Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – A village head identified as Sabhuku Chikamare of village 5, Munyamani resettlement in Ward 16 under Chief Maranda is being accused of poisoning many dogs and chickens to avenge his goat which was killed by some dogs.
Sources said on Thursday last week, the village head cut some pieces of meat off the devoured goat carcass and poisoned them before moving from door to door in the night, feeding all dogs with the meat.
The following morning, villagers woke up to the ghastly site of dead dogs and chickens that had also consumed bits of the poisoned meat.
When contacted for comment, Chikamare denied being the culprit, saying malicious people with a grudge against him were linking him to the dastardly act.
“People woke up to find some of their dogs and chickens dead. They started to accuse me of feeding them off poisoned meat but I didn’t do that and I don’t know who did that.
“I am a victim too because one of my own dogs also died. They are framing me because they have a grudge against me,” said Chikamare.
Villagers who spoke to TellZim News, however, insisted that Chikamare was responsible for the atrocious act of revenge.
“We are convinced he is responsible for that. He had bitterly complained that some dogs from the village had killed and eaten his goat so he did this to fix dog owners in the village but he didn’t imagine that even chickens were going to eat some bits of the meat and die.
“So far 16 dogs and 64 chickens have died and we are likely to keep counting,” said one villager who preferred anonymity.
 Villagers filed a police report and by the time of going to print, investigations were in progress.local

Upenyu Chaota

MASVINGO – There was drama at the High Court recently, during the official opening of the 2018 legal year by judge president Justice George Chiweshe when a mentally challenged woman launched a scathing attack on the guests calling them witches and thieves that have sucked state coffers dry.
The woman stood by the perimeter wall of the High Court and began shouting at the guests who were enjoying some snacks.
She used all sorts of vulgar terms to discredit the event and the smartly dressed guests. She said all the people at the event were responsible for the suffering of many people in the country.
“Munoti hakuna mari saka mota makadzitenga nei. Muri varoyi. Mbavha dzevanhu. Masatanist munorarama nekutambudzika kwevanhu,” shouted the woman.
She then proceeded to the High Court main entrance where Chief Fortune Charumbira and Masvingo resident minister Josaya Hungwe were standing and started shouting at them in vulgar terms.
The police tried to restrain the woman but she threatened to beat them up.
Passers-by stood and watched the drama as the woman shouted on top of her voice saying the top of the range cars parked outside the court were dripping with blood of innocent souls.
“Mose munoenda kuchurch zvekunyepera asi muchiita zvechi satanist. Mota dzakanaka kudai makadziwanepi. Muri kuchekeresa vana wevanhu kuti mugare zvakanaka,” she shouted.
The police chased after her but the mad woman outpaced them, freezing traffic for a few minutes as she started running along the middle of the road.local

MWENEZI – Notice Ndlovu, an employee with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) Rutenga branch reportedly engaged in several sex escapades with a married woman at various secluded places including the company’s premises.
Ndlovu, who earlier on admitted in court to having an affair with Sifasonge Muleya’s wife, had his application for a protection order against Muleya dismissed by magistrate Honest Musiiwa after his recent failure to turn up for hearing.
In his affidavit, Ndlovu – without citing the root cause of the problem – accused Muleya of shouting abusive words and threatening him with unspecified action.
However, in the opposing affidavit, Muleya denied the allegations insisting that Ndlovu, who engaged in an adulterous affair with his wife Georgina Mandumbu, was trying to evade being held responsible for his immorality.
Muleya, who has two children with Mandumbu, accused Ndlovu of engaging in several sex escapades with his wife.
“The contentious issue at hand is that for over a year, the applicant was having an illicit promiscuous affair with my wife….indulging in sex escapades from the bush, in my house and at Zesa Rutenga depot premises on various occasions.
“I obtain phone call recordings of their conversations with details of their activities and I confronted my wife who confessed and disclosed their activities,” reads part of the affidavit.
In shocking text messages that were seen by this reporter, Mandumbu confessed to her husband that she once engaged in sexual intercourse with Ndlovu at one of the company’s premises.
Muleya, who in the affidavit also expressed dissatisfaction over what he called lack of inaction by Zesa management, accused Ndlovu of abusing the company’s telephone, vehicles and offices to prey on married women.
In his complaint addressed to the management that was seen by TellZim News, Muleya accused Ndlovu of conniving with one of his workmate to destroy his family. Providing dates and time when Ndlovu allegedly abused company landline to communicate with his wife, Muleya urged the company’s management to act.
“We are waiting patiently for your organisation to restore sanity within your employee if the behaviour is not in line with company policy,” reads the concluding part of the complaint.local

Clever Taperamoyo

ZIMUTO – The Nemarundwi headmanship wrangle pitting two families took a nasty turn last week when Smart Chidavarume was elevated to the position in the presence of armed soldiers and policemen.
There has been a feud between Chidavarume and his rival, Magiya Kwenda who also stacked his claim to the headmanship.
Sources told TellZim News that the traditional rules of succession had favoured Kwenda but Chidavarume cunningly worked his way to the throne, bypassing all the customary values.
“He was installed headman in the presence six armed police officers, two soldiers and members of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC). That was a gross violation of our customs guiding the ascendance to the Nemarundwi headmanship. The position should have been taken by the eldest son from the Nduru house,” said one source.
Another source said the new headman, who is from the Nhunzvi family, was installed in the presence of representatives from the Masvingo District Administrator (DA) and Provincial Administrator (PA)’s offices.
“He seems to have won the favours of political leaders through misrepresentations and back-stabbing others. That explains the presence of security services at his sham installation ceremony but he should understand that it doesn’t give him any shred of legitimacy in the strictest of senses.
“The headmanship must rotate between the Nduru and Nhunzvi families but it has now consecutively gone back to the same family,” complained a member of the Nhunzvi family who preferred anonymity.
When contacted for comment, Masvingo DA Ray Hove defended the whole process, saying a candidate selection meeting held in October 2016 produced Chidavarume and Mugiya, with the former finally being chosen on the basis of his age advantage.
“I can confirm that Headman Nemarundwi was appointed by the former minister Abedinico Ncube on 6 July 2017 so the event was just an official handover ceremony which was attended by assistant DA Nyaradzo Tongofa on my behalf,” Hove said.
On his part, Chief Zimuto also made it clear he preferred Chidavarume since he is older than Kwenda.
“We all agreed at the meeting that since Chidavarume, who was born in 1931, is a year older than Magiya, he should be made headman. We are surprised now that there is this other factor of families being brought forward. It presents yet another challenge to us,” said Chief Zimuto.local

Itai Muzondo

GWERU – It never rains but pours for Zanu PF candidates identified as having been in the vanquished G40 faction, with the party’s leadership in the Midlands province making it clear that such members will not be allowed to contest in primaries.
Addressing party members ahead of First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa’s visit to Gweru last week, provincial youth commissar Simbarashe Mutukwa said those who sympathised with the defeated faction will be marginalised.
“Elections are around the corner and fortunately, ZEC has extended the registration period so as to give us all a chance to register. We know many of you had been busy with acute festive business but now the holiday is over, let’s register to vote.
“Registration also means election is drawing closer. Since it’s now obvious that election is coming, I want to warn those who know they haven’t been travelling in the same road with us not to waste money because you aren’t eligible to represent us.
“Being denied a chance to make it to the electorate doesn’t mean you can’t be a Zanu PF member. No!
“You can simply follow the party but at the same time, walking in good paths so that when the party regains confidence in you, your road will be clean. So I am simply bringing across the point that the exercise isn’t meant to chase you from the party, but to make sure that one has amended his or her unclean ways,” Mutukwa said.
Elsewhere, Zanu PF Masvingo provincial vice chairperson, Ailes Baloyi Told TellZim News earlier this month that the party ought to effectively rid itself of the remnants of the G40 cabal.
“We should never associate with these people who pushed for our expulsion from the party.  If it wasn’t for the ZDF, we could be talking something else now. Their actions should never go unchallenged,” said Baloyi.local

Brilliant Mukaro

BIKITA – Two robbers, husband and wife, that had gained notoriety for repeatedly preying on stranded travellers at Nyika growth point were last week arrested after one of them was spotted wearing stolen clothes.
Tamai Magume (32) and his wife Progress Muchemwa (30), both of whom stay in Muchenga village under chief Marozva, appeared before magistrate Florence Nago to face theft charges.
The couple pleaded guilty, saying they were desperate for survival with two minor children going to school. They were identified as repeat offenders who had been faced similar charges in the past and were remanded to January 25 for continuation of trial.
It is the State’s case that on Dec 23, 2017 at Mutema Supermarket, Nyika, Magume and Muchemwa stole a bag belonging to Learnmore Makotore.
The bag contained various clothing items, a Samsung Galaxy phone and $500 in cash.
All the stolen property was valued at $950.
On the second count, the two waylaid Timothy Chinake near the Econet Shop at Nyika and stole his bag containing US$400 worth of valuables.
Japhet Mapakame prosecuted.local