Upenyu Chaota

MASVINGO – As the economy continues to plummet, with government struggling to pay its civil servants who are also major ratepayers, the Masvingo City council has felt the heat as rates inflows immensely declined.

The effect also resulted in council delaying paying some of its employees their June salaries.

Mayor Hubert Fidze confirmed the development and said the delay of civil servants’ salaries have seriously affected council operations.

“The majority of residents are civil servants and these were the people who were religiously paying their rates in time. Over the past months we have experienced a drop in rates payment not because people do not want to pay but they do not have the money.

“We will get into a situation where we will have a huge backlog because the money we are getting is all channelled towards service delivery and little will be left for the payment of salaries,” said Fidze. 

Town Clerk Adolf Gusha said they are in the process of engaging the workers’ committee so that they can negotiate a way forward.

“Yes, we are only one month behind with our salary payments but it is not so bad considering the financial deficit we are operating under. The council has no money and we are going to have a meeting with the workers’ committee so that we can map the way forward. We will explain our situation to them but once the money is available, we will pay forthwith,” said Gusha.

“We are owed millions and most of the debtors have failed to honour their payment plans. If residents and institutions settle their debts in time, we would not be in this situation,” said Gusha.

Finance committee chairperson and Ward 9 councillor Babylon Beta assured workers that they are going to get their salaries saying they are processing salaries grade by grade.

“I am confident that most workers if not all will get their salaries this week because we are processing the funds now,” said Beta.news

…kills two on spot, no driver’s licence

Memory Rasa

GUTU – A 72 year-old Hippo Valley farm manager will rue the day he drove his car without a driver’s license after he was remanded in custody for killing two passengers on the spot after he lost control of his vehicle and collided with an oncoming bus in May this year.

Akinos Tadios Runzonza, a manager at Farm number 51 Hippo Valley in Triangle was last week remanded in custody facing two charges, driving without a driver’s license and culpable homicide.

Runzonza is being charged under Section 6 (1) of Road Act Chapter13:11 for driving without a valid driver’s licence and for contravening Section 4(a) (1) of the Criminal Law and Codification Reform Act Chapter 9:23.

It is the State’s case that on May 23, 2016 around 21:45hrs, Runzonza was driving a Toyota Caldina (registration number AAA 1900) along the Chivhu-Roy highway without a driver’s licence. Runzonza was driving on the wrong lane and collided with a Zhutong bus (registration ADZ 4096) killing two passengers, Sosera Austina Tumai and Masando Tamuka, on the spot and left several others injured.

Runzonza, who has been in hospital since then, was dragged to court soon after he was discharged and he pleaded guilty to the charges when he appeared before Gutu Resident Magistrate Edwin Marecha last week.

“My grandson is the one who used to drive me but on the said day, he was not around and I needed to go and see my sick wife. I was on the wrong lane because I was trying to negotiate a curve. I was driving at 75km/hr; my car was severely damaged and I have been hospitalised since then. I beg for mercy,” pleaded Runzonza in court.

Marecha remanded him in custody to July 22, 2016. 

Millicent Azangwe prosecuted.news

….as Gutu man impregnates brother’s wife

Kudzai Matava

GUTU – In an act of selfishness and disrespect, a Gutu man cheated with his blood brother’s wife before impregnating and infected her with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) recently.

The cheating wife Olivia, however, left villagers in stitches after she claimed it was her hubby’s goblins that were sleeping with her which then infected her with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

William Tarugarira(41) from Mharadze village could have none of that and has since dragged his brother to Chief Gutu’s traditional court demanding compensation from his brother Bombright Tarugarira for allegedly impregnating and infecting his wife with STI.

William said they started to have problems with his wife Olivia in 2010 and she started to deny him conjugal rights.

“My wife and I were facing many challenges in our marriage and she denied me conjugal rights. I shared the problem with my young brother Bornbright and he promised to help solving the matter little did I know that the solution was to have sex with my wife,” William told TellZim News crew.

William said he only discovered that his wife was pregnant and have an STI after he forced her to go to clinic after her health started to deteriorate. After diagnosed with STI, Olivia allegedly claimed that it was Williams’ goblins that infected her with the disease. 

Both Olivia and Bornbright pleaded guilty before Chief Gutu. The case was postponed to next week where Chief Gutu is expected to pass judgment.news

Memory Rasa

GUTU – An A’ Level pupil at Ndahwi High School in Gutu was last week remanded in custody for allegedly impregnating his niece who is doing Form Three at the same school.

Mike Ndahwi (22) and Talent Jaravaza (16), all from Chuma village under Chief Gutu, are both facing incest charges as defined in Section 75(2) of the Criminal Law and Codification Reform Act Chapter 9:23. Ndahwi is blood brother to Jaravaza’s mother.

The Gutu Magistrate’s court heard that, from period between December 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016, the duo was involved in a sexual relationship which resulted in Jaravaza getting pregnant.

Both Ndahwi and Jaravaza pleaded guilty to the charge before Gutu Resident Magistrate Edwin Marecha last week begged for mercy saying they never thought it would end up like that (being pregnant).

Talent was sent to Gutu Rural Clinic for a pregnancy test and it was revealed that she was 24 weeks (6 months) pregnant.

“I never thought it would end this way, we were so into each other and we couldn’t resist sleeping together. In fact, we were thinking of having sex all the time. I beg for mercy your Worship,” pleaded Ndahwi in court.

Jaravaza, however, saw nothing wrong in having a sexual relationship with her uncle saying she was really so into him.

“I did not know that it’s a crime to be in love with my uncle; I love him with all my heart,” said Jaravaza.

The matter came to light when Talent’s aunt, who is also her guardian, noticed pregnancy symptoms on Jaravaza and quizzed her.

Marecha remanded Jaravaza in custody to July 22, 2016. Jaravaza and Ndahwi went for HIV/AIDS tests and both tested negative. 

Millicent Azangwe prosecuted.news