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Mutare businesses groan under high tariffs

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Mutare businesses groan under high tariffs

 

City of Mutare mayor Blessing Tandi

TellZim Reporter

With
most local authorities across the country adjusting their tariffs to the
prevailing economic conditions, the local businesses here have registered their
displeasure over the tariff increase by the City of Mutare which they say are
prohibitive.

City of
Mutare is said to have hiked shop licensing tariffs from US$450 to US$1 900 or
the equivalent in local currency depending on the size of business.

Business
owners who spoke to TellZim News said that the tariffs were prohibitive and the
council did not do proper consultations before adjusting their rates.

“We
know the economy is bad but why should we squeeze and push each other out of
business like this? We are all affected by the economy especially coming from
the Covid-19 lockdown and we have to meet halfway.

“What
justification do they have to hike licenses like that? What informed the hike?
We were never consulted and we are struggling just like everyone else.

“It is
no longer a viable option if the council charges us those exorbitant fees
without putting into consideration the fact that we have other bills to pay
including salaries for our staff,” said one businessman who operates a
furniture shop in the Central Business District (CBD).

He said
shop owners in Mutare wrote a petition to the city council a few months back
seeking redress but the petition was never addressed.

City of
Mutare spokesperson Spren Mutiwi told TellZim News that the tariff review were
done after the supplementary budget was approved and most businesses who had
not paid their shop licenses in time were the ones complaining.

“I am
not privy to the actual figures but the problem is that most businesses failed
to pay their licenses before the supplementary budget this year where the
reviews were made.

“Businesses
who paid their licenses before the supplementary budget have no problems
because the rates were still in local currency and had not been reviewed.

“The
supplementary budget made the reviews and pegged the fees in United States
dollars or equivalent in local currency,” said Mutiwi.

He said
the tariffs were fair to small businesses as people were now paying depending
with the size of their businesses.

“Big
businesses now pay more as opposed to the old norm where we had a one size fit
all approach. There is a distinction between small and big businesses now as we
are charging the tariffs per square meter,” said Mutiwi.

$1 million Ward Development Fund for Masvingo

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$1 million Ward Development Fund for Masvingo

 

Masvingo Mayor Clr Collen Maboke


 TellZim Reporter

While
the government allocates funds under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to
Members of Parliament (MPs) to enable them to push developmental projects in
their areas of jurisdiction, the City of Masvingo has introduced a Ward
Development Fund to the tune of $1 million to the city’s 10 wards.

Under
the fund, each ward in Masvingo urban will have an allocation of $100 000 and
will be required to put forward a project to be funded.

Councilors
had been pushing for the Ward Development Fund and it has been finally adopted
and put in the proposed city’s 2021 budget with nine wards having already
forwarded their projects.

“Council
proposes to put in place a Ward Development Fund of $1 million to be
distributed equally among the city’s 10 wards. The ward development committees
will choose one specific project that will fit the budgetary provision,” reads
the budget proposal.

During the
budget consultative meetings, residents presented various projects which they
would like to be undertaken with the councillor Sellina Maridza led Ward 1
opting for market upgrading and mayor Collen Maboke led Ward 2 yet to present
their project.

The councilor
Tarusenga Vhembo led Ward 3 opted for a footbridge while the Godfrey Kurauone
led Ward 4 proposed a children play centre.

The
councilor Daniel Mberikunashe Ward 5 proposed service shops at Chiwororo
shopping centre, deputy mayor Welington Mahwende led Ward 6 proposed a market
at Fairdeal, Ward 7 proposed a market, a borehole for Ward 8, a vegetable
market for Ward 9 and Eastvale vegetable market for the councilor Sengerayi
Manyanga led Ward 10.

Zaka 2008 election violence victims walk away empty handed

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Zaka 2008 election violence victims walk away empty handed

 

Alwis Mashiri

…
‘perpetrators’ walk scot-free as victims fail to get legal counsel

Clayton Shereni

ZAKA – Two
MDC Alliance activists who lost livestock to Zanu PF supporters in the violent run-up
to the 2008 presidential election re-run were recently left disappointed after
the court dismissed their case for lacking evidence, TellZim News has learnt.

Tongai
Mashingire and Alwis Mashiri did not have legal representation for the better
part of the case which spanned more than a year and got closed on November 23,
2020.

However,
the alleged perpetrators; Zvirevo Majoni, Sunamisai Chivamba, Cosmas Mapfumo
and Stephen Harudzibwi, who is now a Zanu PF Councillor for Ward 15, were fully
represented by James Makiya of Makiya and Partners.

The
complaints had pursued criminal charges against their alleged tormentors and
they had sought to be compensated for their lost property but their case was thrown
away by magistrates Florence Nago and Vimbai Mutukwa.

The
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Humans Rights (ZLHR), which normally represents victims of
political violence and persecution, did nothing to help this time around.

ZLHR,
however, recently helped the widow of slain Kelvin Tinashe Choto, win a $4.3
million suit against the government after her husband was gunned down by a
police officer during the January 2019 protests against fuel increase.

Of
late, ZLHR has been accused of pursuing an elitist agenda; giving priority and
prominence only to high-profile cases that attract a lot of limelight while
relegating genuine cases of legal need to mediocre representation or ignoring
them altogether.

Mashingire
and Mashiri said they were disappointed with the judgement which they want to
be reviewed by a higher court.

The
two who were at some point represented by local lawyer Derrick Charamba, who later
withdrew his services midway as the villagers could not supply him with the
fuel that he had requested for him to be able to drive from Masvingo city to
Jerera where the court sat.

Speaking
to TellZim News, Mashingire said although his case was rubbished, he had
evidence to pin down the perpetrators and would like to see them face the full
wrath of the law.

“The
magistrate agreed with the defense counsel that my evidence of a document which
Headman Sunamisai Chivamba signed when he agreed to give me back my beast was
not authentic and threw away my case. I have enough evidence and I want to take
this case forward but I lack support,” said Mashingire.

Mashiri
also echoed the same sentiments saying the basis which was used to dismiss
their case was not satisfactory.

“I
am not happy with the way the case was determined because I was denied entry
into the courtroom when the judgement was being delivered only to be later told
that my case had been dismissed. I am truly disappointed and I don’t even know
who to approach or what I should do next because I am not satisfied,” said
Mashiri.

Both
Mashingire and Mashiri who are MDC Alliance supporters in Ward 15, Zaka district,
said felt they were being persecuted for their support of the opposition in a
largely rural and Zanu PF-dominated district.

Mashingire
lost a beast, six 50kg bags of maize, two bags of groundnuts, one bucket
bambara ground nuts, five chickens while Mashiri lost a beast. They claim their
property was seized by marauding Zanu PF activists as punishment for their
support for then MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai who had just defeated then
president and now late Robert Mugabe in the first round of the election of
March 2008.

Masvingo RDC to begin selling new medium density stands

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Masvingo RDC to begin selling new medium density stands

 

Masvingo RDC offices at Nemanwa

Maryline Katenjele

Masvingo Rural District Council has completed developing a residential piece of land for 223 medium density houses at Nemanwa growth point, with modalities being finalised to put a price tag on them, TellZIm can report.

The new stands were recently commissioned by Vice President
Kembo Mohadi on October 15, 2020, after they were fully-serviced by the
council.

“The stands are fully-serviced and will soon be ready for
distribution. We are just waiting for some procedures to be done so that we can
start the distribution process to our clients,” said Masvingo RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Martin Mubviro.

He said there were over 4000 people who were on the council housing
waiting list, meaning the available stands will not be enough for accommodate
everybody.

“As of now we have
over 4 000 people on our waiting list for stands but we have not yet finalised
the actual price by which the stands will go. We are, however, confident that the decision will be made soon,”
said Mubviro.

He said using devolution funds, the local authority was
constructing Chirichoga Primary School which will accommodate hundreds of children from surrounding villages.

    

Woman steals boyfriend’s money, loses it to gambling

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Woman steals boyfriend’s money, loses it to gambling

 

Colleen Chitsa

MASVINGO – A 22-year-old woman had her skin saved by her boyfriend who
dropped the theft charges he had earlier pressed against her for stealing his money
and lost it in gambling.

Rumbidzai Mano from Zvavatonga
Village under Headman Madyangove appeared before Magistrate Candice Kasere for allegedly
stealing US$470 from her boyfriend McDonald Ranganai who had entrusted her with
the money for safekeeping.

It was the state’s case, as
represented by Innocent Mbambo, that on November 15, 2020, Ranganai gave Mano US$470
but when he came back two days later, he found that his girlfriend had vacated
the homestead.

“I used a duplicate key to open
the doors and found her travelling bag, blankets and clothes missing. I tried
calling her several times but her phone was unreachable,” the complainant
explained.

Ranganai reported the case to the
police and the accused was found the same day around 19:00hrs at Victoria Ranch
where she was immediately arrested.

When asked why she had stolen the
money, Mano said she wanted to make some orders but on her way she got caught
out in the game of cards where she gambled and lost all the money hoping she
would win.

In the court, Ranganai dropped
the charges saying the accused had a little child to take care of and that he
had forgiven her stealing his money.

Magistrate Kasere called her heartless
and immature for such behavior at a time when money is not easy to find before
ordering her to perform some community service.

 

 

Man steals donkeys to feed family

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Man steals donkeys to feed family

 

Colleen Chitsa

RENCO MINE – A 50-year-old unemployed father of nine recently appeared
before Masvingo Magistrate Candice Kasere for allegedly stealing four donkeys
in the same month from different people.

Simon Chisemwa from Chezhira
Village under Chief Nyajena was arrested for stealing and selling donkeys that
belong to different villagers.

The court heard that sometime in
November 2019, Chisemwa stole four donkeys which were left to browse at Bangala
grazing lands and sold them to Brigita Vakari and Lazarus Mavhuro from Gwachara
village in Chiredzi.

On October 10 this year, the
police recovered the donkeys at the homesteads of the people who had bought
them from Chisemwa.

Asked why he stole the donkeys,
Chisemwa said since he was unemployed he wanted to raise money to feed his
family.

The value of the donkeys stolen
was $750 and $600 was recovered.

Innocent Mbambo represented the
state.

Veterai conferred liberation hero status

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Veterai conferred liberation hero status

 

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – Former Zimbabwe Republic Police
(ZRP) Senior Assistant Commissioner Edmore Veterai, who collapsed and died on
November 23, has been conferred a hero status by President Emmerson Dambudzo
Mnangagwa.

Veterai,
who was a key player in the sugar industry, was the chairperson of the Zimbabwe
Sugarcane Development Association (ZSDA), a farmer grouping which facilitated
the introduction of a certificate in sugarcane agriculture by the Great
Zimbabwe University (GZU).

A
letter signed by Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu shows that Veterai
was conferred a liberation hero status on November 24.

“His
Excellency, The President and First Secretary of Zanu PF Cde E.D Mnangagwa has
conferred a liberation Hero Status to the late Cde Edmore Gochai Veterai who
died on 23 November 2020 and will be buried at Farm Number 30, Hippo Valley,
Chiredzi. The family can be contacted through our Masvingo Provincial Office,”
reads the letter.

Edmore
Veterai was Secretary for Science and Technology in Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial
Coordination Committee (PCC).

On social media, however, Veterai divided opinion sharply; with some saying they will not mourn him owing to his alleged role in enforcing repression during the rule of former president, the late Robert Mugabe.

As officer commanding police in Matabeleland North, Veterai seized the late opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s car and the car has not reportedly not been released to date.

He allegedly played a lead role in enforcing Operation Murambatsvina which rendered many people homeless in urban areas, and was also instrumental in brutalising opposition supporters.

 

Man arrested for killing brother-in-law

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Man arrested for killing brother-in-law

 

Ratidzo Munembi

ZAKA – A 26-year-old
man from Mlungisi village under Chief Nhema was arrested last week for
allegedly killing his son in-law over a dispute which he had with his wife, the
now murder accused’s cousin sister.

Silvanos
Mlungisi is said to have fatally assaulted his cousin sister Regina Charamba’s
husband Renias Musasa because he (Musasa) had been engaged in a dispute with
his wife over their grandchildren whom Charamba found to be troublesome.

Masvingo
police provincial spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed
the incident and discouraged people from using violence to settle disputes.

Circumstances
are that on August 25, Charamba visited her cousin brothers Tambai Mlungisi and
Vengai Mlungisi to relate to them the dispute she had had with her husband the
previous night.

She
then went back home and proceeded to the garden to get some vegetables.

Silvanos,
and Tambai together with their other sibling Joseph later followed their cousin
sister to her home to try and settle the dispute, leading to an argument which
degenerated into the assault.

Silvanos
kicked Musasa and bashed his head on the wall before leaving the place.

At
around 19:00hrs, Charamba came back home from the garden to find her husband
lying down in the bedroom, complaining of a severe headache.

Noticing
that her husband had a deep cut on the forehead and his clothes were
blood-stained, Charamba tried to administer first aid but did not report the
case to the police.

On
October 02, Musasa’s condition worsened and he was taken to St Anthony’s Musiso
Mission Hospital where he died the following day.

After
burial, rumours that Musasa was murdered by his in-laws started circulating and
this led to the deceased’s relatives opening a police case.

Silvanos
was arrested and the body was later exhumed for a post-mortem which confirmed
that he had died of injuries sustained during the assult.

 

 

Mutare taxi driver robbed of his car

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Felix Matasva

MUTARE- A taxi driver here was recently left counting losses
after customers who had hired his services turned on him robbing him of his
car, cellphone and money.

Marshal Kujuva was hired from Dangamvura bus terminus
by two men who wanted to be taken to consult a prophet in Zimunya.

The two unidentified men later on robbed Kujuva of his
Honda Fit car, Itel smartphone and US$92.

Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Inspector
Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed the incident which occurred last week saying
investigations were still ongoing.

It
is said that the two men approached Kujuva wanting to be taken to Zimunya from
Dangamvura bus terminus.

One
of the accused persons occupied the front seat while the other sat at the back.

They
used the Mutare -Masvingo highway
and turned at Zimunya turnoff where they used the
dust road.

After a few meters from the highway, the taxi driver
was ordered to stop near a bushy area where the suspects said they would
complete the journey to the prophet’s shrine on foot.

The suspects convinced Kujuva to go with them so that
he could also be helped with issues which might be bothering him and the
unsuspecting Kujuva agreed.

Kujuva
and the two suspects used
a small path into the bush towards the
purported prophet’s place and when they were about
50 meters from the vehicle, one of the accused
grabbed the complainant‘s car
keys while the other threatened him with a
machete.

The
suspects assaulted Kujuva before tying him up with
an electric cable whilst a cloth was stuffed into his mouth before disappearing
with his car.

Kujuva
later untied himself and reported the
matter at Zimunya police station where officers
attended the scene but nothing
was recovered.

Inspector Kakohwa urged motorists not to drive to
secluded places and roads with unknown people.

 

 

 

 

   

Masvingo proposes public lighting levy

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Masvingo proposes public lighting levy

 

City of Masvingo mayor Collen Maboke

…as Zesa abdicates duty

Blessed Chauke

In its
proposed 2021 budget, the City of Masvingo intends to introduce a public
lighting levy, a fund which the local authority says will be used to repair and
refurbish the public lighting infrastructure in the city.

The
public lighting levy will be attached to the water bills and each household
will be billed $90 in local currency effective January 2021.

The
city council says that there is an agreement in place which compels the power
utility Zesa to maintain the city’s public lighting infrastructure but says has
since abdicated on the duty.

“While
there is an agreement that placed an obligation of Zesa to maintain the city’s
public lighting infrastructure, Zesa has not been forthcoming in honoring this
obligation and the agreement has become a subject of dispute,” reads part of
the budget proposal.

There
has been calls from residents for council to fix the public lighting system as
theft cases were on the rise with thieves taking advantage of the darkness.

“While
a solution is being sought, council believes that measures have to be taken to
ensure that the security of our residents does not continue to be compromised
through lack of functional public functional systems.

“In this
regard, we propose to introduce a new billing item of public lighting with
effect from January 2021 at a rate of $90.

“This
fund will be ring fenced to cater for materials required in the maintenance and
installation of our public lighting infrastructure,” reads the budget proposal.

The
city council also proposes to introduce the fire and rescue services levy aimed
at equipping the fire and rescue department.

“Council
realizes that this disaster and emergency response section has become
significantly incapacitated in terms of equipment and resources. In order
to improve the efficiency of this section in responding to emergencies such as
natural disasters, fire and road traffic accidents, we propose to introduce a
dedicated funding line with an initial proposal of $90 per month per account.

“The
funds received in this regard will be ring fenced and utilized to procure
equipment and other emergency response materials such as personal protective
clothing.

“This
amount will adjust at 50% per quarter should inflationary developments call for
such adjustments,” reads the proposed budget.

 

 

 

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