Tellzim Reporter

ZAKA – A total of 242 people in Zaka Central were conferred with certificates in bread baking last weekend at the first year anniversary celebration ceremony held at Murerekwa Primary School in ward 8.
The bakery programme which started last year with very few people has now grown to 29 groups dotted around the constituency in wards 8,14,15,19 and 34.
Ward 8 leads the pack with 18 groups, ward 14 and 15 have one group each while ward 18 has two groups. Ward 19 has three groups while ward 34 has four groups.
The bakery project is being spearheaded by ward 8 councilor Tererei Tererai and Zaka Central women’s league representative in Zanu PF Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) Aleta Makomeke who is a home economics teacher by profession with support from other community members in the diaspora.
Speaking at the event, Makomeke said it was her wish that women in Zaka Central are all involved in developmental programmes and work to alleviate poverty through home grown solutions.
“It is my wish that no woman in Zaka Central constituency should be left behind in any economic development programme. lt is my wish that we take everybody on board so that no homestead languishes in poverty. It is Zanu PF’s desire to improve livelihoods in line with vision 2030 and beyond.
“We advocate for improved livelihoods and sustainable economic development programmes. We as Zanu PF cannot afford to leave anyone behind because we believe that we all as Zimbabwean citizens have the responsibility to transform lives ‘Nokuti nyika inovakwa nevene vayo’,” said Makomeke.
She urged all other constituencies to copy from Zaka Central and implement the programme in their respective constituencies so that it benefits the whole of Zaka district thereby contributing to the country’s economic development.
“We also feel obliged not only to work towards the attainment of vision 2030 but to also as Zaka district make a significant contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We in light of that are already working on modalities to up-scale the project. We encourage all Zaka district constituencies to embrace the project so that we can eventually speak with one voice as a district.
“We already have training modalities in place for the benefit of those who want to engage in the programme within the district and outside it. We invite all stakeholders to assist in cash or kind as we engage in up-scaling mode,” said Makomeke.
Councillor Tererai said he is indebted to the community that embraced the idea of bakeries which he said they copied from Gutu and implemented in ward 8 before spreading to other wards in the constituency.
“I am proud to be working with people in my ward. They embraced the programme which we copied from Gutu and now we are the best. We call upon all those who are yet to be part of the groups to join as we move in to alleviate poverty in Zaka,” said Tererai.
Also present at the event were central committee members Retired Brigadier General Livingstone Chineka and Maina Mandava.
The bread is being sold locally and other groups are already supplying retail shops in Jerera mainly Sunrise shop.

… as factions fight for provincial youth chair post

Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO – The factional battle which threatened to tear Zanu PF Masvingo province last year has been re-ignited as the two warring camps tussle for the provincial youth chairperson post that was left vacant following the elevation of John Paradza to deputy national secretary for youth affairs.
The factions are allegedly being fronted by former provincial chairperson who is also the Minster of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira who is alleged to belong to President Emerson Mnangagwa’s camp and his successor Robson Mavhenyengwa who is alleged to be a vice president Constantino Chiwenga loyalist.
Mavhenyengwa confirmed the elections and said as the provincial chairperson, he will accept whatever outcome saying the process was going to be done freely and fairly.
“The elections will be done on Saturday and as the chairperson I will accept the results as they are, because the process that will be used there will be very free and fair. The contestants are both Zanu PF so they are just electing the one who will lead them hence there will be no challenge at all cost,” said Mavhenyengwa.
The elections will be held on Saturday July 30 at Masvingo Polytechnic with the electorate being district chairpersons, District Coordinating Committee (DCC) youth affairs secretaries and provincial executive members.
Masvingo Provincial Secretary for commissariat Brian Munyoro who is also alleged to have dumped Mavhenyengwa faction and mended relations with Chadzamira refused to comment on the elections saying the youth wing was responsible for comment.
“It’s a youth thing and they are the ones responsible for everything so I cannot comment. I think you can get in touch with comrade Paradza,” he said.
The camps have already booked their members at local hotels and lodges to avoid those who would flip flop in the last minutes.
Three people have since lined up for the post with Chadzamira faction being represented by Charles Munganasa who is the youth league’s secretary for administration while the Mavhenyengwa faction fielded two candidates namely Israel Lunga who is the current secretary for commissariat from Chiredzi district and Delight Mandebvu from Bikita district who was deputising Paradza as youth chair.
Close sources said Mavhenyengwa camp is trying to buy Mandebvu out of the race to strengthen their position and has been offered US$1000 but he is refusing to step down saying the money is too little.
“They offered Mandebvu US$1000 to step down and pave way for Lunga but he refused saying the money is too little, so it’s mostly likely that he will remain in the race,” said the source
However, sources within the faction dismissed the allegations that they were offering Mandebvu money saying Lunga stands a better chance than both Mandebvu and Munganasa who is being accused of selling out by both factions.
“Munganasa was a Mavhenyengwa loyalist during the provincial elections last year. He however shifted after seeing that the Chadzamira faction had no candidate and wanted to use that ticket to the top post
On the other hand, Mandebvu has no ground so no one can offer him money to step down, he will simply lose,” said the source.
Another source however said Munganasa stood a better chance since Mavhenyengwa camp has two candidates who are fishing from the same pond.
The source said the double candidature was a result of internal factions where some Chiredzi big wigs are against Lunga thereby funding Mandebvu.
“The reason why Mavhenyengwa faction has two candidates is that, initially each district had its own candidate, however, Mwenezi and Chivi chickened out leaving three. Mandebvu was supposed to step down but he was persuaded by some members mostly from Chiredzi who are against Lunga since they have their own battles as a district. So they are the ones who are funding Mandebvu,” said the source.
On the other hand some in Chadzamira camp are against Munganasa whom they accuse of having double standards hence division over Lunga and Mandebvu.
Another source said Munganasa was now threatening the Mavhenyengwa faction saying if they continue fighting him, he will expose how the Mavhenyengwa faction rigged Chadzamira during the provincial chairpersonship contest.
“Munganasa has no ground. He will get few votes from Masvingo district but the general electorate is against him saying he wants to soil Chadzamira’s name and affect his bid to get into the central committee.
“He now wants to be saint and threaten to release information on how Chadzamira was rigged but by the time we wanted that information, he was not forth coming,” said an inside source.
Contacted for comment, Munganasa said there were no factions in the party, saying those who believed in factions were not mentally stable.
“Factions exist in the heads of mad people. Towards elections people support certain individuals then we regroup after elections. I hope Zanu PF bestows the responsibility of this particular leadership on me at this juncture,” Munganasa said.

Brighton Chiseva

CHIREDZI – Masvingo Provincial Councilors for Ensuring Development (Councilors 4ED) chairperson who is Chiredzi Urban’s ward 2 councillor Obert Ngwenya was allegedly caught pants down with a lower six Hippo Valley High School pupil at his Westhood Lodge by one of his workers.
Ngwenya is alleged to have dated the pupil for some days and would send his driver only identified as Phiri to pick up the girl and her two friends at the school to his lodge where he would have quality time with the girl while her friends were in another room.
Hell broke loose when Ngwenya failed to buy food for the victim’s friends who then began to gossip around the school until it reached school authorities who investigated the matter leading to expulsion of the three pupils.
Hippo High School Head could neither confirm nor deny the incident but referred questions to the District Schools Inspector (DSI).
“You can get in touch with the DSI, she is our spokesperson and the right person you should talk to,” he said.
When asked if the matter had been reported there, the school head said it definitely could not have not reached her office.
Contacted for comment, the DSI Petronella Nyangwe said she could not comment on the matter via the phone and asked the reporter to send written questions so that she could forward them to the Provincial Education Director (PED)’s office.
“I cannot discuss about that matter over the phone, why don’t you send questions of what you want to know so that I forward them to the PED. I think she is the one who can comment on the on the matter,” said Nyangwe.
A source said the matter was however not reported to the police because one of the parents with the children in question is a teacher at the school and is allegedly afraid of Ngwenya and her reputation as a teacher.
“The victim’s mother is a teacher at Hippo so she was said to be afraid of soiling her reputation. She was also afraid of Ngwenya whom she said is too powerful and may harm her, reason why she could not report to the police.
“When the matter came to light, the pupils were asked to write reports in which they indicated that the girl in question is the one who started talking to the councilor pretending to be someone else until they agreed to date and later visited the lodge several times.
“They were then expelled from school but the parents came and spoke to the school and the DSI ordered their readmission to school saying it was unlawful for them to expel pupils because of the matter,” said the source.
In letters leaked from the school attributed to the girl and her friends, she narrated how she had asked for Ngwenya’s contact and talked to him pretending to be someone until they fell in love and the politician began to pick her and friends to Westhood lodge.
“One day we were in class (name withheld) talked about blessers (those old men who date school children, having sex with them giving them money) and she mentioned Mr Ngwenya. I asked for his number. We started chatting. I even called him pretending to be (Name withheld), a girl he once dated. I wanted him to send me money but he did not…” read part of the leaked letter.
On the day in question she said one of the lodge’s employees entered the room, found Ngwenya naked and she screamed loudly such that her friends who were in another room heard the screaming.
She was ordered to go to the other room and she told her friends what had happened.
“On Thursday, it was a sports day again, the three of us went to the lodge. We were collected by the same car by Phiri and we were in school uniforms. We went to the lodge to collect Mr Ngwenya. We then went to town together with him. We were bought two boxes of Chicken Inn and one box of pizza which (Name withheld) had ordered.
“We went back to the lodge then (names withheld) locked themselves in a room whilst I and Mr Ngwenya were in another room. We just kissed and when he was about to put off my clothes, a maid just came in unknowingly. She was like Maiwee-e and ran away because Mr Ngwenya had already put off his trousers. Mr Ngwenya ordered me to go in that other room,” read the letter.
Another letter by the girl’s friend alleges that on July 1 they went again to the lodge and the victim came back with red eyes and on being asked why her eyes were red she said it was exhaustion from a hard work she had done inside the lodge.
“Then Friday 01 July I refused to go but (name withheld) begged me and I went with them. We were left in the other room and she was in the other with Mr Ngwenya, they took about 20 -30 minutes then she came and we asked her why her eyes were red and she replied that ‘Pashandwa basa’,” read part of the letter.
The source said the matter had since opened a can of worms as a number of organizations that deal with the girl child are getting involved.
“The matter is being suppressed and Ngwenya is doing all he can to sweep the matter under the carpet but several organizations that deal with the girl child have now been involved and it’s just a matter of time before it blows,” said a source.
Contacted for comment Ngwenya said he was in a meeting and said he will revert back while on another attempt to get his side of the story he said he was travelling and would get in touch later.

Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru- Battle lines have been drawn for the Gokwe-Kabuyani parliamentary seat as candidates filed nomination papers for the vacant constituency’s by-election.
The election is set for August 27, 2022.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Midlands Provincial Elections Officer Dorcas Mpofu confirmed the development which happened at the Gweru Magistrate courts.
“We are having nomination court for Gokwe-Kabuyani constituency today (22 July 2022) at Gweru Magistrate court (court room 2) at 1000 hours,” she said.
Meanwhile two candidates namely Spencer Tshuma of ZANU PF and Costin Muguti of Citizens Coalition for Change have already submitted their papers.
The constituency became vacant following the death of Leonard Chikomba of Zanu PF who died in a car crash last month.