Francis Moyo

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Chenjerai Chivarange (38) has been sentenced to 30 months imprisonment after being found guilty of kidnapping an elderly man and taking him to a circumcision camp in the mountains.
Chivarange, of Chiwarure village under Chief Maranda, was given the sentence by magistrate Honest Musiiwa who, however, conditionally suspended six months.
TellZim News reported on two occasions how Chivarange and his gang from the camp pursued a naked Lysias Hlaisi whom they had ambushed as he bathed in the river.
Giving his side of the story in court earlier on, Hlaisi who resides in the same village with Chivarange. said he was corned by Chivarange and his circumcision group while bathing in the river.
He then had to flee home naked in broad daylight with Chivarange, who was the ring leader of the group, in hot pursuit right up to his home. Chivarange and his group manhandled and bashed Hlaisi before taking him to the mountain camp.
Hlaisi further told the court that in the mountain, he was forcefully circumcised and this has negatively affected his sexual prowess.
Appearing for the State, Willard Chasi said sometime in September 2010, Chivarange arrived at Hlaisi’s homestead with a group of about 20 men with the intention of taking Hlaisi to a circumcision camp in Tungunyu Mountain.
Being unwilling to go there, Hlaisi locked himself in his bedroom hut and refused to open.
Chivarange then took an axe which he used to break in, destroying some property in the process. After successfully breaking in, Chivarange and his gang bashed and manhandled Hlaisi before taking him to the mountain camp.
Hlaisi later on fled the camp and filed a police report.
After committing the offence and upon hearing that the police were after him, Chivarange fled to South Africa where he spent some years.
When Chivarange later returned, Hlaisi alerted the police leading to his arrest.local

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – The government has urged Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe to give its employees fair remuneration and improve their living conditions so as to improve productivity and achieve cohesion, the government has said.
Addressing sugarcane workers at Gibbo Stadium in Triangle last week, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement, Rtd Air Marshal Perence Shiri said the salaries being received by sugarcane workers were low and their living conditions were ‘pathetic’.
Zimbabwe Sugar Milling Workers Union (ZSMIWU) had invited Vice President Constantino Chiwenga to address employees but it was Shiri who was then sent to represent him.
“Government is of the knowledge that we have sugar plantations here in Chiredzi with a lot of workers and it is our desire to see to it that that the workers’ wages and living conditions are upgraded.
“We should set the best practices when it comes to taking care of our workers so that other countries in the region can emulate us. If we give a good remuneration to our workers, they will work harder and the company will realise more profits,” said Shiri.
He also said his ministry had received a paper from the sugar company on what can be done to avoid retrenchments.
“We are engaging their management and it is government desire that the company grows so that they will employ more people instead of retrenching. We want local companies to grow bigger than they currently are,” said Shiri.local

Beaula Shambambeva

Brighton Chiseva

ZAKA – Former acting Zaka District Schools Inspector (DSI) Beaula Shambambeva collapsed and died on Sunday, August 05, evening at her rural home at Jerera growth point.
Efforts to get a comment from current DSI, Samson Chidzurira were futile as his phone went unanswered.
Provincial Education Director (PED), Zedius Chitiga, however, confirmed the matter saying he had just received the sad news.
Chitiga said he was also shocked by Shambambeva’s death, saying she had shown no signs of illness when he last met her some few days ago.
“I received the shocking news this morning (Monday) that Mrs Shambambeva collapsed last night. We heard that she was rushed to hospital where she was pronounced dead upon arrival,” said Chitiga.
Other sources said Shambambeva was busy doing her laundry with her daughter watching news on TV when she collapsed.
Shambabeva was the acting DSI for Zaka since 2016 following the transfer of James Mahofa to Gutu. She only left the post a few weeks ago following the appointment of Chidzurira as substantive DSI.
Shambambeva was due to be buried at her homestead in Mahusekwa, Marondera on Thursday, August 9.local

Precila Takabvirakare

MPANDAWANA – Tazvivinga Mapanzure (26) of Masunda village under chief Nyamandi has appeared in the Gutu magistrate court facing the charges of raping a 14-year-old girl.
He was charged for contravening Section 65(1) of The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 ‘rape’.
Mapanzure was remanded in custody to August 21 and ordered to undergo mental examination by two doctors.
State facts as presented by Millicent Azangwe are that on July 27, Mapanzure was on his way from Nyamandi business centre when he met the girl.
He greeted her and proposed love to her but she turned down the proposal and he did not take it kindly.
He then tripped the girl to the ground, removed her skin tight and pant, dropped his trousers to knee level and had sexual intercourse with her twice without her consent.
After the incident, the girl went home and disclosed the matter to her parents who then accompanied her to the police to make a report, leading to Mapanzure’s arrest.
When asked by magistrate Victor Mahamadi why he committed the offence, Mapanzure said he did not know what had come over him, adding he suspected he was under the influence of evil spirits.
“I do not know what had come over me. Maybe I was possessed by evil spirits. Soon after the committing the offence, I was even shocked by it myself,” said Mapanzure.

Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO – The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) on August 08 handed over a four lecture room block to the Reformed Church University (RCU) to mark the launch of its 2018 defence forces community assistance week.
The guest of honour at the handover ceremony, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said the construction of the block was in fulfilment of ZDF’s constitutional mandate of providing military aid to communities.
“The construction of this block is indeed a clear testimony of mutual co-operation as well as unity of purpose between ZDF and RCU. The new block is expected to improve the quality of education for all students who will have the opportunity to pass through this university,” said Chiwenga.
He also said the ZDF was carrying out a number of similar projects around the country, adding that the gesture demonstrated the organisation’s support and unquestionable commitment to programmes that advance the country’s interests.
The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Development, Professor Amon Murwira said the gesture was a fulfilment of the ministry’s three main pillars.
“We have three main pillars in education namely good teachers, physical infrastructure and good programmes and we accept your gift since it is one of the pillars aimed at improving our country,” said Murwira.
RCU chancellor, Rev Dr Rangarirai Rutoro echoed the same sentiments and thanked ZDF, saying the university appreciated the collective efforts of the church and the armed forces in furthering education development.
Speaking at the same event, ZDF commander, General Philip Valerio Sibanda said the organisation was ready to send artisans to assist where ever needed.
“You need to make sure that all the required resources and labour are available so that the artisans will not spend much time on a single project,” said Sibanda.
Also present was Air Marshal Elson Moyo, Commander ZNA; Lt Gen Edzai Chimonyo, several Members of Parliament (MPS) and traditional leaders.education

Advocate Mpofu addresses journalists during  a press conferance at his law chambers in Harare. Standing behind him is Chamisa's spokesperson, Dr Nkululeko Sibanda

Shingirai Vambe

HARARE – Advocate Thabani Mpofu on behalf of the MDC Alliance presidential candidate, Nelson Chamisa told journalist yesterday, August 08, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa will not be inaugurated before the finalisation of the opposition coalition’s court challenge.
Speaking at a press conference in the capital, Mpofu said the opposition had filed their court application against Mnangagwa’s ‘fraudulent’ victory.
He said they were still within the constitutional time frame needed to challenge the results of the presidential election in court, dismissing indications from government that the inauguration will be held on August 12.
“I am here representing Nelson Chamisa and we have filed our application against the presidential results and this is the evidence (waving a bunch of papers) which shows beyond any reasonable doubt that Chamisa won the elections.
“We cannot, however, put too much weight in our judicial system; it is just the procedure and we will follow it. Yes they have set the date for the inauguration, but it is the court process first then the inauguration later,” Mpofu said.
He also spoke on intimidation that he and other people in the opposition were facing every day in their efforts to defend the vote.
“We will stand for the truth even in the prison cell and on the death bed. We have the evidence that they don’t want to be known. That is why we are being arrested,” Mpofu said.
Meanwhile the MDC Alliance principal and newly-elected MP for Harare East, Tendai Biti has been denied asylum in Zambia where he escaped on Wednesday fearing for his life.
His fate was not yet clear by the time of going to print, with many legal gurus saying international statutes on the rights of refugees and asylum seeker did not allow Zambia to send him back to Zimbabwe. At worst, it was argued, Zambia was expected to allow Biti to choose another country where he wanted to go, rather than hand him over to the same authorities persecuting him.
A video of Biti being roughed up by a mob at Chirundu border post circulated widely on social media, drawing condemnation from many people who felt the former Finance minister had done nothing wrong to deserve such kind of humiliation.
“We are being intimidated; we are being followed around and some are being raided at their places of aboard. We cannot report this to the police as they are the same authorities who are also behind our necks,” Mpofu said.local

Darlington Kanyongo

ZVISHAVANE – Crispen Matongo (33) has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by magistrate Archie Wochiunga after stealing an ox from an 80 year old man.
Matongo was charged for contravening Section 134 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which defines stock theft.
It was the State’s case that on May 22 this year, Matongo stole an oxen belonging to Muchengete Svusvu (80) of Mhondongori village under Chief Wedza in Zvishavane.
The incident happened in the Mhondongori grazing area near Mimosa Mine where headman Luckson Sibanda was herding cattle.
The headman fell asleep and his cattle went astray.
Matongo together with his accomplices found Svusvu’s ox and slaughtered it before loading the meat onto a Toyota FunCargo vehicle leaving behind the head and carcass.
The remains were discovered the following day and a police report was made.
Matongo then approached Esau Gwatipedza who owns a butchery at Escro Shopping Centre to arrange for storage of the meat as he sought for customers.
Dube informed the police leading to Matongo’s arrest.local

Hubert Fidze