adminKombis, council lose millions
Michael Chideme and Peter Matambanadzo
HARARE City Council and kombi operators are losing millions in potential revenue to thugs who claim to be from Zanu-PF who are extorting funds from transporters.
The thugs, who have become rich overnight, have runners who collect the cash on their behalf.
Known as “Mandimbandimba”, the thugs operate “mafia” style and collect over US$1 000 daily.
Rank marshals also play a role in the illicit deals.
A kombi which carries 18 passengers pays US$1, while a 75 seater forks out US$6 per trip.
But, Zanu-PF Harare provincial secretary for information and publicity Cde Claudious Mutero on Tuesday distanced the party from the gang’s activities.
“These are people trying to soil the name of the party. They are just using the name of our party. We do not get money as a party from the ranks.”
Cde Mutero said it was wrong for anyone to suggest that Zanu-PF survives on rank collections.
Harare has over 10 ranks that are reportedly under the control of different leaders who at times use their “runners” to threaten defiant kombi crews.
At each rank, over five groups share different routes.
The big guns have since ditched high-density suburbs for the tranquil low-density areas and are driven around in taxis and sleek cars.
The Herald remains in pole position — survey
Herald Reporter
THE Herald remains the leading newspaper in Zimbabwe, widely-read by people from across the political divide, a survey commissioned by Freedom House, a US non-governmental organisation has revealed.
According to the survey, the other dailies and weeklies trail by a huge margin. The survey results are contained in a report titled “Change and ‘New’ Politics in Zimbabwe” released recently.
A local research institute, Mass Public Opinion Institute, conducted the research on behalf of Freedom House.
The survey noted that newspapers constitute an important source of news on politics and public life for 50 percent of the population, although readership has been affected by financial constraints.
The results reveal that this year, The Herald leads the way with 23 percent followed by Daily News with seven percent, NewsDay and Chronicle with five percent each and The Sunday Mail with four percent.
Another survey conducted in 2010 showed a similar trend with The Herald at the top with 17 percent, NewsDay 7 percent, Chronicle 6 percent, Zimbabwe Independent 3 percent and Sunday Mail 2 percent.
Zanu-PF convenes special session over draft
Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
ZANU-PF’S Politburo meets for an extraordinary session tomorrow to map the way forward following the rejection of its amended version of the draft Constitution by the MDC formations.
Sources said the party’s supreme decision-making body outside congress may also deliberate on pending by-elections following last month’s Supreme Court ruling compelling President Mugabe to call by-elections in three constituencies whose former MPs had approached the court for recourse.
Over 38 constituencies are vacant in the wake of the deaths or expulsion of legislators since 2008.
The President handed over the amended draft to other Global Political Agreement principals — Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambra and MDC leader Professor Welshman Ncube after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.
The MDC formations on Wednesday said they would not accept the Zanu -PF document.
They argued that the revolutionary party, which met over four consecutive weeks to audit the draft against the national report, should bring its
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