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Sese community, Murowa diamond mine feud rages on

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Sese community, Murowa diamond mine feud rages on

Staff reporter

CHIVI – The feud between Sese Community and Murowa Diamond Mining Company over the latter’s occupation of Danhamombe School premises continues to rage on with the former engaging in a flash demo over the weekend.

Community members of Sese Community Trust had a flash demonstration at Sese Business Centre and Danhamombe school turnoff where they held placards demanding the mining company moves out of the school area as well as stopping the mining activities which they said were not benefitting the community.

Murowa Diamond Mining Company started exploration in 2018 and since then they have camped in the school yard, a development which the community is saying affects the learning of their children.

They are also saying the company vehicles are degrading the area and the football pitch is no longer usable as vehicles pass through the pitch.

They also accuse the company of occupying the area earmarked for the school expansion and they have cannot develop to the area they are currently occupying.

The community Trust Chairperson Musiiwa Musiiwa said plans to construct hostels for a boarding facility at the school cannot go on as the company is camped in the school yard.

“We want to make this school a boarding and the area they are camped is where we want to start constructing girls’ hostels, “said Musiiwa.

The demonstrators held placards written that the mine was failing to engage the local community but bribing a few traditional leaders.

The mine is also accused of causing siltation in local weirs while male workers are reportedly engaging in illicit affairs with young girls and married women.

Sese community also accuse the mine of not doing any social responsibility as they are not financing developmental projects beneficial to the community.

Chivi man nabbed for 1000 mbanje plants

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Chivi man nabbed for 1000 mbanje plants

…over 2000 seedlings also raided by police

Fredrick Moyo

CHIVI-Police recently arrested a 38-year-old drug dealer who was in possession of over 1000 marijuana plants in Gwenhamo village under Chief Chivi.
Acting on a tip-off, police officers arrested John Mawuka on September 15, 2021, at around 5pm and recovered over 1000 marijuana plants that were slightly above one metre in height.
They also recovered 2 kilograms of unpacked marijuana, 31 twists (as balls of mbanje are referred to) and over 2000 marijuana seedlings in the accused’s garden.
Masvingo Provincial Police spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa applauded Chivi villagers for taking a lead in combating drug dealing and warned those involved in the sale of harmful drugs.
“We want to thank Chivi community for giving us such important information. We encourage other communities to emulate the good gesture as it works towards the betterment of our own societies.
“We want to warn criminals dealing in drugs that the long arm of the law will not spare them,” said Dhewa.
The recovered marijuana was taken to Chibi Police station and will be produced in court as exhibit.
Last month a police officer was reportedly caught with 50kgs of mbanje that he was allegedly transporting from Chipinge to Chiredzi using a Honda Fit vehicle.
The arrest comes barely three days after government reiterated its commitment to eradicate drug abuse amongst the youths with Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa highlighting that government is contemplating the introduction of recreational facilities by local authorities as a way of occupying the young generation.
The post cabinet briefing also saw government declaring war on drug traffickers and other related cartels in the business with an operation code-named ‘Clean Harare’ being the first to be launched.

Relief for Zvishavane ,Mberengwa horticulture farmers

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Relief for Zvishavane ,Mberengwa horticulture farmers

Exsto Makunzva

Zvishavane- Horticulture farmers in Midlands province and surrounding areas have found relief since Midlands Seedling Centre a nursery company started its operations in July 2021 in Zvishavane.
Zvishavane Mberengwa Horticultural Farmers Association representative Sebastian Muranga welcomed the development and said it was long overdue as many people within the area have now resorted to farming.
“The rainfall pattern in this region was not favourable to farming but however we defied all odds and farming is blooming here in Zvishavane and Mberengwa. We welcome this development as we used to buy seedlings from as far as Harare and Bulawayo and we would receive them three to five days after they had been taken off from the seed bed, of which they would be wilting. Now we get the seedlings from the seedbed to the permanent bed within hours,” said Muranga.
Pote Holdings operations manager Albert Mabasa applauded the initiative and said they will be able to sell fresh vegetables as they will be grown locally.
“We are very happy. This project is a milestone for us as we sell vegetables in our supermarkets and this project has brought them closer to us. Now our customers can get vegetables whilst they are still fresh as they will be produced locally. We used to get vegetables from as far as Gweru but now it will be good for us and for our customers, “said Mabasa.

Nursery at Midlands Seedling Center

The owner of Midlands Seedling Centre Jabulani ‘Magidhivhani’ Nyoni who is also the owner of JM Construction Company said he found out that famers in Zvishavane and Mberengwa were struggling to get their seedlings in time and decided to chip in with this project.
“JM construction is a division of Monitor Enterprises which specialises in Construction, Farming and Mining. So through our farming division, we saw the need of starting a seedling company as we discovered that farmers from this side were getting seedlings from as far as Harare , Bulawayo and Rusape of which it would take maybe up to five days for them to receive their seedlings , that’s why I decided to start Midlands Seedling Centre so that they can get their seedlings within hours instead of days, “said Nyoni.
Celina Sakupwanya, field promoter and Agronomists for Syngenta covering Midlands’s province said the emergency of Midlands Seedling Centre is a welcome development.
“Today we are here in Zvishavane to witness the birth of a new baby in the name of Midlands Seedling Centre. We are providing them with seeds, and I am so happy to witness such a big project. I can say the biggest nursery company I have ever witnessed, I have been to Harare and many other places where I have seen some nurseries but this one is one of its kind. This project will benefit not only people in Zvishavane and Mberengwa but the whole of the Midlands province, Masvingo and the entire southern region because of its capacity,”said Sakupwanya

Masvingo poet to release book, album

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Masvingo poet to release book, album

Thabiso Nxumalo

MASVINGO- Popular poet and songwriter, Ngonidzashe Paradza is set to release a compilation of his poems in a book and an album next month as he seeks to cement his place in the arts sector.
The book, a compilation of his poems titled Kumberi Takamirigwa’s launch will coincide with the release of the album running with the same name in October this year.
Paradza popularly known as Mambo Guramutunhu in the Arts industry specializes in contemporary poetry since 2010 and has since explored storytelling and script writing.
He says his upcoming offering is a motivational piece that seeks to inspire individuals from all lifestyles especially considering how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected people in all spheres of life and as such seeks to be the voice of hope.
“Poetry is more than the spoken word, it is spiritual and hence my upcoming album and book seeks to appeal to the spiritual wellbeing of people in a more contemporary way.
“Those who are going through difficult times will be motivated to wake up and face their challenges head on because tomorrow is waiting for us, Kumberi Takamirigwa,” said Paradza.
The 27 year-old, a Bachelor of Education degree student at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) specialising in secondary school teaching also teaches poetry to upcoming poets.
“I have platforms on social media where I mentor and teach upcoming poets. Before Covid-19 struck, we used to host poetry slams and other events physically. However, due to lockdown we have not been able to meet physically,” said Paradza.
He also bemoaned challenges affecting his trade saying it is a tough task for local poets to commercialize their work.
“Pioneering commercial poetry is not an easy job. People think poetry is talking and it should be done freely, there is no sponsorship coupled with little publicity and because of the pandemic there are no more small shows we used to do,” he said.
Other than poetry and singing, Paradza also performs roles like events director, storytelling and writing scripts.
He has also worked alongside non-governmental organisations like Christian Care doing awareness campaigns against gender-based violence, child marriages as well as encouraging people to embrace the on-going Covid-19 vaccination programme in and around Masvingo province.

Shot in the arm for Manicaland radio listeners

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Shot in the arm for Manicaland radio listeners

Thabiso Nxumalo

Radio listeners in Manicaland received a major boost after the Broadcasting Services Authority (BAZ) awarded three community radio station licenses out of the eight stations countrywide on September 15, 2021.
According to a press release by BAZ on September 15, Manicaland got the biggest chunk after three stations were awarded licenses to add up to the province’s sole station Diamond FM making it four stations covering the 1.8 million population in seven districts.
“The three stations given the green light are Chimanimani Community Radio Station Trust which covers CRS 4A: Chimanimani, Gwendingwe and Rusitu. While Vemuganga Community Radio Trust covers CRS4B: Chipinge-Checheche and Chibuwe. Ndau community Radio Trust covers CRS4C: Mahenye (Garahwa),” reads part of the press release.
This move comes as a boost to communities such as Checheche who would get the opportunity to air their voices concerning issues like service delivery at community level before relaying them to national level.
Vemuganga Radio Production Officer Effort Manono expressed jubilation and says the sky is the limit for the community as they would broadcast mainly in their vernacular Ndau.
“We are very much pleased for such an opportunity. It has been long coming, we are raring to go and as such we are promising our listeners the best programming in Ndau language,” said Manono.
Ndau Community radio chairperson Donald Kumbana also was in high spirits and said the community had waited so long for this to happen hence they are moving as fast as they can to complete building the station and promised to give update upon completion saying this was a great way of communicating given to them by BAZ.
“In our area, network is a big problem and on behalf of the whole community we are very grateful for this opportunity because communication will be made easy and our voices will be heard for once.
“Yes, we will broadcast mostly in Ndau but we are very diverse we will by all means get to accommodate other ethnic groups in the country. We are working full time ahead in our station building project and now that we have been granted the license, I am positive that all stakeholders involved are more than encouraged,” said Kumbana.
Such advancements have been described as an asset to communities in times of crises such as the 2019 Cyclone Idai whose far-reaching effects included the sweeping of over 400 people and displacement of tens of thousands, which could have been minimised by community radio stations.

Hands-off other arms of state

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Hands-off other arms of state

When the Second Republic came into office following the demise of the late nonagenarian and founding president of Zimbabwe in a military-backed takeover in 2017, they promised to entrench democracy in a move that was anticipated by the general populace.
A few years down the line, the Second Republic is failing to live up to its billing in terms of ensuring democracy prevails in the country.
In a normal situation, democracy entails the separation of the three arms of state namely the executive, judiciary and the legislature as well as the media being fourth estate.
The recent case in which Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa announced a decision by cabinet outlawing the attendance of church services by unvaccinated congregants after a provisional High Court order barring the police from arresting or interfering in the church operation shows how much the nation lags behind towards realisation of democracy.
The executive is however reminded to remove their hands off the other arms of state and ensure sanity prevails in the democracy they had and always preach on the international fora.
Interfering in the operations of the other arms of state by the executive has been their major undoing as it has negatively impacted on the rule of law and thus little or lack of trust in government by the general citizenry.
The executive should get the reminder that they are setting a bad precedence in failure to obey court rulings and what would become of the ordinary man in terms of respecting the judicial outcomes.
Failure to separate the three entities has led to politics of patronage especially in the judicial system where judges of the upper courts notably High, Supreme and Constitutional courts have on a number of occasions made judgements that favour the executive who appoint or elevate them to such positions.

Siltation rocks Masvingo dams

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Siltation rocks Masvingo dams

…Tugwi-Mukosi, Mutirikwi dams under threat

Emmaculate Mutonhori

CHIREDZI- The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) recently warned that Zimbabwe’s biggest inland lakes, Tugwi-Mukosi and Mutirikwi are under threat as most dams in the country have been highly affected by siltation thereby disturbing the production of sugarcane in the Lowveld.
ZINWA Regional Manager Peter Shotera said there is extreme siltation in dams in the province, excluding Tugwi-Mukosi and Mutirikwi that still have their actual holding capacity though they are also under threat.
“Tugwi-Mukosi average percentage is currently 95 and this is because it was recently constructed but this does not mean it is safe from siltation and we are afraid sugarcane farming is going to deteriorate because our water bodies are slowly being affected by siltation,” said Shotera.
Andrew Mupariwa Masvingo Provincial Mechanization Engineer also said siltation is not only affecting sugarcane farmers but all farmers in the province in general.
“Several irrigation schemes are heavily affected by siltation. Chilonga Irrigation Scheme, which gets water from Runde River failed to irrigate for years because of siltation as well as Rupangwana, ARDA Tshovani , St Joseph and Gudo Irrigation Schemes that get water from Save River,” said Mupariwa
Mupariwa also mentioned that they are working as a department on major challenges that cause siltation which include stream bank cultivation and conversation works are some of the measures.
“We are partnering some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) which include World Food Programme (WFP), OXFAM, and Mwenezi Development Trust in establishing some solar powered borehole watered gardens which are plus or minus one hectare and some one and half to two hectares so that we move farmers who are practicing stream bank cultivation from riverbanks into those gardens.
“Conservation works involve contour pegging in some farms so that runoff is reduced. It is not only siltation challenge which is being faced but also the top soil which is being washed away from fields means fertile soil is lost so, we are trying to do both soil and water conservation.
“The challenge we have is not only siltation but also top soil which is being washed away from the fields and this means we are losing fertile soil and that means our yields are also going down,” said Mupariwa.
He also elaborated that veld fires are contributing to siltation by destroying trees, grass and everything that helps to bind soil together and that they are currently working together with the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) and Forestry Commission in addressing issues of afforestation through Small Irrigation Revitalizing Program (SIRP).
Currently water levels in Masvingo province are as follows: Tugwi-Mukosi 97.78%, Mutirikwi 96.41%, Bangala 20.35%, Manjirenji 89.28%, Muzhwi 99.69%, Ngezi 91.58%, Manyuchi 87.92%, Mushandike 80.63%, Bindangoma 97.78%, Tokwane 58.18%, Nyajena 87.87%, Siya 86.52%, Musaverema 80,45%, Magudu 70.81% and Chivake 96.83%.
In general terms, siltation refers to the increased concentration of suspended sediments, and to the increased accumulation of fine sediments on bottoms where they are undesirable, especially fine sand or clay is increased by soil erosion arising from agricultural practices particularly along riverbanks and deforestation.

Tragic death of Chiredzi’s oldest newspaper vendor

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Tragic death of Chiredzi’s oldest newspaper vendor

… likely to receive pauper’s burial as no relatives are showing up for him

Melody Musuva

CHIREDZI-Former Hippo Valley Estates employee and newspaper vendor popularly known as ‘Dzungu’ or ‘Chauke’ was recently hit by an unlicensed biker and later died at Chiredzi General Hospital after sustaining head injuries.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) are still gathering more detail about him since he had no national Identity Document and known relatives as he was living in the streets.
ZRP are yet to establish proper documentation for Dzungu as he had no registration certificates or known relatives but this publication established that he was known as Solomon Chauke and is remembered for pioneering newspaper vending in Chiredzi in the early 90s after he parted ways with Hippo Valley Estates.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson, Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said Dzungu was hit by an unlicensed biker, Tafadzwa Muperi (26) at around 1200 hours along Lion Drive in Chiredzi.
“Dzungu, who was more like a street man as he had no fixed residential address, was hit by Tafadzwa Muperi with a motorcycle and the biker had no license. Dzungu died at Chiredzi General Hospital a few minutes later and since then nobody has claimed his body,” said Dhewa.
District Social Welfare Officer, Admire Emmanuel also said that there is little information pertaining to relatives, real name and age for the deceased as he did not even had a National Identity card or known relatives.
“Dzungu was known by many in the streets of Chiredzi by selling newspapers and begging for help but there is little information of his life history including relatives, date of birth and National Identity card. Many myths are surrounding him as some are saying he came from South Africa while others are saying he came from Malipati,” said Emmanuel.
Dzungu was well known for inflating newspaper prices and his target market were known businessmen who could not question his pricing system.
Before Covid-19, Dzungu was known for drinking ‘Black Label’ lager at supermarket entrances before he shifted to Eagle and later Cane Spirits as his revenue base was shut down due to the pandemic, and was arrested multiple times by police officers who were not familiar with him.
Though Dzungu was well known for selling newspapers, he was illiterate and could not read what he was selling but had a tactic to find someone explain him the contents of every front page stories which he could master in order to lure his customers into buying.

Poor results rock School of Nursing

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Poor results rock School of Nursing

Clayton Shereni

MASVINGO– Controversy and poor results are slowly becoming order of the day at Masvingo Provincial Hospital School of Nursing as students continue to fail amid internal power wrangles raging on at the institution.
Since 2020 low percentage pass rates have been recorded, with sabotage and politics being cited as some of the contributing factors to a poor spate of results.
The pass rate that usually skyrocketed up to over 90 percent over the years was reduced to 50 percent in 2020 and this year recorded below 20 percent.
In May last year, 14 students reportedly sat for their final year examination and only seven passed, a number that translates to 50 percent pass rate.
A paltry 18.8 percent was also recorded when a combined 16 students reportedly wrote their examinations in May this year including some who had failed the previous and only three passed.
The failed 13 students got another chance to repeat where three of them passed, and the remaining 10 had no option but to withdraw translating to a 21 percentage pass rate.
Another group of 14 students that also sat for their exam this year recorded a zero percent pass rate.
Contacted for comment Masvingo Provincial Hospital Public Relations Officer, Mercy Zulu directed all questions to the Provincial Medical Director Doctor Amadeus Shamhu.
Dr Shamhu said the low pass rate was a nationwide problem but also revealed that they were carrying out investigations at Masvingo Provincial Hospital School of Nursing.
“There was a general decrease in the pass rate nation-wide, we did not witness this in our province only, however we are carrying out investigations to establish reasons for the decrease at our school of nursing,” said Dr Shamhu.
However, efforts to get a comment from the school’s senior tutor Catherine Sithole were fruitless, as she did not pick up her mobile phone up until the time of going to print.
Ministry of Health and Childcare Public Relations Officer, Donald Mujiri could not be drawn to comment said his phone’s network reception was bad as he was at the airport.
Inside sources allege that politicking and sabotage was taking its toll at the school after a rotation of the school’s board of management in 2020, a development that has seen a free fall of the pass rate percentage at the institution.
The school that is one of the several government run schools of nursing trains over 40 students every year and has been immensely contributing to the national health system.

Prisoner bites off fellow inmate’s finger

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Prisoner bites off fellow inmate’s finger

Fredrick Moyo

An inmate at Masvingo Remand Prison recently appeared in court for biting off a fellow inmate’s finger during a fight.
Last Makova (33) of Mukosi clinic under Chief Shumba in Masvingo was convicted of assaulting Charlton Mazibuko by Masvingo Magistrate Consepter Ngwerume, which led to the latter losing his finger.
It was the state case as presented by prosecutor Godknows Mugondo that on June 21, 2021, at around 2100 hours, the accused Makova assaulted Charlton Mazibuko (35), in a prison cell they were sharing.
The accused person is said to have been asleep while other inmates were playing draft in the cell and he woke up, sat on a toilet seat and started pouring water on other inmates.
However, other inmates including the complainant Mazibuko tried to restrain him.
Mazibuko grabbed Makova from the front in trying to stop him and while in the process of restraining him, Makova bit him on the right cheek, and in the scuffle bit off his finger.
The matter was reported to prison officers, leading to Makova’s arrest.

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