A female forex dealer lost more than $7 000 and had her lips cut off by four suspected robbers who allegedly kidnapped her in town. She was also reportedly raped by her assailants.
The gang, said to be fronted by a woman – Susan Fumukani (37) — allegedly called the victim aside and pretended to be clients who wanted to change a large sum of money.
Peace Mapfumo (24), Tinotenda Murondedza (20) and Tichana Tawanda (26) allegedly picked up the victim in the CBD and drove to Chitungwiza where the money was alleged to be.
They robbed and raped the woman before chopping off her lips. –The Herald
Flamboyant rapper Mudiwa, pictured here with Steward Bank Chief Executive Officer Dr Lance Mambondiani
By Tawanda Musarurwa
Steward Bank, a unit of Econet Waireless, has launched an innovative housing development scheme, which vertically integrates several of the telecoms giant’s business offerings.
Flamboyant rapper Mudiwa, pictured here with Steward Bank Chief Executive Officer Dr Lance Mambondiani
Econet Wireless is a key player in the data space through its internet services subsidiary, ZOL Zimbabwe and the group also operates a solar subsidiary — Distributed Power Africa (DPA).
Additionally, in 2015 Econet Wireless swooped on Redan Gas as it extended its footprint into the energy solutions business; the group also runs a subscription television network — Kwese TV, as well as a home surveillance system — Connected Home.
“In the past week, the bank unveiled its Diaspora Mortgage Scheme in London, having recently completed development of 200 housing units in Ruwa fully-equipped with services such as solar, gas facilities, wifi, Kwese satellite system and home surveillance system,” said Stewart Bank.
“The housing scheme, which is one of many under development by Steward Bank is targeted at addressing the rising demand for quality houses in the country as more investors angle to take opportunities in the property sector.”
The Diaspora Mortgage Scheme will be available at zero deposit, on a 25-year tenure at an interest rate of 2 percent per annum, which is the lowest rate in the local financial services sector.
The Diaspora Mortgage facility ranges from a minimum of $10 000 to a maximum of $400 000.
Steward Bank’s more flexible mortgage offering will contribute to reduce Zimbabwe’s national housing backlog, which has been ballooning in recent years, pushed by the increased rural to urban migration.
The country’s national housing backlog is currently estimated at 1,3 million with Harare alone requiring around 500 000 housing units.
Zimbabwe has been unable to resolve its housing issues due to the onerous terms of developers and the stringent conditions and high cost of mortgage finance among others. The Herald
An unrepentant Gutu herd boy in the habit of stealing turkeys and hiding in the mountains has been jailed for 10 years.
Jabulani Bhotoro (27) of Makanda Village under Headman Gadzingo was initially slapped with a 15-year jail sentence by Gutu resident magistrate Mr Victor Mahamadi when he was convicted of four counts of stock theft on his own plea of guilty on Friday last week.
Mr Mahamadi suspended five years on condition of good behaviour.
Bhotoro had initially tried to persuade Mr Mahamadi to give him a lenient sentence by misleading the court that he was still a juvenile aged 17.
The State managed to prove he was a decade older.
Bhotoro was jointly facing stock theft charges with a 12-year-old boy, and the boy was spared jail on age technicality.
The prosecutor Ms Millicent Azangwe proved to the court that Bhotoro and his accomplice went on a turkey-stealing spree targeting communal farmers in Gadzingo and surrounding areas.
The pair went on the prowl in the Chamisa area of Gutu where they stole turkeys from Gladys Kushata on July 31 this year.
A few days later, they stole another turkey belonging to Susan Gotore of Vhondo village in the same area, but the bird was recovered. – The Herald
Kofi Annan served as United Nations Secretary-General during a pivotal decade in modern world history – from 1997 to 2006. I would argue that his most important legacy was to focus the UN more on preventing and resolving deadly conflict within its sovereign members, while still trying to maintain peace and security among them.
Koffi Annan
How he developed and pursued ways and means to do this began much earlier in his UN career and persisted until his untimely death last week.
The UN was created in 1945 by 51 sovereign states and empires that had just survived two of the worst wars in history.
With the winding down of empires, UN membership grew to nearly 200 countries.
By the late 1990s, most countries were at peace internationally. And despite their continuing ideological and other differences, they have, ever since, avoided another world war.
But domestic peace was to prove more illusive. The UN lacked the norms, institutional capacity and political resolve, to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts within states, while maintaining peace among them.
Although Africa accounted for nearly a third of the UN’s members, it was also the world’s poorest and most conflict-ridden region. And it lacked the means to effect major reforms in the world body’s post-World War II hierarchy, structures and procedures.
Annan knew the UN system and its strengths and limitations better than anyone.
He had spent 35 years working on the problems of refugees, management and finance, and peacekeeping having joined it in 1962 as a young budget officer in the World Health Organisation.
He had also felt the sting of governments and public opinion that regarded the UN as a necessary last resort, when all other options have failed, due to lack of national or regional capacity, resources or political will. This was most evident when it came to complex emergencies in Africa.
His message for Africa
Six months after becoming secretary-general, Annan chose to address the 1997 summit in Harare of leaders of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in a way that none of his predecessors had done. His central point was that Africa’s peace and development required Africa’s leaders to hold one another more accountable to how they managed their domestic affairs. This was particularly true when it came to the protection of human rights and democracy.
In language uncharacteristically passionate for such occasions, he declared:
“I am aware of the fact that some view this concern a luxury of rich countries for which Africa is not ready . . . I find these thoughts truly demeaning . . . Do not African mothers weep when their sons or daughters are killed or maimed by agents of repressive rule? Are not African fathers saddened when their children are unjustly jailed or toured? Is not Africa as a whole impoverished with even one of its brilliant voices is silenced?”
He concluded by emphasising that “human rights are African rights”, noting that “Africa needs external assistance, and Africa deserves it, but in the final analysis, what stands between us and the future is ourselves”.
Four years later, the OAU was replaced by the African Union (AU). What was notable was the unprecedented inclusion of a provision for collective intervention to protect any group of Africans facing local threats of mass violence or genocide.
Less extreme, but more generally applicable, was the principle of non-indifference in each other’s internal affairs. This is most evident in its auxiliary African Charter for Democracy, Elections and Governance, which was unanimously endorsed in 2007 and finally ratified in 2012.
As a result, all African governments are now obligated to hold regular periodic national elections. They are also obliged to invite the AU to send teams of pan-African observers to monitor and judge whether their elections are a credible reflection of the popular will.
Annan would not claim credit for these developments. But, his efforts were surely prescient and gave political impetus and legitimacy to the hard diplomatic work of South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, and other advocates of a more capable regional organisation and sub-regional organisations.
Embracing civil society
Also notable in his 1997 address to the OAU was his call for civil society to play its part.
This reflected what was to become one of his major innovations as UN Secretary-General — his openness and willingness to reach out, listen too, cooperate with and occasionally adopt policies advocated by civil society groups.
I personally know of at least four examples. All were Africa-related, but also global in nature and very much to his credit as we honour his legacy.
During the 1980s, he participated in a series of efforts by the International Peace Academy, an NGO established to help train and better inform and prepare for expected UN peacekeeping operations, mostly in Africa.
This capacity should have been institutionalised in the UN, but was thwarted by the US and Soviet Union. Both feared that the other might somehow gain a Cold War advantage. The NGO never fully succeeded and would have probably failed without Annan’s frequent personal and sustained engagement.
As secretary-general, he made cooperation with the independent Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflicts his personal priority. He attended commission meetings and encouraged the involvement of key offices across the secretariat.
As a member of the commission staff, I appreciated how extensively he used policy-relevant scholarship by teams of academics on a range of conflict prevention topics.
His aim was to build support within and beyond the UN for more comprehensive efforts to prevent complex emergencies within states.
After leaving office, he continued to promote, and often lead, civil society efforts to help the UN and the world, beginning in Africa.
In 2006, he became the founding chair of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). AGRA aims to increase the incomes and improve the food security for 30 million farming households in 11 African countries by 2021.
In his home country Ghana, I watched with admiration how his foundation sponsored presidential debates in which candidates publicly pledged to support the decision of the national electoral commission. And when the opposition won by less than .005 percent of the votes in the 2008 election, their pledge held.
And, best known, was his chairmanship of the Elders, a group of world leaders committed to advancing peace, especially in Africa, and founded by Nelson Mandela.
The importance of persistence
I last met with Annan several years ago when he was on Elders’ business and I asked what he thought of Robert Mugabe holding on to power more than a decade after his pro-democracy appeal to the OAU Summit in Harare.
He told me that near the end of his UN term, he had visited Mugabe and inquired whether he might consider bidding farewell to his people after decades of service.
He said, Mugabe asked in reply: “Why? My people aren’t going anywhere.”
Annan noted that this response was both a sign of the limits of diplomacy, as well as the reason never to stop trying. – Conversation Africa
Malaysia has seized rhino horns worth nearly $12 million bound for Vietnam, in its largest haul of such contraband, officials said on Monday. Wildlife experts say Malaysia is a major transit point for the illegal trafficking of endangered species to other Asian countries.
Malaysia has seized rhino horns worth nearly $12 million bound for Vietnam, in its largest haul of such contraband, officials said on Monday.
Officials acting on a tip-off seized 50 horns, weighing about 116 kg, at the cargo terminal of Kuala Lumpur airport on August 13, a wildlife official said in a statement.
The shipment also included nine carcasses of what are believed to be tigers and bears, weighing about 200 kg.
“All the wildlife items confiscated were to be exported out of Malaysia without a proper permit,” Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, the director-general of the Wildlife and National Parks Department, said in the statement.
The department will run DNA tests to identify each wildlife species involved, he added.
The shipment, valued at 48 million ringgit ($11.7 million), was bound for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.
Investigations showed the consignment had been shipped with false documents, and efforts were being made to identify its true owner, Abdul Kadir said.
TRAFFIC, a group which monitors the illegal wildlife trade, said the case highlighted links between Malaysia and Vietnam, which are both in southeast Asia.
“This was a very unusual mix of wildlife parts found – rhino horns which were clearly not from Asia and carnivore carcasses which could have originated from the country,” TRAFFIC’s acting Southeast Asia director Kanitha Krishnasamy said in a statement.
“This discovery raises questions about how criminals are accumulating wildlife parts and using a multitude of routes and methods to traffic them onwards to destination countries.”
Global trade in rhino horn is banned by a United Nations convention, but it is prized in some Asian countries as an ingredient in traditional medicines to treat everything from fever to cancer.
Last year, Malaysia seized about $3.1 million worth of rhino horns flown in from Mozambique via Qatar.
Separately, authorities arrested a man on July 13 for illegal possession of three baby Sumatran orangutans, Abdul Kadir said.
“The suspect was believed to have been trading wildlife online and was arrested while dealing with a buyer,” he said.
Malaysia will return the animals to Indonesia, he said.
Orangutans live in lowland forests on Borneo, an island shared by Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra.
They are endangered, with populations declining due to rampant deforestation and hunting. – Reuters
Boko Haram fighters have killed more than a dozen people in an attack on a village in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state, witnesses say. Abatcha Umar, a survivor, told Reuters news agency that at least 19 people were killed when the armed group stormed Malari village at around 2am on Sunday.
Boko Haram has launched a series of assaults against Nigerian troops in recent months [Reuters]Umar said he counted 19 bodies, including that of his younger brother, after the attack.
However, an aid worker at a camp that received the survivors, and who declined to be identified, put the death toll at 63.
Hundreds of people from villages in the area have fled to the camp for displaced people in the garrison town of Monguno in Borno state, the aid worker said.
Boko Haram fighters had arrived in trucks at Malari village on Saturday evening, firing guns and rocket-propelled grenades, villagers said.
A village resident, Aisami Grema, said that police stationed in the village did not interfere with the attack.
“The police made no attempt to engage the Boko Haram fighters,” Grema told AFP news agency.
The fighters ransacked the village for two hours before leaving, another resident, Masida Umar, said.
Increasing attacks
The strike is the latest blow to Nigeria’s efforts to defeat Boko Haram and allied groups.
On Friday, four farmers were killed when Boko Haram fighters raided crop fields near Maiduguri.
Boko Haram has launched a series of assaults against Nigerian troops, putting pressure on President Muhammadu Buhari’s government to tackle insecurity in the country ahead of general elections in February.
In recent months, the military has suffered its heaviest defeats in years, while commanders have been repeatedly replaced, and special forces soldiers have mutinied.
Founded in Maiduguri in 2002, Boko Haram is an armed group that fights against Western influence in West Africa and is active in Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon.
The group’s nine-year revolt has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced more than two million from their homes, triggering a dire humanitarian crisis in the remote Lake Chad region.
The majority of the displaced people used to be subsistence farmers, but because of the ongoing violence they can no longer tend to their fields and rely on food handouts from aid agencies to survive.
Chad, Cameroon and Niger have all joined the military effort by Nigeria against Boko Haram. – Al Jazeera
Nandos employees at the official opening of the newly refurbished Msasa Park food court, now known as Casa Msasa, yesterday. — (Picture by Justin Mutenda)
By Chipo Sabeta
ZSE — listed Simbisa Brands Limited plans to open four new branches of its Nandos subsidiary within the next 12 months, as well as refurbish some of the existing restaurants.
Nandos employees at the official opening of the newly refurbished Msasa Park food court, now known as Casa Msasa, yesterday. — (Picture by Justin Mutenda)
Speaking at the official opening of the newly refurbished Msasa Food Court — rebranded to Casa Msasa — Simbisa Brands managing director Warren Meares, said it took them nearly nine weeks to fully refurbish the Msasa branch as they seek to complete four more food outlets in four different towns.
“As we launch in Msasa, we now take our staff compliment up to 320 employees, and with future CASA’s plans for Samy Levy’s Village, Fife Avenue, Gweru and Victoria Falls by the end of year, our staff compliment is set to rise to 435 people who in turn support their families and communities.
“We are looking up to a budget of $700 000 to $750 000 per project and we have already started work on the Gweru branch which is priority for now.
“ It should be done by November. It’s is not an easy road since we have to import much of the material from outside the country and that require US dollars and the South African Rand.
“There are going to be quite a few changes there — all for the better,” Mr Meares said.
He said the refurbishment at Casa Msasa involved the extensions, significant internal and external alterations, revision to the kitchen extract plant and outside areas.
“This is an especially exciting time for us as we are happy to announce the opening of our brand new CASA in Msasa which took us nine weeks.”
Mr Meares believes that opening of the new restaurants and the growth of Simbisa brands proves their commitment to the local economy and support to local communities and farmers at large.
“The opening of our tantalising new CASA in Msasa is not only a celebratory event, it also comes at a turning point in the history of our country where Nandos remains committed to the potential outlook of Zimbabwe.
“As Zimbabwe looks to our future, so do us at Nandos, as we continue to keep providing opportunities for investment, employment and enjoyment.
“This $700, 000 investment is just another stepping stone on our expansion within the country, an expansion that builds communities, provides jobs, and of course brings our fiery, spicy, CASA-cooked meals to the people,” he said.
Simbisa also pledged their support to local farmers to improve their produce.
“We also support local farmers who grow the famous African Birds-Eye chilli, the fundamental ingredient of the renowned Nando’s Peri-Peri flavour and fire.
“The majority of our food is locally grown and this include chickens, potatoes, chillies among other things. We are working with potato farmer because we required about 40 000 tones a day.
We are working with their associations to help them grow more seed as well as improve their produce.
“What’s coming is our opportunity to grow as a nation and as we grow with it as a company and partner, we will keep sharing the fun, laughter and deliciously flamed-grilled chicken with you.” The Herald
The Central African Building Society (CABS) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with local travel firm Four Faces that should see the latter’s Holiday Clubs membership cards hosting basic banking functions.
Central African Building Society (CABS)
The partnership will expand Four Face’s footprint riding on the huge market share that CABS commands on the local banking sector.
This will also boost the firm’s credibility.
“This will see the distribution of four faces membership cards improve as we are going to take advantage of a wide distribution of CABS bank and agents,” said Four Faces managing director Evans Chadyiwa by email.
“This partnership will also bring security and confidence in our already well received holiday clubs concept as the banking functionalities will help our clients to use our cards more for everyday use at the same time making holiday clubs part of their everyday life thereby making them more travel conscious this will improve the savings they will make for their holidays.
“Added to the everyday CABS banking functions the four faces holiday club membership card Four Faces will be the only biller on the USSD biller payment,” he said.
Four Faces provides specifically designed packages which allow members to save towards a holiday through affordable monthly subscriptions on a prepaid contract basis.
The firm caters for students, church events, camping, corporates and individuals providing an opportunity to explore domestic tourism while also looking at other regional and international destinations.
Mr Chadyiwa said the partnership added convenience to its club members and enabled them to easily save for their holidays.
The company would also benefit from CABS wide foot print in the industry with agents all over the country.
“The quest to offer practical easy solutions to our clients inspired this partnership. CABS has over 400 agents across the country and through this partnership Four Faces becomes a CABS agent offering their banking services.
“CABS also becomes a Four Faces agents via distribution of our membership cards through their wide agency network. This will increase holiday and travel aptitude for our clients,” said Mr Chadyiwa. The Herald
Featuring on Jah Prayzah’s “Eriza” video has brought fame to dancer Lady Storm and it seems gates of fortune are now opening up for her.
Suluman Chimbetu and Lyn Magodo will on Saturday have a stage affair at PaDziva outdoor joint near Dzivaresekwa. It will be another “One Big Party” event and they will take turns to entertain patrons at the joint that is fast gaining popularity.
Featuring on Jah Prayzah’s “Eriza” video has brought fame to dancer Lady Storm and it seems gates of fortune are now opening up for her.
Lyn is known to many as Lady Storm or Eriza. Lady Storm is her stage name and she got the moniker Eriza after featuring on Jah Prayzah’s video with the same name. She featured as a school girl in a nicely-fitting grey and white uniform.
She attracted the attention of many art followers, especially men that could not resist her beauty and fine stature.
At most events where she has performed, she has become known as Eriza and she happily responds to the name because it contributed to her rise to fame.
She is likely to be on cloud nine on Saturday since it will be her birthday party. She turned 25 on August 19 and the party will facilitate celebration with fans.
Her combination with Sulu is likely to bring exciting moments at PaDziva. Sulu is celebrating his father’s life throughout August and Simon Chimbetu’s songs are dominating his playlist.
“One Big Party” brings various celebrations on one stage, which makes the Saturday show unique.
While many have been used to seeing Eriza dancing to Jah Prayzah’s song, she will showcase what she has to offer in terms of dendera dances when she joins Sulu on stage.
She will also come with her dancers to show people that she can do a lot beyond the Eriza choreography.
PaDziva proprietor Benjamin Nyandoro of Jive Zimbabwe said the show will be a big event for music fans and party-lovers.
“We are happy to have this event at PaDziva. Sulu will be sharing various stories about his late father. He has promised to share Simon Chimbetu’s untold stories like he did at the beginning of this month at one of his shows,” said Nyandoro.
“We are waiting with great anticipation and dendera fans should expect a unique show. Lyn will be on stage with her dancers and we know that people love her Eriza style. She will bring everything that can make people happy.”
“One Big Party” is held every month as a celebratory event for celebrities and socialites. The Herald
As the commission of inquiry, led by South Africa’s Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, into state capture got underway yesterday yesterday, the ruling African National Congress urged its members and others to cooperate fully with it “so that the country can deal with this difficult chapter”.
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo
“The African National Congress notes the start of the Zondo commission on state capture this week. The national executive committee (NEC) of the ANC in May 2017 endorsed the establishment of such a judicial commission so that the facts and truth can come to light,” reads a statement from ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe.
The commission is the result of former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s report, State of Capture, which was released in November 2016. Madonsela’s remedial actions included that former president Jacob Zuma must appoint a commission into state capture, whose head had to be appointed by Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng.
Mr Zuma unsuccessfully challenged this in court, and in January this year, on the eve of a crucial meeting of the ANC’s NEC – which was expected to discuss his recall – Mr Zuma announced the establishment of a commission of inquiry with Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo as its head, as Mogoeng had recommended, saying “the matter cannot wait any longer”.
It was reported this weekend that Mr Zuma would be expected to answer questions. His legal team said at Monday’s proceedings it needed sufficient time to make “meaningful contributions”.
Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene and Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan, who were both fired by Zuma as finance ministers, are expected to testify, as is former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas and ANC MP Vytjie Mentor, both of whom claimed the Guptas offered them jobs as Cabinet ministers.
At the start of yesterday’s proceedings, Zondo said investigations were continuing while the commission was underway and called on people with information to come forward. He also said he had trouble obtaining information from Treasury and also struggled with assistance from the State Security Agency to get security clearances.
“The ANC urges its members and others who are summoned to appear before the commission to offer their full cooperation to the commission, so that the country can deal with this difficult chapter,” said Mabe in a statement.
“The commission will assist to ensure that where wrongdoing was done appropriate action is taken and people are held accountable.
“The allegations and reports on this matter have done immense damage to the image of the country and the confidence of ordinary citizens in state institutions. It is, therefore, crucial to ensure that the commission completes its work expeditiously.”
Earlier reports were that the Head of the ANC presidency Zizi Kodwa had told News24 ahead of the beginning of the inquiry that the commission was crucial for the party to rebuild a broken relationship of trust between it and the public.
“Those who have made allegations loudly in public should be bold and courageous and use this important platform to come forward with evidence for the sake of the country. We need to get to the bottom of the allegations,” Kodwa said.
“It includes ANC members and ANC leaders, regardless who is involved,” he said.
Kodwa added that the commission was important politically because there were allegations that executive decisions were not taken by a democratically-elected government but by “certain people, undermining the authority and the faith people have in a democratic state”.
“Corruption is thieving. It diverts money meant for service delivery. The commission must do its work to restore people’s confidence in the state, (and) restore credibility of institutions, including government companies used for looting,” he said. – News24
The gang, said to be fronted by a woman – Susan Fumukani (37) — allegedly called the victim aside and pretended to be clients who wanted to change a large sum of money.
Jabulani Bhotoro (27) of Makanda Village under Headman Gadzingo was initially slapped with a 15-year jail sentence by Gutu resident magistrate Mr Victor Mahamadi when he was convicted of four counts of stock theft on his own plea of guilty on Friday last week.
![Boko Haram has launched a series of assaults against Nigerian troops in recent months [Reuters]](https://nehandaradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Boko-Haram-kills-19-villagers-in-Borno.jpg)
