Elliot Jinjika

CHIVHU – A businessman who owns Mukopa Enterprises operating at Vics Tarven complex was left devastated last week after thieves broke into his fully-packed shop in the dead of the night and stole goods with an estimated worth of over US$3 000.
The shop sells different types of goods from electrical appliances, furniture, clothing, jewellery and groceries.
Bags of clothing, electrical gadgets and groceries that had recently been ordered from South Africa were stolen, adding to the worries of growing crime in the small town.
“A number of goods including jewellery, electrical appliances and others with a total value of over $3000 were stolen. I cannot mention all the goods because as you can see, this shop was a jerk of all trades as I sell different goods under one roof,” said Mukopa.
Mukopa criticised the lax security in the town due to what he indicated to be misplaced priorities on the part of the police.
“The police are doing nothing. Countless similar incidences have been reported before but it is still happening every second day. They are doing nothing and nothing at all. The way they dealt with our matter was so pathetic.
“How can a professional policeman write a statement concerning a burglary case at the police camp without even bothering to go to the scene and then spend the nights at night clubs instead of patrolling areas with businesses and properties that bring money to this town,” said a furious Mukopa.
The police were not immediately available to respond to concerns that they are concentrating their energies in non-critical areas.local

ZAKA – The government is set to establish a new irrigation scheme in headman Mushaya’s area under Chief Bota, with the idea of improving agricultural production among the local people.
Last week Zaka West legislator Vincent Mawere and Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Davies Marapira toured the site of the proposed irrigation scheme.
The project, which is known as the Mushaya Irrigation Scheme, would be the second biggest in the district if developed and will draw its water from Bangala Dam.
Mawere said he was happy that government had heeded calls for such a project in the area which is blessed with large water bodies that supply the Lowveld sugarcane plantations.
“Zaka is blessed with water; we have Bangala, Manjirenji and Siya dams and other smaller ones but we have not been benefiting from that water. I’m happy now that the government through the Ministry of Agriculture have noticed that,” said Mawere.
On the same note, Marapira praised Mawere for working hard to bring development to the people he represents.
“I want to assure you that the government will do its best to make this project a success. It has been on cards since 1990 before being raised again in 1997.
It is now time for implementation and the government will do whatever it takes to make it work. People are going to benefit from the Presidential Input Scheme and Command Agriculture once the project kicks off,” Marapira said.
Zaka District Administrator (DA) Victor Zinanga urged people to unite and embrace the project by providing labour when the time comes.
“Avoid gossiping, and simple politics that hinder development. Unite and make this project a success. I urge you to cooperate and provide labour for you will be the beneficiaries of this project,” said Zinanga
The irrigation measures about 100 hectares and lies along Mutirikwi River just a stone throw from the Bangala Dam wall.local

Godhat Dunira

Clever Taperamoyo

CHIVI – Kenias Kwangwari (36) of Tarisai Village under Chief Nyajena in Chivi last Thursday appeared before magistrate Purity Gumbo and Prosecutor Edmond Mapope who sent him to remand for allegedly murdering his wife.
The court heard that in July this year, Kwangwari went to a two roomed house where his wife Naume Maziofa (now deceased) was doing her domestic chores.
While in the bedroom, a misunderstanding arose between the deceased and Kwangwari and the suspect allegedly took a traditional ram and struck his wife on her head several times.
The court also heard that Kwangwari went outside the bedroom and took an axe which was in the fowl run some meters away and went back to the room where his was lying on the floor.
He allegedly further struck the now deceased with the axe while holding her head and her back until she was dead.
He tried to hide evidence by hiding the stained wooden traditional ram and the axe back in the fowl run.
Kwangwari was seen by Yolanda and Sandra Hove who are his neighbours to and they later on reported the case to the police leading to the arrest of the suspected murderer.
Stained wooden traditional ram and the axe were recovered at his homestead, the court heard that Kwangwari was found in possession of the axe handle.
He was sent to remand and, by the time of writing, was yet to appear in court again for further trial.local

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – A 36-year-old road user who was angered by the endless roadblocks and labelled police officers thieves before disappearing with a pair of handcuffs was last week convicted on the disorderly conduct charge but was found not guilty of escaping lawful custody.
Magistrate Honest Musiiwa sentenced Farirepi Nhongoviro of Mutoredzanwa village under Chief Nemauzhe in Chivi, to 15 days in prison or alternatively to pay a US$50 fine.
Nhongoviro had however pleaded not guilty to both charges during trial.
In acquitting Nhongoviro on the charge of escaping from lawful custody, Musiiwa pointed out that since Nhongoviro was found a few metres on his way to Mwenezi police station, he had not intended to escape but to hand himself in.
This was after the police had arrested, handcuffed and kept him there as a way of punishing him for his outspokenness.
The incident happened on May 13 at the 166 km peg along Masvingo – Beitbridge highway when Nhongoviro asked many questions to police officers who had stopped the car in which he was travelling.
On the charge of disorderly conduct, the magistrate said there was overwhelming evidence that Nhongoviro committed the offence.
Giving evidence in court earlier on, Brian Siyabonga, one of the police officer who was at the roadblock on the day in question, said Nhongoviro had scolded him and called the police officers perpetual thieves.
He alleged that Nhongoviro had wanted to cause a scene by threatening to throw himself in front of moving vehicles.
It was heard that Nhovoringo engaged in riotous conduct, running around the roadblock shouting at police officers and disturbing the free movement of vehicles.
After being arrested, the handcuffed Nhongoviro ran away and disappeared into the darkness but was later found on his way to Mwenezi police station where he was arrested again.
Willard Chasi prosecuted.local

Brighton Chiseva

ZAKA – The matter involving two teachers from Musiso High School who stand accused of dating a pupil has taken a new twist with latest information at hand indicating that one of the teachers was framed.
The investigation team found that one of teachers at the centre of the controversy was framed by pupils who wanted to fix him.
A report compiled by the disciplinary committee looked into the case and heard that the pupil (name supplied) who was being investigated for the alleged affair with the two teachers (names also supplied) connived with her six friends to cook up a case against one of the teachers while exonerating the alleged real offender.
TellZim News is also in possession of letters written by the six friends to school head Emmaculate Tinago confessing that they had conspired to nail the second teacher.
“On Sunday when I entered the (name withheld)’s room, I heard (name withheld) and (name withheld) planning that (the pupil at the centre of the controversy) was supposed to lie and say that Mr (name withheld) had asked her out. They were laughing as if they were joking until I heard that (name withheld) had accused Mr (name withheld) of asking her out,” reads part of the letter by one of the girls.
The girl at the centre of the alleged affair also wrote to the head admitting that she had connived with her friends to fix the teacher, moments after being caught out of bounds.
“…. (name withheld) akabva ati tinofanira kutsvaka munhu watinotsikirira paunoenda kudisciplinary committee, … (name withheld) akabava auya nepfungwa yekuti ngatisungirirei Va (name withheld) nekuti vane manyawi ende hapana anovafarira pano. Vatishungurudza chero nababa vangu havaonani kuma hostel vanosvika vachida kutonga tonga. Vanhu vakabva vati iyoyo inoita ndiko kuti vadzikame vane dzungu,” reads part of the girl’s confession.
The disciplinary committee, which submitted its findings to the investigating committee which comprised Tinago, senior lady Evelyne Gaviro and two teachers Flora Madzvamuse and Pelagia Chikati, was made up of four senior teachers, senior master, senior lady and the school’s acting deputy head.
The girls’ letters of confession, accompanied by the disciplinary committee’s own findings, have been sent to the provincial education offices for further investigations.
The investigating team recommended that disciplinary action be taken against the first teacher after concluding that the second teacher had no case to answer.
When contacted for comment on the new developments, Masvingo Provincial Education Director (PED) Zedias Chitiga said the matter was still under investigation.
“The investigations are still on and once a final verdict is given, proper procedures will be followed and you will definitely see the results,” said Chitiga.
The controversy began when the pupil was spent many hours in the teacher’s office during study time and was found walking to the hostels long after other pupils had settled in their places of residence.
She later stunned the disciplinary committee after claiming that the second teacher, and not the first one as was widely suspected, had proposed love to her and asked her to disrobe.local

Lawrence Mandava

BIKITA – Ward 12 Zanu PF political commissar Wellington Mutisi recently donated 10 bags of cement and 300 A5 exercise books to Makotore Primary School in Bikita.
This was a fulfillment of the pledge he made on Independence Day after a pupil in the school’s gymnastics team impressed him with a thrilling performance.
Mutisi then made representations to school head Porina Mhembere that he will see to it that the school receives some help.
“I have been committed to other business but I have finally managed to come to fulfill my pledge which I did after your pupil performed well on Independence Day,” said Mutisi.
Speaking at the event, Mhembere said the school was humbled by the gesture which she said was going to cover gaps in the school’s development needs.
“We thank Mr. Mutisi and his family for the love he has shown to us as a school and for remembering these pupils with exercise books. It’s a gap covered for us as a school and it is our desire that God continues to enlarge his territory.
Mutisi’s family members, Zanu PF Masvingo youth chairperson Nobert Ndaarombe and some ward councillors from Bikita Rural District Council were present during the donation.local

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Angered by inexplicable deaths and miscarriages in his family, a 50-year-old man quarrelled with his neighbour and called her a witch, demanding that she immediately stop her habit of bringing misfortune into his home, the Mwenezi Magistrates Court heard last week.
Khosa Musengi of Mharadze village under Chief Maranda was convicted on his own plea of guilty for contravening section 99 (1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Magistrate Honest Musiiwa strongly cautioned Musengi against labelling anyone a witch without evidence from registered healers and gave him a wholly suspended eighty months prison sentence.
Asked by Musiiwa why he accused his neighbour of being a witch, Musengi confidently said his neighbour had haunted him with misfortunes for too long.
“It’s now close to 13 years being haunted by the witchcraft of my neighbour. She once came to my home pretending that she wanted to help my wife during delivery and I didn’t know that she wanted to take away a part of the newly born baby’s body for use in her acts.
“I consulted healers and they pointed out that she was the trouble maker. She caused the death of my children and now I only have one child left. I confronted her because right now, I am being affected by her spell,” Musengi told the court.
The State case, as presented by Willard Chasi, was that sometime in June this year, Musengi went to Esnathi Mandiweni’s homestead and started accusing accusing her of being a witch who had caused the death of his children and miscarriages of his wife.
Musengi threatened Mandiweni with death should the deaths and miscarriages in his own family continue. A police report was made leading to the arrest of Musengi.local