MASVINGO – The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) last week commissioned two classroom blocks; one in Bikita and the other in Zaka West as part of the armed forces’ efforts to widen their social responsibility work in ordinary communities.
In Bikita, the classroom block was built at Chikukutu Primary School and was officially commissioned by ZNA commander Philip Valerio Sibanda.
Chief of Staff Administration, Major General Douglas Nyikayaramba commissioned a computer laboratory in at Mutonhori High School in Zaka.
Mjr Gen Nyikayaramba said building infrastructure was one of ZNA’s ways of giving back to the community in appreciation of the role that parents played during the liberation struggle.
“During the liberation struggle, we were ordered not to destroy schools for we wanted to use them after the war. The army is at your disposal; just provide all the necessary materials and invite us and we will not take long,” said Nyikayaramba
Local Member of Parliament Vincent Mawere praised the ZNA for working hard for the development of education in his constituency.
He also hailed former Mutonhori school head Severino Bvunyenge for initiating the project and urged current head Lucas Masokose to continue with the spirit of development.
ZNA will commission two more completed projects in Chivi and Mwenezi districts this month.local

Upenyu Chaota

Masvingo General Hospital could soon be singing the ‘Amazing Grace’ after a medical team from Licking Memorial Hospital in the American state of Ohio showed keen interest in establishing a partnership which would result in the provision world class health care services.
The medical team came into the country on a scouting mission to see which hospitals they could partner for the purposes of development and training.
They came under the banner of Rotary International and their trip was also facilitated by the philanthropic organisation, the Living Water of Ohio.
The Masvingo Rotary Club also played an active role in securing the visit of the medical team.
Head of delegation and former president of the Newark Heath Rotary Club in Ohio, Jeff Smith said the people of Ohio loved the people of Zimbabwe and they will work hard to create relations with

medical institutions in the country.
“For the love of humanity, we have travelled this far to come and see how best we can work together with Masvingo Provincial Hospital.
“We want to create a mutual relationship which benefits both sides and if possible, we could create an exchange programme for our staff to gain more experience and knowledge. This is the beginning of a long relationship,” said Smith.
The tour revealed the urgent work that needs to be done to fix the deplorable conditions at the hospital’s mortuary.
Masvingo General Hospital Public Relations Officer (PRO) Ruth Zulu said there were huge problems with the mortuary of the province’s only referral medical facility.
“The mortuary is very small and in a deplorable state. There is need to build a bigger morgue which can accommodate more bodies and keep them well preserved,” said Zulu.
The medical team from Ohio also donated some theatre materials before spending the whole day treating patients free of charge.local

…teacher transferred, pastor forced away

Itai Muzondo

CHIVI – There was commotion last week at Mudadisi High School after parents rose against a school teacher who was being accused of leading a satanic cult, forcing his immediate transfer from the school.
Sources said a local AFM pastor, Happiness Maidza called for a late night intercession to pray for a woman (name supplied) who was not feeling well.
It was during the prayer session that the ailing woman reportedly confessed that she was suffering due to acts of Satanism in which she was indulging together with a named teacher at the school.
“During an interlude, she confessed that she was dabbling in Satanism and claimed that she was initiated by the teacher. She also confessed that the two of them were responsible for several miscarriages including one that another teacher’s wife had suffered.
TellZim News was also told that the school head was recently involved in a ‘mysterious’ accident while driving the teacher and his wife to their rural home in Sese.
District Administrator (DA) Wafios Hlavati, however, said investigations by the police, District Schools Inspector (DSI) and Headman Madyangove had shown nothing sinister against the teacher.
 “The issue just got out of hand and we had to ask the teacher if he was comfortable with having a transfer and he agreed because there was a protest against him.
“The issue didn’t sound realistic at all and we suspect that Pastor Maidza could have set up the teacher so we asked the AFM church to take him out of Chivi,” Hlavati said.local

GWERU – Residents have raised strong objections against the City of Gweru’s proposal to purchase a Ford ranger vehicle for town clerk, Elizabeth Gwatipedza.
The proposal comes a few months after another council resolution to spend a whopping US$38 000 on curtains for the executive’s new residence.
Residents, however, point to the council’s depleted revenue coffers and the city’s deplorable service delivery record as reasons for the need to avoid profligate spending.
Gweru Residents Forum director Charles Mazorodze described the move as misplaced due to the acute service delivery backlogs the city was grappling with.
 “There is no justification whatsoever for spending money on non-service delivery issues while ignoring the deteriorating service delivery framework in this city,” Mazorodze said.
The council recently caused a storm after deciding to buy new expensive curtains and to make extensive renovations on the 20-roomed mayoral house in Kopje, Gweru, before Gwatipedza could move in.
Gweru Residents Association (GRA) chairperson Cornilious Seliphiwe added his voice, saying residents will not allow a cash-strapped local authority to spend outrageous amounts of money while failing to cater for the needs and rights of rate-payers.
City of Gweru mayor Charles Chikozho could neither deny nor confirm that there were plans to buy the expensive car for the town clerk but was quick to accuse the residents’ association of trying to incite a rate boycott.local

Beatific Gumbwanda/
Cephas Shava

CHIREDZI – The Minister of Rural Development and Preservation of Culture and Heritage, Abednico Ncube has praised the Great Limpopo Cultural Trade Fair initiative but blamed tattered roads in the district for stunting development.
In a speech read on his behalf by George Magosvongwe, who is the permanent secretary in the ministry, at Mhlanguleni at the close of the fair recently, Ncube said good road networks were the basis for infrastructure development.
“We should engage in practical programmes of farming, irrigation, mining and infrastructural development facilitated by good road networks which are key to development.
“When I was coming here it felt like I was dancing mbakumba and muchongovoyo due to bad roads. If we are talking about culture, we are talking about constructing good road networks, connecting water and electricity in order to upgrade our living conditions,” he said.
Ncube thanked the Great Limpopo Cultural Trade Fair organisers and local leaders for facilitating the cross-country cultural festival.
“We thank the growth of the trade fair and the government has joined to make it a national cultural fair and ultimately an international cultural fair being joined by our brothers in South Africa and Mozambique. This has given us a platform to attend to the welfare of other communities countrywide,” he said.
In Mwenezi, meanwhile, artists converged at Rutenga growth point and agreed to come up with a cultural festival as is happening in other districts.
Culture officer from the ministry, Kenneth Madziva urged artists in the district to speak with one voice so that they can match other districts.
“You need to come up with a cultural festival like what is happening in districts like Chiredzi. Such a platform would present an opportunity to showcase Mwenezi talent so you need to have your own area of specialisation as an artist,” said Madziva.
The meeting was attended by groups like the Musaverema traditional dance group, Matande Black Spirits, representatives from Mwenezi Rural District Council and the Ministry of Education as well as representatives from Regai Dzive Shiri.local