Itai Muzondo in Gweru

GWERU – There was drama recently after the Midlands State University (MSU) security on Tuesday last week woke up to find some of the buildings as well as one of the institution’s buses spray-painted ‘Team Lacoste’.
Though MSU director of information Mirirai Mawere could not be reached for comment, it is understood the act left university authorities shocked as they had reportedly not expected the ruling Zanu PF party’s factional battles to be extended to the campus.
The inscriptions, reading ‘Team Lacoste. Vote Noah Tshuma for SRC Presidency,’ were reportedly done on the same night that President Mugabe reshuffled his cabinet and either demoted or dropped most of the alleged Team Lacoste members.
The Midlands province is considered a Team Lacoste stronghold as it is Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s home area.
“Students have always been aligned to political parties, indirectly, but not to this extent. They are now aligning themselves directly with factions at the national political level. We are surprised,” said one official who preferred anonymity.
Another official also said security must be in a position to know who did that since the parking area is always guarded and is monitored by close circuit cameras.
“Security should have answers because they guard the parking areas 24/7 and they also have security cameras to monitor all that happens,” another official said.
Some students told TellZim News that the university had responded to the embarrassing graffiti by tightening security and suspending the affected bus from shuttling students around.
“They are now checking visitors too because they suspect it could be the work of outsiders,” another student said.
Student activist Makomborero Haruzivishe however said political consciousness at campus seemed to have risen dramatically following the President Mugabe’s Midlands leg of his youth interface rallies.
 “These are manifestations of infighting looming in students’ politics. The interface rallies are also not helping because many students feel they are being used to shunt a biased factional agenda.
 “It is however unfortunate and worrying those students are being made to divert from their co-business of learning and being dragged into the mess. Something should really be done to stop the rot because students should work only to advance their interests.local

GWERU – A nasty fight by two teenage girls over a bathing sponge ended tragically with the death of one of the two and police have arrested the other for suspected murder, TellZim News can reveal.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende confirmed they had arrested a minor in connection with the case.
“We can confirm that we have since arrested a minor in connection with a murder case where she allegedly stabbed her co-tenant for using her sponge without permission,” Ass Insp Mukwende said.
The matter is being investigated by police under RRB number 28057689.
TellZim News learnt that October 2, at around 17:30 hrs, the accused went to the bathroom intending to bath and discovered that her bathing sponge was wet.
The accused began to ask questions as she had assumed that somebody had used her sponge and it is said fingers began to point towards the now deceased. After a long quarrel between the two, the accused allegedly struck the other girl with feasts.
After being restrained, the accused went to her room where she drew a knife and stabbed the now deceased once on the lower side of her chest.
The victim started bleeding profusely and she collapsed. She was taken to Gweru General Hospital where she was pronounced dead the following morning.local

…over 8 000 farmers set to be evicted

CHIREDZI – The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) is moving to take back Magudu Ranch, Uswaushava in Chiredzi North, from the thousands of new farmers who were settled there at the beginning of the Land Reform Programme in the early 2000s.
Arda reportedly abandoned the ranch some few years ago but is now eager to get back after reportedly finding an investment partner in the name of Integrated Construction Project (ICP).
The farmers, some of whom are into cotton farming, complained that they are being threatened with arbitrary eviction and this was affecting their preparation for the 2017/2018 cropping season.
They aired their grievances to members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Land, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development which was recently on a visit to the area to assess the impact of the Presidential Cotton Input Scheme.
Committee chairperson, Christopher Chitindi (Zanu PF MP for Muzarabani South) however advised them to put their case in writing, which they later did and they also wrote to the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement.
He promised to look into the dispute, adding that parliament was set to pass the Zimbabwe Land Commission Bill into law which he said would help cases of farmers without offer letters.
 “We are about to pass the Zimbabwe Land Commission Bill which is aimed at resolving these kinds of conflict. You should put all your concerns in writing addressed to our committee.
“It’s long overdue, you were supposed have offer letters by now and we are going to look into your issue very soon,” Chitindi said.
One of the farmers, Emmanuel Nyathi said people at the ranch were no longer sure about their future as they did not have offer letters.
“We were resettled here in 2000 but we were not given offer letters. People from Harare are now busy getting offer letters for the same land because they now realise the importance of agriculture. We don’t know where we would go if they make good of their threats,” said Nyathi.
Magudu Ranch used to be Arda property and was extensively used for cattle ranching until the onset of the Land Reform Programme when the parastatal allocated 6 000 hectares of the land to new farmers and remained with 5 500.
Later, Arda withdrew all its remaining operations at the ranch after the new farmers began to steal its fencing materials and encroaching into its remaining portion of the land.local

The Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) first year Psychology students last Friday gave a donation to the Ngomahuru Psychiatric Hospital.
The department falls within the Julius Nyerere School of Social Sciences and has made a commitment to donate to the less privileged at Ngomahuru every semester.
This initiative started in 2015 and has been running for two years now. The department, through its first year, first semester (1:1) students, gives donations as part of moulding a culture of social responsibility.
In the past, the department donated sandals after noticing the serious shortage in footwear at the institution, and it also gave a radio set for entertainment.
This semester, the students donated kapenta and sugar beans and other food items including cooking oil and sugar.
Psychology department chairperson Herbert Zirima said the initiative was done entirely by the students and was pioneered by the first Master’s class of 2015.
“We will not tire to go out of our way to aid the hospital for as long as we are able,” Zirima said.
The medical superintendent at the hospital, Dr Parirenyatwa Maramba expressed gratitude to the university and students for the benevolent gesture.
Dr Maramba said the institution relies on donor and government funding and any form of donation it can get.
He said there was malnutrition at the hospital because there is often very little if any protein-giving foods like meat.
The hospital has a 300 bed capacity but currently has close to 200 patients and it is taking two GZU students for work related learning every year.
Mpokiseng Tlou, who is attached with the institution, said she was gaining vital knowledge through her work at the institution.local