Peter Matambanadzo Senior Reporter
ABOUT 220 000, out of an estimated 800 000 vehicles, were registered with the Zimbabwe National Road Administration’s new computerised licence disc system by May 31, raising fears that the remaining 26 days may be too short to complete the process.

Queues that marked the last few days to May 31, the original deadline, have disappeared following the extension of the deadline by a month.

The national road authority said it will not grant any grace period and motorists who fail to meet the new deadline will be penalised.
They will pay an all-inclusive penalty of US$45 in addition to the US$20 charged for vehicle licensing.

From Brezhnev Malaba in WASHINGTON DC, USA
A HIGH-POWERED Zimbabwean delegation led by Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu is here for the intersessional meeting of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme that starts today.
The United States has been ratcheting up pressure to redefine conflict gems – in a bid to tarnish

Zimbabwean gems – amid stiff opposition from African producers.
Ambassador Gillian Milovanovic, the first woman to chair the KPCS, has made it clear that the US government’s priority at this meeting will be to convince the KPCS grouping to broaden the definition of “conflict diamonds”.
However, Minister Mpofu, who arrived alongside

Court Reporter
A MEDICAL doctor yesterday disowned an affidavit he was said to have deposed which the State sought to use to bolster its case against two Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe security officers accused of assaulting

Crime Reporter
AN ex-police sergeant has been arrested for allegedly attempting to shoot and kill a policeman who

Herald Reporter
Seven Zanu-PF members have appeared in court on allegations of fatally assaulting an MDC-T activist in

Herald Reporter
FIRMS and individuals who invested millions of dollars with Interfin Bank are likely to lose out amid reports of gross mismanagement of the funds by the bank.
Many clients reportedly failed to access their money on demand.

Some of the companies are already facing financial crises owing to failure to access their money.
It is understood that the bank is facing liquidation as monetary authorities seek to protect depositors.
The bank’s top depositors have a combined US$70 million in deposits.

Some of them are, Al Shams Global with US$22, 393,731, the Ministry of Finance deposited US$17, 913, 689 while NSSA has US$15, 371, 204.

Zimra deposited US$3, 053, 743, ABC Holdings US$3, 000, 000 while Seed Co has US$2, 549, 782, POSB US$1, 812, 500 and High Court Temp deposited US$1, 737, 191.
Swixfield Investments and Havercroft NA also deposited US$1, 214, 675 and US$1, 167, 606 respectively.
As a result, the bank is now facing lawsuits as companies and individuals swarming the High Court in a bid to recover their deposits.

From Zvamaida Murwira in MUZARABANI
CHIEF Kasekete of Muzarabani was yesterday officially handed over a three bedroomed house built by United Family International Church leader Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa.
Prophet Makandiwa built the six-roomed house to show respect to his local leader.

The main bedroom is en suite.
The house also has a spacious lounge, a dining room, a kitchen and a garage.
The house has been furnished with a plasma television, sofas, luxury beds and dressing tables and a kitchen unit at a cost of over US$25 000.

The house was built in 26 days.
Chief Kasekete, whose full name is Mr Faxwell Mutinhima, had his homestead electrified and now has tap water.

From Munyaradzi Huni in LUANDA, Angola
THE Sadc Troika on Defence, Politics and Security Co-operation yesterday said elections in Zimbabwe should be held within the next 12 months.
The organ urged parties to the Global Political Agreement to agree on the timeline for harmonised elections.

It also asked the facilitator, South African President Jacob Zuma to assist the GPA parties find common ground on the remaining contentious issues.
The troika sought to accommodate the views of all parties as Zanu-PF maintains that elections should be held this year while the MDC formations want the polls in March next year.

Sources said the “notion to go for elections has been upheld”.
President Mugabe came out of the meeting maintaining that elections will be held this year. Speaking soon after the meeting, the President told journalists that all parties to the GPA had made their contributions which all negotiators described as cordial.
“We discussed the situation in our country and we all made contributions. We should go and finish the

Herald Reporter
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has softened his critical stance on China, saying the Asian economic giant is not plundering

Herald Reporter
ZANU-PF and the police yesterday condemned the interference by the United States in investigations into the murder of an

Hebert Zharare and Fidelis Munyoro
CANADA is pulling out of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation in protest over President Mugabe’s appointment as a special tourism ambassador.
Zimbabwe yesterday said Canada’s pullout was inconsequential because it was a “small player in the global tourism industry”.

Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said the President’s appointment as an international tourism ambassador symbolised “what is wrong with the UN”.
President Mugabe and his Zambian counterpart Michael Sata were appointed tourism ambassadors by the UNWTO office this week as their countries are co-hosting the UNWTO general assembly in August next year.

Peeved by the appointment and Zimbabwe’s co-hosting of the assembly, Mr Baird told the Canadian House of Commons yesterday