MPANDAWANA – Emmanuel Mapengo (33) of Soloma Village in the Tongogara resettlement area, last week appeared before magistrate Victor Mahamadi facing charges of raping his 14-year-old niece who is mentally challenged.
He was charged for contravening with Section 65(1) of The Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23.
Mapengo was remanded in custody to September 10 and was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
State facts as presented by prosecutor Millicent Azangwe are that on a date not known to her but in the period between January 01 and June 25 this year, Mapengo would follow the child to the fields where he would sexually abuse her.
On several occasions that he followed the child around, he ordered the girl to lie on the ground facing upwards before raping her.
The offense continued until the child’s grandmother persuaded her to talk after realising that she was pregnant.
A police report was then made leading to Mapengo’s arrest.local

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Jimson Mufundire (38) was nearly sent to prison last week for attempted murder after he pleaded guilty to hitting Solomon Gwazinga who had allegedly boasted that he was sleeping with his mother.
This was heard in the Mwenezi Magistrate Court during the trial of Mafundire of Tariri village under Chief Maranda who was charged for severely assaulting his mother’s alleged lover.
Magistrate Honest Musiiwa gave Mafundire a stern warning before sentencing him to 15 months in prison, five of which were conditionally suspended.
The remaining 10 months were set aside on condition that he performed 350 hours of community service at Chengwe Primary school.
The magistrate highlighted that the medical report showed that Mafundire nearly killed the complainant.
Asked by magistrate Musiiwa why he committed the offence, Mafundire said the complainant was publicly boasting to his face that he was sleeping with his mother.
Representing the State, prosecutor Willard Chasi told the court that sometime in February this year, Mafundire was drinking beer in the village when a misunderstanding arose between him and Gwazinga after the latter had told him that he had sex with his mother.
Enraged by Gwazinga’s utterances, Mafundire took a wooden stool and struck him on the head.
Gwazinga sustained head injuries and was rushed to hospital where he received treatment.
A police report was later made leading to the arrest of Mafundire.local

Patience Muzhingi

ZVISHAVANE – Zvishavane Town Council in collaboration with the Zvishavane traffic police are planning to hire a pound master to take control of stray animals in town as a drastic measure to reduce road accidents.
Stray animals are being blamed for contributing to some of the road traffic accidents happening in the mining town.
Speaking at a traffic consultative meeting at Madeira last week, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Zvishavane traffic liaison officer, Assistant Inspector Brighton Nzima said almost 50 percent of all accidents recorded since January were caused by stray animals.
Nzima said the solution could come by hiring a poundmaster – a person who will be responsible for taking care of stray animals until their owners collect them upon paying a fine.
“We have only one problem as a department; those stray animals that are contributing to almost 50 percent of the road accidents in our town. We want to introduce a poundmaster who will take the livestock and let the owners pay fines before collecting them,” said Nzima.
Zvishavane traffic chief security officer, Francis Machaya echoed Nzima’s words saying the services of a poundmaster were critical to the reduction of road traffic accidents in the town.
“We once had a poundmaster who was paid on commission and we had a kraal where the livestock were kept but the place has since been taken away. We don’t have a site or a kraal as of yet so we will speak with the management of Shabani Mine so that we can share their kraal,” said Machaya.local

Bothwell Chabarika

The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Headquarters 4 Infantry Brigade last Saturday organised a well-subscribed fundraising dinner at Flamboyant Hotel, attracting many notable businesses and personalities in Masvingo province.
The event was part of the Commander Defence Forces Executive Interaction Initiative (CDF EII) which is a brainchild of now ZDF commander, General Philip Valerio Sibanda.
The initiative is running under the theme ‘Committed to Donate Towards the Less Privileged Members of Society.’
The Minister of Education Sports and Culture Professor Amon Murwira graced the event as the guest of honour.
Other dignitaries present included Chief Fortune Charumbira, Lovemore Mandima, Zanu PF provincial chairperson Ezra Chadzamira, Masvingo provincial Administrator (PA) Fungai Mbetsa, Masvingo North MP Davis Marapira, Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services (ZPCS) officer commanding Masvingo province; Snr Ass Com Social Ndanga and other members of the Joint Operations Command (Joc).
CDF EII Masvingo Chapter deputy patron, Colonel Blessing Maraire, who is also the deputy commander 4 Infantry Brigade, stood in for 4 Infantry Brigade Commander, Brig Gen Exsebious Tshuma.
The fundraising dinner complemented other efforts of the National Organising Committee of the Commander ZDF EII.
Proceeds are distributed to the defence forces charities namely, Tsanga Lodge Rehabilitation Centre, Widows and Orphans Benevolent Fund, ZDF Benevolent Fund, Army Schools Welfare Trust and Army Patients Welfare Fund.
Apart from that, some non-military charity cases in the province will also benefit from the proceeds which were raised during the dinner.
Many companies representatives and individuals who came to the dinner made commitments to contribute towards the target of raising US$50 000.
Such organisations as N. Richards Group, Nyaradzo Funeral Services, FMC, POSB, Renco Mine, Masvingo City Council, Bilcro, Jadecon Construction & Engineering were represented.
Dr Fredrick Kasese, who was the director of ceremony, challenged the gathering to contribute to the cause, saying left overs for one constituted a whole meal for others.
Entertainment was provided by army band 4 Lions Band which gave a polished act each time they were given a chance to perform. Most notable in the band was Private Rubinda Bonita who charmed the crowd through his impressive dance moves.
Other CDF EII programmes that have been lined up CDF EII are a fun shoot and ruffle draw to be held on September 07, 2018 at Mushandike Ranch and a golf tournament at Masvingo Golf Course on September 22.local

Simbarashe Mandishona

Clayton Shereni

Masvingo residents have expressed mistrust and lack of confidence in the city council’s annual budget consultative outreach programmes, dismissing the processes as mere window-dressing.
Speaking at a Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (Murra) local government budgeting survey launch at a local hotel last week, residents said they were being marginalised in the city’s budgeting process.
A female Ward 2 resident said city fathers only come to the people with drafted budgets just as a formality and a way of fulfilling the consultative requirements of the Urban Councils Act.
“We don’t know the budget, what we know is the expenditure. We are only shown what they would have already drafted. All of them come to the people for that deceptive exercise and after that, we don’t see them until the following year,” she said.
One of City of Masvingo representatives at the meeting, however, defended the practice of drafting the budget before consultations, saying making consultations first was time consuming.
“We just can’t gather without a tangible pre-budget because with that kind of democracy, the whole process would be delayed. As we come to the people, we must have a starting point which we can then amend with the consent of the people,” said the rep.
Speaking on behalf of the business community, Lulu Munemo of Lulu Events said the council could improve service delivery by planning fewer tasks at a time and executing them before moving on to the next task.
“Our council needs to take it one step at a time. We commend what they are doing but they are doing too many tasks at the same time. In Clovely, we don’t even get to see refuse trucks yet we pay rates,” said Munemo.
City of Masvingo deputy housing director, Simbarashe Mandishona challenged residents to rigorously engage council in a way that helps service delivery.
“It’s residents who make us great, our doors are always open. We need people who are forthcoming so that we make a great team and make our city a jewel as it has always been,” said Mandishona.
Recently Murra filed an urgent High Court application seeking an order for the council to quickly restore regular water supplies that have been disrupted by broken down pumps.
The court ordered the two parties to reach a settlement whereby the council will have to equitably distribute the available water until normal supplies are restored.local