GUTU – A man from Makanda village has attracted nasty attention after he allegedly forced his daughter to terminate her pregnancy so that she could continue with school but the man who impregnated the girl now wants his ‘wife’ and child.
Sources in the village told TellZim News that Sibongile Makanda was doing her Form Four at Mpandawana High School last year when she fell pregnant.
Her boyfriend, only identified as Meke from Maregedze village, is reported to have accepted the pregnancy saying while he was not yet prepared to marry Sibongile, he still wanted her to move in with him.
Sibongile’s father, Anistos Makanda, in consultation with his wife, Patricia Murakata, are however said to have opposed Meke as they wanted their daughter to continue with her education.
“The parents agreed that the pregnancy had to be terminated so that Sibongile could go to ‘A’ Level so Anistos harassed Meke until he fled to South Africa,” a source said.
The two allegedly forced Sibongile to terminate her pregnancy and Meke was not told about it despite the fact that he had made indications to marry Sibongile and pay lobola at a later stage.
The sources said Meke has now sent emissaries to demand that his ‘wife’ and child be given to him but Sibongile’s parents are adamant that the relationship no longer exists because the pregnancy is no more.
Other villagers said they knew that abortion is illegal in Zimbabwe and are surprised at how Anistos and his wife had forced their daughter to abort.local

Cephas Shava / Exsto Makunzva

10 March 2017, MWENEZI – A fisherman drowned last Saturday and was found dead the following day after his makeshift aluminium boat was washed away while trying to cross a flooded Mwenezi River on the edges of Manyuchi Dam’s spillway.
Farai Parwazenga, who was in his late 70s and was from Chinyu village under Chief Neshuro, was reportedly swept away while trying to rescue some people who were stuck on the other side of the river.
“Since the river was flooded, Parwazenga tried to guide his boat across the Manyuchi Dam spillway and we saw his boat being washed away as he tried to cross to the other side.
“It’s a matter luck that his body was found because chances were high for him to disappear without a trace,” said an eyewitness.
In Zvishavanbe, an employee of Mimosa Mines, Joyful Mpofu of Ingome village under Chief Wedza, died after a Toyota Funcargo he was travelling in was swept away while trying to cross Shavi River on a flooded bridge.
The shocked driver of the vehicle, Febour Dzvairo said he had become accustomed to crossing the river under similar circumstances and did not know what went wrong on that incident.
“It just happened unexpectedly. We have for long crossed the bridge as it overflowed like that but today we were just unlucky. I don’t know how I managed to escape. I just found myself swimming,” said Dzvairo.
Eye witness Ben Moyo said he saw the vehicle being swept into the river and he later saw Dzvairo and Polite Moyo coming out of the river with Dzvairo stuck naked saying the water had stripped him off his clothes.
Mpofu was trapped in the car and when Moyo and Dzvairo went back to check on their colleague, they discovered that he was already dead.
Mpofu’s body was later taken to Zvishavane District Hospital Mortuary.topnews, local,pictures

….says consultations a waste of money

09 MArc 2017, MUTARE – A parliamentary portfolio committee which hosted abortive hearings on the proposed changes to the constitution in Mutare last week has been accused of lacking seriousness and squandering public resources.
Residents told TellZim News that the committee had taken Mutare residents for granted because its members had turned up for the meeting very late.
“It’s a waste of public resources. How can you have two parliamentarians coming to a meeting they are supposed to lead very late? They are staying in expensive hotels and lodges and are receiving hefty allowances for doing nothing serious,” said one resident who spoke after the meeting was aborted.
Another resident said the consultations were a gimmick to portray the exercise as an act of democracy when it is all clear that the amendments will be passed regardless of what the public says.
“If the government wants the amendments to pass, they will pass. The reintroduction of the senate in 2005 was not liked but it passed, the constitution itself would not have passed in 2013 if Zanu PF did not like it. Recently, we saw the Urban Councils Amendment Bill being positioned for passage despite that it was overwhelmingly rejected by the people. Why waste resources then?” fumed the resident.
The meeting at Queens Hall degenerated into chaos after Gokwe-Nembudziya Member of Parliament Justice Mayor Wadyajena and Mutasa South MP Irene Zindi pranced into the hall late.
This annoyed participants who felt the two were not taking the programme seriously.
Committee leader, Ziyambi Ziyambi tried to suspend proceedings in order to introduce the two late comers but ordinary participants refused to listen to him, shouting that Wadyejena and Zindi did not deserve any courtesy.
 “I can’t stop for late comers. They will be introduced at the end of the meeting, we are here for a serious issue,” said a man whom Ziyambi had ordered to stop his contributions to allow for the introductions.
Ziyambi then tried to use his power as chairperson and ordered the man not to speak again.
Participants, however, demanded that the two MPs apologise for coming late but they flatly refused.
“I am not going to apologise for coming late because I had other work commitments,” retorted Wadyajena.
Speaking after the abortion of the meeting, another committee member, Innocent Gonese blamed Ziyambi for failing to handle the situation.
“It’s sad that the meeting had to end this way but the chairman lost it. He failed to handle the situation well. Rather, he became too emotional and could not reach a point of understanding with the residents,” said Gonese.
If passed, the amendments will allow the President to appoint the Chief Justice at his own discretion and will do away with the current requirements for candidates to undergo interviews by the Judicial Services Commission (JSC).local