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South East Zimbabwe: A cultural tourism hub

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South East Zimbabwe: A cultural tourism hub
Chokoto dancers during Ndau Festival of the Arts in Chipinge

Stephen Ephraem
CHIPINGE – Cultural tourism, which can be described as travel by which the tourist is concerned with experiencing cultural environments like landscapes, arts, the lifestyle of locals, values, language, religion, traditions and events has gained ground in South East Zimbabwe.
South East region of Zimbabwe consist of Chiredzi and Chipinge districts.
The cultural tourism concept was necessitated by the introduction of culture groupings, leading to the birth of high culture, sub culture, popular culture and global culture. The high culture group is termed as the “upper” class society which does not allow the ‘lesser’ class to dilute its ‘elite’ status and is the main consumer of cultural tourism.
Economically, cultural tourism contributes to economies of many countries. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, a forum for business leaders in the Travel and Tourism industry, in 2014 alone, nearly 1.14 billion people worldwide crossed borders as tourists.
Tourism, directly and indirectly, contributed US$ 7.6 trillion to the total global GDP (Gross Domestic Product). It also created 6.1 million jobs, thus one in every 11 jobs worldwide.
In Zimbabwe, tourism has directly and indirectly contributed US$1.44 billion in 2014 which is 10.4 percent of the GDP. It also generated 181000 jobs directly which is 3.1 percent of total employment.
Socially, regardless of the cultural groupings, cultural tourism has broken the hatred and xenophobia barriers and has promoted peace, friendship and understanding between the host destination and the tourists.
It also helps curb rural migration. Rural communities which have something to market in their culture have a sense of belonging in their environments and do not need to move to other areas for survival or well being.
Cultural tourism helps preserve the cultural and historical heritage to keep attracting visitors. The Karanga people ofMasvingo are a good example of people preserving their culture and heritage through marketing of the Great Zimbabwe monuments.
Cultural tourism helps the host communities to maintain and take pride in their identity. This is a case with the communities of the San people in Tsholotsho who are regard as primitive by some people. To them, there is nothing primitive about their culture.
The south east region of Zimbabwe is a cultural tourism hub packed with Machangana Festival held in Mahenye in Chipinge, Ndau Festival of the Arts held in Bangira, Chikore in Chipinge and Great Limpopo International Cultural Fair held in Muhlanguleni in Chiredzi.
MaChangana Festival
MaChangana Festival brings together Tsonga (also known as Shangani or Xangani) communities surrounding Zimbabwe’s second largest national wildlife ornament, the Gonarezhou National Park. It takes place in September every year.
Established in 2010 and bankrolled by award winning conservationist, Clive Stockil of Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge, the inaugural MaChangana gala was held in Chiredzi South and in Chiredzi North in 2011. The third edition took place in Mahenye in Chipinge in 2012.
Due to general elections that were taking place that year, the 2013 commemoration was deferred to the following year. The 2014 event took place in Chief Gudo’s area in Chiredzi North. From 2015, the festival is now held in Chief Mahenye’s area in Chipinge South.
The MaChangana Festival showcases most of Tsonga cultural practices including cultural villages, traditional food, traditional dressing, traditional dances and traditional hunting ceremonies. The traditional fishing ceremony known as saila is the key feature of the festival. 
Ndau Festival of the Arts
Ndau Festival of the Arts (NDAFA) takes place every September and was established in 2013 by Phillip Kusasa of Bangira village in Chikore, Chipinge district. He formed a trust which went on to apply for land to construct a heritage site.
Kusasa’s dream became real when the trust received a shot in the arm by the allocation of a hectare of land by United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (UCCZ) in Chikore. Today, Paiyapo Arts Development and Heritage Centre is the pride of Bangira.
Kusasa works closely Dr Elias Konyana of Great Zimbabwe University, Mr Fred Bandama of Chikore and revered female author of Ndau literature, Mrs Joyce Simango, who published a 90 page Ndau book titled “Zviuya zviri mberi” in 1974.
NDAFA hosts various cultural aspects like research, music and dance, food, costume, paintings, environmental awareness as well as children and women’s rights.
The festival has seen high profile government officials like permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Dr Thokozile Chitepo and principal director, Biggie Samwanda visiting.
Great Limpopo International Cultural Fair
The Great Limpopo International Cultural Fair (GLICF) was established by Herbert Hasani Pikela in Chiredzi. The fair takes place in communities surrounding Gonarezhou National Park and is held in July. This year, it has been deferred to November.
Gonarezhou is part of the Great Limpopo Trans Frontier Conservation Areas which amalgamates it with the Limpopo National Park of Mozambique and the Kruger National Park of South Africa. The Great Limpopo International Cultural Fair derives its name from the trans-frontier park.
The fair showcases mostly Tsonga cultural aspects in food, drink, dressing, agriculture, conservation, music and dance.                                                                                                                              
GLITF is the cultural tourism flagship of a non-profit making organisation, Centre for Cultural Development Initiatives (CCDI). In addition to the fair, the organisation runs Great Limpopo Cultural Village and Simuwini Conference Centre at Muhlanguleni in Chiredzi.
GLITF draws participants from Tsonga communities in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It has won recognition from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and has partnered Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) in its marketing drive.
High profile government officials like former vice president, Phelekezela Mphoko, Dr Chitepo and Samwanda have graced the festival in the past years.
Truly, the south east region of Zimbabwe is cultural hub. Its pregnant with tourism packages that await to be delivery.entertainment

Gutu man licks daughter’s private for business

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Gutu man licks daughter’s private for business


Precila Takabvirakare

MPANDAWANA – A man from Magombedze village under Chief Makore recently appeared before the Gutu Magistrates’ Court facing charges of indecently assaulting his 14-year-old daughter by fondling her breasts, buttocks and licking her vagina and breasts.
The 39-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the victim, pleaded guilty to contravening with Section 67(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
He was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment but eight months were conditionally suspended, leaving him to serve an effective 16-month jail sentence.
State facts were that on a date not known by the prosecutor but in April 2016 at around 20:00 hrs, the man called his daughter into his bedroom, ordered her to sit on his bed where he was seated but the girl refused and fled to her bedroom hut.
The man then followed the girl to her room where she slept, opened the door but the girl stood up to check who had got into her room.
The man then closed the door behind him, lifted the girl’s skirt, removed her pant, lifted her blouse, fondled her breasts and buttocks, and licked her vagina and breasts.
The girl later divulged what had happened to her mother, leading to the man’s arrest.
When magistrate Victor Mahamadi asked the offender why he committed the offence, he said a prophet had advised him to do so if he wanted to prosper in business.
“The prophet I consulted told me to do that so that I could prosper in business and get a lot of money,” the man said, courting the ire of the magistrate who said the act was immoral and was not expected of a father.crime

Man jailed for sleeping with own daughter

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Man jailed for sleeping with own daughter


Tiyani Hahlani

Masvingo magistrate, Langton Ndokera this week sentenced a 34-year-old man from Ndiweni village under Chief Mapanzure to five years in prison for having sexual intercourse with his own daughter.
The man will however serve an effective four years imprisonment after one year was suspended on condition of good behaviour.
The accused pleaded guilty to having sexual intercourse within a prohibited degree as defined in section 75(2) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
The State, led by Fidelicy Nyamukondiwa, convinced the court that from February to May 2018, the accused had unprotected consensual sexual intercourse with his biological daughter who is aged 14.
On the first day the accused told her daughter that if they had sex they would be happy, claiming that the girl’s mother was not satisfying him in bed.
On another day, the man went to where his daughter was washing the dishes outside the hut and told her that he wanted to sleep with her as he had asked before, and the girl agreed.
He then took the minor to his bedroom hut where he raped her on the bedding and it became a habit whenever the accused’s wife was away.
The girl’s mother began to suspect that something was wrong because the two became unusually close to one another, eating together and making plans together.
The complainant’s mother at one time approached the village head but he did not act but the matter eventually came to light after the police were tipped off, leading to the arrest of the offender.
The girl was then taken to Masvingo Provincial Hospital where she was medically examined and the doctor revealed that there was penetration.crime

Mutonhori High pupils manhandle teacher, pull his privates over cell phones

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Mutonhori High pupils manhandle teacher, pull his privates over cell phones


Brighton Chiseva

ZAKA – Two pupils from Mutonhori High School were temporarily suspended from school after they manhandled a teacher before pulling his privates who had confiscated their mobile phones in the school library.
The pupils are said to have alerted the district education office where the authorities lifted the suspension, arguing procedures were not followed.
Mutonhori High School head, Lucas Masokose confirmed the incident but could not shed more light as to what really transpired.
“We had an incident here sometime last month involving a teacher and some form six pupils but the matter was resolved and the pupils are here at school,” said Masokose
However, close sources said the two pupils and others had left their cell phones charging in the library when Amon Munodzana, the seniour teacher, took the cell phones and preferred punishment against the errant pupils.
“Most of the pupils accepted their punishment but (the names of the two pupils) who are bush boarders, refused and demanded their phones back. They claimed they wanted the phones to make payments via EcoCash and for lighting in the night.
“They followed the teacher to the storeroom where they fought and manhandled him when he tried to beat them away. One of the pupils pulled the teacher’s privates and he fell unconscious,” said the source.
When the teacher regained consciousness, he followed the pupils but they threw stones at him until he sought shelter in another room and called other teachers to help him.
 “The pupils were reprimanded by the District Schools Inspector Beaula Shambambeva who then lifted the suspension saying it was not done accordingly. She, however, ordered the pupils to go back and serve their punishment at the school,” said the source.local

MDC-T Bikita councillor acquitted of contravening POSA

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MDC-T Bikita councillor acquitted of contravening POSA

Clayton Shereni

BIKITA – MDC-T ward 17 councillor, Decent Chikunya, who was in May this year brought before Masvingo magistrate Langton Ndokera for contravening the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) has been acquitted of the charge.
Chikunya was charged with POSA for allegedly convening a political meeting at Mukamba in Bikita East without notifying the police.
Through his lawyer Dereck Charamba of Mutendi, Mudisi and Shumba Legal Practitioners, Chikunya pleaded not guilty to the charge stating that he only attended the said meeting as a sitting councillor to choose candidates for their party’s primaries.
It is the state’s case that on March 18, 2018, Chikunya unlawfully conducted a meeting at Mukamba where political meetings are usually held.
Zanu PF had earmarked the venue for their sanctioned meeting on the same day and they saw the venue occupied by MDC-T people.
A Zanu PF member Chipiwa Chipare proceeded to file a complaint with the police who came to the venue only to find the MDC-T members dispersing leading to the arrest of Chikunya.
Fidelicy Nyamukondiwa prosecuted.crime

‘Elections will never be free and fair’

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‘Elections will never be free and fair’
Nkosana Moyo

…Zanu PF will definitely rig
…Chigumba cannot let her bosses down

Upenyu Chaota

“All is fair in love and war, and in every endeavour of human activity where there is competition, there is cheating.”
These were the words of Alliance for the People’s Agenda (APA) presidential candidate, Nkosana Moyo during a question and answer session he held with members of the public in Masvingo on Wednesday, July 04.
Moyo said Zanu PF will cheat in the coming elections, and advised that opposition parties should make sure that they implement measures to make cheating impossible.
Addressing a handful of stakeholders at Civic Centre yesterday Moyo said cheating was to be expected in any competition and Zanu PF, with the help of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec), will try to cheat in the July 30 harmonised polls.
“It would be buffoonery to think that Zec will play a neutral role in this election. Zec is an arm of Zanu PF and the chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba was appointed by President Mnangagwa.
“Chigumba will never bite the hand that feeds her. If Chigumba was appointed by a neutral panel which has the best interests for the people of Zimbabwe at heart, there would be some reason to believe Zec will do justice in this election.
“This will not be the case and Zanu PF will cheat but we will try to implement measures to stop the cheating,” said Moyo.
He warned that opposition parties were wasting their time fighting Zec when the election date is getting closer by the day.
“The opposition parties are investing their energy in the wrong areas. They should be making sure that they have their agents in place to keep a watchful eye against cheating.
“We will deploy our agents on every polling station and they will not leave until the counting has been completed and results displayed,” said Moyo.
He said opposition agents were to blame at times because they give Zanu PF the chance to rig elections.
“Zanu PF is clever and they will do everything to cheat in this election. Our agents used to leave the polling station to go find food and Zanu PF in connivance with Zec would stuff more ballots in the box.
“We will not be caught off guard this time. We are going to make sure that we take responsibility of our votes,” said Moyo.
Moyo said even in sports, cheating is found hence the putting in place of measures to counter the bad practice.
“You see players taking drugs to try and gain competitive advantage but authorities there have a way of dealing with that. There is match-fixing in football and again the authorities have devised means to deal with that challenge.
“So in this election, Zanu PF will try and cheat but we will be watching them,” said Moyo.
Moyo’s fears are being shared by the MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa who has, of late, taken the fight to Zec over the irregularities with the voters’ roll and the whole electoral process.
Political analyst Dr Takavafira Zhou said Zec does not want a free and fair election and will do anything to rig on behalf of Zanu PF.
“Zec, as an appendage of the State, will try to rig this election for Zanu PF. If you look at how they have been dragging their feet against issuing the voters’ roll and how they resisted releasing the provisional voters’ roll, you will realise something is cooking.
“Why does the opposition parties have to go through the courts to make Zec do their job? Zanu PF will try to divert attention just like they did with the Bulawayo bomb to ease pressure on Zec while they do their weird gymnastics,” said Zhou.politics

Soldier bashes wife over perfume

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Soldier bashes wife over perfume

Clayton Shereni

A Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officer stationed at 4:1 Brigade appeared in the Masvingo Magistrates’ Court after his wife, Tryphine Tagwira reported him to the police for assaulting her over perfume scent in the house.
Obert Marwirana, who stays at House Number 3543 Musaneta Street, Rujeko A, was charged with physical abuse.
Magistrate Tendai Mugabe sentenced Marwirana to an effective three months imprisonment which was wholly suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
In mitigation, Marwirana who had pleaded guilty to the charges leveled against him, begged the court to be lenient with him saying he was acted under the influence of alcohol.
It was the State’s case that on July 5, the accused came home from work and smelt a perfume scent and demanded the complainant to explain where she had found it but she failed to give him a satisfactory answer.
Marwirana then started to assault his wife with fists on the face and head several times before she managed to escape.
Tagwira went on to file a report at Rujeko Police Station leading to Marwirana’s arrest.
Edmund Mapope represented the State.crime

Ndava hits hard times

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Ndava hits hard times

…as patronage networks close

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – Zanu PF provincial secretary of information and former Chiredzi North Member of Parliament (MP) Ronald Ndava seems to be facing serious financial problems with the Sheriff of the High Court recently confiscating his property for failing to pay US$20 000 to Farmec.
Ndava’s company, R&G Tractor has since gone broke while title deeds to his US$100 000 house are being held by credit services provider, Microcred Zimbabwe, which he owes US$40 000.
The former MP has had a rough patch in his life especially ever since he lost to current MP Robert Mukwena in the 2013 Chiredzi North Zanu PF primaries.
Ndava’s spirited attempts to stage a comeback in the recent party primaries of the constituency failed after the race was won by Roy Bhila.
Adding to his woes, Ndava has since been fired from his offices in Msasa Drive, Chiredzi, for failing to pay U$6 000 rentals and has sold his tractors in order to recover the other property he had lost after failing to pay the US$20 000 debt owed to Farmec.
This publication saw summons indicating that in 2017, Ndava entered into a written agreement with Microcred by which he was lent US$40 000 which was supposed to be repaid within a period of one year in monthly instalments of US$4 676.86.
“On the 31st of March 2017 at Masvingo, Plaintiff and defendant entered into a written loan agreement, a copy is attached hereto as “A” the material terms of the agreement were as follows,..The plaintiff lent and advanced a loan of $40 000 to the defendant.
“The defendant would repay the loan in monthly instalments in the sum of $4 676.26 commencing on the 15th of May 2017. The loan would be repaid over 12 months. That interest would accrue at the rate of 5.2% per month (inclusive of insurance 0.2 %) on the daily balance outstanding from time to time,” read part of the summons.
In March this year, Ndava was summoned to answer the claim of Microcred that he still owed them US$22 863.56 plus interest, collection commission and costs at attorney to client scale.
“You are hereby summoned that you do within fourteen days after service of this summons upon you enter or cause to be entered with me, and also the plaintiff’s legal practitioner at the address specified herein an appearance to answer to the claim of Microcred Zimbabwe…The plaintiff herein for the sum of USD22 863.56 plus interest, collection costs at attorneys scale,” the summons further read.
Mocrocred is currently holding the title to House Number 304 Inyathi Road belonging to Ndava whose company was forced to vacate its Msasa Drive offices for failing to pay US$6 000 rentals.
The company is barely surviving after it sold asserts to repay part of the debt.
Most successful business people in the Lowveld are members of the ruling party and they have to remain in good standing with the system if they are to stay afloat.local

Gutu man licks daughter’s private for business

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Gutu man licks daughter’s private for business


Precila Takabvirakare

MPANDAWANA – A man from Magombedze village under Chief Makore recently appeared before the Gutu Magistrates’ Court facing charges of indecently assaulting his 14-year-old daughter by fondling her breasts, buttocks and licking her vagina and breasts.
The 39-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the victim, pleaded guilty to contravening with Section 67(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
He was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment but eight months were conditionally suspended, leaving him to serve an effective 16-month jail sentence.
State facts were that on a date not known by the prosecutor but in April 2016 at around 20:00 hrs, the man called his daughter into his bedroom, ordered her to sit on his bed where he was seated but the girl refused and fled to her bedroom hut.
The man then followed the girl to her room where she slept, opened the door but the girl stood up to check who had got into her room.
The man then closed the door behind him, lifted the girl’s skirt, removed her pant, lifted her blouse, fondled her breasts and buttocks, and licked her vagina and breasts.
The girl later divulged what had happened to her mother, leading to the man’s arrest.
When magistrate Victor Mahamadi asked the offender why he committed the offence, he said a prophet had advised him to do so if he wanted to prosper in business.
“The prophet I consulted told me to do that so that I could prosper in business and get a lot of money,” the man said, courting the ire of the magistrate who said the act was immoral and was not expected of a father.crime

MSU donates to Gweru Provincial Hospital

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MSU donates to Gweru Provincial Hospital


Tinaani Nyabereka

GWERU – Midlands State University’s (MSU) marketing department recently donated an assortment of goods worth over $2 000 to Gweru General Hospital’s pediatric and maternity wards.
The donations included groceries, toys, clothes, sheets and other essential materials.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the department’s chairperson Miriam Mugwati said the donation was the first of its kind and they will keep on assisting the hospital whenever they can.
“This donation is targeting nursing mothers and the disabled children who are amongst the vulnerable groups in the society especially in these trying economic conditions,” said Mugwati.
The hospital’s acting superintendent, Dr Tendai Chandaengerwa said they were humbled by the gesture and appealed to other institutions in the province to emulate what has been done by MSU.
“We feel honoured by what MSU has done for us. As you all know Gweru Hospital is the biggest referral center in the province so our resources are sometimes strained and it affects our work.
“But we are grateful, we welcome and greatly appreciate this helping hand as it will go a long way in improving the living conditions of our patients,” said Chandaengerwa.local

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