CHIVHU – A 70-year-old man who hails from Mutambudzi Village, Chief Mutekedza, last week appeared before Chivhu magistrate Fadzai Mtombeni facing allegations of raping his 12-year-old niece on two occasions when his wife was absent, having travelled to the bank.
The accused person, who lives at the same homestead with the complaint, denied the rape allegations saying he could never do such a thing.
The State, led by Nicholas Mabvongodze, alleged that sometime in February 2015, the accused person entered into the dining room where the complainant was sleeping.
He pulled away her blankets and removed complainant’s clothes and instructed her to enter in to his bedroom but the complainant refused.
The accused person threatened to assault the girl and chase her away from his homestead before grabbing her by the hand, pushing her into his bedroom where he had sexual intercourse without her without her consent.

The complaint felt sharp pain during the sexual attack and she cried but the accused person closed her mouth with a cloth and threatened her.
One day June last year at around 05:00 hrs, the accused person called the complainant into his bedroom and ordered her to take keys from his trousers and when she was about to hand them to him, he twisted her hand pushed her on the bed and sexually abused her.
The girl later revealed the matter to his father on July 21 last year and he helped her to open a case at Masasa police station, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
The case was due to continue in the Chivhu Magistrate Courts by the time of going to the press.local

MASVINGO – Chikwanda Primary School head Emmanuel Shumba (46) of Plot Number 6 Marowa under Chief Chikwanda, Gutu was on Monday dragged to court after he allegedly raped his 15-year-old niece.
The accused, who was not asked to plead when he appeared before Masvingo magistrate Takawira Mugabe, was remanded in custody to October 17 for trial.
The State, led by Edmond Mapope, claims that Shumba and his wife Marcie Sithole were taking care of the victim at their home in Chikwanda when the alleged offense was committed on August 23 this year.
On the day in question, Shumba, allegedly connived with his wife Sithole to commit the crime and they persuaded the victim to share the bedroom with Shumba for the night.
Sithole then locked the two inside and left for her neighbour’s house that night.
While in the bedroom, Shumba undressed the complainant and ordered her to lie on the bed with her legs open and she complied. The accused allegedly mounted onto the accused and raped her once.
Makomo screamed for help but Shumba threatened to assault her.
After the alleged offence, Sithole and Shumba started to closely monitor the complainant’s move to make sure she could not reveal the case to anyone.
It was only on October 5 that the complainant managed to sneak out to make a police report at Chikwanda police base.local

Timon Tandi (left) with other some attendants of the meeting including Masiya (3rd from right)

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – The Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ), which is believed to be pro-Zanu PF, has urged teachers to withdraw de-subscribe from unions that attack the government without offering solutions to the problems faced by teachers.
The attack is believed to have been directed at the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta), the biggest teachers unions with standpoints that have been described by some as ‘anti-government’.
TUZ held its 18th information and communication technology workshop where 113 teachers were trained at Mwenje Primary School in Chiredzi East constituency.
Addressing undergraduate trainees at the event, TUZ president Timon Tandi labelled the rival unions ‘unpatriotic and unruly’ for allegedly criticising government without offering any solutions to solve the problems.
“I advise teachers to avoid unions which are unpatriotic, who always criticise the government without giving solutions. We are here to offer solutions to the government as we have already responded to its call for the new curriculum,” said Tandi.
Chiredzi East Member of parliament, Denford Masiya also weighed in saying teacher organisations always shout at politicians for alleged failures but without offering solutions to counter those shortcomings.
“These teacher organisations are known for shouting at the government. They shout at us MPs and the President that we are failures but no one has ever come with a solution like what I am witnessing here. TUZ joined the struggle for the teachers to be computer literate,” said Masiya.
The union has trained 1190 teachers across the country on computer basics like Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point ‘to complement the government’s new curriculum’.local

Itai Muzondo

“I have always wanted to venture into what are generally perceived as domains of masculinity and I feel women can do it too despite the odds being heavily stacked against them within the kind of society I grew up.”
These are the words of Hellen Venganai, an Information and Communication Technology guru who attributes her success and the progress of the charitable work she does in Bikita to her attitude towards her own personal life experiences.
Venganai runs a charity organisation called Mambure Trust which works to help mainly young rural girls with ICT skills.
She says her life has been a tale of overcoming obstacles and she is now committed to the goal of advancing the rights of marginalised girls especially those living in rural areas.
At high school, a mathematics teacher discouraged her from studying sciences saying those were difficult areas that girls could not possibly hope to do well. That alone was an eye opener to what she calls a repugnant world which employes stereotypes to undermine the potential of the girl child.
“My desire to get into the sciences was nearly shattered when a maths teacher told me sciences at ‘A’ level were for males so I grudgingly studied arts subjects and ended up as a journalist.
“Working as a journalist did wonders for me because the vast information at my disposal made me realise that I still had a chance to pursue whatever dream I still had to get into the sciences.
“It was then that I went to Netherlands for further studies in Gender and ICT before coming back home, not to find a job, but to help young rural girls with relevant ICT skills,” Venganai said.
She says only voluntarism can change the fortunes of such communities as those that she works with because most of the people there cannot afford to buy computers, let alone to hire an expert to train them.
Her basic computer skills programme for primary schools like Jaravaza and Nyemba in Bikita has helped hundreds of children, mainly girls.
“Getting hired skills is out of reach for communities I targeted so I understand the importance of volunteerism, having stayed abroad for long. It is important that people work to spread ICT skills to communities with no other chance of getting them.
“The programme was primarily targeted at girls but boys later complained that they were being excluded so we created their own classes so that they too could gain from the programme.
“Besides now involving young boys, the programme has also gone further to train teachers after a realisation that teachers themselves had no basic ICT skills. All this I do because I don’t want young girls in rural communities to face the problems that I myself faced,” said Venganai.
On the future of her programme, she says it is her wish to see children from more disadvantaged communities being included.
 “I don’t have much resources but I would like to see the programme growing. The world is moving fast and it is leaving behind those who lack skills and access to information. We want to change that by leveraging on the little that is available to make a difference. With hard work and the determination that has always underlined this idea, all that I wish for can come to reality,” she said.local

Tanaka Mapfumo

GWERU – The Prison Ministries International (PMI) Zimbabwe academy 17th graduation ceremony was held recently at Gweru Trinity Presbyterian Church with the idea of advancing the goal of rehabilitation of ex-prisoners and prevent recidivism.
Graduates were drawn from four provinces namely Masvingo, Midlands, Mashonaland West and Manicaland.
The occasion was graced by dignitaries including Councillor Farai Mudza who represented City of Gweru Mayor Charles Chikozho, Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Midlands’ Superintendent Godfrey Gohodzi, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Midlands Assistant Inspector Trymore Mushope, former presiding Bishop Rev Sithole and the executive assistant to PMI president, Edwin Gumbura, who is also the director of training for the academy.
PMI national coordinator Martin Mugandani said the organisation, which started in 2011 with its first class at Pan African Christian College in Harare, has 900 trained personnel and 180 ordained civilian chaplains from the four ordinations held so far.
He said PMI had a memorandum of understanding with ZRP, ZPCS and ZNA which mandated it to complement government’s efforts to reduce crime and recidivism.
“Upon release, some prisoners face discrimination and that is when PMI intervenes to provide exit support and bridge the gap by conducting peace circles between offenders and family members affected by the crime,” said Mugandani.
Speaking on behalf of ZPCS Commissioner General Rtd Maj Gen Paradzai Zimondi, Supt Gohodzi said PMI was doing a good rehabilitative job.
“We now have somewhere to refer inmates unlike in the past when there were no bridges to cross over to the family. I would like to thank Prison Ministries International for being a short in the arm,” said Supt Gohodzi.
Six students gave testimony on how the training had made a difference on them, among them Ruben Chigumira who served a 22 years 10 months and 13 days sentence at Chikurubi.
He said he never allowed prison life to get into him because he had received Jesus Christ, adding that to him, the encounter with PMI was an answered prayer.
“I had fasted and prayed for five days asking God to get pastors to prison to continue with the work I had started of converting inmates,” said Chigumira.
Gweru, Bulawayo and Kwekwe stations were awarded chapter status to exercise a certain level of autonomy.
Certified correctional care churches were AFM Amazing Grace Zvishavane, PAOZ Zvishavane, Holy Spirit Apostolic Church Zvishavane, Family Fellowship Mission Zvishavane, Church of Christ Marodera, Balm of Gilead Bulawayo, Higher Grace International Ministries Bulawayo, Trinity Presbyterian Church Gweru, AFM Chitungwiza East, Harvest House International Gweru, Nations For Christ Kadoma and Word Alive Restoration Ministries Redcliff, Anglican Church Kadoma, Life and Liberty Churches International, Victory Fellowship Bulawayo and Great Commission Marondera.local

Prince Danda

ZVISHAVANE – A 23-year-old appeared in the Zvishavane Magistrates Court charged with contravening Section 168 (1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 after he allegedly stole a bank card and went on a reckless spending spree.
Knowledge Kapitapita of Lot 2, Makwasha, appeared before magistrate Archie Wochiunga for allegedly stealing Uian Hlekiso’s bank card and pin number.
The court heard that the two met at Batanani Beer Hall on the September 25 and Kapitapita asked Hlekiso to buy him a beer, and she gave him her bank card and pin number.
Kapitapita bought the beer and then pretended to be answering a call before vanishing without informing the 46-year-old Hlekiso of where he was going.
Hlekiso then realised that Kapitapi was using her card through transaction text messages that were being sent to her phone.
Kapitapita made transactions at Chicken Inn, Amazon, Pizza Inn, Ok Supermarket and other supermarkets and it all reflected on Hlekiso’s phone, forcing her to engage her bank to block the card.
The total spending by Kapitapita amounted to US$3 411 but only US$40 was recovered at the time of his arrest.
Kapitapita pleaded not guilty and is expected to be back in court on the October 11 for continuation of trial.
Tinashe Maponde prosecuted.local