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

TellZim Reporter

BIKITA – Two people were killed  in a road accident near Mandadzaka business centre on Monday after an unlicensed driver failed to control his car which veered off the road, overturned and landed on its back.
Masvingo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the incident and warned people not to drive if they are not licenced.
“We warn parents not to let their children drive their cars if they do not have licences,” said Ass Insp Dhewa.
Malvern Kuserenga, a pupil at Silveira High School, reportedly took his father’s Daihatsu Terrios Kid and drove it towards Masvingo even though he did not have a licence.
His passengers, Tafadzwa Mudefi and another unidentified 14-year-old, who are both from Rashai village, were pronounced dead upon arrival at Silveira Mission Hospital.
Kuserenga escaped with serious injuries and was still in hospital by the time of going to print.local

MWENEZI – The Mwenezi Rural District Council (RDC) is making strides to improve the condition of roads and has embarked on a district-wide road resurfacing programme after receiving US$164 400 from Zinara, TellZim News has learnt.
The resurfacing work on roads within Rutenga growth point started this week and is expected to spread to other areas.
Mwenezi RDC Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Albert Chivanga confirmed the development and said they have contracted three different companies to do the work which is expected to be completed within three months.
“We received US$164 400 from Zinara this year. We have started working at Rutenga where 1.2 km of surfacing is expected to be done.
“Besides that, the funds received from Zinara will also be used to resurface the TNP and Muchene roads. The idea is to ensure that service delivery reaches the people and we believe that within three months, all the targeted roads will be in good condition,” said Chivanga.
Mwenezi RDC engineer, Obedience Bhande said the contractor who is working on resurfacing the Rutenga growth point tarred road has employed 18 local labourers and the work is expected to be complete within a month.local

ZVISHAVANE – Tendai Munjoma (29) of Sherwood Farm in Shurugwi allegedly smashed a beer bottle on a fellow patron’s head leading to his death after accusing him of spilling his beer.
The accused pleaded not guilty before Shurugwi magistrate Tavengwa Sangster and was remanded to 25 September.
Appearing on behalf of the State, Pride Gomera told the court that on November 5, 2016, Munjoma and the now deceased Lawrence Chaitezvi (32), were drinking beer at Shumba business centre in Shurugwi.
Chaitezvi spilled Munjoma’s beer resulting in an argument between the two and the accused then tripped the deceased to the ground and he went on to strike his head with a beer bottle once.
The beer bottle broke into pieces after the attack and Chaitezvi died on his way home. The matter was reported to the police leading to the Munjoma’s arrest.
According to the post mortem report, Munjoma died as a result of severe bleeding from the head.local

…showers Masvingo RDC with praises over development

Upenyu Chaota

MASINGO – As part of its wider work to mitigate acute water shortages which have been troubling the people of Summerton area, the Masvingo Rural District Council (RDC) has completed a piped water project which is now benefitting over 2 700 villagers who have hitherto been surviving on untreated river water.
The project was implemented with support from the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (Unicef).
The minister of Rural Development, Promotion and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage Abednico Ncube last week commissioned the project which was welcomed by villagers who revealed that they had been making it with as little as one bucket of water per day.
The villagers would walk five kilometers to Mucheke River where they would dig up mifuku to access water, a situation which posed serious threat to their health and wellbeing.
“I am proud to commission this project because this is what the government has been working so hard to achieve. We want people to have access to clean water and Masvingo RDC has done me proud.
“When we talk of rural development, this is what we mean. I am convinced that this partnership between Masvingo RDC and Unicef will transform the livelihoods of the community,” said Ncube.
He said the piped water scheme was proof of the commitment that Masvingo RDC had to the development of local communities especially with regards to the eradication of waterborne diseases.
He also called on all the rural local authorities to embrace the ease of doing business concept with the seriousness it deserves.
The commissioning of the water project was attended by many people among them Masvingo RDC chairperson Peter Marambire, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Martin Mubviro and Masvingo Provincial Administrator (PA) Fungai Mbetsa.local

Godknows Basira

As young people we make decisions about our lives and relationships according to the behavior we feel is rewarded or acceptable to our societies or those around us.
Sometimes we are pushed into education and career pathways because that is what they say girls do or boys do. We make choices sometimes because of society’s ‘norms’.       
This traditional system of gender encouragement, discouragement and fitting in are based on an old gender model.
As young people, we need a new gender model that accepts the way people identify and express their gender – a model which demonstrates equality, mutual respect, equity and which encourages both young boys and girls to pursue their education and career choices.
We need a new model that removes pressure on young people in following old gender stereotypes that stack the odds in favour of one gender and at the expense of the other.
Society tends to teach us that depending on our gender, our roles will either be cooking, gardening, being the bread winner or caring for children and we are often told to fit into gender roles which are tough but sometimes seem rational.                                                
Let us step outside of those rigid gender roles so that we do not feel pressured to always stay within every boundary which society makes us believe are ‘norms’ of our gender. For many young people, there is huge pressure to adopt rigid and stereotypical gender roles and behaviors across every aspect of their lives.
For example, a young woman is told that she does not have what it takes to be a leader in politics or management because she is not strong enough and cares too much about people’s feelings.
In the same vein, a young boy at school is encouraged to choose building, wood work, mechanics and electronics rather than the fashion designing class simply because he is male.
It is the clothes we wear, the haircuts we get or the hobbies we take up that are dictated by our culture’s understanding of gender roles.
As reflected by the media, laws, schools and religion, we are constantly told that boys are more robust ‘hanzi varume injanji’ and are better at physical or dangerous work and are more rational.
This leads to expectations and acceptance of aggressive or violent behaviour from men and it also leads to society having more faith in men to work in certain professions and roles like mining, engineering and leadership.
It is in light of this that the pressure that society puts on young people to conform to gender roles is more than ‘schoolyard teasing’.
The roles that society presents to us as norms of a particular gender simply puts us at a greater disadvantage than advantage in our social lives, careers and relationships.
Let us shake the earth by promoting and supporting gender equality and equity.local