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Legal perspectives: A Look Into types of marriages in Zim

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Legal perspectives: A Look Into types of marriages in Zim

Marry
‘Chiwenga’ marriage fraud case: A Look Into types of marriages in Zim

With Fidelicy Nyamukondiwa

Marry Mubaiwa, the enstranged
wife of Vice President Chiwenga recently made headlines after being arrested inter alia for allegations of
fraudulently attempting to upgrade
their Unregistered Customary Law Union (UCLU) into a Civil Marriage.  This article explores the types of marriages
recognised in Zimbabwe.
Unregistered Customary Law
Union
The majority of marriages in Zimbabwe are UCLUs. There is
no marriage certificate for an UCLU because it is legally not a marriage. The
law however recognises it for purposes such as maintenance and custody of
children. It comes into being through a
roora/lobola ceremony. In Hosho v Hasisi
HH 491/15, the
High Court reemphasized that the customary meaning accorded to this type of
marriage revolves on the payment of lobola.
Parties
to an UCLU can agree to upgrade it into a Customary or Civil Marriage. Mary
Mubaiwa is alleged to have attempted to register their UCLU into a Civil Marriage
purporting that the VP had consented to the upgrade when in actual fact he had
not. The way UCLU can be dissolved varies with custom. In most Shona customs it
involves payment of a divorce token known as ‘gupuro’. It is however permissible to have an UCLU dissolved by a
court especially where disputes concerning the sharing of matrimonial property
arises.
Customary
Marriage
A Customary Marriage is solemnised
in terms of the Customary Marriages Act [Chapter 5:07] and like an UCLU it
can be polygamous. It is solemnised by a customary marriage officer who can
either be a magistrate or an official/chief appointed as a marriage officer by
the Justice Minister. Proof of its existence is a marriage certificate. A
Customary Marriage can be converted into a Civil Marriage but the latter cannot
be converted into the former. A Customary Marriage is dissolved by an order of
a magistrate.
Civil
Marriage
Civil Marriages used to
be solemnised in terms of a statute then known as Marriage Act [Chapter 37]. It is as a result of the foregoing that
some people still call them “Chapter 37”. They are now solemnised in terms of
the Marriage Act [Chapter 5:11] and are
monogamous. A magistrate or other legally designated marriage officer such as a
priest or a pastor solemnises Civil Marriages. It cannot be ‘downgraded’ into
an UCLU. A Civil Marriage can only be dissolved by an order of a High Court
judge.
About Cohabitation
Cohabitation
is when a man and a woman stay together as husband and wife without payment of
lobola nor registration of the union. This is commonly referred to as small
houses, kubika/kuchaya mapoto or ukuhlalisana.
Clause 40 of the Marriage Bill, 2019 which
stirred a public outcry mid last year sought to legalise cohabitation.
 Conclusion
Civil Marriages and
Customary Marriages are the legally recognized marriages in Zimbabwe. UCLUs are
technically not marriages but are legally recognized for other purposes. The
gazetted Marriage Bill, 2019 if
passed into law will harmonise Zimbabwe’s marriage laws and align them to the
Constitution.
Fiat
Justitia Ruat Caelum!
Nyamukondiwa Fidelicy writes in his
personal capacity. He holds a Diploma in Law and is a former Public Prosecutor
at Masvingo Magistrates Court. He is a LLB (HONS) student at Herbert Chitepo
Law School. Contactable on 0785827154 /nhanyams@yahoo.com.

Masvingo City Council investigates water works Supt for incompetence

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Masvingo City Council investigates water works Supt for incompetence

                                            Charles Gusha

…as council battles to
restore public faith in municipal water
Moses
Ziyambi
The commission of
enquiry recently set-up by City of Masvingo following a water chemicals supply
debacle is targeted at Bushmead Water Works superintendent Charles Chapanduka
whom the city accuses of recently failing to timeously report that one chemical
was fast running out.
Speaking at a press
conference organised to try and discredit a recent TellZim story on how council
pumped inadequately-treated water, Mayor Collen Maboke sought to exonerate city
engineer Tawanda Gozo and pin all the blame on Chapanduka.
“Actually, it’s the
station superintendent who can be accused of incompetence because he failed to
report the issue on time. He is the one being investigated,” said Maboke.
He said a subordinate
at the water works came and tipped council that there was only two days’ supply
of aluminium sulphate left when normal procedure would have seen Chapanduka
communicating directly with Gozo on the state of chemical supplies.
“Had it not been for
that tip, it could have gone wrong. I discussed it with the town clerk and we
went to Zinwa (Zimbabwe National Water Authority) and borrowed 15 tonnes of the
chemical that we expect to bay back soon. There is an arrangement which allows
Zinwa and the city to lend each other chemicals if there is need. There is
nothing amiss about that,” said Maboke.
He said council awaited
the results of a commission of enquiry which was recently instituted to
investigate the alleged incompetence on the part of Chapanduka so that
appropriate disciplinary procedure could be taken.
TellZim reported last
week that on some occasions from the end of November 2019, council pumped
inadequately-treated water after its stores ran out of aluminium sulphate,
which is one of the key chemicals used in the water purification process.
The publication reported
that the engineering department, which is headed by Gozo, and in which the
water treatment plant falls, was taking the blame for incompetence within its
senior ranks.
Maboke, however, said
disciplinary action will be taken against Chapanduka if he is found to have
failed to execute his duties as per expectations.
He however refused to
categorically state as fact that council had managed to get the supplies from
Zinwa before the two-day period had lapsed.
He instead chose to
stick to his position that council had never pumped insufficiently-treated
water to homes.
He said council
position was that supplies would rather be stopped rather pump
inadequately-treated or raw water.
“We are responsible
city fathers whose actions can never endanger the lives of the residents of the
City of Masvingo and let me make this commitment that we will never supply the
residents with water that does not meet the minimum WHO and SAZ standards for
drinking water.
“We are also going to
further strengthen our water quality monitoring systems by introducing periodic
monitoring visits to the water works by our policy makers,” said Maboke.
He also announced that
council had since organised a media tour of the water works to ensure that
journalists get a ‘clearer’ appreciation of the operations there.

City of Masvingo organizes media tour to water works

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City of Masvingo organizes media tour to water works

City of Masvingo engineer Tawanda Gozo

 …as water quality gets questioned
TellZim Reporter
City of Masvingo today, January 17, organized a media tour of its Bushmead
Water Works after TellZim last week exposed incompetence within the
city’s engineering department which pumped inadequately treated water to residents.
There
was a public relations crisis at the city council after the report had been
made that the city council pumped water to residents without applying aluminum
sulphate, one of the three chemicals used to treat water.
When
TellZim News published the story, the city council called for a press
conference addressed by the mayor Collen Maboke in which he tried to dispel the
report saying council never pumped untreated water to residents.
The
city council was at pains to try and save face and organized a media tour to
its water treatment plant.
City
engineer Tawanda Gozo said that the council has enough chemicals for four
months and residents have nothing to worry about as they have the cleanest
water in the country.
“Our
water is very clean and safe, residents have to drink it without any
hesitation. We have enough water chemicals to sustain us for four months.
“We
had low supplies of aluminum sulphate which could only last for two days but we
managed to acquire 15 tonnes from Zinwa,” said Gozo.
There
were piles and piles of aluminum sulphate at the council warehouse as were
other water treating chemicals.
Gozo
said council would never pump untreated water to residents but would rather not
pump at all if they do not have chemicals.
Though
the city council denied having run out of aluminum sulphate, the engineering
department has put the water superintendent under investigation for
incompetence.
The
water superintendent is being accused of watching as stocks of aluminum
sulphate run out to two days’ supply without notifying the city’s engineer.
  

Kasukuwere speaks out

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Kasukuwere speaks out


…former
Zanu PF political commissar says Zim being led by mafia
Upenyu Chaota 
The
self-exiled former Zanu PF political commissar Savior Kasukuwere has for the
first time opened up to the media since the November 2017 military takeover
when he, together with other Generation 40 (G40) faction members skipped the
borders in fear of being killed or arrested by the new government.
In an
exclusive telephone interview with TellZim News from his base outside the
country, Kasukuwere opened up on what he thinks about the current government
led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
He said Zimbabwe
was in a mess and that corrective measures had to be taken for the country to
prosper; adding that the mafia-style leadership being exhibited by Mnangagwa
and his government should be put to an end.
“The
country is being run by a mafia and it is in a mess. Corrective measures have
to be taken to right a lot of wrongs.
“I will
not speak about my future plans yet because one has to be strategic. You will
hear of my plans when the time comes and I promise you that we will make
Zimbabwe a pride for everyone,” said Kasukuwere.
Kasukuwere’s
plans have shaken Zanu PF to the core as many within the ruling party are said
to still bear allegiance to the former national political commissar who, during
his term, managed to solidify his control of the ruling party’s lower
structures.
The launch
of the TysonWabantu Movement in Bulawayo may be the first signs of the coming
of Kasukuwere.
In
November of 2017, the politics of the country and Zanu PF were re-written after
the military effected a coup which marked the end of former president Robert
Mugabe’s 37 years of a ‘brutal’ and ‘disastrous’ reign.
The same
military take over brought to an end one of the worst factional fights in Zanu
PF with the Mnangagwa-aligned faction, Team Lacoste, prevailing over the
Generation 40 faction aligned to former First Lady Grace Mugabe.
The G40
faction was in a habit of louding its dominance, oblivious to the military
power behind Team Lacoste.
Lacoste
waited for the opportune time to strike and they did so swiftly and with
precision leaving G40 confused as to what had hit them.
All
perceived members of the G40 faction were hunted down with some going into
exile.
Mnangagwa
promised a new dispensation where the Mugabe play book would be thrown out of
the window and many people believed him only to be disappointed later on.
A few
months later, Mnangagwa went back on his word and the man who claimed to be as
soft as wool proved to be as tough as nails, giving credit to those who
nicknamed him Crocodile.
The
situation in the country has gone from bad to worse leaving many wondering why
they participated in the military-led march to oust Mugabe.
It was not
long before many Zimbabweans became disillusioned and wished they could go back
to the Mugabe era where they claim life was better than under the ‘new
dispensation’.
Life has
become difficult for the majority of Zimbabwe with prices rising unabated and
salaries getting eroded by inflation. Mnangagwa has kept his hands on the
trigger to scare off any threat to his power in the face of pressing economic
matters.
It is too
late now for Zimbabweans to raise their voices against the Mnangagwa-led
administration because he has proven to be more brutal and lethal against
dissenting voices.
Desperate
citizens are increasingly turning to religion where some unscrupulous men of
cloth rob them of their hard-earned resources in the promise of a better life
that never comes
People have
tried to vote Zanu PF out of power but that strategy has failed since
independence prompting many to come to terms with the reality that Zanu PF has
mastered the techniques of staying in power.
Many
people believed in the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC but it has proven to be
ineffective to confront Zanu PF in an election or the streets.
It has
become apparently clear that Zimbabwe now needs a saviour beyond Mnangagwa and Chamisa.
Since
rumours of the vanquished G40 faction regrouping to challenge Zanu PF in 2023
elections have begun spilling from across the Limpopo, many Zimbabweans have
found themselves divided on whether the former local government minister and
former Zanu PF national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere, who is exiled
in South Africa, could be equated to the biblical Joshua who will take the
people to the promised land.
Kasukuwere
is being touted as new leader of yet-to-be unveiled party made up largely of
former G40 functionaries to challenge President Mnangagwa in 2023.
The
composed Tyson, as Kasukuwere is nicknamed, has however managed to keep his
cards close to his chest leaving many guessing his next moves.
What has
become clear is that Kasukuwere is bitter with Zanu PF and now that all the
criminal charges levelled against him have been dropped, he can now come back
into the country and be the saviour everyone so desperately needs.
The Zanu
PF national political commissar Victor Matemadanda once told a Masvingo provincial
inter-district meeting that those wavering members whose allegiance is in
question would be kicked out of the party.
Matemadanda
made the threats after it was reported that G40 had a secret meeting in
Masvingo in which they laid the foundation for the coming of Kasukuwere.
“We want
people who are true to the party. Those who are wavering must go where they
think they belong. Make no mistake, Zanu PF did not take this country to let it
go like that.
“This
country was left without a President when Mugabe resigned and President
Mnangagwa was out of the country then. No one dared to sit of the throne, not
even Kasukuwere. So what does he think has changed now? We all waited for
President Mnangagwa to come back,” said Matemadanda then.
However,
some sources who reportedly harbour loyalty for Kasukuwere told TellZim News
that Zanu PF was trying to isolate Kasukuwere by luring all people around him.
It is said
that Zanu PF has compromised all people who could make any Kasukuwere-led party
a formidable force by giving them lucrative deals.
The
sources say the formation of The Zimbabwe People’s Party (ZPP) which is led by
another former G40 functionary and former cabinet minister Walter Mzembi, is
testimony of the Zanu PF hand hard at work.
“The plan
is to isolate Kasukuwere and take away all the people around him. Zanu PF is
trying to reach out to all the G40 elements and offer them deals so that they
do not join Kasukuwere.
“Do you
really think Mzembi can be President? 
Mzembi personally knows that he is far from being a leader of anyone but
his party was only created to create diversion. Kasukuwere is an idea whose
time has come,” said one source.
Political
analyst Alexander Rusero said Kasukuwere will never be the saviour of Zimbabwe
due to the historical baggage he carries.
“Kasukuwere
is definitely not the saviour. For the umpteenth time, the balance of power in
Zimbabwe shall be confined to binary politics of MDC and Zanu PF.
“The
burden Kasukuwere carries is to be labelled a former Zanu PF who cannot do anything
new, a Zanu PF project and diversionary gimmick ahead of 2023 and or a
political spent-force whose movement will die a natural death,” said Rusero.

Half billion dollar Tugwi- Mukosi dam a white elephant?

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Half billion dollar Tugwi- Mukosi dam a white elephant?

TellZim Reporter
The giant Tugwi- Mukosi dam project which is
estimated to have cost close to half a billion dollars risks being a white
elephant with the government failing to come up with its master plan three
years after completion.
When it was completed in December 2016, Tugwi-Mukosi
formerly Tokwe-Mukosi, became the largest inland dam in the country with the
capacity to irrigate about 30 000 hectares of land and generate over 15 Mega
Watts of hydroelectricity.
Former
President Robert Mugabe officially commissioned the dam on May 18, 2017 and
promised Masvingo province that it would benefit enormously on agriculture and
other business ventures but to date, nothing has materialized.
The
former president promised that the Tugwi-Mukosi Dam master plan would be
expedited but he was removed one year later by his long term allies before
delivering on that promise.
It
is two years now under the President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led ‘new dispensation’
and Masvingo province still awaits for the master plan.
The
master plan will designate land use patterns in and around Tugwi-Mukosi dam.
Minister
of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Ezra Chadzamira says that the master
plan will be unveiled within the first quarter of 2020 as the government has cleared
the US$200 000 debt owed to the South African consultant to complete the master
plan.
“Work
on the master plan had been affected by delays in the payment of about US$200
000 to the consultant to complete the work.
“We
are very excited that the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan will soon be out after the
consultant doing the job was paid,” said Chadzamira.
He
said if all things go as per the plan, the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan will be out
in March and the dam will be fully utilised.
“By
the end of the first quarter around March, the master plan will be out and we
hope everything will move according to plan.
“Our
cry has been over failure to fully utilise Tugwi-Mukosi Dam despite its huge
potential to change lives of our people, but now we are on track.
“We
are very grateful to President Mnangagwa and his government for making sure
work on the master plan is completed,” said Chadzamira.
Masvingo
province still suffers from the effects of drought despite housing the two
biggest inland dams in the country, Lake Mutirikwi and Tugwi-Mukosi.

Tugwi-Mukosi dam was mooted in the 1960s by the Rhodesian government but the
contract commenced in April 1998 with a planned construction period of four
years stretching from 1998 to 2002.

However, works were suspended in 1999 due to shortage of funds. The project
then went through start-stop phases from 2001 to 2005.

Construction then commenced in May 2011 with plans to complete the project
in November 2013 and plans to start impounding water in November 2013.

Due to funding constraints, the project went through some delays but the
government cleared all outstanding arrears to the contractor by October 2016.

TellZim News established that the government has not been honest with the
people as to the initial cost of the project.

It has been established that the project could have not been realized had it
not been for Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe which paid for the last phase of the
project.

City of Masvingo struggles to explain source of Nyaradzo road funds

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City of Masvingo struggles to explain source of Nyaradzo road funds

Former City of Masvingo Town Clerk, Adolf Gusha

…after US$43 000 goes missing
Upenyu
Chaota
The City of Masvingo is at pains to explain the source
of funds it used to complete a 200-metre stretch of tarred road leading to the
Nyaradzo Life Assurance Company offices after the company had paid the local
authority US$43 000 in 2016 but the project was never started until late last
year.
The former Town Clerk, Adolf Gusha-led management is
said to have arm twisted Nyaradzo to give them the money to tar the road but
the project was never done prompting an inquiry from councillors.
It was established that Nyaradzo had initially offered
to tar the road using their own resources in exchange of land next to their
offices which houses the city’s fire department.
The then Hubert Fidze-led council turned down the
offer but management is said to have clandestinely went behind the backs of
councillors and demanded US$43 000 for them to do the project.
Nyaradzo is said to have given the money to council
management in 2016 in anticipation that the road will be tarred but work never
started.
Realising that the council had not started the
project, Nyaradzo confronted the council and threatened not to pay their bills
until the road has been attended to.
Pressed by councillors in 2019, three years after a
payment was made, city engineer Tawanda Gozo said the project was never started
because of the rains.
“Nyaradzo paid us the money in 2016 but we have not
been able to embark on the project because of the rains. Whenever we wanted to
start the project, we were disturbed by rains,” said Gozo.
After the inquiry, the council began preliminary work
for the project but residents demanded to know where the money was coming from.
There was an outcry from residents after there was a
sudden increase in their water bills, a development sources said was meant to
raise funds for the Nyaradzo road project.
Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance
(Murra) spokesperson Godfrey Mtimba said the council needs to explain where
they got the money for the Nyaradzo road project because what Nyaradzo paid was
blown by management.
“The council received US$43 000 from Nyaradzo and they
were silent about it. The councillors did not even know about the transaction.
“We only got to know about the money when the
councillors quizzed management about it only to be given a lame excuse that it
has been raining,” said Mtimba.
Mtimba said residents woke up to highly inflated bills
for the services they were barely getting.
“The council inflated bills to finance the road
project whose money they had blown. Heads have to roll at the council,” said
Mtimba.
Former mayor Fidze said he was unaware that Nyaradzo
had paid the money for the road project when they had turned down the offer.
“My council turned down the Nyaradzo offer and I am
surprised Nyaradzo paid the money. The council was supposed to use its resources
to tar the road but wed did not have them.
“Nyaradzo had the resources but the land they wanted
in exchange was not a good deal for us,” said Fidze.
Gusha has since retired and the current management led
by current Acting Town Clerk Edward Mukaratirwa has refused to comment on the
issue.
The Nyaradzo road project was completed late last year
but the source of funds remains a mystery.

 

Another judge for Masvingo High Court

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Another judge for Masvingo High Court

Nyashadzashe Mambure
MASVINGO – To
enable swift justice and reduce work load of the existing judges, the High
Court here will receive an additional judge.
The
deployment of Justice Sunsley Zisengwe brings to three the number of judges at the
Masvingo High Court which only had two.
The
revelations were made by Supreme Court and Constitutional Court judge Justice
Paddington Garwe when he officially opened the 2020 legal year here on Monday.
Justice
Zisengwe joins Justice Wamambo and Justice Garainesu Mawadze at the Masvingo
High Court.
The
placement of Justice Zisengwe comes after Justice Joseph Mafusire was
transferred back to Harare.
Justice
Garwe pointed out that the deployment of Justice Zisengwe to Masvingo together
with Justice Wamambo will go along in enhancing the efficiency of the High Court
and ensure that the backlog of cases will be kept under check.
“The
deployment of Justice Zisengwe brings to three the number of judges here at
Masvingo High Court.
“The
idea is to make sure that there is swift justice and the backlog is kept under
check,” said Justice Garwe.
He
said there was need to establish a permanent Labour Court in Masvingo to handle
all the labour disputes in the province
“Here
in Masvingo, I am aware that there is need to establish a permanent Labour
Court to deal with labour matters in the province. It is unfair for the
residents of this province to be made to travel to Harare or Gweru to access the
Labour Court”, said Justice Garwe.
Justice
Garwe implored lawyers to file cases with courts in their areas saying filing
of cases with courts in other areas gives a bad impression of the country’s
justice system.
He
said there are other lawyers who are based in Harare but file their cases with
the Masvingo High Court.
“Our
courts are equal. There is no favoritism. In my view, lawyers in Harare should
use the Harare High Court and not come to flood cases here. It gives a bad
impression of our justice system,” said Justice Garwe. 

‘A’ level results: Pamushana, Gutu High schools in 30 points wonder

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‘A’ level results: Pamushana, Gutu High schools in 30 points wonder

…as Mutendi High leads in Maths
The 2019 Zimsec ‘A’ level results
are out, and a lot was not yet clear by the time of going to print but one
thing that has emerged is the fact that Pamushana and Gutu High schools had one
pupil each with 30 points.
Pamushana boats a 97.86 percent
pass rate with 77 pupils scoring 15 points and above.
Ndarama High School recorded two pupils
with 20 points, two with 19 and three with 18 points. Two pupils had 16, 12
pupils with 15, 15 with 14 points and 16 with 13 points.
Tugwane High in Masvingo Rural district
has three pupils with 15 points while Nyabata had its highest pupil had 24
points; one with 20 and another with 19. The school recorded a number of pupils
with 15 points.
Reformed Church in Zimbabwe
(RCZ)-run Zimuto High has 22 pupils with 15 and above and the highest has 20
points.
Another RCZ school Alheit Chingombe
II High of Gutu district has three pupils with 15 points, three with 14 points,
two with 13 points and five with 12 points with a 100 percent pass rate.
Alheit recorded an improvement in
Pure Maths at 84 percent and has 13 pupils with As in Business Enterprise.
Zaka district has 15 pupils with
15points, with St Anthony’s Musiso High School recorded a hundred percent pass
rate with one pupil scoring 20 points.
Six of its pupils obtained 15
points while 16 obtained 14 points.
Zivavose High, again in Zaka
district, has one pupil with 15 points and five with 14 points while Magura High
has one pupil with 15 points.
Mutimwi and Rudhanda has one
pupil each with 15 points while Chinorumba has three with 15 points.
While the actual numbers were not
yet available by the time of going to print, sources said the Zion Christian
Church (ZCC)-run Mutendi High School is one of the leading schools in
Mathematics, if the current ‘A’ level results are anything to go by.
Results for other best performing
schools like Zimuto High, Gokomere High and Serima High were not yet available
by the time of going to print.

Soldiers shoot dead two in Masvingo

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Soldiers shoot dead two in Masvingo



Cephas
Shava

MWENEZI-
Three
members of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) who shot dead two civilians in
Mwenezi West following a dispute which occurred on Boxing Day at Shayamafudzi Township
have been arrested for murder.
Crispen Maphosa (28),
Tapiwanashe Basopo (35) and Collen Ncube (28), who are attached with the HQ 1
Brigade in Bulawayo, had earlier on been reported for allegedly launching a
reign of terror on innocent civilians in Mwenezi.
The trio were deployed
at Mujingwe Conservancy which is said to be now owned by some high level
military brass.   
The three accused
soldiers made their initial appearance in court on Monday, December 30, 2019
before Mwenezi Magistrate Honest Musiiwa who, upon advising them to apply for
bail at the High Court, remanded them in custody to January 09, 2020.
It is alleged that on
December 26, 2019, the three accused soldiers who were on assignment at
Mujingwe Conservancy in Mwenezi West were approached by one Olman Nyunyani, who
reported to them that his younger brother had been assaulted by Hosia and
Sifelani Matarise.
Armed with their loaded
AK 47 rifles, the three soldiers together with Nyunyani proceeded to
Shayamavhudzi Township looking for the Matarises. Upon reaching the township,
the three soldiers found the Matarise brothers and a dispute ensued.
During the melee, the
three soldiers shot Hosia on the head and Sifelani on the chest. The two
victims are said to have died on the spot as a result of the gun wounds.
Police detectives and
the Police Support Unit section later attended the scene leading to the arrest
of the three accused soldiers who were apprehended two days after committing
the offence.  
Three spent cartridges
and four live rounds of AK 47 ammunition were recovered at the crime scene. It is alleged that
after committing the offence, the three soldiers gave death threats to some
eyewitnesses.
Willard Chasi appeared
for the State.

No car for Chiredzi town engineer until water crisis is resolved, says residents

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No car for Chiredzi town engineer until water crisis is resolved, says residents




Beatific
Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI–
In the 2020 budget, the town council here proposed to purchase vehicles for
management but the Chiredzi United Residents and Ratepayers Association
(Chirra) has come out guns blazing attacking the town engineer, Wesley Kauma,
saying he does not deserve the vehicle because he has failed to deal with the
water crisis.
Strangely,
Chirra has not opposed the purchase of vehicles for other council managers but
is only arguing against the engineer from getting his car saying incompetence should
not be rewarded.
Giving
his submissions during 2020 budget consultations at Chiredzi Town Council Civic
Centre, Chirra chairperson Jonathan Muusha said it is high that the council budgets
for the management’s vehicles but the engineer should be excluded until he
addresses the water situation.
“I
don’t reject the budget for the top management vehicle purchases but we have a
strong feeling that the engineer should be excluded from the deal until he has
proven beyond reasonable doubt that he is competent for the office he is
currently holding.
“One
would be forgiven for believing that this town does not have an engineer
because there is absolutely nothing to show for it. It’s safe to say that we do
not have an engineer,” said Muusha.
Muusha
said that the town faced serious water challenges and the town engineer seemed
clueless on how to resolve the crisis.
“The
town is dry most of the times and we wonder what the engineer is doing. We will
not reward someone who just comes to work to warm the chair and do nothing.
“Others
may get their cars because it is part of their perks but the engineer has to
first prove to us that he is worthy to hold that office. We will not watch him
get a new car when he has done nothing to earn it.
“Our
people are relying on water from unprotected sources risking their health on
daily basis. We will not have it and we will make a statement if they buy him
that car,” said Muusha.
Chiredzi
Town Council has proposed to use their share of devolution funds to upgrade the
water system and in 2019 they received $1.1 million from which $500 000 was directed
towards upgrading the water system.
The
water crisis is not unique to Chiredzi alone as the provincial capital, City of
Masvingo, is grappling under serious water shortages and has since effected over
120 hours water rationing schedule which sees most residential areas going for
five days in a week without running tap water.

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