Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai recently splashed US$40,000 on a kitchen suite makeover for his fiancee, Ms Elizabeth Macheka, whose well known for her penchant for a lavish lifestyle. Reports say the US$40,000 kitchen for the couple's Borrowdale home which was ordered by Ms Macheka, is just the beginning.

Tsvangirai and his fiancee got engaged about a fortnight ago and the speed with which the PM has been made to dip his hands into the pockets to spoil his wife-to-be has alarmed many in the MDC.

Investigations carried out by The Sunday Mail show that Ms Macheka purchased the lucrative kitchen suite at Tusilago Kitchens, located along Seke Road in Harare, last Monday. The exclusive suite, dubbed Memphis Cherry, was purchased for a whopping $35 600 and it is one of the most expensive brands sold by Tusilago.

It comes with lots of extras which could   easily push the total cost to $40 000. Sources said Ms Macheka used cash to buy the suite on Monday last week before it was installed at the couple's house, at No. 150 Highgate, Borrowdale. It is understood that Ms Macheka told the contractors in no uncertain terms that the installation of the kitchen unit should be complete before she returns from her "honeymoon" in the US.

Reports say Ms Macheka, who owns a boutique in the Avenues area, was visibly excited about her new acquisition and indicated that she would spend even more on her bedroom units upon her return from the US. The PM's spokesperson, Luke Tamborinyoka, confirmed last week that his boss had gone to the US on a private visit to complete his annual leave which he had cut short because of a mysterious leg injury.

The Sunday Mail was silent on President Mugabe's wife, Grace whose shopping sprees abroad are legendary. She was a regular visitor to London before she and her husband were banned. The Mugabe's house in leafy Harare is lavishingly furnished with imported fittings.

But the government press is clearly gunning for Tsvangirai, scrutinising his every move. The Sunday Mail said while in the US, it is understood that the PM gave his fiancee an open cheque to spend as she pleases and this has not gone down well with some MDC-T leaders, both at home and in the Diaspora, who are accusing their leader of "living large" while the party is looking for funds in preparation for the impending elections.

A highly-placed MDC-T insider linked to Mr Tsvangirai's increasingly divided kitchen cabinet said: "I have seen all sorts of reports claiming that he (Tsvangirai) is completing his annual leave and others claiming that he just escorted his recently wedded son and, yes, all that may be part of the deal, but what I know for a fact is that he is going to celebrate his birthday in New York. This is a belated birthday celebration which initially he wanted to have last month.

"While, of course, he is entitled to have his leave and celebrate his birthday wherever he wants and with whomever he wants, the idea has not gone down well in the party because it is now becoming clearer and clearer that the Prime Minister is losing the plot and becoming more and more interested in his own personal pleasure than in providing leadership at a time when everyone else is talking about the looming elections.

"Any national leader who goes on leave to celebrate a birthday overseas the week when schools reopen has a problem and is not serious at all.
"One day you hear that Tsvangirai has married Locadia, 12 days later you hear he has divorced her, the next day you hear he has engaged Elizabeth and before you figure out what's going on you hear that he is off to America to enjoy his birthday with his new fiancee. How about party business, who is attending to it?"

MDC-T treasurer-general, Roy Bennett last week clearly showed that, as the man who scrounges around for the funds, he was fast getting fed up with Mr Tsvangirai when he wrote on his facebook wall accusing some MDC-T leaders of abandoning the people.
"Perhaps there are some at home who are trying to make themselves heroes and legends because they have something to hide? Some of those throwing stones at our

"Far from being heroes of the struggle, they are making love to Zanu-PF and living like kings. We are neither blind nor stupid," charged Bennet in a statement that was subtly aimed at the PM whose fiancée is daughter to Mr Macheka, a known Zanu-PF member. Sunday Mail

African Governments have reaffirmed their demand for two permanent seats and about five non-permanent seats in the United Nations (UN) Security Council.
In their submissions during an Informal Plenary meeting of the General Assembly on equitable representation in the membership of the Security Council, several African countries and other friendly nations backed the calls for more representation of the 54-nation continent in the Security Council.
Zambia’s permanent representative to the UN Dr Mwaba Kasese-Bota, said the African proposal sought to redress the historical injustice to the continent through the Security Council composition and processes.
"It is the position of the African Group that there should be expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories with the new permanent members exercising all privileges and obligations that go with permanency tenure," Dr Kasese- Bota said.
She said in her submission to the Council that despite Africa being subject to 70 percent of the Security Council’s decisions, the continent did not have permanent representatives.
Dr Kasese-Bota who called for change of the status quo however said Africa exercises flexibility on issues of maintaining or abolishing the veto for all permanent members of the Council.
She said Africa was opposed to any piecemeal approach but comprehensive style.
And Botswana’s representative to the UN Charles Ntwaagae said Africa remained committed to reforming the Security Council to make it more representative, more accountable, more democratic and inclusive in its composition and method of work.
"The identification of the candidate countries to occupy the Permanent Seats should be left to the wisdom of African leaders to decide on," Ambassador Ntwaagae said.
And Coordinator of the C-10 Group negotiating on behalf of the African Group, Ambassador Shekou Touray, of Sierra Leone said support for the African Common position continued to receive support in the continent's quest to claim permanent membership in the Security Council and address the historical under-representation.
Ambassador Touray said the UN Security Council was the principal decision-making organ in matters relating to international peace and security.
Currently the UN Security Council is composed of five permanent members being China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and 10 non-permanent members of which only South Africa and Togo are from Africa which has the largest number of UN members.

Malawi’s new Head of State Joyce Banda on Monday called for a meeting of her People’s Party (PP) National Executive Committee (NEC) at her official Area 12 Residence in Lilongwe with a call to the members and all Malawians to dignify the late President Bingu wa Mutharika ahead of his burial soon.

The late Mutharika died when he suffered a cardiac arrest on April 6, 2012 and his body was flown to South Africa for further post-mortem and preparation for burial. A cabinet committee charged with the organizing funeral arrangements for the fallen leader has announced that the dead body would be repatriated back to Malawi on Thursday.

 

A TEAM of inyangas from the Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers (ZINATHA) has unearthed goblins which have been sexually molesting female nurses at Nathisa Clinic in Matobo district.

The goblins were discovered at a Matobo headman’s homestead during a two-day cleansing ceremony instigated by Chief Malaki Masuku.

Chief Masuku confirmed that the inyangas extricated a baboon hand believed to be a goblin on March 25.

A group of female nurses threatened to quit at Nathisa Clinic following a spate of cases of sexual abuse by the goblins at night. The nurses then confronted Chief Masuku to help solve the matter.

“Before the cleanising ceremony all villagers had agreed that whoever was found to be the owner of the goblin would foor the bill for the inyangas.

However, the headman who was a signatory to the agreement to pay a cow, is now renegade on the promise to settle the bill.

The headman has also filled defamation charges against some villagers and the Zinatha crew.

Zimdiaspora