Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – Concerned parents have called upon the police to do more to fight drug abuse through improved law enforcement in communities as well as counselling children.
The most common drug being abused by youngsters in Chiredzi seems to be the broncleer cough syrup but there are also indications that crack cocaine is increasingly becoming easy to access.
A 23-year-old man was recently found hanging, a case that was widely said to be drug abuse-induced suicide.
Augustine Mupezeni, a parent who is struggling to get help for his drug addicted son, said he had tried to engage police to raise alarm on the escalating drug problem.
“The police said I should consult someone who is responsible for counselling but she was said to be off duty. I wanted them to counsel my child and help establish the source. I have gone there three times. He bullies his siblings and he even has the guts to ask me for money to buy broncleer,” said Mupezeni.
Chiredzi West Member of Parliament (MP) Darlington Chiwa said drug abuse had destroyed the lives of many young people.
“If the police have challenges organising people to deal with youths who are into drug abuse, I am ready to help. I will support anybody who comes to me for assistance,” said Chiwa.
TellZim News contacted a woman who is widely rumoured to be a drug mule in the town, but she denied the allegations and warned this reporter not to call her again.local

MASVINGO – Zanu PF Masvingo North aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) James Moyo recently donated stationery items to winning athletes who competed in the district schools competitions held at Victoria High School last week.
The donation saw more than 78 pupils from different schools receiving such items as books, ball point pens, note books for team managers and gold medals.
Addressing athletes and other pupils at an event where he stood as an invited guest, Moyo encouraged athletes to take sports seriously, pledging to continue supporting their exploits.
He said leaders had a duty to support schools and the development of talent among school children.
Moyo has made his intentions to contest in the upcoming general elections clear, saying he has the best interests of Masvingo North, which is currently held by Davis Marapira, at heart.
“The constituency has immense potential but that has never been supported. There is a lot that needs to be done to develop this potentially rich constituency and set it up as an example for other people.
“We need to start new irrigation projects and expand the existing capacity. A Member of Parliament needs to be there to assist attracting investment and helping the area to develop. We don’t want to have people living like they have always lived; without any notable changes in their areas and their lives,” said Moyo.
He said his social responsibility work was meant to help in all areas that need intervention and would not stop even after the elections.
“There are people who go to the people simply to look for their votes and disappear thereafter. I want to be different. It is not all about the vote, but about working with communities and putting our heads together for the sake of development. Giving back to the community must not merely be for the sake of advancing one’s own political interests,” Moyo said.
He also said he had plans to support the empowerment of women and young people by helping them to set-up income generating projects.local

MASVINGO – Magistrate Dambudzo Malunga on Wednesday afternoon sentenced notorious rapist and alleged murderer, Charles Matanga to 72 years’ imprisonment on eight counts of rape.
Matanga had perpetrated a reign of terror in Chivi district and other parts of the province before being arrested near Ngundu business centre earlier this week
On the first count, the State’s case, as presented by Mukai Mutumhe, was that Matanga threatened a 13-year-old girl with a knife, dragged her into the bush and raped her.
On the second count the accused applied the same tactics to rape his victim.
Matanga also demanded victims’ belongings after raping them and it was heard that he demanded a cell phone from complainant number three.
On count four, the perpetrator induced fear into a minor and an adult before raping the minor while hiding his face behind a mask.
It was heard that Matanga struck his victim number five with an axe on her ear and at the back of her neck before raping her.
On count six, the perpetrator threatened a minor with an axe and raped her.
The accused assaulted his seventh victim with a log and she fell down, and he raped her as she lay unconscious.
On the last count, Matanga assaulted the complainant with an iron bar, cuffed her with chains and raped her countless times.
In passing judgement, Malunga considered the fact that Matanga is not married, has no children, is not employed and did not waste the court’s time denying the charges against him.
The magistrate also considered that the accused caused physical harm on his victims, traumatised minors and behaved like an animal.
The first, fourth and sixth counts of raping minors earned him 20 years imprisonment with two years suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offense in the next five years.
On count five, the rapist was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment but two years were suspended on condition that he does not commit the similar offense. On the third count, Matanga was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
Count two and seven earned him 10 years in prison while count eight attracted for him 14 years imprisonment with two were of them being suspended.
Matanga will soon be in the High Court to answer several murder charges some of which he allegedly committed after raping the victims.

MWENEZI – Stanley Zivuku of Mukachana village under Chief Chitanga reportedly bashed his wife while she was naked before engaging in forced sex with her, the Mwenezi Civil Court heard last week.
Locadia Hove dragged her husband Zivuku, who is employed as a security guard at Lundi Clinic, to the civil court seeking a protection order.
Giving her side of the story to the court, Hove who has since fled to her parents’ homestead, said she endured her husband’s abuses for many years but had eventually decided to come to court as she could not bear it anymore.
“We have four girls together with Zivuku. He would assault me all the time but I would take it for the sake of my marriage. I however now feel this has gone on for too far. Even other villagers can testify that I was being abused.
“When I fled to my parents’ homestead, Zivuku had severely assaulted me while I was naked, leaving me with scars all over the body. After the assault he forced me to have sex with him,” said Hove.
Asked by magistrate Honest Musiiwa why she failed to file a police report, Hove said she made efforts but she later opted for an out of court settlement.
Magistrate Musiiwa granted Hove the protection order and gave a serious warning to Zivuku.
The magistrate also decried the behaviour of women who shield their abusive husbands while suffering in silence. He urged women to stand up for their rights by filing police reports so that justice can take its course.local

CHIPINGE – Takwirira Government High School pupils last week took matters into their own hands to demand answers on what happened to the bus levy they said they had been paying since 2015.
The toyi-toyi forced the school head, John Madhuku, to call the police and the District Schools Inspector (DSI) Richard Gabaza to come and help pacify the situation.
The singing pupils blockaded the Chiredzi-Checheche Road and vowed to continue with their action until the school head brought the long-promised bus.
The strike started on March 02 and went on for three days after which some semblance of normalcy was created following long hours of negotiations led by Gabaza.
The protest action, however, resumed on Monday with the children reportedly blocking the road again and inconveniencing cross-border buses. Things only got better when police addressed pupils and assured them that officials from the Education ministry will come and address them.
When TellZim News tried to get a comment from Madhuku, he dropped the call as soon as the journalist introduced herself. He did not pick all the subsequent calls.
Gabaza, however, acknowledged that there were problems at the school and said attempts were being made to solve them.
“I managed to calm the students on Friday. The main issue is about the bus and we are still investigating the allegations. The reports we received from the school is that the money is not yet enough for the dealer to release the bus. It is a Zhengzhou Yutong and it costs around US$180 000 and the school says it has paid under $100 000.
“I also received the information that the bus company advised the school to apply for a loan from the bank if they wanted the bus urgently. We are however carrying investigations on all the allegations being raised,” said Gabaza.
A parent who spoke on condition of anonymity accused the Madhuku of maladministration, arrogance and shortchanging parents.
“There is no communication whatsoever between the administration and the staff as well as between the staff and parents. The headmaster must show us the bus that we have been paying for or he must at least give us a good explanation,” the parent said.local