Itai Muzondo

Masvingo – Homes are the most comfortable places for one to relieve self but the story is different for education officers and teachers who visit the provincial education offices as they are reported to be relieving themselves at an open space at the back of their offices following water disconnections by Masvingo City Council a few weeks ago.
The open space between Masvingo provincial education offices at the Wigley House and Africa Bet shop has since become an eyesore as teachers who had come for business at the offices relieved themselves in the open since the flash system at the education offices was not ‘usable’ following water disconnection by council.
Various concerned stakeholders have since raised complain over the matter and urged council to force closure of all public offices that are running without water.
“Having that office running is a pure violation of the city’s by-laws. Why can’t council close those offices as they do to businesses when they face similar challenges? As a result, Ministry of Education staff are messing up the backyard which separates Wigley House and Africa Bet shop since they have resorted to using the backyard as a toilet,” Masvingo United Residents Alliance (MURRA) coordinator, Anoziva Muguti argued.
Former Masvingo Central legislator Jefferson Chitando said; “Disconnecting water for unpaid bills is a noble idea but I still have another area which I would love council to seriously consider, that is, health issues after the water has been disconnected at a public office. I suggest that City Fathers take a walk to the Ministry of Education backyard behind Wigley House and see the mess there.”
“Workers at the building or visitors have resorted to use the backyard to relieve themselves. Using the ‘mukoto’ as their public toilets does not guarantee paying off the debt but rather affects loyal ratepayers and other residents’ health. Council should therefore enforce their by-laws and close this office until they have running water,” Chitando added.
When contacted for comment, Masvingo Provincial Education Director Zedias Chitiga dismissed the allegations that teachers and education officers were responsible for the mess saying they were equally worried with waste.
"We are also concerned about the open defecation; I would want to believe it's the street kids who are doing it. I am certain it is not any of our education officers or teachers who visit our offices. We have been talking about this issue for quite some time and we hope council will help by cleaning the area," said Chitiga.
Masvingo Acting Mayor, James Chiwara also lashed out at the government employees and said they are threatening the city’s sanity and health.
“What they are doing is very dangerous. Open defecation is very bad especially practicing it in the city centre. It is just a clear reflection that they do not care about people’s health. Council’s policy on such actions is clear, people should not defecate everywhere. We have been sincere as council because we would have closed that office upon disconnecting water but we had pitted them because of the nature of their work,” said Chiwara.news

Itai Muzondo

Masvingo – The Masvingo magistrate’s court sitting in Mashava recently stopped the much anticipated student representative council election at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) after Zimbabwe National Student’s Union (ZINASU), through their secretary for Legal Affairs, Privilege Kandira challenged the election procedure.
The election which had been dubbed, ‘fast track’ election was stopped after ZINASU presented to the courts that costs for entering the election race were too high and also argued that they had not been given enough time to prepare for the election.
GZU had also not seen any elections since 2014 as the authoritarian hand of Zimbabwe Congress of Student’s Union (ZICOSU) thwarted any efforts by other unions to hold an election.
“The constitution says that elections should be held within four weeks of the opening of the second semester and this was never done since 2014. The responsible authorities decided on 16 August 2016 to announce the day of elections as 6 September 2016. They also pegged their fee at US$100 per candidate for presidium and US$50 for the rest.
“This money was pegged to bar them from participating in the elections. There is no any reason to charge the amount. The students approached the first and second responded (Student’s Representative Authority and Electoral Supervisory Commission) on several occasions to extend the time for registration and on all occasions they showed no interest…on 2 September 2016, our legal practitioners wrote them a letter to extend the time and again they refused,” reads part of the supporting affidavit wrote by ZINASU.
The court went on to extend registration time by two weeks and slashed the hefty amounts that were being demanded for entering the campaign race. They were also urged to shun the electronic voting process as ZINASU argued that it was against the school’s constitution which notes that elections should be done by way of ballot.
“The respondents should extend time for registration by two weeks and to slash the registration fees to US$50 and US$20 respectively. The respondents must also follow the constitution and stop using doctored documents or computers in the voting process,” read the court order.
The respondents were also ordered to pay cost of suit.
Mashava Magestrate, Bishard Chineka presided over the issue.
Human Rights Lawyer, Martin Mureri of Matutu and Mureri Legal Practitioners represented ZINASU.

CHIREDZI – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has supported an estimated 11 500 people affected by the El Nino-induced drought in Chiredzi district to implement self-help projects.
Speaking during a press conference held at Nesbitt Arms hotel recently, United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator who is also the UNDP Resident Representative, Bishow Parajuli said Chiredzi was identified as one of the most affected district.
The UNDP recently revived the Magogogwe irrigation scheme to ensure food security at household level.
“We have identified Chiredzi as one of the most affected districts in the country and our target is to offer help to all the people who need help. We have so far reached 3 500 households in and around Chiredzi district where we provide emergency assistance while working with local communities for their long-term sustenance,” said Parajuli.
He said the UN was working with through its agencies like as Plan International, Oxfam and World Food Programme to equip distressed communities so that they can build their capacities to support themselves.
At least 11 500 people are receiving US$7 per month in aid from the UN and a total of 3 500 households have so far benefitted from this programme.
On future plans, Parajuli said they were working towards covering all vulnerable people and move beyond the 70 percent of affected people they are currently assisting.
Government has also partnered all international relief efforts, and is taking an active role to feed stricken communities; having so far imported almost 220 000 metric tonnes of maize for distribution to affected villagers for the next six months.
Director in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Anderson Chiraya told journalists that government will continue to work for the alleviation of hunger and the strengthening of capacity of communities to support themselves.news

Chimbwinya Denford and
Ruhukwa Munyaradzi

The Headquarters 4 Infantry Brigade will this year host all formations of the ZNA and units in the Inaugural pace-stick drill Competitions scheduled for 09-21 October 2016.
Preparations for this event are at an advanced stage.  The major objective of the Competitions is to assess the standards of drill, turnout and discipline across all the formations and units of the Zimbabwe National Army.
In an interview with the ZNA magazine reporter the discipline Manager at HQ 4 Infantry Brigade, Brigade Sergeant Major (BSM) Warrant Officer Class One (WOI) Joel Mugore said,  “Discipline is the foundation upon which all armies thrive.  The benefits of drill are quite numerous to both the organisation and the individual soldier. To the organisation drill enhances team work, unit and uniformity thereby ensuring a disciplined, efficient and effective organisation.  To an individual, it stimulates mental alertness in as much as it builds physical fitness”.
The participants shall as usual compete in foot drill and arms drill.  The Brigade Sergeant Major Warrant Officer Class one (WOI) Joel Mugore has since declared fireworks to the coming participants that, 4 Brigade will definitely win the trophy, no doubt.news

Zvishavane – A man from Negove in Mberengwa was last week convicted by Zvishavane magistrate Shepherd Munjanja for allegedly un-thatching and destroying his brother’s hut.
Tinashe Moyo, (34) was charged for malicious damage to property and was sentenced to six months in jail after the magistrate found him guilty. Two months were however suspended on condition of good behaviour.
The other three months were suspended after the accused showed remorse with the court also considering he has a family to look after as a bread winner.
The magistrate then ordered that he serve 105 hours of community service at Negove Clinic after which he will have to pay back US$350 by September 30, 2016 to the complainant to compensate him for the loss he suffered.
It was the State’s case that on a day unknown to the courts, Tinashe connived with his sister, Ruvarashe Moyo, to un-thatch and subsequently destroy a hut belonging to the accused’s younger brother Tapiwa Moyo.
The court heard that sometime back, Tinashe thatched a hut for Tapiwa which but the complaint delayed paying for the service.
The accused then demanded his money as per agreement but the complainant promised to pay the money in two days’ time.
This did not go well with Tinashe who then set to undo the work he had done on the hut and went on to raze down the walls of the hut.
In his defence, Tinashe said he wanted Tapiwa to build a new hut for himself so that he would feel how painful it was to be made to work without payment.
Stanley Ncube prosecuted.news

Increase Gumbo

CHIREDZI – Members of the Shangani ethnic group are increasingly embracing new methods of male circumcision, with the culture now opening up to modern ways of removing the foreskin.
This was apparent during the graduation ceremony which saw a total of 665 males from Chief Sengwe and Headman Muzamani graduating after spending four winter weeks undergoing the male circumcision process which was aided by Ministry of Health and Child Care through the National Aids Council (NAC).
The Population Service International (PSI) was also involved in the programme.
Speaking during the occasion, Headman Muzamani, Papazela Masivamela praised the involvement of health officials in the process, saying the procedure was now safer and less painful than before.
“The intervention of NAC, ministry of health and PSI has improved the whole experience. We would normally do it with knives and without using any anaesthetic,” said Masivamele, admitting that many incidents of death would go unreported in accordance with the Shangani culture.
William Chauke, who was one of the graduates, praised the medical procedure as safe and painless, saying he had dreaded doing it in the past owing to the severe pain and trauma that would be involved.
NAC Provincial AIDS Coordinator, Evos Makoni said the surgical male circumcision process has proved to be safer than the traditional way of doing it. He said he was happy now that they were getting a breakthrough after facing tough resistance from locals when the idea was first proposed.
“We are happy with our proceedings because we have not received any reports of deaths since we started in 2009. Before this new approach, cases of deaths were reported at almost every initiation but it’s now a thing of the past,” Makoni said.
He however encouraged the circumcised males to abstain and practice safe sex saying circumcision alone will not stop anyone from contracting HIV/AIDS.
“Male circumcision only reduces the infection of HIV by 6o percent so we do encourage all men who have undergone the circumcision process not to take circumcision as a ticket to promiscuity,” said Makoni.
The Shangani and Lemba cultures are the only groups with a history of circumcision in Zimbabwe but they have for a long time resisted government attempts to improve the practice, with their annual circumcision rituals largely shrouded in secrecy.news