MASVINGO – The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Masvingo province last week held a meeting with political parties that are represented in parliament to exchange ideas on the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) mop-up exercise which will end on February 08.
ZEC provincial chairperson, Zex Pudurai said the meeting with political parties went well with all stakeholders raising their concerns especially around the issue of new registration stations.
“We conducted a meeting with political parties that have representation in parliament to discuss the BVR mop-up exercise and opening of the registration centres,” Pudurai said.
Masvingo province has been allocated 40 kits and each district will have three teams except Bikita district which will have two teams. A total of 333 centres are expected to be covered in the new campaign.
“We agreed on a working plan to allocate the kits at Registrar General offices around the province but in case of other needs that may rise, we can always look into that,” Pudurai said.
ZEC has since reduced its target of seven million registered voters for the whole country to five million, after registering nearly 4.9 million voters in the initial blitz.
The commission highlighted that the new initiative did not signal the end of the registration process, but a cut-off date that enables it to prepare a provisional voters roll.
The number of those registered to vote in the province in the province as on January 10 was 545 442, with 226 222 of them being male with 319 220 female. A total of 11 604 prospective registrants were turned away for various reason.local

Denford Chimbwinya

12 Jan 2018 – Captain Francis Chanduru has been appointed the new Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Headquarters 4 Infantry Brigade. He replaces Lieutenant Bigboy Mazivofa who has been posted to the Headquarters Presidential Guards Brigade in Harare in the same capacity.
Prior to his new appointment, Captain Chanduru was with Headquarters Presidential Guards.
Born on 01 January 1965 in Gutu, he attended Chikara Primary School in Nyazvidzi and later moved to Nharira Primary School in Chitsa. In 1979, he moved to Kwekwe High School for his Ordinary and Advanced levels before being attested into the ZNA in 1986 with the formation of the then elite 6 Brigade.
On completion of his military training, the Masvingo born soldier was posted to Parachute Regiment as a rifleman. After taking various military courses and a diploma in Public Relations.
The officer joined the ZNA Public Relations Directorate, publishers of the ZNA magazine as a junior reporter in 1991 and was appointed Public Relations Officer the following year in 1992. Having done in-house and professional courses he was posted to the Headquarters Presidential Guards along the way serving with the Mechanised Brigade.
The officer rose through the ranks to become a Staff Sergeant in 2004 before he was recommended the same year to undergo the Basic Officers Course (BOC) at the Zimbabwe Military Academy in Gweru.
After completing the course, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant and later promoted to the rank of Captain; the rank he currently holds. Captain Chanduru is currently studying for a degree in Media Studies with UNISA. He is recipient of medals which include the Independence, Mozambique campaign, Ten years, Long and Exemplary and the DRC campaign medals.
He is married and has five children.local

Brilliant Mukaro

BIKITA – A man from Murambiwa village under Chief Mkanganwi left tongues wagging after he left his wife and kids for a mistress before faking his own death to prevent people from looking for him.
Freddy Chimbunde, whose age was given as 75, put his relatives and friends in a panic mode a few days after Christmas Day when he used his mistress’ daughter’s mobile phone to call his relatives pretending to be a stranger who had found Chimbunde’s body hanging on a tree.
Chimbunde had reportedly been having an illicit affair with a married woman whose husband is saving a prison term. The woman was identified as Noster Mutanga.
Mudavanhu Mundenga, who is the Murambiwa village head, confirmed the incident saying he was disgusted by the shameless incident which he said was against traditional African custom.
He said he had taken the issue to Chief Mkanganwi’s court since Chimbunde and his lover failed to attend a village meeting he had called to deliberate the matter.
“It is disgusting that elderly people are at the forefront of mischief instead of them being the role models. I have taken the matter to Chief Mkanganwi’s court since he and his lover did not attend the village court I called.
“Chimbunde has lost the respect that we had for him and I am considering evicting him from my village since he has proven to be shameless.
A close family member who spoke on conditions of anonymity said when word of Chimbunde’s supposed death began to circulate, friends and relatives from all over came to pay their condolences and to commiserate with the grieving family.
The source said mourners spent almost a week gathered at the ‘deceased’s’ homestead while men searched the forest looking for the body.
All the while, Chimbunde continued to play his games, calling anonymously and giving confusing directions about where the body was.
His mistress, who is known in her village for her drinking habits, later sold out the deal and revealed that Chimbunde was at her place.
Relatives then went to check with Mutanga and witnessed the shock of their lives when they found the elderly Chimbunde hiding behind the door of one of the houses.
When contacted for a comment Chimbunde threatened that if people continue pestering him about the matter, he would this time around hang himself for real.local

CHIPINGE – Five men were recently left for dead after they were viciously attacked by a gang of five men after an alteration over $1 change.
Simbarashe Matsvaire (23), Prosper Musabayana (20), Mutulisi Kaiboni (21), Samuel Sigauke (19) and Brian Guzete (26) of Gaza high-density suburb were viciously attacked by broken bootless after they demanded a $1 refund from the $3 they had paid for their transport costs from a night club to Gaza township.
They appeared at before magistrate Noah Gwatidzo while bandaged on their faces.
The five accused, Prince Zengeni (27) of 1759 Gaza O, Millan Charuma (26) of Coffee Research Station, Bright Tabana (26) of Watergate Farm, Clemence Chigidi (35) and Tagarira Chigidi (38) both of 5291 ZBS Extension appeared in court facing assault charges.
Witness Nyamundaya of the State said on the December 3, 2017 at around midnight, the complainants boarded a Mazda B200 Toyota vehicle at De Plaza Lodge for Gaza Township.
“The vehicle belonged to Shepherd Makuyana (37) who was also a passenger in the car. They agreed to pay $3 but on arrival at Total Service Station, Prince Zengeni, who was driving, told the complainants to disembark because he was no longer proceeding to Gaza.
“A misunderstanding ensued leading to the five complainants to demand a $1 refund but this did not go well with Zengeni,” he said.
In a furious rage, Zengeni grabbed Kaiboni, Musabayana and Sigauke one by one and threw them out of the vehicle.
“Zengeni’s co-accused persons, Tabana, Charuma and the Chigidi brothers joined in and started assaulting the complainants.
“Tabana stabbed Matsvaire with a broken bottle once on the left cheek and he fell on the ground, crawled from the scene and fled for his life.
“Charuma grabbed Musabayana by his hands while Tabana held him by the waist with Clemence Chigidi hitting him with an empty beer bottle which broke upon contact.
“Tagararira Chigidi took a piece of the broken bottle and stabbed Musabayana once on the neck, once on the cheek, once on the arm and once on the stomach.
Chigidi hit Kaiboni with his open bare hands twice and cut him with an unknown sharp object which he was holding and assaulted him again with a wooden plank all over his body,” he added.
Chigidi stabbed Sigauke with a broken bottle once on the cheek and stabbed Guzete with a piece of broken bottle once on the left cheek before fleeing from the scene.local

MASVINGO – It never rains but pours for the Joice Mujuru led National People’s Party (NPP) as it continues to lose key members with the latest being the national secretary for legal affairs Rodney Makausi and Masvingo provincial chairperson Shylet Uyoyo calling it quits.
In their resignation letters, seen by TellZim News, Makausi and Uyoyo say they have personal businesses to attend to, making them unavailable for party business.
Makausi indicated in the resignation letter addressed to NPP national chairperson Gift Nyandoro that he was parting ways with the party as they have other critical matters to attend to.
 “I wish to humbly notify you that I have crucial work which I need to be embarking on to such an extent that I will not have adequate time to devote myself to the party business. It would therefore only be logical that I stand down from my post for someone else to take over.
“I accordingly in the exercise of my constitutional and legal rights to belong to a political party of my choice inform you of my voluntary resignation from the National People’s Party,” said Makausi in his letter.
Uyoyo’s resignation letter addressed to national chairlady Marian Chombo said she was resigning from the party without giving any other reasons.
“Please accept this letter as formal notification of my resignation from National People’s Party,” said Uyoyo in her letter.
There are however, reports that both Makausi and Uyoyo plan to go back to Zanu PF. Makausi is also said to be interested in contesting for Masvingo Urban constituency.
When contacted for comment Makausi dismissed the allegations as mere bar talk saying his resignation was because he has personal business to attend to.
“I resigned from NPP because I have a lot of business to attend but I want to make it clear that I currently have no interests of contesting for any position in the election,” said Makausi.
Uyoyo made a clear hint she intends to retrace her footsteps back to Zanu PF, saying she had left the ruling party because of former President Robert Mugabe, who is no longer there.
“I left Zanu PF because of Mugabe and his wife; but he is now gone,” said Uyoyo.
NPP national spokesperson Jeffreyson Chitando said he was unaware of the resignation letters but said the party remains strong despite the current turbulence.
“I am yet to see the resignation letters but all I can tell you is that the party remains strong and committed to bring about the change which is long overdue in the country,” said Chitando.
Nyandoro could not be reached for comment by the time of going to print as his mobile was not reachable.local

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Notice Ndlovu, a driver at Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) Rutenga branch, is living in fear after the husband of the woman he had an adulterous relationship with allegedly promised to shoot him, the Mwenezi Magistrates’ Court heard.
Ndlovu admitted to having an affair with Sifasonge Muleya’s wife.
He however dragged Muleya, an employee at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), to the civil court seeking a protection order. He told the court that at one point in time, Muleya telephoned him swearing that he will shoot him dead for having an affair with his wife.
In his defence, Ndlovu pointed out that he fell in love with Muleya’s wife because he was not aware that she was married to another man. Muleya, however, dismissed the claims arguing that Ndlovu knew very well that the woman in question was married to him.
Muleya told the court that the matter was still troubling him and he requested for the case to be postponed as he was due for a special assignment at his work place.
Magistrate Langton Ndokera took his time trying to counsel the two men before postponing the matter to a later date as per Muleya’s request. The matter was due to be heard again by the time of going to print.