Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – A Mwenezi Primary grade seven pupil had to write his exams on a Neshuro District Hospital bed where he was rushed after sustaining severe injuries from a crocodile attack he suffered while crossing Mwenezi River on his way home from school.
Esau Sinina of Sosonye village five under Chief Chitanga confirmed to TellZim News that his son, Energy Sinina was still admitted at the hospital after his leg was savaged by the sneaky reptile.
“He was crossing Mwenezi River at the usual crossing point and in the company of other pupils when he was attacked. They had noticed that the water was unusually dirty but little did they suspect that it could be the work of a crocodile and when he was attacked, his friends ran away.
“The river is shallow at that point so the crocodile dragged him for about 10 metres but he never ceased punching it with his fist on its ear and the reptile finally let him go. A man later arrived at the scene but the boy had already dragged himself out of danger,” said Sinina.
He said he hoped his son would soon recover from hospital though he said he believed the attack had inflicted permanent scars on him.
Mwenezi Primary School head Ndlovu said the boy wrote the last three of his grade seven final examinations while in hospital.local

… ‘geography answer sheets tempered with’

Brighton Chiseva

ZAKA – Musiso High School ‘A’ level pupils have petitioned the District Schools Inspector (DSI) Beaula Shambambeva asking her to investigate the alleged breaching of examination rules and regulation by the schools administration.
TellZim News leant that Shambambeva and her team recently descended on the school after learning about the damaging allegations.
When reached for a comment, Shambambeva admitted visiting the school following the complaints but was quick to say all was well at the school and the examinations were running smoothly.
“Yes I visited the school but we discovered that everything was well organised and the examination committee was in order, that is all I can tell you and if there is anything more you can call the PED, or Zimsec office,” said Shambambeva.
In their letter, a copy of which was seen by TellZim News, the pupils raise a host of complaints including allegations that their geography paper one answer scripts was reopened in private and their answers tempered with.
They also complain over delays in starting time, inadequate examination materials and improper sitting arrangements.
“We are a group of upper sixth candidates of St Anthony’s and would like to bring to your attention serious and massive examination rigging and other forms of malpractices done at our school… our aim is to ensure that  you our superiors act quickly to avert a possible exams disaster that may befall us..,” reads part of the letter.
The allege that after writing geography on the October 17, the paper was sealed in the pupils presence but rumours soon followed that the answer sheets were reopened for malicious reasons.
“On 17 Oct 2017 rumour had it that the school administration led by the head and the invigilators locked themselves up in the head’s office and broke the envelope we had sealed the previous day (16-10-17). They then tempered with our scanner sheets by ‘rearranging scripts and correcting errors’ on our answer papers during our absence…we strongly believe that our answers were tempered with for the good of us or otherwise,” reads the letter.
The pupils also protest the sitting arrangements, saying they were made to seat too close to each other, a situation which they say allowed copying.
They also said a chemistry paper written on October 19 was open one way before the start time.
“An ‘A’ level chemistry paper was supposed to be written at 1400. The paper was opened and a whole hour passed before candidates were told to start writing…The reason given for the delay was that there were no data booklets. We were advised to continue the paper without the use of the vital booklets,” further reads the letter.
However this publication was reliably informed that the DSI and her team found out that the answer scripts were opened because the school administration had wanted to remove multiple choice perforations and in another case they had forgotten to include the register.
It is further said they visited the school the following day following an order from the provincial office after it was reported that a teacher who was not in the examination committee had gone away with the keys leading to delays in the writing of a chemistry paper.local

ZVISHAVANE – It is survival of the fittest in Shauke Ward 3 in Zvishavane as confusion on who owns which chrome claim has reached alarming levels.
The small-scale chrome miners in the area have since asked the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to intervene in the on-going disputes as a preventative measure against the possible eruption of violence.
Many of the small-scale claim owners complain that they have been shoved off by some mining companies who reportedly claim ownership of the same land.
Ward councillor Martin Mapfume confirmed that there were some grey areas that need ironing out in the chrome fields.
“There is a lot of confusion on the ownership of the claims and a lot needs to be done to rectify the problem,” said Mapfumo.
There has been jostling for chrome claims in Midlands following the release of large tracts of chrome rich land to government by Zimasco and ZimAlloys.
After the two companies ceded the land, claims were later given to small-scale miners.local

MWENEZI – A 46-year-old Chiredzi man, Hasani Chisiwapi of village Hlabeni under Chief Sengwe in Chiredzi was last week convicted by the Mwenezi Magistrate Court after he was found guilty of wearing a camouflage shirt.
Chisiwapi was convicted on his own plea of guilty by magistrate Honest Musiiwa who sentenced him to five days behind bars or to pay a fine of US$20 as an alternative.
Led by prosecutor Willard Chasi, the State charged that on September 16, 2017 at around noon, Chisiwapi was spotted by police detectives at Rutenga growth point wearing a camouflage shirt.
Police detectives approached Chisiwapi and informed him of the offence before arresting him.
The law forbids civilians from wearing any camouflage material without permission from authorities.local

Itai Muzondo in Gweru

GWERU – Informal traders who previously had steadfastly defied efforts to move them from undesignated selling points – often challenging municipal officials to their face – have eventually caved in following threats from President Robert Mugabe that he will no longer tolerate the disorder on the streets.
The browbeaten vendors began to move out on their own following a notice from Town Clerk Elizabeth Gwatipedza warning that stiff measures would be taken against anybody found selling their wares on undesignated sites as from October 22 2017.
A handful of vendors who tried to operate from the same selling points on Monday morning were displaced by riot police.
“Tinozivisa vatengesi vese vemusika vakabva panzvimbo dzavo dzakatarwa kuti vadzokere panzvimbo musi wa 22 October usati wadarika.
“Kubva musi uyu zvichienda mberi, vose vachawanikwa vachitengesera panzvimbo dzisina kutarwa vachasungwa huye zvinhu zvavo zvichatorwa,” reads part of the statement.
Shop owners welcomed the withdrawal of illegal vendors from the streets, saying the vendors’ trade was harming formal businesses through unfair competition.
Recently, City of Gweru mayor Charles Chikozho had stated that council had given up on vendors but the tide suddenly turned when the national police intervened following Mugabe’s condemnation of illegal vending.
Some few weeks ago, vendors who had complied with calls by the city council to relocate to designated sites demonstrated against their counterparts whom they accused of undercutting them by holding onto their illegal selling points in the CBD.
On her recent visit to Gweru, Environment minister Oppah Muchinguri labeled Gweru the dirtiest city in the country.local

…don’t expect any improvement in service delivery, residents told

Itai Muzondo in Gweru

GWERU – City of Gweru this week approved its US$38.6 million budget during a stakeholders meeting held in the Mayor’s Parlour and was quick to tell residents that the money was not enough to improve service delivery.
After a short moment of no response to the mayor’s request to move a motion of budget adoption, one participant finally moved the motion saying there was no need to further argue over the budget.
“You have called us here for nothing new but to approve a budget that we once debated on. There is no need then to further debate but to just approve the budget and see how it performs in the coming year,” said the participant.
As the budget was being presented, Town Clerk Elizabeth Gwatipedza warned people not to expect anything new, saying the current budget was only adequate for the maintenance of current operations, and not for the improvement of service delivery.
Her sentiments however come at a time Gweru residents have accused her of being extravagant while the city is struggling to deliver services to residents.
“We should not really expect major developments from this budget as it is not enough to cater for all our arrears. An example is our Zesa debt which sits at $24 million. Once we try to settle that, then our coffers would be empty and I should say Zesa has been very lenient with us.
“That is the same challenge we face in improving other services like water. The pumps cost a lot and with this budget and the current economic situation, we cannot really do anything other than to maintain the already existing infrastructure.
“It would have been a good idea to introduce levies for such services as water and roads so that we have an extra fund to take care of all that. I however heard the finance director saying it was not yet time for that but cities like Chinhoyi and Masvingo have greatly benefited from those,” Gwatipedza lamented.local