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Tackling the ritual killings-suicide societal cancer

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Tackling the ritual killings-suicide societal cancer
George Kandiero

 Courage Dutiro

As
the country continues to struggle to deal with the Covid-19 and its socio
economic effects which have made things gloomy and turned the world upside
down, pre-meditated murder, suspected ritual killings and suicides have become
an epidemic in Zimbabwe.

Premeditated
murder is wrongfully and intentionally causing the death of another human being
after rationally considering the timing or method of doing so, to either
increase the likelihood of success or to evade detection or apprehension.

Suspected
ritual killings of children have also been rampant across the country with the
most prominent one being the murder of Murehwa boy, Tapiwa Makore, allegedly by
his uncle and a herd boy.

A
few weeks ago a five-year-old child, Mitchell Musharu disappeared and was later
found dead and dumped in a septic tank behind her parents’ shop in Bikita.

As
if that was not enough, another child Nokutenda Chirandu disappeared on her way
from school in Bikita and is yet to be located up to now.

The
murder of both children and adults for what appears to be ritual purposes in
Zimbabwe has brought a dark cloud over the country, and that needs urgent
attention at both community and national levels.

A
political and social commentator, Hosiah Chipanga told TellZim News that some
old superstitious beliefs were being peddled by fake traditional healers (n’angas)
that killing a person in a particular way and take certain parts of their
bodies for processing creates wealth.

“The
problem is caused by fake traditional healers who advice people to kill one
another as a way to create and maintain wealth. We know the country is facing
some economic hardships that have been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic but
people should learn to work for their own money and to stop coveting what
others have.

“The
public should also note that the size of a well and dam are not equal so they
should not covet those who are still flourishing in this Covid-19 period,” said
Chipanga.

The
Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (Zinatha) president, George
Kandiero distanced his association from the traditional healers who are said to
be fuelling the ritual killings and has urged the community to report such
cruel individuals.

“As
Zinatha, we do not believe in ritual killings (kuchekeresa). People should
learn to work rather than to kill other human beings for financial benefits. I
advise the general public to desist from doing such acts. That stuff doesn’t
work; such killings do not create wealth; it’s witchcraft.

“If
you come across someone who is a member of Zinatha doing such things, we urge
people to report that person to us and we will be more than willing to help to
testify so that the person could be prosecuted to the full wrath of the law
because our constitution and code of conduct does not allow such acts,” said
Kandiero.

Commenting
on the issue of suicide cases that have ballooned during this period of the
Covid-19 pandemic, Kandiero attributed the problem to lack of traditional
counsellors to which people could find advice when faced with problems.

“As
a society, we are losing our morals and culture. Long ago we used to have
traditional counsellor structures cultural decadence has eroded all that. Such
structures have been eroded. People now don’t have anyone to turn to when they
face problems in life. I think as a nation, we need to turn back to our roots
but those who go to church must seek assistance from church leaders.

“The
other factor is the bad financial situation that many people are experiencing
currently. Covid-19 destroyed a lot of businesses and incomes for many people.
Some are failing to handle the economic situation that was deepened by the
pandemic and they end up doing the unthinkable,” added Kandiero.

Apostolic
Faith Mission in Zimbabwe (AFM) Elias Jinjika said unequal distribution of
resources and the desire for quick riches was a root cause for premeditated ritual
killings and suicide.

“I
think the uncontrollable desire to become rich quickly through the use of
supernatural powers or any evil means is a major force that is causing the rise
of ritual killings. Other issues that are causing the upsurge of these cases
are unequal distribution of resources, poor planning and laziness among the
people.

“I
urge people to work hard and also to learn to wait for God’s time than to spill
human blood. One cannot use evil means to attain good ends. The essence of
being rich is to live a peaceful and enjoyable life,” he said.

Recently
a male tractor driver Grey Chirimo (57), who was employed by Allied Timbers in
Nyanga, was found dead in a suspected ritual murder with eyes missing.

Some
elderly people with mental health challenges (dementia) are also falling prey
to ritualists who take advantage of their loss of memory and disconnection from
reality.

As
each day pass, society is increasingly becoming unsafe for the old as well as
for children who usually depend on others for their welfare.

Suspected
ritual killings, suicide and culpable homicide is now a cancer which is eating
up many communities in the country with no possible cure as many are joining
this band of wrong doings.

Are people with disabilities being neglected in road safety?

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Are people with disabilities being neglected in road safety?
Man pushing his own Wheelchair at a robot in Masvingo

…unfriendly roads, public
transport are big challenges

Clayton
Shereni

MASVINGO
–
The fight to reduce human error on the roads, and the gospel of road safety
have been there for many years in Zimbabwe but issues of People With
Disabilities (PWDs) seem to have been largely ignored in these efforts.

More often than not,
the discourse of road safety overlooks people with disabilities, with the
safety of this disadvantaged group being left to the hands of fate.

The narrow and ever-shrinking
roads in Zimbabwe have made it a mammoth task for pedestrian PWDs and those
moving on wheelchairs to maneuver safely.

Even those with aides
find it hard to cross busy roads in the Central Business District (CBD) where
there are high traffic volumes.

Sustainable Development
Goal (SDG) 11.2 calls for safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable
transport for all.

It further calls for the
improvement of road safety notably by expanding public transport with special
attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations; women, children,
persons with disabilities and older persons.

Rumple strips have been
seen as a major contributor in the fight against traffic accidents and in
Zimbabwe, this feature is mainly found at tollgates along major highways.

This road safety
feature is a rarity in some CBDs like Masvingo where the traffic volumes are
surging on the same roads that have never been expanded.

According to a World
Health Organization (WHO) 2004 report, rumple strips that were built at the Suhum
junction in Ghana, an accident hotspot, reduced the number of recorded cases by
35 percent.

Countries like United
States of America (USA) and United Kingdom (UK) have well-developed accident data
collection systems but they fare badly in disaggregating in terms of PWDs.

Although little
statistical data exists, WHO also reports that people with disabilities are at
a higher risk of non-fatal unintentional injuries from road traffic-related
accidents or crashes.

In Masvingo, a straight
stretch of Charumbira Street which starts at Craft Centre and ends near Mucheke
Bus Terminus is one of the roads that need urgent
attention to cater for PWDs.

A ride along that
stretch during the morning and evening peak hours shows that homeless PWDs who
stay at the terminus are exposed to a big risk of being hit by cars when they
travel to and from town, where they beg for survival.

Those on wheelchairs
push themselves along the busy road while the visually-impaired use their
walking sticks to guide themselves along the road.

Before a wheelchair was
donated to him by Marvelous Tshuma (known on Twitter as Queen of BaTonga),
Samuel Rangaridzayi used to crawl to and from town daily.

He would wear gloves to
avoid direct contact with the hard surfaces since he would crawl all day in
town; begging for alms and sometimes cars would stop for him to cross the road.

Disability Amalgamation
Community Trust (DACT) chairperson Henry Chivhanga bemoaned the state of roads
in Masvingo and called upon authorities to come up with systems that make the
roads friendlier to people with disabilities.

“Our roads are not
user-friendly to pedestrians with disabilities. Traffic lights are not
configured to allow passage to PWDs. We urge responsible authorities to erect
traffic lights that are user-friendly to PWDs and we urge motorists to give the
right of way to PWDs on wheelchairs and all those walking with cane and on
crutches. We also need to continue educating all road users on proper ways of
using the roads,” said Chivhanga.

He said the dusty road across
Chimusana Bridge was one of the inaccessible roads for wheelchair-bound people
who move between Mucheke and the CBD every day.

“Pushing a wheelchair
into town every morning during peak hours is not by choice because work and
vending for a living demands such movements. The road through Chimusana Bridge
is not wheelchair-friendly at all. We also do not have a transport system that
is user-friendly generally to PWDs and particularly to those using wheelchairs.

“Road users, in
particular motorists, must drive cautiously to avoid accidents and particularly
give way to PWDs. We also urge PWDs not to be reckless and careless when using
roads and to observe road rules,” Chivhanga said.

In their research
titled ‘Rejected People: Beggars with Disabilities in the City of Harare,
Zimbabwe’, Dr Bekezela Siziba and Tafadzwa Rugoho reveal that there is an
increase in homeless beggars on the streets.

The two academics,
however, do not probe the question of safety of PWDs when they go about their
daily routine and the hustle of travelling to and from town.  

Zimbabwe Disability
Advocacy Empowerment Rehabilitation Technology (ZIDAERT) International founder
Pastor Cover Mugwadhi shared the same sentiments saying the lack of up-to-standard
technology and poor road infrastructure was a serious problem.

“The conditions of our
road network especially in cities pose a great danger to the safety of
pedestrians with disabilities. Even at the designated crossing points, the
absence of assistive technology friendly to those with visual impairments is
lamentable. We are terribly behind the international standards,” said Mugwadhi.

He said potholes were a
great danger to the safety of pedestrians with disabilities who are hardly considered
when road safety laws are passed and when roads are planned.

“The scarcity of cycle
tracks and the many potholes on the roads forces motorists to sway to road
sides, thereby increasing the vulnerability of pedestrians especially those
with disabilities. Planning and road safety laws should take into consideration
the fact that people with disabilities are a permanent mark of our community,”
he said.

Little children often
aid their parents and relatives in the CBD but their little judgement as minors
mean that their safety and the safety of the elders they guide is imperiled.

Some have attributed
this plight of PWDs to poor planning of roads in cities whereby engineering
departments of local authorities and other roads authorities fail to consider
that some pedestrians are disabled.

Crossing a road at
undesignated points is prohibited in Zimbabwe and is regarded as jaywalking but
this fails to acknowledge that there are very few designated crossing points
like zebra crossings.

However, pedestrians
with physical challenges especially those who are wheelchair-bound are always
part of society and jaywalking is inevitable in face of the harsh realities on
the ground.

Traffic Safety Council
of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) director Clifford Gobo said major efforts were being made
towards building an inclusive road infrastructure which caters for all
regardless of physical abilities.

“No one should be left
behind in developmental issues and that is why you find government emphasizing
the idea of streamlining disability. You will find out that new infrastructure
has walkways and cycle tracks. We are working for our infrastructure to have
security features that cater for everyone including people with disabilities,”
said Gobo.

Speaking to TellZim
News, Road Safety Zimbabwe Trust (RSZT) director Samson Nyaude said ending road
carnage was a burden for every road user and that the poor road infrastructure
in the country was a cause for concern.

“Road safety is a
concern for everyone but it is worrisome that some of us seem to disregard road
rules. Let’s be more careful on the road, there are many facets to improving
road safety in Zimbabwe and we cannot turn a blind eye to the dilapidated road infrastructure.

“We comment latest
government efforts to fix roads through the emergency roads rehabilitation
programme. However, we need to press hard on the dangerous behavior by a lot of
road users. We put emphasis on protecting our children, pedestrians and
cyclists since they are the most vulnerable group of road users,” said Nyaude.

In public
transportation, some PWDs with money to pay for transport often fail to board
buses and kombis as these too are not disability-friendly.

When President Emmerson
Mnangagwa commissioned a fleet of Zimbabwe United Passengers Company (Zupco)
buses in July 2019, he said government was aware of the problems faced by PWDs.

He said authorities
will modify some of the buses to make them friendlier to people with
disabilities but there seems to be no progress in that regard so far.

As such, it can be said
that prevailing societal attitudes towards PWDs call for a greater need to engage
the government and civil society on the exclusion of PWDs in the quest for road
safety.

 

SEATH Trust wins Empowerbank food hamper, donates it to squatters

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SEATH Trust wins Empowerbank food hamper, donates it to squatters
Mucheke squatters who recently received help from SEATH Trust

Perpetua Murungweni

Mucheke
squatters recently received help from Social Economic Action Transformation for
Humanity (SEATH), in the form of food parcels which the organization won in an
online competition.

The
donation was a fulfillment of the organization’s promise to maintain its
presence among the most disadvantaged people of Ward 1 in Masvingo Urban.

The
homeless people received mealie-meal, salt, sugar, rice and cooking oil which
will last them for some weeks.

Some
of the squatters at Mucheke bus terminus are persons with disabilities who earn
a living by begging on the streets and most of them are victims of stigma due
to their conditions.

The
donation was made possible after aspiring SEATH legal officer Trust Tariro
Mafuka won $5 000 in a Twitter competition ran by youth bank Empowerbank.

“I
competed for the $5000 hamper which was promised to any follower who was going
to attract as many likes, retweets and comments by tagging many others Twitter
users. I had to follow, comment and tag as many friends as I could. My wish was
to win the hamper and donate it to people with disabilities at Mucheke bus
terminus, something which I managed to do at last,” said Mafuka.

SEATH
Trust director Tendai Mafuka said she was glad that the promise made to the
disadvantaged people at the bus terminus was fulfilled, thanks to the support
of the organization’s stakeholders.

 “We donated to the Mucheke squatters to fulfill
our promise of having a sustainable relationship with persons with
disabilities. We are also continuing with the movement of Ubuntu and enhancing
the lives of vulnerable persons by giving them hope that there is a better
tomorrow if we all work together,” said Mafuka.

The
ambassador of young people with disabilities Vimbai Chese expressed her
gratitude for the donation, saying it will go a long way in creating hope among
the beneficiaries who face many challenges in their quest to simply get by.

 “This donation improves the material
conditions of these people, and I am very happy that it
also creates hope among them that society has not forgotten about them. We all
need hope and support to survive the day,” said Chese.

 

Eight years on, Bikita school still has single block without roof

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Eight years on, Bikita school still has single block without roof

Terrence Ndowora

Mutindini
Primary School in Daniri village under Chief Mukanganwi in Bikita still has a
single block with no roof, a situation that leaves pupils vulnerable to harsh weather
conditions.

Mutindini
Primary operates as a satellite school for Ngodyore Primary School and is a
community project that was initiated 8 years ago to serve pupils who walk more
than 10km to the mother school.

Ward
9 Councillor Sabhina Kujongonya told TellZim News that the school needed urgent
help as its roof was blown away by Cyclone Idai back in March 2019.

She
said the school enrolled ECD A and B as well as Grade 1 and 2 pupils; leaving
the upper grades to endure the long distance to Ngondyore.

“The
construction of Mutindini Satellite School started eight years ago but we have
not developed that much. We appeal to all those who can come and assist us to construct
more blocks for grade 3, 4, 5 pupils.

The
school has a large catchment area and enrolls pupils from Zaka district as well
as Bikita Rural District’s wards 9 and 10,” said Cllr Kujongonya.

Kujongonya
said Member of Parliament (MP) for Bikita West, Elias Musakwa promised to
provide roofing material when the Constituency Development Funds (CDF)
allocation is disbursed.

“MP
Musakwa promised that he will use funds from CDF to buy timber for roofing. He
promised us that he will get them from Manicaland and we hope soon we will fix
the roof,” said Kujongonya. 

Pupils
from Zaka also endure the risk of drowning in the Turwi and Musekenende rivers
on their way to school.

There
are also fears that if the school is not developed in
time to enroll up to grade seven, pupils will remain at risk of kidnappings
which are on the rise.

 

NCA, FreeZim ready for Mwenezi East by-election

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NCA, FreeZim ready for Mwenezi East by-election
Turner Mhango

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) and the Free
Zimbabwe Congress (FZC) have communicated their intention to contest in the
upcoming Mwenezi East by-elections which they are confident of winning.

The parliamentary seat fell
vacant following the death of Joosbi Omar in September 2020, and all electoral
activities are currently suspended due to the spread of coronavirus.

NCA national spokesperson Maddock
Chivasa told TellZim News in a telephone interview that there party had a
‘well-prepared’ candidate who will fight it out in the by-elections.

“As NCA, we are more than
ready for the by-elections and in accordance with our party rules, our
automatic candidate is Welcome Masuku.

The young and energetic Masuku is
not a newcomer. He previously participated in the Mwenezi East by-elections and
managed to garner substantial votes. We are very confident that this time
around, the constituency will once again prove that the NCA’s has a ballooning
political power base in Masvingo province,” said Chivasa.

Meanwhile Masogwe Primary School
teacher, Turner Mhango of the FZC confirmed that his party was well-prepared
for the by-election.

He said he will once again be the
party’s candidate in the elections, having failed to win the seat on two
previous occasions.

“I am fully-confident that we
will walk away with the prize this time around. The people now understand that
our party stands for democracy and development. They want to see a new face of
Mwenezi East which the FCZ can bring,” said Mhango.

In the previous by-election which
was won by Omar in April 2017 by 18 790 votes, Mhango got a paltry 482 votes
while NCA’s Masuku got a measly 386.

Meanwhile, the Nelson Chamisa-led
MDC Alliance is yet to officially unveil its candidate but there are some names
that have begun to pop up on social media.

Interested candidates from opposition
parties will square off with the ruling Zanu PF candidate master Makope on a
date yet to be announced by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) once the
Covid-19 induced restrictions get lifted.

Makope, a school head at Avhunga
Secondary School, recently won the Zanu PF primaries after defeating 12 party
rivals. 

13-year-old rape victim reduced to tears during cross examination

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13-year-old rape victim reduced to tears during cross examination

 Moses
Ziyambi

A 13-year-old rape
victim from Zvishavane was recently reduced to tears after rigourous
cross-examination by defence lawyers reportedly in front of some members of the
public at Zvishavane Magistrate Court where the case of her alleged rapist was
being heard, TellZim News has learnt.

Sources said the matter
was being heard before Magistrate Charity Tonongera on Tuesday, May 18, where
defence lawyers from Chafa and Associates cross examined the unaccompanied
minor for several minutes.

In cases of this
nature, victims are normally made to testify in camera so as to protect their
dignity from the public glare and the often intimidatory cross-examination
tactics of the defence counsel.

The term ‘in camera’ is
a legal term which means ‘in private’ where the complainant appears in court
before the magistrate, prosecutor, the accused and defence counsel; without
media and/or public presence.

In other countries,
minor rape victims are made to testify through CCTV and in a separate room from
the main courtroom, and with the support of an intermediary.

The Zvishavane case
involved one 40-year-old Michael David, a Mimosa mining company employee, who
stands accused of raping the minor, on several occasions and sending her nude
pictures.

Some sources said the
case should have been heard at the regional court in Gweru as magistrates’
court do not normally try rape cases.

When contacted for
comment, Gweru Regional Magistrate Phathekile Msipa refused to comment about
the claims, insisting that she was not mandated to talk to the media.

However, members of the
victim’s family were only allowed into the courtroom after the cross examination
was complete, with the victim reduced to tears.

They say they also
found that the victim’s phone, which contained some evidence, had not been
brought to court as promised by the Zvishavane police who took it.

Some legal minds that
spoke to TellZim said it would be procedurally irregular to cross examine a
victim under such circumstances and a review of the trial could be applied by
the victim’s lawyer.

“Proceedings could be
set aside as the case would warranty trial denovo, meaning retrial as the
matter would have been done under irregular procedures,” said one expert.

The accused, who is
distantly related to the victim, allegedly raped her on three occasions
promising her many niceties, and to send her to Dadaya boarding school once she
completed her grade 7.

The case was postponed
to May 27 for continuation of trial.

The wait is over, welcome back Zim football

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The wait is over, welcome back Zim football

 Clayton Shereni

After
over a year of no domestic action, the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is back and
will commence with the prestigious Chibuku Super Cup which will run from
Saturday, May 22, up to July 31.

A
total of 40 matches will be played in four groups, at four different venues in
four different cities.

Although
fans are not allowed in the stadia, they will have to cheer their beloved teams
from the comfort of their homes on Zimbabwe Television Network (ZTN) and
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) TV.

Here
is a look at the four groups and an analysis of the team’s and this weekend’s
fixtures.

Only
two top teams from each group will make it to the quarter finals.

Group 1: Caps United, Herentials FC,
Yadah FC, Dynamos, ZPC Kariba and Harare City FC

This
group will be situated in Harare and will use the giant National Sports Stadium
for all its matches.

The
six teams will lock horns in what seems to be the group of death for the Chibuku
contest.

Zimbabwe’s
most successful football club in terms number of trophies, Dynamos, who face
Herentials on Matchday One, seem to be the favourites to come out tops if their
form against Highlanders in the Uhuru Cup is anything to go by.

Dembare,
as Dynamos is affectionately known, will bank on the experience of Captain
Patson Jaure who came back from Manica Diamonds, as well as versatile player
Godknows Murwira.

Caps
United will also be in full force and have a relatively strong side, with the
likes of Blessing Sarupinda, Ronald Chitiyo and Leeroy Mavhunga who can cause
all sorts of problems.

Innocent
Benza, the oldest player in PSL, who is the owner and vice-captain of
Herentials, has reportedly demanded a win over Dynamos as a birthday present
after he recently turned 49.

However,
anything is possible in football, Harare City the cup’s 2015 winners, Yadah and
ZPC Kariba, may not be a walk over in this big group.

Caps
will play Yadah on Saturday while Harare City and ZPC Kariba lock horns the
following day.

Group 2: Teams: Highlanders,
Chicken Inn, Bulawayo Chiefs, Bulawayo City

This
group will witness what proves to be an all-Bulawayo team set-up, as the clubs,
that are all based in Bulawayo, battle for the top two sports at Barbourfields
stadium.

Bulawayo
giants and the Cup’s defending champions Highlanders will ride on their name
and use home turf advantage since they have used the venue more than any other
club in the group.

The
Joey Antipas coached side Chicken Inn will be without their priceless gem Clemence
Matawu in the middle of the park after he hanged his boots, but was returned to
take up an administrative role at the club.

Quartet
of Liberty Chakoroma, Malvin Gaki, Bret Amidu and Jackson Moses are expected to
power Chicken Inn past the group stages considering their experience with
domestic cups.

Stubborn
Bulawayo Chiefs, who recently launched their ‘Amakhosi Wear’ kit to become the
first local club to produce a kit brand, will definitely seek to upset the big
guns.

Bulawayo
City is an average side which may turn things upside down if the giants get too
much comfortable.

This
groups first fixtures will see Bulawayo City play the Game Cocks on Saturday while
Highlanders and Bulawayo Chiefs tussle on Sunday.

Group 3: Manica Diamonds FC, Tenax
CS FC, Black Rhinos FC, Cranbourne Bullets FC

Recently
upgraded Sakubva Stadium will be a hive of thrillers as army side Black Rhinos
and Prisons side and debutants Tenax fight to collect maximum points on
Saturday.

Tenax,
which has not made any headlines on the market, will be raring to have a good
start but Rhinos, aka Chauya Chipembere, who are famed for upsetting many big
teams, might be a huge task for Shadreck Mugurasave who will be seating on the
bench.

Johannes
Nhumwa, who will be starting a new season with Manica Diamonds, will have a
dance in the cup against Midlands-based and army side Cranbourne Bullets who
are also this year’s PSL debutants.

Nhumwa
took over from Luke ‘Vahombe’ Masomere who had trusted him to be his lieutenant
but many conspiracy theories surrounded Nhumwa’s rise and the fall of Masomere
at the Mutare-based side which he guided to an impressive fifth position finish
in 2019.

Although
they have not been parading diamonds like what they did in 2019, the Gem Boys
have tied down a few players including speedy forward Michael Tapera who joined
from Masvingo United after an impressive season.

Tapera,
who was on fire at the Mucheke-based side, impressed Nhumwa in the Manica Diamonds
Cup which they eventually won against Tenax in the final and was named the
Young player of the tournament.

If
experience is anything to go by, Rhinos might be the favorites to proceed to
the next round while Manica Diamonds have the best market value and
highly-rated players; more than any other team in the group.

Meanwhile,
Manica Diamonds players to look out for include Marshal Mudehwe, Peace Makaha,
Pascal Manhanga, Tichaona Mabvura and Timire Mamvura.

Group 4: FC Platinum, Ngezi
Platinum FC, Triangle United, Whawha FC

The
2019 league Champions FC Platinum will have home advantage as they host Ngezi
Platinum, Lowveld side Triangle United and Prisons side Whawha at their Mandava
base in Zvishavane.

Pure
Platinum Play, as FC Platinum are affectionately known, will be the team to
watch as they have been Zimbabwe’s champions for the past three years and might
want to extent their dominance in the Chibuku Super Cup.

FC
Platinum last won the cup in 2014 and will be itching to progress to the next
round but they have to deal with Whawha first on Saturday.

However,
the Norman Mapeza side will have to do without Donald Ngoma, Donald Chinya and
Blessing Muwoyo who are out injured.

Another
force to reckon in this group will be Ngezi Platinum aka Madamburo who have a
much stronger side.

Madamburo’s
tried and tested midfielder Devon Chafa will want to win his seventh career
title while rejuvenated striker Denver Mukamba will be out to prove critics
wrong.

Triangle
are not new to this tournament and have won it in 2018 when they beat Harare
City 2-0 in the final.

They
will be seeking the tourney’s glory once again and head coach Taurai Mangwiro
will surely go out in full force to try and progress to the next round.

Quarter Finals

This
stage will see Group 1 winners play Group 3 runners up while the Group 3 winner
face Group 1 second placed side.

The
other quarter final matches will pit Group 4 winner and the second placed team
in Group 2 while Group 4 runner up play the team which finishes first in Group
2.

A
semifinal draw will be done after the quarter final matches are played to
determine who faces who ahead of the grand finale which will be played on July
31.

The
ultimate winner will pocket US$75000 which will be paid using the day’s
official interbank prevailing rate.

Sugarcane farmers to fund Zanu PF

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Sugarcane farmers to fund Zanu PF
Addmore Hwarare

 …as Hwarare attempts political
resurrection

Beatific
Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI
– The
Commercial Sugarcane Farmers Association of Zimbabwe (CSFAZ) chairperson Addmore
Hwarare has suggested a stop order facility for members of his organisation who
mill their cane with Tongaat Hulett in order to create new funding for Zanu PF.

Hwarare, who is politically dead,
is probably attempting a resurrection by forcing sugarcane farmers to fund Zanu
PF activities during the run-up to the 2023 elections.

Speaking at a recent Zanu PF
inter-district meeting at Chitsanga Hall, Hwarare pledged to influence members
of his association to directly fund Zanu PF District Coordinating Committees
(DCCs) using their earnings.

“I have money and you can all
testify. So we agreed to design a stop order, where money will be directly
deducted from each farmer’s account with Tongaat straight into Zanu PF’s
account. I have a gift to convince all those I lead as I am a leader who is
guided by the Holy Spirit,” said Hwarare.

The former Zanu PF provincial
political commissar, whose political star sharply fell over a couple of years
back, said the new funding would be vital for the construction of new party
offices when Chiredzi Town Council availed the land which was applied for.

“I can introduce myself as
‘Mureri wenherera nevafumi veZanu PF mafarmers’. I appreciate Zanu PF made us
to be who we are as farmers. You asked for a stand to construct Zanu PF
offices; they cannot be built with stores or leaves, they are built with money.

“We made solidarity last week
with DCC chairmen. We agreed, with your permission to design a system on a way
to sponsor Zanu PF because we benefitted from it.

Hwarare also said the immense wealth
in sugarcane farming business was the reason why land was now being sold ‘on
the black market’ was that there is money in sugarcane, which should be
benefitting the locals.

“We benefitted from the Land Reform
Programme so there is no way we can run away from working with you as a party.
There is money in sugarcane farming, that’s why you see many people trying to
corruptly acquire land. It proves the reason why you see many youths crying
that they need to be considered in the allocation of land which is currently
benefitting those from Harare only,” claimed Hwarare.

Speaking on condition of
anonymity, some members of CSFAZ vowed to resist Hwarare’s plan for a Zanu
PF-linked stop order facility, saying it would be like forcing people into
associating with political interests they do not like.

“We fear it would be a matter of
covert coercion because no member of the association would want to opt out and
risk being given unfriendly labels. You won’t be able to freely disassociate
yourself from it because they will accuse you of being an opposition
sympathiser,” said the source.

Hwarare, whose mandate expired in
November 2020, filed a High Court application to stop CSFAZ from conducting its
Annual General Meeting (AGM) to choose his successor, saying the country was
still taking measures to contain Covid-19 and gatherings would therefore not be
good.

Chiwenga condemns Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital status

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Chiwenga condemns Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital status

Constantino Chiwenga

 Kimberly
Kusauka

The Minister of Health and Child Care Dr Constantino
Chiwenga, who recently toured medical facilities in Manicaland condemned the
prevailing conditions at some of the facilities saying their status and what is
on the ground were in contrast.

Chiwenga, who also doubles as the country’s Vice President, recently
toured Nyanga District Hospital and Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital.

In his speech, Chiwenga said the Chitepo medical facility
was below par and that it did not match the provincial referral hospital
status.

“The hospital lacks some facilities that would make it a
(proper) provincial hospital hence it’s a provincial hospital in name only,”
said Chiwenga.

He also emphasized the need to equip these health facilities
with modern equipment in order to deliver high quality health services.

Chiwenga also noted that the hospital served close to two
million people and that additional infrastructure was needed as a matter of
urgency.

“Manicaland province has a total population of 1.7 million
people and they get their health care from the provincial hospital hence there
is need to improve the standards of the health facilities at the hospital,”
said Chiwenga.

He however complemented the hospital authorities for answering
on the government’s call to create Covid-19 isolation centres in all the 10 provinces.

“The hospital managed to turn 14 intensive care units with
14 beds into Covid-19 isolation centre as part of the government’s wholesome
fight against Covid-19 pandemic,” said Chiwenga.

‘Churches should play greater role in community development’

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‘Churches should play greater role in community development’

 George chimwayange

MASVINGO –
The Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) last week held a dialogue
session at Assemblies of God in Hillside to discuss how
to improve and strengthen a good relationship with organizations for the sake
of development.

The
meber organisations that organised the event are Catholic Commission for Justice
and Peace (CCJP), Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), Evangelical Fellowship of
Zimbabwe (EFZ), Union for Development of Apostolic and Zionist Churches in
Zimbabwe (UDACIZA) and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Speaking
at the event, Masvingo Assistant District Development Coordinator (DDC) Kenneth
Madziva appreciated the good work that churches were doing to partner
government for development.

He
credited the organisation for doing great works in communities including the
construction of a water pipe at Morgenster Hospital which has improved the
daily life of the community.

“We
can’t work alone without the support of churches as our duty is to promote
development through citizen participation,” said Madziva.

Representing
the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development was John
Masvinhu who said women needed to take advantage of opportunities created by
these stakeholders to develop themselves.

“Women
should promote development through initiating their own projects that they want
to work on and the ministry will provide some training and funding,” said
Masvinhu.

Yemurai
Dzvairo, who represented Masvingo Rural District Council, said the community
was the main key for development to happen.

She
said local authorities derived their mandate from the need to serve communities
and all facilities built should benefit their communities.

“We
are trying our best to develop and improve service delivery by building
schools. We recently built Chirichoga Primary School and some of our clinics
have solar-powered boreholes while refuse management has been improved at many
business centres,” said Dzvairo.

Many
participants also said churches ought to promote community sports so as to
encourage people to stay physically fit and ultimately reduce the health bill
of community members.

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