By TellZim Reporter

ZAKA – An English teacher from Chimbwembwe High School in Zaka recently committed suicide by drinking poison at his in-laws’ place after an altercation with his wife over allegations of infidelity.
The deceased Alec Makundidze is alleged to have been rushed to Silveira Mission Hospital where he later died.
Zaka District Schools Inspector Samson Chidzurira confirmed the death of the teacher but said he had no details of what could have transpired.
“I received a report from the school head that one teacher committed suicide but I don’t have details of what happened since the incident happened as the teacher was at home since it was during the holidays,” said Chidzurira.
Masvingo Police could not confirm the incident as the Provincial Police Spokesperson said they were yet to receive the matter with sources giving several versions of the story
Sources close to the incident said the teacher left the school earlier last week and went home to his wife, but did not find her. He then followed her to her parents’ place where she was since they hail from neighboring villages.
There are sketchy details of what could have happened, but it is alleged that he later took poison whilst at the in-laws’ place and was rushed to Silveira Hospital.
The couple is also said to have been going through undisclosed marital issues prior to the unfortunate incident.
Another source alleged that he was poisoned while at his in-laws’ place where he just started complaining of stomach pain and started vomiting. It is also alleged chickens that ate the vomit later died.
In a separate incident, a woman from Bikita committed suicide after forcing her three children aged nine, six, and two to take the same pesticide which led to the death of two of them while one was said to be battling for life at Silveira Hospital.
The deceased was identified as Persistence Mazhe (31) of Duma suburb in Nyika but committed the heinous act at her rural home located in Farm 269, Gutu.
Sources said she had notified her husband identified as Joas Taramusha of her intention to commit suicide and was on her way to their rural home before the incident.

By Staff Reporter

BIKITA – One of the many Zion Apostolic Churches leaders Felix Peresu Masuka (50) who was leading the ZAC 1923 Church headquartered in Chikuku area, Bikita is no more.
The Bishop succumbed to injuries sustained in a road traffic accident on Wednesday (May 8, 2024) along the Masvingo-Mutare Road.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the incident and warned drivers against speeding.
“I can confirm the accident which happened at the 165km peg along Mutare-Masvingo Highway. We urge motorists to avoid speeding and to be attentive whilst driving,” said Dhewa.
Bishop Masuka is said to have been pronounced dead upon arrival at Masvingo Provincial Hospital where he was referred to after the accident.
Felix took over the reins of the church following the death of his father David Masuka in 2015 but his ascension to power led to continuous clashes with his brothers mainly Jacob who felt that he was not the heir to the church throne.
Felix, who was generally referred to as Mambo Fere by his congregants wrestled for the church leadership with his young brother Jacob who had support from their mother. However, by being the eldest, he had support from the church’s high priests.
Sensing defeat, Jacob led a breakaway church which was not successful as it attracted fewer followers and some ended up reverting to Felix.
He however continued to have clashes with his brothers, who kept fighting him and since 2016 he recorded several assaults from unknown people who were believed to have been sent by his rivals.
In 2016 just after taking over, Jacob’s wife is said to have lied in the road when Felix was driving home from Chikuku Business Centre and when he stopped to check, a group of youths came out and pelted the vehicle with stones damaging the windscreen.
In 2023, Felix was allegedly kidnapped near Chikuku Business Centre and was taken to a certain homestead where he was stripped naked and pictures of him naked were taken and circulated on social media.
The alleged abductors are said to have claimed that they had found him with a married woman in a compromising position. The church leadership went on to convene a press conference to deny the allegations and set the record straight.

By Decide Nhendo

Masvingo’s prominent barber and fitness trainer Prosper Chuma has died.
The late Chuma who was also an entrepreneur was admitted at Masvingo General Hospital on May 6, 2024, due to complications from malaria and passed on early morning of May 8.
He is survived by his wife who works at Great Zimbabwe University and their four children.
At the time of his passing, Chuma was also working with a car import company Acolyte Car Solution (ACS), and the company’s director Shelton Nyandoro said the late had left a huge gap that could not be covered since he was a hardworking man who contributed much to the company.
He said his legacy was going to be cherished for long, as he impacted those whom he worked with.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing on of Elder Chuma. His contributions were invaluable, and his impact on our team will always be remembered. He was a kind and caring individual who touched the lives of many.
“He was a truly wonderful colleague and his presence in the workplace will be greatly missed,” said Nyandoro.
Mourning the passing on of Chuma Masvingo Urban Member of Parliament and Human Rights Lawyer Advocate Martin Mureri said his demise was a great loss to the community.
“I am greatly moved by the death of Chuma, it came as a great loss to the Masvingo urban community since he was working for social and economic development through his exceptional entrepreneurial skills,” said Mureri.
Chuma operated his barbershop at Chevron Hotel in Masvingo where he offered services to prominent figures like Masvingo Central Member of Parliament Edson Zvobgo Junior, former Masvingo Urban Member of Parliament Jacob Nyokanhete and many others.
He was an esteemed church leader and usher of the Alliance Church, located near Great Zimbabwe University’s Mucheke campus.
Apart from working as a barber Chuma owned Prosper Fitness Gym, where notable individuals, including Zimbabwe’s popular boxer Charles Manyuchi, sought services. He also loved sports like soccer and showed unwavering support for the local football team Masvingo United.
Chuma was buried at Lawn Cemetery in Masvingo on May 10.

By Beverly Bizeki

MASVINGO – As council continues to lose income through non-revenue water, councilors have suggested that the local authority puts effort into providing water metres for residents with non-functional water meters to reduce losses.
It was noted in Public Works and Planning Committee minutes dated April 8, 2024, that non-revenue water for March 2024 translated to US$384 135. 60 where residents were urged to buy water meters.
“The committee deliberated at length on the need to continuously monitor strategies implemented to reduce non-revenue water. It was reported that council had been in a revolving scheme for stuck water meter replacement and residents were also encouraged to buy water meters to replace stuck ones to pay for actual water consumption,” read part of the minutes.
Speaking in an interview, Ward 10 Councilor Sengerayi Manyanga said council was supposed to chip in by providing affordable metres for the residents.
“The issue of nonfunctional meters is tricky. Our debit bill is increasing because of nonfunctional meters those with stuck meters are either being undercharged or overcharged because these are estimates. Some of these people are the ones selling water because nonfunctioning water charges are constant hence they can sell millions of litres.
“As council we must make a plan and at least consider these nonfunctional meters to be council property and replace them to get accurate water charges because we might be charging less or more. Those with nonfunctional meters must be charged more so they can approach council for functional meters to get accurate readings,” said Manyanga.
Commenting on allegations that some residents were reluctant to replace stuck meters because they were in the business of selling water as they are going to be undercharged, Masvingo City Mayor and Ward 2 Councilor Alec Tabe said it could be true and was resulting in errors in billing.
“Council owning up water meters could be the way to go because most property owners are reluctant to replace their meters yet part of the non-revenue water is accounted for through underestimations for people with stuck meters or non-functional meters. Some property owners are reluctant to replace their meters because they might be getting undercharged. This is why we think it might be true that some of the people with stuck meters are supplying fresh water to residents in areas like Victoria Ranch.
“We urge residents to however report and replace their meters in time whenever they discover that it has become stuck or not functioning to avoid being overcharged,” said Tabe.
Tabe further said council was working on minimizing time council takes to fix disruptions in water supply to avoid council losing more revenue through water supplied to residents.
“On areas that might incur disruptions in water supply, we are working on reducing timeframes to fix the problems because the water that we supply water with bowsers is not billed and this also adds to non-revenue water,” said Tabe.

By Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – Zimbabwe is set to benefit an influx of tourists to its Gonarezhou National Park, Malilangwe Conservation Trust and Save Valley Conservancy through bridging the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTCA) that is shared between three National Parks involving Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe), Kruger National Park (South Africa) and Limpopo National Park (Mozambique).
With political borders rarely respecting ecological systems, the three Southern African countries (Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique) signed an International treaty in 2002 in Xai Xai, Mozambique that gave birth to the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which aims to straddle the three countries political borders while joining some of the established wildlife areas into a huge conservation area of around 35 000km2 which is managed as an integrated unit across the three nations.
Giving a presentation during a Chiredzi Rural District Council (CRDC) Full Council meeting recently, GLTCA National Coordinator Robert Nyamini said there were plans to open up crossing points between parks in the conservation area for easy travel of tourists from one park to another without too much hustles.
“We have plans to open up crossing point between parks in order for tourists to cross from one park into another without going through border posts which is stressful and time consuming.
“Most of our tourists do not have time to travel from one political border to another just to access a conservation area which is just across. This is going to be beneficial to Zimbabwe as Kruger National Park receives a million tourists a year as compared to Gonarezhou’s 15 000 tourists per annum,” he said.
Nyamini also spoke of the investment opportunities involved in the GLTCA in the Sengwe Chipise Corridor aimed at benefitting the communities surrounding the wildlife corridor when the bridge opens.
“The Sengwe Chipise Corridor has been benefitting animals since the formation of the GLTCA in 2002 and there is need to rope in the communities surrounding to benefit from this arrangement. We are consulting with necessary institutions to map the projects we can do for those affected during the formation of the corridor,” added Nyamini.
CRDC Chairperson Aspect Mashingaidze said there was a huge investment opportunity in the Sengwe Chipise Corridor, which various investors need to tap into.
“Ever since the formation of the GLTCA back then, communities have never experienced its benefits, but with your presentation, there seem to be vast investment opportunities by different investors as well as the communities around. “These include tented camps and development of the Malipati business center thereby creating vast employment opportunities for the locals like what we are doing at Bosman tented camps,” said Mashingaidze.
This park will provide jobs and opportunities to generate revenue for thousands of local people thereby improving the lives of the rural communities who will in turn further contribute towards biodiversity conservation by demonstrating the economic as well as social advantages to be achieved through conservation as an alternative and viable land use option.
The conservation area measures almost 100 000 km2 with key features including the Limpopo National Park which has a one million hectare park in Mozambique bordering with Kruger National Park bounded by both the Limpopo and Olifants rivers.
Kruger National Park has an estimated area of 18 989 square kilometers in the Southern side and Gonarezhou National Park with a 5 053 square kilometers in Zimbabwe. There is also Makuleke region, a region in South Africa bordering Kruger and Gonarezhou, Banhine and Zinave National Parks in Mozambique, Massingir and Corumana areas in Mozambique, Malilangwe and Save Valley Conservancies in Zimbabwe.
The three countries’ national parks meet at the same point called the ‘Crooks Corner’, which they all share.