adminMet Department warns of low temperatures
Herald Reporter
THE Meteorological Services Department has warned of predominantly low temperatures of at least minus 6 Degrees Celsius during the night in some parts of Zimbabwe until Monday next week. Senior Meteorological Officer Mr Jonathan Chifuna yesterday said
Ruling reserved in Zinara licensing case
Court ReporterTHE High Court has reserved ruling in a matter in which a human rights lawyer and motorist Ms Roselyn Hanzi is seeking to bar the Government from penalising motorists for failure to display licence discs until end of June. Ms Hanzi, who was recently fined US$10
Zuma’s team meets minority parties
Herald ReporterPRESIDENT Zuma’s facilitation team has conceded that small parties which are not part of the inclusive Government should participate in national processes such as the Constitution-making process. This follows a petition submitted to the South African embassy
Zesa staffer electrocuted
Herald ReporterA Zimbabwe Rural Electrification Agency project co-ordinator was electrocuted while connecting a school to a power grid in Mutoko last week. The tragedy occurred at Tsinga Primary School under Chief Mutoko where Xavier Revesai Katomari (48) was connecting power to the school.
Canada’s UNWTO pullout reasons false
Takunda Maodza Senior Reporter
CANADA quit the United Nations World Tourism Organisation before President Mugabe’s appointment as a special tourism ambassador, but went on to give a false claim for its pullout, it has emerged.
President Mugabe and his Zambian counterpart Michael Sata were appointed tourism ambassadors by the
UNWTO last month during the signing of a trilateral agreement for the co-hosting of the general assembly in Victoria Falls next year.
Canada also owed the UNTWO close to US$400 000 in overdue subscriptions.
Foreign Minister John Baird told the Canadian House of Commons that the move to appoint President Mugabe a tourism ambassador was “outrageous”.
Facts on the grounds, however, show Canada had long ceased to be a UNTWO member when it made the announcement.
Analysts believe the North American state was only trying to be mischievous in citing President Mugabe’s appointment as the reason for its withdrawal.
A reliable Government source told The Herald yesterday that “Canada was making cheap political mileage”.
“The UNTWO communications chief Sandra Carvao said that Canada had formally tendered its withdrawal notice on 12 May 2011 in a letter not made public. Canada did not cite any reasons in that letter,” the source said.
Estimate bills to stay: Zesa
Lloyd Gumbo Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWEANS will continue paying electricity bills based on estimates because Zesa Holdings says it cannot entirely bill them based on actual meter readings.
The power utility says it is expensive to deploy meter readers countrywide.
Zesa Holdings chief executive officer Engineer Josh Chifamba told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on State Enterprises and Parastatals Management yesterday that they would have to increase tariffs to achieve 100 percent meter reading.
Zvishavane-Runde legislator Cde Larry Mavima (Zanu-PF) chairs the committee.
“The committee was also informed that Zesa experienced challenges with the billing system in Harare and western regions resulting in erroneous bills,” read the report that has been tabled in Parliament.
“The majority of citizens have endured the agony of receiving estimated bills most of the time.”
From public hearings the committee conducted, it was revealed that there was no correlation between the charges and services rendered.
The committee said it emerged that consumers who had gone for days without electricity due to faults in their system continued to receive high bills every month.
“For example, one lady in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, during one of the meetings stated that while she was away in South Africa for three months after having
Mutambara’s ouster above board — High Court
Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter
PROFESSOR Welshman Ncube is the legitimate leader of MDC, the High Court ruled yesterday.
Justice Bharat Patel also ruled that the congress held by the party in January 2011 was above board.
The judge validated MDC’s election which gave Prof Ncube the mandate to lead the party as president.
The ruling follows an application by Jobert Mudzumwe, Morgan Changa-mire and other MDC members aligned to Prof Arthur Mutambara’s faction seeking to nullify the congress and the election of the party’s national executive.
The group — that was represented by Mr Obey Shava of Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni — had argued that the congress was conducted in violation of the party constitution.
It was argued that organisers of the congress failed to send notices to all provinces and districts as required by the party constitution.
The group also argued that the election process was flawed in the sense that the party national organising secretary chaired the election, instead of the national chairman.
They also contested the election nomination process.
However, Justice Patel threw out the application for lack of merit.
Call to prioritise developmental issues
Paidamoyo Chipunza in NYANGA
DEVELOPMENTAL issues should be given the prominence and priority they deserve compared to other issues in both
Zifa accuse Musona
Petros Kausiyo and Eddie Chikamhi
FRANCE-based midfielder Ovidy Karuru has been ruled out of the Warriors’ decisive 2013 African Cup of Nations first round, second leg qualifier against Burundi following a rib injury, while chief striker Knowledge Musona is also doubtful.
Court ruling doesn’t spell political doom for Mutambara: Experts
Takunda Maodza Senior Reporter
LEGAL and political analysts say the dismissal in the High Court yesterday of an application by a faction aligned to