Top stories August 26- 31

Parliament calls on Dokora to reverse directives on education- The Member of Parliament for Mbizvo Settlement Chikwinya yesterday introduced a motion calling on Education Minister Lazarus Dokora to urgently convene a national summit to look at the deteriorating education in the country as well as to reverse his directives on entrance examinations for Form One and holiday lessons.   Chikwinya said Dokora’s policies were highly unpopular with the people and affected the poor who sent their children to public schools and not the better- off who went to private schools and challenged Dokora to disclose which schools his children were going to. He said there should not be any discrimination on charging of fees to sit for Form One places. If there was a ban, no school should be exempted. Chikwinya said he was shocked to find a Zimbabwe Republic Police school charging pupils $50 to sit fo  entrance examinations for Form One.  “Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, I was at a school here in Harare, run by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). Now, I am saying this because ZRP is a law enforcement agent and policy pronouncements by Ministers are law upon themselves. If ZRP is allowed to wantonly disregard the same laws, what does it mean?  “Students had to pay US$50 as fees for the entrance test. This is the mischief which we actually need to inhibit. We cannot allow one particular school simply because it is owned by the law enforcement agents to then wantonly disregard the law and they also promote a culture of impunity if the schools are going to be allowed to conduct entrance tests, every school must be allowed to conduct entrance tests,” he said.

Mnangagwa says the new constitution will be available in 16 languages

Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said that the new constitution will be available in 16 languages and the government has already printed over 750 000 copies in English, Shona and Ndebele and will distribute these to provincial capitals next month. He said the government was now recruiting experts in the other 13 languages.  The languages include Chewa, Chibarwe,  Kalanga, Khoisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa. Mnangagwa said he did not believes judges had been put into a difficult position because of the non-alignment of existing laws with the new constitution because he had not received any complaints from them.

Another twist in the Cuthbert Dube saga

Former Premier Services Medical Aid Society chief executive Cuthbert Dube had his case in which he was demanding nearly $1 million in salary arrears and allowances thrown out by the Labour Court after he failed to submit his heads of argument on time. His lawyer Jonathan Samkange argued that his client was not in willful default. He said the medical aid society had therefore nicodemously obtained the judgment.  Dube’s case, according to The Herald was thrown out by Labour Court Judge Euna Makamure who also ordered Dube to pay the costs.  Samkange argued that the decision must be rescinded because his client was not served with the chamber application to dismiss his applications. “Applicant was not in wilful default. In fact, what respondent did is clearly what has been described by Justice McNally as ‘snatching at a judgment’ which should be discouraged.  I must point out that at the time the order was granted, applicant had already filed his heads of argument,” Samkange said in his application for rescission. The judge said his application reached her after she had already delivered her judgment. Dube made headlines at the beginning of the year following revelations that he earned over $500 000 a month and was paid a total of $6.4 million last year, more than the entire budget for the Ministry of Tourism for 2014. Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi says Zimbabwe should bid for the 2034 soccer World Cup. It will be Africa’s turn to host the international tournament.

Youth leader says Mutasa, Midzi, Savanhu are causing havoc in ZANU-PF

Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front youth leader for Harare Province Godwin Gomwe says the party’s Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa, politburo member Tendai Savanhu, central committee member Noah Mangondo and Harare provincial chairman Amos Midzi are causing havoc in the party and he wants to tell President Robert Mugabe this when he returns home from China tomorrow.  Gomwe said district chairmen were paid $10 to vote for certain candidates and he had proof of this.  “As the youth chairman I know that the youths had their choice for the position of secretary for administration in Cde Innocent Hamandise, but Cde Midzi and company spread the word that Cde Hamandise was not wanted by the party.  In fact, he was called by Cde Mangondo who threatened him that he would be arrested and that he had received an instruction from Cde Mutasa that he should not stand. Apart from influencing the process by dropping names, they also gave district chairmen some money to vote in a particular manner and we have the evidence in which the chairmen got and signed for US$10,” Gomwe said according to The Herald.  “In light of these developments, the ZANU-PF Harare Youth League will spearhead the mobilisation of all youths to be on hand to receive the President when he touches down in Harare on Sunday. As the youth chairman of the capital city, I will be coordinating with colleagues from other provinces to ensure a befitting welcome for our hero and President who has once again done the nation proud.  This will give us an opportunity to provide a brief to His Excellency on the political developments that have been transpiring whilst he was away. As is well known, the ZANU-PF Youth League is the vanguard of the party and stands ready to defend and preserve our hard-won independence,” Gomwe said. Mutasa has been under attack since preparations for the national congress began in earnest with the Youth League congress which was followed by the Women’s League congress. Mutasa is said to belong to the Joice Mujuru faction and is reportedly eyeing the post of national chairman. Mujuru and Mutasa’s plans are said to be have been ruffled by the entry of First Lady Grace Mugabe into politics. Grace was proposed to take over leadership of the Women’s League by former leader Oppah Muchinguri who is believed to belong to the Emmerson Mnangagwa faction.

I belong only to Mugabe’s faction, Gono says

Former Central Bank governor Gideon Gono yesterday said he did not belong to any political faction. “I have been longing to speak publicly; the last time I spoke publicly was when I was still the RBZ Governor and I want to emphasise that I belong only to President Mugabe’s faction and Zanu-PF political party in its totality,” he said at the memorial service of Kumbirai Kangai, the man whose shoes he wants to fill as senator for Buhera. The governorment has agzetted the Electoral medment Act paving the way for Gono to stand for the vacant seat which has to be filled by a male ZANU-PF candidate but the act says if there is any objection from a voter, theparty has to restartto resubmit the candidate. “Hatina kuuya pano tichiti uyu ndeuyu achazorwisa uyu; ngatiite zvinhu zvinovaka ,” Gono said. But the fact that he was backed by ZANU-PF Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa and Party Spokesman Rugare Gumbo, both known to be belong to Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s faction could be isread to mean something. Mutasa has been under fire for sowing divisions in the party and Harare youth leader Godwin Gomwe said he wants to tell Mugabe this whenhe returns from China. Gono might be stretching things too far by claiming he does not belong to any faction because the First Lady Grace has already entered into politics. The fact that he was proposed by Oppah Muchinguri says a lot about her and her husband.And as ZANU-PF heads for its congress, it is not reality that matters but people’s perceptions.

Jonathan Moyo says all posts in ZANU-PF are open

Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, chasticised by President Robert Mugabe a few months ago as a devil incarnate, says all posts in the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front, including those of president and national chairman are open to anyone. The top post is not reserve to ZANU-PF and neither is the post of national chairman for a former Zimbabwe African People’s Union official. Moyo said it was only the posts of vice-president that had to be shared. “Anyone who over the years has had audience with key architects of the Unity Accord, including President Mugabe, would be aware of the actual position regarding the current four top posts in the ZANU-PF Central Committee, namely those of President and First Secretary, two Vice-Presidents and Second Secretaries and National Chair. The actual position is that the post of President and First Secretary was and is not reserved for either former ZANU or former ZAPU but is open to be filled by the best candidate from either side.  On the two Vice-Presidents and Second Secretaries, the fact of having a provision for two VPs meant that they could not both be from one side. Like that of the President and First Secretary, the post of National Chair was — as it still is — open to be filled by the best candidate and not reserved for either side,” Moyo told the Sunday Mail.  There has been a lot of talk about the top four posts in ZANU-PF as the party heads for congress in December with some arguing that the post of national chairman is reserved for the former ZAPU.  Party Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa is said be eyeing the post of national chairman and some said he could not go for the post as it was reserved for ZAPU. Moyo said this was a gross misunderstanding of the unity accord.  “It must be understood that the Unity Accord was not a personal agreement to benefit individuals nor was it an inter-party deal just to benefit two political parties, nor a tribal pact to benefit this or that tribe or region . . .This is why the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo was not Father ZAPU or Father Matabeleland but Father Zimbabwe, as the founding nationalist leader of our Second Chimurenga. As such, the Unity Accord was not meant to be a temporary agreement to address issues only limited to the personal interests of some individuals or concerns of the moment without any bearing on the stability and prosperity of our republic in terms of its permanent human, security and economic interests,” Moyo said.

Mugabe wants to know where the “emperor” of Harare gets his powers

President Robert Mugabe, who returned from China yesterday after a week-long visit, said he did not want to discuss the factional fighting within the party at the Harare international airport but would hold an emergency politburo meeting this week.  Among the issues he would want addressed is to find out where the so-called emperor of Harare gets his powers to decide who should, and who should not, belong to Harare. Harare has been riddled with faction-fighting and vote buying. Youth leader Godwin Gondwe said Secretary for Administration Didymus Mutasa, politburo member Tendai Savanhu, central committee member Noah Mangondo and Harare provincial chairman Amos Midzi were responsible for the chaos in the capital.  “We want the party to be strong and Harare, Harare, Harare inoendesa mbiri yekusabatana. Harare, Harare, Harare ndiyo capital yedu. Ndiyo capital yenyika, ndimo mune headquarters yeparty. Saka veHarare vanosungirwa kushinga kusadharara kuti kutorerwa kwavakaitwa maconstituency neMDC kudzorwe. Tive nekuvhaira kuti muHarare, mucapital medu ndimo mune musimboti weparty,” Mugabe said according to The Herald. “Zvino mukava nenyonga nyonga, hovhiyo kusanzwanana vanhu vamwe vachiti Harare ndeyedu, hamusi veHarare vamwe ngavabve muno aaah.  Hatingambode Harare kuti idaro. MuHarare muno ndomatiri tose takabatana tose. Haisi Harare yemunhu mumwe chete saka we all belong to Harare. Ndiri kudaro nekuti ndakanzwa kuti mumwe akati akatotuma muzukuru kuti enda unoti Amai Mugabe vabude muHarare. Ko voenda kupi?  Saka ndakati ndichada kunzwa kuti vanoburitsirwei? Vogonzi vaende kupi? Asi ndinenge ndichida kunzwa kuti iye “emperor” weHarare masimba ake aawanepi? Handizvo. Hatidi kuvhaira kwakadaro. Kana ini handifi ndakati Harare ndeyangu. Hazvife zvakaitika. So let us all have a sense of belonging. We all belong to each other and there has to be that understanding. Tiri vanhu vamwe chete muZanu-PF. It does not matter you are in Harare, Bulawayo, kwaMutare or kuGweru you should feel free. Each part of the country is your part. Zimbabwe is ours together. Ndihwo hukuru hwatinofanira kuva nahwo.”

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