MASVINGO – Former Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) Member of Parliament (MP) for Masvingo Urban, Advocate Tongai Matutu last week Saturday organised a back-to-school charity event where he donated to orphaned and underprivileged school children.
The event, which happened at Boxing Arena in Mucheke and was facilitated by Dr Munyaradzi Chidarikire, saw 53 pupils receiving their full school fees for the term while others got satchels, counter books, khaki covers, socks and plastic covers among other goods.
Dr Chidarikire said the event was part of a programme which started with an earlier donation of school shoes to Early Childhood Development (ECD) pupils.
He said the donations were apolitical and plans were being made expand the list of beneficiaries in order to make sure that more deserving pupils get relief.
“We are planning to buy shoes for primary and secondary schools pupils. There are no political considerations that are made when we select beneficiaries; we just make an assessment to determine whether a pupil is really disadvantaged or not,” Dr Chidarikire said.
City of Masvingo mayor, Hubert Fidze said it was encouraging to note that the former legislator appreciated the need to reach out to the less privileged.
“I’m pleased with what the former Member of Parliament has done for our community considering the poor state of our economy. I wish we could have more of that kind of concern for those who are not as privileged as we are,” Fidze said.
Ratidzo Mazorodze, a parent to one of the beneficiaries, said the gesture had helped to lessen her worries now that the new school term has begun.
“As a parent I am happy. All the beneficiaries here are not at all in the best of circumstances and can hardly make ends meet. This is quite a relief and I will be able to see my child going back to school with others,” Mazorodze said.local

SHURUGWI – Villagers in Dorset area of Shurugwi South say as much as they eagerly expect a good rainy season for successful farming activities, they remain haunted by the obstacles to travel that the season brings due to flooded rivers and lack of bridges.
People who spoke to TellZim News said it was normal in the area for children to miss school for many weeks when rivers and streams in the area get flooded beyond their means to cross.
“There are three rivers that have always restricted business when it is wet; Kashambe, Mtorahuku, and Gwesheche. These rivers have cost us countless livestock every rainy season. When they are flooded it also means no school for our children sometimes for up to two weeks,’ said Dumisani Ndlovu.
Ward 21 Councillor Simon Kamurayi said the area was desperately in great need of bridges as that problem has existed for a very long time.
“My ward is in dire need of assistance to construct bridges to curb this problem because almost all the rivers within the constituency have no bridges and that is a danger to the life and welfare of the people,” said Kamurayi.
Other villagers who spoke to this publication blamed the local Member of Parliament (MP) Tapiwanashe Matangaidza for allegedly making false promises in the run-up to the 2013 elections and failing to raise local problems in parliament
“Honestly speaking, we were not expecting this kind of neglect from the MP. We last saw him when he was campaigning. We thought he would assist to construct bridges as he promised but has not done that,” said Bothwell Chaza.
Matangaidza is under pressure in the ruling Zanu PF party because of his alliance to the vanquished G40 faction.
Efforts to contact him for comment were fruitless as his mobile phone was not reachable.local

12 Jan 2018 – CHIREDZI – Local Zanu PF heavyweights and sugarcane farmers, Roy Bhila and Farai Musikavanhu, say they want to partner billionaire American businessman Bill Gates to develop the enormous untapped potential of the Lowveld.
Speaking during the launch of the Roy Bhila Foundation in Mkwasine recently, Musikavanhu, who is former agriculture director at Tongaat Hullet, mentioned Chiredzi North and West as particularly capable of contributing to the growth of the national economy due to the presence of large water bodies.
“These two constituencies have the potential to be among the top ten most developed areas in the country but currently, we seem to still be in the early Iron Age,” said Musikavanhu.
He said that they were in the process of inviting Gates, one of the richest man in the world, to be their development partner in Chiredzi.
“We are going to invite Bill Gates to be our development partner. He once landed at Buffalo Range Airport and drove to Singita Pamushana Lodge in Malilangwe and never passed through our town because it’s in a mess.
“We are also going to approach the American embassy to tell them that it’s now pay back time for the wealth they once amassed from our country,” added Musikavanhu.
Prominent American billionaires and celebrities have visited Singita Pamushana in Chiredzi include Bill Gates, Shakira and Paul Tudor Jones II.
Musikavanhu also disparaged current Chiredzi MPs claiming they were sleeping in parliament as they have failed to represent sugarcane farmers who are still identified with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce instead of the Ministry of Agriculture.
“Sugarcane is not being funded under the Command Agriculture initiative because it still falls under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce instead of the Ministry of Agriculture. Our MPs are failing to represent us and are sleeping in Parliament,” Musikavanhu charged.
Musikavanhu wants to contest in Chiredzi West on a Zanu PF ticket in the next election.local

MASVINGO – The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Masvingo province last week held a meeting with political parties that are represented in parliament to exchange ideas on the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) mop-up exercise which will end on February 08.
ZEC provincial chairperson, Zex Pudurai said the meeting with political parties went well with all stakeholders raising their concerns especially around the issue of new registration stations.
“We conducted a meeting with political parties that have representation in parliament to discuss the BVR mop-up exercise and opening of the registration centres,” Pudurai said.
Masvingo province has been allocated 40 kits and each district will have three teams except Bikita district which will have two teams. A total of 333 centres are expected to be covered in the new campaign.
“We agreed on a working plan to allocate the kits at Registrar General offices around the province but in case of other needs that may rise, we can always look into that,” Pudurai said.
ZEC has since reduced its target of seven million registered voters for the whole country to five million, after registering nearly 4.9 million voters in the initial blitz.
The commission highlighted that the new initiative did not signal the end of the registration process, but a cut-off date that enables it to prepare a provisional voters roll.
The number of those registered to vote in the province in the province as on January 10 was 545 442, with 226 222 of them being male with 319 220 female. A total of 11 604 prospective registrants were turned away for various reason.local

Denford Chimbwinya

12 Jan 2018 – Captain Francis Chanduru has been appointed the new Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Headquarters 4 Infantry Brigade. He replaces Lieutenant Bigboy Mazivofa who has been posted to the Headquarters Presidential Guards Brigade in Harare in the same capacity.
Prior to his new appointment, Captain Chanduru was with Headquarters Presidential Guards.
Born on 01 January 1965 in Gutu, he attended Chikara Primary School in Nyazvidzi and later moved to Nharira Primary School in Chitsa. In 1979, he moved to Kwekwe High School for his Ordinary and Advanced levels before being attested into the ZNA in 1986 with the formation of the then elite 6 Brigade.
On completion of his military training, the Masvingo born soldier was posted to Parachute Regiment as a rifleman. After taking various military courses and a diploma in Public Relations.
The officer joined the ZNA Public Relations Directorate, publishers of the ZNA magazine as a junior reporter in 1991 and was appointed Public Relations Officer the following year in 1992. Having done in-house and professional courses he was posted to the Headquarters Presidential Guards along the way serving with the Mechanised Brigade.
The officer rose through the ranks to become a Staff Sergeant in 2004 before he was recommended the same year to undergo the Basic Officers Course (BOC) at the Zimbabwe Military Academy in Gweru.
After completing the course, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant and later promoted to the rank of Captain; the rank he currently holds. Captain Chanduru is currently studying for a degree in Media Studies with UNISA. He is recipient of medals which include the Independence, Mozambique campaign, Ten years, Long and Exemplary and the DRC campaign medals.
He is married and has five children.local