PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba has distanced his principal and government  from leaked audios connected to Wicknell Chivayo, by  insinuating that the offensive name-dropping could have been a way to scare away other business partners following a fallout.

In the audios, a voice that is alleged to be that of Chivayo is bragging to have President Mnangagwa under his wings.

Responding under his X account that uses the pseudonym dhonzamusoro007, Charamba said  that such claims in the audios do not necessarily become true because they have been made .

He added that this smacks of a plot by detractors that is aimed at tarnishing the President’s name.

“WHAT INSANITY: You have business partners who dribble one another. In the ensuing fallout, one of them allegedly name-drops in order to scare away the rest.

On the whole, claims meant to intimidate others involved in a partnership so far away from the domain of Government, cannot be an issue for the President, his Office, or Government as a whole.

He called on the media to interview first Wicknell Chivayo, in order to authenticate the voice clip and to hear his side of the story?

“Why does one get the sense there is a determination to sow and cultivate mere tall claims whose relationship to the media-accused is yet to be proven, hoping that such claims will one day attach to the President, grow and mature into some nonexistent scandal enormous enough to trip him? Nothing can be more insane!”

Charamba added that that ZEC was an independent Commission protected by the law and no one should incite the Government into breaking the law by diminishing ZEC’s status as a legal persona.

“It enters into contracts as it sees fit, and in terms of the laws of the country. Government may not interfere in its decisions, without raising fundamental questions on the Commission’s independence.

“No one should incite Government into breaking the law by diminishing ZEC’s status as a legal persona.

“Besides, it cannot answer for itself. No one has approached it for a comment, in the current mad stampede to self-interview, and to become a self-appointed jury.

“Starlink is not a government parastatal and  Who it goes into partnership with is its business. Unless one is beside oneself, one cannot cite CDE Chivhayo’s deal with Starlink – whatever it is or amounts to – as evidence that he is being favored in the award and issuance of Government tenders.”

There is no Government in Starlink; there is no Govt tender either! His Excellency the President merely announced Government’s authorization of the service, after positive recommendations from a Cabinet Committee set up to advise Government on the prudence or otherwise of allowing the satellite service in the country.

By TARIRO MASUNDA

RESPECTED veteran opposition politician Murisi Zwizwai who was a senior official in the united CCC and one of the founders of the Movement for Democratic Change passed on this morning.

Senator Zwizwai is said to have succumbed to high blood pressure complications.

He was a deputy Minister of Information during the inclusive government.

Politicians across the political divide including President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba former CCC president Nelson Chamisa, and Harare mayor Jacob Mafume among others expressed their condolences on their X accounts.

#George Charamba

He was an excellent Deputy Minister of Information and Publicity under GNU, and during my time at the Ministry. We worked very well, even as we belonged to different parties. MHDSRIEP!!!!!!!

#Nelson Chamisa

“Have learnt with deep sadness on the passing of Hon Murisi Zwizwai in the early hours of this morning,” Chamisa said.

“We worked together from the early days of the struggle for change and freedom in Zimbabwe. He was affable, jocular, generous and jovial. My prayers are with the family and friends. RIP Murambwi.”

#Jacob Mafume

I have tears in my heart !A brother lost too soon. We laughed,we cried & celebrated together.Deeply hurt you still carried a smile.We tried to make good.We planned together, won together ,lost together. You did your part I am because you were (Ubuntu)

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said that Zimbabweans are grateful to God the Almighty for the gift of salvation and eternal life that the citizens can now enjoy as a result of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Mnangagwa said this  while officiating at the annual Zion Christian Church Easter Passover Festival that was held in Masvingo.

More than 150 000 congregants some of them who travelled from as far  as South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique attended the festival at Mbungo Estate in Bikita district.

‘The ‘resurrecting Sunday’ is an important day among believers as we celebrate the defeat over death, by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“Easter and  the commemoration of the resurrection, allows us to deepen our appreciation and understanding of how blessed we are as Christians and heirs of the Kingdom of God.we are renewed. Tave vatsva (We are born again).”

He said his government’s focus was to be good stewards  over the natural resources which God has to Zimbabwe.

This was in line with the Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi-led church’s  2024 theme ‘Let us focus on our father’s business’.

“We must continue to work harder to feed ourselves, modernise, industrialise and grow our economy, towards lifting many more people out of  poverty into  prosperity.

He assured the nation that  measures  were in place  to scale up efforts to mitigate against climate change-induced drought.

“This year, many of people will not harvest much  because our crops were badly affected by the drought  due to climate change. 

He urged the nation to put their trust in God to overcome the current challenges  the country was facing.

“On its part our Zanu PF government has put in place measures to ensure that food and drought relief for affected communities, is availed in time. No one will starve from hunger. Tinovimba na Jehovah. 

“Therefore we will continue to scale up efforts to mitigate climate change. We are building more dams and also making sure that irrigation infrastructure is in place across all communities.

He added that government was engaging in programmes aimed at capacitating its people to guarantee household food security. 

“The borehole drilling programme and establishment of nutritional gardens are ongoing and will be accelerated.

“We remain with great hope that we have a brighter and more prosperous future.”