Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Everisto Gwekwerere of Denhere village, Ward 15 under Chief Chitanga got the shock of his life after finding his wife stark-naked in another man’s bedroom after setting a trap.
Gwekwerere was dragged to the Mwenezi Civil Court by his long time wife, Sharai Nyanisi who was seeking a protection order.
In her application, Nyanisi told the court that although she was no longer interested in cohabiting with Gwekwerere, he was still pursuing her wherever she went.
On his part, Gwekwerere told the court that his long time wife was ashamed of returning home because he caught her stark-naked with another man.
He told the court that upon his return from South Africa where he works, he was alerted that his wife was in an extra-marital affair with another man.
“We have been married for 17 years and we are blessed with four children. When I returned from work, my wife requested to go to his parents’ place of residence. So I gave her the permission but I was later tipped that she had, instead, gone to Laxson’s place at Mwenezana Estates cottages.
“Since I know the place, I went straight to Laxson’s house and got in uninvited. I found my wife and Laxson naked in the same blankets. I just ordered them to dress so that we could negotiate peacefully but my wife immediately fled soon after dressing,” said Gwekwerere.
He claimed that he pursued Nyanisi simply because he was worried about her safety following the embarrassing incident.
Nyanisi, who did not dispute Gwekwerere’s version of events, said she was no longer interested in Gwekwerere and did not want him to interfere in her personal life.
Magistrate Honest Musiiwa took time to counsel the two and later granted Nyanisi the protection order.
He ordered Gwekwerere not to visit Nyanisi at her new place of residence and to refrain from any form of violence.local

Gibson Hwende

MASVINGO – Walter Mzembi could lose the right to represent Zanu PF in Masvingo South constituency in elections due next year with reports that many traditional leaders have withdrawn their support for him and are routing for fresh blood including philanthropist Wilson Maride.
Traditional leaders have been known to be the bedrock of support for Zanu PF candidates in the rural areas.
Like many other ruling party candidates, Mzembi has been riding on their support but he now finds himself on the back foot after he aligned himself with the vanquished G40 faction at the height of Zanu PF factional battles.
Mzembi has also been accused of being an absentee Member of Parliament who did nothing for his people and was therefore much loved in Harare than his own home area.
Last week, Chief Maregere was the first to come out in the open withdrawing his support for Mzembi while pledging his support for Maride who is known for the work being done by his Maride Foundation.
“The government led by our new President Emmerson Dambudzo Munangagwa should give us youthful leaders like Wilson Maride who are assisting to develop our communities,” said Chief Maregere.
He was speaking at the Youth Build Zimbabwe (YBZ) graduation and infrastructure handover ceremony held at Makove Secondary School where Maride helped to build a classroom block and toilets.
“He partnered with us on the construction of this block by providing cement, food for builders. He also donated sign posts to other schools and helped create many projects including mushandirapamwe for women. We want him to be our MP,” the traditional leaders said.
YBZ is a National Youth Service programme meant to enhance youth visibility and participation in peace building efforts as well as to direct youth energy towards national development.
Other people who spoke to TellZim News on the sidelines of the event said Mzembi had been riding on his closeness to former President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace but did not have political clout of his own in the grassroots.
“Many other traditional leaders have already abandoned him and they will not support him even if he does not get dismissed from the party. He did nothing for the people so his record his is bad,” said one youth.
As Tourism minister, Mzembi was criticised for not marketing local tourist attractions like Great Zimbabwe. When he lost his post as Foreign Affairs minister last month, he had drawn widespread condemnation after he revived his efforts to seize Banquest Farm from its productive owner, Hellen Mitchell.local

MWENEZI – The family of Gladys Shoko, who was allegedly murdered in South Africa by her husband Austin Mukwazukwazu following an argument over alleged extramarital affairs, has demanded that the Mukwazukwazu family must pay 45 beasts before they can allow their daughter’s body to be repatriated for burial, TellZim News has learnt.
Mukwazukwazu, who is originally from Ramubhudha village under Chief Maranda, was residing with his wife in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, when the alleged murder was committed in October.
It is alleged that on the day, Mukwazukwazu found Shoko in possession of some money which she allegedly failed to account for its source. Mukwazukwazu began to accuse Shoko of having an extramarital affair.
He allegedly took a log and struck Shoko all over her head resulting in her falling unconscious. She was later rushed to hospital where she died upon admission.
After committing the offence, Mukwazukwazu fled to Zimbabwe but was arrested last week after a manhunt by Mwenezi police. By the time of going to print, he was due to appear in court.
Although no comment could be obtained from the police, Chief Maranda confirmed the incident saying Mukwazukwazu and the Shoko family had agreed on the repatriation of the body.
“What I am sure is that police managed to arrest Mukwazukwazu. As for the number of cattle that were being charged by Shoko’s family, I am not aware but I can confirm that the families have agreed to repatriate the body following weeks of negotiations. I have been informed that the body is on its way home,” said Chief Maranda.
However, a close source confirmed that Mukwazukwazu’s father, a prominent Mwenezi farmer popularly known as Bope, managed to convince the bereaved family to settle for less.
“The Shoko family were demanding that Bope should pay 45 beasts for the crime. However, Bope negotiated and paid 15 beasts. Besides that, the Bope family raised R18 000 for the corpse to be brought home,” said the source.local

Moses Ziyambi

City of Masvingo Town Clerk Adolf Gusha was last week honoured alongside many other employees for the long time they have spent serving the council.
An award ceremony was held last week at the Civic Centre Hall in honour of employees who were going on retirement as well as those who have served the council with distinction for periods ranging from 10 to 43 years.
Gusha has worked in local governance since 1983 when he joined Shurugwi Rural District Council after completing his university education the previous year.
From Shurugwi, he joined the local governance ministry before moving to Masvingo city council in 1987 where he started as the deputy housing director. He then rose through the ranks until he was appointed substantive Town Clerk in 2004.
As the council’s most senior manager, he has overseen the development of the town which later gained city status thanks to his and many other people’s efforts.
Gusha worked with many councils including that of the late mayors; Alderman Francis Aphiri, Engineer Alois Chaimiti, Femius Chakabuda and the current mayor Hubert Fidze.
During these times, City of Masvingo won many awards for its efforts to improve service delivery especially with regards to the provision of safe water for domestic use and up until today, the city boasts probably the safest drinking water in all urban areas of the country.
Gusha was there when the council was rendered ‘almost destitute’ in 2013 when council employees sued and managed to get almost all of the municipal service vehicles attached over unpaid wages amounting to US3.5 million.
The council later waged a protracted legal battle which it latter won and managed to recover all the vehicles last month. Meanwhile, council had already replenished its fleet with new vehicles bought through such controversial yet successful schemes like the roads levy.
In October 2016, Gusha scooped the prestigious Best CEO of the Year award (Second Runner-up) at the Megafest Business Awards held in Bulawayo.local

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – Residents have said the new Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing July Moyo has a mammoth task of clearing the mess left behind by his predecessor Saviour Kasukuwere at Chiredzi Town Council.
Residents claim there is a lot of corruption in the council as revealed in a report by an audit team from the ministry.
Kasukuwere, however, refused to officially release the report to the public, let alone act on its reported filthy exposés.
When the audit team visited last year, it – among several other things – discovered that councillors had irregularly shared amongst themselves 40 residential stands that they latter resold to third parties at inflated prices.
The team also found that council chairperson Francis Moyo had been involved in an accident while driving a car he was not supposed to drive.
Residents say town secretary Charles Muchatukwa is fronted by many people in his ownership of multiple stands and properties in the town.
Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (CHRRA) chairman Jonathan Mupamombe said they were giving the new minister some time to deal with the mess that Kasukuwere ignored at the council.
“Our hope is now pinned on July Moyo. We are very much prepared to work with him to clean up Kasukuwere’s mess at Chiredzi Town Council. We had an investigation team from the ministry and it unearthed a lot of irregularities but everything was swept under the carpet.
“The report must be made public. If the management was caught offside, they must be held accountable. We want service delivery.
“Recently, town engineer Wesley Kauma was spotted connecting water only to his homesteads in Makondo location (Ward 8) using council resources while leaving out the rest of the households,” said Mupamombe.
When contacted for comment, Kauma dismissed the allegations as false.
“That’s a true lie. Residents once threatened to demonstrate against council pertaining connection of water in Makondo location. We are now in the process of connecting all households yet rumours have begun circulating that I am connecting my homesteads only. Truly speaking, we are connecting the whole of Makondo location not my homesteads only as people are saying,” said Kauma.local

Memory Rasa

This year saw some of the most horrific road traffic accidents ever recorded in this country with a devastating effect on the national economy, the welfare of families and the wellbeing of survivors.
Road traffic accidents are expected to be the main cause of death globally by 2020 according to Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ).
This year has already seen a number of fatal road accidents being declared national disasters.
Over 2 000 lives have already been lost on Zimbabwean roads this year, with an average of five people dying and 38 injured every day due to road carnages.
A closer look at fatal accidents of 2017 reveal that human error was the main cause and more care on the part of drivers could have seen many if not all of the accidents being avoided.
In April 2017, a South Africa-bound Proliner bus was sideswiped by a haulage truck near Chaka Business Centre in Chirumhanzu, along the Harare-Masvingo highway, killing over 30 passengers and injuring more than 40. Most of those who died were burnt beyond recognition.
Prior to that, in March, there was another horror crash in Kwekwe which claimed 31 lives after a front tyre of a Pfochez bus burst, leading to a sideswipe with a Mercedes Benz Sprinter.
In June, a King Lion bus on its way to Lusaka, Zambia, killed 45 passengers and injured 30 in Nyamakate along the Harare Chirundu highway. The driver, who was speeding, lost control of the bus, causing it to slam onto a tree. It was reported that the bus had 76 passengers on board instead of 69.
Most saddening of all these accidents, perhaps, is the fact that many breadwinners were killed while on their way to fend for their families outside the country.
Both the accidents involving the cross-border busses could have been avoided firstly if the drivers were more careful and secondly, if the roads were in a better shape. Vehicles are sideswiping each other because the roads are narrow, there is no doubt about that, but also because drivers enjoy speeding.
In June, a commuter omnibus rammed a stationery haulage truck near Dema police station in Seke killing 10 people. It was on its way from Hwedza to Harare.
That was followed by another deadly accident when 11 people were burnt beyond recognition after two vehicles, a Nissan Caravan with 21 passengers and a Honda CRV, collided and burst into flames along Centenary – Mvurwi road.  All four people in the CRV died on the spot while seven others travelling in the Caravan perished.
On August 24, a commuter omnibus driver in Murewa tried to dodge a police traffic checkpoint and the vehicle encroached into the right lane where it collided head-on with another omnibus travelling to Motoko. Ten people died on the spot and several more were injured.
On August 25, another horror crash involving a haulage truck in Kamativi, Matebeleland North province killed 12 people. The truck was carrying 130 people, mainly apostolic church congregants from Binga who were going to a conference in Dete. It was reported that the truck developed faulty brakes, veered off the road before plunging into a valley where the 12 died while many others escaped with injuries.
On November 2, a Polokwane-bound kombi killed 12 Zimbabweans after colliding with a truck. The kombi, which caught fire near Botlokwa village along the N1, was travelling from Musina when it hit a stray donkey.
On December 02, 21 people died at Jamila in Tsholotsho Mtebeleland North province, after a Ministry of Health and Child Care UD truck which was carrying 50 anti-malaria campaigners from Nkayi and Lupane skidded off the road and crushed
It was reported that the driver of the truck failed to negotiate a sharp curve with other reports saying the driver had been drinking prior to that.
With due care on the part of the driver and officials from the Health ministry, the accident could have been avoided.
These deadly crushes are clearly a result of preventable factors: human error, disrespect for road rules and mechanical faults; all of which are avoidable.
Although night driving, bad roads, stray animals, decrepit and poorly-maintained vehicles have been cited as some of the major causes of the numerous casualties on the roads, TSCZ and the police department say at least 94 percent of road traffic accidents are a result of human error.
These mistakes include failure to give way, overtaking and reverse errors, use of cell phones while driving as well as speeding. Misjudgement, following other vehicles too closely, fatigue and negligent pedestrians or cyclists are also some of the main cause of road carnage.
According to the World Health Organisations (WHO), 1.3 million people are killed on the world’s roads annually and over 50 million are injured. About 90 percent of these deaths occur in developing countries.
WHO however states that road safety campaigns in conjunction with legislation can help to influence behavioural change but when used in isolation, education, information and publicity generally do not deliver tangible and sustainable reductions in deaths and serious injuries.
The director of transport management in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development, Allowance Sango says the accelerated rate of road accidents claiming lives in the public transport sector is now alarming.
He also said the creation of a national road accident fund which is awaiting government approval
TSCZ managing director Obia Chinyere said motorists should be extra careful and ensure that their vehicles are regularly serviced to avoid accidents especially as the country approaches the festive and rainy seasons.
A concerned cross boarder truck driver, Admire Maungani thinks regular training and evaluation of drivers can help to reduce accidents. He says the government should fast track the development of the rail system to reduce pressure on the roads.
“On numerous occasions, passengers cheer drivers on when they speed, not realising it is their lives that are at stake. Passengers also play a role in these road carnages; they need to know when their lives are in danger and how to stop drivers,” Maungani said.
In March, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat), the number of accidents rose by 75 percent despite the increased number of police roadblocks.
In its 2017 first quarter report, ZimStat said road traffic accidents increased nearly four times from 45 701 in 2015 to 159 490 in 2016.local

ZAKA – More than 300 people registered to vote last week in Jerera at a national peace campaign organised by Heal Zimbabwe, Election Resource Centre (ERC) and Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) in Zaka.
The event was running under the theme ’13 million voices for peace’ and it was graced by Winky D, David Mubaiwa of the Sabhuku Vharazipi fame as local artists Gun Barrel and She Selectah.
Some 250 people registered to vote at the event and many of them were youths, a significant number for a district with apathetic young people.
Heal Zimbabwe brought commissioners of oaths who issued people with proofs of residence to facilitate easy access to the registration process.
Heal Zimbabwe Trust programmes manager Sithabile Dhehwa said the organisation saw it necessary to provide live entertainment as a way of attracting more people and spread the gospel of peace.
Representatives of ERC and ZimRights took time to educate the people on BVR as well as to make it clear that registering to vote is a constitutional right that all citizens have to enjoy.
“People should preserve peace, they should register and vote in peace and desist from intimidating others, peace begins with you and that is why we are calling for 13 million voices,” said Dhehwa.
Chief Nyakunhuwa, born Courage Jerera, was also in attendance and he encouraged people to exercise their rights peacefully and without fearing anyone.
 “If your village head asks to you to pay to get proof of residence report to us as chiefs. We know how to deal with such people. Everybody should register and vote in peace without fear,” said Nyakunhuwa.
Zaka suffered some of the worst politically-motivated violence in 2000 and during the 2008 presidential election runoff.local