LOCAL NEWS

Staff Reporter

The visiting Russian delegation is on a mission to strengthen trade rapports with Harare, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs, Ambassador James Manzou revealed.

Staff Reporter

The visiting Russian delegation is on a mission to strengthen trade rapports with Harare, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs, Ambassador James Manzou revealed.

Staff reporter

A storm is brewing at Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) as that party leader, Nelson Chamisa’s lieutenants grapple to defend his candidates selection strategy ahead of the 2023 harmonized general elections.

As the polls inch closer, the heat continues to rise on Chamisa to lay out a plan to choose candidates that will represent his party. Chamisa is on record announcing that his party would not hold an elective congress for the process.

Indications on the ground are that CCC sitting parliamentarians are already campaigning before Chamisa unilaterally pin points his desired candidates.

In that regard, CCC Organizing Task Force Champion, Amos CHIBAYA, issued an internal memorandum on the 1^st of March 2023 urging aspiring candidates to desist from campaigning. According to the memo which was leaked on WhatsApp group, Chibaya directed them to focus on that party’s voter mobilization exercise, Mugwazo.

Information gleaned by this publication shows that the delay in candidate selection is causing a lot of uncertainty amongst the aspiring candidates. CCC Co-Vice President, Professor Welshman Ncube, is said have already started imposing candidates of choice ahead of Chamisa.

As such tensions continue to rise at CCC amid reports that Chamisa has handpicked his preferred candidates in Harare.

Recently there was pressure from the diplomatic community over revelations that CCC would not be holding an elective congress. The indications were deemed undemocratic and authoritarian by onlookers who think Chamisa is all about forming one center of power at the CCC.

The move by Chamisa is inspired by the alleged need to dribble past ZANU PF’s perceived desire to influence candidates selection at that party. However, the move has seen Chamisa accused of seeing shadows and infringing on traditional democratic practises along the way.

Political Reporter

Independent Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa has attempted to sweet talk a Harare magistrate to drop Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) interim co-deputy president, Tendai Biti’s assault charges.

Biti is facing charges of assaulting a Russian investor, Tatiana Aleshina at the Harare Magistrates court in November 2020.

A source who spoke to this publication said that Mliswa recently contacted High Court Judge, Justice Munamato Mutevedzi, with the intention to influence the postponement of the hearing of Biti’s assault case which is currently before the courts.

“Mliswa is friends with Biti. Recently, Mliswa called Justice Mutevedzi begging him to drop Biti’s assault charges. Mliswa tried to sweet talk Justice Mutevedzi into dropping the charges or postponing the case until after the forthcoming elections,” said the source.

According to the source, Mliswa told Justice Mutevedzi that the assault case was weighing heavily on Biti who is now afraid that he might be jailed, making him ineligible to contest the forthcoming elections.

The source said that Mliswa promised Justice Mutevedzi ‘something’ in the event that Biti’s case was dropped or postponed.

However, the same source said that Justice Mutevedzi told Mliswa that the courts were independent and would not be influenced by anyone.

The source added that Justice Mutevedzi further told Mliswa that he was not in charge of Biti’s case and assured Mliswa that Biti would get a fair trial considering that the courts were independent and manned by professional people.

According to the source, Justice Mutevedzi resisted Mliswa’s request to visit him at his homestead to discuss Biti’s case further.

Meanwhile, efforts to get a comment from Mliswa were futile as his mobile phones were not reachable.

Staff reporters

ZANU PF spokesperson Ambassador Christopher Mutsvangwa, has urged citizens to ignore lies from detractors who want to tarnish the image of the country ahead of this year’s plebiscite.

Speaking at the post 367^th session of the Politburo media briefing yesterday, Cde Mutsvangwa said citizens should be aware of the campaign being lodged against Zimbabwe and pay no attention to it.

“A vicious campaign is being launched against Zimbabwe because they have seen our economic management skills. The weapon of the west is inflation. The success of the gold sector is being used by Al Jazeera because these are the major precious minerals, which drives international currency. They did it with our diamonds before remember! They use the same process about blood diamonds. They are targeting to tarnish the image of the country ahead of the elections.

“People must be aware of the fights and we will win the elections and their campaign will come to naught. We are going to the ballot to get into office as per our constitution, we know the price of democracy was death and we are not going to let go this time, takachibata chimuti, we will win,” said Cde Mutsvangwa.

Cde Mutsvangwa added that detractors were in fear and green-eyed over the Second Republic’s success stories which saw the empowering and enriching of the people.

“We now have 500 young men involved in the mining sector. These young people are business men in their own right. Our gold belongs to us Zimbabweans. That’s what we wanted when we joined the liberations struggle. These are the things that have filled our detractors with fear and taken aback with our development,” said Cde Mutsvangwa.

Meanwhile, Cde Mutsvangwa urged citizens to register to vote ahead of the harmonised general elections in particular the urban areas to vote out the incompetent councillors opposition members.

Staff Reporter

Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is on a move to partner with wayward church leaders for the purpose of inciting civil disobedience ahead of the 2023 Harmonized General Elections.

Staff Reporter

A record high of new voters has been recorded in Mashonaland West province where at least 727 000 people registered as voters.

Political Reporter

Independent Norton legislator, Temba Mliswa, is reportedly unable to support his two-year-old daughter, whom he conceived with Ngoni Munene of Norton in 2021.

Shongedzai Mugwagwa

The former tin mining company, Kamativi Mining Company (KMC) is set to re-open as a

Staff Reporter

The engagement and re-engagement policy which is a key pillar of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) has proved to be a success, following an increase in the number of countries that are willing to work with Zimbabwe towards the attainment of Vision 2030.