HOT TOPICS ONLINE ----- *Police and CIO Operatives arrest blessed Geza's wife and family, demand info on his whereabouts* (feednews.com) *Coup Fears As Soldiers Are Seen In Bikita* (ZimEye) *EDITORIAL COMMENT: Time to fix Harare disaster* (Herald) *It’s great to pay compensation to former white farmers but they too should compensate their former workers whom they treated like slaves* (The Insider) *Director takes council’s US$8 000 to sponsor family trip to Zanzibar* (Herald) *Unknown people try to gain entry into Delta Beverages premises via drainage pipes* (ze news) *ZANU PF Signs Papers To Expel Geza And Gomwe* (ZimEye) *Fugitive Geza risks collapse of US$1,3 m fraud case against former ARDA boss* (Zimlive) --- ©Zoomic Media https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaD22E27YScxhpM8Re26 ..... *Police and CIO Operatives arrest blessed Geza's wife and family, demand info on his whereabouts* (feednews.com) A deeply troubling situation is unfolding as the wife and other family members of Cde Blessed Geza are reportedly being subjected to relentless harassment by the police and C10 operatives. The security forces are persistently demanding information regarding his whereabouts, putting immense emotional and psychological pressure on his loved ones. According to sources close to the family, law enforcement officers have been making repeated visits to their home, interrogating his wife and other relatives in an aggressive and intimidating manner. The authorities are allegedly insisting that the family disclose any knowledge they might have about his current location. However, it remains unclear whether Cde Blessed Geza is in hiding, detained, or missing for reasons beyond his control. The heavy-handed approach of the police and C10 operatives has left the family living in constant fear and distress. Reports indicate that they are being subjected to both verbal threats and psychological pressure, creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. The situation has raised concerns among human rights activists, who argue that such tactics amount to intimidation and an infringement on the rights of his family members. Many are questioning the legality and morality of the actions being taken against the family. While law enforcement agencies have the right to conduct investigations, subjecting innocent family members to harassment in the absence of concrete evidence raises serious ethical and legal concerns. Critics argue that such tactics are often used to instill fear, silence dissent, and exert undue pressure on political figures or activists. The lack of transparency surrounding the situation has further fueled speculation about whether Cde Blessed Geza is being targeted for political reasons. His past engagements and statements may have drawn the attention of authorities, leading to this aggressive search for his whereabouts. However, without clear communication from law enforcement agencies, the situation remains shrouded in uncertainty. Calls are growing for authorities to respect the rights of his family members and cease any form of harassment. Human rights organizations and concerned citizens are urging the police and C10 operatives to follow due process and avoid using intimidation tactics against innocent individuals. There is a strong demand for fairness, justice, and the protection of fundamental human rights in handling such cases. As the situation develops, many are closely monitoring how authorities will proceed and whether legal or humanitarian interventions will be necessary to safeguard the well-being of Cde Blessed Geza’s wife and family. Source:feednews.com ------ *Coup Fears As Soldiers Are Seen In Bikita* (ZimEye) By Munacho Gwamanda-Fears of an imminent coup are growing in Zimbabwe as uniformed soldiers have been spotted in various growth points and rural areas, raising concerns of a military intervention reminiscent of the 2017 coup that led to the ouster of former President Robert Mugabe. Reports indicate that soldiers were seen this afternoon at Nyika growth point, while earlier in the day, more than 20 military tanks were spotted in Harare’s Borrowdale area. The sight of such a heavy military presence has fueled speculation about a possible coup, especially amid deepening divisions within the ruling ZANU-PF party. The sudden and unusual movement of military hardware mirrors events leading up to the 2017 coup when soldiers were first seen patrolling streets before military tanks were deployed to strategic locations, including Parliament and police stations, to disarm police officers who had become Mugabe’s de facto paramilitary force. Back then, the coup was orchestrated by the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) under the leadership of then-General Constantino Chiwenga, who had the backing of key military figures such as the late Air Marshal Perrence Shiri and retired General Sibusiso Moyo. The military’s intervention was triggered by Mugabe’s decision to fire Emmerson Mnangagwa as Vice President, a move widely seen as paving the way for his wife, Grace Mugabe, to take power. This alienated war veterans and the military, prompting their intervention. Mugabe was placed under house arrest, and within days, he was forced to resign, ushering in Mnangagwa as the new president. Despite growing unease, government officials have dismissed concerns of a coup. Presidential spokesperson George Charamba, posting under his pseudonym dhonzamusoro007 on social media, stated that the movement of military tanks in Harare is part of routine drills. “Support your Zimbabwe Defence Forces, ZDF, as it goes through the routine of ensuring all its battle systems are in tip-top state!!! #zdf, KEEPING YOU SECURE AND DEFENDED,” Charamba posted. However, these assurances have done little to quell fears, especially in light of reports by ZimEye suggesting that a coup may be in the making. Adding to the anxiety, a viral video featuring an unnamed prophet predicting a bloody military takeover has intensified speculation. The prophet warns: “The Lord has spoken, and I must pray for Zimbabwe. I saw another coup—one that will bring chaos and bloodshed. This will not be like before; this time, there will be much suffering, and many lives will be lost. I saw the current government being overthrown, and in its place, violence and turmoil will arise. The Bible commands us to pray for those in authority, and now more than ever, Zimbabwe needs our prayers.” This prophecy suggests that a secret deal regarding leadership succession has collapsed, escalating the power struggle within ZANU-PF to a critical point. The warnings from religious leaders align with increasing political tensions, particularly following recent remarks by war veteran and ZANU-PF Central Committee member Blessing Geza. Geza, a former liberation war fighter with deep military connections, has publicly declared that war veterans will take drastic steps to remove Mnangagwa. His ultimatum has further fueled speculation that a military faction loyal to Vice President Chiwenga may be preparing to take action against Mnangagwa. Reports suggest that senior military officials and war veterans have held secret meetings to strategize ways to block Mnangagwa’s bid to extend his rule beyond his current term under the controversial #ed2030 agenda. Sources indicate that the rift between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga has reached a breaking point, with Chiwenga’s faction believing that Mnangagwa has reneged on a 2017 coup agreement that allegedly promised Chiwenga the presidency after Mnangagwa’s first term. Unlike Mugabe in 2017, Mnangagwa has spent years consolidating his grip on power. He has appointed loyalists to key military positions, purged officials perceived as Chiwenga allies, and neutralized potential rivals within ZANU-PF. Many key figures from the 2017 coup, including Perrence Shiri and Paradzai Zimondi, have died under suspicious circumstances, fueling speculation that Mnangagwa orchestrated their eliminations to weaken Chiwenga’s support base. Despite these manoeuvres, Chiwenga remains influential within the security forces, and reports suggest that a faction of the military and war veterans still see him as Zimbabwe’s rightful leader. A recent high-level meeting reportedly took place in Mashonaland Central, a province known for political upheavals and strong opposition to Mnangagwa. Sources close to the discussions claim that many within the military are disillusioned with Mnangagwa’s leadership and are actively plotting against him. One insider revealed: “You hear what credible war veterans like Blessing Geza are saying. He is not hallucinating; he is communicating a message from the script, and you must listen to him carefully.” Adding to the uncertainty, another prominent prophet, Ian Ndlovu, has issued a stark warning about a looming coup: “We must continue to pray for our nation… Two trains are set to collide. I personally pray for peace for all ordinary Zimbabweans, but change must not be stopped, in whatever form it needs to come.” While Mnangagwa has fortified his control over intelligence and security agencies, Zimbabwe’s political landscape remains unpredictable. If discontent within the military reaches a breaking point, even a well-entrenched president can be overthrown. With tensions between Mnangagwa and Chiwenga escalating and war veterans openly voicing their grievances, Zimbabwe may be on the verge of yet another military-led political upheaval. Whether the growing military presence is indeed a precursor to a coup or simply routine drills, the coming weeks will be crucial in determining the nation’s trajectory. ...... *EDITORIAL COMMENT: Time to fix Harare disaster* (Herald) Justice Maphios Cheda The Commission of Inquiry into the governance of the affairs of the Harare City Council since 2017 has now finished taking oral evidence, although people can still send in written affidavits, and will now be sifting the large quantity of evidence it has gathered, checking facts, drawing conclusions and making recommendations. It has had its term extended again, so it has the three months that will be needed to first tie down and make sense of all the evidence and then go for the harder job of working out how to fix the mess. When President Mnangagwa set up the commission last year, with retired judge Justice Maphios Cheda chairing a group of legal and local government experts, he was using his powers under the Commission of Inquiry Act because he and the country, and the residents of Harare in particular, wanted to know what had gone wrong, why it had gone wrong and what needed to be done to put the city back on course. Besides the general instructions to the commission, the President was keen to know what the swathe of private companies totally owned by the city council were doing; these include City Parking with its vast daily flow of revenue, Rufaro Marketing which is now a property company having ceased running beerhalls and bars, and the quarrying company that used to supply the stone for repairing and making roads. The President was also keen to find out why the second largest entity in Zimbabwe after the central Government, and far larger than any private sector company, was using a financial system designed for small and medium businesses rather than a state-of-the-art enterprise resource planning system, with the Auditor General reports pressing the council to resume such a system after noting that large sums could simply not be accounted for. All local authorities have to comply with the same laws of accounting of revenue and procurement as the Government and other public bodies. While the public hearings have seen a large number of allegations, with those called being invited to reply to allegations made against them and with trained lawyers asking questions as specific evidence was sought, the commission now needs to sort out just what was going on and how the strands of evidence are linked. The commission is probably helped by the fact that many of those called were anxious to blame almost everybody else for the mess in the administration and the council, while making it clear that they themselves had just been doing their job and in some cases had opposed what was happening. This sort of finger pointing often produced floods of information that allowed the commission to call in other witnesses and to build up the sort of precise questions it wanted to ask people like the acting town clerk and the mayor. Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume was in fact the last witness summoned by the commission, and his questioning was probably the longest, as by that stage a lot of detail had emerged and the commission wanted confirmation of some facts and explanations of others. Clr Mafume was also keen to note that a wide range of events had taken place before he became mayor and he had been unable to reverse them. We assume the commission may well want to confirm certain allegations, such as the claim by Clr Mafume that top executives were receiving a combined US$500 000 a month with the town clerk on a salary of US$27 000, rising to US$30 000 a month on additional perks. The oddity is that this sort of pay was probably justified on the need to attract and retain top talent to run the city and that if it was not paid then the top executives would go elsewhere. There are many residents who might query why the council was so keen to retain executives who had done so little in the way of their duties. Mayor Mafume also brought up the problem, as several of his predecessors coming from the same opposition ranks have done before, that hardly any councillors have a professional, business or accounting background, with the chairperson of the audit committee, for example, having zero accounting qualifications. With the technical background of commissioners, under a highly experienced judge with years of experience in sifting through complex evidence to find the truth, we are confident that the commission will be able to eventually lay bare the details of the mess and the degree of the disaster in the City of Harare, and just that will make its report a best seller. The next stage will be what has to be done to put Harare City Council and its administration back on its feet. Part of the problem is the degree of autonomy that all local authorities, but in particular those with municipal status, have. A former temporary solution of an appointed commission to run the affairs of a city no longer exists. But solutions are needed, perhaps using the Local Government Board for a start to find and appoint a top layer of leadership in the administration, rather than have almost everyone on suspension or acting. Certainly the competence of some of those in top jobs can be strongly questioned and replacement thus legally easier. The complication of a succession of councils where hardly anyone has the sort of background to oversee the running of a major city is a harder problem, since the solution relies on voters insisting that people have to be qualified as a councillor before seeking power. The city has faced very serious financial and other problems before when either the council or its administration failed badly, although the dual failure we see now is very rare, fortunately. Yet there are probably a lot of council employees who know what they are doing and given reasonable leadership and resources would be able to provide excellent service, so it is not a total disaster. The need is to provide that leadership in administration and on council and then get the resources, which exist, put to the correct use rather than filling five-star troughs for those who see the city as a source of wealth. .......... *It’s great to pay compensation to former white farmers but they too should compensate their former workers whom they treated like slaves* (The Insider) It’s great to pay compensation to former white farmers but they too should compensate their former workers whom they treated like slaves Posted inStories It’s great to pay compensation to former white farmers but they too should compensate their former workers whom they treated like slaves Zimbabwe opposition legislator Darlington Chigumbu says while it is good that the country is honouring its commitments by compensating former white farmers whose land was covered by the Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (BiPPAs), it should not be blind to the fact that these farmers treated their workers like slaves. The Budiriro legislator said it was his wish that as the farmers were compensated, they should pay their former workers because they were not paid fairly when they worked on their lands. “I understand most of these people are no longer alive but is it not also prudent Mr. Speaker Sir, to say that they can give back to the communities where their farms are located so that they can also pay something?” he said. “The reason would be because they are now benefiting from something they did not pay for inasmuch as we are talking about the developments that were done on the pieces of land that they are now being paid for.” The Speaker said Chigumbu should raise the issue with the relevant minister during question time. Full contribution: HON. CHIGUMBU: Thank you Mr. Speaker. My point of national interest, Mr. Speaker, concerns the payments that are being made to the BIPPA farmers by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion. It is a good thing that our country is honouring its commitments. I would want to bring to the attention of this House that we need to be cognisant of the fact that there are some historical injustices that happened as these people acquired the land. It is a good thing that the Ministry is saying they are paying these people for the developments that were made on the land that was repossessed around 2000. However, they should also not be blind to the fact that the developments that these people are now being paid for,actually came as a result of labour practises that were near to slavery and our grandfathers are no longer there to be part and parcel or to also claim with these farmers to say they also contributed to the development of that particular piece of land as well as not being treated fairly. It is also sad that this whole arrangement seems not to be taking into consideration these people who participated in the development of these particular pieces of land. Secondly Mr. Speaker, there were also farmers who were affected who were working on these farms and due to the way the land reform programme took place, they were displaced and this whole arrangement is silent on how these people are going to be compensated. The third aspect is that when the land was re-distributed, the big guys are the ones who took parts of the farmland which was properly developed and l can tell that they are not part and parcel of this whole arrangement. My prayer is that, can this arrangement include a model whereby these people who are going to receive the payments of the developments that they have done on these pieces of land also pay the people who worked on these pieces of land, which they were not paid fairly during the time they were working on these pieces of land? I understand most of these people are no longer alive but is it not also prudent Mr. Speaker Sir, to say that they can give back to the communities where their farms are located so that they can also pay something? The reason would be because they are now benefiting from something they did not pay for inasmuch as we are talking about the developments that were done on the pieces of land that they are now being paid for. My prayer is, can the arrangement include a model whereby these people who are going to receive this payment also pay something for what they did not pay for during the time when land was being developed? As I sit down Mr. Speaker Sir, I just want to let you know that this point of national interest is coming from a mind of a patriot and from a heart of a Pan-Africanist. I thank you The Insider. -------- *City bigwigs’ salaries gobble US$500k monthly* Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume (left) takes an oath, flanked by his lawyer Mr Webster Jiti, while appearing before the Commission of Inquiry into the city’s affairs yesterday. -Picture: Memory Mangombe Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume (left) takes an oath, flanked by his lawyer Mr Webster Jiti, while appearing before the Commission of Inquiry into the city’s affairs yesterday. -Picture: Memory Mangombe Blessings Chidakwa, erald Reporter Harare City Council is shelling out about US$500 000 a month towards salaries for executives, with the town clerk receiving a monthly salary of US$27 000, which can increase to US$30 000 with additional perks while the least-paid executive earns US$15 000 per month. None of these salaries and perks have the approval of the Local Government Board, the Commission of Inquiry into Harare City’s affairs heard yesterday. In addition, directors who reportedly have “no pay slips”, spent US$124 000 on foreign trips last year alongside US$1 million on high-end vehicles during the 2023 election period. The commission, chaired by retired Justice Maphios Cheda, learnt that suspended town clerk Hosiah Chisango was allocated US$18 000 for a trip to Dubai while another director, Engineer Isaac Chawatama, received US$15 000. During proceedings before the commission of inquiry, Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume disclosed that the monthly wage bill for top management amounts to around US$500 000. Clr Mafume surprised the commission by stating that top management salaries were closely guarded secrets. He recounted an incident where he requested a report on salaries from the human resources director, who refused to provide it, citing instructions from the town clerk. “He then showed me the document in confidence, and from what I saw, the highest-paid executive is receiving US$27 000 while the lowest is getting US$15 000,” he said. Clr Mafume noted that the highest-paid executive’s salary could reach US$30 000, including perks, and described the relationship between his office and the executive as fractured, as he is frequently accused of overstepping his powers as a ceremonial mayor. “I was just shown the salaries and there are no pay slips. Executive salaries take US$500 000 monthly, not approved by the Local Government Board and the parent Ministry,” he stated. The commission also heard that the city’s lack of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, a modern financial system for high-end businesses and entities, is largely due to the financial illiteracy and mismanagement of councillors. Evidence leader Mr Thabani Mpofu questioned Clr Mafume about the councillors’ role in passing a resolution that led to the termination of the BIQ billing system that was supplied by South African firm Quill Associates. “If all councillors work in unison, the council should have had an ERP, right? Were it not for the council resolution, BIQ should have not been terminated?” asked Mr Mpofu. Clr Mafume responded: “I objected to the decision to terminate BIQ when a resolution was made. I was just a councillor, not the mayor.” However, Mr Mpofu insisted there is overwhelming evidence of mismanagement among councillors, highlighting past Audit Committee chairperson Clr Blessing Duma’s admission of financial illiteracy. The commission also pressed Clr Mafume on issues such as non-functional traffic lights, potholed roads, and the proliferation of service stations in residential areas. Although verbal submissions for the Commission of Inquiry into Harare’s affairs concluded yesterday, individuals can still submit written affidavits, as the commission has three months to compile its report to President Mnangagwa, the appointing authority. Clr Mafume was the final witness to testify and was convicted for lying under oath about his residential address. Justice Cheda, who fined Clr Mafume US$300 or a three-month jail term wholly suspended, thanked all witnesses and stakeholders involved in the evidence gathering process. “The gathering of evidence from this commission has come to an end. We will then adjourn and deliberate on presentations and submissions that were given by the witnesses,” he said. © 2024 The Herald. ......... *Director takes council’s US$8 000 to sponsor family trip to Zanzibar* (Herald) Harare City Council’s housing director, Mr Addmore Nhekairo, took an US$8 000 trip to Zanzibar with his wife and three children, while service delivery is at an all-time low, with residents enduring years without potable running water. This lavish vacation comes at a time when the city is also struggling to procure basic necessities like toilet paper and pay junior workers’ salaries on time while the top brass is enjoying salaries of up to US$12 000 per month. The startling revelations came to light when Mr Nhekairo appeared before the Retired Justice Maphios Cheda-led commission. When asked by Justice Cheda if he had utilised his holiday perks for the past seven years he has been the housing director, Mr Nhekairo responded, “Once, Mr Chairman, with my wife, the one I am legally married to, and kids, I went to Zanzibar last year in December.” He further revealed that he had not gone on holiday for the other six years due to a lack of funds, but was given US$7,500 in arrears, with an annual allowance of US$2,500 that was later reduced to US$2 000. However, he revealed that he was still owed a holiday allowance for December, saying, “That’s what I’m still to receive, Chairman and it is about US$8 000 from the papers that I availed to finance.” This comes amid revelations that the City’s eight directors are each entitled to local, regional, and international holiday trips, with up to three children and spouses, all at the expense of ratepayers, despite the council’s cash-strapped situation. This includes visits to popular destinations such as Victoria Falls for local getaways, Mauritius for regional trips, and even luxurious Dubai for international vacations, with all expenses covered, including air tickets and accommodation at four star hotels. During the ongoing commission, Matthew Marara, the City’s assistant director to the town clerk , disclosed that he had received over US$27 000 in holiday allowances alone for the 30-months he was on suspension. Mr Marara said he was owed US$9 000 in local holiday allowances, calculated at US$3 000 per holiday for each of the three holidays he was entitled to from December 2020 to May 2023. In addition, he also claimed US$18 000 in regional holiday allowances, calculated at US$6 000 per holiday, for the same period. According to the latest evidence presented before the council, the City’s top brass can take up to five people, including themselves, on regional, local, and international trips, with economy flights and four-star hotel bookings reimbursed by the City Council upon presentation of receipts. ........ *Unknown people try to gain entry into Delta Beverages premises via drainage pipes* (ze news) Unknown people try to gain entry into Delta Beverages premises via drainage pipes Delta Beverages says it is investigating a bizarre incident of an alleged attempt by unknown persons who tried to gain illegal entry to its premises at Southern brewery through a water drainage tunnel. Delta Beverages is a a subsidiary of Zimbabwe’s listed brewing giant Delta Corporation. In a press statement, the company said the incident happened on 17 February 2025, and the unknown suspects tried enter the its premises via drainage pipes. Delta Beverages said it is working with the law enforcement agencies to establish more information on the matter. ........ *ZANU PF Signs Papers To Expel Geza And Gomwe* (ZimEye) By A Correspondent | ZANU PF has signed the final papers to expel firebrand war veteran Blessed Geza and Gifford Gomwe from the party. The decision was approved late Wednesday, correspondence seen by ZimEye shows. Gomwe and Geza face expulsion as the 2030 cabal from Mash West province recommended their dismissal to the ZANU PF National Disciplinary Committee. Gomwe is the younger brother of Godwin recently pictured with Cde Geza. The committee will then forward the papers to the politburo for endorsements. Soon after this, the decision will be escalated for announcement by party spokesman Christopher Mutsvangwa. Gomwe is the younger brother of Godwin recently pictured with Cde Geza. The two are accused of denouncing the president and the devious 2030 presidency agenda. The decision is set to cause commotion of apocalyptic levels. – ZimEye ---- *Fugitive Geza risks collapse of US$1,3 m fraud case against former ARDA boss* (Zimlive) Defence gives notice to seek Nyabadza acquittal if Mnangagwa nemesis remains in hiding No show … Zanu PF central committee member Blessed Geza failed to turn up in court where he the complainant in a US$1,3 million fraud case against former ARDA boss Basil Nyabadza HARARE – Outspoken Zanu PF central committee member Blessed Geza risks seeing collapse of his US$1,3 million fraud case against former Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) boss Basil Nyabadza after failing to turn up in court. The fierce campaigner against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s bid to rule beyond the incumbent’s two term limits was forced into hiding last week after police opened charges against him for allegedly undermining the authority of the President and violence incitement. When Geza’s case returned before the courts his week, Nyabadza lawyer, Tazororwa Musarurwa put the state on notice to challenge further remand after the war veteran failed to turn up in court to testify as a witness. Harare Regional magistrate Clever Tsikwa was then forced to roll over the matter to February 26 in anticipation that Geza will show up. “The State is hereby put on notice that the accused will challenge further remand if the complainant fails to show up on the next date,” Musarurwa said. During his previous appearance, Nyabadza asked for further particulars from the state, which he said will enable him to prepare his defence. The former ARDA boss is accused of selling Geza’s land without authority. It is state’s case that on October 29, 2020, Geza bought a piece of land from Nyabadza measuring 423,504 hectares for US$1,362,000. Anesu Chirenje representing the state said Geza was granted sole authority to subdivide, develop and sell the piece of land. It is alleged that when the agreement of sale was done, Nyabadza allegedly misrepresented to Geza that the land had title deeds and promised to avail the document in a month, but failed to do so. The court heard that while Geza was in the process of obtaining subdivision permits for the land from the department of physical planning in Mashonaland West province, he discovered that Nyabadza had sold the same land to Velda Estates. It is further alleged that Geza engaged Nyabadza hoping for an amicable solution only to discover that the agreement of sale had been cancelled without his knowledge. ----