…18 die within 60km stretch along Masvingo –Mutare in a year

By Rangarirai Shanyurai

At least six people have died in tractor-related accidents in Masvingo province in just one month, raising concern from authorities over road safety and the misuse of agricultural vehicles.
Masvingo Vehicle Inspectorate Department (VID) Provincial Head Henry Kahiya revealed the statistics during a traffic safety awareness campaign hosted by Traffic Safety council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ).
The campaign was held at Zishumbe Shopping Centre along Masvingo-Mutare road where he said the recent surge in accidents involving tractors was alarming and highlighted the urgent need for targeted education and regulation.
“There is a worrying trend of accidents in Masvingo Province which involves tractors. Within a month, we have lost six lives due to agricultural tractor related incidents. That’s a big concern. Recently some government officials lost their lives in separate accidents involving tractors at Mutimurefu Prisons and again in Mashava,” said Kahiya.
Kahiya emphasized that the VID, which certifies all vehicles for road use, was working on strategies to educate farmers and miners who operate tractors, many of whom may not be fully aware of road safety protocols.
He highlighted the five pillars of traffic safety, enforcement, evaluation, education, engineering, and emergency response, as crucial to reducing fatalities and improving coordination across departments.
Officer Commanding Masvingo Province, Commissioner Fredrik Mbengwa said 18 lives had been lost within the 60km peg of the same road in one year which was devastating and urged the public to report drivers who speed or drive when drunk.
“Between June 2024 and May 2025, 18 lives were lost and 8 individuals were injured in 13 accidents along a 60km stretch of this road (from the zero to the 60 km peg).
“Even when we use roadblocks as methods of reducing speed but we observe drivers resuming excessive speeds once they pass them. Our gathering today is driven by the tragic loss of life on the Masvingo-Mutare road.
“We strongly encourage drivers to dedicate their full attention to driving when they are on the road. We also urge the public to report any instances of speeding or suspected drunk driving to the police,” said Mbengwa.
Mbengwa encouraged pedestrians to be cautious when crossing roads and attributed most accidents to human error.
“Pedestrians must exercise extreme caution when crossing roads, even at designated pedestrian crossings, as vehicles can unexpectedly develop mechanical faults.
“Vehicles nowadays have a speed limit that exceeds what we had long back but let’s avoid speeding. Most of the accidents are being caused by human error because of speed, receiving calls or changing music while driving,” he said.
Masvingo Traffic Officer Blessing Sai urged drivers to reduce speed paying attention to the condition of the roads saying most of the roads sides had no fencing and that increased the number of stray animals causing accidents on the roads.
“We encourage drivers to adjust speed with the condition of the roads, weather, light and traffic. Failure to make these crucial adjustments significantly increases the likelihood of being involved in an accident.
“A significant and challenging factor is that our roads are unfortunately no longer fenced in many areas, as community members have removed the fencing. This substantially increases the risk of accidents involving animals,” said Sai.

By Beverly Bizeki

Victoria Primary School in Masvingo’s junior robotics team earned a ticket to the World Robotics Olympiad (WRO) international stage in Singapore in November this year after securing fourth position at the just ended WRO nationals held in Bulawayo.
Victoria Primary School Sports Director Charles Chengeta expressed joy in the team’s achievement considering that it was the school’s first time to participate in the robotics Olympiad with the learners competing against secondary school pupils.
“We are in cloud nine, Victoria Primary is known for many things but the fact that our pupils are flying outside the country to represent the school and their country is amazing. This is our first time participating in robotics competitions and we are already making waves. Everyone is happy about this achievement, the school staff, parents and the children as well,” said Chengeta.
Chengeta said the school started the programme this year to keep up with global trends and expose their children to global stages and the children were already gaining new skills through participation in the competitions.
“Times are changing and we want our children to keep up with the changing times and expose them to technology.
“The learners have already gained new skills with the likes of problem solving, ability to work under pressure and self-start,” said Chengeta.
He thanked the school authorities for rallying behind the success of the learners to the nationals and said stakeholders interested in supporting the initiative can do so through the relevant school channels.
One of the team members, 12-year-old Ayanda Mukakati said their parking assistant system project was driven by the prevalence of accidents caused by a lack of warning systems for drivers when parking
“We discovered that in our community many accidents are happening due to insufficient warning systems so we came up with a solution of making a smart parking assistant system. When we were in Bulawayo we were the only primary competing against high schools so I was not really expecting to win the competition but we managed to come fourth hence I am excited as we will be flying to Singapore too,” said Mukakati.
Another team member Darrell Kasinamunhu said he was not expecting to win the competition and was happy to get a chance to showcase his intelligence on an international stage.
“After winning the nationals I felt happy and surprised because I was not expecting it, I am happy about flying to Singapore to represent my school and showing my intelligence,” said Kasinamunhu.

By Virginia Njovo

Masvingo City residents called on the police to increase night patrols and the local authority to install streetlights from Chevron Hotel to the roundabout and the road that passes through Ndarama High to Pangolin Shopping Centre to ensure their safety and security.
The call was made following two cases, one of murder and another of robbery, near Ndarama High School.
Speaking with TellZim News Masvingo Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA) spokesperson Godfrey Mtimba said the mentioned areas had increased cases of robberies hence the need for streetlight and police patrols at night.
“We urge the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) to enhance night-time patrols throughout the city to protect residents from potential threats. Increased visibility will deter criminals and help reduce crime rates in Masvingo.
“We call on the city council to collaborate with the ZRP by installing streetlights along the route from Chevron Hotel, via the roundabout to Pangolin Shopping Centre, and extending to Exor. These areas have seen a rise in robberies, and without action, we risk losing more residents’ lives,” said Mutimba.
Residents also urged council to take action on the issue of stray dogs in the city. Following a recent incident in Harare where a pit bull attacked and killed a man, Masvingo residents called for council to shoot stray dogs and enforce regulations on dog ownership.
“We are concerned about our residents safety as the issue of stray dogs is yet to be addressed in the city. The major concern on this issue is that there are some types of dogs which are not human friendly and sometimes they are found on the streets risking residents’ lives,” said Mutimba.
Councillors also raised the issue of installing street lights at different areas around the city at a recent full council meeting saying that could help save lives.

By Staff Reporter

Gutu Residents will soon have access to a private and modern health facility in Mupandawana, marking a significant milestone in the area’s healthcare development and providing an alternative to public healthcare options.
The new facility, Utano Medical Centre, will open doors on Monday June 9 and on the day, the medical centre will offer free consultation, BP and Blood Sugar checks as well as medical examinations.
The medical center is run by Dr. Mutero Mupereki, a health practitioner and Gutu District Medical Officer (DMO), and is expected to provide quality healthcare services to the community.
Speaking to TellZim News, Dr Mupereki said the center will offer a comprehensive range of essential services, including doctor consultations, reproductive health services, HIV testing and treatment, TB screening, medical laboratory services, X-rays, scans, pharmacy services, and dental care.
“We will be offering reproductive health, family planning, HIV testing and treatment services. TB screening is going to be offered and at the same time we are also going to provide medical laboratory services since we do not have any private medical laboratory in the district.
“The only one we have is at Gutu Mission Hospital which is often overwhelmed forcing people to travel to Masvingo and Chivhu at times carrying own samples putting pressure on the community,” said Dr Mupereki.
He said the services will be provided by a team of experienced healthcare professionals, ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.
Dr Mutero said the facility was a one stop medical centre where a variety of services will be offered to relieve pressure on patients who often had to get consultation somewhere then go elsewhere to get medication.
He said the centre had dental services as well as a pharmacy and will launch an ambulance service in the near future.
“We will be offering pharmacy services, yes there are two private pharmacy services, however these pharmacies are not part of any health facility or institution so our clients are taking prescriptions from private surgeries and then they have to move again to get to private pharmacies so our medical center is going to be one stop shop where the client does not have to do a lot of movement as they will get their services there.
“We are also going to have a dental unit. This is a major break through our community , has been crying for this service in Gutu since there are no dental services both in the public and private sector,” said Dr Mupereki.
He said the center was established to complement government’s efforts in providing quality healthcare saying the public healthcare system in Gutu was overstretched. This was leading to frequent downtime of critical equipment and limited availability of essential services and the new center will help bridge the gap.
Dr Mupereki said the center’s location in an industrial area was strategic, providing a peaceful and quiet environment conducive to healing and was open for people from all walks of life including the elite who desire quality services.
He said the centre will also create employment opportunities for healthcare professionals, including nurses, midwives, lab personnel, pharmacists, and radiographers. This initiative will contribute to the development of the local economy and support the government’s vision of creating a middle to upper-middle-class economy by 2030.

…condemns broadcasting of traditional court proceedings

By Rangarirai Shanyurai

Chief Mugabe born Matubede Mudavanhu of Masvingo District recently raised concerns over the erosion of traditional leadership powers, particularly in handling serious criminal cases.
Chief Mugabe was speaking during an Africa Day commemoration organised by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Women Network in Masvingo at his court recently.
Chief Mugabe expressed frustration over the current legal framework that limits chiefs’ authority to preside over cases such as rape and murder.
“We have never failed to preside over any case, but the courts have denied us the authority to handle serious matters such as rape and murder. When we attempt to do so, we are told we’ve breached jurisdictional boundaries. We are only allowed to resolve land disputes and infidelity cases,” said Chief Mugabe.
Despite these legal limitations, the chief noted that traditional leaders often find themselves dealing with such serious matters informally, reflecting their ongoing commitment to maintaining moral order in their communities.
“On the other hand, we still preside over these serious matters, even though the formal courts have the final say, because we do not condone criminal behaviour in our communities,” he said.
Chief Mugabe called for a national dialogue on the role and authority of traditional leaders in the justice system.
“The issue of chiefs’ powers needs to be addressed. We believe we should have the authority to handle all cases within our jurisdiction. Even in cases involving my close relatives, I am prepared to delegate to a nearby chief to ensure fairness, as long as all the required documentation is completed,” he said.
Speaking to TellZim News after the event, Mugabe said the modern court will only punish the offender but there was no healing to the victim’s family and that had to be addressed.
“A person murders someone, he is tried in court and is jailed, what happens next, will he come and work in the fields of the victim’s family? No, he will work there and the family of the deceased get nothing.
“What about the issue of avenging spirits, there is need for the family to pay to avoid Ngozi that should be done by Chiefs,” said Mugabe.
He also said the chiefs were supposed to be allowed to try any case that happen in his jurisdiction for he knows the backgrouds of people and families hence has a better chance of solving the disputes amicably and provide lasting peace.
“The magistrates and judges do not know the people they preside over, we do, we have the family backgrouds so we know best how to deal with each family,” said Mugabe.
Mugabe went on to take a side swipe at other chiefs who broadcast court proceedings and allow anyone to come and listen saying that reduces the dignity of people.
“Here in Chief Mugabe’s court, we do not allow anyone to come and listen, we only want the offender and the complainant and their immediate family members.
“If a person is an offender it doesn’t mean he or she has no dignity. It’s insensitive for everyone to know that this man took that man’s wife. Others no longer preside over cases as they are but they do it for people to see because there will be cameras. It’s inhumane for the whole of Zimbabwe to watch while one is being asked and narrating what happened. That’s improper and we do not allow that here,” said Mugabe.
Speaking to TellZim News on the issue of chiefs being given power to preside over serious criminal cases, Chief Ndanga Born Wilson Makono of Zaka said the good part of the judiciary in Zimbabwe was that it had a dual system which allows them to deal with serious cases in a way.
He said though the investigations and sentencing were done by the police and the courts respectively, as traditional leaders they were allowed to practice their authority to make sure the community leaves in harmony.
“The good aspect of the judicial service is that it’s dual, it does not stop us from dealing with these issues even when the courts are handling them.
“Though we do not use the investigative side, we are allowed to try and enforce payment of Chenura (Cleansing) to make sure the community continues to live in harmony. Even when someone is convicted of rape, we have a way of punishing them to show that we do not condone such in our jurisdictions,” said Ndanga.