*Morning News: Saturday 18 January 2025* *Headlines* *Zimbabwe’s Business Sector In Survival Mode As inflation & Currency Woes Bite* *Stop This Nonsense! Chamisa Blasts Zanu PF’s Push For Mnangagwa’s Third Term* *Mpofu, Chimombe Face 20 year-jail Terms If Convicted, Says judge* *Siziba, Chimutengwende Declared National Heroes* *Commuting Public Calls For Strict Measures On Pirate Taxi Menace* *Kombi Smashed On Tree With Passengers After Driver Jumps Off To Escape Police Arrest* *Hundreds Lose Money In Fake Driver’s Licence Scam* *Brazil Announces Nigeria's Acceptance As BRICS Partner Country* *Donald Trump's Inauguration Moved Indoors Due To 'Dangerous' Cold* *Neymar Opens Up On Relationship With Mbappe At PSG: ‘When Messi Came, He Felt Displaced’* Join our *Ad-free* News Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VacXkvFJJhzd2UoZYF1F *Stories in Detail:* *Zimbabwe’s Business Sector In Survival Mode As inflation & Currency Woes Bite* Zimbabwean companies are grappling with severe economic challenges, including soaring inflation, a skewed exchange rate, and escalating operational costs, forcing some to retrench workers and others to reduce stock levels. Among the hardest hit is Tongaat Hulett’s Zimbabwean subsidiary, Triangle, which announced job cuts after other cost-saving measures failed. Retailers like OK Zimbabwe are also struggling, with de-stocking becoming a growing concern as businesses navigate the country’s volatile economic landscape. An uncertain monetary framework, characterised by run away inflation, a skewed exchange rate and pricing distortions, has left corporates in Zimbabwe battling for survival. Some of them have had to retrench while the retailers are de-stocking. Zimbabwe is already battling a high unemployment rate that has driven droves of locals to seek greener pastures in South Africa and elsewhere on the region and internationally at a time the country’s economic challenges are mounting. Tongaat Hulett’s Zimbabwean unit, Triangle, said this week that it was facing operational challenges that had forced it to retrench employees after cost cutting measures failed to yield a respite. “The current economic environment in Zimbabwe has presented unprecedented challenges for Triangle Limited over the past [three] years. After careful deliberation and extensive evaluation of our operational and economic realities, we have made the extremely difficult decision to implement a phased retrenchment process,” Tendai Masawi, the managing director of Triangle, said in a note to employees this week. He cited “escalating operational costs” particularly in areas such as fertiliser, fuel, maintenance costs and imported goods/services, “combined with inflationary pressures, currency losses, the inability to claim VAT on inputs after sugar was exempted from VAT, and competition from low cost duty-free imported sugar” as having severely impacted the company’s ability to sustain continued production. Triangle, which housed Tongaat Hulett’s Zimbabwean interests that also include Hippo Valley, said it had seen profit margins decline significantly by 55%with manpower costs is spiking by 133% as a proportion of revenue, and debt levels rising to unsustainable levels. Triangle had thus been unable to generate positive cash flows from its operating activities over the past three years as it had faced a “very constrained working capital” position. “These financial realities underscore the urgent need for corrective action so that the business can generate sufficient cash flows to reduce debt and reinvest in its future. This (retrenchment) decision has been taken to protect the long-term sustainability of our organisation and ensure that Triangle Limited continues to play its vital role in Zimbabwe’s economy,” the company said. Tongaat Hulett Limited, is currently preparing to dispose of the Zimbabwe operations to the owners of the Vision Group for about R5.9 billion. The Zimbabwe operations for Tongaat Hulett were among a few stable divisions under the crisis ridden and troubled South African sugar and agro-processing unit that also had operations in Mozambique. Retailers are equally affected, with OK Zimbabwe and other operators like Choppies reducing stock levels due to policies that mandate local currency transactions despite widespread use of foreign currencies. De-stocking levels across most of OK Zimbabwe’s outlets have raised the alarm and concerns that the company is buckling under Zimbabwe’s policies that force retailers to trade in local currency against widespread use of foreign currencies in a country battling for currency stability. In a statement, OK Zimbabwe acknowledged that it had faced stocking levels over the past few weeks. “The company faced intermittent product supply challenges during the festive period. The Company, as well as most of the formal retail sector, has been adversely impacted by a volatile operating environment,” said OK Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, manufacturers like Mega Mart have appealed to government officials for structural reforms to expand the formal sector, which they argue would boost tax revenues and support economic recovery. *NewZW* *Stop This Nonsense! Chamisa Blasts Zanu PF’s Push For Mnangagwa’s Third Term* Opposition politician Nelson Chamisa has slammed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid for a third term, describing it as “nonsense” that will only worsen Zimbabwe’s problems. The ruling Zanu-PF party wants to extend Mnangagwa’s term in office and delay the 2028 elections by two years until 2030 and has already started canvassing for support. Zimbabwe’s constitution limits the presidential office to two five-year terms, and Mnangagwa is currently serving his second and final term. Chamisa who lost the general election that was described by observers as having fallen short of international and regional standards said extending his nemesis Mnangagwa’s term would be extending electoral fraud. “Stop this nonsense! You want to extend pain and suffering, extreme and deadening poverty. “You want to extend unemployment, hunger and lack, power outages, electricity and water shortages. “You want to extend this currency crisis and cash shortages, high taxes and skyrocketing prices. You want to extend oppression, fear, hate and intimidation. “You stole the people’s mandate, hopes and votes. And you want to extend that theft. You cannot extend theft. It cannot. Stop it!” Chamisa wrote on his social media pages. Meanwhile, Zanu PF’s Bikita West Member of Parliament Energy Mutodi drafted a motion to initiate constitutional amendments to facilitate the contentious extension of Mnangagwa’s term, as well as the terms of parliament and local government, beyond 2028. The draft motion has drawn widespread criticism, with the ruling elite accused of colluding to undermine the constitution to support Mnangagwa’s efforts to remain in power. Chamisa said Mnangagwa’s term cannot be extended as this will fuel Zimbabwe’s economic crisis. “You want to extend terror and violence, conflict, the nation’s isolation, looting and corruption. You want to extend bribery and chicanery, to the dying hospitals and the dying in hospitals. “You want to extend the chaos in education, the suffering of teachers under squalid conditions, the suffering of workers and civil servants, the suffering of pensioners and the closing down of businesses. “You want to extend the capital flight and brain drain. You cannot!” he added. *NewZW* *Mpofu, Chimombe Face 20 year-jail Terms If Convicted, Says judge* Jailed business partners Moses Mpofu and Mike Chimombe risk being a substantive jail term of 20 years if they get convicted of defrauding the state of US$7 million, according to High court judge Pisirayi Kwenda. The judge said this while turning down the application for bail by the two who have been languishing in jail since their arrest in June last year. Mpofu and Chimombe face allegations of corruption over the Presidential Goat Scheme in which it is alleged that they defrauded the ministry of Lands of US$7 million after applying and securing a tender using a non-existent firm. Kwenda said because of the severity of the sentence the two are facing, they were likely to abscond. “Regarding the seriousness of the offence, I have looked at the penalty and the presumptive penalty for fraud is 20 years,” the judge said. “If a fraud involves public funds and involves a huge prejudice, the sentence will be severe. “I’m persuaded that the presumptive sentence knowledge of the penalty remains, and is likely to influence the applicants to flee.” The judge further said the court should be guided by the presumptive sentence of an offence when dealing with a bail application. “It must consider that sentence first, it can go down, it can go up, it can go down. “These sentencing guidelines have to be followed. “Where the item, funds, or property is of high value or state funds, this will be aggravating factors. “If the fraud is committed by an offender who is a holder of a public office, it is an aggravating factor and the court should start from there. “If it involves public funds, it is an aggravating factor and the court should start from there,” he said before dismissing the application by the two. In his judgement, Kwenda also criticised lawyers representing the two, for unnecessarily delaying proceedings. Kwenda said bail applications were urgent and under normal circumstances, submissions for bail application should ordinarily not exceed 30 minutes of the court’s time. He said judges normally deal with 20 bail applications in a day but he took two days hearing bail applications by the two friends. “A bail application is expected to be simple and unemotional presentations of facts supporting one’s entitlement to bail,” he said. “My analysis of facts and submissions before me are as follows; bail matters should be simple. However, as a profession, we tend to be so obsessed and end up unwittingly infringing upon the matter that will be before a court.” “A lot of time was lost while parties tussled over what type of an application was before me.” “I’m just saying this to show that we delayed this case for no reason,” he said. Professor Lovemore Madhuku, representing Chimombe, said they are not happy with the ruling and will be filing an appeal at the Supreme Court once they receive a full judgement. *ZimLive* *Siziba, Chimutengwende Declared National Heroes* PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday conferred national hero status on Major-General (Retired) Solomon Siziba and former Information, Posts and Telecommunications Minister Cde Chenhamo “Chen” Chakezha Chimutengwende, in recognition of their contributions to the country before and after independence. Maj-Gen Siziba died on Wednesday and will be buried at the National Heroes Acre in Harare next week while burial arrangements for Cde Chimutengwende will be announced in due course as his family was expected to meet Government representatives today. Maj-Gen Siziba died at Josiah Magama Tongogara Barracks Camp Hospital in Harare after battling cancer. He was 67. Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube delivered news of the national hero status to the Siziba family at his Killarney residence in Bulawayo yesterday evening after receiving communication from the President’s Office. “This message comes from Dr Martin Rushwaya, the Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, and is referenced: National Hero Status, the late Maj-Gen (Rtd) Solomon Siziba. His Excellency, the President and First Secretary of Zanu PF, Cde. Dr. E.D Mnangagwa, has conferred national hero status on the late Cde Maj Gen (Rtd) Solomon Siziba, who died on the 15th of January 2025. “Mourners are gathered at 527 Bulawayo Drive, Killarney, Bulawayo. The late Maj Gen (Rtd) Siziba will be interred at the National Heroes Acre in Harare at a date to be announced. I shall be most grateful if you would make the usual arrangements for his burial and payment of benefits to his family,” said Minister Ncube She described Maj-Gen Siziba’s death as a great loss, saying her office had started initiating processes consistent with the handling of a funeral of a national hero. Major-General (Retired) Solomon Siziba Maj-Gen Siziba’s brother, Mr Leonard Siziba, expressed gratitude to the President for declaring his brother a national hero. The status, he said, was befitting for a man who served the country since his childhood as a learner at Manama High School, where he and other learners joined the armed struggle. “We want to thank His Excellency, the President, for declaring my brother a national hero. We also want to thank the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for delivering the message to the family. My brother joined the armed struggle when he, together with other learners from Manama, left school and crossed into Botswana. “He did his primary level at Nhwali Primary School and proceeded to Manama High School in 1976, where he started his Form One. “He was part of the group that joined the armed struggle from Manama Mission in 1977. He did his military training in Zambia, and during the ceasefire, he was attested into the Zimbabwe National Army. He was stationed at the Zimbabwe Military Academy, where he rose to the rank of Captain. He was then transferred to the ZNA, where he worked until 2005, rising to the position of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was posted to Botswana as Defence Attaché from 2005 to 2013, stationed at the Zimbabwean Embassy,” he said. Upon his return to Zimbabwe in 2013, Rtd Maj-Gen Siziba was appointed Deputy Commander of One Brigade and had been elevated to the rank of Colonel. From 2013 to 2018, he was appointed Director of Administration at the National Prosecuting Authority. Maj-Gen Siziba returned to the ZNA in 2018 and was elevated to the rank of Brigadier-General and was assigned to the Brigadier-General Inspectorate position, a post he held until he retired from the military last year. He was elevated to the position of Maj-Gen upon his retirement. The brother said Maj-Gen Siziba had become a father figure in the family. The Government has already taken over the funeral processes, including the provision of meals, tents, and other necessities. Maj-Gen Siziba’s body is expected to arrive in Bulawayo today and will be received at HQ One Brigade Barracks (Mzilikazi Barracks). After that, it will be taken to Doves Funeral Parlour. Tomorrow, a send-off funeral service will be held at his rural home in Nhwali, Gwanda, Matabeleland South. Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Dr Evelyn Ndlovu, service chiefs, and other senior government officials were among the mourners at the family’s residence. Cde Chimutengwende died on Thursday and was declared a national hero last night. Zanu PF National Political Commissar Cde Munyaradzi Machacha delivered the message to the family at their Milton Park, Harare, home. Cde Machacha was accompanied to the Chimutengwende family home by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe, who is also the Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairman. Earlier in the day, Zanu PF National Chairman and Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri had told the media that Mashonaland Central province had written to the national leadership requesting national hero status for Cde Chimutengwende. She described Cde Chimutengwende as a strong member of the ruling party Zanu PF, who played a major role before and after independence. “He was a principled person who persevered and was consistent and these are some of those values that we consider (when declaring one a national hero),” Cde Muchinguri-Kashiri said. Cde Chimutengwende served as a Government Minister, Member of Parliament for Mazowe and a Politburo member. He succumbed to chronic kidney disease. Born on August 28, 1943, Cde Chimutengwende first became a Zanu PF Member of Parliament in 1985 in Mazowe, and served as a legislator for over 25 years. He also served for 14 years as a Cabinet Minister. Cde Chimutengwende served as Senator and Deputy President of the Senate, Member of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) and Head of the Zimbabwe delegation to the PAP. He earned a Master’s degree in Social Science and a PhD from the University of Bradford in the UK. *Commuting Public Calls For Strict Measures On Pirate Taxi Menace* The commuting public has sent a distress call for law enforcement agents to protect them from pirate taxis which have become a menace in most urban areas including Harare’s Central Business District. Despite widespread appeals for order to be restored on the country’s roads, chaos continues to persist with pirate taxis popularly known as Mushikashika at the centre of the disorder. Even recent attempts to engage public transporters have yielded nothing with a cat-and-mouse game between pirate taxi operators and law enforcement agents now the order of the day. “This is unacceptable and we are all in danger because such reckless behavior is causing the deaths of many innocent people. It’s alarming that the authorities have not taken more effective measures to prevent these incidents and protect the public. The lack of accountability and enforcement is putting lives at risk, and it’s imperative that urgent action is taken to address this issue,” said a commuter who spoke to the ZBC news . “Our lives are being put in jeopardy by this situation, and it’s imperative that something be done about it,” said another commuter. “We’re living with a constant sense of danger, and it’s unacceptable that more hasn’t been done to address this issue,” another added. The running battles are also prevalent at some known hotspots in the city centre including corner Simon Muzenda and Jason Moyo. “This is not good for the police and the mushikashika to continue chasing each other. There is a need for the police to come up with ways that do not put people’s lives in danger. I think they need to work together with officials from the Central Vehicle Registry to obtain the details of vehicles whose owners have been involved in such behaviour,” a concerned citizen said. “I think more needs to be done to protect the citizenry from such incidents, as we have read and heard about cases where innocent lives have been lost during police chases of mushikashika. Why can’t there be a system to identify and track these operators?” another noted. Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) National Spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he is discussing the matter with the responsible authorities. “We are looking into the issue and we want to urge the public to come forth with genuine complaints when they see if something needs to be ironed out,” he said. The Zimbabwe Republic Police has on many occasions issued stern warnings to would-be offenders, and one will only hope for a lasting solution to the traffic jungle in the capital city. *ZBC* *Kombi Smashed On Tree With Passengers After Driver Jumps Off To Escape Police Arrest* A commuter omnibus – kombi – crashed on a tree with passengers and police details on board in Marimba, Harare after a driver who was being escorted to the police station for violating a traffic offence jumped off the moving vehicle to escape arrest. The drama, captured by witnesses on phone video and circulated on social media, has been confirmed by police. The kombi, with registration number ACQ 1884, was being driven along Hean Road towards High Glen Road turn-off, according to a Friday statement by police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi. Narrating the incident, Nyathi said the rogue driver suddenly jumped off the moving vehicle resulting in it crashing onto a tree with people jumping out. The viral image was met with a lot of speculation by the public on what exactly happened. Said the police spokesperson, “The correct position is that police officers from ZRP Marimba were manning a road block when they arrested the driver for openly contravening the provision of the Road Traffic Act, Chapter 13:11. The vehicle was impounded. “A Marimba Police Station vehicle then came to pick the police officers who had completed tour of duty. The impounded kombi’s driver was then ordered to drive to Marimba Police Station with two police officers inside the kombi, escorting it. The police vehicle was following behind. “As the kombi was moving, the driver suddenly jumped out, leaving the kombi to crash onto the tree. The driver ran away from the scene.” Nyathi said the kombi was later taken to ZRP Marimba by police officers who recorded statements from some of the passengers and other witnesses. The police spokesperson said the owner of the kombi, Loverage Chikwape,50, of Kuwadzana Extension in Harare later claimed he did not know the person who was driving the vehicle at the time. “The Zimbabwe Republic Police implores kombi operators and their crew to assist in the maintenance of law and order in the country,” Nyathi said. “There is no reason whatsoever for any kombi driver to be reckless and openly cause an accident while being escorted to a Police Station with police officers and passengers inside.” *ZimLive* *Hundreds Lose Money In Fake Driver’s Licence Scam* MORE than 100 people in Harare have fallen victim to suspected fraudsters masquerading as distributors of driver’s licence discs. These alleged scammers have been sending fake text messages, soliciting payments from unsuspecting individuals in exchange for driver’s licences. The fraudsters direct victims to the Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) offices in Eastlea, demanding a fee before vanishing. Investigations indicate that the scammers typically charge US$50. In a statement, the Civil Vehicle Registry (CVR) Department Registrar Mr Saston Muzenda confirmed such cases. “It has come to the attention of the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) that a fraudster with the following Econet numbers — 0779 171 199 and 0783 123 505 — is sending text messages to prospective drivers advising them that their driver’s licences are ready for collection. “He interchanges the following names Mr Moyo, Mr Sibanda, Mr Nkomo or Mr Dube from VID Eastlea. Once the victims arrive in Harare, he directs them to deposit US$ 50 into either OneMoney or EcoCash account, whose details are 0715 107 676 or 0715 107 468 Ecocash 0786 721 613,” he said. Mr Muzenda said once the money is deposited, the suspect then blocks the victims. He urged the public to be vigilant and report such incidents to the nearest police station. “Secondly, do not deposit any money into an account provided by a stranger. Report to the nearest police station if you are texted by any of the above listed numbers to help the Zimbabwe Republic Police apprehend the fraudsters,” Mr Muzenda said. In June 2023, Government gazetted new regulations over the recently launched new standard plastic driver’s licence linked to a database that will replace the metal licences and has reset the classes of licence, split both the bus and heavy truck classes and added in a sub-class for tri-bikes and quad bikes. This followed the gazetting of new regulations, Statutory Instrument 119 of 2023 under the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations, 2023, by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Felix Mhona. The new Zimbabwean licence is scannable and meets standards of SADC, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community. In the region, South Africa and some other countries already use plastic licences also known as plastic polymer licences. At present, those who pass the Zimbabwe driving tests at VID depots countrywide are immediately issued with a temporary paper licence before obtaining the metal licence a few months later. One of the advantages of the new plastic licences is that they will be printed instantly and have security features that will make them difficult to forge, as well as being scannable so checks can immediately confirm the authenticity and reveal any legal issues. The new standard plastic driver’s licence launched in Harare in 2023 to replace the metal licences will clear a backlog of approximately 600 000 applicants who were waiting for their driver’s licences to be printed and issued since 2019. The backlog was created by the use of obsolete equipment at the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR), as well as a shortage of materials to produce the costly metal discs. Drivers will now be able to receive their licence within seven to 10 days from the day they pass their tests and will pay US$5, or the equivalent at the official exchange rate on the day of payment, for the disc. An online booking platform is available for applicants to make appointments for the capture of biometric details. *Herald* *Brazil Announces Nigeria's Acceptance As BRICS Partner Country* Brazil's government announced on Friday Nigeria's acceptance as a partner country in the multinational bloc of nations known as BRICS. Brazil, which holds the bloc's presidency in 2025, said in a statement that the African country has been actively "strengthening cooperation in the Global South and reforming global governance", which has been a priority to Brazil. "As the 6th largest population in the world and the 1st on the African continent, as well as one of the largest economies in Africa, Nigeria has converging interests with the other members of the group," Brazil Foreign Ministry, known as Itamaraty, said in the statement. Nigeria joins the BRICS in a status already held by another eight nations primarily in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. *Reuters* *Donald Trump's Inauguration Moved Indoors Due To 'Dangerous' Cold* President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural address on 20 January will take place indoors due to dangerously cold weather being forecast next week in Washington, he has confirmed. The address, as well as other speeches, will now take place inside the US Capitol's rotunda, rather than outside the building. The inaugural parade will also be held indoors at Washington's Capital One Arena in downtown Washington about one mile (1.6km) away, along with all three inaugural balls. The last president to be sworn-in indoors was Ronald Reagan in 1985, when cold weather also plagued the US Capitol. In a statement posted to his Truth Social social media platform, Trump said that he does not "want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way" amid the freezing temperatures. "It is dangerous conditions for the tens of thousands of law enforcement, first responders, police K9s and even horses" as well as "hundreds of thousands" of supporters. "In any event, if you decide to come, dress warmly," he added. The Capital One Arena will also be open for a live viewing of the inaugural address. Trump - who has a rally planned there on Sunday - said he would visit the arena after being sworn-in at the Capitol. A planned parade will now take place in a modified form. It is unclear whether it will now take place inside. Extreme cold has been forecast in Washington DC on inauguration day, with temperatures expected to hit a low of -11C (12F) and a high of -5C (23F). With wind chill factored in, the temperature will feel significantly colder. The weather forms part of a larger polar vortex that will send temperatures plummeting across the US. "Everyone will be safe, everyone will be happy, and we will, together, Make America Great Again," Trump wrote. Ahead of the inauguration, organisers had said that about 220,000 tickets would be distributed to watch the event's on the grounds of the US Capitol. Those without tickets would also have been able to view the ceremonies on the National Mall. Alternate plans will now be required for those visitors, as well as the tens of thousands of others expected in the city. Trump said that other inaugural events, including his rally on Sunday and three separate official inaugural balls on Monday evening, would take place as planned. The move indoors means a much more limited capacity at Monday's swearing-in for Trump, who is known to closely track attendance figures at his public events. After his first inauguration, he claimed a "million and half people" had attended on the National Mall. But crowd-size experts said the numbers were about a third of the estimated 800,000 to one million people who attended Barack Obama's one in 2009. Only about 1,000 people attended Joe Biden's inauguration on the Capitol grounds because of Covid-19 restrictions. In 1841, then-President William Henry Harrison, 68, gave the longest inauguration speech in US history in cold, wet conditions. He caught a cold and subsequently pneumonia, and died exactly one month later, making his presidency the shortest in US history. *BBC* *Neymar Opens Up On Relationship With Mbappe At PSG: ‘When Messi Came, He Felt Displaced’* Mbappe’s adaptation at Real Madrid was always an interesting topic of discussion, especially given that he would have to share the spotlight with Vinicius Jr who was already the club’s protagonist. However, it was not the first time Mbappe had to share the spotlights with equal or better players as he was part of the same dressing room as Neymar and Lionel Messi during his time at Paris Saint-Germain. Neymar speaks on Mbappe’s ego Speaking in a recent conversation on Romario TV via SPORT, Barcelona legend and former PSG superstar Neymar Jr spoke on his time in France, and in the process revealed some interesting facts about Kylian Mbappe. To begin with, he revealed that the new Real Madrid star felt threatened by the arrival of Lionel Messi to the club and did not want to ‘share’ Neymar with him. “I think he felt displaced, he didn’t want to share me with anyone,” he said on Mbappe’s reaction to Messi’s arrival. Diving deeper into the topic, he compared the Frenchman’s attitude before the Argentine star’s arrival and that after it. “I have my things with him. We had a little fight. At first, when I arrived, Mbappe was fundamental for the team. I called him Golden Boy and joked that he would be one of the best in the world.” “I always helped him. We had good years of companionship. Then, when Messi came, I think he felt displaced. He didn’t want to share myself with anyone. He totally changed and the fights began,” he added.