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WAG praised for investing in Chipinge women’s sexual health

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Stephen Ephraem

Women
Action Group (WAG) has invested in female sexual health in Ward 5 and Ward 12
of Chipinge district where the organisation has promoted women income-generating
projects.
This was
said by WAG executive director, Edinah Masiyiwa during a Community Health Day held
at Chipangayi, Chipinge West, on Tuesday.
The celebration
was coordinated by the Ministry of Women Affairs, Small and Medium Enterprises
and it ran under the theme, ‘Promoting Adolescents and Young Women’s Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights’.
The
event saw the Ministry of Health and Child Care delivering community outreach
services by testing people for high blood pressure (BP), diabetes, HIV, cervix cancer
as well as providing counselling services and legal advice on gender based
violence.
“With
the support from IM Swedish Development as a partner, the overall goal of the
project is to create an enabling environment for young women and adolescents to
fully enjoy a life of dignity, enjoy their rights and utilise their potential
in accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights services and economic
opportunities,” said Masiyiwa.
She
said the organisation had engaged 20 community based advocates who formed
health clubs and internal savings and lending projects.
“WAG
believes in improving health outcomes for young people and building their full
potential to access information, education and economic opportunities,” she
said.  
Guest of
hounour, Manicaland provincial nursing officer Venus Nyanyiwa, who was
represented by district community health administrator Reginald Kanyoka,
praised WAG for complimenting government efforts by supporting women sexual and
reproductive health
“We
than WAG for promoting informed health-seeking behaviours among women and
adolescents and empowers them to play a leading role in health issues.”

Chief Nhema chases teacher away from school over satanism

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Brighton Chiseva
ZAKA – Chief Nhema, real
name, Rangarirai Bwawanda recently banished a female teacher at Rusere High
School following allegations that her daughter was involved in Satanism.
The teacher was
asked to leave the school with immediate effect and the community was told that
if she ever dares coming back, they should chase her from the school.
She has since
been transferred to Uchere High School in Bikita after she could no longer
withstand the hostilities.
Chief Nhema, who
is also a senator representing chiefs, confirmed the development saying he met elders
in the area and approached the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education over
the issue.
“We asked the ministry
to make sure that the teacher is removed from the school. We asked her to leave
immediately. We turned down the option for her to transfer her child and remain
at the school for the child would still come back to visit her mother and
affect other pupils in the process,” said Chief Nhema.
He also said
they were not yet done with the matter as they were still to find out the exact
number of pupils affected and the extent of the damage.
Earlier on, Zaka
District Schools Inspector (DSI) Samson Chidzurira had confirmed the Satanism
issue saying he had sent an investigation team and was mapping the way forward.
He said he engaged
the teacher who had requested that she be helped to transfer to a Reformed
Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) school as she is a member of the church.
“I received the
information from the chief and I sent a team to do investigations on the matter.
The teacher even admitted that her kid was involved in Satanism and was looking
for help saying she had been transferred from a school in Manicaland over the
same issue,” said Chidzurira.
Sources said the
Satanism saga started when other pupils started to dream of the girl in their
sleep and at one time a pupil dreamt being tattooed by the girl. She reportedly
woke up with a scorpion- shaped scar on her cheek.

Macheso recognises Masvingo talent

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                                                     Alick Macheso

Bothwell Chabarika

King of Sungura Alick Macheso has praised one of his dancers whom he introduced to the crowd as Albert saying he was a talented boy from Chiredzi.
Macheso was in the city on Saturday last week for a show at Caravan Park.
The crowd cheered the young man, Albert Mariya, as he showed his dancing prowess to the delight of his boss who kept on praising him.
Mariya is one of the two Orchestra Mberikwazvo band members with roots in the province, the other one being Devine Muzenda from Gutu. Another band member, Jabulani Chimuti is from Zvishavane in the neighbouring Midlands province.
Macheso gave a spirited performance and showed his passion from the time he got onto the stage soon after midnight right until dawn.
As has become his norm, Macheso chanted praises for his loyal fans in the crowd including local medical practitioner, Dr Kudzai Masinire. Baba Sharo, as Macheso is affectionately known these days, also thanked Panhimbe Crew, a vibrant local Afro-Fusion outfit, for warming the stage for him.
Orchestra Mberikwazvo manager, Tich Makahamadze later told TellZim News that he was happy with the attendance, thanking Panhimbe Crew for an impressive performance.
“I would like to thank fans who came in their number to grace our show despite the chilly weather. We promise to come back to Masvingo soon and we always want to give the best to our fans,” said Makahamadze.

Delta Beverages supervisor fails to pay sexual worker

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Tiyani Hahlani
A
28-year-old Mashava sex worker recently appeared before Masvingo provincial
magistrate Langton Ndokera after she was dragged to court by a Delta Beverages supervisor
for seizing his cell phone and two-plate stove after he allegedly failed to pay
for the night they had spent together.
Sarah
Buruvuru popularly known in her circles as Lynn, pleaded guilty to unauthorised
borrowing or use of property when she unlawfully took a two plate stove Chinese
model and Cell C Android cell phone that belonged to Andrew Kutekwa.
Buruvuru
was warned by the magistrate against unlawfully taking other people’s property
and was let go as the magistrate considered that she had two little children to
take care of.
It
was the State’s case that on July 30, at around 02:00hrs at Liquids Bar, Kutekwa
approached Buruvuru who was standing at a corner near Club Lagoon and asked to
take her to his place in Rhodene.
At
around 06:00 hrs in the morning, Buruvuru rose and demanded her payment but Kutekwa
told her he did not have cash handy and asked her to wait until she could go to
the bank and withdraw some money.
Buruvuru
would, however, have none of it and she seized a two-plate stove and a black
Cell C Android cell phone from Kutekwa’s house, telling him he could follow her
and get his property back when he settled the debt.
As
days passed Kutekwa met again with Buruvuru at Liquids Bar on November 1, and
the police were alerted leading to the arrest of Buruvuru.
On
November 5, the two plate stove was recovered.

A stitch in time saves nine

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The country’s surrogate
bond note currency has let the country down and those who imposed it on the
people should hang their heads in shame. That is the least they can do or, if
they still have any moral uprightness left, should apologise and resign. But
knowing them to be who they are, we dare not expect them to voluntarily abandon
the gravy train lest we get depressed by disappointment. The bond note was
introduced ostensibly to solve the severe shortage of the US dollar which was
then the dominant legal tender in the banks. The bond note was therefore
introduced, against widespread public sentiment, with Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
(RBZ) governor John Mangudya as its proud groomsman. Two years down the line,
the US dollar is still in short supply and so is the bond which was supposed to
solve the problem in the first place. As if that was not a big enough failure,
the bond not has now severely weakened and wrought havoc on consumer prices.
Prices of goods have doubled and in some cases have trebled threefold. That is
the reason why it is only reasonable that the bond note is dumped immediately.
Prices would definitely come down if the real US dollar is restored as the only
legal tender alongside other dependable currencies like the South African rand.
In such case, the US dollar would still remain in short supply yes, but is the
inflationary bond note itself easily accessible? Would we not rather struggle
to get money that is reliable than struggle to get something as resented as the
bond note? The price of bread would hardly reach $1.50 in real US dollars terms
but right now, bakers are fighting to be allowed to charge their products as
they deem fit, something that would take the price of bread to $4.40 and
beyond. This is surely bound to happen unless the bond note is retired with
immediate effect. The market has made it clear that it does not want the bond
note and there is no wisdom in antagonising the market.

Zanu PF regalia a disgrace, party youths tell Matutu

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…’we fear being attacked by angry citizens for empty promises’

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – Few weeks after
President Emmerson Mnangagwa addressed a politburo meeting and ordered Zanu PF
bigwigs stationed at Shake-Shake building to always put on party regalia,
national vice youth chairperson Lewis Matutu was on Tuesday left stone-faced
after disgruntled youths told him they too were not proud to wear the regalia.
Matutu, who was accompanied by
Masvingo provincial youth chairperson Brian Munyoro, was on his way to
Chikombedzi to launch a goat project when he first addressed a meeting at the
party’s district offices in Tshovani.
Many youths attended the meeting in
their ordinary clothes, and when Matutu raised a point of order, he was
heckled.
Some said they were avoiding the
party regalia because there was nothing to show for it in a difficult economy,
while others said wearing the regalia would expose them to the risk of being
attacked by angry citizens who blame the ruling party for the economic
difficulties.
“We cannot be seen walking around
in party regalia. We have seen many videos of comrades being stripped of the
regalia. People are angry!” shouted one youth from the floor.
Matutu, however, urged Zanu PF supporters
to fight back if they were provoked and forced to remove their regalia.
“You should learn to defend yourself
from those barbaric MDC supporters who are going around undressing people of
their regalia. It’s as good as taking somebody else’s wife. That’s being
belittled, you should be proud of your regalia because we won this election,”
said Matutu.
The unconvinced youths, however,
stood their ground, arguing there was nothing to be proud of in the regalia,
with one Lloyd Simango saying nobody should be forced to put on the regalia
when the party always made empty promises.
“Has the system changed yet or it’s
still that old system of the Mugabe times? Because as youths, we have realised
that we have held many elections where you made a lot of manifestos, some
prioritising the youths but you are not delivering.
“You should learn to implement
every piece of project you would have promised. You gave an example that it’s
being belittled for another man to take your wife but that can happen because
you could be failing to take good care of her.
“Some of us, maybe you can see
tisina regalia, it’s because we are not even proud to wear it as there is
nothing to defend it with so it will be wise to remove it off my body (sic) than
to end up being injured. You are the only big guys who are benefiting the
fruits of the revolution while the grassroots are suffering,” said Simango to
loud applause from the gathering.
Sensing the hostility, Matutu tried
to silence the youths and quickly changed the topic of the day.
Many social media videos
purportedly showing mobs forcing people to remove Zanu PF-branded T/shirts have
circulated on social media. There were also reports that bigwigs were removing
stickers from branded party vehicles for fear of stirring public anger in fuel
queues.

Gweru water crisis, Germany comes to the rescue

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                                              Hutter speaks to the media after the event
                           

Tinaani Nyabereka

GWERU –
Germany Development Cooperation (GIZ) and Gweru City Council (GCC) have unblocked
and opened up the kopje reservoirs at a cost of US$60 000 to end a
10-year problem of water failing to smoothly flow to the tanks.
Speaking
at the re-commissioning of the tanks in Gweru, GIZ project manager Stephen
Lidsba said the partners had seen that part of the water shortages in the city
could be traced to the problems at the reservoirs.
“We
spent around $60 000 to get  a team from
Germany who spent time with Robson Manase (director of engineering services in
council) digging around and looking at where the pipes were in order to solve
the problem of water not getting into the tanks.
“So
it was a two-month exercise and we discovered that the problem was just a
valve, one valve to get the water back into the tanks. So we opened the valve
and now here we are. We are now using the tanks again,” said Lidsba.
German
ambassador to Zimbabwe, Thorsten Hutter praised the close relationship between
the city and the people of Germany, encouraging the twinning of cities between
the two countries.
“The
twining of cities for partnership and development is a cultural cooperation and
yes it happened between the City of Masvingo and one of the German cities. It
sought to build relationships between Germany and Zimbabwe but as for now, the
link between the Gweru council and GIZ is strong and yielding results,” said
Hutter.
He
was referring to the twinning agreement between Masvingo and Kernen, a
relationship which has brought enormous economic benefits especially to the
people of Masvingo.
“We
had a meeting with the engineer and council staff and council highlighted some
of the major challenges being faced. Since GIZ is in a partnership with
council, some of those problems will be solved,” Hutter said.
He
pledged Germany’s continued support for the developmental needs of the people
of Zimbabwe.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Mutendi pushes for Chamisa, ED deal

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…Chamisa could be a nuisance, but price of ignoring
would be dear
Upenyu
Chaota
Zion Christian Church (ZCC) leader Bishop Dr Nehemiah
Mutendi has challenged President Emmerson Mnangagwa to engage the opposition
MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa and all opposing voices for the good of the
country.
Speaking in barely veiled language during the Kudzika
Gomo conference at Mbungo which also doubled as his belated birthday, Bishop
Mutendi, who turned 76 on September 15, described the opposition as a
‘nuisance’, but was quick to warn against ignoring that nuisance.
President Mnangagwa and First Lady Auxillia graced the
event which saw members of the ZCC also praying for the rains as the rainy
season approaches.
“You may call them opposition asi muzukuru (President
Mnangagwa), tora zvana ugare nazvo pasi mutaurirane nekuti zvikatorwa nevatorwa
hamuzozvigoni. Rambai muchingotaura nazvo chero zvichiita sepwere, ndozvinoita
vanhu vakuru. Nyoka huru haizvirumi torai mutaurirane muwirirane (Initiate
dialogue with those youngsters. Even though they could be a real nuisance, be
the bigger brother, talk to them and reach an understanding lest they are used
by detractors to make the situation impossible for you),” said Mutendi in
apparent reference to creating dialogue with Chamisa.
He called on President Mnangagwa not to slam the door
on dialogue and listen to the voice of the opposition no matter how silly and
stupid they could be.
“Go and speak to your boys, go and speak to your
people. Don’t slam the door on opposition, you have said you are a listening
President so go and listen to their stories no matter how stupid and silly they
may be.
“Listen, convince them. You are a sacrificial leader
and a great leader must have gone through great sacrifices. You are mature
enough work together the young and the old. Find positions for them in
government and work together,” said Mutendi.
President Mnangagwa, in his response, seemed be both
defiant and open to dialogue by saying he was in office by Devine will
therefore those who disagreed with him were on the wrong side. He, however,
emphasised his usual mantra that he was a ‘listening’ leader.
 “All those who
have seen the light have voted for me because I was chosen by God. All the
leaders here on earth are chosen by God and if you side with the God-chosen
leader, it means you are on the side of God.
“If you voted against me, it means you are not on the
side of God but there is still time to repent and join others.
“I promise to be a listening President. I will go to
the people and dialogue. Things which can be resolved we will resolve but those
that are impossible we will say so. We do not want violence but we have a task
to bring glory to our country,” said Mnangagwa.

SDA UK adultery saga, implicated elder speaks out

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Staff reporter

The Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church elder Tecla
Ponde who made negative waves in the social media circles a few weeks ago for
allegedly snatching the husband of her host when she travelled to the UK some
weeks ago, has said the whole drama was now a closed chapter for her.
Speaking to TellZim News, Ponde indicated that she was
a God-fearing woman, saying all that had happened were trials and tribulations
that she had, however, managed to put at the back of her mind.
“I am a God-fearing person. I did not even respond
when the allegations were circulating and I didn’t want to take the media
route,” said Ponde.
She said she did not want to dwell in the past, saying
life on Earth was all about serving God against the huge odds that the faithful
are definitely bound to encounter.
“I have made peace with the drama and want to forget
it because I think God was just trying my faith and I think I succeeded,” said
Ponde.
The drama started when Ponde visited the European
country on an evangelical mission.
An audio recording later circulated on social media,
with a female voice alleging Ponde had abused her hospitality and slept with
her husband when she went out on night shift.
In the audio, the woman angrily chided ‘Mr Ponde’ for
being husband to a homewrecker whom she accused of betraying her trust.
A few days later, another audio ascribed to the same
woman circulated, this time apologising to ‘Mr and Mrs Ponde’ for the
embarrassment caused, saying she had been fed wrong information.
The drama is still a topical issue in Masvingo where
the Pondes are based.








Devolution must be implemented as matter of urgency

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The country’s
Constitution which came into effect in 2013 after replacing the overused Lancaster
House Constitution of 1979, provides for devolution of State power to the
provinces as a way of empowering local communities to have greater say in the
development of their own communities. This provision is enshrined in Section
264 of the Constitution, which makes it clear that the objectives of devolution
are ‘to give powers of local governance to the people and enhance their
participation in the exercise of the powers of the State and in making
decisions affecting them’, and to ‘to recognise the right of communities to
manage their own affairs and to further their development’, among others. If
anything, this is a clear acknowledgement that resources of the country are not
being shared equitably among communities. We therefore are taken aback that
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has chosen to continue on his predecessor Robert
Mugabe’s intransigent path of boldly ignoring devolution, against letter and
spirit of the Constitution. After controversially winning the 2013 elections, Mugabe
simply chose to ignore the devolution clause and appointed provincial affairs
ministers instead of constituting the provincial councils as required by the
Constitution. That Zanu PF opposed devolution since the time of the Constitution-making
process is not a secret, but it must be noted that Mnangagwa, just as his
opposition rivals in the July 2018 elections, based his campaign on many things
including a pledge to implement devolution. It is therefore surprising that he
has chosen to do a Mugabe and appoint provincial affairs ministers instead of
directing his party, which has a two thirds majority in Parliament, to draft
and pass a law that operationalises provincial and metropolitan councils as
required by the Constitution. While the President and his officials are still
saying the right things about devolution, they are doing the exact opposite on
the ground. As it stands, provincial affairs ministers are unconstitutional
appointments. The flow of the country’s resources as well as decision-making
processes remain skewed in favour of Harare and that is detrimental to national
cohesion. People must have freedom to determine the use of their resources and
to decide on their development priorities. That can only be achieved if
devolution is implemented as a matter of urgency.