By Virginia Njovo

Ngomahuru Psychiatric Hospital is appealing for assistance to support its agricultural initiatives, aiming to improve the institution’s productivity and contribute to food security.
The hospital heavily depends on external funding and hand-outs from well-wishers and the corporate world to sustain operations.
Speaking to TellZim News, Ngomahuru Medical Superintendent Parirenyatwa Maramba said they were pleading for sponsorship to set up an irrigation system.
“If sponsored, we can become self-sustainable, boosting the welfare of our patients. Ngomahuru has survived on donations for decades and yet we have underutilized land that at the institution. If sponsored we can become self-sustainable since we are already a charity home, doing everything for free,” Maramba said.
He said they were into cattle and goat farming but at a very smaller scale that it cannot sustain them and needed more to expand.
“The hospital currently engages in small-scale cattle and goat farming and we hope to expand the livestock production. If we get the sponsorship we are seeking, we can then become self-sufficient and improve patient care,”said Maramba.
The hospital faces significant challenges, including deteriorating infrastructure, inadequate resources, and insufficient support for patients.
The institution’s buildings and sewer systems are outdated, and there is a shortage of essential supplies, including detergents.
Many patients face neglect, with some being abandoned by their relatives without financial support or visits. Some have been admitted for more than 20 years.
In some cases, families fail to claim the bodies of deceased patients, leaving the hospital to handle the burden. The stigma surrounding mental illness exacerbates these challenges, leaving patients reliant on the nursing staff and fellow patients for support.
The hospital’s financial struggles have resulted in limited capacity to provide quality care, and the introduction of a private ward has offered some relief, generating revenue to meet basic needs.
Nevertheless, the institution requires substantial support to address its systemic challenges and provide adequate care for its patients.

By TellZim Reporter

After nearly 20 years of separation caused by internal leadership disputes, the Free Methodist Church of Zimbabwe has officially reunited, marking a significant milestone in the church’s history. The church celebrated the reconciliation on July 13, 2025, ending years of division that had led to the formation of two factions: Free Methodist Church of Zimbabwe A and B.
The rift, which began in 2007, was a result of disagreements among senior church leaders. The matter eventually spilled into the courts, which ruled that those who had broken away could only return if they adhered to the church’s constitutional framework.
Church Bishop Isaya Isaiah Masiya expressed deep satisfaction at the reunion, saying the prolonged split had hindered the church’s growth and fractured fellowship among congregants.
“I am happy with what has happened today, after having spent many years with the church split. Our members had conflicts, and the matter went out of hand. We went to the courts, where it was ruled that the other members who had left should submit to the constitution of the church.
“We have tried so many times to reconcile to no avail. The separation affected how we fellowshipped, especially among congregants, and it affected our growth,” said Bishop Masiya.
He acknowledged the role played by regional Bishops in encouraging reconciliation.
“I am grateful to other bishops in various countries in the region who have kept encouraging us to reunite. We have also been discussing this with other pastors, questioning why we are not getting along when we are preaching love to congregants. To the fellow congregants, we invite them back since we have reunited. Let us continue with the good work of the Lord together,” he said.
Local pastor Kabelo Dube, who had been among those who left, reflected on the impact the split had on the church.
“We left this place for the past 20 years and have been fellowshipping elsewhere with a section of the people who were not satisfied with what had happened. We lost quite a number of congregants because of that division. It is not easy to invite a person to church to the point where they become a member.
“This division hurt us as a church because we saw many people even stopping going to church. These divisions affect congregants more than leaders because they have their trust in them, believing we should lead in the same direction, and when we split, they do not know where to go,” said Pastor Dube.
He said despite the breakaway, their spiritual attachment to the church remained though it took long for them to reunite with others.
“We were not able to change the name of the church because our hearts were still with the church. We did not leave because we were against the doctrine of the church, but the leadership of the moment chased us away.
“Though we wanted to come back, but it took long for us to be heard until 2023, where an area fellowship involving Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe gave us a chance to air our grievances. We are grateful that later on in April, the Bishop requested us to resubmit our queries, leading to this development,” said Pastor Dube.
Dube said the conflict had begun with accusations against pastors who were allegedly not following church doctrine, which resulted in the dismissal of eight pastors.
“The split was caused by conflicts between the leadership back then, which accused some of the pastors of not following the doctrines, and eight pastors were fired. The matter was brought to the courts, and we thought it was better if we stopped the fighting. We stopped responding to some of the court processes, and the other section won the case.”
Despite the painful past, Dube said the group’s return was motivated by their belief that the church was bigger than any individual.
“We were inspired to reunite because this church does not belong to anyone. It was started by missionaries who had a desire for Zimbabweans to know God. Hence, we thought we should all come back together,” he said.
A congregant who witnessed the reunion said they were relieved and hopeful that things will improve for the better.

. . .parents unsettled, worry over the ‘new teaching method’

By TellZim Reporter

A teacher from Mushavhi Secondary school in Bikita, (name withheld), has come under fire for allegedly collecting saliva samples from an entire class of learners, sparking concerns among parents about the unconventional teaching methods.
Learners and parents who spoke to TellZim News questioned the unusual method used by the teacher during one lesson, and their primary concern is the unknown disposal of the soiled paper.
The incident follows another one from Nehanda Primary School in the same district where two teachers allegedly draw blood from 19 pupils using syringes and parents are worried over the recurring unusual behavior by teachers.
Contacted for comment by TellZim News, she asked the reporter to go back to the sources and ask them what had transpired or to visit the school to get more information.
“Go back to the people who told you and ask them why I did that, they know or you can alternatively come to the school. There are some leaners who saw me disposing off the paper so I don’t know what’s the issue,” she said.
The school head Peter Zvibodo was not available for comment as his cell went unanswered several times
Leaners who spoke to TellZim and refused to be named for fear of reprisal said the teacher started the lesson by discussing self-preservation and self-control, particularly for girls, emphasizing the importance of avoiding promiscuity until they complete their education.
To drive the point home, she allegedly asked all leaners to spit on a clean sheet of paper, with only two refusing to comply. The teacher then folded the paper and asked a student to write on it, but the leaner declined, citing the paper’s contamination with others’ saliva.
The teacher allegedly used this demonstration to illustrate how others perceive someone who engages in promiscuous behavior, likening it to the soiled paper. She then took the folded paper outside, reportedly to dispose of it behind the toilets, raising concerns about the potential health and safety implications.
What’s more disturbing is that despite leaners complaining to other teachers, the matter seems to have been swept under the rug.
Education officials have visited the school multiple times, but the issue was never addressed sparking concerns that she could be connected to higher offices.
“We were shocked that the matter seemed to have died within the school premises because it was never taken up. When we saw education officials visiting the school, we thought they had come for the matter, but we were shocked to learn they had come for another case involving the teacher and the head, not ours,” said one leaner.
Parents who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of exposing their children called for an investigation into the teacher’s methods, questioning whether her approach was acceptable.
“The teacher is new at the school, she came late last year, and we have never heard of such a method of teaching. She came from college to this school, and we want the education officials to investigate her case and hear if her way of teaching is accepted,”
Other parents questioned her sincerity to want to dispose the paper herself whereas the class was full of leaners whom she could have asked to dispose the paper.
“Why didn’t she end one of the leaners to dispose the paper, her saliva were not there so why was she not disgusted by the leaners’ saliva,” queried one parent