The outspoken Parirenyatwa, who is known for defending President Emmerson Mnangagwa when he was under the cosh towards the end of the late Robert Mugabe’s era, will square off against Victor Matemadanda and the current chairperson Christopher Mutsvangwa.

However, Mutsvangwa and Matemadanda are facing stiff resistance from war veterans, who believe that they failed them during their tenure.

For Matemadanda, war veterans also feel that since he is now an ambassador, he can no longer fully represent their interests.

Sources close to ogoings within the war veterans camp said Parirenyatwa has high chances of emerging the victor.

“A meeting was held in Bindura where the province proposed the candidature of Sam Parirenyatwa as the most suitable for the National chairmanship. He is always with the people and is for the people. He represents us and is essentially a voice for the voiceless, so to speak. So I think he will be able to unite the war veterans.

“Parirenyatwa is also someone who has always kept a safe distance from factional fights and his voice of reason is needed at this juncture where we have been blighted by factional fights.

“He is someone who is fearless and represented us without taking sides,” the source said.

Sources said Parirenyatwa is an articulate, brave, tried and tested leader of the war veterans.

This is by the manner he formulated and presented a petition to parliament on the exhumation and reburial of those who died during the war and are currently buried in shallow graves and unattended shrines in neighbouring countries. The petition is currently being debated in parliament is likely going to see an overall revamp of the war veterans Act of parliament. 

“The widespread supports the petition received when the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security visited the 10 provinces should guarantee Parirenyatwa enough support for the chairmanship.  War veterans are eager to see the war veterans act covering those who died during the war including the return of the heads of the 1st  Chimurenga heroes. So far he commands enough respect from the war veterans’ constituency.”

However, when contacted for comment, Parirenyatwa declined to confirm his candidature, stating that it is an internal process which does not need to be in the public domain.

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Bocha Diamond Community Development Trust (BDCDT) chairperson Moses Mukwada said the diamond mining company should halt operations as it has failed to empower the local community or account for its revenue.

These remarks follows the Auditor-General, Mildred Chiri findings in her 2019 report on State enterprises which show that ZCDC failed to account for the use of money exceeding US$400 million while also failing to properly account for 352 583:11 carats of diamonds.

However to the community it is much more than financial mismanagement but also lack of local development and employment opportunities for the hard pressed villagers who rely on subsistence farming.

Mukwada said villagers and community members have plenty of evidence to show that the company was set up by the government as a way to loot the diamonds in Chiadzwa.

“The company should halt operations, it’s better to have companies outside from outside the country, how can we have a government owned company which is failing to empower the locals.

“They have even destroyed the infrastructure left by the previous companies especially the roads because of their cars and machines, this company is just worse off than the previous companies.

“ZCDC is worse off than the previous diamond mining companies which operated in the area claiming that the company have even destroyed the infrastructure left by the companies,” said Mukwada.

He said the previous companies would give monthly reports on revenue collections although the money would later disappear.

Zimbabwe Consolidation Diamond Company (ZCDC) took up mining sites for Anjin Investments, Jinan, Mbada Diamonds, Canadile, Kusena and Marange Resources.

Mukwada said these former miners would even give monthly production reports to government.

Diamond revenue has for long been a contentious issue, veiled in secrecy, the late former President Robert Mugabe even made sensational claims that of US$15 billion generated, government received next to nothing.

“Although we could fail to know where the money actually went but at least there was an effort even in terms of the little infrastructure these companies built our government company is destroying it.

“I think in Marange it’s now a culture of looting, looting is being done on a daily basis, diamonds are uncounted for, ZCDC is worse off  than the previous companies, we have never seen anything that has materialized, they are just making promises, they make promises when we demonstrated against the company recently.

“They promised that they are going to build schools and pay schools for our children and these were lies and in-terms of social responsibility they have failed to do anything,” said Mukwada.

Six mining companies previously mined diamonds in Marange before government withdrew their licenses resulting in the formation of ZCDC which is 100 percent state owned.

One of the companies, Anjin Investments has since bounced back in Marange.

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In a notice of Proposed Disposal of Council Land/Properties in the weekly publication Manica Post issue of (19-25) February 2021, acting Town Clerk Dr Anthony Mutara said council will sell this land to current tenants.

However civic society critics say without council fully publishing the list of beneficiaries, the scheme can be manipulated to benefit different people as the bulk of homeowners are now elderly and some have relocated to rural homes.

“Notice is hereby given in terms of Section 152 of the Urban Councils Act Chapter 29:15 that Council intends to convert homeownership houses in Mudembe, Maonde and Muchena (Sakubva). The properties will be sold to current sitting tenants

“Any person wishing to make objections can lodge with the same with the undersigned within a period of 21 days from the day of this advert,” said Dr Mutara.

Council was commended for this progressive development but was also asked to publish the authentic list of homeowners in the areas affected to ensure that there is no prejudice in the process.

Taurai Makanidzana a resident, suggested that council should, instead of selling the houses to tenant, simply transfer ownership to sitting tenants who have been paying installments for home ownership.

He is a beneficiary from his grandparents who started residing at their Maonde house in the late 1960s, and he stated his concerns calling for council to put in place safeguards to ensure rightful people benefit.

“Our parents have been religiously paying rentals for these houses since time immemorial.

“Safe guards must be put in place to ensure that the intended beneficiaries are not dispossessed of these houses. That’s where we grew up with our grandparents,” he said.

Conscious Development and Empowerment Trust (CODET) a local pressure group which has been calling for transparency and accountability in council affairs say this move while overdue should consider that tenants are informal traders.

CODET director Vimbai Betera said council should make sure that it traces rightful beneficiaries.

“There are fears that this opportunity given that 80% of these beneficiaries are old or deceased whichever the way maybe council consider the social impacts this has on the current sitting tenants, most informal traders

There are suggestions from other quarters that council could set prices for the new developments and then charge rentals which are payable as installments for the new houses.

“Perhaps a price is set and the rental becomes the installments,” said former Mayor Brian James.

Others also suggested that council should grant title deeds to the families instead of offering to sell land to them when they had already been paying for homeownership.

Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) research officer Samuel Matikiti said while the process was long overdue, council should follow all due proceeding to ensure residents have an opportunity to make objections.

He said the twenty one days set by council may not be adequate for tenants to respond and proffer their objections.

“This was long overdue, however the process should be more transparency. If not done properly I’m seeing disaster- massive corruption. The rightful beneficiaries are likely to be excluded especially knowing that some of those elderly are living in rural areas,” he said.

Selected comments on social media over this development show that there is an active core of citizens ready to express suggestions, solutions or proposals on how city council can address this matter.

It has been noted that period given for submission of objectives is limited given as some home owners may not be exempted to get into town for the purpose of submitting their concerns with council urged to use its councillors to gather views to mitigate limitations of COVID19.

The Notice, which appeared in Manica Post, does not specify the date of its issuance, but relies on the dates of the medium of publication, and goes on to set 21 days as the time to place said objections to the office of TC on the matter.

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Magistrate Murendo ordered Phineas Munyika, who is employed as a municipal police officer by CoM, and the local authority to pay damages amounting to RTGS$9 727 to Kumbirai Furusa, a nurse.

Munyika roughed up and assaulted Furusa on 6 July 2018 when he was carrying out a joint operation dubbed “Operation Restore Sanity” together with some Zimbabwe National Army members and Zimbabwe Republic Police officers to rid Mutare City of unregistered taxi operators and some vehicles parked at undesignated places.

Furusa was assaulted while she was seated on the front passenger seat of a taxi, which she had boarded on her way to Greenside suburb in the eastern border city.

During trial at Mutare Magistrates Court, Furusa, who was represented by Peggy Tavagadza of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights to sue Munyika and CoM, told Magistrate Murendo that the municipal police officer dragged the nurse outside the taxi leading her to fall down and sustaining injuries on her knees.

Two witnesses namely Jonathan Takudzwa Makanya, a soldier and George Mufunda, a municipal police officer testified during the trial of Munyika as they were part of law enforcement officers enforcing the joint operation dubbed “Operation Restore Sanity”.

Furusa suffered some bruised on her knees and a plaster which she already had on her wrist and which was supposed to be removed on 9 July 2018, had to be replaced as a result of the fall from the taxi.

Her new plaster was only removed after six weeks although she continued to experience pain on her wrist.

Because of the injuries which she sustained, Furusa said she could not cook for her family and endured a lot of pain.

In his ruling, Magistrate Murendo held Munyika accountable for causing Furusa to sustain injuries and ruled that it was highly unlikely that the nurse would just fall out of a vehicle in which she was seated in properly on the passenger seat.

Magistrate Murendo ruled that Munyika had a duty of care towards Furusa yet he recklessly and out of overzealousness tried to execute his duties without regard to the safety of the nurse.

The Magistrate ruled that Munyika threw caution to the wind and decided to embark on a dangerous and suicidal conduct without regard to the safety of the nurse and indeed himself.

Out of the RTGS$9 727, Magistrate Murendo ruled that RTGS$9 500 is payment for damages for pain and suffering while RTGS$227 is for special damages. Furusa had initially claimed RTGS$10 000

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An official from Mutare City, in oral submissions to government, said given the current trend of rapid urbanization priority should be on the development of smart cities to accommodate this population bulge.

He made these remarks at a Provincial Validation Workshop for the Zimbabwe Progress Review Report on SDGs as the country moves towards presenting its second progress report for the Voluntary National Review (VNR).

The exercise led by the Ministry of Labour Public Service and Social Welfare covered Manicaland, Mashonaland East and Masvingo provinces. Participants included traditional leaders, Provincial Development Coordinators, Local Authorities, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Private Sector and other stakeholders.

The government was urged to take goal 11 focusing on inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements as a matter of priority as high levels of informal sector have pushed people into urban cities, burdening ageing infrastructure.

The State is implementing the United Nations (UN) SGDs which ‘provides a shared blueprint for p for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.’

Despite, Zimbabwe granting national status to smart cities projects as there is now greater pressure on urban infrastructure, encompassing targets of goal 11, this goal is not under the ten plus one priority area.

The official, who requested anonymity said current local challenges of increased in urban population, inadequate housing, depressed service provision, environmental degradation and pollution can be solved by making SDG 11 a priority.

“Goal eleven should be prioritised because there is a consensus that as long as it is not prioritised there is a high possibility that we are not going to achieve any of those Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Even if we look at challenges highlighted it’s a reflection that this goal was not prioritised. Sustainable communities and cities due to rapid urbanization, as a country we have a population that is highly urbanized,” said the official.

“Given the urban population bulge, it means that issues on focus on cities are key, because we have been rural to urban migration in search for livelihoods, so infrastructure needs if these particular issues are not addressed it threatens gains made in the SDG.”

Mildred Mapani, a chief policy analyst in the ministry in her overview of the implementation of the goals said while prioritization was a key focus of government given limited fiscal space, they were targeting all goals.

She said the focus was also on integration and alignment of activities for effective implementation of targeted specific interventions, where strong partnerships are essential for progress.

“We are implementing all the 17 goals but priority is on the 10 plus one. Implementation is for all the goals even our Monitoring and Evaluation framework is focusing on all the goals,” she said.

Chief Director in the Ministry, Clifford Matorera called on government agencies, to  rope in CSOs, traditional leaders, private sector and other stakeholders in implementing SGDs ‘in the spirit of leaving no one behind’

He said the universal agreement to eliminate extreme poverty, preserve the earth and spur economic growth was a multi-stakeholder discipline, hinged on five pillars- people, planet prosperity, peace and partnerships.

“We should explore and share ideas on this draft national report, also spread awareness of SDGs to grassroots levels. It’s a very very important report that we are validating today we need to come up with practical and transformative solutions and to accelerate the implementation of SDGs and the agenda 2063.

“It’s the report that the President will present at a high-level panel and share our experiences, highlight opportunities to attract investment in various economic sectors,” he said.

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In a progress update of the project council, spokesperson Spren Mutiwi said work for the Christmas Pass -Dangamvura reservoirs waterline project is progressing well, with exhumation works of old asbestos cement pipes almost complete.

Mutiwi said residents and ratepayers must now play their part as the remaining funds will be raised internally.

“Funding is key towards the success of the project and this is now being funded internally hence the need for residents to pay their outstanding debts become a key component.

“We are owed millions of dollars and we believe that once the debtors begin to decline that will give impetus to the project. So it’s serious work being carried out as we move towards retiring the perennial problem in Dangamvura,” he said.

Mutiwi said exhumation of previously laid 450mm Asbestos Cement (AC) water pipes, which will be replaced by Glass Reinforced Pipes (GRP) from Golden Peacock to Roman Catholic University is currently ongoing.

He said the work plan is on schedule, while training of operators and mechanics has been completed in adherence to government regulations.

“One step at a time we are moving towards reducing the perennial water challenges in Dangamvura. The full consignment of the GRP water pipes that were procured in South Africa by the ZimFund project is already at our site office.

“We are moving with a fast pace to ensure that laying of pipes is be done before the onset of the rain season. We are also exhuming some of the pipes coz the will not be able to stand the high pressure since they were done manually and leaving them will create problems in the shortest period.

“We now have all the required staff, but we still need more material and to procure more equipment and that hinges on Council securing the $450 000.00 required to execute the works,” said Mutiwi.

“We are very much committed to address the Dangamvura water shortages and give our esteemed residents a dignified living standard that befits urban setup.”

City management is seriously considering introducing a water levy to raise the outstanding US$450 000 needed to complete the Christmas Pass-Dangamvura reservoir water transmission pipeline.

Town Clerk Joshua Maligwa said the council will carry out extensive consultations with stakeholders and ratepayers before adopting the water levy, to assist in raising outstanding funds needed for the water project.

“We still need US$450 000 to complete the project we will try to raise this amount.

“We are also proposing to levy, it’s a proposal which we are mooting at the moment, a Dangamvura pipeline levy which we also intend to use to raise the funds.

“What we will do first is to consult all the residents, stakeholders, business people, and industry through their representatives like the Confederations of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) and Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC).

“If people agree with the view of the need for a levy for the pipeline we will adopt that but at the moment we are using other means to raise adequate funds for the pipeline,” said Maligwa.

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Speaking after the City of Mutare retained the best overall Urban Local Authority at the 2020 Southern Africa Development Corporation (SADC) Gender Protocol at Work Summit hosted by the Gender Links, spokesperson Spren Mutiwi said it’s an award in recognition of a progressive work ethic.

The Local Authority was honoured for outstanding contributions to the promotion and empowerment of women and ending Gender-Based Violence, out of 54 Local authorities that participated, with 28 of them were urban.

Mutiwi said such recognition among participating local authorities showcasing their best practices on gender mainstreaming as institutions, was the testimony of the holistic gender mainstreaming approach taken by the council.

“We have set up our local authority management such that every department, even the male-dominated ones, have gender champions in their set up. We have taken gender issues seriously as the council.

“This award reflects the fact that as a council we have taken the issue of gender in a wholesome and holistic manner,” he said.

Mutiwi added that through the recognition the City of Mutare will now represent Zimbabwe at the SADC gender national summit scheduled for South Africa.

He said the city is also preparing for the upcoming 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, marked annually by a 16 km walk from Zimunya into the central business district.

“We are now going to be representing the country at the upcoming SADC national summit, which is scheduled for South Africa although with COVID 19 we are not sure how it will take place.

“We are also pushing ahead with our annual plans to commemorate the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence which is in November. As a council we walk from Madziro in Zimunya which is 16 kilometres, each kilometre represents a day,” said Mutiwi.

As a pacesetter in championing gender issues, the City of Mutare is also officially recognized in the country as a training hub centre where other local authorities learn how to implement holistic gender policies.

Gender Links is a Southern African NGO that is committed to a region in which women and men are able to participate equally in all aspects of public and private life in accordance with the provisions of the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development.

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By Donald Nyarota

Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ), researcher Samuel Matikiti made these remarks on the sidelines of the Women’s Symposium on Mining, organized in conjunction with Zimbabwe Allied Diamond Workers Union (ZIDAWU).

He said advancing the fight against the corrupt allocation of claims, including cases of double allocation, will enhance the participation of women in the mining sector.

He said for mining to drive sustainable development, it should rid the tag of corruption through the adoption of progressive laws, with the new Mines and Mineral Bill representing an opportunity for women to participate.

“Our main objective as Transparency International is to fight and eradicate corruption at all costs not monetary, but in putting all the effort as a nation in combating corruption, focusing on each and every sector.

“In mining, there is a lot of organized corruption in that sector. On current laws that govern the mining sector, are archaic they were drafted long back, while some attempts to amend the laws that govern the extractive industry were made, it’s still not enough as there are gaps.

“Fighting corruption is key to removing barriers of entry for women in the sector, it entails full participation regardless of gender,” he said.

Matikiti said TIZ collaborated with ZIDAWU on this project to provide policy advice towards levelling the playing field, to encourage women to participate in the sector, which has seen an influx of unemployed youths seeking to seek out a living.

He said the government buying policy encourages people to sell gold illegally, we are losing gold from the sector because of the buying policy of the government.

“Currently a lot of miners have been pushed to go beyond the official means, we are losing up to 34 tonnes of gold through illicit means every year.

“Small scale and artisanal miners are not selling all the gold to the Fidelity Printers and Refineries but only submit tokens as a formality to just show they are registered. We are losing a lot of revenue that could be directed towards service delivery,” said Matikiti.

Women participation in the sector is limited in the mining sector despite the government having pronounced a US$12 billion strategy, for Manicaland alone 20 per cent are artisanal miners but women are not fully participating in the sector.

ZIDAWU president Cosmus Sunguro said the platform taps into different stakeholders to look at the challenges that make women fail to participate meaningfully in the mining value chain.

Sunguro said women should position themselves to grab opportunities available for them in the government US$12 billion mining strategy.

“We are capacitating women to fight and cubing violation of women rights in the mining sector and to reduce the occurrence of sexual harassment in the workplace.

“The message is clear, let’s seize and explore the opportunities as women. Women have to take action and position themselves strategically to leverage on the 12 billion mining strategy and grab the opportunities coming from the sector,” said Sunguro.

TIZ is a nonprofit organization working to combat global corruption with civil societal anti-corruption measures and to prevent criminal activities arising from corruption, it’s a global movement working in over 100 countries to end the injustice of corruption.

The 2020 Women’s Symposium in the extractives is in its third year, ran under the theme ‘Probing and empowering women participation in extractive mining industry towards the attainment of USD12 billion mining economy’.

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The trio allegedly connived to defraud a resident who wanted to have his stand regularized by the local municipality sometime in 2018 when they were all serving.

Farai Bhiza (38) councillor Ward 11 and  John Nyamhoka ward 17 both of MDC Alliance and ZANU-PF’s Ward 17 Wellington Zambezi, were granted ZWL$5 000 bail each by Magistrate Prisca Manhibi.

The trio is denying the allegations and will return in court on October 28, 2020.

It is the State’s case that sometime in 2018, the accused persons hatched a plan to extort money from the complainant Samuel Masaiti who resides in Chimanimani.

Bhiza reportedly phoned the complainant and told him that he wanted money quickly to regularize his stand in Chikanga area in Mutare.

Masaiti reportedly refereed Bhiza to one Tamayi Verenga, Bhiza in turn, reportedly told Zambezi to call Verenga and collect an unspecified amount from him.

Zambezi got in touch with Verenga, whom he went to see at Mutare’s Green Market where he received US$50.

Upon receiving this amount it is alleged that Zambezi later called Masaiti indicating that the money he had received was too little to cover for the assistance to regularize his stand.

The following day Bhiza met the complainant and gave him another US$200.

Bhiza allegedly shared the money with his co-accused, Zambezi and Nyamhoka.

After several attempts to get assistance from the trio continuously hit a brick wall, the complainant saw that nothing was materializing.

On 21 September 2020, the complainant made a report at ZRP Mutare Central leading to the arrest of the accused persons.

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In its statement to mark the Global Elections Day, ZESN said the independence of key institutions involved in handling electoral complains was key in boosting confidence in elections.

“ZESN calls for the enhancement of the independence of the Judiciary, judicial appointments and setting up of a mechanism for administrative complains and time-frame for issuing judgments.

“Other reforms include the need to align electoral laws with the Constitution and implement reforms within a year after an election; the need to enhance the independence of ZEC and other Chapter 12 institutions, as well as making Multi-Party Liaison Committees permanent in the electoral cycle,” added ZESN.

The organisation further appealed to the Speaker of parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda to look into its petition and draft Electoral Act which seeks to standardize the electoral processes by governing the conduct of traditional leaders, political party funding and establishment of a permanent multi-party liaison committee among other issues.

“The key electoral reform demands propounded in the ZESN Petition and Draft Electoral Act Amendment Bill include developing a legal framework for boundary delimitation; reviewing of the Electoral Act to ensure inclusive participation of all citizens in elections; instituting provisions to regulate political parties and enforce disclosure of the source of funding; incorporation of a Code of Conduct for traditional leaders to ensure they are apolitical; reviewing results management and transmission systems; the repeal or amendments of Acts that restrict the enjoyment of fundamental rights key in electoral processes, review legislation relating to public media to ensure equal coverage of all political parties.

“Other reforms include the need to align electoral laws with the Constitution and implement reforms within a year after an election; the need to enhance the independence of ZEC and other Chapter 12 institutions, as well as making Multi-Party Liaison Committees permanent in the electoral cycle,” noted ZESN.

The Global Elections Day is an initiative born out of the Global Election Officials’ Conference in which election experts from across the world participated in Hungary in 2005.

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