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MP Maronge pledges to pay fees for outstanding pupils

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MP Maronge pledges to pay fees for outstanding pupils

                                               Claudious Maronge (centre)
Star
Matsongoni
Masvingo South MP Claudious
Maronge has pledged to pay next term’s school fees for outstanding pupils from
Grade 1 to Grade 6 at Muchibwa Primary School.
The school head Brian
Gomba expressed his gratitude to Maronge saying many pupils at the school
deserved such kind of assistance and motivation.
“That would be a great
job done for the talented ones and those who are disadvantaged. Such a move
would assist the children to remain in school and to appreciate the importance
of all acts of kindness,” said Gomba.
He said the school had
already compiled the list of names of the deserving beneficiaries and forwarded
it to Maronge.
“Some six pupils will
benefit from assistance. We have picked the best pupil from each stream from Grade
1 to Grade 6 and they have already been provided with stationery;  each receiving 30 exercise books, five pens,
four pencils and a satchel,” said Gomba.
Maronge also donated
$1000 towards Mashapa Primary School end-of-year-the-year 2019 party.
Mashapa Primary School
registered a 95 percent pass rate in the 2919 Grade 7 examinations, making it
the best performing primary school in Masvingo South for the first time ever.
 

Jairos Jiri Masvingo shuts down

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Jairos Jiri Masvingo shuts down

Moses Ziyambi
The legacy built by renowned
philanthropist and humanist, the late Jairos Jiri is crumbling due to neglect
and failure by authorities to support what he so painstakingly built over many
difficult years.
Jiri died in 1982, leaving behind
16 centres that housed and trained people with disabilities but the
association’s training centre in Masvingo is crumbling.
It has been several weeks since
the institution closed down due to many problems including water shortages
caused by a breakdown of the borehole that supplied water for domestic use and
for agriculture.
The institution is now manned by
a few care takers but the normal courses in agriculture and other skills for
people with disabilities have ceased due to the myriad of problems being
encountered there.
Many broken pieces of equipment
lie in the yard, symbolizing the shocking decline of what was once a great
facility which mentored great people like the now late musicians Paul Matavire
and Chamunorwa Nebeta of the Glare Express fame.
A source told TellZim News the
facility was rapidly declining and there was no future for it unless
authorities urgently intervene.
“It’s now an empty shell. Nothing
is happening there. It has been a gradual decline that started long back after
government grants stopped coming or came by fits and starts. Donors are no
longer coming as they used to do because they resent government involvement in
what started as a charitable trust institution started by a private
philanthropist. Jairos Jiri Masvingo is just like Ngomahuru Mental Hospital;
taken over by government and then neglected in the most pressing hour of need,”
said the source.
It also emerged that the problems
were not unique to Jairos Jiri Masvingo as the case was similar throughout the
country where the association has a presence.
TellZim News called Jairos Jiri
Association national director Wilson Ruvere who first insisted that all was
well at the centre before changing tune after being pressed with facts.
“There was a storm which wrecked
the water tanks and we don’t have water there. We are running around looking
for help so that we can resuscitate operations possibly in January 2020. We can’t
operate without water,” said Ruvere.

Lantana Camara elimination commences at Great Zimbabwe

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Lantana Camara elimination commences at Great Zimbabwe

Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO – Work has begun to eliminate the invasive Lantana Camara
plant which threatens the beauty the Great Zimbabwe monuments.
The project began with the
training of a 16-member team by a South Africa-based plant research council.
The work is being funded through
a US$475 000 availed by the United States Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural
Preservation.
The project involves the
installation of a digital control system as well as the mechanical and chemical
elimination of the unwanted plant.
Speaking to the media at the
heritage site, South African Agriculture Research Council (SAARC) plant
specialist David Simelane said they were training people to control the deadly
plant species as a way of safeguarding the cultural heritage site.
“We want work to start here and
make sure that the local community join hands and eradicate Lantana Camara. We
are also doing similar projects in South Africa and we want the whole region to
take part because if we defeat it in South Africa and leave it here or other
neighboring countries, it will always find its way back to us,” said Simelane.
Great Zimbabwe monuments resident
archaeologist Dr Tawanda Mukwende said they were using an integrated approach
to deal with the plant.
“We are uprooting and cutting stems
of the plant as well as using chemicals which we apply on the cut stems to
completely kill the plant. Depending on the manpower available, we hope to
complete the task within the shortest possible time,” said Mukwende.
Local management committee
secretary Bothwell Mushayi said he was confident of the local community buy-in
as all people acknowledged the negative impact of the plant.
“Our committee consists of people
who live in the surrounding chiefdoms namely Nemamwa, Mugabe and Murinye. We
will mobilise all villagers to take part so that we defeat Lantana Camara. I am
very confident that our people will respond positively as they have always done
when called upon to participate in efforts to preserve the monuments,” said
Mushayi.
He said veld fires from bee
hunters and roaming livestock constituted other threats to the monuments.

Chamisa denounces Chief Ndiweni victimisation

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Chamisa denounces Chief Ndiweni victimisation

…says he will restore dignity of chiefs
Felix
Matasva
MUTARE – MDC Alliance president Nelson Chamisa has says he
is eager to resolve the governance crisis in Zimbabwe by increasing the
autonomy of chiefs so that they become real keepers of tradition values, not
political commissars of the ruling party.
Chamisa said this while speaking during Manicaland
end-of-the-year provincial rally which was held at Chisamba grounds in Sakubva
on Sunday, December 15, 2019.
He denounced government for its recent move to
dethrone Chief Ndiweni who has stood up against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s
excesses.
Chamisa said at the moment, the country is under
authoritarian rule hence the need to address the governance crisis.
“Our country needs a leader because as of now, we
have a ruler. Our country needs a shepherd but right now it is in the hands of
a hunter. Our country needs a father because right now, it is being governed by
murderers.
“I am saying this because of what was done to
Chief Ndiweni. They are now involved in a turf war with traditional chiefs,”
said Chamisa.
He vowed that should he get into power, he will make
sure that chiefs become stewards of Zimbabwe’s traditions.
“In a bid to resolve the governance crisis, we
will make sure chiefs are not victimised and they must not be commissars of
political parties. Chiefs ​must be keepers of our traditional values and
cultural norms in the country.
“In our government, we will not tolerate chiefs
attending MDC or Zanu PF gatherings. If they come, they must use their capacity
to teach people our traditional and cultural values while giving solutions
pertaining where the nation is wrong,” said Chamisa.
He said  many
places that he toured, it emerged that many chiefs were deprived of their
chieftainships due to political influence hence in the new Zimbabwe he will
foster the return of chieftainships to rightful heirs.
“I warned them about what they are doing to Chief
Ndiweni, that they cannot rig the chieftainships as it is passed down from
generation to generation.
“In a number of places I have been touring, there
are many people who complained about being deprived of their chieftainships. I
assure you that in the new Zimbabwe yet to come, chieftainships will be brought
back to the rightful heirs,” said Chamisa.
He urged the government not to act like Ian Smith who
used chiefs as puppets, saying chiefs belonged to the people not the
government.
“I told them to leave people’s Chief Ndiweni
alone because he belongs to the people not government. The culture of abusing
chiefs like what Ian Smith did must not continue in this era. If you take a
position without taking proper procedures, you must know that it will
backfire,” he said.

Makorokoza disrupt water supply in Mutare

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Makorokoza disrupt water supply in Mutare

Moses Ziyambi

MUTARE
–
Activities of illegal gold panners upstream Pungwe River recently caused a
total shutdown of water pumping to Mutare city after council suspected that raw
water was possibly contaminated by toxic chemicals, it has emerged.
The details came out
during a public dialogue meeting between Sakubva residents and their
councillors at Beit Hall on Friday, December 13, 2019.
Participants at the
dialogue had sought answers from wards 4 and 5 councillors Edson Kalulu and
Simon Mapuvire respectively, as to what had caused the serious disruption which
saw their areas going for up to a week without tap water.
The residents
complained that council lacked tact in its communication with them, and that
the services they received was not commensurate with the rates they paid.
Other participants
argued that it was inexcusable for council to let high density residential
suburbs like Sakubva to spend a week without running water given their
vulnerability to contagious diseases like cholera and typhoid.
In response, Mapuvire
blamed the shutdown on illegal gold panners operating upstream the river which
is Mutare’s source of raw water.
“There are illegal gold
panners operating there and their activities were behind the water shutdown.
Council noticed that water in the river had become unusually dirty and upon
investigations, learnt that it all emanated from the panners.
“It was then suspected
that the gold panners had possibly used dangerous chemicals that could not be
treated by our ordinary water purification processes. It was then resolved that
all pumping should be stopped and samples taken to a laboratory in Harare for
testing. After the results came back negative, normal water pumping resumed. We
are sorry that was not clearly communicated to residents,” said Mapuvire.
Other residents accused
council of profiting from desperate tenants occupying its ‘demeaning’ hostels
in the suburbs.
“We can’t continue with
the legacy of Ian Smith who put business ahead of human dignity by building for
us demeaning hostels with no privacy, and with no place for a decent family set
up. We say council should sell those hostels so that the new owners can
renovate and improve them,” said Watson Mafuya.
The councillors
responded to the concerns by saying council had already agreed to dispose of
the hostels to tenants to give room for their improvement.

Morgenster crash victims’ families criticise kombi operator

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Morgenster crash victims’ families criticise kombi operator

… ‘kombi businessman lacks compassion’
Brighton Chiseva
The families of
victims of a fatal omnibus accident which occurred recently at Morgenster are
bitter that the owner of the vehicle showed no compassion to them in their time
of grief, and has made no effort to commiserate with them, let alone provide
some form of compensation.
The omnibus crushed
after failing to negotiate a curve just after Morgenster Mission Hospital on
Its way from Renco Mine to Masvingo city.
It overturned and
killed three people on the spot while the other two were pronounced dead upon
admission at Morgenster Hospital. A total of 12 other passengers were injured.
Relatives of Esther
Mhere, who is one of the deceased victims, said the owner of the vehicle,
Samuel Mushayi, did not bother to assist them meet burial expenses.
The deceased’s
son, Godfree Mhere said they were shocked by the kombi owner’s behaviour who he
accused of taking their patience for granted.
“He called us and
said we had to meet at Pick n Pay Masvingo but we waited for him for several
hours as he kept on saying he was coming. We then got tired of waiting and went
to Moonlight funeral parlour where he against promised to meet us but failed to
show up,” said Mhere.
The deceased’s brother
Jestinos Mahachi said they were still pained that two weeks had gone by without
hearing anything from Mushayi.
He said they
will were not letting him get away with it since the whole family was failing
to come to terms with what happened.
“We know
accidents do happen and they are not planned but the owner should show a little
respect to the affected people. He even promised to meet us and we delayed the
taking our relative’s body from the parlour only to be disappointed.
“If he was that
busy, he could have sent a messanger just to show that he was sorry. We even
told him that we were not after his money,” said Mahachi.
When contacted
for comment, Mushayi said some of the family had been hostile to him and had
refused to accept his help.
“Since they had
a funeral policy I could not buy a coffin for them. I then asked what I could
do to help but they asked me to wait for someone to decide and when they made
up their minds, I had gone to Zaka for burial of other two victims from the
same family.
“I then offered some
money and requested for their EcoCash number as I did to the other families but
they refused. They were so bitter and the police had warned that I had to be
careful to avoid another tragedy,” said Mushayi.
Local Member of Parliament
Claudious Maronge, however, chipped by providing transport and some food to the
grieving family.

Reckless driving, rugged road turns Mwenezi stretch deadliest

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Reckless driving, rugged road turns Mwenezi stretch deadliest



Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Reckless
driving coupled with the worrisome state of the country’s busiest main road; the
Harare-Beitbridge highway is continuously costing innocent lives that could otherwise
be avoided.
If
corrective measures were to be taken by authorities through upgrades and
maintenance, the Mwenezi stretch of the artery will cease to be the death trap
that it currently is.
Recently,
the Mwenezi stretch recorded two separate fatal accidents within a short space
of time. The first one occurred at the 129km peg where a South Africa-bound
Africa Link bus killed five people and left 45 others injured. The second
accident happened at the 166km peg where an omnibus collided head-on with a
haulage truck, killing all the six men who were in the omnibus.
The
two fatal accidents and many other ‘minor’ ones are caused mostly by reckless driving
and the bad state the road.
Mwenezi
District Development Coordinator (DDC), Rosemary Chingwe said the highway was
probably deadliest in Mwenezi.
She
said urgent repairs and upgrades were needed on many parts of the road, and
urged drivers to stop over-speeding and violating other road rules.
“The
highway is in bad shape and needs serious attention from Chirundu to Beitbridge.
As for the Mwenezi stretch, you find that several fatalities are being recorded
as a result of an increase in the number of unattended black spots.
“There
is a double curve at the 129km peg but there are no roads signs there. A lot of
attention is needed at that scene which is proving to be a horrible black spot.
It must also be noted, however, that several accidents occurring there are a
result of over-speeding and overtaking errors,” said Chingwe.
National
police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi told TellZim News that
investigations were still in progress to determine the factors leading to the
most recent 129km peg accident.
Some
evidence at hand, however, suggests that human error played a big role in that
horrible mishap.
It
is said the driver of the commuter omnibus flashed his vehicle’s lights at the
haulage truck, thereby disorienting the truck driver who then encroached into
the wrong lane, resulting in a high-impact head-on collision.
The
truck dragged the omnibus for some metres metres off the road, killing all the
six men who were on board.
Some
drivers that spoke to TellZim News said there was a possibility that recklessness
was the main cause of the accident.
“The
truck driver should have reduced speed and shifted his gaze a bit to the side when
the commuter omnibus driver flashed his lights. These are the basic lessons we
are taught in driving school. The fact that the truck dragged the omnibus tells
you a lot about the speed at which it was travelling.
“Unless
the truck driver was sleeping on the steering, the possibility is that the two
drivers became just stubborn and failed to give each other way, resulting in
the unnecessary loss of lives,” said one motorist.
Some
pothole-feeling work has been done on the stretch of the road but there is
obviously a lot of work that needs to be done as an increase of traffic in the
festive season is expected to cause more losses of life.

Gweru warns residents against vandalism

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Gweru warns residents against vandalism

…water rationing to persist due to
power cuts

Tinaani
Nyabereka

GWERU– The local chapter of the Woman Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ)
last week engaged Gweru City Council on a service delivery feedback meeting
focusing on the water rationing exercise currently being carried out by council.
WCoZ Gweru chapter coordinator,
Vimbai Nhutsve said such engagements were important for holding council
accountable in matters of service delivery.
“It is good for council to come to
us and clarify what we don’t understand because we pay for services as
residents. The issue of inadequate water remains a challenge in our communities
and by such engagements, we become knowledgeable about where our city is
going,” said Nhutsve.
Tatenda Machingauta, a Ward 6
resident, complained that a lot of rubbish was being dumped at the boreholes
and other water sources.
“A lot of dirt is being dumped at
boreholes and wells. I fear that will lead to further contamination of our
underground. People are throwing used sanitary pads, plastics all over and that
is not healthy,” said Machingauta.
Gweru City Council Engineering Services
director, Robson Manatsa said residents had a duty to ensure a clean
environment and must protect public property against vandalism.
“As residents, we are obliged to
keep safe council property because it is our property as well. I urge you to do
away with vandalism because once council property is vandalised, we come back
to you for the money to repair that damages
“I heard streets lights are being
vandalised in some areas and people are cutting away the cables. The same goes
for our water infrastructure; if you come across acts of vandalism and theft of
that property, you must take action and report,” said Manatsa.
He said the water rationing schedule
introduced by council was a response to the crippling power cuts at the supply
dam.
“Some areas are not getting water
because we are experiencing massive power cuts at Gwenhoro. Some of the power
cuts are unexpected so it affects the rationing programme. We therefore urge
residents to use water sparingly and avoid vandalism of infrastructure,’ said
Manatsa.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Woman attacked with machete for turning down love proposal

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Woman attacked with machete for turning down love proposal

Heather Buzuzi

MUTARE – A Chipinge woman from
Ngatitonge village under Chief Musikavanhu was left nursing severe bodily
injuries after being hit with a machete all over her body for turning down love
proposal.
Primrose
Mhute (22), a shopkeeper at Masekaya tuckshop at a local business centre, was
approached by 23-year-old Blessing Mudzipurwa Mungana of Satiya village under Chief
Muusha in Chimanimani.
Mungana
proposed love to Mhute but she turned him down.
This
did not go well with Mungana who then slapped Mhute on the face.
Zimbabwe
Republic Police (ZRP) Manicaland provincial spokesperson, Assistant Inspector
Luxson Chinanda confirmed the matter and called for civility in social
interactions.
“The
two wrestled and Mhute managed to push the accused to the ground in a bid to
rescue herself. Mungana went home and came back armed with a machete, and when
Mhute saw that Mungana was armed with a machete, she tried to escape but the
accused pursued and caught her,” said Chinanda.
Mungana
then struck Mhute once on her left hand once on the back of her right palm, cutting
off her right-hand middle finger before neighbours could intervene.
The
assailant then escaped from the scene but a report was made to Chimanimani
police, leading to his arrest and the recovery of the machete.
“We
encourage people to solve their misunderstandings in a civil manner and third
parties must be called to mediate in case of conflicts. The other important
thing is for men to make sure that they cannot force women to love them,”
said Chinanda.
He said both men and women had a right to say no to unwanted
solicitations.

Two slices of bread for Zimsec examiners

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Two slices of bread for Zimsec examiners

…PTUZ raises red flag over abuse of teachers
…credibility of results compromised
Upenyu
Chaota
The Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has
taken the Zimbabwe School Examination Council (Zimsec) to task over what it
considers to an abuse of examiners marking both ‘A’ and ‘O’ Level examinations.
The teacher’s union claims examiners are getting only
two slices of bread and beans for breakfast contrary to the initial agreement.
PTUZ president Dr Takavafira Zhou told TellZim News
that Zimsec had initially agreed to give examiners breakfast $40 worth of
breakfast.
He said the breakfast would be made up of four slices
of bread with butter, coffee, one boiled egg and baked beans.
Zhou said examiners were also promised decent lunch
and $57 dinner allowances while those who were not offered accommodation were
promised $167 for both dinner and accommodation.
“What boggles the mind is that Zimsec is going back on
the initial agreement. We had a meeting with them and we agreed on all the
logistics but to our surprise, our examiners are being treated like prisoners.
“They are being given only two dry slices of bread
with baked beans and tea. The tea sometimes does not even have milk. For
breakfast, we had agreed on a decent meal with a value of $40 but that is not
what is happening.
“Our examiners were supposed to be given four slices
of bread with butter, baked beans, a boiled egg and coffee,” said Zhou.
He said the lunch being served to examiners was
substandard and that was demoralising them to such an extent that final results
could be compromised.
“We were promised to be served a decent lunch but what
we are seeing is deplorable. The lunch is substandard and sometimes it comes in
short supply, with some examiners having to wait for supper.
“The dinner allowances were pegged at $57 but our
examiners are being paid $54 and we wonder what is going on at Zimsec.
“Those who have not been offered accommodation are
being paid $74 in dinner and accommodation allowances instead of the agreed
$167. We are very disturbed by these reports and we are compiling a report so
that we can confront Zimsec.
“Marking is a rigorous exercise which requires full
concentration for one to be fair and accurate. How would you expect a teacher
who is hungry and thinking about where they will sleep to concentrate? It is disaster
in the making,” said Zhou.
Zhou said the teachers were made to sign contracts
which prohibited them from speaking to ‘outsiders’ about their welfare.
“I visited Masvingo Polytechnic College yesterday to
make an assessment and the examiners were running away saying they were not
allowed to talk to us. They were given a directive not to speak to any outsider
but our members are coming forward and disclosing information.
“If teachers think it is prudent to be silenced and
get peanuts at the end of the day then they should wake up. We should not die
in silence. We should speak with one voice. Silence means we want to be
abused,” said Zhou.
Efforts to get a comment from Zimsec director Dr
Lazarus Nembaware were futile as his mobile was not reachable.

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