Increase Gumbo recently in Chipinge

CHIPINGE – Villagers from Chipinge South are facing critical water shortage amid reports that Save river, which supplies water for both domestic use and livestock, has dried up.

Chipinge South legislator Enock Porusingazi said the development has negatively impacted on villagers saying they are now walking long distances to other surrounding water sources.

Porusingazi said there was urgent need for government to intervene and drill boreholes in the area before villagers and animals die of water shortage.

“Save river is drying up and we appeal to ZINWA and government to intervene before people die,” said Porusingazi.

The Chipinge South legislator also appeal to ZINWA to release water from dams like Osborne and Siya dam which are on the top side of the river so that the dams will feed the river with water which will benefit the affected people who lives in the downstream of the river.

“Save started drying up in May and I think it’s high time ZINWA should release water from dams like Osborne and Siya dam so that the water will flow downstream and benefit the affected areas such as Jack Quinton, Chisumbanje, Mahenye and Mabeye,” Porusingazi said.news

Increase Gumbo

CHIREDZI – Due to ever increasing cash crisis in the country, Chiredzi councillors have been forced to open bank accounts so that they can access their allowances through transfers, TellZim News can reveal.

Speaking during a Full Council Meeting last Wednesy, Chiredzi Rural District Council (RDC) chairperson Edward Matsilele said there is need for every councillor to open an instant account in order to receive their $80 monthly allowances starting June.

Councillors however protested saying the amount was too little for one to open a bank account for. They argued that the bank charges were going to take much of the money.

 “It’s impossible; we cannot open a bank account to access a mere $80 allowances, that money will be swallowed by the bank charges. Why troubling us,” said Ward 26 councillor Anthony Magabude who was visibly seething with anger. 

Chiredzi RDC chief executive officer Isaac Matsilele told the councillors who seem to be opposing the idea of bank accounts that they have no option since cash crisis was a national issue.

“Cash crisis is a national issue and Chiredzi council cannot be exempted therefore everyone should have a bank account. We cannot debate this because we have no hard cash to give you,” said Matsilele.

Another councillor Tiyani Chilonga, however, opted for Ecocash accounts saying they cannot travel from as far as malipati to queue in the bank to withdraw $80 only. Matsillele insisted that there was no any other options except opening bank accounts.news

Memory Rasa

GUTU – Gutu villagers are up in arms against Ward 16 councillor whom they accuse of not reporting hyenas which are terrorizing their livestock to the National Parks and Wildlife Management as they tasked him.

Mhuru and Mupanamombe villagers have threatened to give councillor Raphios Kubiku a vote of no confidence saying he has failed to take their problems to higher offices since they elected him into office in 2013.

Kubiku, who is also Chief Kubiku, is accused of not doing anything to the matter and, to date, the hyenas have killed over 20 goats, three cattle and several dogs in the area.

“We do not know what to do anymore; livestock is our only source of wealth. Hyenas are killing animals and the councillor is not doing anything about it though we tasked him to report the matter to National Parks. The issue might not be a big deal to someone living in town but to us here in rural areas livestock is our source of wealth. We have been waiting to get feedback from the councillor for more than two months,” one angry villager said.

Efforts to get comment from kubiku were fruitless by the time of going to print. Gutu Rural District Council (RDC) chief executive officer Alexander Mutembwa, however, said they have reported the matter to the National Parks and assured villagers that the matter will be addressed soon.

“We received complaints from villagers in Ward 16 but we face network challenges to get hold of the councillor. We therefore texted him messages and we are yet to get response from him. The issue of hyenas, however, was reported to national Parks sometime in May this year and we hope the problem will be addressed soon,” said Mutembwa.

An official from national Parks said they will attend to the problem once they get official communication from the council.

“We kill these hyenas by trapping and poisoning; we have killed more than 20 and disposed them by burning. We have received complaints from villagers but we can only act after a formal communication from council. We have been to Ward 3 in Ndahwi, Nzombe, Wards 12 and 13 respectively. The problem is that some chiefs do not cooperate, said a National Parks official.news

Itai Muzondo

MASVINGO – Zimbabwe Library Association’s (ZimLA) 50th Conference ended on a high note, with Masvingo city council pledging to revamp its community libraries.

The conference was held under the theme; Transforming Information into Knowledge Tools.

In an interview with TellZim News soon after a three day conference held at a local hotel last week, African Library and Information Associations and Institutions (AfLIA) president John Tsebe said it is was important to have community libraries in all the residential suburbs in order for residents to have easy access to information when they do researches.

Tsebe also urged media organisations to have libraries in their newsrooms.  

“I have recognised with concern that the culture of reading hard copies is dying. I want to urge council to revive community libraries as well as newsrooms to have libraries to assist them when they write feature stories as well as story backgrounds,” said Tsebe.

Masvingo mayor Hubert Fidze said he will convince the Housing and Community Development department to revive community libraries.

“The conference was an eye opener; I will talk to the Housing Director (Levison Nzvura) and encourage him to revive community libraries. There is also need to encourage young and ambitious Zimbabweans to recognize and take up librarianship as a rewarding career path. Qualified and competent librarians and media centre specialists therefore should be encouraged to apply and manage these libraries and media centers,” said Fidze.

Also present at the conference was ZimLA President Lantern Fusire, Library and Information Association of Zambia Velenasi Munsanje, Great Zimbabwe University Librarian Lawrence Chikwanha, Chief Librarian (Schools) Namibia Tonderai Chanakira, Associate Professor Zayed University, UAE Judith Mavodza, ZimLA Provincial Chairperson; Shadreck Ndinde and ZimLA Sub-Saharan Africa director Jerry Mathema.news

Memory Rasa

GUTU – A Gutu father stunned the court when he last week pleaded with magistrate to send his biological son to jail saying he had failed to control the 17 year old Form Two school dropout.

 The teenager (name withheld), who dropped out of school when he was doing Form Two, was facing assault charges as defined in  Section 89 (1) of the Criminal Law and Codification Reform Act Chapter 9;23, after he beat up a grinding mill attendant, Tavonga Mhike (24), at Dinha Business Centre.

It is the State case that on the day in question, the teenager approached Mhike at his work place and the two had a heated argument before hitting the later with a stone on the forehead.

The court heard that Mhike fell on the ground and was unconscious as he bled profusely. He was immediately rushed to Gutu Mission hospital where he was admitted and later discharged.

The accused pleaded guilty before Gutu Resident Magistrate Edwin Marecha on July 29, 2016 and asked for forgiveness saying he was drunk and wanted to protect himself from the abusive Mhike.

 The father however, dismissed the mitigation and pleaded with magistrate Marecha that he should send his son to jail because he had failed to reprimand him.

“He is my last born child and I am now out of options. I sent him to boarding school (Gutu High School) with the hope that he would reform but he then dropped out of school for no reason. He is always drinking beer; I will be grateful if you can do something that would positively change his behavior. He do not even have time to bath,” said the father.

Marecha then sentenced the teenager to eight months in prison of which three were suspended on good behavior for the next five years. Marecha said the court noted with concern that the teenager was becoming a rogue element in the society and therefore should be sent to jail. Millicent Azangwe prosecuted.news