Upenyu Chaota

BIKITA – A local man working for a demining company in war-ravaged Syria was on Monday killed in a massive explosion that happened as he tried to neutralise a landmine.
Costa Munoda was working for a demining company called Tetratec in the tattered Middle-Eastern country by the time of his death.
He was from Mukore in Bikita and was a close relative of Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) elder Rtd Col Claudius Makova.
“I have just been informed that Costa Munoda has been killed in a bomb explosion in Syria while in the field,” said Makova.
Before going to Syria, Munoda once worked for Makova who then ran a demining company funded by the European Union but later on moved to Syria after Makova’s company closed down.
“I owned the biggest demining company in the world and Munoda used to work for me. After the European Union withdrew its funding, the company closed down and most of my workers are dotted around the globe,” said Makova.
He said repatriation of the body and funeral arrangements were yet to be made and will be announced in due course.
Munoda’s friend, Charles Chifedza, who is based in Canada took to social media to express his sadness over the loss of his ‘brother’.
“Rest in eternal peace Costa Munoda my brother. It’s a sad chapter, you shall forever live on in our hearts,” said Chifedza in a Facebook post.local

ZAKA – Two teachers from Musiso High School are alleged to be dating a pupil who is doing her Ordinary Levels at the same school, TellZim news has learnt.
A source who is privy to what is happening said the alleged affairs came to light last week when senior teacher, Climate Mutero was tipped off that there was a pupil in one of the accused teachers’ office.
Acting on the tipoff, Mutero allegedly went and found the pupil (name supplied) in the office alone.
When asked what she was doing there, she reportedly responded saying she was waiting for her boyfriend and was later taken for a disciplinary hearing.
“The student stunned the disciplinary committee when she revealed that one of its members had proposed love to her and at one time had asked her to remove her wrapping cloth (Zambia) so that he could admire her legs,” said the source.
In the hearing, the source said, the girl tried to protect one of the teachers (names supplied) but failed as there was overwhelming evidence that she was in love with him.
The matter was reported to the responsible authority and to the District Schools Inspector (DSI) and the Public Service Commission (PSC).
No comment could be obtained from the DSI and the Provincial Education Director (PED) Zedius Chitiga said he was not aware of the matter.
“I have not received any information about that but if it was reported then maybe it is on its way,” said Chitiga.
The school has recently been plagued by reports of indiscipline since last year including cases of students being caught out of bounds drinking alcohol.
Last year some ‘A’ Level pupils at the school hired a kombi and went to Gutu for a sports event without the authority and knowledge of the school.
Three teachers including deputy head are said to have transferred from the school in what seemed to be a protest over the way things are run at the school.local

CHIVHU – A recently-divorced taxi driver, Tafara Prosper Muchena (33) last week appeared before magistrate Winfilda Tiyatara facing charges of raping a 20-year old married woman who was stranded near the Innscor Food Court.
The State alleged that on June 16 around 02:00 hrs, Muchena, who was not asked to plead but was placed on remand until 30 June, lured the stranded woman by offering to charge her phone that had run out of power as she waited for transport at Masvingo station along the highway.
The woman is said to have later went into Muchena’s car to check on the phone so that she could communicate with people at home but Muchena drove the car and parked close to the food outlet where he allegedly fondled her breasts, grabbed her by the neck and raped her once.
After the act, the accused tried to convince the woman to marry him but she refused but he tried to buy her trust by leaving his national identity card, phone number and his jacket with her before driving off to his place of residence.
The victim took advantage of those items and made a report at Chivhu Police Camp around 04:00 hrs.
Nicholas Mabvongodze stood for the State.local