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Water crisis: Masvingo City Council refuses to connect GZU Medical School

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Water crisis: Masvingo City Council refuses to connect GZU Medical School
The GZU Medical School is still under construction

Progress Chaya

The Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) Medical School will have to manage without access to municipal water after council turned down the institution’s request to be connected.
The issue came out in a full council meeting held at Civic Centre on Monday, January 27, 2020.
The university recently wrote to council requesting that the under-construction medical school, which is situated at the former Riverside Lodge close to Mucheke River along the road to Bulawayo, be connected to municipal water.
The Public Works and Planning Committee, after meeting to deliberate the request, turned down the request citing an acute water deficit in town. With advice from the engineering department, the committee wrote back to GZU saying diminished pressure in the water pumping system means the medical school will not receive supplies even if it was to be connected to the infrastructure.
In the full council meeting, Ward 10 Cllr Against Chiteme, however, took a different position, saying council would better connect the medical school and then communicate the problems at hand.
“I feel it is a wrong decision to turn down the GZU request. This is one big investor who may help us in the long run. It would be better to communicate with them the problems we face but connect them nonetheless rather than turn them down outright. They might be in a position to help us improve pressure in the pumping system,” said Chiteme.
He was then supported by Ward 4 Cllr Godfrey Kurauone who said there were less deserving institutions that still received municipal water.
“We have institutions that receive water yet they seldom pay for it. All GZU institutions are better clients because they pay their bills. It is better to connect them and we then help each other find a solution,” said Kurauone.
Acting town clerk Edward Mukaratirwa then stood up and said council had not simply turned down the GZU request for the sake of it, but had acted as per engineering advice with regards to pumping pressure.
“We realised that water will not be able to flow to that place even if it was to be connected today due to depressed pressure in our systems. Other reticulated areas close to the GZU Medical School are not even receiving water for the same reasons,” said Mukaratirwa.
It was then agreed that the case be sent back to the Public Works and Planning Committee for further deliberation.
Recent minutes from the commitee state that the place will never receive water under the obtaining circumstances.
“It was noted that there was already a Council water supply connection to Glyntor Farm where the Medical School is being developed, which lies outside of the Municipal commonage. However, due to water deficit in town, the area would not get water. The University had previously requested Council for water supply but it had been advised that there was inadequate water in town to supply Glyntor Farm,” reads part of the minutes.

Bikita man murdered for teaching youngster how to smoke

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Bikita man murdered for teaching youngster how to smoke
Christian Kwaramba
A 23-year-old man was murdered last week, January 25, in Bikita under area of Chief Budzi after he had offered a young man some cigarettes to smoke.
On the day in question, the now deceased, Listen Tayedzerwa (25) was drinking traditional beer with Makuzha Takasiiwa and Salishio Takasiiwa, who was younger brother to Makuzha.
Masvingo provincial police confirmed that they had since arrested one of the suspects while the other was still on the run.
The three enjoyed their time until Tayedzerwa offered Salishio some cigarettes to smoke.
This, however, offended Makuzha who then started to shout at Tayedzerwa accusing him introducing Salishio to smoking.
He then hit Makuzha with open hands all over the body until the victim became unconscious.
After regaining some strength Tayedzerwa followed the Takasiiwas who had already gone home where a quarrel began.
Salishio reportedly took a knobkerrie and hit the victim on the forehead, while Makuzha used a wooden stick to attack the victim who then collapsed.
The two brothers then reported what they had done to the victim’s mother Keresencia Ganga who then rushed him to hospital where he died on admission.
Salishio was arrested and taken to the police station but Makuzha was still on the run by the time of writing.

‘Charge Matemadanda, Hungwe with treason’

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‘Charge Matemadanda, Hungwe with treason’
 …Sikhala remains defiant in face of subversion charges

…‘I definitely want ED to go before 2023’

Moses Ziyambi

MASVINGO – MDC national vice chairperson and Member of Parliament for Zengeza West, Job Sikhala has described his ongoing trial at the High Court on subversion charges as a persecution of democracy, saying the State should instead prefer the charges on some Zanu PF members who have made controversial statements in the past.
Speaking to TellZim News during an exclusive interview a day before his appearance before Justice Garainesu Mawadze on Monday, January 03, Sikhala criticised what he implied to be selective application of the law and a crackdown on free speech.
“You remember what Josaya Hungwe said while addressing a Masvingo Zanu PF Provincial Coordinating Committee, when he said that Mnangagwa is prepared to use the guns to shoot anybody if they are not going vote for him.
“We heard Matemadanda saying several times that we are going to use the soldiers and everybody to kill everyone if they you are not going to vote for Zanu PF. These are the people who are treasonous against our people of Zimbabwe not a statement that I said Mnanagwa must go before 2023,” said Sikhala.
Victor Matemadanda is the Zanu PF secretary for the commissariat in the party’s politburo and he is also the Deputy Minister of Defence.
Josaya Hungwe is a veteran party member and has served in many portfolios since independence, and he still sits in the politburo.
“Even if I could have said that Mnanagwa must go before 2023, that’s my democratic right. And I truly want him to go before 2023 because he has destroyed this country, our people are suffering, the economy is so downtrodden that every citizen you meet on the streets is angry and shocked by how the country has been run since the coup. You would see the cluelessness of the people who have taken over control of our country. So people have got the right to say, ‘you have failed; our aspirations are being destroyed, the dreams of several generations are being destroyed by these people’. So I want him to go!” said Sikhala.
Asked on whether he acknowledged that free speech came with limitations and immense responsibilities at law, Sikhala said the statements he is alleged to have made harmed nobody.
“It has no limitations as long as it doesn’t harm anyone. A statement at a rally does not harm anyone. Did it harm anyone, if you know? People must be able to understand the concept of freedom of expression as provided for in our Constitution. Your actions must be able to harm someone. My statements at the rally did not harm anyone.
“They blew it out of context and the issue is that it has now grown out of order, it has now become an international issue and people are laughing at this government that they are trying to persecute an opponent of the government on an issue that did not harm anyone. There are people who have done and said worse words,” he said.
Sikhala is being charged for a statement he is alleged to have said in 2019 while addressing a campaign rally at Mandadzaka ahead of a Bikita Rural District Council (RDC) Ward 31 by-election.
The State has interpreted the statement to mean the tough-talking senior MDC member was advocating for violence and the unconstitutional overthrow of President Emmerson Mnangagwa before the 2023 general elections.
“The stupidity of it all emanates from the just bringing an audio or a video of 57 seconds of a rally which I addressed for two hours. When I took the podium, I addressed for two hours. They are depending on a video which they downloaded from one Jones Musara’s (Twitter account) – a Zanu PF activist based in Toronto, Canada, which they are now trying to use as primary evidence in court. However, the video is only 57 seconds.
“I cannot discuss the merits of the case as that is sub-judice so I will depend on what is already in the public domain as contained in their indictment papers. The first thing you must understand at law, in terms of Section 381 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence (Amendment) Act, where documentary evidence is being produced in court, the author and originator of that document must come with it to court and tell the court how they got that evidence. So we are also interested to know how a Zanu PF activist based in Cananda, in Toronto, could have taken a video in a countryside village in Mandadzaka,” he said.
Sikhala said it was very difficult if not impossible to prove that a video that was downloaded on Twitter is fully authentic and was not altered in any way.
“We wonder whether he used drone satellite to take that video. It is very clear in their indictment papers that they are saying they downloaded the video from the Twitter account of Jones Musara. It’s a surprise that the State is depending their evidence on a video downloaded from Twitter. We are going to be very keen to see Jones Musara coming to court and testify on where he took the video and whether he was present during the period of the rally,” he said.
Sikhala said the charges amounted to a persecution of democracy and a crackdown on free speech by an authoritarian ruling elite.
“The other issue you would also have to understand is that no matter the people’s thinking, to say that it (what he is alleged to have said) is reckless, this is the a democratic society we want to build in our country. The people of Zimbabwe must be able to take to task the people who purport to govern them. So the moment we allow the leaders to go after the opposition and opponents based on what they say against them on public platforms shows utter desperation,” Sikhala said.
On prospects of getting a fair trial in face of many reports and complaints of a compromised judiciary, Sikhala said it can only be his hope that he will receive a fair trial.
 “The right to a fair trial is one of the fundamental cornerstones of our new Constitution. It’s provided for in terms of Section 69 of the Constitution. It clearly states that every citizen in our country is entitled to a fair trial. And the right to a fair trial is not only one of those rights in our Constitution, but is one of those unlimited rights in the Constitution to say that no one who can abrogate against the principle of a fair trial. And my expectation as a legal practitioner and lawyer is that I am going to be given a fair trial as provided for by the Constitution.
“So the right to a fair trial is one of the fundamental rights that must be observed by every State that believes in constitutionalism, the rule of law, democracy and good governance. And this is my expectation as a legal practitioner in this country and also as a citizen that I am going to get a fair trial,” he said.
The integrity of the country’s judiciary recently came into further question after Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, in his bitter divorce battle with his estranged wife Mary, appealed to the Supreme Court, complaining that the High Court, which is supervised by Judge President George Chiweshe, was possibly biased against him when it awarded Marry custody of their three children.

Hungwe mourns Machingauta

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Hungwe mourns Machingauta
                                             The late Boniface Machingauta             
TellZim Reporter
Zanu PF politburo member and former Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Josaya Hungwe, has described the death of the Chibi High head Boniface Machingauta as a terrible loss to the school and Chivi district.
Hungwe said Machingauta played a critical role in rebuilding efforts after a raging fire destroyed many facilities at the school several years ago.
“This is a devastating loss. Machingauta was the brains that helped to make Chibi High the great school that it has become, with a good record even in sports,” said Hungwe.
Machingauta died at the school yesterday, January 06, evening following a battle with diabetes and colon cancer.
Hungwe, who is a product of the school himself, said Machingauta was part of the brains behind ongoing plans to set up a technical college close to Chivi growth point.
Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) education secretary, Samson Shava said he had learnt Machingauta’s death with great shock.
“No words are enough to describe the feeling of sadness. We worked with him very well and this comes as a big blow to the church and the school,” said Shava.
Chibi High deputy head Edias Mukwazvure said Machingauta had been around all day as the school hosted a sports tournament.
He said Machingauta got ill in the afternoon and he attempted to drive to Zvishavane to see his doctor.
“He tried to drive to Zvishavane to consult his doctor but his condition deteriorated along the way and he had to turn back. He passed on soon afterwards,” Mukwazvure said.
He said the late Machingauta was likely to be buried in the Magadzire area of Gutu district on Sunday, February 09, as funeral arrangements were already underway.
Machingauta held positions in several provincial and national academic and sports associations.
At a prize giving ceremony held at the school in October 2017, Hungwe told parents and education officials that Machingauta was ‘the Nehemiah’ of Chibi High School.
He was referring to Machingauta’s efforts in rebuilding the school when all hope for making the school a competitive institution seemed all but lost.
“I remember receiving information to the effect that fire had destroyed the school, but like the Biblical Nehemiah, Machingauta has rebuilt it to become an academic powerhouse not only in Chivi or Masvingo, but nationally,” Hungwe said at the time.
Machingauta is survived by his wife and children.

Leading Masvingo lawyer Chakabuda acquitted

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Leading Masvingo lawyer Chakabuda acquitted


MASVINGO – Prominent local lawyer, Foroma Chakabuda was recently acquitted of charges misrepresenting fact.
Chakabuda was being accused of referring a resident to a fake lawyer.
The State, led by Richard Nyamuomba, had argued that on the April 23, 2019, at Mucheke Bus Terminus, Tranos Chihanga and Chakabuda made a misrepresentation to Tasarawo Tasisio Mandava that Chihanga was a legal practitioner.
Mandava, who is former Masvingo Urban Ward 2 councillor, then paid Chihanga
RTGS$540 as payment for legal representation in a civil case but he later realised that he had been duped.

Mapanzure High introduces sciences at ‘A’ level

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Mapanzure High introduces sciences at ‘A’ level
TellZim Reporter

MASVINGO – Following impressive outcomes in the 2019 ‘O’ level examinations, Mapazure Government High School has decided to introduce sciences at ‘A’ level beginning this very term.
The school recorded a 76.9 percent pass rate in Chemistry and 66.7 percent in Biology, opening up the feasibility of introducing sciences at ‘A’ level.
Mapanzure High School head, Clapos Chauraya said the pass rate had inspired them, adding that the introduction of sciences will help the 2019 pupils who want to further pursue their studies close home.
 “Our leaners as well as others from the surrounding schools no longer need to face problems looking for spaces in faraway schools. We are confident in the standards we are setting and we want the first ‘A’ level sciences class to succeed. We provide quality education at a very affordable cost for people from modest backgrounds,” said Chauraya.
On the 2019 ‘O’ level results, Chauraya said the school was also pleased by the performance of the English department which produced 67 pupils with grade C or better.
“We also did well in English and it’s very rare for a rural school to have such a number of pupils who pass English. Our goal is to improve in terms of both quantity and quality.
“Our staff and learners are motivated and geared towards building upon 2019 ‘O’ and ‘A’ level pass rates. Each department has already set itself a target for the year,” said Chauraya.
At ‘O’ level, a total of 33 pupils passed five subjects and above including English. At ‘A’ level, the overall pass rates stands a whopping 96 percent.

Bere appointed ZimRights national director

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Bere appointed ZimRights national director


Upenyu Chaota
HARARE— The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has appointed Dzikamai Bere as its national director replacing Okay Machisa effective January 1, 2020.
Bere is a seasoned human rights defender who has served the human rights community for over ten years.
Prior to his appointment, Bere was the programmes coordinator at the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, where he worked with various human rights stakeholders, including Zimrights structures, to advance the human rights agenda in Zimbabwe.
In a statement, ZimRights said that the appointment of Bere is a plus for the organization because he brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge.
“A firm believer in the dignity of every person, Bere brings to ZimRights a wealth of knowledge and experience in community engagement, human rights policy advocacy at both national and international levels, as well as expertise in multi-stakeholder coordination.
“As Zimbabwe’s oldest and largest grassroots human rights movement of over 200 000 ordinary people across the country, ZimRights welcomes Bere to its big family and wishes him well in his tenure.
“The board takes this opportunity to thank the outgoing national director Okay Machisa for his great work at ZimRights for the past ten years,” reads the statement.
Bere holds Bachelors’ degrees in Law and History, among other qualifications. In 2011, Bere was awarded a scholarship to study for a Masters in in Peace and Conflict Transformation at Swisspeace Academy in Basel, Switzerland
In 2017, Bere was recognized as one of Zimbabwe’s influential young leaders and invited to participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowship programme with a focus on Civic Leadership at the Presidential Precinct in Virginia, United States.
In 2019, Bere received the Presidential Precinct’s Young Leader of the Year Award in recognition of his contribution to the advancement of human rights and transitional justice in Zimbabwe.

Hopeless situation at Chivhu’s Northwood Primary School

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Hopeless situation at Chivhu’s Northwood Primary School

…560 pupils use one classroom block, two tents

Elliot Jinjika

CHIVHU –  There are enormous problems at Northwood Primary School where 560 enrolled pupils are using one classroom block and two tents as learning facilities.
The newly built school is facing infrastructure challenges after moving out of a rented upstairs building due to a hike in rental charges and lack of proper ablution facilities.
The lack of adequate infrastructure has seen grades 0 to 5 using two tents whilst grades 6 and 7 use one classroom block.
Northwood Primary School head Cosmas Made told TellZim News that his school will do its best to equip children despite the hardships but implored key stakeholders to intervene and help ease the situation.
“The situation is dire but we are trying to make the most out of what we have. We have two tents and on classroom block which is occupied by grades six and seven.
“The lower grades are using tents and we are soldiering one,” said Made.
The school wrote to the District Development Coordinator (DDC), Chikomba RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chikomba RDC chairperson, Education ministry and the local councillor.
A meeting to discuss the matter was recently held and it was chaired by Chikomba DDC Michael Mariga.
Mariga indicated that he was moved to take action on the matter after a resident called to brief him on the deplorable state of affairs at the school whilst turning a blind eye on the letter addressed to him by the school and said council will intervene and assist in the construction of the school.
“I was called by a resident who informed me about the situation and I had a meeting with the council administration and in two weeks time, the council will finish constructing that block which is at window level to easy difficulties facing the school,” said Mariga.
Chivhu Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (CHRRA) Chairman, Collen Zvarevashe appreciated the broad step towards the development of the school but implored that development needs a collective effort between residents and authorities to achieve the greater good.
“As local people we need to contribute to development and our business community should also be visible.
“The problem only comes when key stakeholders are not involved. We should work together for the greater good of our community putting politics aside as it is hindering development in our district,” said Zvarevashe.

Former minister’s son goes into hiding

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Former minister’s son goes into hiding

                                              Kudakwashe Bhasikiti

Cephas Shava


MWENEZI- The son to former Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, Jonathan, is said to be on the run from malicious damage to property charges levelled against him after he allegedly destroyed water pipes connecting his father’s farm neighbour.
Jonathan, who was a farm manager at his father’s Moria Farm and on trial while out of custody, went on the run soon after his defence lawyer’s bid for the discharge of his case was dismissed by Mwenezi Magistrate Honest Musiiwa.
The case against Jonathan was supposed to continue in December 2019 but has been derailed because the accused is believed to have eloped to neighbouring South Africa.
An arrest warrant has since been issued on him.
The case against Jonathan is that sometime in September 2019, he went to the boundary between his father’s farm and Evans Runesu’s plot where he allegedly used a pick to destroy a water pipe which carries water to Runesu’s plot.
He is said to have poured concrete inside the pipe thereby blocking water from getting to Runesu’s plot.
Runesu immediately filed a police report leading to Jonathan’s arrest. The overall value of damage caused by the accused amounted to $2 850.

Runyararo Primary School celebrates debut gospel album

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Runyararo Primary School celebrates debut gospel album

Elliot Jinjika
CHIVHU– Runyararo Primary is celebrating the release of a seven-track gospel album which is being described as testimony of the school’s capacity to fulfill the practical requirements of education.
Titled Ndiitei Musoro, the album is generally about encouraging young children to observe Christian values by such practices as respecting parents and guardians.
The album was composed by Bright Raphel, a music teacher at the school, and was recorded at Dawn Straight Studios.
Produced by Lurvel, the album carries such tracks as Loice, Redeemer, Teererai Vana, Ngavarambe Vari Mwari, Rangarira and Pamuchinjikwa.
In an interview with TellZim News, Raphel indicated that the album was a step towards achieving the requirements of the new curriculum by nurturing young talent at the same time teaching children to respect parents.
“This album is an encouragement to parents to teach children the good way of life. We chose the gospel genre because the teachings are so powerful to the lives of the young ones, other genres tend to be controversial at times.
“In as far as the new curriculum is concerned, this is a hands on approach in the arts sector nurturing young talent into the music industry at a tender age,” said Raphael.
The group also appreciated the massive support that they received from parents and the school’s administration and staff in funding transport and recording expenses.
Runyararo Primary School head, Mugove Zinzombe, indicated that staff development workshops on syllabus interpretation, implementing vocational and technical subjects and providing necessary teaching and learning materials are being undertaken to boost the new curriculum requirements at the school.
The school for the past years primarily centered on choral music but the zeal to do more in the arts sector led to the release of the album and recently was live on air at Radio Zimbabwe launching their latest offering which is already receiving air play from the station as well as National FM.
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