*Zim Current Affairs Bulletin: Tuesday 4 February 2025* *Headlines* *Blessed Geza, War Veteran Calling For Mnangagwa’s Resignation Expelled From ZANU PF* *...As Another Anti-2030 War Veteran Fights For Life After Mysterious Hit-and-Run Accident* *Mnangagwa, Ruto To Lead Two-day SADC-EAC Koint Meeting on DRC This Week* *Wicknell Chivayo Buys Two-Storey House for Sister in Australia* *Nearly Half Of Zimbabwean Women Suffer From GBV* *Harare Officials Splash On Luxury Cars, Hide Them from Public View* **ZIMRA Tightens Tax Grip On Working Class* *High Court Reserves Judgement In Spitzkop Farm Ownership Wrangle* *Govt Launches Operation Chenesa Harare Phase 3* *Total Garage Fined Over Too Much ethanol In Their Petrol* *Congo Demands International Sanctions 'To Stop Rwanda'* *Trump Pauses Tariffs On Mexico & Canada, But Not China* *Chelsea 2-1 West Ham: Blues Come From Behind To Beat Hammers & Go Fourth in4 Premier League* Join our *Ad-free* News Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VacXkvFJJhzd2UoZYF1F *Stories in Detail:* *Blessed Geza, War Veteran Calling For Mnangagwa’s Resignation Expelled From ZANU PF* Blessed Geza, a ZANU PF Central Committee member and war veteran who declared that “the only 2030 President Mnangagwa will see is half past eight on the clock” has been expelled from the party. The ZANU PF Mashonaland West provincial leadership led by Mary Mliswa, Tapiwa Masenda and Ziyambi Ziyambi held meeting to fire Geza. The venue of the presser was supposed to be ZANU PF headquarters but was relocated indefinitely to North Code Mt Hampden premises. Reports suggest that they were blocked from holding the meeting to fire Geza at the party HQ *...As Another Anti-2030 War Veteran Fights For Life After Mysterious Hit-and-Run Accident* In a tragic development, one of the war veterans who has been fiercely critiquing plans to prolong President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s stay in power until 2030, was involved in a car accident over the weekend raising suspicion. Unconfirmed reports indicate that Joaquim Chivandire, a vocal critic pushing for Mnangagwa to step down, was the victim of a hit-and-run incident while returning home from a meeting. Several media outlets have reported that the accident was serious, and Chivandire is currently receiving medical care at an undisclosed hospital. However, details about his condition and the exact location of the incident remain unclear. It is also unknown at this time whether the hit-and-run was intentional or accidental. The news was first shared by the Children of War Veterans Association (COZWA) on X (formerly Twitter). Their post stated: “Breaking News:- Cde Joaquim Chivandire Mash East Provincial member War Veteran Association & an Anti-2030 activist was involved in a serious hit & run accident yesterday when he was coming from an anti-2030 meeting. He is currently hospitalized. It’s not known if there was any foul play.” Adding to the tension, Chivandire’s accident occurred just hours before another war veteran opposed to Mnangagwa’s extended rule, Geza was expelled from Zanu PF. Geza’s expulsion was decided during a Zanu PF Mashonaland West provincial leadership meeting on Monday. Party members, including senior officials, war veterans, Politburo members, and Central Committee representatives, convened at NorthCourt Stadium in Zvimba East Constituency, where they ultimately voted to remove him from the party. *Mnangagwa, Ruto To Lead Two-day SADC-EAC Koint Meeting on DRC This Week* Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa and Kenya’s William Ruto will lead a joint summit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East Africa Community (EAC) on the conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The summit takes place on Friday and Saturday. President Ruto confirmed the news and said both President Felix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda will be present. A ministerial meeting takes place on Friday before the Heads of State convene on Saturday. Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia have also confirmed their participation. *Wicknell Chivayo Buys Two-Storey House for Sister in Australia* Flamboyant businessman Wicknell Chivayo has once again made headlines after splurging millions of United States dollars to buy a property for one of his sisters based in Australia. The ecstatic sister took to her Instagram account and shared the news with her followers. Sister Celebrates Lavish Gift on Instagram In one of the pictures shared to her Instagram story, Chivayo’s sister posed in front of the property whose purchase was facilitated by Jordan Chircop. She captioned the picture, “Ka homeowner ❤️❤️❤️‼️‼️‼️Thank you Wicknell!” In another picture, Chivayo’s sister thanked her millionaire entrepreneur brother for buying a house for her with the caption, “Yassss Mukoma Wicky to the people!!” *Nearly Half Of Zimbabwean Women Suffer From GBV* NEARLY half of Zimbabwean women have experienced gender-based violence (GBV), with many suffering abuse at the hands of those closest to them, European Union (EU) ambassador to Zimbabwe, Jobst von Kirchmann has said. Speaking after a HeForShe march against GBV recently held in Harare, Kirchmann said 42.5% of women in the country have been subjected to some form of GBV, which shows a deep-rooted crisis that continues to affect families and communities. “The numbers are alarming, 42.5% of women in Zimbabwe experience GBV, often at the hands of those closest to them. That means almost every second woman you see here today has experienced GBV. “Today, we are not just marching, we are making a statement. A statement that GBV has no place in our homes, workplaces, communities, or public spaces,” Kirchmann said. The EU ambassador also urged boys and men to respect women and girls. “Men, I want to speak directly to you. We need to do better. Most cases of GBV are caused by men, and this must stop. “Let us start by treating women and girls with dignity and respect, by listening to their voices, valuing their contributions, and standing up against violence wherever we see it. “Let us be role models for the boys and young men in our lives.Together, we can break the cycle of violence,” he added. HeForShe movement, which was launched by UN Women in 2014, calls on men and boys to join the fight for gender equality not as bystanders, but as active partners and advocates. *NewZW* *Harare Officials Splash On Luxury Cars, Hide Them from Public View* Harare City Council’s procurement manager, Mr. Never Murerwa, was yesterday put under intense scrutiny over the acquisition of 12 high-end Toyota Fortuner GD6 vehicles for council directors, along with a Toyota Prado VX200 for the town clerk. The revelations, which emerged during a hearing by a commission investigating council affairs, have sparked outrage amid concerns that the city is prioritizing executive luxuries over critical service delivery. The commission, chaired by retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda, heard that council executives had quietly agreed to avoid drawing attention to their newly acquired luxury vehicles. Instead of driving the vehicles to work, they reportedly use smaller cars or park at a distance from Town House to evade public scrutiny. “We received information that there are 12 new Toyota GD6s which were given to officials. And they are even shy to drive them. They park them in parkades and walk to Town House,” testified Ms. Joyce Shumba, one of the witnesses before the commission. “And then after work, they walk to the parkade. Why can’t they drive their official vehicles? Because they know that they were not supposed to have vehicles prioritised for official issue.” Under questioning, Mr. Murerwa acknowledged that purchasing expensive vehicles at the expense of essential service delivery was wasteful. However, he distanced himself from responsibility, stating that the procurement decisions were made by the human resources department and that he lacked the authority to reject such acquisitions. The commission also scrutinized the purchase of a Toyota Prado VX200 series, a vehicle typically assigned to Cabinet ministers, for the town clerk. Ms. Shumba challenged the procurement, stating: “I reported to you that your office ratified the procurement of a Ministerial vehicle for a town clerk who is, according to grading in Government systems, at the level of a chief director who cannot have such a type of vehicle for their grade.” When asked if council was equating the town clerk’s position to that of a minister, Mr. Murerwa once again shifted responsibility to the human resources department. The ongoing hearings have exposed deep-rooted irregularities within Harare City Council. Several senior officials, including suspended town clerk Eng. Hosiah Chisango, acting finance director Godfrey Kusangaya, and city housing director Addmore Nhekairo, have so far testified, revealing a web of mismanagement and questionable financial decisions. *ZIMRA Tightens Tax Grip On Working Class* The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has upped the ante in tightening the taxation grip on workers after launching an Employee Management Module, under its popular TaRMS platform. The new module comes into operation with effect from January 2025 when PAYE Returns are submitted. The new development comes shortly after the taxman subjected professionals like architects, engineers and those who benefit from lucrative consultancy work to tax payment. The just-introduced module aims to streamline the registration of employees and the declaration of their earnings, making the tax process more efficient for employers. “The Employee Management Module will provide a platform for entities to register their employees and declare their earnings, allowing for automatic tax computation by the system. Each registered employee will be allocated a Tax Identification Number (TIN), and those who are already registered will retain their existing TINs,” explained Mr Misheck Govha, ZIMRA Domestic Taxes Commissioner. The new Employee Management Module will include several features the most notable being the Comprehensive Employee Registration, Flexible Registration Options, Additional Tax Credits, Auto-filling of PAYE and AIDS Levy. “Under the Employee Management Module, employers will be able to auto-fill PAYE and AIDS levy. After generating earnings for all employees, the PAYE and AIDS Levy will automatically populate on the PAYE return within the Tax Returns Management module. “Additionally, Employers can choose to register employees individually or utilize the Employee Upload Function to register multiple employees at once,” explained Commissioner Govha. To fully benefit from the system’s Comprehensive Employee Registration, Employers must declare essential information when registering employees, including marital status, blindness, physical disabilities (for both employees and their children), and the date of birth. This data will enable the system to automatically grant applicable tax credits. “ZIMRA encourages all taxpayers and employers to familiarize themselves with the new Employee Management Module to ensure compliance and a smooth transition,” emphasised Govha. The new Module also provides for Additional Tax Credits under which employers will also have the opportunity to declare other tax credits, such as Medical Aid Contributions and Medical Expenses Credits, during the earnings declaration process. *NewZW* *High Court Reserves Judgement In Spitzkop Farm Ownership Wrangle* High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva has indefinitely reserved his ruling in a matter in which Spitzkop Farm owner Diana Catherine Rodrigues is suing some Harare residents she accuses of taking possession and selling her land to a top land developer, Leengate Pvt Ltd. Rodrigues took the matter to the High Court after coming across advertisements of residential stands being sold by Leengate, which is developing the farm to construct a state of the art gated community. She later learnt that the company had purchased the farm from Spitzkop Farm Residents Association after the grouping secured a court order declaring the farm as derelict. She then sued the association and its leader Tinashe Mananzva arguing that she never abandoned her farm. Rodrigues told the High Court that she became aware of the order against her on August 1, 2024 after she had engaged her lawyers to find out why Leengate was advertising and selling her land. The order was granted against her in default by former High Court judge Webster Chinamora. This was after the residents and Mananzva approached the High Court via the chamber book for an order in terms of the Titles Registration and eDrelict Lands Act. “The said process was never served on myself. As appears on the record attached above, the 1st and 2nd Respondents alleged that our whereabouts were unknown despite the fact that I was born and raised in Zimbabwe and have always resided in Zimbabwe,” she said. The record of proceedings also shows that the respondents advertised their provisional and final order in the Herald newspaper relating to a different deed and not Rodrigues. “However, in this digital world, I have not bought a single hard copy newspaper for the last ten years. “Further, the matter was filed and processed during the novel Covid-19 era in which most people chose to stay indoors both in compliance with WHO and Zimbabwean regulations around self-distancing and lockdowns. “The above facts illustrate but one thing; that I was never in wilful default. The explanation for my failure to oppose the process commenced before this Honourable Court is reasonable,” she said. She alleged that no due diligence was done to contact her and went to attach the Zvimba RDC assessment notices for the payment of levies which contains her address as P.O Box 1593, Harare. Rodrigues said the address is still active and houses a company she jointly owned with her late husband. She complained that the residents took advantage of Covid-19 to mount an application with full knowledge that the prospects of it going unopposed and unseen by her were high. When the matter was heard on Friday, her lawyers urged the court to declare the order by Chinamora a nullity for having been granted unlawfully. She said the residents cited the late Urebai Rodrigues as a respondent instead of citing the executor of the Estate. An application was brought against the fourth respondent who was a part owner. “Spitzkop brought an application against the deceased; as such the proceedings are invalid. They are invalidated because the notice that was brought to the Court could not be read by the deceased person. “Those who dealt with the first matter did not know that the respondent was dead. “This is a case of judgement granted with error and should be set aside. The executor should be joined to the proceedings. “A judgement was stolen from the court under fraudulent circumstances where the court was not advised that the respondent was deceased and this was an abuse of court processes. “A group of people just took the land from their owners. They say they received it as a gratuity from the former owner but the former owner had transferred the land to Rodrigues. “The Rodrigues were not given an opportunity to defend themselves in court in what is a clear abuse of office,” said Advocate Thabani Mpofu said. Mpofu is taking instructions from Blessed Ngwenya. But Spitzkop Farm Residents Association which was represented by Advocate Tawanda Zhuwarara argued that the order was not against Urebai. He said the proceedings should be terminated because Rodrigues had cited a deceased person as a respondent in the present application. “From a nullity you cannot find anything. There was no surreptitious granting of the order,” he said. Rodrigues said she bought the property in question in 1988 together with the late Urebai Rodrigues adding that she still has interests in her farm. Ruling in the matter was reserved indefinitely on Friday. *ZimLive* *Govt Launches Operation Chenesa Harare Phase 3* THE successful implementation of Operation Chenesa Harare phases one and two has resulted in the government extending the programme to phase three as the move to restore sanity in the capital gains momentum. Officially launching Operation Chenesa Harare Phase 3 at Tichagarika Shopping Centre in Glen View this Monday, the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe, accompanied by other ministers highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing the solid waste crisis. He said, “The upcoming phase is coming at an opportune time to address the deplorable state of solid waste management in our city, particularly during this rainfall season which is normally associated with diarrhoeal diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery among others. The government appreciates the support rendered by the private sector during the previous phases of Operation Chenesa Harare. It is pleasing to note that through concerted efforts from various stakeholders, the operation managed to surpass targets of solid waste deposited at Pomona Landfill.” Harare Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Senator Charles Tavengwa said, “We are grateful to the government for the third phase of operation Chenesa Harare in Glen View. Harare is the face of the nation and in order to attract investment, the environment must be conducive because no investor wants to come into a dirty place. We are happy Geo Pomona Waste Management is also involved in this edition, they are critical partners towards ensuring waste collection and management is a success.” Failure by the Harare City Council to provide a lasting solution to the waste management crisis saw the government granting Geo Pomona Waste Management Company the mandate to collect solid waste in residential areas. “As you are aware, last year we signed a contract with the local government for waste collection. As Geo Pomona, we are ready to do the waste collection, but it’s a process to take over from the City of Harare. The process cannot be done overnight. It’s a process we need to do a handover of all the equipment and the sites. As Geo Pomona, we are committed to supporting this Chenesa Harare phase 3 by providing our trucks, by waiving the dumping fees, the bill will go to the City of Harare,” Geo Pomona Waste Management Company’s chief executive officer and executive chairperson, Dr Delish Nguwaya said. Mayor of Harare, Councillor Jacob Mafume underscored the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach towards improving waste management. “We are working together with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, Geo Pomona Waste Management, and the City of Harare to remove the waste from the localities to the Pomona dump site which is what the design was supposed to be in the first place. We are now happy with the way it is now because waste management is a collective national issue. We hope that this model is something which we can sustain and replicate across the country,” he said. Harare City Council is struggling to effectively collect and manage solid waste, hence the government’s intervention. *ZBC* *Total Garage Fined Over Too Much ethanol In Their Petrol* A Total service station in Hwange’s Baobab neighbourhood has been fined $500 by the Hwange Magistrates’ Court for breaching fuel blending regulations. The court heard that on December 27, 2024, the service station unlawfully blended unleaded petrol with more than 25 percent ethanol, exceeding the legally mandated ratio of 80 petrol to 20 percent ethanol. The improperly blended fuel was valued at $17,880. This comes as COMOIL was last week fined US$250 by the Lupane Magistrates’ Court after being found guilty of selling petrol with ethanol content exceeding the legally allowed limit. The company violated E20 ZWS 964 standards, which cap ethanol content at 20 percent. The breach was uncovered during a routine inspection by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) on December 6, 2024. Samples collected from COMOIL’s Lupane station revealed ethanol levels above 50 percent. The Zimbabwe Standards Authority (SAZ) later verified the findings, leading to tanks containing the non-compliant fuel being sealed. The cases highlight ongoing concerns among motorists, who often complain about fuel quality and its impact on vehicle performance. *ZimLive* *Congo Demands International Sanctions 'To Stop Rwanda'* The international community must take concrete action and impose sanctions on Rwanda to curb the M23 rebel conflict in eastern Congo and keep the peace in the wider region, Congo's communications minister told Reuters on Monday. An ongoing escalation has displaced around half a million more people and led to the capture last week of Congo's largest eastern city Goma, fanning fears of regional wars like those that killed millions between 1996 and 2003, most from hunger and disease. Foreign powers including the U.S. and the European Union have condemned Rwanda's involvement in the fighting, which U.N. reports have said includes the deployment of thousands of its own troops and weapons in support of the Tutsi-led M23 militia. "A strong decision (must be taken) not only to condemn, but to stop what Rwanda is doing, because it is not acceptable if you want to preserve peace in Africa and in our region," Patrick Muyaya said in an interview in the capital Kinshasa. "Sanctions are the minimum ... in a context where there has been a deliberate violation of international law, in a context of indiscriminate killing," said Muyaya, who is also the Congo government's spokesperson. Rwanda has said it is defending itself against the threat from Congolese militias, without directly commenting on whether its troops have crossed the border. The Congolese health ministry had recorded 773 people killed and 2,800 wounded in and around Goma in the aftermath of the city's capture as of Saturday. On Monday, M23 fighters stood guard at a cemetery in Goma as local Red Cross workers buried 120 decomposing bodies to ease pressure on the city's overcrowded morgues, said a Reuters reporter. As Congolese troops fight to hold off an advance south from Goma into neighbouring South Kivu province, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda's Paul Kagame have agreed to attend a joint summit of the regional blocs of southern and eastern Africa on Feb. 7-8, Kenya's president said on Monday. Muyaya said sanctions were necessary to impel Rwanda to engage meaningfully in any negotiations. Congo is actively pursuing diplomatic and military options, he added, when asked if there were plans to try and retake control of Goma. "For us as a government it is out of the question to leave our people at the mercy of aggressors." He said the government was concerned about the situation in North Kivu province, but "there is no need to panic" about South Kivu. On Friday, France said it would propose a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council to increase the pressure on Rwanda to withdraw its troops. *Reuters* *Trump Pauses Tariffs On Mexico & Canada, But Not China* U.S. President Donald Trump suspended his threat of steep tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Monday, agreeing to a 30-day pause in return for concessions on border and crime enforcement with the two neighboring countries. U.S. tariffs on China are still due to take effect within hours. Both Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said they had agreed to bolster border enforcement efforts in response to Trump's demand to crack down on immigration and drug smuggling. That would pause 25% tariffs due to take effect on Tuesday for 30 days. Canada agreed to deploy new technology and personnel along its border with the United States and launch cooperative efforts to fight organized crime, fentanyl smuggling and money laundering. Mexico agreed to reinforce its northern border with 10,000 National Guard members to stem the flow of illegal migration and drugs. The United States also made a commitment to prevent trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico, Sheinbaum said. "As President, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of ALL Americans, and I am doing just that. I am very pleased with this initial outcome," Trump said on social media. The agreements forestall, for now, the onset of a trade war that economists predicted would damage the economies of all involved and usher in higher prices for consumers. After speaking by phone with both leaders, Trump said he would try to negotiate economic agreements over the coming month with the two largest U.S. trading partners, whose economies have become tightly intertwined with the United States since a landmark free-trade deal was struck in the 1990s. Trump warned he might increase tariffs on Beijing further. "China hopefully is going to stop sending us fentanyl, and if they're not, the tariffs are going to go substantially higher," he said. China has called fentanyl America's problem and said it would challenge the tariffs at the World Trade Organization and take other countermeasures, but also left the door open for talks. The latest twist in the saga sent the Canadian dollar soaring after slumping to its lowest in more than two decades. The news also gave U.S. stock index futures a lift after a day of losses on Wall Street. Industry groups, fearful of disrupted supply chains, welcomed the pause. "That's very encouraging news," said Chris Davison, who heads a trade group of Canadian canola producers. "We have a highly integrated industry that benefits both countries." Trump suggested on Sunday the 27-nation European Union would be his next target, but did not say when. EU leaders at an informal summit in Brussels on Monday said Europe would be prepared to fight back if the U.S. imposes tariffs, but also called for reason and negotiation. The U.S. is the EU's largest trade and investment partner. Trump hinted that Britain, which left the EU in 2020, might be spared tariffs. Trump acknowledged over the weekend that his tariffs could cause some short-term pain for U.S. consumers, but says they are needed to curb immigration and narcotics trafficking and spur domestic industries. The tariffs as originally planned would cover almost half of all U.S. imports and would require the United States to more than double its own manufacturing output to cover the gap - an unfeasible task in the near term, ING analysts wrote. Other analysts said the tariffs could throw Canada and Mexico into recession and trigger "stagflation" - high inflation, stagnant growth and elevated unemployment - at home. *Reuters* *Chelsea 2-1 West Ham: Blues Come From Behind To Beat Hammers & Go Fourth in4 Premier League* Chelsea returned to the top four in the Premier League after coming from behind to beat West Ham on former manager Graham Potter's return to Stamford Bridge. After fellow top-four contenders Manchester City and Newcastle lost at the weekend, the Blues were made to work hard for the three points by the visitors who led through Jarrod Bowen at the break. But substitute Pedro Neto equalised for Enzo Maresca's side in the second half before Cole Palmer's cross looped over Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, which took a big deflection off Aaron Wan-Bissaka to gift the win to the home side. Bowen, who was out of action since fracturing his foot in a defeat by Liverpool on 29 December, pounced on a misplaced backpass from centre-back Levi Colwill before finishing past Filip Jorgensen to pull Potter's side ahead in the closing stages of the first half. Maresca brought on Neto and Marc Guiu early in the second half to turn things around, and it was the former who helped his side find a way back. Marc Cucurella did well to keep Neto's deep cross in play for Enzo Fernandez to strike at goal, and the Argentine's shot was blocked by Vladimir Coufal, only for the Portugal winger to restore parity on the rebound. Chelsea were much improved after finding the equaliser and an unfortunate intervention from Wan-Bissaka secured the victory for the hosts 10 minutes later. The result helps Chelsea climb to fourth with 43 points - two more than Manchester City and Newcastle - while Potter's side remain 15th with 27 points. Chelsea and Maresca came into this London derby in desperate need of a win, having slipped from second place to sixth in the space of six weeks with just six points from their past seven games. But with Manchester City crumbling to a 5-1 defeat at Arsenal and Newcastle losing 2-1 at home to Fulham, the Blues made the opportunity count and underlined their top-four credentials with a solid second-half fightback. "We are there and hopefully we can be there until the end. Playing this kind of game in February, where we are still there is an important statement," Maresca said. "It was a good weekend for us in terms of [other] results and we knew today was even better." The Italian handed goalkeeping duties to Filip Jorgensen in place of Robert Sanchez, who was at fault for Erling Haaland's goal at Etihad Stadium last week. "In this moment, Robert needs rest and Filip was very good," the Chelsea boss said, explaining the reasoning behind his selection. But it was Colwill's individual error that led to them conceding this time. It meant Chelsea have now made five errors leading to a goal in their past six league games with only bottom side Southampton (17) and Aston Villa (11) making more errors leading to goals this season than Chelsea (10). With the visitors looking organised at the back, Chelsea's best chances in the first half came through quick breaks as Noni Madueke curled an effort past the far post after played through by Nicolas Jackson. Enzo Fernandez and Jadon Sancho also dragged shots wide after Madueke played them through inside the box, before Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola produced a stunning fingertip save to keep out a Palmer free-kick during the dying seconds of the first half. However, early substitutions in the second period energised Chelsea, with Neto coming off the bench to float in a cross and wreak havoc in the West Ham box before making his way into the middle to grab the equaliser in the 64th minute. Palmer then helped Chelsea go ahead with a touch of fortune, and the hosts held on to their slender advantage to claim what might prove a crucial win in the race for Champions League football. Potter was appointed to usher in a new era at Chelsea under their new owners in 2022, but only lasted seven months with the Blues losing 11 of his 31 games in charge. Returning to Stamford Bridge in the opposition dugout, Potter, who this week described his Chelsea sacking as perhaps the "best thing" that happened to him, would have hoped for a happier evening. But West Ham's valiant display was not enough to salvage a point on Monday. "I thought the performance was really good, lots of good things. I thought we were intelligent tactically," Potter said after the game. Potter was without the influential Lucas Paqueta, who picked up a groin injury in the 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, but was boosted by the return from injury of captain Bowen, who featured for the first time in 2025. West Ham were the better side in the first half, with Bowen forcing a save out of Jorgensen before capitalising on Colwill's mistake for the opener as Chelsea struggled to find an opening at the other end. Potter would also feel hard done by as West Ham had shouts for a foul by Colwill on Bowen waved away by referee Stuart Attwell leading up to Chelsea's equaliser, before Neto's goal stood after a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) review to check if Cucurella was offside in the build-up. "We felt a little bit unlucky with the first goal - we thought there might have been a foul leading up to it. Sometimes you need those things to go your way but it wasn't meant to be," the former Brighton boss said. Kudus also hit the upright with a header, albeit from an offside position, before Chelsea forced the winner. "We could have nicked a point with Mo and I think we would have deserved that," Potter added. With London derbies against Brentford and Arsenal in their next two games, Potter will hope his West Ham side take heart from a fighting display at Stamford Bridge. *BBC*