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CHIVHU district development coordinator (DDC) Michael Mariga yesterday stripped two MDC Alliance councillors of their posts and barred them from attending council meetings after they defied orders to resign from the civil service following their victory in the 2018 harmonised elections. BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA Edwin Maseva (ward 11) and Emmanuel Punungwe (ward 10), who are both primary school teachers, were stripped of their titles just before the beginning of the Chikomba Rural District full council meeting. Addressing other councillors during the meeting, Mariga said Maseva and Punungwe had failed to comply with a directive from the Public Service Commission (PSC), which ordered them to resign from the civil service 30 days following 2018 their electoral victory or stop serving as councillors. According to a letter dated April 15, 2020, written by the PSC secretary Jonathan Wutawunashe, which Mariga read out to councillors, civil servants serving as councillors would be violating the Constitution and the Public Service Regulations Statutory Instrument 1 of 2000 as stated in Circular 10 of November 2018. “Given the fact that it is a misconduct to engage in any other employment or service for remuneration without the written consent of the commission, it is advisable that you act immediately to correct the situation,” the letter read. “For avoidance of doubt, the commission hereby directs that as a civil servant, you should cease to serve as a councillor with immediate effect. Failure to comply with this directive will result in disciplinary action taken against you.” Maseva said Mariga had misdirected himself by relying on an old prohibition order which had been overtaken by events. “We are still in talks with the PSC on this issue and we have also engaged lawyers. As it is right now, the DDC’s dismissal is null,” Maseva said. Punungwe described the decision by PSC to dismiss them from council as part of political persecution of opposition officials. “This is a selective application of the law aimed at pushing certain agendas. I wonder why PSC decided to fire us from council instead of the civil service,” he said. Following the PSC directive, three Zanu PF councillors in Buhera Rural District Council who were also teachers, resigned recently from the civil service to continue serving in council. Follow Florence on Twitter @FloMangwaya
Many people have been killed since clashes began on Monday. Scores too had been killed in the run up to the vote as protestors marched against Conde's bid for a third term.
MUTARE-BASED freelance journalist Sydney Saize has sued Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri and State security agents for humiliation and unlawful arrest in Chimanimani while investigating alleged theft of Cyclone Idai donations last year. BY KENNETH NYANGANI The matter was heard on Thursday by High Court judge Justice Hlekani Mwayera who reserved judgment on whether it should to a full hearing. The journalist is claiming $500 000 damages. Saize cited Muchinguri, State Security minister Owen Ncube, Sports minister Kirsty Coventry, Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Phillip Vallerio Sibanda and Central Intelligence Organisation director-general Isaac Moyo as respondents. Muchinguri and Sibanda, who were represented by lawyer Mutumbwa Mugabe, raised preliminary objections that the case should not go to a full hearing. Mugabe told Justice Mwayera that Saize in his summons to sue the State security agents did not name the officers who harassed and arrested him. Saize’s lawyer Passmore Nyakureba of Maunga Maanda and Associates said the arguments raised by State were meant to delay the finalisation of the matter. “These arguments are ill taken, they are meant to delay the finalisation of the matter because my client complied with everything the State needed,” Nyakureba said. “He was unlawfully arrested by officers from the army, Central Intelligence Organisation and from the Border Gezi while doing investigative journalism on Cyclone Idai donations to verify if allegations that they were stolen were true.” Saize claimed that on April 11, he travelled to Chimanimani to investigate alleged theft of Cyclone Idai donations by State security agents and government officials. It is alleged that while interviewing the survivors at Ngangu Primary School, the journalist was arrested by some members of the security forces. He was detained at Ngangu Primary School and some officers later forced him to accept a food donation and ordered him to sign for it before posting messages on social media that he had stolen the donations. Saize was handed over to police in Chimanimani who refused to open a docket against him, saying they recognised him as an accredited journalist.
Electoral authorities in Guinea on Saturday declared President Alpha Conde winner of Sunday's election with 59.49% of the vote, defeating his main rival Cellou Diallo.
\t Some people went to the streets to protest immediately after the announcement. Such demonstrations have occurred for months after the government changed the constitution through a national referendum, allowing Conde to extend his decade in power.
\t Opposition candidate Cellou Diallo received 33.50% of the vote, the electoral commission said. Voter turnout was almost 80%.
\t Political tensions in the West African nation turned violent in recent days after Diallo claimed victory ahead of the official results. Celebrations by his supporters were suppressed when security forces fired tear gas to disperse them.
They accuse the electoral authorities of rigging the vote for incumbent president Alpha Conde.
\t At least nine people have been killed since the election, according to the government. The violence sparked international condemnation by the U.S. and others.
\t ``Today is a sad day for African democracy,'' said Sally Bilaly Sow, a Guinean blogger and activist living abroad. The government should take into account the will of the people who have a desire for change, he said.
ICC warning
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor warned on Friday that warring factions in Guinea could be prosecuted after fighting erupted.
“I wish to repeat this important reminder: anyone who commits, orders, incites, encourages and contributes in any other way to crimes … is liable to prosecution either by the Guinean courts or the ICC,” she said.
#ICC Prosecutor #FatouBensouda: "I wish to repeat this important reminder: anyone who commits, orders, incites, encourages or contributes, in any other way, to the commission of #RomeStatute crimes, is liable to prosecution either by #Guinean courts or by the #ICC."
— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) October 23, 2020
\t On Friday, internet and international calls were cut off across the West African nation in anticipation of the election results, according to locals and international observers in the capital, Conakry.
\t This was the third time that Conde matched-up against Diallo. Before the election, observers raised concerns that an electoral dispute could reignite ethnic tensions between Guinea's largest ethnic groups.
Diamond's Back: LisaRaye Announces She's Joined OnlyFans
President Cyril Ramaphosa has acted against Public Service Commission director-general Dovhani Mamphiswana.
By Associated Press Undefined ROME (AP) — In much of Europe, city squares and streets, be they wide, elegant boulevards like in Paris or cobblestoned alleys in Rome, serve as animated evening extensions of living rooms, places to gather and be seen, areas to laugh, chat and drink with friends. Yet with the continent hit hard by a surge of record new daily infections, European governments have once again put limitations on how residents live and socialize. In response, AP photographers across Europe delivered a snapshot of how Friday evening — the gateway to the weekend — looks and feels […]
The post AP PHOTOS: Virus makes Friday nights empty, quiet in Europe appeared first on Black News Channel.
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s son, Tarirai David Mnangagwa, was allegedly duped of US$4 million after he was booted out a company which he co-funded. BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE The directors of Hozheri Stone Crushers Private Limited have already appeared in court where they were granted $20 000 bail each by Harare magistrate Judith Taruvinga, who remanded them to November 27. The accused, Elizabert Mushiringi, Chad Cecil Mupandanyama and Alec Mawere, who were represented by Tatenda Ndhlovu and Reginald Chidawanyika, were charged with fraud. Allegations are that on September 29, 2017 Mushiringi and Mupandanyama registered a company called Wozheri Stone Crushers Private Limited with the Registrar of Companies under number 8640/2017. According to their memorandum of association, Mnangagwa was a major shareholder with a 60% stake, Mushiringi had 5% while 15% were controlled by Mupandanyama. It is alleged Mushiringi and Mupandanyama owned 40% on registration, but only took 20% indicating they would allot the remaining shares later. Since the formation of the company in 2017, Mnangagwa took on his role of financier and was tasked to scout for other investors. It is the State’s case that on July 2, 2018, Mushiringi and Mupandanyama after realising that Mnangagwa had brought in viable investment in the company, allegedly connived to boot him out of the company. The State alleges Mushiringi and Mupandanyama allegedly fraudulently removed Mnangagwa from the directorship and replaced him with Mawere and updated the records at the Registrar of Companies. It is alleged when the complainant was removed, he was never told of the development and he continued rendering services to the company. On October 10 this year, during the verification of account opening at CBZ Bank, the complainant got to know that the accused persons had used fake company documents to resign him from the company, which then prompted him to report the matter to the police. Armed with a warrant of search, detectives from Commercial Crimes Division proceeded to Gweru and seized the company documents used in the commission of the offence. The State alleges Mnangagwa suffered a prejudice of US$4 million of the investment due to the accused person’s misrepresentation.
