Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – A 34-year-old teacher who had been on the run for the past two years after seizing someone’s laptop for failing to pay a US$20 debt, was last week convicted of unauthorised borrowing by Magistrate Honest Musiiwa.
Life Takavada of Chikandiwa village under Chief Negari, whom others said taught at Results Oriented College in Harare, was convicted on his own plea of guilty and sentenced to twenty days behind bars or alternatively pay US$60 fine.
The State’s case, as presented led by prosecutor Patience Mutsikwi, was that on September 4, 2015 at around 10:00 hrs, Takavada took the Samsung laptop with a net value of US$400 from Alfred Beta who had failed to settle the debt.
After taking the laptop, Takavada disappeared and went on to ignore repeated phone calls by police at Rutenga instructing him to bring back the laptop.
Beta later told TellZim News that with the help of social media, he managed to locate Takavada who had been reluctant to divulge his whereabouts though he, on several occasions, would entertain some phone calls.
“I was sure that Takavada was in Harare but I was not certain about his exact location. So I sent messages to different WhatsApp groups pleading for anybody with knowledge of his whereabouts to assist me.
“I eventually received a tip off so I visited his workplace in the company of three police officers and we ambushed him during break time. He was really taken by surprise because when he saw me, he tried to flee and resist arrest but the police officers overpowered him,” said Beta.local

CHIREDZI – A man from Makonye village under headman Mupapa, Chief Sengwe, is in trouble for allegedly raping his then 13-year-old niece and infecting her with syphilis in January 2016.
Alex Sithole appeared before Magistrate Judith Zuyu who heard that sometime in January last year, Sithole allegedly met the minor, who is related to his wife, and dragged her into the bush where he raped her once, gave her a dollar after the act and ordered her not to report the case.
In the second count, it is alleged that at an unknown date but in the same month, Sithole raped the girl and threatened her with a knife, ordering her not to report the case to the police.
In the third count, but again on an unknown date, Sithole raped the girl and threatened to kill her if she ever reported the case to anybody.
The matter came to light in January 2017 after the girl’s aunt (Sithole’s wife) noticed that her niece was not walking properly before taking her to Chomupani Clinic where the girl was diagnosed with syphilis.
In his defence, Sithole, who seemed to be confident at ease with the proceedings, refuted all the three counts and said he had consensual sex with the girl.
“I did not rape her, I was in love with her. She came to my house while my wife and children were at the fields and I asked her for sex and she closed her face with both hands while smiling. I assumed she had accepted and we went on to have sex,” said Sithole.
Sithole also told the court that he himself had never been diagnosed with any Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) so he could not be the one who infected the girl.
However, Sharai Mationesa, a nurse who treated the girl, told the court that Syphilis was a long term infection so it was ordinary that the symptoms began to appear after one year of the alleged rape.
The case was later postponed to a later date for continuation of trial with Moreblessing Rusere standing for the State.local

Mackenzie Ndou

BEITBRIDGE – United Family International Church (UFIC) founder Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa said Beitbridge residents and business people should ignore the increasingly frustrating economic situation obtaining in the country and work hard in order to unleash the full potential of the border town.
Speaking at the opening of Kingdom Light Global Ministries (KLGM) church building in Beitbridge, Makandiwa urged people to keep an open mind and develop the town.  
“Beitbridge town has great potential to grow economically and contribute to regional and international trade.  This is a place which needs to be developed at all costs as it is becoming the centre of such trade.
“The development of the town doesn’t need to start with people from outside. As the inhabitants of Beitbridge, you need to have an open mind and work towards developing this town. As a child of God, you cannot sit down and blame the outside forces for dictating your life.
“You need to ignore the economic situation.  Work towards your success because that is the kind of life we inherited – a prosperous and successful life. Don’t be negative about your surroundings and let it not affect your reasoning.  You must have a mind that is geared for success, Makandiwa said.
He said the opening of the 2500 seater KLGM church building must be a mark of the beginning of development in the town.
 “The opening of this building also marks the beginning of development in Beitbridge. As we are doing so, we are praying for the growth and prosperity of this town. You need to start realising and fulfilling your potential as Beitbridge,” said Makandiwa.
Makandiwa was in Beitbridge for the highly publicised KLGM’s three day conference to mark the official opening of their church building, which also happens to be the largest in Beitbridge.local

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Villagers around Munyamane area under Chief Maranda are living in fear for their lives after a spate of attacks on their livestock by escapee lions, TellZim News has learnt.
Though no immediate comment could be immediately obtained from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authorities (ZimParks), Chief Maranda confirmed the issue saying responsible authorities were hard at work, tracking the lions and other stray wild animals.
“Lions are not the only animals that have escaped from a nearby wildlife farm in section eight but elephants and buffalos as well. These animals are said to have escaped through a gap that was created on the game’s fence by suspected poachers.
“Wildlife authorities are currently tracking the animals and messages are circulating in the areas so that anyone who gets information about the animals notifies authorities. In my area, I have so far received information of incidences of some people whose cattle were attacked by lions,” Chief Maranda said.
Some villagers around Munyamane who were interviewed by TellZim News said they are now living in fear for their lives. They also revealed that the stray lions were in many incidences killing livestock and leaving the carcasses without eating the meat.
Residents said it had become occasional to bump into carcasses of domestic animals killed by lions.local

Nashe Mahachi

CHIPINGE – A 40-year-old Buhera man was brought before Chipinge magistrate courts after he was allegedly caught in possession of fake bank notes amounting to a whopping R33 500 at Birchenough Bridge business centre.
Jairos Tarwakuona pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Chipinge magistrate Poterai Gwashiri facing charges of being in possession articles for criminal use as defined in Section 40 (1) of the Criminal Law ( Codification and Reform) Act ,chapter 9:23.
In denying the charges, Tarwakuona said the fake notes were not his. He said he had genuine money when he got arrested which was equivalent to the fake notes which were brought before the courts.
Appearing for the State, Witness Nyamundaya told the court that Tarwakuona approached a vendor Karakadzai Bangwayo intending to exchange R500 with US dollars.
“Tarwakuona handed the fake R500 in R100 notes to Bangwayo who upon checking for security features discovered that the notes were counterfeit. Bangwayo informed other dealers that Tarwakuona had fake money,” Bangwayo said.
He was arrested and remanded in custody to Friday (tomorrow) for continuation of trial.local