… faction members assault each other

Upenyu Chaota

MASVINGO – It appears factionalism in the province is not peculiar to the ruling Zanu PF party after all, with the main opposition MDC-T busy fighting the same demon within its own ranks.
At a ward rally at Mucheke Hall last week, one Ruth Machipisa earned herself some warm claps after she had expressed her support for former Masvingo Urban legislator Tongai Matutu, a move which enraged fellow party supporters fighting for national executive member Takanayi Mureyi.
Mureyi and Matutu’s names have been thrown around in discussions over the most suitable candidate to represent the party in Masvingo Urban constituency in the 2018 elections.
Tensions flared up at the combined ward 1 and ward 2 rally which was supposed to be chaired by Mureyi and provincial chairperson James Gumbi.
Mureyi, however, did not show up as he was said to be engaged in another meeting in Bikita district and Gumbi arrived very late.
The rally was thrown into disarray as people started walking out of the venue when they realised that the guest speakers were no longer coming.
The crowd could be heard chanting pro-Mureyi slogans while denigrating Matutu until Machipisa, who is from ward 4, shouted “Mureyi haapindi”. Visibly drunk youths quickly swarmed around her, tossed her around and beat her up.
The youths accused Machipisa of being a Matutu lackey sent to create divisions, shouting that they wanted her to go back and tell Matutu that ‘your plan has backfired.’
The youths only backed off after realising that Gumbi, who had just arrived, was still around but this did not stop the ‘Mureyi haapindi’ shouts.
“It is of no use to fight among ourselves when the real enemy is out there. We should work together and bring unity in the party and make sure that president Tsvangirai wins in 2018.
“People should also mind what they say about their leaders in public. The youth are there to protect the party and instil discipline,” Gumbi pleaded with the rowdy youths.
A provincial executive member said the rivalry between Matutu and Mureyi was likely to explode soon since the two were very prominent and powerful people in the party.
“Mureyi splashes money to get acceptance but Matutu is just a people’s darling. Mureyi knows he cannot win against Matutu in a fair race hence he is trying to have the entire executive in his pockets so that they can endorse him.
“Right now he is the one financing party programmes but Matutu is more popular with the grass roots,” said the provincial executive member.
When contacted for comment Matutu said people should not engage  in violent behaviour in his name.
“I’m surprised that people fight in my name yet I haven’t made myself available to contest. Violence is bad because it does not set us apart from Zanu PF,” Matutu said, adding that he will make a decision on wether to contest the Masvingo Urban seat in due course.
Mureyi too was incensed by the intra-political violence, saying there was no point for fellow party members to fight over anything.
“That kind of immaturity is what’s setting our country back and allowing  Zanu PF to do as it pleases. Whether I will contest the seat or not is no reason to fight. I  don’t have a problem with Matutu or anybody for that matter so why would somebody want to fight in my name?” said Mureyi.politics,topnews

MASVINGO – The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Dr Sylia Utete – Masango last week hailed Helen McGhie Government Primary School as one of the best schools she has visited in the country.
Speaking during presentation of the Permanent Secretary’s Merit Award for 2016 to the school on Friday, Dr Utete – Masango said she was pleased by developments at the school.
“This school has made me happy. It is one of the best schools among all the schools I have visited across the country. The support from parents is also overwhelming. I have only seen such support from three schools, one in Harare and the other in Bulawayo.
“The presence of many parents at events like this one testifies to the good working relationship which exists between all stakeholders. Parents do not associate themselves with things they do not understand or things whose direction they do not see,” Dr Utete – Masango said.
She also urged all schools that received the Permanent Secretary’s Award to maintain their standards saying the idea behind the award was to develop schools.
“Recipients of this award should not stop working to develop themselves as I have seen in many scenarios. After being getting the award, schools usually down tools such that a few years later, things take a surprising turn for the worse.
“We say such schools should be pacesetters for those who are yet to attain the honours. There should always be improvements such that learners benefit from the school’s development,” Dr Utete – Masango said.education,topnews

Itai Muzondo in Mwenenzi

MWENEZI – The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education permanent secretary Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango last week presented Mwenezi Government High School with the 2016 Permanent Secretary’s Merit Award, the second time the school has won the prestigious accolade.
Mwenezi Government High School first won the award way back in 1985 and it has been a protracted period of hard work which finally resulted in the award returning to the school after more than 30 years.
The award earned the school some government funding to the tune of US$10 000 for the establishment of an ‘e-classroom’ which will be equipped with 45 laptops, a mounted projector as well as an interactive whiteboard.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Utete-Masango challenged all schools to join the race for the award by first creating a conducive learning environment for children in their respective spaces.
“As secretary, it is my expectation that every school is part of this noble race. This is a race we must be working for on a daily basis so that in the end, though we may have one winner, all the schools and all the learners would have won too.
“Every school has a duty to provide, without fail, conducive teaching and learning environments for quality learning outcomes,” Dr Utete-Masango said.
She also said she was happy with how pupils at Mwenezi Government High School had shown an impressive understanding of the new curriculum.
“I am happy with engagements I take with pupils every time I visit schools. Here, I have talked to many students from different classes and they have shown great understanding of the new curriculum. I am confident they will rightly use skills acquired through such learning to sustain themselves,” she said.
Mwenezi Government High School headmaster Cuthbert Chuma said the award was a great milestone in the history of the school.
“The year will go down in history as momentous for Mwenezi Governmet High School as the school was bestowed with the coveted and prestigious Secretary’s Merit Award. The award is a great honour which every school in Zimbabwe aspires to attain but many in their life time may not be able to attain the elusive dream of such recognition.
“The award is a result of teamwork by school stakeholders. Staff and students have worked hard in various disciplines and departments. The School Development Committee (SDC) has done tremendous work at the school. Currently we have a landscaping programme we launched to re-brand the school and it is going on well through the support of these stakeholders,” Chuma said.
In his remarks, Mwenezi High SDC chairperson Pinias Shoko thanked the ministry for honouring the school’s efforts.
“There is no better way of being appreciated than being honoured for the work you are doing for development. I would like to say thank you to our parent ministry for recognising our combined efforts to improve education in Mwenezi,” Shoko said.education,topnews

MUTARE – A Rusape man exposed his erect manhood to a young woman who had turned down his sexual advances.
Despite having pleaded innocent, Michael Chigudu (31), of Village 42 Inyathi, was slapped with a US$300 fine after being convicted of indecent assault by provincial magistrate Elizabeth Hanzi.
Chigudu had told the court he was in love with the complainant.
The provincial magistrate gave him a three months jail term with an option to pay a fine.
Appearing for the State, Moblessing Tapfumaneyi told the court that on December 25 2015, at around 20:00 hrs, Chigudu went to the complainant’s homestead and pretended as if he wanted to discuss some issues with her. The complainant opened the door and Chigudu asked her for sexual favours but he was turned down.
The complainant rushed back inside and closed her door but Chigudu forcibly pushed the door and pulled her out.
He then unzipped his trousers and exposed his erect manhood while grabbing the complainant. She screamed and Chigudu released her after dogs started barking at him. She reported the matter to the police and he was arrested.local,top news