Tinomutenda Midzi

GUTU – Emmanuel Madhuyu, an Agriculture Extension Officer from Bhasera in Gutu district, has successfully had his novel ‘Murder or Suicide?’ published after a long time of trying.
The novel revolves around issues of truth and trust in marriages and is centred on a character who is haunted by the past and whose marriage is on the rocks due to lies she told her spouse prior to the marriage.
Members of the Gutu Family of Arts, a local drama club, have praised Murder or Suicide? as a literary masterpiece.
The club is now making a play from the novel with sponsorship from Gutu Central Member of Parliament, Lovemore Matuke.
The 47-year-old Madhuyu is also making efforts to get his work adapted for national broadcasting.
He however bemoaned the tough working conditions in the sector and criticised politicisation of works of art, saying government should provide support to grow talent.
“Shortage of equipment like typing computers and lack of funding are major setbacks in arts.
“This is not my first work though; I had my first novel titled “The Beginning of the End” which was wrongly interpreted by the police in Kwekwe in 2003. A police officer took the manuscript from me and never returned it.
“Even when I was writing this one, some people thought I was being political and they raised it with local politicians. I just told them that state security agents are professionals who can read and above all, who have been trained for their work and they know it better than the hoi polloi,” he said.
Madhuyu did his primary education at Zimbizi Primary School in Gutu before proceeding to Mambo High School.news

MASVINGO – War Veterans have gone into hibernation despite rising tension in the country and protests against their patron President Robert Mugabe saying they are yet to determine whether they should defend the nonagenarian or support protesters.
War Veterans played a significant role in squashing previous protests like the 2003 ‘Final Push’ but have now adopted a middle of the road approach as the nation revolts against ‘the revolution’.
The veterans’ spokesperson, Douglas Mahiya said ‘the revolution’ was under threat and they were consulting members as they do not want to intervene merely to help Mugabe.
“Right now our position is to just watch and let events unfold. If Mugabe needs us to help, he knows where to find us. The mere fact that he has not engaged us means he has not felt the heat yet,” he said.
“Our mandate is to defend the revolution when it comes under threat. We are the military wing of the revolution but with the events which happened of late, we cannot just catapult ourselves to Mugabe’s rescue. We are carrying out meetings with our structures at all levels so that we can all agree on the way forward,” said Mahiya.
He also said he could not pre-empt everything but more information will be availed after the meetings have been completed.
In Masvingo, war veterans are being unsettled by a faction which allegedly wants to create a splinter group within the war veterans’ structures.
Provincial war veterans’ chairperson, Tendeukai Chinooneka said there are meetings which are being held by some war veterans with a specific mandate to create a splinter group within the organisation.
“I was told that there was a meeting which was held on Sunday at Flamboyant Hotel by war veterans but I was not even notified. They want to create a splinter group within the organisation.
“I was told the people who chaired the meeting came from Harare,” said Chinooneka.news

Increase Gumbo

CHIREDZI – Chiredzi residents have applauded the town council for embarking on a budget consultation programme which will see the town’s budget being taken to residents, a first for a town which is known for opaque financial processes and allegations of corruption.
Poor service delivery and lack of accountability came to a hilt this year after revelations that some councillors owned dozens of residential stands in a town where thousands of people are on the waiting list.
Speaking during a consultative meeting held at the town council offices recently, Chiredzi Town Council Secretary, Charles Muchatukwa said they have chosen to take the budget to the people so as to gather as many views as possible on the concerns of the people.
“This year we are going to have as many budget consultation meetings as possible so that we can include everything in the 2017 budget. We have started early so that every resident can participate in the budget consultations,” said Muchatukwa.
United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (UCHRRA) Secretary General, Bernard Dachi applauded council’s decision as a step forward but stressed the process must not merely be a formality but the views gathered be used to direct council policy.
“For years, we have been advising the council to follow laid down procedures from local government when crafting policy but they have been ignoring us. We thank God they have finally seen sense in what we have been saying all along,” Dachi said.
He however warned council against trying to use the exercise to lobby for support and hoodwink residents and impose its will, saying consultations must exactly be that: consultations.
One resident also told TellZim News that if properly implemented, the programme would be a good platform on which both council and residents will be able to make contributions that will improve service delivery and development.
“I am very grateful for what the council is doing. For a long time, they crafted their budgets on their own without consulting residents but they have now given us some power to identify issues which are affecting us,” the resident said.
The consultative meetings are already underway and residents are meeting with council officials at ward level.news

Increase Gumbo

CHIREDZI – Cross border charcoal merchants are destroying forests in the Lowveld as business opportunities are reportedly booming in neighbouring Mozambique, with the iconic Mopani tree now facing an unprecedented threat.
Livison Welani Phikelele, an operations and liaison officer at Masapasi Ranch in Save Valley, said people are making brisk business from charcoal which they produce by razing and burning down large numbers of the prized tree.
Phikelele told TellZim News that three trucks each with 150 bags of charcoal were recently caught on their way to Mozambique.
“We are worried because it seems people are making a brisk business of charcoal and destroying an important tree species in this region.  Even if you catch them, nothing much is done to punish them. They only made to pay a small fine and they are then allowed to take their charcoal and proceed with their journey,” said Phikelele.
He said at one time, his own team stopped a truck with 150 bags of charcoal but they were surprised to learn that the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) fined the owners of the truck a mere US$200 and the truck was released.
Though no comment could be obtained from EMA, it is understood the Forestry Commission is deeply worried and is set to visit Masapasi area where the charcoal production is done.
Members of the public have also raised alarm that if the level of deforestation in Chiredzi continues at the current pace, the district will become a desert in no time.
Selling firewood and charcoal is a source of livelihood for many families who ply their trade on roadsides in areas like Gwachara and around the whole district.
Pronouncements by some Chiredzi Rural District Council senior officials that they will take strong measures to stop the firewood business to fight rapid deforestation have for now remained empty talk.news

MASVINGO – A suspected armed robber, who was recently nabbed in connection with a hijacking incident in South Africa among other crimes, is demanding that he be tried in South Africa where he committed the offences.
Newton Hungwe (32) of Stand number 603 Nemanwa appeared at Masvingo Provincial Court where he pleaded guilty to car theft charges before Magistrate Langton Ndokera.
He however demanded that he be extradited to South Africa where the crimes were committed, saying Zimbabwe’s laws were unjust.
Magistrate Ndokera, however, placed Hungwe on routine remand with the next hearing scheduled for September 2, 2016.
It is the State’s case that on August 04, 2016, Hungwe robbed a man identified only as Mabaya of his Toyota D4D Legend, 2015 model (registration DKV 516 L) at gunpoint at an Engen garage in Makhado, South Africa.
The victim was left seriously injured and traumatised by the ordeal and was reportedly still admitted in hospital by time of writing.
The accused is alleged to have disposed of one tracker from the car but did not know that the car was equipped with two tracking devices.
After the robbery, Mabaya reported the matter to Makhado police who alerted the public through WhatsApp groups and encouraged users to forward the message to their other groups.
Masvingo CID then arrested Hungwe in Masvingo CBD with the help from a vehicle tracking company in South Africa.
The suspect had fraudulent vehicle documents; signed and certified affidavits from the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The court heard that the accused was about to sell the car to one business woman for US$9000 but the woman become suspicious of the generous price.
The suspect then offered to sell her another 4×4 Nissan which was parked at his house in Nemamwa but she later gave a statement to the police after coming across the WhatsApp message notifying the public of the stolen car.
Nancy Makuvise represented the State.news