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

Paida Mukono

CHIREDZI – Residents of Chiredzi are suspecting that there is an organised ring behind the sharp increase in the number of stolen water meters in the town, with others claiming the criminals are driving around in a car collecting the stolen meters.
Speaking during the second engagement meeting which was facilitated by the Zimbabwean Liberators Platform (ZLP) and attended by residents and council personnel, residents of Tshovani high density suburb complained about the increasing cases of meter theft and urged authorities to do more to fight the crime.
“The last few days alone have seen many new cases being reported around the town. We believe it is the same gang which is moving around stealing the meters. I also lost my own meter a few days ago,” said Miriam Chengeta of ward 7.
There were also reports that the United Church of Christ and Lutheran Church have also lost their own meters in the spate of theft.
Town council secretary, Charles Muchatukwa warned against the thefts saying council will work with the police and come down hard against the thieves.
He said council will work hard to make sure the thieves do not get a local market for their stolen meters.
Stolen water meters are believed to be sold to racketeers who smolder them before using the ductile metal for other purposes.news

Brighton Chiseva

Masvingo – The 2017 annual budget consultations meeting held by the Provincial Development Committee at Civic Centre last week revealed that more than 100 million United States dollars is needed for ongoing and new infrastructural development projects in the province.
 A total number of 189 projects have been identified; 115 of them already started while 74 are still in the offing. These require a total estimated amount of US$105 570 301 to fully implement.
Major projects in the proposed budget are the completion of Tokwe-Mukosi dam which is supposed to be finished by next year for an estimated cost of US$50 million and the establishment of Chenhuwe police station.
The ZimAsset blueprint, which is the guiding document for government’s development priorities, is divided into clusters that were identified as critical for the country’s immediate developmental needs.
The Social Services and Poverty Eradication cluster’s total of 80 projects require an estimated US$4 350 247 while the Food Security and Nutrition cluster needs around US$7 658 620 for 106 projects.
The Value Addition and Beneficiation cluster requires a projected US$10 444 851 for its 126 projects.
Provincial Administrator (PA) Felix Chikovo urged the Provincial Development Committee (PDC) to make sure that their budgets estimates are reasonable to make sure there are no inconveniences caused by wrong estimates.
“These are just estimates so you don’t have to be afraid of estimating; make sure your estimates are not less than what is really needed on the ground, you have to compete for a larger cake,” said Chikovo.
The districts were asked to go and make corrections on areas highlighted to them by Committee chairpersons, fill in the gaps on their reports as well as use the ZimAsset document as guideline with reports expected to be submitted to the PA in the third week.
The provincial report will be given to the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Shuvai Mahofa for approval before being sent to Harare by the end of September.news

Tatenda Shunyai

MASVINGO – City of Masvingo and the National Aids Council (NAC) have extended a helping hand to Alpha Cottages by providing transportation for goods that were donated to the children’s home by the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe.
Alpha Cottages, was one of the fifty children’s homes around Zimbabwe that benefited from the First Lady’s donation of a thousand dollars and other basic commodities for each shelter.
The donations were made in Mazowe and Alpha Cottages had difficulties securing transport to ferry the goods.
Officials from the facility were in Mazowe to celebrate the First Lady’s birthday.
NAC then pledged a T35 truck and the city council also chipped in and gave a hundred litres of diesel for the journey.
Superintendent of Alpha Cottages, Brighton Karidza expressed gratitude for the gesture of generosity shown by NAC and the city council.
“We at Alpha Cottages would like to express our sincere gratitude to the council and NAC for what they did to us because without them the donated goods would probably still be stuck in Mazowe.
“Our gratitude also goes to the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe for the generous donation,” said Karidza.
He also appealed to other well-wishers to help Alpha Cottage so that the facility can meet its operational requirements in the interests of children.
Alpha Cottage is a home for orphaned, abused and other vulnerable children.news

MASVINGO – Provincial offices of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education are languishing in the dry after water supplies were disconnected on August 22, 2016 for suspected enormous large sums of money owed to the city council in unpaid water bills, it has been learnt.
The ministry, housed in Wigley House along Josiah Tongogara Avenue, is believed to be one of the worst debit defaulters and has been using water for years without paying for it.
As a result, arrears running into millions of dollars are suspected to have been accrued, thereby compromising the city’s efforts to improve service delivery.
Town clerk, Adolf Gusha confirmed the disconnection and promised to continue with the operation in the city.
“This has nothing to do with the Ministry of Education, we are conducting an operation and we will disconnect everyone who owes the city council. We do not have enough chemicals to purify the water and money to pay workers yet some individuals and ministries have not been paying their bills for up to five years. We do not have an option but to disconnect our services.
“Though I am not particularly aware of the Ministry of Education case, I know for certain that the operation targets all those who owe us regardless of their status or profession. We will look into it and see a way forward,” said Gusha.
Masvingo Provincial Education Director (PED), Zedius Chitiga, however, criticised the council for disconnecting a government department in the current difficult economic situation.
“This ministry belongs to the government and it is government’s responsibility to pay the city council. The bill has been accumulating for some years now and the city council should settle with the government instead of just disconnecting us. We are suffering here.
“I did not have time to talk to them but I have called them today and they promised to come and reconnect. The people who disconnected us do not know the procedure; they should not disconnect government offices without authorisation. The government does not have money at the moment so they should bear with us instead of making us suffer,” said Chitiga.
It was not immediately clear if the water had been disconnected by the time of going to print.
A council insider, however, said council was on a drive to disconnect all habitual defaulters who owe millions and will engage debit collectors against them.
Other government entities like the Masvingo General Hospital, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services (ZPCS) owe in excess of US$30 million in unpaid water bills.news