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Zanu PF Gutu activist sentenced for assaulting CCJP member over BVR serial number

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Zanu PF Gutu activist sentenced for assaulting CCJP member over BVR serial number

Abel Mauchi…as another wreaks havoc in Zimuto

TellZim Reporter

MASVINGO – A Zanu PF activist in Gutu district was last Friday sentenced to six months in prison for assaulting Abel Mauchi, a talented poet and member of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) who had refused to reveal his voter registration slip for the recording of its serial number.
Gutu magistrate Edwin Marecha, however, suspended two months of the jail sentence against Matora Musiiwa for three years.
The other four months were suspended on condition that Masiiwa performs 105 hours of community service at Mutendeure Primary School.
It was the State’s case, as presented by prosecutor Simon Mudyahoto, that on February 09, Musiiwa, of Mutendeure village under Chief Makore, approached Mauchi at the local business centre and demanded to know why he had not submitted his serial number when everybody else had done so.
The complainant, who had been away on CCJP peace programmes in Zaka, responded that he had not been around, but the accused went on to accuse him of being a supporter of the MDC party.
Sensing danger, the complainant decided to leave but the accused followed him, tripped him to the ground and kicked him repeatedly with booted feet on his left ribs, inflicting severe injuries on him.
A medical affidavit was made to confirm the injuries of the complainant who had been admitted at Gutu Mission Hospital.
Mauchi has since sought a peace order against Musiiwa and another Zanu PF activist, Pedzisai Manzunzu, to bar them from disturbing his peace and from threatening to harm his family.
Mauchi has also slapped Musiiwa with a US$10 000 lawsuit.
Meanwhile villagers in Mahoto area under Chief Zimutu, Masvingo North constituency, are complaining against another overzealous Zanu PF activist who is reportedly doing door to door campaigns forcing people to submit the serial numbers on their voter registration slips
The activist, only identified as Mai Mashasha, is said to be threatening non-compliant villagers with violence and exclusion from government programmes like food aid and agricultural inputs distribution.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) Masvingo provincial elections officer, Zex Pudurai said he had not received the report but blamed unethical political scheming for the various complaints being registered.
“The problem lies in political parties that require their members to prove that they are registered voters before they can contest for any post in party structures. That is how the precedent is set. We urge all political players to observe the law at all times,” said Pudurai.local

SDA church empowers deaf people in Gweru

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SDA church empowers deaf people in Gweru


Siyabonga Sayi

GWERU – The Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church’s women ministries together with a non-governmental organisation called Jointed Hands Welfare recently organised a four-day entrepreneurship workshop for deaf people and donated US$600 for income-generating projects.
The programme was held at Mtapa SDA and was attended by 24 participants from different church denominations.
The SDA Gweru women’s ministries director, Lindiwe Shumba said the programme was meant to give particularly deaf women an opportunity to exchange business ideas.
“It was an interactive programme to share ideas with members of the deaf community. We then made the donation as part of our joint efforts to empower them.
“Though we will assist only women with money, we opened the platform to men as well so that they too could be equipped with skills and knowledge on entrepreneurship,” said Shumba.
Jointed Hands Welfare economic strengthening officer, Privilege Munyanyi said the organisation was pleased by the partnership with SDA, which he said will go far in helping to meet the needs of the deaf community.
“We applaud the initiative by the church to empower friends whom we would like to describe as uniquely abled. That work should not stop and should lead to greater cooperation among us,” said Munyanyi.
David Nyoni, who is the patron of deaf people at Mtapa SDA, said similar work should be done in the future as most deaf people have sad tales to tell.
He said deaf people were more vulnerable to economic difficulties than fully able-bodied people.
“Their plight is even more saddening because they face stiff competition from other people doing similar business. If someone shouts ‘airtime’, those who hear would run and get the customer, and the deaf trader would lose out,” said Nyoni.   
Projects that were identified are selling fish, floor polish, lending schemes and several others that will be decided collectively.

‘Marapira’s blocking of Mucheke River illegal’

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‘Marapira’s blocking of Mucheke River illegal’

The contentious dam wall built by Marapira

…Mutirikwi sub-catchment council probes project

Upenyu Chaota

The Masvingo community is up in arms against Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development deputy minister, Davis Marapira who has built his own wall across a section of Mucheke River and is using the impounded water to irrigate crops at his own farm.
Stakeholders who spoke to TellZim News said the improvised dam wall must be demolished so as to free up the water for the greater good of the community.
Family and Friends of Rivers and Lakes in Zimbabwe (Faforaliz) national chairperson, Pianos Chadya said the wall built by Marapira was illegal and must therefore be demolished.
“As an organisation, we wonder what the responsible authorities are doing when they let such acts go unpunished. We deal with the protection, correction and conservation of the environment with special concern to water as a critical resource.
“Our hearts bleeds when we see Mucheke River chocked like that because of one person who is inconsiderate. There is a lot of impurities getting into the river and we want that water to be let free so that it can come and wash some of those things away.
“We are noticing a rapid growth of the problematic water hyacinth because water has not been flowing as it ought to do. We have marine life which is affected if the water is not flowing. If Marapira genuinely wants to irrigate his farm, he should make another plan rather than block the river,” said Chadya.
He said he was informed that the Environmental Management Agency (Ema) had disapproved the project but Marapira went on to use his political muscle to have his way.
Runde Catchment Council manager Stanley Nazombe, in emailed response to TellZim News questions, said the community had the right to launch complaints to their sub-catchment council which would then be obliged to investigate.
“The Water Act provides for the community to lodge complaints to their respective sub-catchment council. Where genuine concerns are brought forward, the council is obliged to investigate and advice the proponent on remedial actions required if any.
“Where a particular community requires to be engaged for their fears to be allayed regarding the construction of water storage facilities, Runde Catchment Council stand ready to assist,” said Nazombe.
The wall is built by farm bricks that Nazombe hinted could be unfit for the job as they are too susceptible to wear and tear.
“From a technical view, the material mentioned may not be the best, and efforts to ameliorate the situation may need to be employed,” Nazombe said.
Reports also say Marapira is not paying for the water he is exploiting from Mucheke River to the Mutirikwi Sub-catchment Council as required by Statutory Instrument (SI) 47/2000.
The SI demands that those who would have been given the go ahead to build their own dams in terms of the Water Act Chapter 20:24 be levied by the area’s sub-catchment council.
When contacted for comment, Mutirikwi Sub-catchment Council manager, Taruvinga Chivasa said they had probed the legality of Marapira’s project and had forwarded their findings to the Runde Catchment Council to deliberate.
“There are water procedures that are followed as provided for by the Water Act. We received the concerns about Marapira’s irrigation project and we did our investigation. Two councils will seat to deliberate on the issue and we as the Mutirikwi sub-catchment council have already convened and we have forwarded our resolutions to the Runde Catchment Council that will have the final say.
“I cannot tell you offhand that the Marapira irrigation project is legal or illegal until the Runde Catchment Council convenes,” said Chivasa.
Last week, TellZim News quoted City of Masvingo mayor Hubert Fidze expressing bewilderment that the deputy minister had deemed it fit to deprive the whole community of water that should be flawlessly flowing into Lake Mutirikwi.
In his response to questions from TellZim News last week, Marapira defended his actions saying it was in line with government’s water harvesting policies.
The understanding, however, is that water harvesting is about rainwater and runoff, and is not about blocking the flow of rivers to exploit their waters.local

The Dance Off on at Powerhouse Night Club this weekend

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The Dance Off on at Powerhouse Night Club this weekend

Powerhouse Night Club manager Dennis Murewa

Getrude Duzah

GWERU – Powerhouse Night Club, which was recently rebranded from Takarangana Night Club, will this weekend be blazing with a new show dubbed ‘The Dance Off’.
Powerhouse Night Club manager, Dennis Mreriwa said the main focus of the event will be to revive ‘the dance’ as a culture and to draw public attention the club.
“We would like to promote dance competitions as a culture and exciting prizes will be given to the participants. Let the public come in their numbers and see what Powerhouse has in store for them,” Mreriwa said.
He revealed that DJ Ice, DJ Moggo and DJ Styles will keep the fire burning, with some extra-cold refreshments being offered for free.
Under its new management, the club has revived Ladys’ Nites as well as Rhumba, Raggae and Dancehall Nights popularly known as Rasta Nites.entertainment

ED’s barren 100 days

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ED’s barren 100 days

President Emmerson Mnangagwa

Upenyu Chaota

After his inauguration in November last year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa set for himself a 100-day target to turn things around but as the curtain comes down, the President has realised that he has chewed more than he can swallow and has tried to absolve himself saying the time frame was too short.
A video of the President arguing that 100 days were not enough to make a meaningful difference did the rounds on social media earlier this week, sparking a politically-polarised debate.
With the economy still struggling and bank queues being the order of the day, many notable actors and commentators took to Twitter and other platforms to express their opinions.
Nick Mangwana
100 Days: A budget that cut wastefulness. Road blocks removed. Bank charges reduced. Fuel Duty reduced. $3bn investment commitments secured. NPRC outreach programs started. Anti-corruption courts established. Free Healthcare for vulnerable groups.
Temba Mliswa
ED has set the tone in his first 100 days and led from the front. His biggest achievement was transforming people’s perception of Zim which is key in attracting investors. But the next 100days must be focussed on tackling corruption, no one wants to invest where there’s no accountability
Dr Takavafira Zhou
The 100 days are a complete failure. Mnangagwa should be kind enough to admit publicly that he has failed. It’s a wasted effort to expect change from the same people who created the problem. He has chewed more that he can swallow. He cannot make any meaningless turnaround with the same deadwood that destroyed the economy over the past 37 years.
Tendai Biti
The failure by the regime to deliver anything meaningful in its first 100 days makes the prospect of a violent election very high. Failure to deliver on basic tasks of economic management makes autocrats fall back on their first language of violence.
Patson Dzamara
No angel from anywhere instructed ED to set the 100 days target. Intoxicated with kindergarten excitement, he set it himself. Don’t tell us about the inadequacy of time for him to have done anything meaningful. It’s over 3 months & nothing much has changed. It’s called failure.
Nelson Chamisa
Mnangagwa’s 100 days are a repetition of the past 37 years.top news

Operation Restore Regasi mesmerises

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Operation Restore Regasi mesmerises

A scene from ‘Operation Restore Regasi’

Upenyu Chaota

The Charles Austin Theatre Drama Club’s ‘Operation Restore Regasi’ mesmerised the audience when it premiered at the theatre last Friday.
The play retraces events that culminated in the resignation of President Robert Mugabe following a military intervention codenamed Operation Restore Legacy.
Directed and scripted by Charles Munganasa, Operation Restore Regasi dramatises events, real and imagined, that took place mainly at Mugabe’s private mansion popularly known as Blue Roof.
The play opens at Blue Roof with Grace Mugabe rehearsing her next public tirade against those perceived to be opposed to her ascendency to the presidium, with George Charamba cheering her on.
The packed Charles Austin Theatre was amused by the remarkable display of talent by the cast of mainly young actors who gave an amusing glimpse of what was happening behind the scenes in the wake of the military operation.
Mugabe is caricatured as a jittery character who however tries to cunningly keep his position despite the military intervention, but is left dejected after finding out that events have overtaken him.
 “I am your Commander in Chief and you have no right to deploy yourselves without me giving you the order. You are violating the constitution,” a livid Mugabe tells General Constantino Chiwenga.
The general is himself mocked for his perceived difficulties pronouncing the ‘L’ syllable, thus ‘Regasi’ instead of ‘Legacy’.
Grace is also satirically portrayed as a character with no self-control and as suffering from severe emotional instability, causing her to cry herself unconscious when she realises that power has suddenly slipped from her family’s hands when it had just seemed like she had it all under control.
The play ends with the public celebrating Mugabe’s resignation, with a distraught Grace crying her voice out at Blue Roof.
“This play promises to be one of our best and we are glad that the audience have found it to be a rib cracker. We thank the people for their continued support which is helping the development of theatre in Masvingo,” Munganasa told TellZim News.entertainment

Many rape cases being investigated, but beware of social media exaggerations: Ass Com Makedenge

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Many rape cases being investigated, but beware of social media exaggerations: Ass Com Makedenge


Assistant Commissioner Crispen Makedenge

TellZim Reporter
MASVINGO – Assistant Commissioner (Crime) Masvingo, Assistant Commissioner Crispen Makedenge, has advised the public to be wary of exaggerated social media reports about a wave of rapes in the province, saying the police were working very hard to solve the genuine cases that have been reported.
Ass Com Makendenge made the remarks while briefing the local media in face of what he said were sensationalised reports of alleged violent rape incidences that have gone viral on social media especially WhatsApp.
“We urge members of the public not take some of the reports they see on WhatsApp with a pinch of salt. In actual fact, there are only five incidences of rape that we are investigating, and the circumstances may be different from what is being said on WhatsApp,” said Makedenge.
He said police have since launched a manhunt for Tarisayi Madzingo aka Zenda alias Dread of Chasiya village under Headman Masunda, Chivi district, in connection with the crimes.
The other suspect who is also on the run is Talkmore Dumbu of Chanyungunya village under Chief Charumbira, Masvingo rural district.
Ass Com Makedenge also urged journalists to take a leading role in dispelling social media falsehoods and half-truths by reporting effectively on the truth on the ground.
“The public is panicking unnecessarily so we want our newspapers and radio to do their jobs effectively so that the people can know what really is happening.
“We also rely on information that we get from the community, we appeal to anybody with information that can help in the investigation to assist us,” he said.local

Diarrhoea hits Musiso High

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Diarrhoea hits Musiso High

Emmaculate Tinago
Brighton Chiseva
ZAKA – Hundreds of pupils at St Anthony’s Musiso High School were today, March 01, 2018, admitted at the mission hospital after suffering severe diarrhoea, TellZim News has learnt.
Zaka District Medical Officer (DMO) Morgen Muzondo confirmed the outbreak but referred all questions to Provincial Medical Director (PMD) Dr Amadeus Shamhu who said a team was already at the school to investigate the matter.
“We have received a report that there is an outbreak of diarrhoea at the school and a team has been dispatched to carry out investigations. The cause is yet to be established and it many take a few days to know as some tests will be conducted,” said Dr Shamhu
Musiso Hospital matron Modester Mutombwa, the District Nursing Officer (DNO) and the District Health Inspector (DHI) were part of the team that visited the school.
Sources privy to the details said the diarrhoea was first reported on Sunday but it only became full-blown yesterday with about half of all school children affected.
The hospital is said to be struggling to handle all the affected pupils with others said to be failing to leave their hostels.
Some sources said the problem could be linked to what they said were poor sanitary conditions characterised by severe water shortages, overflowing Blair toilets and barely functional flash toilets.
“Plates are sometimes not properly washed due to the water shortages and the toilets are horrible,” said a source.
Musiso High School head, Emmaculate Tinago is said to be away on leave.
In October last year, a similar outbreak occurred at Morgenster Teachers’ College and affected hundreds of students, with several victims complaining that they were being served stale food in the college dining hall.local

Our Christian values will take us far: TZ

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Our Christian values will take us far: TZ

Jacob Ngarivhume

Moses Ziyambi

The Jacob Ngarivhume-led Transform Zimbabwe (TZ) has expressed confidence in its capability to tilt the political scales in its favour come the general elections, saying the party’s Christian faith roots constituted a competitive edge over rivals.
The party, which is part of the seven-member MDC Alliance, is holding extensive public meetings across the country with the objective of selling its faith-based political philosophy to the electorate.
In Masvingo province, the alliance has reserved the Bikita East constituency – which is Ngarivhume’s home area – for TZ to contest.
There are indications though that the party may receive more slots in other areas of the province where it is considered to be the strongest option to defeat Zanu PF candidates.
In Bikita East, the party has fielded Cleophas Muridzo as its parliamentary candidate who will wrestle it out against other candidates outside of the alliance.
Recently, the party held a rally in Zimuto, at Dare in Bikita East and has scheduled another one for Sese in Chivi South.
“We are a party founded on strong Christian values. What this country needs are leaders who fear God because for long, we have been ruled by self-serving people with little or no regard for the word of the Lord. These principles guide all our work and we are convinced that they will take us very far,” said TZ Masvingo provincial youth leader, Clayson Chimbidzikai.
He also said the party was working to attract particularly the youth vote in light of statistical revelations from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) showing that the 18 – 34 years age group constitutes 43.5 percent of all registered voters so far, with the rate increasing to over 60 percent for the 18 – 40 years age group.
TZ will hold its elective congress in Harare on March 23 – 24 where other election candidates are likely to be unveiled.
The party has also said it will field 210 parliamentary election candidates countrywide but only for the purposes of shadowing and supporting its partners in constituencies that have been allocated to others under the MDC Alliance’s seat-sharing arrangements.local

Chivange gives hope to Chiredzana

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Chivange gives hope to Chiredzana

Talent Chivange


Brighton Chiseva

ZAKA – Zanu PF youth league member, Talent Chivange last week promised the people of Chiredzana, headman Chamburukira under Chief Bota, that he will work hard for the improvement of access to basic services in an area he said did not deserve the neglect it currently suffers.
Chivange, who is looking forward to contest for the Zaka East parliamentary seat in the upcoming elections, has set for himself some targets that include upgrading the local police base so that it can have all the requisite facilities of a police station.
Last week, he toured the premises of the sub-standard police base, which was built by the community to improve safety and security, as part of his outreach programme to the area.
He revealed his commitment to the development Chiredzana, a very remote area known for its notorious cattle rustlers that seem to ply their illegal trade with reckless abandon.
Chivange’s programme also encompassed the sponsorship of the Zaka East Sports Gala which was held at Matara Secondary School where several community football teams fought it out for a wide range of prizes.
The youthful politician pledged to furnish the police base and also made a commitment to improve conditions at the under-resourced Chiredzana Clinic which again the community built on its own in response to the poor access to healthcare services in the area.
“I will send the 18 locks needed here anytime next week (this week). I’m pained to see the lax security here at a time when there are many reports of burglaries, robberies and rapes. There is a lot of work that needs to be done here. The registrar general’s office is also derelict and, therefore, is in need of urgent attention,” said Chivange.
Chiredzana Police Base member-in-charge, Tafadzwa Kadondo said the place was put up as a matter of emergency, serving a wide area with nine business centres, the furthermost point being 34 km away.
He said the two police officers that are at each time deployed there were not enough for the job in hand, and have always operated without proper furniture and decent accommodation.
There are also no cells at the base, such that when a suspect is arrested, he/she shares the same room with the police officers.politics

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