CANCER ANSWERS ZIMBABWE'S POLITICAL QUESTIONS

Zanu PF Women' s League boss 

The breaking news by the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe Mr Morgan Richard Tsvangirai that he is suffering from a cancer of the colon is dealing Zimbabwe opposition politics a heavy blow as MDC T will soon be gearing to find an able bodied candidate for the make or break 2018 elections.

It seems the two heavyweight parties in Zimbabwe politics have a lot to deal with in their intra-party politics, a development that is very unusual as two rely on bad mouthing each other. Like Zanu PF, MDC T is panicking after building a very strong personal cult around their leader and now that Mr. Tsvangirai is not feeling well, MDC is also not feeling well.

On the far end Zanu PF is facing mortality calling on its door and their leader trying hard to cling on life, the natural cause is about to happen and everyone in Zanu PF walls is scared to death on future prospects if there is future they can think about. With wild speculation that the power wielding First Lady is said to be battling cancer of the intestine which is more or less similar to colone cancer, it leaves a lot to be pondered upon about this strange malady that has bedeviled the top Zimbabwe's political echelons.

Linkundla is boggled in the sickening trend that we surrender our political fate to natural occurrences such as death and sickness. There are a plethora of lessons from this political trade fair but it seems Zimbabweans learn nothing from them and have accepted as a culture to die serving. These lessons can be categorically stated as ;

• The case of Joshua Nkomo who died serving as the Vice President-Cancer
• Simon Muzenda who died serving as the Vice President- Diabetes
• Joseph Musika who fulfilled a similar predicament-Hypertension
• John Nkomo who couldnt be outdone by his predecessors-Cancer
• Gibson Sibanda frailly held on till his last breath-Cancer
• Thokozani Khuphe cannot let go of,(battling) -Cancer
• Morgan Tsvangirai's tight grip on MDC T presidency despite poor health and time(battling) -Cancer
• Robert Mugabe the iconic iron fisted one and only known president of Zimbabwe(battling) - ???

Should people of Zimbabwe allow the same dark cloud to be the answer? The sick leadership makes the whole nation sick economically, politically and psychologically as it presents the young hopeless population with a sick present, a recipe for a sick future.

#BOYCOTTCHOPPIES #CHOPPIESMUSTFALL #BURNCHOPPIES

protest

noun

ˈprəʊtɛst/

"a statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something."

THE PEOPLE SHALL PROTEST ONE DAY

                               and THEIR WILL SHALL PREVAIL

Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko appears unperturbed after spending over a year and working to kill another in a Harare hotel. Yes its over a YEAR!!!!! You read that right.

He recently justified his extravagant-amid-poverty lifestyle, claiming the hotel was part-owned by government, and therefore his $563 a day hotel bill was not something any poverty-stricken struggling Zimbabweans were supposed to worry about.

But angry citizens, who have endured 36 years of Zanu PF’s misrule, have a plan.

The plan is to boycott buying from Choppies supermarkets in Zimbabwe, owned by Mphoko.

WE BELIEVE the PEOPLE are not totally wrong as these leaders have become parasites sucking the remaining of our strength in the suffering they have subjected us to...

#BOYCOTTCHOPPIES or alternatively people should either #BURNCHOPPIES or alternatively scream #CHOPPIESMUSTFALL

A little action may be helpful.

AFRICAN PRESIDENT KWAME NKRUMAH

H.E K.Nkrumah

WE WERE FASCINATED on a crazy thought of what may be happening in heaven or the unseen world of the silent African heroes. The robust activities they did on earth may be rekindled and we went into their world to explore......

On the first world heaven, African politicians are having a successful political career. Its uncalled for to cry for our heroes as they are well and in control up there.

Upon reading the Heavenly Herald, we learnt that His Excellency The Prime Minister of Africa,Kwameh Nkrumah has decided that Africa should consider expansion into the second world which is being administered by western leaders.

He had an agreement with his cabinet where the Defense Ministers Lookout Masuku and Melezi Zanawi promised nothing but a victory over earthly world power house. In heaven there is no mercy as sloganeering doesn't work and considering that Kwameh's government has put stringent suffocating sanctions on the western block.

MARANGE RUBBISH AND RUGS

MAYBE YOU SHOULD BE SURPRISED THAT  diamonds that killed many people saved none.

FOR decades, Marange has been known for nothing else save for poverty until some few years ago when the greatest and most spectacular find of the century was made in that area. Expectations were high that the discovery of diamonds in Marange would revolutionize the livelihood of the residents of that arid land. The cake was just too big for Marange or Manicaland, thus it had to be shared nationally. However, Marange still remains the habitat of the poorest people in the country.

As a resident of Marange, I am in total agreement with the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Saviour Kasukuwere when he gentlemanly admitted that government let us down by letting companies that were operating in Chiadzwa loot the diamond proceeds. Indeed, the nation in general and Marange in particular did not enjoy to the fullest, the God-given endowment. Marange Community received with shock the news that the diamonds were exhausted when they had not seen anything to show for their
resource. They were still expecting dividends from the diamond proceeds realized daily by the unscrupulous mining firms. These mines refused to comply with government directive of merging because they knew they had already got their easy pickings through their mechanized panning which only exploited the alluvial diamonds. It was alluvial diamonds which they had exhausted and were not prepared to go underground. They did not  lose sleep over losing their operating licences because they had already stashed the diamonds proceeds in their offshore accounts.

There was the ministry of Mines and Mining Development that played an oversight role over the mining operations in Chiadzwa. There was Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) which was in partnership with all the mining firms on behalf of government. There were government appointees in the boards of those mining companies. Where were all these people when the diamonds were looted?

MAybe some of you benefited....kindly share with us how this worked out by emailing linkundla@gmail.com or leaving a comment here.

SITTING ON A HOT SEAT-RITA MAKARAU

WERE YOU AWARE THAT ZEC HAS A HOT SEAT?  We guess even the office of the RG is hotter also as the man has failed to move even after passing the retirement age.

ZIMBABWE Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson, Justice Rita Makarau, says she is “sitting on a hot seat” as her jobrequires her to strike an uneasy balance between transparency and vote secrecy.

Justice Makarau, who is also the Electoral Commissions Forum-DADC President, was addressing new election
commissioners from Botswana, Lesotho, Zambia and Malawi in Harare, on Wednesday.

Accused by the opposition of being biased towards President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party and failing to stop
vote rigging, Makarau said balancing transparency and vote protection was a difficult task during any election.

“I have always marveled at how elections demand that we be transparent and secret at the same time,” she said.
“You know what I am talking about; our processes have got to be very, very transparent but we have got to protect the secrecy of the vote.

“So it is a skill that you have got to learn and balance. When do I stop being transparent and start protecting the secrecy of thevote?” In the first round of the 2008 elections, ZEC took almost three
months to announce the Presidential vote after then Zanu PF Presidential candidate, Robert Mugabe, had lost to Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition MDC.

ZEC, at the time, defended the delay saying they were “meticulously verifying the result” which they later said did not give Tsvangirai the outright majority win required to take over power.

A runoff Presidential vote was later called which the opposition boycotted, citing violence against its party supporters by Zanu PF militia.

Mugabe and his party then romped to a stomping victory in the 2013 election which ended the coalition government but the opposition rejected the result, accusing the now 92-year-old leader of cheating.

Makarau said there were times when transparency could be compromised for vote protection, and challenged the electorate “to bear with the election managers when such things happen”. “We may laugh but we need to understand at each and every stage the guiding principle; the underlying principle why we do certain things in a particular way.

“Why do we have to be transparent at one stage and have to be secretive at some other stages,” she said.

HUNDREDS of Ethiopians trapped in Zambia.

Ethiopians in a container of death

Like Zimbabweans who have encountered murderous journeys trying to cross the border to South Africa, Ethiopians are not spared by the hardships in their country. It is a mind boggling to realise that Ethiopia houses the headquarters of African Union but not a single leader of all African states realises that Africa is faced with migration challenges.

The energies of our leaders are misdirected towards issues that are non importance such as solidarity and sovereignty. 'League of complacent leaders who gather now and then when netizens of the continent perish'.

Linkundla learns with disgust that nineteen Ethiopian migrants are believed to have suffocated to death after their bodies were found inside a truck in Democratic Republic of Congo.
"Another 76 Ethiopians were found alive inside the container on the truck when it was stopped…near the Zambian border on Thursday, the interior minister for the province of Haut Katanga, Ufwa Kasongo Kibali, told Reuters.”

ZANU BABY GIRL FEARS POLICE

Mujuru and Mugabe in Happy Days

Former Vice-President Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) fears the ruling Zanu PF may try to either stop its inaugural rally in Harare or disrupt it, as it was shaken by the crowds they drew at their meeting in Bulawayo last weekend. ZimPF spokesperson, Jealous Mawarire yesterday said, while the party had notified the police as required by law and received communication from authorities that the gathering could proceed, there were indications that there were efforts to disrupt it.

“Following the undisputed and resounding success of our rally in Bulawayo, as well as the unsuccessful bid by Zanu PF to disrupt it, we feel Zanu PF thugs could still be trying to find
ways of creating havoc in Harare this coming weekend,” he said.

“They tried it in Bulawayo with a handful of hired 14-year-olds, who had been rewarded with stands by Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere, but they failed. However, that will not stop them from trying the same trick in Harare. We will be monitoring the situation closely.”

SA TORCHES ZIM BUSES ( A NEW FORM OF XENOPHOBIA)

IT SEEMS POLITICAL VIOLENCE IS AN AFRICAN PANDEMIC. THE ANC born fiasco has put lives of innocents at risk as attacks spread like veld fire to all suburbs.... The imposition of a Zulu speaking Mayor in Tshwane has torched controversy which has roped in foreigners as victims and random thugs reaping from the pandemonium.
A lot of thugs were seen harvesting metals for scrap yards yesterday.

Buses in ashes

TWENTY-THREE Johannesburg-bound Zimbabweans were reportedly robbed of their cash and goods by rogue South African nationals while the Eagle Liner bus they were travelling in, was burnt to a shell, as they entered the strife-torn Tshwane area yesterday morning.Eagle Liner owner, Ghalib Ismail confirmed the incident, telling NewsDay that the bus was from Bulawayo.

“It’s true, our bus was attacked by protestors in Tshwane on their way to Johannesburg and passengers were robbed of all their belongings before the bus was set ablaze,” he said.
“We managed to take them (passengers) to Hammanskraal Police Station to safety and now, they have been released, so they can continue with their journey.”

TEACHERS TO TEACH GOVERNMENT A LESSON

WE WONDER! PTUZ was the nosiest one against the ZANU PF government.
In Ndebele we say "idla umniniyo" loosely to mean if its too dark the hyena may eat its rider witch or wizard. Zimta is a known ZANU PF baby but reality has dawned.

THE Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has threatened industrial action on Wednesday if the cash strapped government goes ahead with plans to delay paying their members' salaries.
The development comes as government scrambled to re-arrange a meeting with civil service union leaders after the initial gathering earlier in the week was aborted.

Ministers Patrick Parirenyatwa, Prisca Mupfumira, David Parirenyatwa and central bank governor John Mangudya turned up for Monday's meeting but union leaders refused to attend.
Zimbabwe's largest teacher union told members on Tuesday the decision by the government to delay June salaries to July 7 "was rather strange and an insult to teachers".

Teachers were expecting to be paid on Wednesday 22 June 2016.

"Comrades let us all stop delivering service as from Wednesday 22 June 2016. Enough is enough. Please forward this message to every teacher you care about," said ZIMTA.
The hard-pressed government announced last week that it was moving June pay dates for about half a million civil servants to July. Teachers were now set to get paid on July 7.

Officials said the meeting between ministers and union leaders had been re-arranged for Wednesday.
The head of unions representing civil servants Cecelia Alexander said they would only attend the meeting in order to tell government one thing.

"We will hear what they say before making our own interventions, but our stance is that we are not going to accept this move of making our salaries come mid-next month," she said.

"We are also going to tell them that we will not be responsible for any action the workers will take if they fail to get their money this month."

BEMBA GOES FREE

ARE YOU CONSCIOUS THAT ICC proves to be a little toothless after it gave Bemba a very low sentence which may translate to less than 5 years after deducting years served and liniency. Considering the heinous crimes committed, the sentence is an insult to a national thug.
Congolese ex-rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba has been jailed for 18 years following a landmark conviction at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and sexual violence.

Bemba listening to ICC proceedings

Bemba, a former vice-president of DR Congo, was convicted in March of crimes committed in the neighboring Central African Republic (CAR) in 2002-2003.

He was accused of failing to stop his rebels from killing and raping people. Bemba's lawyers have already said they will appeal against his conviction. Judges announced sentences of between 16 and 18 years for five counts of rape, murder and pillaging, with the jail terms running concurrently.

The eight years Bemba has already spent in custody will be deducted from his term.A well-connected businessman and the son of prominent Congolese businessman Bemba Saolona may just have to serve a sentence befitting a goat killer.

WHO IS THIS THUG?
1998: Helped by Uganda to form MLC rebel group in Democratic Republic of Congo
2003: Becomes vice-president under peace deal

ZIMBABWEANS EXPRESS DISGUST ON IMPORTS BAN

                                                                                  

I've seen a rich man beg, 
I've seen a good man sin, 
I've seen a tough man cry.
I've seen a loser win and a sad man grin. 
I heard an honest man lie.
I've seen the good side of bad
and the down side of up and everything between.
I pray you never had to walk a mile in these shoes.
'Cos then you really might know what it's like.
36 years of suffering that outweighs my happiness.
                                                 by X.Sithole 2016


WE went on Facebook checking how Zimbabweans reacted to the ban of imports. Surely THE PEOPLE are not happy. We wish to apologise to those quoted if they didn't mean what they wrote but we found their words valuable.

"So the Zimbabwe Government has banned importation of cremora baked beans, camphor cream, maheu and mineral water amongst other basic commodities? ah! scary signs of crises times ahead. He who has an eye, let him perceive the signs of the TIME and be prepared."- Prince Khumbulani Malinga (Public Speakers Hub International)


"This stupid ban on food is a direct attack on people from Matabeleland who get their food in times of drought like these from South Africa. Legal experts can advise on challenging this Statutory 64 of 2016". Michael Mdladla Ndiweni (Human Rights Activist -Bulawayo)


"A sip from the cup of power makes them get drunk forever. They will deny that a zebra is black and white,they paint the sky with a purple colour and they will tell you a down slide of 36 years is temporary"-Xolani Sithole ( A media and promotions Cadre based in South Africa)

"Flip-flop, Flip-flop ...

Just a few days ago, the regime went into the archives and excavated an old Rhodesian law (Control of Goods Regulations) made by Ian Smith, yes, Ian Douglas Smith back in 1974. He was responding to his own set of sanctions after declaring UDI 9 years earlier.

Smith's successor, President Mugabe used it last week (36 years after independence and 42 years after it was first enacted) to enact a statutory instrument (SI 64 of 2016) with the intention of effectively banning the importation of certain goods unless one has a permit. Without prior notice, they started implementing it on Saturday, but it was met with some severe resistance by travellers and traders at Beitbridge border post.

FIGHTING FOR FOOD RIGHTS

ARE YOU CONSCIOUS THAT there was a food riot in Beitbridge border?

Zimbabwe has very low production. It has a lot of industries not functioning. Most Zimbabweans now, like in 2008 are surviving by buying from South Africa. The prices in South Africa are also reasonable. However, instead of increasing production, dealing with underlying problems and also abiding to the SADC free trade protocol, the government further put stringent rules and increased the number of banned commodities. Some say its satanic, some say its diabolic and others see it as patriotic.

A Shop in 2008.....maybe its back!!

Linkundla says, there shall be a point when a people will rise for their food and fight for their lives.

RIOT police intervened to quell riots at Beitbridge Border Post on Saturday, as shoppers and cross-border traders threatened to beat up customs officials following a blanket ban on all imported goods from South Africa.According to regulations gazetted last week, one now needs a permit to import some basic commodities.

Officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) ambushed the shoppers by collecting duty before demanding to see import permits, citing a Constitutional Court ruling.

The ruling followed an application by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

CRY MY BELOVED AFRICAN CHILD

Dear African Leader

I am not happy.

Today I woke up to reflect on the day that has been set aside to commemorate the African Child. This is a day I hold dearly to my heart yet its equally depressing as I am of the conviction that what Hector Peterson and others died for remains elusive for the African child. 

I am not happy.

Being a father has even raised more consciousness in me that there is a lot that we need to do as Africans in order to create an enabling environment for the African Child to excel. The African Child, moreso the black one continues to lag behind in terms of education.

  

Her rights continue to be trampled upon and her future remains bleak. As long as African governments continue to neglect the Africa child then we are doomed as continent. As long as African governments continue to invest more having bloated cabinets instead of channeling that money towards the holistic development of the African Child then we are retrogressing as a continent.

The education Curriculum in most African countries continues to suppress the African Child. While nations like China adapt to current trends, our curriculum is still stuck in the 70s. As the adage goes, ADAPT OR DIE, Africa is failing to adapt.  We need a curriculum that is contemporary if we envisage having the African Child compete at the same level with the European Child.

 Further, while African economies continue to dwindle, education is becoming more expensive and difficult for the poor man to afford.   And they don’t have a getaway strategy at all besides pilfering! 

Hector Peterson should be turning in his grave.

Our African governments need to be serious. They have to set their priorities and invest in the African Child I still believe in the universal free access to education at primary level for every child. If education is the future, then the African Child is the future. 

We need to harness all that we have to ensure the African Child can compete at the same level as that Asian, European and American Child. This requires collective efforts from all stakeholders starting at household level where children’s rights ought to be protected by all means necessary. 

The future of these children lie in our hands, our actions today have a bearing on their future.  History will judge us harshly if we do not take deliberate efforts to create a perfect future for the African Child!

I opine.

By Leslie Phiri

Based in Uganda

AN INSTITUTION:A LAW UPON ITSELF

SCHOOLS in Mangwe District have defied a
government directive not to engage debt collectors
to force parents to pay school fees for their
children.
Schools that include Bhulu Primary School and
Kweneng Primary School in Mphoengs Ward have
unleashed debt collectors who are attaching
property belonging to villagers.
Mangwe MP Cde Obedingwa Mguni, said some
villagers have lost their livestock to the debt
collectors.

Mugabe: Power and allure of the libidinal economy

We got inspired by Dinizulu Mbikokayise Macaphulana as he wrote this mindblowing article. We are sure you too can be challengedby the realities in it. 

IN these last days of Robert Mugabe, to think of
the Zimbabwean polity and economy is to confront
crises, disasters and calamities. What is visible to
even the uncircumcised is the crushing cash
crunch, increasing poverty of the masses,
infrastructural disrepair and the scarcity of life
itself. These obvious disasters and calamities have
arrested our collective attention the way the
undulating colours of the python captivate a
doomed animal that is about to be squeezed and
swallowed whole by the monstrous predator.
In the ruling party and the political opposition, the
past weeks have seen a spectacular display of
numbers and crowds that support the
organisations. In apparent wisdom, at long last,
some political entities have even been forging
coalitions. Parties and politicians have been keen
to show some muscle, fire some warning shots in
preparation for 2018 elections that in my view will
never come because for now the future of
Zimbabwe is in the past. Behind the economic and
political chaos and the spectacular crowds that the
parties and politicians have been flaunting in the
streets is concealed a looming civil war.

HIDING FROM SHADOWS OF REALITY

ARE YOU CONSCIOUS that he who kills with a sword shall die of it?
Some people think they are invinvible but time will catch up. Even those who were responsible of inhumane massacres in our land shall face the wrath of reality.

FORMER leader of the Zanu PF militant group,
Chipangano, Jim Kunaka, defected from Joice Mujuru’s
Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) allegedly to seek Zanu PF
protection as he is reportedly being investigated by the
Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, NewsDay has
learnt.

Well-placed sources told NewsDay that Kunaka was
being probed for abuse of office when as a Harare City
Council employee, he allegedly used his political
influence to take over council bars and did not remit any
money to the municipality and the Zimbabwe Revenue
Authority.

KuLINKUNDLA 9

ARE YOU CONSCIOUS THAT TERRORISTS ARE AGAINST BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS? 

Shadow of Terror....

50 souls lost and over 53 injured when a man who claims to love his religion opened fire on humans boogieing at their chosen joint.

With many victims of the carnage yet to be identified, and police still probing the suspected Islamist ties of the slain gunman, Trump wasted no time in harnessing the assault to his political advantage.

The presumptive Republican nominee unleashed a broadside accusing President Barack Obama and his would-be Democratic successor Clinton of failing to tackle what Trump calls "radical Islam."

"Because our leaders are weak, I said this was going to happen -- and it is only going to get worse," he said in a statement. "I am trying to save lives and prevent the next terrorist attack. We can't afford to be politically correct anymore."

After extremists slaughtered 130 people in Paris last November and a Muslim husband-and-wife team murdered 14 in San Bernardino, California, Trump called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States.

The move prompted an uproar, but he doubled down, presenting himself as prepared to do more to crack down on extremism than his political rivals.

After San Bernardino, "It became a permanent part of the Trump dialogue," said Quinnipiac's Malloy.

In March, following a deadly attack in Brussels, Trump said his insistence on defeating extremism was "probably why I'm number one in the polls."

Opinion polls late last year showed a majority of Republicans supporting Trump's call for a Muslim travel ban.

Trump and Clinton are promoting radically different approaches to fighting terror, and have traded accusations that the other is not fit to run the country.

Trump has repeatedly called for a halt to refugee flows from the Middle East, and assailed Clinton for wanting to expand them.

He says he is prepared to re-authorize torture methods such as waterboarding in terrorism cases and advocates targeting the families of terror suspects.

Trump also repeatedly argues that attacks like the one in Paris would have seen far fewer casualties if people had been armed to defend themselves.

According to Quinnipiac, voters see Clinton as far more prepared than Trump to handle an international crisis -- but they see Trump as better able to tackle the IS threat.

"Trump has offered no real plans to keep our nation safe and no outreach to the Americans targeted, just insults and attacks," CBS News quoted Palmieri as saying."

More at http://tinyurl.com/zfvohrv


YOU MAY WISH TO BE CONSCIOUS THAT ROBERT MUGABE SUGGEST (A)ICC FOR W(E)(OR)ST LEADERS :Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who recently completed a one-year term as the chairman of the African Union, has called for the establishment of an African International Criminal Court that will try Europeans who commit serious crimes against humanity.

A Zimbabwean newspaper, The Chronicle, quoted President Mugabe as saying that it was time Africa establi
shed its own ICC to help seek justice for serious war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the West, especially during the colonial times.

“They committed crimes, colonial crimes galore – the slaughter of our people and all that imprisonment. I have a case. Why was I imprisoned for 11 years? We forgave them, but perhaps we have not done ourselves justice. You set up the ICC; we set our ICC to try Europeans, to try Mr. George Bush and Mr. Tony Blair,” Mugabe said.

NIGERIA BURIES 2 COACHES

Something reminiscent of the popular Nollyhood movies happened here. Believe it or not, its in Nigeria and the nation mourns....is Mai Azuka involved,but heroes of Soccer rest...

Keshi and Amodu..

Tragedy struck at the home of ex-Super Eagles coach and Technical Director of Nigeria Football Federation, Amodu Shuaibu as he passed on in his sleep in Benin City, Edo State.

His death came just days after another ex-national team coach and close friend of Amodu, Stephen Keshi, died in the same city. Amodu’s corpse was buried on Saturday in his hometown Okpella in Etsako East based on Muslim rites.

His eldest son, Abdul-Aziz has revealed that Amodu gave a hint of his death while they were talking.

Abdul-Aziz, a 26-year-old graduate from Igbinedion University, said, “I am getting set for the National Youth Service Corps programme this month. So, I called him (Amodu) yesterday (Friday) to discuss with him but he didn’t pick my call. He called back and told me that he was very busy. He promised to come to Okpella today (Saturday), so that we could see.

15 YEARS FOR OSCAR PISTORIUS

A sentencing hearing for South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, who murdered his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, has started in Pretoria.

The Hero-The Villain-The Killer

He faces a jail term of at least 15 years, but his sentence can be reduced due to time already spent in prison and mitigating factors.

The hearing is expected to last all week with a sentence by Friday.

Pistorius, 29, killed Ms Steenkamp in February 2013 after firing four times through a locked toilet door.

The athlete has always maintained he believed he was shooting at an intruder.

Updates from the hearing and other African news stories

Pistorius, a fallen idol

The trial: 10 key moments

Pistorius was initially sentenced to five years for manslaughter, but the conviction was upgraded to murder in December following an appeal by the prosecution.

"I AM WITH HER"-Obama

'White is yours Madam'

WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE AWED to note that Barack Obama nods to Women Empowerment as he endorses Hillary Clinton. This is a major milestone and it sets a positive precedence to other countries especially Africa's dictatorship tone fiefdoms.

US President Barack Obama has officially endorsed fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton for president, saying he did not think there had ever been a nominee "so qualified" for the White House.

"I want to congratulate Hillary Clinton, on making history as the presumptive democratic

KENYAN VIOLENCE ESCALATES AS ELECTION TALK GATHERS MOMENTUM

ARE YOU CONSCIOUS of happenings in East Africa? That season which befell Zimbabwe in 2018 is upon them. They too are also talking about electoral reforms. Is our opposition up for the task? We found something from New York Times and thought it may be insightful....

 by Jeffrey Gettleman

A motorcyclist stopped at a burning barricade
set up by opposition supporters in the Kibera slum of Nairobi,
Kenya, during the weekly protest on what is now known as
Tear Gas Monday. Credit Dai Kurokawa/European Pressphoto Agency

NAIROBI, Kenya — By 9 a.m. on Monday, clouds of black smoke blotted out the sky. A mountain of tires burned. Roads were blocked. Young men poured into the streets of a slum in Nairobi, gleefully carrying huge, jagged pieces of concrete.

In Kisumu, a city on Lake Victoria, witnesses said police officers had fired on a crowd. A 5-year-old boy was in critical condition after being shot in the back. A demonstrator was killed.

For the past several weeks, Kenya’s opposition leaders have turned Mondays into protest days. Now they are threatening to hold demonstrations twice, and soon four times, a week. Many Kenyans are shaking their heads with a sense of fatigue and dread, saying, Here we go again.

KuLinkundla 08

Are you conscious that Bulawayo was declared a special economic zone last week? Does this mean that the government acknowledges that the region has been marginalized? Read about it in Brighton’s article http://youthsforinnovationtrust.blogspot.com/2016/06/bulawayo-declared-special-economic-zone.html

On a sad note…

A seven months pregnant woman was punched in the stomach by a hwindi in Kumbudzi in Harare a few days ago, she had complications in hospital and she and the child passed away. Feminists around the country are fuming as they are now pushing campaigns for safer cities for women, 2 of the 7 touts involved in the murder are in custody and the others are being sought.

You might have noticed that…

137 female inmates were released from Chikurubi female prison last week. The dire situation faced by the overload of prisons was dealt with and the state cut down on resources. However, it turns out that there were no reintegration measures put into place for these inmates. It remains the people’s mandate then to watch over their socioeconomic conditions, someone said, be careful in hiring maids.

Show that you are a conscious citizen by participating in these initiatives…