Precila Takabvirakare

12 Jan 2018 – GUTU – Kennedy Mugodhi, who resides in Mugodhi village under Chief Chimombe, was arrested by the police on the January 04 for allegedly killing Energy Mawoyo after a disagreement.
Mugodhi (28) appeared before magistrate Edwin Marecha being charged with the crime of murder as defined in Section 47 (1) of the Criminal Law Codification Act Chapter 9:23.
The magistrate ordered that he be send for mental examination before he could apply for bail at the High Court.
The State’s case, as presented by Samuel Magobeya, is that on the day in question, the accused went to Mawoyo’s place in Tirarami village, Chief Chimombe.
He found the now deceased and his wife in their bedroom and asked him to come out so that they could go to the police station to finalise some issues but Mawoyo refused.
An angry Mugodhi then entered the house and attacked Mawoyo several times with open hands on the face. He then dragged him outside the house where he laid him onto the ground before taking an axe handle from the nearby foul run which he used to hit the victim all over the body, breaking the weapon to pieces in the process.
He also took a stone and struck the now deceased on the back of his head. As a result of the assault, Mawoyo sustained deep cut on the back of the head, another one on the right side of his chin as well as a deformed face.
A post-mortem was done on the corpse and it was ascertained that the death was as a result of the assault.local

Precila Takabvirakare

12 Jan 2018 – GUTU – Tinos Mutukwa, of Magombedze village under Chief Makore, was arrested by the police on December 31, 2017 for the attempted murder of Ranganai Chingangandu of the same village.
Mutukwa (38) pleaded guilty to charges that he struck his father-in-law Chingangandu (42) with an axe on the chest and was remanded to January 18 for sentencing.
It was the State’s case, as presented by prosecutor Samuel Magobeya, that on the day in question, Mutukwa went to Chingangandu’s homestead armed with an axe at around midnight.
He found Chingangandu and his family preparing to go to a church service and caused chaos, demanding that the family must show him his son’s grave.
In the chaos, Mutukwa hit Chingangandu with an axe once on the left side of his chest, seriously injuring him.
As the case was being tried, the victim was still admitted at Gutu Mission Hospital where he was said to be in a critical condition.
Magistrate Edwin Marecha decried the increasing number of violent cases that are coming to the courts every day, saying people must learn to solve disputes amicably.local

Nyasha Marumbi

MASVINGO – In response to the increase in rape cases against the disabled, especially the mentally challenged as well as the elderly, police in Masvingo have released a statement warning members of the public to treat any male person as a potential sexual abuser.
In the statement, provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Charity Mazula advises the community that the disabled and young children remain particularly vulnerable to cases of sexual abuse especially by close family members and other ‘trusted’ persons.
She urges collective protection of these vulnerable groups from people around them because the perpetrators normally take advantage of their limited physical capabilities to defend themselves.
“Parents are also advised  to  accompany little girls to and from school and avoid secluded roads and shun herding cattle alone since most perpetrators are taking advantage of the thick bushes to rape children coming from school,” the statements reads.
The statement also highlights that most cases of sexual abuse in the province are as a result of negligence on the part of parents and caregivers.
Members of the public are also advised that it is no longer time for the community to trust any male person and leave the girl child in their custody no matter how respectful they may appear to be.local

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