in 2014, and another 4 490 in 2015. The girls are to complete a course of three vaccinations over a six-month period.

Dr Chimedza said thereafter, depending on the results, Government would rollout a national programme targeting all girls aged nine and 10-years-old.
“The goal of HPV vaccination is to lead to a reduction in cervical cancer deaths, and improvement in the health and lives of women for generations to come. He said the two pilot districts were chosen because of previous successes in vaccinations there.

Dr Chimedza said, “Learning derived from the 2014 and 2015 rounds of vaccination in the two districts will be used to inform the national roll-out of the vaccination programme scheduled for 2016.”

The initial roll-out of the vaccine is funded by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations.

Cancer expert Professor Mike Chirenje applauded Government for trying out the anti-cancer vaccine. He said cervical cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and one of the leading causes of deaths in women living with HIV.

Itai Mazire Herald Reporter
The Prosecutor General’s Office is preparing extradition papers for three Indian diamond businessmen who are believed to have fled to Mumbai, India, after they fraudulently elbowed out Zimbabweans from their gold mining company in Chegutu.The Indians — Nandlal, Nitin and Navneet Goenka brothers —  who own a diamond and jewellery company in Mumbai flew into  Zimbabwe sometime in April 2010.

Deputy Officer Commanding Serious Frauds section Chief Superintendent Peter Magwenzi confirmed the development saying police had since issued an international warrant of arrest for the Indians through Interpol.

“The Prosecutor General’s office is now finalising the extradition papers of the Goenka brothers who fled the country recently after they realised that we were tracking them with regards to the fraudulent change of partnership papers of a gold mining firm.

“We have since established that Navneet was arrested in India in December 2013 for transferring Nitin, his younger brother’s shares into another account without his knowledge.

“The Goenkas, working in connivance approached one Anil Pandey who is the managing director of Pure Minerals Zimbabwe and misrepresented to him that they wanted to enter into partnership in gold mining,” said Chief Supt Magwenzi.

According to police records, Pandey incorporated the Goenkas into Pure Minerals Zimbabwe (Pvt) Limited as investor shareholders and the company became a joint venture.

Pandey and other local shareholders retained 50 percent shareholding and gave the Goenkas 50 percent free shareholding on the basis that they would inject $10 million capital equipment.

On June 20, 2012, soon after the state-of-the-art machinery was set up in Chegutu and production was about to start the Goenkas, allegedly working in cahoots with one Patrick Chiwanza held a meeting to revoke the directorship and shareholding of Pandey and Hitesh Patel.  The two held 12 percent and 2 percent respectively.

Chief Supt Magwenzi said the quartet resolved to revoke the shareholding without the knowledge of other shareholders in the company that included Lalapanzi Community Trust, Kaitano Mugabe, Washington Musvaire, Sonel Popatlal and Anna Knuth.

“Armed with a fake company resolution and fraudulent shareholding certificate the quartet approached the Zimbabwe Investment Authority (ZIA) where they misrepresented that Pandey and Patel had resigned and ceded their shareholding.

“They then renewed the investment licence and the offence came to light after Pandey became suspicious of the Goenka’s actions and upon checking with ZIA, discovered that himself and Patel had their directorship revoked and had been removed from shareholding.

“Police picked up Chiwanza and he implicated the Goenkas. The misrepresentation to ZIA by the Goenkas resulted in Pandey and Patel to suffer prejudice of 12 percent and two percent shares respectively,” said Chief Supt Magwenzi.

He said the Goenkas, using the same modus operandi, removed Pandey, and his relatives Sanil and Ashok from directorship and shareholding in Prowick Investment private limited and caused them to suffer prejudice of 20 percent, seven percent and eight percent shares respectively.