Home Blog Page 420

Lupane elderly denied food aid on political grounds

TellZimNews
-
0
Lupane elderly denied food aid on political grounds

 

Tryphine Khumalo

Moses Ziyambi

Dozens of elderly people in Ward
10 of Kusile Rural District Council (RDC) have for several years been denied government
food aid on grounds of their perceived support for the opposition MDC Alliance,
TellZim can report.

Sources said the elderly victims have
given up hope of ever being included as beneficiaries of the food aid which is
distributed by the Department of Social Welfare.

Their councillor, Reuben Gabadela,
who is a member of the MDC Alliance, blames partisan interference by shadow
Zanu PF councillor Tryphine Khumalo (pictured) for the injustice.

He told TellZim that Khumalo
often hijacks government programmes to make sure that all opposition members and
supporters, real or perceived, are excluded.

“It has been going on for many
years and this Zanu PF shadow councillor abuses the authority which she has
given herself. She makes gross interferences in government programmes and turn
them into partisan political party affairs where perceived enemies, especially
opposition members and supporters, are excluded,” said Gabadela.

He also said the issue had been
reported several times to the relevant offices including that of the Lupane District
Development Coordinator (DDC), formerly District Administrator (DA).

He confirmed that many needy
people in his ward have been victimised on those grounds for many years and
they do not have any recourse.

Repeated attempts over two days to
get a comment from Khumalo, who was defeated in the elections for the council seat
in 2013 and again in 2018, failed as she initially did not pick up calls before
her phone became unreachable.

However, Lupane DDC Ennety
Sithole said she had not received reports of the politicisation of food aid in
that specific area, but said those that feel unfairly excluded could engage the
Department of Social Welfare.

“The list of beneficiaries is compiled
by the Department of Social Welfare which is responsible for making assessments
of deserving cases. That particular case has not reached me as yet but people
are free to take their issues to the department if they feel unfairly excluded,”
said Sithole.

Other sources said the issue had
been reported to former Lupane DCC Zachariah Jusah who was later transferred to
Insiza district.

The sources said among the many
over 80-year-olds that have been excluded from food aid at the behest of
Khumalo included Patrick Mpofu, Sifule Moyo, Nursy Sibanda, Sunday Nyoni and
Ernest Mpofu.

 

 

Zanu PF conducts primaries for vacant Masvingo Urban wards

TellZimNews
-
0
Zanu PF conducts primaries for vacant Masvingo Urban wards
Taurai ‘Bhucho’ Mudzviti

Terrence Ndowora

Zanu
PF says it is ready to wrestle the four Masvingo Urban wards from the MDC
Alliance whose councillors were fired by the Douglas Mwonzora-led MDC-T, and is
conducting primary elections this Friday, May 20, for two of the wards.

Nominations
were held for the vacant wards earlier this week, with Taurai ‘Bhucho’ Mudzviti
sailing through uncontested in Ward 3, which was won by Tarusenga Vhembo of the
MDC Alliance in the 2018 harmonised elections.

Vhembo,
along with Godfrey Kurauone of Ward 4, Daniel Mberikunashe of Ward 6 and
Richard Musekiwa of Ward 7 were recalled earlier this year.

In
Ward 5, Hakistone ‘Wanzai’ Chimwani also sailed uncontested and will be the
ruling party’s candidate once the Covid-19 induced restrictions on electoral
activities get lifted.

Three
of the expelled councillors; Mberikunashe, Vhembo and Richard Musekiwa have
indicated that they will contest again saying people still need them.

Mberikunashe
said he was confident that he will win back the ward and mocked his rival
Chimwani who he said was up for humiliation come by-election day.

“He
wants to further humiliate himself by contesting against me. I never stopped
working with the people so they need me and that’s why I will be contesting,”
said Mberikunashe.

Meanwhile,
Kurauone is not likely to be able to contest in Ward 4 as he has now relocated
to the United States of America.

MISA Zimbabwe takes WPFD celebrations to rural communities

TellZimNews
-
0
MISA Zimbabwe takes WPFD celebrations to rural communities

 

From left : Cris Chinaka, Denford Masiya and George Maponga

Perpetua Murungweni

MASVINGO–
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe took this year’s World Press
Freedom Day (WPFD) to Nemamwa Growth point as a way of recognizing the
significance of marginalized communities and bridging the information gap in
rural areas.

Speaking
during the celebrations, Misa Trustee, Cris Chinaka applauded the local media
stakeholders for changing the character of media which has always been regarded
to as urban centric and not inclusive.

“Media
has run away from being an urban centric industry but an industry that serves
everyone in the community. The community is represented by the public and the
public constitute both people from the rural and the urban,” said Chinaka.

Chinaka
also urged the media fraternity to disseminate information that benefits
everyone in the communities which they serve and is of public good.

“The
information that the media collects, report and edit should be of public
benefit and be understood by the public in order for them to be able defend the
media space.

“The
media space can only be recognized if the public understands and benefit from
the information which they are given by the media,” said Chinaka.

Chiredzi
East legislator who is also a member of parliamentary portfolio committee on
Information Media and Broadcasting Services, Denford Masiya gave a thumbs up to
Misa for taking the media to all angles of communities and for reminding
everyone that the media is for the public.

“I
support Misa for bringing the media fraternity to rural areas and for also
reminding everyone that the media is for the public,” said Masiya.

This
year’s WPFD celebrations which are being held 30 years after the Windhoek
declaration was held under the theme ‘Information as a public good’.

Misa
Masvingo provincial chairperson, Passmore Kuzipa promised to keep organizing
WPFD celebrations in rural communities and improve access to information in
marginalized communities.

“Over
the past years we have been celebrating this day in town but this year we chose
to come to Nemanwa so that the people here get to interact with media
stakeholders. Next year we hope to celebrate this day in Zaka as we continue to
try and bridge the information gap between the rural and urban folk,” said
Kuzipa.

The
day was capped with an intriguing soccer match between Masvingo Journos
Football Club (fc) and Nemanwa FC.

Although
Masvingo Journos lost 2-0, it was the first half solitary strike of team
captain and marksman George Maponga which was the major highlight after he hit
the back of the net but was ruled out for offside from a tight angle.  

KREDA secures artificial leg for crocodile attack victim

TellZimNews
-
0
KREDA secures artificial leg for crocodile attack victim
Faase Tagurana Sithole

Livingstone Mtetwa

CHIPINGE – Kanyi Redu
Development Association (KREDA), a non-governmental organization based in
Chipinge, has come to the rescue of a 17-year-old girl by securing her an
artificial leg after eight years of suffering.

Faase
Tagurana Sithole lost her leg to a crocodile attack while she was nine-years-old
and had used an artificial leg ever since, but it had grown smaller as she grew
up.

The
situation affected her education as she could no longer go to school but her
prayers were answered when she was adopted by the organization following the
death of her grandmother who was her guardian.

KREDA
Board of Trustees (BoT) chairperson Sailas Chawira and Vice chairperson Grace
Dube, together with People Living with Disability Commission (PWDC), reached
out to Gross Care International Sales director, Diana Shonhiwa who agreed to
provide a new artificial leg for Sithole.

Dube
said securing a new artificial leg for the girl was a huge task and a great
achievement for KREDA, as they had limited by resources.

He said
KREDA and the PWDC will benefit from the mutual relations with Gross Care
International which provides technical assistance to improve life for the
disabled and the elderly.

“KREDA,
PWD Commission shall benefit from this relationship with Gross Care
International. They supply assistive adaptive technologies, independent living
products, mobility aids and paralympic sporting equipment for people and
learners with disabilities,” said Dube

Gross
Care International also supply innovative technologies that help create equal
opportunities for the elderly, the disabled and persons from disadvantaged
backgrounds to remove stigmatization of people and learners with disabilities
in the community.

KREDA
executive chairperson, Sinotheni Chibarirwa said the partnership with Gross Care
International is a notable breakthrough and KREDA still need more partners to
circumvent scarcity of resources hindering its vision of changing lives in
Chipinge.

“Although
we managed to assist Sithole, we still have a long way to go in finding other
partners and I call upon all commissions or individual members to  assist in any kind of way to save lives and those
willing to assist can contact our Vice Chairperson Grace Dube  on +263 77 512 2895 ,” said Chibarirwa.

Chabarirwa
said the story of Sithole marked the good work being done by KREDA and encouraged
members to continue the good work to their communities.

“KREDA
has done wonderful and commendable work. Good work always pay in the long run. Chipinge
community members must emulate the good work being done by KREDA and support
the good work,” Said Chabarirwa.

Under pressure SMM Holdings offers houses to settle salary arrears

TellZimNews
-
0
Under pressure SMM Holdings offers houses to settle salary arrears

 …ex-workers
reject offer over ‘unfair terms’

Clayton Shereni

The
battle between Shabanie-Mashava Mines (SMM Holdings) and its former employees
has taken a new twist, with mine authorities finding new ways to try and get
rid of its ex-workers in Mashava, TellZim News can report.

Former
workers, who have been holding on to properties as leverage for unpaid
salaries, have now been offered a chance to buy the houses.

However,
the purchase price of the houses will be set-off against salary arrears, a move
which has not been well-received by the former employees who are demanding what
they are owed in hard currency.

Letters
signed by SMM Holdings Administrator, Afaras Gwaradzimba offers the houses on
condition that the company performs some valuation exercises on the properties
first, with the ex-workers required to pay for any possible difference between
the value of the house and the amount they are owed in salaries.

“The
property described in the paragraph above is offered to you at the discretion
of SMM. The selling or purchase will be set-off against salary arrears owed to
you. In the event that the total of the selling or purchase price of the
property and Value Added Tax is higher than the amount owed to yourself, then
you shall be liable to pay the difference within an agreed timeframe from the
date of you having accepted the offer,” reads the offer letter.

TellZim
has since established that houses in Temeraire are being valued at an average
of US$6 000, those in Westonlee are being offered from a range of US$18 000 to
US$50 000 while those in Eastvale are going for an average of US$15 000.

A
former employee who was offered a visibly dilapidated house which is being
valued at US$6 000 told TellZim News that the offer was an insult and it
reflected badly on the company’s sincerity on settling
the dispute once and for all.

“How
could they possibly offer me such a ramshackle for US$6 000? What I want is my
money then I vacate their house. I worked for several years to get money, and
not to be mocked like this,” said the ex-employee who spoke on condition of
anonymity. 

Before
the offer, SMM Holdings had been evicting former workers, some of whom were
served with papers that claim they owed the company since they had stayed in
the houses without paying rent.

SMM
Holdings owes its ex-employees over US$17 million and current workers US$19
million in unpaid salaries, a debt which has accrued in a period covering 17
years.

Zanu PF warns Chiredzi North MP Bhila for abusing power

TellZimNews
-
0
Zanu PF warns Chiredzi North MP Bhila for abusing power
Roy Bhila

 Beatific
Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI
– Zanu
PF Masvingo provincial political commissar Jevas Masosota has criticised the
conduct of Chiredzi North Member of Parliament (MP) Roy Bhila and director for
the district Central Intelligence Organization (CIO) Soul Nyangoni with regards
to their interference in a Cottco tender.

TellZim News reported recently
how Bhila and Nyangoni arm-twisted the State-controlled cotton company’s
Lowveld business manager Innocent Gukwe to cancel a staff transportation tender
that had been awarded to John Manganye.

Manganye is a UK-based
businessman who in 2018 contested for the Chiredzi West parliamentary seat on
an opposition MDC Alliance ticket but lost to Farai Musikavanhu of Zanu PF.

At a Zanu PF inter-district
meeting held at Chitsanga Hall on Tuesday, May 11, Masosota, who was seated
next to Bhila, openly briefed Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs
Ezra Chadzamira on the issue.

He told Chadzamira that there
were some rogues in Zanu PF who were tarnishing the party’s image by
influencing parastatals to withdraw contracts belonging to opposition members,
real or perceived.

“There is an issue in which some
party leaders arm-twisted Cottco to withdraw Manganye, an MDC Alliance member’s
contract. I am going to make noise on that issue until that bus contract is
restored.

“That person, minister, is the
one who donated hospital beds, water tanks and an ambulance which you
commissioned at Chiredzi Poly Clinic. Now he is doing business in his hometown
and some people are sabotaging. How then will he learn the goodness of Zanu
PF?” said Masosote.

In response, Chadzamira ordered
party members to stop abusing government officials’ names when doing their
dirty works.

“Whatever you do in your areas,
please don’t throw in names for high officials. You have to stick with your own
words not coercing people using high profile names,” said Chadzamira.

A few weeks ago, a telephone
conversation between Bhila and Gukwe was leaked, with Bhila threatening the
later to withdraw the contract.

The leaked conversation involved Nyangoni
also piling pressure on Gukwe who at first tried to stand his ground but later
gave up the fight.

Some names of Government
officials including cabinet ministers were thrown around to intimidate Gukwe
who eventually buckled.

Masvingo top seeds shine at ZWISS tennis extravaganza

TellZimNews
-
0
Masvingo top seeds shine at ZWISS tennis extravaganza

 

From Left: Tinotenda Chipfakacha, Mason Mdzingwa top corner, James Makaranga bottom corner 

Blessed Chauke

Three
of Masvingo’s tennis top aces proved their menthol and continued to raise the
province’s flag high when they put up a superb performance at the Zimbabwe and
Swiss Embassy (ZWISS) Open over the weekend.

The
diplomatic tournament was held at Old Hararians Sports Club in Harare on May 8,
where junior tennis players, boys and girls battled for honours from Under 10
to Under 18 age groups.

Masvingo
sent 13 tennis players to the tourney, three of which were in top form as they
outshined other competitors in their respective categories.

Tinotenda
Chipfakacha who played in the U14 category won the final match by a narrow
margin (6-3 6-4) against another talented player, Natalia Bonis.  

Coach
Mark Chinyenyani said the maxes worked very hard in training and their performance
at the tourney was a reflection of hard work.

“The
results are a great reflection of the efforts of the player’s hard work prior
to attending the tournament. Our junior players have been working very hard in
training since January and their performance shows their high level of effort.

“I
think it’s a good starting stone for the juniors to be able to participate in
national tournament and come up with medals,” said Chinyenyani.

Under
14 girls were Rachel Mizha, Chantel Lunga, Thandiwe Nkala and Tinotenda
Chipfakacha.

James
Makaranga U18 boys reached finals but was defeated by Harare based Raja Mikhil
while Strive Bosha’s journey ended in the quarter finals.

Munyaradzi
Thomu, Mason Mdzingwa and Andile Nkala represented the province in the boys U10
category but only Mudzingwa managed to get bronze after finishing third.

James
Makaranga will be participating in the J5 International Tennis Federation (ITF)
tournament that will be played in Bulawayo.

The
tournament which will attract Zimbabwe’s best U18 players is expected to run
from 29 May to 12 June.

Masvingo
Tennis Board Chairperson, Munyaradzi Thomu said he was elated by the players’
performance and the support from their parents.

“I
am very pleased with the performance of Masvingo tennis players. They managed
to bring home three medals and I appreciate their efforts, coaches and parents
who have always been supportive,” said Thomu.

A
Takanyi Garanganga Initiative foundation (TGI) was also launched by the
Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation, Kirsty Coventry.

Masvingo has been
performing fairly in the tennis fraternity where development and nurturing of
junior players is a priority. 

‘Poorly-resourced Govt departments making service delivery difficult’

TellZimNews
-
0
‘Poorly-resourced Govt departments making service delivery difficult’

 

File Picture

Cephas
Shava

MWENEZI –
Poorly-equipped Mwenezi government workers are regularly bundled in a single open
truck vehicle, hanging like bats as they travel to attend crucial meetings,
Mwenezi District Development Coordinator (DDC) Rosemary Chingwe has complained.

Making a contribution
to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget during the post-budget
feedback meeting held at Neshuro Growth Point recently, Chingwe decried the deplorable
state of affairs in government departments that are operating without vehicles.

She said, despite
having a dedicated hardworking workforce, lack of vehicles in the departments
hindered effective delivery of services.

“What we want is
capacitation of government ministries and departments in terms of mobility. Our
departments do not have vehicles.

“For meetings such as
this one to occur, though no unauthorized passengers are allowed inside, it is
my vehicle that usually carries almost everyone from Rutenga to Neshuro.
Government workers hang like bats at the back of whatever vehicle they can
board and it’s very bad when its’ raining,” said Chingwe.

She said the vast district
is being serviced by a single police vehicle which is the only one available at
the district’s police headquarters.

On his part, the
district Public Service Inspector Last Gondo acknowledged some remarkable
improvements on some schools which he attributes to the disbursement of the
devolution funds.

He however, lamented the
regular interruption of learning at several schools due to electrical faults
which on many occasions take long before they are attended to.

It was heard that the
power company ZESA also had a limited number of vehicles and it often relies on
members of the community to provide them with vehicles.

In her response, Mwenezi
West Member of Parliament, Priscilla Zindari-Moyo, who was chairing the meeting,
pointed out that government had already budgeted for all key departments to be
housed at Rutenga growth point.

She said the government
will do its best to ensure that people’s concerns are adequately addressed and
also promised to forward people’s concerns to relevant ministries.

Nyaradzo Funeral sued for releasing funeral claim funds to wrong client

TellZimNews
-
0
Nyaradzo Funeral sued for releasing funeral claim funds to wrong client

 Beatific
Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI– A well-known
Chiredzi sugarcane farmer and war veteran, Boniface Mutemachani and Nyaradzo Funeral
Services are in a nasty fight as the former claims the latter disbursed his
reimbursement to the wrong person.

Mutemachani, who had sought the
services of Nyaradzo when his wife died early this year, is claiming that the
life assurance company owes him over $75 000.

Nyaradzo was allegedly supposed
to pay $128 750 to Mutemachani but went on to pay $53 150, leaving a balance
which they allegedly paid to a different customer.

Through his lawyer, Emmanuel
Chibudu of the Kwirira and Magwaliba Law Chambers, Muterachani has filed a
claim of $75 600 against Nyaradzo, a balance of the initial amount of $128 750 which
he alleges was supposed to cover all the funeral processes.

According to the plaintiff’s
claim, he paid the money in three phases, $50 000 and $30 000 on January 16, 2021,
and $48 750 on the 18th of the same month.

“On the 16th of
January 2021, the plaintiff made a transfer of ZWL$50 000.00 to the defendant’s
account. On the same date, the plaintiff again made another transfer of ZWL$30
000.00 into the defendant’s account.

“On the 18th of
January 2021, the plaintiff again made a transfer of ZWL$48 750.00 into the
defendant’s account. These monies were being paid to the defendant by the
plaintiff pursuant to funeral services for the plaintiff’s wife and the
defendant was to provide the services.

“The defendant then produced an
invoice on the 19th of January showing that of the transferred
money, a total of ZWL53 150.00was used leaving a balance of ZWL$75 600.00.  At that material time, neither the plaintiff
nor his late wife had an account with the defendant for funeral services.

“The plaintiff made a formal
demand of the balance on the 20th of April 2021. The defendant
however refused or neglected to pay the plaintiff his balance despite the
demand,” read the claim.

Contacted for comment, Nyaradzo
Funeral Services Public Relations Officer, Justin Muchazivepi said they are
following due process in dealing with the matter and confirmed that they
reimbursed the balance to the deceased’s younger sister.

“The information we gathered so
far is that the refund was paid to the claimant’s younger wife’s sister who was
dealing with the funeral arrangements. His son who made the payment told our
team that ‘mainini’ was in charge and
our team did everything in good faith. We are attending to the issue and we are
very hopeful of an amicable resolution,” said Muchazivepi.

Boniface Mutemachani (Jnr) who
was responsible for the financial affairs refuted claims that he gave them an
order to pay the amount to his younger sister’s mom and argued that he was
being consulted by the defendant whenever she takes an step but failed to alert
him that they were about to reimburse the balance to his mother’s sister.

“I was kept abreast of the
process by Nyaradzo but unfortunately when it came to the refund, they left me
out of the equation,” said Boniface.

Gokomere High pupil suffers dislocated shoulder after assault by mission guards

TellZimNews
-
0
Gokomere High pupil suffers dislocated shoulder after assault by mission guards

 

Terrence Ndowora

A
Gokomere High School pupil is recovering from a dislocated shoulder after a
savage assault by mission guards who accused him and others of being in the wrong
class at the wrong time, TellZim can report.

It
is, however, the brutality with which the corporal punishment was meted out on form
six pupil Tino Mashava which has seen some parents calling for the guards to be
held to account.

Gokomere
Mission priest-in-charge Fr James Magadzire did not pick the many calls on his
cellphone while school head Aquanos Mazhunga professed ignorance of the case.

“I
didn’t know that such incident happened at the school. I will have to confirm
with the others and come back to you,” said Mazhunga but he never did.

Many
sources, however, said it was Mazhunga’s usual way of avoiding explaining issues
that are inconvenient to him.

Circumstances
are that the Statistics subject, which is compulsory for the class, was not on
the timetable, and some teachers organised that one of them would take the
class after hours so that pupils do not miss out.

On
April 15, one teacher took the pupils to the dining hall for the Statistics
lesson but they were later interrupted by mission guards and some school
authorities who ordered that the pupils be beaten right in front of their
teacher for conducting lessons at the wrong time and place.

“The
whole class was subjected to severe corporal punishment which saw one of the
pupils Tino Mushava dislocating his shoulder. The school authorities tried to
sweep the matter under the carpet but they failed because the injuries required
the doctor’s attention which the mission clinic could not give,” said a source.

The
school head and the priest-in-charge are said to have persuaded Tino’s parents
not to take the case forward, with promises that the school would foot his
medical bills but they had not fulfilled their promise by
the time of going to press.

Meanwhile,
Tino has accrued hundreds of US dollars in medical costs as he is being
attended to by a private doctor in Masvingo.

His
mother Vimbai Mashava refused to talk about the issue, referring TellZim back
to Mazhunga and Magadzire.

1...419420421...964Page 420 of 964