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Chiredzi RDC enlists Joc to fight charcoal sellers

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Chiredzi RDC enlists Joc to fight charcoal sellers

Beatific
Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI
–
The Chiredzi Rural District Council (RDC), Environmental Management Authority
(Ema) and Forestry Commission have sought help from the Joint Operations
Command (Joc) to help stem the charcoal trade which is blamed for the
decimation of Mopani forests in the district.
Joc is made up of the country’s
security cluster comprising the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA), Zimbabwe Republic
Police (ZRP), Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services (ZPCS) and Central Intelligence
organisation (CIO).
Chiredzi RDC chairperson Edward
Matsilele claimed the charcoal business had since ceased to be a mere threat
against the environment and had become a more worrying national security
threat.
“The district Joc, Ema and
Forestry Commission undertook a blitz operation to fight the scourge of
firewood and charcoal sales. The blitz was carried out with very little resources
at our disposal but it was a huge success,” said Matsilele.
He said he hoped the operation will be
replicated across the rest of the district.
“Not all areas were covered but we
will soon be back once all logistics have been put in place. We appeal for
assistance from our councillors and other stakeholders to make sure we conserve
our environment. Climate change is real, and our actions exacerbate this
climate change. Disasters like floods, drought and extreme weather conditions
are a manifestation of climate change.
.
“The charcoal trade is also a
security threat, since in some places the proceeds are used to fund
international terrorism. So let us be careful, we may be funding terrorism
through charcoal. Some people are abusing the livelihoods argument. There are
better options of earning a living,” Matsilele.
In Chiredzi North, newly-resettled
farmers are earning a living by cutting down trees on a large scale to make
charcoal which is sold on road sides or to big buyers from Harare.

Zanu PF, MDC close ranks to bury Gumbwanda

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Zanu PF, MDC close ranks to bury Gumbwanda

Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI – The late veteran educationist
and Zaka East Member of Parliament (MP), Katson Gumbwanda was laid to rest at
his homestead in Chekenyere last weekend, with Members of Parliament (MPs) from
across the political divide attending his funeral.
MDC parliamentary chief whip
Prosper Mutseyami, his Zanu PF counterpart Pupurai Togarepi, senior MDC member
Innocent Gonese and the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Ezra
Chadzamira were among prominent politicians that came to pay their last respects.
“We lost a cadre who
was humble, who attended all parliamentary sessions and committee meetings
without fail. He respected everyone regardless of age or political affiliation
and that’s why you see all these MPs who came. Oftentimes, you only find
colleagues from the same political party coming together when this kind of
misfortune occurs but it is all different this time around. He was sociable and
was liked by people from all the parties,” said Togarepi.
In his remarks, Chadzamira
said he hoped the person who will take over the parliamentary seat will be just
as good as Gumbwanda.
“Gumbwanda was quiet
and was a man of action not words. We hope God will replace him with his true
replica. He was an educationist who taught and led other teachers,” said
Chadzamira.
Deputy Minister of Social
Welfare and Zanu PF secretary for security in the politburo, Lovemore Matuke
said Gumwanda was a hero in his own right.
“We have lost a hero
who was soft and humble. In Parliament, he interacted with everyone because parliament
should be one family. He proved to be a national leader and that is why you see
people from different political parties mourning him,” said Matuke.
Gumbwanda, who died in
Harare on June 25 after suffering from pneumonia, was born in February 15,
1952.
He did his primary education
at Rudhanda Primary School before proceeding Chibi Mission High School for his
secondary education.
He attended Mkoba Teachers’
College and began teaching in 1982 before retiring in 2017 after serving for
many years as school head at Dabwa Primary, a school which is his home area.
From 1987-2008, he served as
Zaka Rural District Council (RDC) Ward 30 councillor while maintaining his job
as a school teacher. He often received praised for his ethical conduct and
ability to separate politics from his professional duties.
During his tenure as
councillor, Gumbwanda also served as Zanu PF Zaka district chairperson.
He is survived with his
wife, six children and many grandchildren

Load shedding is by God’s design, says Zanu PF

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Load shedding is by God’s design, says Zanu PF


…we cannot add water into Kariba


Upenyu
Chaota


With the country bearing the brunt of an average 19
hours of daily power load shedding, Zanu PF has said the outages are the design
of God, arguing that nobody else has power over water levels in Kariba Dam.
Speaking at a Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial Coordinating
Committee (PCC) meeting over the weekend, Zanu PF national secretary for
security Lovemore Matuke said people should stop blaming the ruling party on
the current power crisis as they have no capacity to add water into the dam.
“Zanu PF is capable of doing a lot of things but we
cannot add water into Kariba Dam so that we generate adequate electricity.
“God decided to give us little rains so the load
shedding is by God’s design. The government is trying to pull all the strings
to make sure that we source electricity from our neighbours Mozambique and
South Africa,” said Matuke.
South Africa’s power utility Eskom and Mozambique’s
Cabbora Bassa have discontinued supplying Zimbabwe with electricity owing to
millions in unpaid debts and the government says it has since paid $10 million
to Eskom.
Government says it cannot supply adequate electricity
to households and industry partly because the Kariba hydro power station is
operating below capacity due to low water levels in the dam.
Critics have however dismissed this claim, saying the
neighbouring Zambia does not suffer as much load shedding despite relying on
the same station for much of its power requirements.
They blame government profligacy and the resultant failure
to pay for supplementary power imports from neighbouring countries.

All set for Masvingo ecumenical Women of Fire launch

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All set for Masvingo ecumenical Women of Fire launch


TellZim Reporter

It is all systems go
for the Women of Fire Interdenominational Ministry which is expected to set the
town of Masvingo ablaze this Saturday, July 06 2019.
The Women of Fire Interdenominational
Ministry is a religious organisation that has broken the boundaries of
denominations by bringing together women of different churches from Zimbabwe
and abroad.
Headquartered in
Harare, the ecumenical religious organisation is on a national evangelical campaign,
bringing the glory of the Lord to people who crave it.
The ministry has so far
been in Mutare and is expected to be launched in Bulawayo this coming August.
The Women Fire
Interdenominational Ministry leader, Apostle Dr Melody Sibanda is scheduled to grace the
Masvingo launch and lead a service at Charles Austin Theatre.
“We will be in Masvingo
this coming Saturday for a powerful launch service at Charles Austin Theatre.
We are calling upon all women to come so that we can share together what we have.
It is a mission to promote worship among all women of faith without being
restricted by our respective churches,” said Apostle Sibanda.  
She said the ministry
sought to deliver and empower women through prayer with the belief that with
God nothing is impossible.
“We don’t uproot
believers from their churches but we exist only to complement the teaching that
people receive from their respective denominations while helping to address
other needs of their lives.
“Let all women come for
healing of all types in every facet of their lives, let them come to have their
troubled marriages restored and to be set free from spiritual bondage,” said Dr
Sibanda.

VaMayaya in court for assaulting lover

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VaMayaya in court for assaulting lover

Courage Dutiro

Masvingo-based comedian Dennis Rusoso
(38), famed for his role as VaMayaya in the Sabhuku Vharazipi drama, recently
appeared before magistrate Godswill Mavenge for assaulting his lover and maliciously
damaging her property.
Rusoso, who resides in Samaita Street,
Mucheke A, was slapped with a $100 fine or 30 days imprisonment for physically
abusing his long-time girlfriend Marlenis Ortiz of Elliot Street Rhodene.
For the malicious damage of property
charge, he was sentenced to five months imprisonment sentence suspended on
condition he restituted Ortiz with $6500.
It was the State’s case that on June 29,
at around 15:34 hrs, Rusoso was at Ortiz’s house when he sent a WhatsApp message
to Ortiz’s daughter telling her that she was beautiful.
The daughter then showed the message to
Ortiz who then confronted Rusoso; asking him not to do so.
The court heard that this did not go
down well with Rusoso who started assaulting Ortiz by dragging her by the
collar, scratching her on the chest, hitting her on her left leg with a brick
and also accusing her of infecting him with HIV.
Ortiz’s property that included a
refrigerator, two table glasses, eight window panes and one big flower vase all
valued at $6 500 was damaged.
Edmund Mapope represented the State.
Rusoso parted ways with David Mubaiwa, who played the role of
Sabhuku Vharazipi in the play over disagreements on the sharing of money from
the play. He went on to launch his own play, Mayaya the Seed of Corruption.
In August 2015, he was arrested in connection with attempted
house-breaking after being found loitering at Chrispen Run’anga’s house in
Rhodene in the dead of the night.
He also served jail time at Mutinmurefu Prison after being convicted for domestic violence in 2017.

Dismal start to ZHRC Masvingo public hearings

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Dismal start to ZHRC Masvingo public hearings

Very few people attended the first day of the ZHRC public hearings at Flamboyant Hotel

…as
public criticises elitist approach, poor publicity

Clayton Shereni
Public
hearings on access to national documentation being conducted by the Zimbabwe
Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) began on a dismal note in Masvingo today, July
02, with very few people attending what was supposed to be a
big and inclusive gathering.
The
hearings are being held at Flamboyant Hotel, a place that some people
criticised as elitist and not representative of the people whose views the programme
ostensibly wants to get.
An
hour after the first leg of the hearings began, there were more ZHRC staff and
special interest groups in attendance than members of the public, and there was
not meaningful improvement in attendance as the day progressed.
Members
of the public who spoke to TellZim News said the hearings could have been held
at a more accessible place.
“They
could have done better if they held the hearings at a place like the Civic Centre
gardens which is more accessible to the public. Taking the hearings to a hotel
says a lot about the people they want to attend. They are communicating the
wrong message. You should know the most convenient place to do your programme
if you really want ordinary people to attend,” said one informal trader.
Disability
activist, Pastor Calvour Mugwadi said he seldom misses information on activities
of that nature and was surprised, therefore, that he did not hear about this
one.
“I
did not even know there were such hearings of that kind in this city. I am only
hearing it from you. Maybe the only people they want to attend are those they
knew will make the kind of contributions they want to hear. How can a programme
of such importance be conducted without properly informing the public,” said Mugwadi.
Women
Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) Masvingo Chapter chairperson Joyce Mhungu also
said her organisation did not know about the hearings.
“We
did not know about the programme. We would have wanted many women to attend the
hearings because they are critical in children’s ability to acquire identity
documents. It also seems the programme is of great interest to people in
marginalised communities,” said Mhungu.
However,
ZHRC chairperson Dr Elasto Mugwadi said he was overwhelmed by the level of
preparedness and cooperation shown by Masvingo province.
“The
commission is satisfied with its level of preparedness for the public hearings
in Masvingo starting today. The commission appreciates the support received in
this province in preparation for these public hearings,” said Dr Mugwadi.
ZHRC
is on a programme to gather views on challenges being faced in accessing
national documents like birth certificates, national identity cards, passports,
death certificates and citizenship.

Three schools to represent Masvingo in Copa Coca-Cola nationals

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Three schools to represent Masvingo in Copa Coca-Cola nationals

                                          Mwenezi High girls football team

Courage Dutiro / Anymore Magawa

The
Copa Coca Cola provincial finals held at Masvingo Christian College last week saw
Pamushana, Hippo Valley and Mwenezi High schools securing slots in
the annual Copa Coca-Cola national finals to be held in Kadoma on 11-13 July.
The
competitions are in their 31st edition for boys and ninth edition
for girls.
National
Association of School Heads (NASH) Masvingo provincial head-in-charge, Tranos
Mbwirire said Masvingo will be represented at the finals by two teams in the
boy’s category of the Under 15s and a single team in the under-15 girls’
category.
“Pamushana
and Hippo Valley High School will represent us in the boys’ category, the
former appearing as the national defending champions while the latter qualified
as the best team in the province outside of the defending champions. We will be
represented by Mwenezi High in the girls’ category,” said Mbwirire.
Mwenezi
High secured a slot in the national finals after defeating champions
Chidyamakono by one goal to nil,” said Mbwirire


                                                    Hippo Vally High boys football team

NASH
are the administrators of the tournament.
On
their way to victory, the Pamushana boys overcame Chiredzi Government High by
7-0 before overwhelming provincial defending champions Hippo Valley 3-0.
 “We are very happy with the performance that
was displayed by the boys. We were waiting for this result. The boys are going
to make the province proud, they are going to return the trophy home,” said Pamushana
coach Bernard Matenga.
Mwenezi
High School head Cuthbert Chuma said he was pleased with the achievements of
his team.
“I
am very happy that the girls have succeeded. They have been working very hard
since last year. In last year’s competitions, they lost in the provincial
finals so they worked harder this time around to avoid that mistake,” said
Chuma.
In
nationals, Mwenezi is likely to face Nyamauru High School; the national
defending champions from Manicaland since Masvingo and Manicaland province were
drawn in the same group.


                                             Pamushana boys football team

Women dominate RCU 4th graduation

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Women dominate RCU 4th graduation

RCU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Obert Maravanyika
                                            
… three people with disabilities
graduate
Diana
Gondongwe
MASVINGO
– The Reformed Church
University (RCU) held its fourth graduation at the main campus on June 28, with
female students forming the largest number of graduates.
The graduation class of this year had 151 students in
total from the university’s two faculties which are the Faculty of Commerce and
Faculty of Education and Social Sciences.
Of the 151 who graduated, 69 were from the Faculty
of Commerce while 82 were from the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences.
A total of 103 females graduated, 33 of whom were from
the Faculty of Commerce, with the other 70 being from the Faculty of Education
and Social Sciences.
A total of 48 male students graduated; 36 being from
the Faculty of Commerce and 12 from the Faculty of Education and Social
Sciences.
The Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ)-run university
which goes with the motto ‘Building a Legacy Through Inclusivity’, saw three
people with disabilities graduating.
The ceremony was graced by the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of the Zimbabwe Council of Higher Education Prof Kuzvinetsa Peter Dzvimbo who praised RCU for
the progress it has made over the past few years.
He also urged the all university staff to broaden
their knowledge in order grow the institution’s scholarly reputation.
“The number of professors that the institution has
is qualifies it to be a university and I challenge all lecturers here who are
not yet professors to improve their knowledge and become professors. We have a
crisis in the country and now, universities must change their genetic code. Innovation
is what the university should move for,” said Dzvimbo.
In his speech the RCU chancellor, Rev Isaac
Pandasvika, who tis the RCZ moderator, said the university will continue to do
well in the coming years and will be one of the best universities in Zimbabwe.
“RCU will continue to thrive for the next 100 years
and beyond. He (the Lord) shall be greater, I shall be less (John 3:30),” said
Pandasvika.

‘King Mine to re-open in 2020’

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‘King Mine to re-open in 2020’

… as questions
arise on how $10 million GZU money was spent

Courage
Dutiro
Officials
at King Mine in Mashava say production at the mine will resume in 2020 next
year when the dewatering process and repairs on the mill are done.
The
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Ezra Chadzamira and his
delegation toured the mine last week and they were told that much dewatering
had been done since the beginning of the year.
“The
process is taking longer to complete because of a shortage of equipment and
foreign currency but we have de-watered a large part of the mine. This process
has seen some of the underground workers being called back to work,” said Luckson
Dziva who spoke on behalf of the CEO.
He
said much of the money to do the work was coming from Great Zimbabwe University
(GZU) which is using some of the mine’s properties on a lease basis.
Chief
Operating Officer (COO) Stephen Nyagura said 93 employees had been called back
to work on the dewatering exercise which he said was expected to be complete by
October.
“We
are expecting to finish the de-watering process by October this year. Repairing
of the mill will be done starting from October up to May next year. After the
process of repairing the mill and other machinery, production of ore will then
resume,” said Nyagura.
Chadzamira,
however, queried the management’s assertion that all the $10 million paid GZU
in rentals had been invested in dewatering alone.
He
ordered that they write a report explaining the expenditure as he suspected
there could be cases of corruption and misappropriation of the funds.
He
told the mine officials that work should be done faster so that the mine could
contribute to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s vision 2030 of turning the nation
into an upper middle income economy.
Promises
of the resuscitation of Mashava mines are, however, not new but nothing has
materialised to date.
While
campaigning at Mucheke Stadium in the run-up to the 2018 harmonised elections
on June 15, President Emmerson Mnangagwa promise the Mashava mines would be re-opened
by July 31 of that year.
Production
at the mine stopped in 2008 due to financial restraints after the government
seized operations from businessman Mutumwa Mawere’s Shabani Mashaba Mines (SMM).
The
company used to operate shafts at Gaths, Temereire and King, employing
thousands of people.

Chivi DA threatens MDC supporters

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Chivi DA threatens MDC supporters

Upenyu Chaota


MASVINGO – Chivi District Administrator (DA), who is also Zanu PF Chivi Central district chairperson, Vafias Hlabati has rallied the people of the district to stand by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, promising to fight and ‘banish’ all opposition supporters.
Hlabati said it would be abnormal for the people of Chivi to turn their backs on President Mnangagwa whom he claimed to be a child of the district.
Speaking at the Zanu PF victory celebrations in Ward 17 of Chivi Central constituency recently, Hlabati said he was aware of 258 people in the Ward who voted for the MDC and was going to see to it that they will be dealt with by 2023.
“I want to thank the people of Chivi for voting for Zanu PF. You voted Zanu PF from councillors, Members of Parliament and the President.
“I am however disturbed to know that here in Ward 17 there are 258 people who voted for the MDC. We know them and we are going to fight them until they are gone or they join Zanu PF by 2023,” said Hlabati.
Hlavati said President Mnangagwa’s government was the best and people must give it all the support.
“President Mnangagwa’s government is the best. What more can you ask for when you see our President trying to better our lives.
“The people of Chivi, you are blessed to be the district where the President comes from. Everyone should support and defend the President before that is where our future is. If we are going to die doing it then so be it,” said Hlabati.
Hlabati, who is no stranger to controversy, once came under fire from the opposition MDC which called for his resignation because of his direct participation in Zanu PF politics.

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