Precila Takabvirakare


MPANDAWANA – Mavis Kweteza (28) of Chinasire village under Chief Mataruse was recently sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, with six months of the sentence conditionally suspended after she was convicted for pouring hot water on her husband whom she suspected of cheating.
She was charged for contravening Section 3(1) (a) of the Domestic Violence Act Chapter 5:16 ‘Physical Abuse’.
State facts were that on October 26, 2018 at around 18:00 hours, Kweteza saw a picture of her husband William Matenga’s alleged former girlfriend in his memory card.
A misunderstanding arose between the two and Kweteza prevented Matenga from going to work.
On December 06, at around 11:00 hours, Matenga managed to go to Harare to look for some piece jobs to do and he came back home on December 25.
The following morning, at around 06:30 hours, while Matenga was sleeping, Kweteza poured hot water on his back. When he stood up, she then poured again hot water on his chest and right leg. The matter was reported to the police leading to Kweteza’s arrest.
When asked by magistrate Victor Mahamadi why she committed the offence, Kweteza said she was angry with him and she did it as a way of punishing him.
“I was not amused by what had happened. I did that out of anger to punish him not knowing I was committing a serious offence,” said Kweteza
Kudakwashe Muza represented the State.

Cephas Shava

A 69-year old Mwenezi man raped a 12-year-old girl and thereafter paid compensation in the form two cows and money to the girl’s parents to avoid the case being reported to the police.
Appearing before magistrate Mandlenkosi Ndlovu recently, Solomon Chipfeka of Village One Wedza Block under Chief Mazetese, was not formally charged of rape but was remanded in custody pending trial.
Although the accused was not asked to plead in court when he was advised of the nature of the charges he was facing, he admitted the offence.
“What was read before me is exactly what transpired and I have nothing to alter. I did it and I have nothing to deny,” Chipfeka told the court.
Presented by prosecutor Caroline Pasipanodya the State case is that on unknown date but in November 2016, Chipfeka approached the girl who was bathing alone in the river.
He called the girl to come closer to him but the minor ran away but he chased her until he caught her. He then trapped the minor to the ground and dragged her to the nearby bush where he raped her once.
Upon committing the offence, Chipfeka went into hiding in Mberengwa only to be arrested recently after detectives were tipped of his whereabouts.
According to State papers, while hiding in Mberengwa, Chipfeka negotiated and paid two cows and money amounting to $200 to the minor’s parents as an out-of-court settlement.

Cephas Shava


MWENEZI – Two Mberengwa men who were recently arrested at Ngundu Business Centre after being found in possession of a loaded pistol were last Friday denied bail and remanded in custody to February 8, 2019 pending trial.
The pair, Forgive Mapfumo (24) and Cleopas Moyo (24), stood before Mwenezi magistrate Mandlenkosi Ndlovu facing charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and pleaded for some time to seek legal representation.
It is the State’s case that on January 24, 2019, accused one, Mapfumo who was at Ngundu Council beerhall was found in possession of an SPI 9 millimetre pistol which he claimed he wanted to handover to Moyo who is the second accused.
The pistol was loaded with one round of ammunition and the two were arrested after they failed to produce any firearm certificate.
Caroline Pasipanodya appeared for the State.

Cephas Shava


MWENEZI – Desperate times call for desperate measures best describes the situation which a security guard, Wellington Taonezvi, at Rutenga Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has found himself in after he connived to steal 39 bags of maize from his work place.
Taonezvi who hatched the plan with two other accomplices Tichaona Dube and George Nhidza pleaded guilty to the charges when they were brought before Mwenezi magistrate Mandlenkosi Ndlovu.
They were each sentenced to 7 months imprisonment from which 4 months were conditionally suspended for 5 years. The remaining 3 months were set aside on condition that each pays a fine of $200.
Argued by prosecutor Caroline Pasipanodya, the State’s case was that on January 23, 2019 at around 1100 hours, the accused persons met at Rutenga growth point where they hatched a plan to steal maize at Rutenga GMB, where accused one, Taonezvi works as a security guard.
On the same day at around 2200 hours, while Taonezvi was on night duty at the GMB, the other two accused visited him and the three stole 39 x 50 kilogrammes bags of maize.
Dube and Nhidza then carried the stolen maize bags to the nearby bush where they were ferried away using Nhidza’s car.
The offence was discovered by other GMB guards who were assuming duty the following morning.
They informed the depot manager, Tawanda Masiyambiri, who then alerted the police leading to the arrest of the three accused person. The stolen maize bags with a net value of $600 were recovered from the accused persons.

Tatenda Mugove is congratulated by teachers, councillor and

stakeholders last week.


Staff Reporter


MASVINGO – Tatenda Mugove, an ‘A’ Level pupil from Temeraire High School in Mashava raised the province’s flag up high when she won the third prize at the national Southern Africa Development Committee (SADC) essay writing competitions.
Speaking at the prize handover ceremony, Mugove said she was overwhelmed by the honor of being selected as one of the best in the country and the best in the province.
“It is humbling to know that your work has been deemed the best of the best and I give praise to the Lord who made it all possible.
“I also urge my juniors to emulate this moment and help lift the school and the province’s flag higher. There is nothing special required to win this accolade. With enough dedication and hard work, anyone can win it,” said Mugove.
Temeraire head Thomas Mureriwa was in cloud nine saying Mugove had put the school on the international arena, a development that he said every pupil should work to achieve.
“We are happy today and we celebrate our victory. It is not Mugove alone who should be happy but the school and whole province should take pride,” said Mureriwa.
Masvingo district Ward 5 councillor Aleta Makomeke said she is proud to lead a Ward which has award winning people and called on parents to support the education of their children as they are the future.
“I take pride in being the councillor of this winning Ward. I plead with parents to support the education of their children because they are the future. Let us support the school and teachers in their work to make our pupils the best who can compete at big stages and win,” said Makomeke.
The first national prize went to Primrose Thandeka Tshuma from John Tallach in Matebeleland North while the second prize went to Matifadza Mangongo from Murambinda B High School in Buhera.

Precila Takabvirakare

A security guard with Fawcett Security Company was last week arraigned before Gutu magistrate Victor Muhamadi on theft charges after he stole a 2 litres cooking oil bottle at N. Richards shop in Gutu.
William Mungindi (34) was charged with theft as defined in Section 113(1) of The Criminal Codification and Reform Act Chapter 09:23.
Mungindi was remanded to January 30 for sentencing.
State facts as presented by Kudakwashe Muza are that on January 26 this year at around 09:30hours, at N. Richards Gutu, Mungindi was a door guard and he received a receipt from a customer. He scanned it and did not return to the customer.
Mungindi then advised Precious Gondo who was also a guard that he had bought 2 litres of Oleo cooking oil.
Gondo became suspicious and went to the assistant manager, Webster Munedzimwe, and told him that he suspected that Mungindi had stolen cooking oil.
Precious and the assistant manager reviewed the footage and discovered that Mungindi did not buy the cooking oil but received a receipt from a customer and did not return it.
At around 14:00 hours when they were closing the shop, Mungindi took his 2 litres cooking oil intending to take it home. Munedzimwe then called him and asked him to produce the receipt and that is when he was shown the footage.
The cooking oil was recovered and the matter was reported to the police leading to Mungindi’s arrest.