*Morning News: Thursday 20 February 2025* *Headlines* *Zimbabwe Secures Six-Month Supply of ARVs, Plans for Year-End Stock Underway* *Ncube Expels Tshabangu After CCC Misconduct Hearing Passes Guilty Verdict* *Health Ministry Reports Spike In Malaria & Diarrhoea Cases* *Govt Suspends Urban Connect’s Operating License For Six Months After Masvingo-Beitbridge Road Accident Which Killed 25* *ZACC Arrests Zanu PF Councillor, Cop For Stealing Agricultural Inputs* *South Africa's Finance Minister Fails To Unveil Budget After Tax Row* *Congo Has Asked Chad For Military Support To Help Fight Rebels, Sources Say* *'Man City's Surrender In Madrid Marks End Of An Era'* Join our *Ad-free* News Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VacXkvFJJhzd2UoZYF1F *Stories in Detail:* *Zimbabwe Secures Six-Month Supply of ARVs, Plans for Year-End Stock Underway* Zimbabwe has sufficient stocks of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to last the next six months, with efforts already underway to secure additional supplies that will see the country through to the end of the year, Health and Child Care Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora has assured. Speaking in the National Assembly during a parliamentary session, Dr. Mombeshora addressed concerns raised by legislators following the recent suspension of development and humanitarian aid by the United States government. The US, through its Agency for International Development (USAID), has been a key contributor to Zimbabwe’s health sector, particularly in the fight against HIV and AIDS. However, the agency’s activities have been scaled down following an executive order issued by US President Donald Trump. Despite the potential impact of these international funding cuts, Dr. Mombeshora emphasized that the government is committed to maintaining progress in HIV and AIDS treatment and prevention. “We are doing everything to ensure that we don’t reverse the gains we have made in the fight against HIV and AIDS,” he said. He assured the House that Zimbabwe has adequate ARV stocks to last six months, and procurement processes for additional supplies are already in motion. “As a matter of policy, we already have supplies of the ARVs for the next six months, and procurement processes to get drugs that will last until the end of the year are already underway,” he stated. Dr. Mombeshora further noted that even if the US government were to reverse its funding decision, the measures put in place by the Zimbabwean government would remain unaffected. He also indicated that the government would soon seek parliamentary support for additional funding to ensure continued and uninterrupted supply of ARVs. According to Dr. Mombeshora, 31 percent of the country’s ARVs are funded by the United States, while the remainder is procured through the National Aids Council and other development partners. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring the continued availability of the life-saving medication. Zimbabwe has made significant strides in the fight against HIV and AIDS, having achieved the global 95-95-95 targets in 2022. These targets aim for 95 percent of people living with HIV to be aware of their status, 95 percent of those diagnosed to be on treatment, and 95 percent of those on treatment to achieve viral load suppression. *Ncube Expels Tshabangu After CCC Misconduct Hearing Passes Guilty Verdict* Self-imposed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) interim secretary general and senator Sengezo Tshabangu has been expelled for indiscipline by the Welshman Ncube led opposition and now faces an embarrassing recall from the Senate. Tshabangu was dragged before the party’s national disciplinary committee on February 12 this year facing four counts of misconduct which relate to his misdeeds between November and December last year. The charges against the hawkish politician stemmed from his unilateral decision to make changes of “CCC Parliamentary Portfolio holders without the authority of the President or any organ of the party”, according to a statement by party spokesperson Willias Madzimure Wednesday. Tshabangu was also charged for making derogatory remarks against Ncube through public media after he had earlier been suspended from the party. His conduct was in contravention of Clause 9.1.2.3, of the Citizens Coalition for Change Constitution Rules and Regulations, Madzimure said. The party spokesperson further said Tshabangu, through his conduct, brought “the name and reputation of the CCC into disrepute” and was a “brazen” defiance of Ncube’s authority, the National Standing Committee, the National Executive Committee and National Council. Tshabangu, represented during the hearing by party legislator and lawyer, Kucaca Phulu, was found guilty of all four offences as charged, something that elicited his immediate expulsion from the opposition. “Having found Sengezo Tshabangu guilty of all the charges, and having regard to the gravity of the acts of misconduct of which the Committee convicted him, the Committee decided to sentence him to expulsion from the party with immediate effect,” Madzimure said. It was not immediately clear how Tshabangu intended to respond to his sacking. But what remains apparent is his pending ignominious fall from grace after he single-handedly ordered multiple recalls on elected CCC MPs and Councillors from different provinces of the country claiming they had “ceased to be CCC members”. The politician, hardly known to the masses before his bombshell expulsion of opposition colleagues in 2023, now faces the same fate which he subjected his rivals to, a recall. Tshabangu remains a hated figure within Zimbabwean opposition and broader civil society for initiating the opposition leadership carnage soon after elections in 2023. The recalls, challenged few times in court by the party, are also blamed for former party leader Nelson Chamisa’s unceremonious resignation last year. Chamisa claimed he could nolonger afford to remain comfortable among traitors. His exit saw CCC split into two bitter factions with one led by Ncube and another, which remains loyal to him, being led by veteran politician Jameson Timba. During his menace, Tshabangu was branded a party imposter and a hired Zanu PF hatchet man by the opposition. *ZimLive* *Health Ministry Reports Spike In Malaria & Diarrhoea Cases* The Ministry of Health and Childcare has released its Weekly Disease Report for the week ending 02 February 2025, providing updates on various health concerns across the country. A total of 3,912 suspected cases of influenza/common cold were reported this week, with no deaths. Manicaland and Mashonaland East provinces recorded the highest number of cases, with 1,439 and 967 cases, respectively. The cumulative total stands at 13,471 suspected cases, with no reported deaths. Seven new suspected cases of measles were reported, with no suspected deaths. Harare Province reported three cases, Mashonaland Central two, and Mashonaland East and Mashonaland each reported one. The cumulative number of suspected measles cases is now 34, with no deaths. A total of 8,464 cases of common diarrhoea were reported, with no deaths. Of these, 3,358 cases were from children under 5 years old. The provinces with the highest number of cases were Mashonaland Central (1,178) and Mashonaland East (1,157). Cumulatively, there have been 35,265 cases and 17 deaths. There were 2,009 reported cases of malaria this week, along with six deaths. The highest number of cases were reported in Manicaland (824) and Mashonaland West (527). The provinces also saw several deaths, including two in Mutare District, one in Chimanimani, Buhera, Rushinga, and Makonde Districts. The cumulative figures for malaria cases are 5,710 with 17 deaths, and the cumulative case fatality rate (CFR) stands at 0.3%. This week, 24 suspected cases of cholera and one suspected death were reported. The majority of suspected cases (23) were from Mazowe District. Cumulative figures for cholera now stand at 107 suspected cases, with one suspected death, but no confirmed cases or deaths. A total of 545 dysentery cases were reported, with no deaths. Mashonaland Central and Mashonaland West provinces reported the highest numbers of cases, with 114 and 97, respectively. The cumulative total for dysentery cases is now 2,416, with one death. No suspected cases or deaths from typhoid were reported this week. The cumulative total for suspected typhoid cases remains at two, with no deaths, resulting in a cumulative CFR of 0%. *Pindula* *Govt Suspends Urban Connect’s Operating License For Six Months After Masvingo-Beitbridge Road Accident Which Killed 25* THE government has, with immediate effect, suspended Urban Connect Holdings Pvt Ltd operating license for six months pending investigations after one of its buses was involved in a fatal accident last week, which killed 25 people. The accident, which occurred along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, was reportedly caused by reckless driving, with eyewitnesses stating that the Urban Connect driver was speeding. More than 30 people were seriously injured in the accident. In a statement on Wednesday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said the bus did not have a valid passenger insurance policy or route permit, and its driver had not met the re-test requirement, violating multiple transport regulations. All omnibus operations by the company in all the routes have been put in hold. “In light of these violations, I have directed the Commissioner of Road Motor Transportation to invoke the provisions of Section 17(b)(i) of the Road Motor Transportation Act [Chapter 13:15] and suspend, with immediate effect, Urban Connect (Pvt) Ltd from operating all its omnibuses on all routes for a period of six months as we further investigate,” Mhona said. Mhona also said that, in response to rising road fatalities, he will enforce stricter traffic and safety regulations to protect the public. “In view of the incessant road fatalities being recorded on our roads, I have taken a bold stance to reduce road carnage as the minister responsible for administering laws and regulations on road traffic and safety management. “Going forward, we shall build on this momentum of strict enforcement of road motor transportation and safety regulations for the safety and well-being of the people,” he added. *NewZW* *ZACC Arrests Zanu PF Councillor, Cop For Stealing Agricultural Inputs* The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested a Zanu PF councillor and a Karoi-based police officer on allegations of stealing presidential agricultural inputs and Agriculture Rural Development Authority (ARDA) inputs respectively. The councillor is Chishamiso Linda Ellah who represents Makoni ward 11. The police officer is Gideon Msambakurima. The incidents happened separately. Chishamiso was arrested alongside Enita Choga, a former Grain Marketing Board (GMB) employee, and Crispen Makoni. They have since appeared Mutare Magistrate, Annie Ndiraya and were remanded out of custody on US$200.00 bail each. “They face a charge of theft as defined in Section 113 of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, Chapter 9:23. “The trio allegedly conspired to divert 400 bags of 50kg fertiliser worth US$12 000.00 and sold to buyers in Rusape,” said ZACC in a statement. Talent Nyamuzuwe prosecuted. Msambakurima, a 39-year-old officer stationed in Karoi was arrested by ZACC on allegations of defrauding ARDA of over US$4 700 in fertiliser supplies. Msambakurima appeared before Provincial Magistrate, Vakai Douglas Chikwekwe at Chinhoyi Magistrates Court and was remanded to 4 March 2025 on US$200.00 bail. Representing the state, Brian Machekera alleged that the accused joined the ARDA Joint Venture Farming programme and was given 8 metric tons of Calcium Ammonium Nitrate fertiliser for his 20-hectare maize plot. Weeks later, he allegedly used the same batch number to obtain an additional 6 metric tons of Windmill Ammonium Nitrate fertiliser, despite having exhausted his allocation. *NewZW* *South Africa's Finance Minister Fails To Unveil Budget After Tax Row* South Africa's Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has been forced to postpone the unveiling of the national budget following sharp disagreements within the coalition government. Coalition partners derailed his budget after opposing his plan to raise value-added-tax (VAT), which would have seen the prices of goods go up at a time when South Africans are hard-hit by the cost-of-living crisis. Godongwana is a member of the African National Congress (ANC), which was forced to enter into a coalition after losing its parliamentary majority in elections last year. His failure to table the budget sent shockwaves in South Africa, as it has never happened since the end of white-minority rule in 1994. The currency plummeted against the US dollar, as markets reacted negatively to the news. The Democratic Alliance (DA), which is the second-biggest party in the coalition, was one of the most vocal critics of the proposed budget. Its leader John Stenhuisen said the party could not in "good conscience" agree to a VAT increase from 15% to 17% as it would have "broken back the back of our economy". VAT was last increased in 2018 from 14% to 15%. The ANC's other coalition partners, like the Freedom Front Plus, said they were only told of the proposed hike before Godongwana was due to table the budget. Godongwana told journalists that the planned increase was mentioned in the cabinet last week. The budget will now be tabled on 12 March, following further discussions to iron out differences, he said. The opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) expressed dismay over the postponement, saying it was a "symptom of weak, indecisive, and opportunistic governance". But the DA hailed the postponement as a "victory", and said it would push for a budget that is "better for growth and employment". *BBC* *Congo Has Asked Chad For Military Support To Help Fight Rebels, Sources Say* Democratic Republic of Congo has asked Chad for military support to help fight a spiralling insurgency by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in its eastern provinces, a Chadian official and a source at the Congolese presidency said. Congo's Minister of Regional Integration met with Chad's President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno on Tuesday on behalf of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, Chad's presidency said in a Facebook post. Details on the discussions were not disclosed. A Chadian official with knowledge of the discussions said Chad was considering a request for support from Congo, but had not yet made a decision on the request. A source at the Congolese presidency said on Wednesday that Congo had requested military and diplomatic support from Chad. Neither source provided further detail. They declined to be named for confidentiality reasons. Chad's government spokesman Gassim Cherif did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. Tshisekedi's spokesperson, Tina Salama, said she did not have any information on the matter. Last week, Chad's Foreign Affairs Minister told Reuters that sending military support to Congo was "pure speculation". *Reuters* *'Man City's Surrender In Madrid Marks End Of An Era'* Manchester City's shocking decline and fall was confirmed by their own travelling supporters suffering on the top tier of the Bernabeu as they were being ruthlessly put to the sword by Real Madrid. The giant clock inside this magnificent arena was on 80 minutes when Mateo Kovacic lined up a tame shot that flew straight at Real keeper Thibaut Courtois, who was probably grateful for the exercise. City were trailing 3-0, a scoreline that flattered them, so the hardy band of followers decided irony was the best medicine for the torture of watching their once all-conquering side, breaking out into rapturous cheering and applause. Moments later, with City achieving the rare feat of stringing several passes together, chants of "Ole" came from the travelling suppoort. This summed up a pitiful, desperate night for manager Pep Guardiola, as they subsided in the most timid fashion, a sense of inevitability draped over the Bernabeu from the moment Kylian Mbappe scored the first goal of a brilliant hat-trick after only four minutes. Losing to Real Madrid is an occupational hazard of the Champions League. Losing to Real Madrid by barely laying a glove on them is a sign of Manchester City's steep downward curve this season. The credits were rolling, and not just on their Champions League campaign, as they failed to reach the last 16 for the first time since they failed to get past the group stage in 2012-13. They are surely rolling, too, on a great team in need of major renovation. In the most palatial surroundings of this rebuilt stadium, this had the look and feel of the end of an era. Guardiola almost seemed to accept this was the case as he stated in the aftermath: "Nothing is eternal." He said: "The best team won. They deserved it. This is the benchmark. We have to accept it and move forward. "In previous seasons when we were better, it hurt more. We have to accept it and the reality of our team." Asked whether a rebuild is needed, he said: "We have time. We have 13 games left in the Premier League to get into this competition next season." City's need for a changing of the guard was made to look even more stark by the ease in which they were dismissed by Real Madrid, yes the holders and the superpower of the Champions League, but also a side they have consistently pushed in matches almost too close to call over several years. Not here. This was a rout with a casual air. Real Madrid were able to play within themselves after four minutes, Mbappe's hat-trick completed with superb speed of thought and foot for his second after 33 minutes then low drive just after the hour. The Bernabeu, surrounded by thousands of fans forming a welcoming committee for Carlo Ancelotti's side two hours before kick-off, with flares lighting up the Spanish sky and the the smell of cordite in the air, witnessed a procession, a very painful procession for those who travelled from Manchester. Guardiola, justifiably, will claim mitigating circumstances as Erling Haaland was only fit enough for the bench, not even taking part in the pre-match warm-up after sustaining a knee injury late in the 4-0 win against Newcastle United. And moments after Mbappe opened the scoring, John Stones suffered another injury and limped off. It was not that City lost, most observers expected this outcome after the 3-2 defeat in the first leg at Etihad Stadium, it was the manner of the defeat. City never looked like they believed they could pull off the "perfect" performance Guardiola stated was required to overturn that deficit. This was about as far from perfection as it gets. And the clues were everywhere that if it is not exactly back to the drawing board for Guardiola after six Premier Leagues, a Champions League, two FA Cups, four League Cups, a Super Cup and a Club World Cup in a magnificent run of successes, then it is certainly time for a new set of plans. Kevin de Bruyne, who has decorated this fixture over many years, was only on the bench after an ineffectual performance in the first leg. John Stones, 31 in May, is still a pivotal figure but suffers so many injuries, while 34-year-old surprise starter Ilkay Gundogan delivered more evidence that he left his best at Manchester City in his glorious first spell. Goalkeeper Ederson, 31, is not the guarantee of reliability he once was while gifted midfield metronome Bernardo Silva is not the influence of old as he reaches 30. Jack Grealish, 30 in September, was also only on the bench. The renewal has started with new faces such as striker Omar Marmoush, who had no service worthy of the name here, and midfielder Nico Gonzalez, as well as 20-year-old defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who suffered as he was pressed into service in an unaccustomed right-back role. It was a tough night for the young defender, clearly seen as a weakness in City's make-up and relentlessly targeted down the flank. Guardiola's takeaway from this harrowing night must be that he needs a ruthless cull of those older names, players who have delivered so magnificently for him. Rarely has such an elite team's form and quality fallen off the cliff so fast and so hard. This is a team that has been allowed to grow too old together, that is now unable to find the old hunger that enabled it to return to the well of success so brilliantly year after year. Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract and his task must be to fashion a new team before it is time to discuss another deal. The Bernabeu is the most unforgiving arena in the Champions League, its stunning refurbishment complete with five tiers of stands looking down on City's demise. It was a particular galling night for Guardiola, not simply because the task in front of him was laid out in graphic, gruesome detail before his very eyes, but also because Real Madrid's fans revelled in his discomfort as a result of his Barcelona allegiances. Guardiola's name was met with deafening jeers and whistles when it was read out before kick-off, and when one of the many giant screens captured his despair in close-up after Mbappe's early strike, a huge roar of delight swept around the stadium. As City players trooped disconsolately away at the final whistle, some of them perhaps on their way out of this tournament forever with this club, there was no consolation to be had, certainly not from Gonzalez's late goal. Manchester City have had a magnificent run. They have lit up domestic and European competition with the quality of their football but this was a night when it looked like their race was run. It is time for change. The dismissive way they were treated by a Real Madrid side they have regarded as rivals in recent years showed they need new blood to return to that former golden status. It happens to the best of them and Manchester City were the best of them. Not any more. *BBC*