MWENEZI – A form two Mushonganeburi Secondary School pupil was convicted for burning down property worth US$1 113 but magistrate Honest Musiiwa set aside his eight month prison sentence.
The seventeen-year-old, who cannot be named for ethical reasons, but comes from Chikandiwa village under Chief Mawarire, was convicted on his own plea of guilty.
The court found that the boy negligently caused serious damage to property of a fellow villager while playing with fire.
Musiiwa strongly warned the boy against committing such offences and pointed out that had it not been that the property was mistakenly burnt and that the convict was still going to school, a custodial sentence could have been imposed.
Representing the State, Angelinah Makonya told the court that sometime in October last year, the juvenile arrived at Innocent Chidyamakono’s place where he found a 10-year-old boy holding a box of matches as he wanted to make a fire.
He took the matches and started to play with it by lighting the match sticks and throwing them into the air. As he played, a match stick landed on a thatched bedroom hut and the house immediately caught fire.
The fire spread to the other kitchen hut at the same homestead leading to the destruction of property worth US$1 113 and nothing was recovered.
A police report was made leading to the juvenile’s arrest.local

CHIVHU – A 33-year-old Noah Mutijo from Beeskraal, Gutu, appeared in the Chivhu Magistrates Court after he was allegedly caught raping a 12-year-old Murambinda High pupil.
Mutijo was allegedly caught molesting the girl by the minor’s two little cousins but he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The State, led by Nicholas Mabvongodze, claimed that on May 1 at around 11: 00hrs, the accused arrived at the complainant’s homestead in the company of some friends.
He had come for a cow he had bought from the complaint’s mother but was told to wait for the mother who was away.
The accused then waited though his companions had decided to leave.
Later on, the accused volunteered to help the complainant’s cousin to drive cattle to the pastures but later came back and accosted the complaint.
Sensing danger, the minor tried to escape to her bedroom but the accused pursued her, caught up with her on the veranda and slapped her several times.
The complainant again tried to escape towards the pastures where her 14-year-old cousin had gone but Mujito caught her, tripped her to the ground, undressed and lowered his pants down and raped her.
The complainant’s other four-year-old cousin and her niece later followed in the bush after hearing the complainant’s cries and found Mujito on top of the girl but he quickly fled the scene with clothes in his hands.
The complainant then revealed the matter to her elder cousin and later on to her mother who then reported the matter to the police in Chivhu leading to the arrest of the suspect.
The trial was due to continue by the time of writing.local

GWERU – What had seemed good news for Gweru’s ailing service delivery system has once again turned out to be another nightmare after the city decided to re-tender supply of US$1.2 million worth of service delivery machinery following the supplier failure to deliver.
City of Gweru Mayor Charles Chikozho said the supplier failed to raise the required foreign currency to import the equipment which the city urgently requires to lessen acute service delivery backlogs.
 “Council will re-tender the supply of earthmoving machinery to the State Procurement Board (SPB) following the failure by the previous supplier to deliver the equipment. The supplier cited inability to secure foreign currency needed to purchase the equipment.
“The equipment is needed as soon as possible because we have a serious backlog. Pressing projects include that of Mkoba 21 and Randolf project along Shurugwi Road which has been on hold for more than 10 years,” Chikozho said.
“We approached both the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Local Government. Promises came but we kept being told to wait although no feedback or anything came our way until now,” Chikozho added.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association chairperson Conilia Selipiwe said they are now losing trust in the new authorities who took over after the dismissal of Hamutendi Kombayi on allegations of abuse of office.
“We are yet to meet council so that we get answers for many unfulfilled promises. We are seeing very little if any change happening in the city since these guys got into office. If it continues like this, all hope will be eroded and we will be back to square one,” Selipiwe said.local

MUTARE – Business was brought to halt at Mudzviti bus terminus in the early hours of Wednesday last week when a Chiredzi-based businessman decided to end his life by shooting himself aboard a Sakubva-bound commuter omnibus.
Freddy Mbendana (47), who is originally from Bande Village under Chief Garawa in Chipinge, shocked other passengers including his son Noway (29), who was seated with him on the back seat, when he suddenly ended his life by shooting himself using his Rhnera Spot Watten pistol.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Wiseman Chinyoka confirmed the incident and urged members of the public to seek professional counselling when faced with problems.
“We received the report that a man shot himself around 08:30am in a commuter omnibus while they were on their way to Sakubva bus terminus. The man was travelling together with his son and they were said to have been going home to solve a family matter.
“Investigations are still in progress but we urge all members of the public to always seek professional counselling when faced with family issues to avoid loss of life,” said Chinyoka.
Mbendana, who was coming from Harare, was seated on the back seat on the far right side while there was another passenger between him and his son and he appeared to be sleeping covering his face with his jacket.
He then shot himself once through the mouth using his pistol and he was pronounced dead upon arrival at Mutare Provincial Hospital.local

Clever Taperamoyo

MASVINGO – The Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (TUZ) last week completed an Information Communication Technology (ICT) training programme at Rukovo High School in Masvingo North, part of a series of nation-wide workshops the union is been doing.
In June, TUZ trained trained 88 teachers in Chiredzi in computer skills so as to capacitate teachers to discharge their duties more efficiently now that the new curricula is being implemented.
At Rukovo, 65 teachers from Masvingo North constituency received their certificates at the end of the course.
Acting chairperson for TUZ in Masvingo province Livison Maunganidze urged teachers in the to take advantage of the training programme to improve their computer knowledge.
“We encourage every teacher in the province to take advantage of these courses and come in their numbers for training because the world is changing fast. Teachers should have computer knowledge as that would be to their benefit,” Maunganidze said.
Provincial manager Barbara Muza also urged teachers to avail themselves for training as the knowledge gained was critical for their work.
“As TUZ, we came up with this idea of training teachers regardless of their affiliations to other organisations because our aim is the end product; the child. There is no Zimta child, PTUZ child or TUZ child in the classroom but only an innocent child,” said Muza.local