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Vocational training students fear informal sector

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Vocational training students fear informal sector
Chipinge College of Horticulture 2020 graduation ceremony

Stephen Ephraem

CHIPINGE
– Vocational students who graduated at
Chipinge College of Horticulture situated at Tongogara Refugee Camp are not
sure if they will manage to become employers in the next five years.
Most of the 78 graduates who spoke to TellZim News after the graduation
ceremony said they preferred to join formal employment than the informal
sector.
This is contrary to government’s idea for vocational training which emphasises initiating informal
businesses when one gets trained.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Tongogara Refugee Camp
administrator Johanne Mhlanga indicated that the informal sector was the way to
go.
“Zimbabwe economy is now dualised as we have both the formal and
the informal sector. But which of the two is overtaking the other? It’s the
informal sector. Anyone who has been imparted with vocational skills should be
prepared to start own business,” said Mhlanga.
Guest of honour Dr Abednego Nyoni said vocational training was the
fastest way of empowering youth for the informal sector.
“Vocational training has five advantages which include the time
factor. Usually a course is completed in two years which gives advantage to the
student to get necessary skills and join the industrial sector.
“The old curriculum used to prepare students for the formal sector
but now a graduate is expected to start his or her own business and be their own
employers. Graduates should go out with that in mind,” said Dr Nyoni.
College administrator Victor Ngwenya, Chipinge College of Horticulture
incorporated students from various backgrounds.
“Despite being run by United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (UCCZ) the
centre enrolls students from different religious and socio-economic
backgrounds. Refugees from Tongogara Refugee Camp are also enrolled at the
learning institution,” said Ngwenya.

Chief Mutema buried

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Chief Mutema buried

The late Chief Mutema
Knowledge Mhlanga
CHIPINGE –
The late Chief Mutema, who died in Harare on February 24, was buried in Mutema
village in his Ngaone home area on February 27.
Many people gathered to mourn
the long-serving chief who ascended to the throne in October 1995, meaning he
ruled for a period of almost 25 years.
The late chief, whose real
name was Philemon Sonani Mutema, will be remembered for many good things
including being a renowned mathematics teacher at Chikore Secondary School back
in the 1970s.
His area of jurisdiction
covered 15 of Chipinge district’s 30 wards.
Chief Mutema is survived by
one wife, six children, 21 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Emotions as FC Platinum president calls it a day

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Emotions as FC Platinum president calls it a day

Christabel Shumba
ZVISHAVANE– What started as a celebration for FC Platinum’s 25
years of existence and domination on the local football scene turned emotional
after the club’s president George Mawere threw a bucket of cold water on
supporters by announcing his resignation.
FC Platinum last
week celebrated their 25th anniversary at their traditional home
ground of Mandava Stadium where hundreds of supporters from the mining town
converged to celebrate the success run of the Pure Platinum boys.
All the fanfare
grounded to a halt when FC Platinum president Mawere took to the podium where
he, much to the surprise of the fans, announced that he was resigning from the
post.
Mawere mumbled
throughout his speech and tried to pull himself together as he delivered the
news which took supporters by surprise.
“We faced a lot of challenges in the period I was the
club president. I have done my part and it is time to pass the button to the
next person.
“I want to thank our supporters who have stood with us
through the happiest of moments as well as our darkest hours. We are here
because of the supporters who cheering us on.
“We won and lost together as a team. I am proud to
have been a part of this great team,” said Mawere before breaking into tears.
Mawere took over as club president in 2013 and led the
club to three successive Premier Soccer League titles from 2017 to 2019.
A new executive
has been set up with Fabion Mashingaidze as the club president, Nyasha Gumbo
and Evans Mtombeni as the first and second vice presidents respectively.
Garikai Mugova,
who is part of the FC Platinum Holdings executive, was delegated to be
responsible for the Club’s sponsorship and Mathew Sibanda was upgraded to
chairperson of FC Platinum Holdings.
FC Platinum appointed President Emmerson Mnangagwa as
their patron who is said to have ordered leadership renewal.
                                                   

Rugeje appointed acting Chief Charamba

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Rugeje appointed acting Chief Charamba

Engelbert Rugeje
Virginia
Njovo
BIKITA
– Zanu
PF politburo member and former national political commissariat, Rtd Lt
Gen Engelbert Rugeje was recently appointed acting Chief Charamba to preside of
over family and chieftainship affairs until a new substantive chief is
selected.
In a telephone
interview with TellZim News, Rugeje said he was appointed to the role in line
with the Moyo yeVaDuma tradition called Sarapavana which literally means stay
behind and take care of the children.
“The families of the
Charamba clan sat down and agreed to give me the duty since I am the eldest
surviving son of the late chief. In line with our traditional customs, I will
act in that capacity for two years until a substantive chief is selected to
take over,” said Rugeje.
He said he will not be
eligible to become substantive chief himself since tradition demands that the
throne must rotate among all the houses of the Charamba clan.
“The substantive chief
will this time around come from the Madzivire family. There are a total of five
families that make up the clan. It has to be rotated among all the families,”
said Rugeje.
Other families in the
Charamba clan include Marecha, from which Rugeje is descended, and Siyei.
The late Chief
Charamba, real name Timothy Charamba, died in July 2019 aged 99 years.

City of Gweru opens offices in Mkoba

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City of Gweru opens offices in Mkoba

Tinaani Nyabereka
GWERU – As part of efforts to decongest the town house, the city council here has
opened new administration offices in Mkoba 15 which will see residents cutting
costs of travelling to town to pay their bills.
The
offices were commissioned by City of Gweru Mayor Josiah Makombe at Mkoba 15
Shopping Centre.
Makombe
said the offices were going to enable effective service delivery and also
decongest the town house where the whole city was queuing to make their bill
payments.
“We
have opened these new offices so that we decentralize power and authority.
Gweru is a big city which cannot be run from one point.
“We
have opened these offices so that the people of Mkoba would not have to travel
all the way to town just to pay their bills. We have brought convenience to the
people and we hope this will encourage them to pay their bills because we are
owed in excess of $8 million,” said Makombe.
He
said residents failed to settle their bills because it has now become too
expensive to travel from Mkoba to town.
“The
local transport is charging about $15 to get into town and on would require $30
to come and pay their bills.
“This
has caused a lot of people to delay paying their bills because they would find
challenges in sourcing transport money. You see a lot of people quarrelling
about who should go and pay the bill to town because of the exorbitant
transport charges.
“To
the people of Mkoba we say come and pay your bills within a walking distance
and save money from going to town. This is an ideal situation if resources
permit,” said Makombe.
Makombe
also commissioned the city council’s first newsletter saying his council was
committed to effective communication with residents.
“We
have also published our first newsletter which will see council informing its
residents on various initiatives. We want our communication bond to continue as
we work towards effective service delivery system,” said Makombe.

Chiredzi school principal holds domestic worker hostage

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Chiredzi school principal holds domestic worker hostage
‘Imprisoned Willie Chikosi can’t get out’

…locks gates, cuts off
water for days
Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI – South Eastern College
(SEC) acting principal, Contact Chigayo is being accused of keeping his
predecessor’s domestic worker hostage at the school premises as part of a retribution
campaign, TellZim News can reveal.
Chigayo is said to have sent
school employees to lock the gate of the residence where the former principal
Tawanda Chimhamhiwa used to stay before his dismissal for alleged
misappropriation of school funds a few months ago.
Sources said there was bad
blood between the two, and Chigayo is suspected of orchestrating Chimhamiwa’s
dismissal which he, however, is challenging in court.
Chimhamhiwa has also refused
to totally vacate the school residence, arguing that he would only do that if
the legal case he has launched goes against him.
Though he himself is no
longer staying there, he left behind a fowl run with 500 birds under the care
of his employee Willie Chikosi whom Chigayo has now allegedly imprisoned by
locking all the gates and assigning a security guard to make sure he does not
escape.
The acting principal has
also allegedly cut off water supply to the residence which is said to have caused
the death of a good number of Chimhamhiwa’s chickens.
TellZim News visited the
place this week and found a distraught Chikosi lingering inside the
palisade-fenced premise with no chance of escape.
“It has been four days
now since they locked me here inside. I am being watched by a security officer
so that I don’t run away. They have since cut off water supply to this
residence and the chickens that I must take care of here are dying of thirsty
and hunger. I can no longer find the chicken feed which I last received a few
days ago.
“Mr Chimhamhamhiwa is
also barred from entering this premise. I am just being given some food over
the gate. Some police officers came and asked some questions but they did not
rescue me,” said Chikosi.
When contacted for comment,
Chimhamiwa said since he had been trying to remain rational pending
finalisation of the legal case, he was shocked by what he said were drastic
measure taken by Chigayo.
“A hostel got burnt down
last week and they wanted to move the children into my residence and I had no
problem with that. I am now shocked that the acting principal has kept my
worker hostage, depriving him of water. Some 15 of the chickens of are now dead,”
said Chimhamhiwa.
When Chigayo was contacted
for comment, he said all was well and no one was being kept hostage.
“Everything is fine
here. It is a lie that someone is being kept hostage,” said Chigayo.

Five years on – Where is Itai Dzamara?

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Five years on – Where is Itai Dzamara?

Upenyu Chaota

He
is said to have been abducted by unknown assailants believed to be state
security agents on March 9, 2015 and since then no one has ever seen or heard
from him.
He
stood up to the brutal former President Robert Mugabe calling for his
resignation even when it was not fashionable to do so.
What
happened that day to Itai Dzamara remains a riddle, wrapped in mystery inside
an enigma. The family of Dzamara and his friends have all been left with more
questions than answers as the government has not done enough to find the
missing journalist cum political activist.
The
Mugabe regime denied having a hand in the abduction of Dzamara with some
government officials claiming that Dzamara was hiding somewhere enjoying his
life.
For
his wife and children, their hope is that the husband and father would one day
walk through the door.
For
the world, everyone is asking, Where is Dzamara? What happened to him? Is he
dead? Who is responsible? Will he ever be found?
Five
years on, the questions keep mounting and the hope of finding him keep fading.
When
President Mnangagwa took over from his predecessor Mugabe, he was pressured for
answers on the whereabouts of Dzamara and the country witnessed on the national
broadcaster an announcement from the police appealing to members of the public
for any information leading to the solving of the case.
That
was the only effort made under the ‘new dispensation’ and since then the case
has been filed in a very dark cabinet where it is gathering dust.
The
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said that the government has to come
clean and tell the country what happened to Dzamara because he is the citizen
of this country.
“Dzamara
deserves justice. He is the citizen of his country and we deserve to know what
happened to him.
“He
was abducted and the state denies involvement but we are alarmed with the level
of negligence on their part.
“They
have not committed enough resources into finding him and we wonder if this will
be the approach that will be taken if any countrymen goes missing,” said ZLHR
spokesperson Kumbirai Mafunda.
He
said that the government is responsible for taking care and guaranteeing the
safety of every Zimbabwean but it has failed to do so.
“We
should all feel safe in our country but if people just disappear to never be
found again it is very worrying. The government should move mountains to find
Dzamara so that this brings closure to the family and friends.
“He
had a family and they all want him to come home. He was the bread winner which
means his abduction spelled doom on them. The country deserves answers.
“If
the government had no hand in the disappearance then they have to prove it. No
person can just disappear like that,” said Mafunda.

Pacifying military will backfire: Kasukuwere

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Pacifying military will backfire: Kasukuwere

…move
a strain on civilian-military relations

Upenyu Chaota
Former
Zanu PF national political commissar and member of the once powerful G40
faction Saviour Kasukuwere attacked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for allegedly
dividing citizens by his government’s decision to create subsidised basic
commodities shops for the army.
The
Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube recently
announced that soldiers will soon be buying subsidised goods from garrison
shops that will be funded by a special tax levied on every other civil servant.
In
a telephone interview with TellZim News, Kasukuwere, who is in self-imposed
exile, warned that the plan will back-fire.
“What
is the rationale really? All civil servants are equal and they should be
treated as such. They are working for the country and no one is more special
than the other.
“Zimbabweans
have suffered enough and they should be rewarded for their toil. Civil servants
are yearning for salary increments but their government is busy deducting their
salaries.
“Mnangagwa
has no decency at all and he lives large while his people suffer. He was
presented with a golden opportunity to unite the country but he plundered it
and killed those that challenged him,” said Kasukuwere.
In
his announcement, Ncube said all civil servants except members of the military
will be levied a 2.5 percent ‘garrison shop’ tax which will be channeled
towards the revival grocery shops for the defense forces.
Many
people have, however, criticised the move as part of desperate efforts by a
failed government to pacify a restive military.
“This
is what happens when the country is in the hands of a mafia. The mafia does not
care about anyone else but themselves.
“They
are very selfish and they would rather watch everyone die than let their
interest get threatened. To them, Zimbabwe can burn just as long as they are
enjoying. No one cares, this is the unfortunate situation that we find
ourselves in,” said Kasukuwere.
He
said President Mnangagwa was desperate to find ways of pacifying the army which
he knew very well could show him the exit door anytime.
 “The army is running the country. Mnangagwa is
trying to save himself from sleeping with one eye open at night. We all know
the role played by the army to propel Mnangagwa to where he is today so if he
forgets the same people will kick him out.
“You
have seen Mnangagwa using the army to crush dissent so it is only logical for
him to make sure that his boys are happy,” said Kasukuwere.
The
2.5 percent ‘garrison tax’ will add to the two percent transactional tax and
bank charges which already are a heavy burden on the poorly-remunerated
government workers.
Progressive
Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou lashed out at
Ncube’s latest policy announcement which he said was designed to worsen poverty
in the country.
“For
the Finance minister and the rest of cabinet to agree to tax civil servants 2.5
percent to set up shops that will sell subsidised commodities to members of the
army is lunacy.
“The
cabinet must be reminded that if they are so much interested in uplifting the
image of the army, they must pay the army well so that they can buy from shops
of their choice.
“Reducing
soldiers to ridicule and subsidisation by civil servants is dangerous and a
national security threat as it compromises the civilian-military relations,”
said Zhou.

Legal Perspectives: The Secret Behind Sentencing

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Legal Perspectives: The Secret Behind Sentencing

…as Govt hikes fines



Fidelicy Nyamukondiwa

When one man is
slapped with an effective imprisonment sentence and another is sentenced to pay
a fine or perform community service for committing the same offence, people are
often quick to conclude that it is corruption and injustice. Two or more persons
who jointly commit the same offence can be punished differently because their degrees
of participation and personal circumstances may differ. This editorial seeks to
enlighten the core legal reasons why sentences sometimes substantially differ.
It is also a highlight of Statutory
Instrument 57 of 2020 which hiked fines with effect from 28 February 2020.
Duty of the court
In determining the
sentence to be imposed in each particular case, the court takes into consideration
a number of factors depending on the offence committed. For instance in  a case of rape, it may consider the parties’ ages,
nature of  relationship if any, whether a
weapon was used and the degree of force or violence used. Using prescribed sentencing
guidelines, a court is mandated to rationally and objectively sentence the
offender by weighing up mitigating against aggravating factors. It must give full
reasons for whatever sentence it imposes.
Mitigating factors
Before sentence
is passed, a convict is given an opportunity to lay down factors which persuades
the court to impose a lenient sentence. Such factors are known as mitigating
factors. Where an accused is legally represented, the lawyer ordinarily adduces
evidence or makes written/oral submissions. Lawyers usually cite salient case
law in an endeavor to persuade the court. With some guidance from the court, an
unrepresented accused person is given an opportunity to outline mitigating factors.
Where a minimum
mandatory sentence is prescribed (e.g. 9 years imprisonment for stock theft)
the court must impose such sentence unless if special circumstances exist. Special
circumstances were defined by the High Court in the 1988 case of State v Mbewe and more recently in State v Kambuzuma as
extraordinary factors arising out of the commission of the offence or which are
peculiar to the offender. Trapping a person to commit an offence is regarded as
a special circumstance.
Duty of the
Public Prosecutor
There is a
misconception that a prosecutor’s duty is to ‘nail’ the accused. The prosecutor’s
duty is to assist the court in arriving at the most appropriate sentence based
on justice, fairness and proportion. The prosecutor may either accept or
dispute accused’s mitigation. Where an accused is unrepresented the prosecutor is
duty bound to assist in mitigation where necessary.
Aggravating factors.
After
mitigation. the prosecutor may if he/she so wishes, assist the court by bringing
to its attention factors which call for a more severe sentence. These are known
as aggravating factors and they vary from case to case. Robbery for example is
committed in aggravating circumstances if a firearm is used or if serious
bodily harm is threatened or actually inflicted. Being a repeat offender is
aggravating.
New Standard
Scale of Fines.
There exist a Standard
Scale of Fines which guides courts in imposing fines. In the same vein, there
are what are known as fine levels. These levels range from level one up to
level fourteen. The more serious the offence, the higher the level. If for
example an offence is a level six offence that does not mean a court must always
impose a level six fine. The prescribed level only acts as the upper limit
which a court must not exceed. Level one is the lower limit in all cases.
A court has
discretion to impose any fine as long as the fine is within the range between
level one and the prescribed level. Driving a motor vehicle without a licence,
criminal insult and ‘public drinking’ are examples of level six offences. Assault
and Theft are level fourteen offences. In exercising discretion, the court is
guided by mitigating and aggravating factors.
With effect from
28 February 2020, level one fine is now ZWL$ 200 (from ZWL$ 40). This means that courts or the police can no-longer impose
a fine of less than ZWL$ 200. Other fine levels are now prescribed as
following; level three; ZWL$ 500, level five; ZWL$ 2400, level six; ZWL$4800, level
ten; ZWL$ 24 000, level thirteen; ZWL$ 60 000 and level fourteen ZWL$ 120 000 (from ZWL$ 30 000).The new fine schedule
was published through the controversial Criminal
Law Codification and Reform (Standard Scale of Fines) Notice, 2020 [Statutory Instrument
57 of 2020]. The government had last reviewed fines in September 2019
through Statutory Instrument 209 of 2019.
Police fines
Where a person
voluntarily admits that he/she is guilty, the police has discretion to accept an
Admission of Guilt Fine. This discretion only comes into play when a ranked police
officer is of the view that the offence is so petty to an extent that a court
will impose a fine not exceeding level three. This mostly applies to traffic
offences, ‘public drinking/fighting’ cases, trivial assaults and other petty
statutory offences. In view of SI 57 of
2020, the ZRP now has powers to accept ZWL$ 500 as deposit fine. It must be
noted that all Admission of Guilt Fines are later sent to a magistrate for
possible confirmation. If confirmed, the offender is regarded as having been
convicted and sentenced by a court.  
Conclusion.
The sentence
imposed is determined by weighing mitigating against aggravating factors. The
existence or non-existence of special circumstances is also a determining
factor in cases where a minimum mandatory sentence is prescribed. With effect
from 28 February 2020, no court can impose a fine of less than ZWL 200. The
police is now empowered to impose fines as high as ZWL$500. The maximum fine
that a court can impose is now pegged at ZWL$ 120 000. The secret behind sentencing
is that each case is decided on its own merits.
Fiat Justitia Ruat Caelum!
Fidelicy
Nyamukondiwa writes in his personal capacity. Contactable on 0785827154 nhanyams@yahoo.com  https://twitter.com/FidelNyams

Charles Austin Theatre marks 46th anniversary

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Charles Austin Theatre marks 46th anniversary

Tafadzwa
Masunda
MASVINGO
– Preparations for the Charles Austin Theatre’s 46th anniversary set
for March 21 this month are at an advanced stage with various performances from
top artists lined up.
The Charles Austin
Theater, which was opened on March 06, 1974, has grown in leaps and bounds, and
on many occasions proving to be a force to reckon with.
Charles Austin Theatre artistic
director Michael Banda said he was pleased that the theatre had stood the test
of time.
“We have come so far
and we hope we will be here for many more years to come. Forty-six years of
existence is not a joke and we have to look back and thank all those who have
supported us to be where we are today.
“We are going to have belated
birthday celebrations as we have been mobilising resources to make the event as
colourful as it can get. We want to make it memorable,” said Banda.
He said there were many
activities and entertainment programmes lined up for the day.
“The celebrations will
be held at the theatre and we have a lot of activities and entertainment activities
lined up. The Charles Austin Theatre will perform a play titled Mari Mari while
standup comedy and music will also take centre stage.
“There will be plays
from schools while pupils will also take the opportunity to learn more about
the arts industry,” said Banda.
He said adults will pay
$15 to take part in the celebrations while children will enjoy free entry.
Charles Austin Theatre
is among the five functioning theatres which have managed to remain standing in
the face of an underfunded and underappreciated sector.

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