HARARE – As the country prepares for the 2018 elections, journalists in the country last week held an all stakeholders meeting in Harare under the Media Alliance in Zimbabwe (MAZ) banner where they discussed professional and ethical and safety issues.
Among many other things, participants urged the government to align media laws to the new constitution and do away with draconian media laws like the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIIPA) and the Public Order Security Act (POSA).
MAZ programmes manager Nigel Nyamutumbu said it was important that journalists to reflect on the professional and ethical issues ahead of the watershed election.
“As the nation prepares for the 2018 harmonised elections, it is important that we reflect not only on professional and ethical issues but also on issues pertaining to the safety and security of journalists. We need to lobby for a conducive working environment and ensure that the elections will be free and fair,” said Nyamutumbu.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) secretary general Foster Dongozi weighed in saying the unwarranted arrests and victimisation of journalists ahead of the elections must be seriously addressed.
“The unwarranted arrests and victimisation of journalists by alleged state actors in not encouraging the dissemination of news given the fact that we are heading for national elections that are due in few months’ time.  As we gather as journalists, this is an opportune time to press on so that the government can support the safety and security of journalists,” said Dongozi. TellZim Reporter

HARARE – As the country prepares for the 2018 elections, journalists in the country last week held an all stakeholders meeting in Harare under the Media Alliance in Zimbabwe (MAZ) banner where they discussed professional and ethical and safety issues.
Among many other things, participants urged the government to align media laws to the new constitution and do away with draconian media laws like the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIIPA) and the Public Order Security Act (POSA).
MAZ programmes manager Nigel Nyamutumbu said it was important that journalists to reflect on the professional and ethical issues ahead of the watershed election.
“As the nation prepares for the 2018 harmonised elections, it is important that we reflect not only on professional and ethical issues but also on issues pertaining to the safety and security of journalists. We need to lobby for a conducive working environment and ensure that the elections will be free and fair,” said Nyamutumbu.
Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) secretary general Foster Dongozi weighed in saying the unwarranted arrests and victimisation of journalists ahead of the elections must be seriously addressed.
“The unwarranted arrests and victimisation of journalists by alleged state actors in not encouraging the dissemination of news given the fact that we are heading for national elections that are due in few months’ time.  As we gather as journalists, this is an opportune time to press on so that the government can support the safety and security of journalists,” said Dongozi.local

MPANDAWANA – Intractable land disputes and alleged politicisation threaten to derail a donor-funded medical centre in Mavhondo village under headman Gadzingo in Gutu, with some villagers complaining that the project is being done on land that was taken without their consent.
Many villagers in the area identify themselves as Lemba, an African ethnic group which claims connections to Semitic bloodlines.
Those who spoke to TellZim News said they were not happy because they were not consulted when their land was designated for the project.
The project is being funded by a Jamaican donor resident in the United States, Leonie Byran and her husband Milton both of whom reportedly also claim Jewish ancestry.
An affected villager who spoke on condition of anonymity said people who lost their land to the project deserve fair compensation.
“We were not consulted at all. The clinic was just pegged when some of us were away with work, only to come back and be told by our traditional leaders that our fields were no longer ours. We understand the project is important but we want to be paid for the land,” the villager said.
Other villagers also complained that the project had been politicised by Gutu North Member of Parliament Tafara Madondo with the help of traditional leaders so as to advance his 2018 re-election bid.
Madondo, however, denied exploiting the project for political expediency saying his contributions to the success of the project was done in his capacity as MP.
“I am not of that nature. The donors approached me as MP and we held a meeting to see how we could all play our part to get the project succeed. We all worked hard to get the project approved by council and the donors are very happy with the work I have done so I don’t know if there is anything wrong with that. It’s common to hear such things when you approach elections,” said Madondo.
TellZim News also managed to get hold of former Gutu North MP Maramwise Hamandishe who said some people indeed lost their land because of the project.
“There are genuine grievances there but we hope the project will continue. The problem is that there are some people who did not do their jobs properly. The donor was friends with my wife since way back so in 2012, when I was still MP, I engaged her and she was eager to build a clinic for Lemba people,” said Hamandishe.
He said he then approached Chief Gutu who was receptive of the idea and the initial plans were to build the facility in Hamandishe village but it was later decided that the clinic be built in Mavhondo village where there was more suitable land.
“That is when we were then pushed aside by other people who wanted to benefit from the project implementation themselves and they did not consult the people. It’s bad that there is so much enmity and confusion between the Mavhondo and Hamandishe families because of the project yet we the same people,” said Hamandishe.
Hamandishe however refused to confirm reports that there was bad blood between him and his elder cousin brother and former Gutu Rural District Council (RDC) Ward 8 councillor, Vamaramba Hamandishe who is reportedly commandeering the project and using it to advance his bid to win back the ward in 2018.
No comment could be obtained from Vamaramba by the time of going to print.local

CHIVHU – A 32-year-old man from Gate village, headman Mupawose under Chief Musarurwa, is in trouble for allegedly raping a six-year-old Mupfuririrwi Primary School grade one pupil while she was on her way from school.
The Chivhu Magistrate Court, led by magistrate Fadzai Mtombeni, last week heard that Ishmael Danda raped the girl while she way on her way from school.
Appearing for the State, Nicholas Mabvongodze alleged that on July 19 this year at around 14: 00 hrs, the complainant met the accused person on her way from school.
The accused then dragged the complainant to the back of a brick oven and pushed her to the ground, unclothed her and forced himself on the minor.
During the act, the complainant cried for help and was heard by passers-by who then went to investigate.
As the passers-by approached the scene, the accused threatened the complainant against telling anyone what had happened and poked her privates with a stick before running away.
The minor was then taken to her mother and a police report was made on that same day leading to the arrest of the accused.
The case was due to continue in the Chivhu Magistrates Court by the time of going to the print.local

Elliot Jinjika

CHIVHU – A 17-year-old girl from Chinembiri village, Chief Mutekedza, Masasa, last week appeared before magistrate Fadzai Mtombeni facing indecent assault charges for allegedly forcing her 11-year-old younger sister to insert fingers into her private parts while doing likewise to her.
The girl pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against her, saying she did it for sexual gratification.
“Ndaive ndakugara ndichinzwa kuda kurara nemurume saka taizoisana zvigunwe kuti tipedze chikara chaindibata nekuti tese taive tajaira kugara tichirarwa nevakomana vedu,” she said.
The State, led by Nicholas Mabvongodze, alleged that sometimes in June 2017, the accused would have sexual intercourse with her boyfriend in the presence of her younger sister.
The accused later became so bold that she would allow her boyfriend to have sex with her young sister in her presence.
It was also heard that the boyfriend then started to bring along his own friend so that he too could have sex with the complainant in their presence.
When they were alone, the sisters would allegedly caress each other and they would insert fingers into each other’s privates for sexual pleasure.
An unidentified person who knew of what was happening synonymously called the police and told them what was happening.
The case was due to continue in the Chivhu Magistrates Court by the time of going to print with the judgement expected to be passed in the next sitting.local

MWENEZI – Tragedy struck a Mwenezi family last Thursday when a minor who was an Early Childhood Development (ECD) pupil at Neshuro Primary School slipped into Chikwela Dam and drowned.
The lifeless body of Moreblessing Mbilibgwani of Chitemere village under Chief Neshuro was found in the dam which is close to Sarahuru growth point.
Though no comment could be obtained from the police, Mwenezi Rural District Councillor for Ward 5, Master Makope confirmed the tragedy and said the incident happened when Mbilibgwani was fetching water at the dam while in the company of other minors.
“The dead body of Moreblessing Mbilibgwani was found in Chikwela Dam on 7 September. It is said she had gone to fetch some water in the company of other children. After she fetched the water, she began to bath her legs. This is when she is said to have slipped and drowned in the dam,” said Makope.
He said after elders were alerted of the accident, they later found the child’s lifeless body already floating on top of water.local

MBERENGWA – A 23-year-old Mberengwa man was recently slapped with a 12 months jail term for impregnating his 15-year-old sister.
The two appeared before Mberengwa magistrate Evia Matura facing incest charges but another charge of sex with a minor was added to the man’s charge and he pleaded guilty to both.
The girl was warned and cautioned after the magistrate considered that she was four months pregnant and still a minor who could possibly have been influenced by the brother.
It was the State’s case that during an unknown period, the two siblings were staying at the same homestead and they began to engage in sexual behavior.
The court also heard that when the girl fell pregnant, the parents reported the matter to the police leading to the pair’s arrest.
In passing sentence, Matura said the two consorted within a prohibited degree of relationship.
He said a brother is supposed to protect his sister but in the case at hand, the brother had instead engaged into sexual activities with her.
Wadzanayi Shayanewako prosecuted.local