Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Chamunorwa Zhiradzago has dragged his ex-wife Sithokozile Chikunguri, a teacher at Mashura Primary School in Mberengwa, to the Mwenezi Civil Court claiming US$150 maintenance per month.
Zhiradzago told the court that he was still legally married to Chikunguri and had helped her to further her education.
“She began answering some of her phone calls out of the bedroom and when I asked for explanations she would scold me saying it was none of my business.
“When she later left home, she took all the household property and I was left with nothing. Right now, we have two children together but she does not allow me to see them and I was once severely assaulted when I visited the children,” said the tearful Zhiradzago.
He accused his wife of cohabiting with a Mberengwa businessman identified as Laison Ndlovu.
Through her defence lawyer, Chikunguri argued that Zhiradzago did not deserve any maintenance benefit since all their two children were residing with her.
Magistrate Honest Musiiwa reserved judgement to a later date but made it clear the issue of maintenance is not confined to a specific gender in any relationship.local

Elliot Jinjika

CHIVHU – Seventy-year-old Nobert Mudyawabikwa from Gamanya village, Chief Nyoka, Featherstone is alleged to have eased his sexual desire on his 13-year-old niece and he recently appeared before Chivhu magistrate Fadzai Mtombeni facing rape charges.
Mudyawabikwa denied the charges levelled against him.
The State, led by Nicholas Mabvongodze, stated that in November 2016 around 14: 00 hrs he called the minor into his bedroom.
Upon entering the bedroom, the accused ordered the complainant to lie down on an empty sack, undressed and raped her while closing her mouth to prevent her from screaming.
He later on threatened to kill her if should she divulge the matter to anyone.
In August 2017, the complainant divulged all the details to her friend’s mother who had noticed that she was not happy.
The woman and her husband took the matter to the police leading to the arrest of the accused. The case was set to continue in the Chivhu Magistrate Courts by the time of going to the press.local

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Fifty-one-year-old Acia Shirichena of Rineti village under Chief Neshuro stunned many at the Mwenezi Civil Court recently when she categorically stated that the continued presence of her husband at their homestead was a stumbling block for her freedom to accommodate her boyfriend.
Shirichena dragged Wilson Chauke to the court seeking his eviction from the homestead, claiming he made no contribution towards the building of their homestead.
“Hongu tinevana tese asi ini handichamudi murume uyu. Hapana chaakaita pamusha uyu kuti uvepo uye musha wacho ndewangu ndakavaka ndega iye asipo. Kugara kwaari kutoita pamba apa arikutotadzisa mukomana wangu kuuya pamba nokuda kwake,” Shirichena told the court.
On his part, Chauke said he was also the owner of the homestead and requested the court to give some of his five children with Shirichena a chance to stand as witnesses.
Shirichena however rejected the suggestion, claiming the children have a history of always defending their father.
Magistrate Musiiwa advised Shirichena that since she wanted an eviction order, she had to redo her papers because she had merely applied for a protection order.
The matter was due to be heard again by the time of going to print.local

ZAKA – Tariro Matiki of Muchimbiri village under chief Ndanga died last week after she was attacked by a swarm of bees while trying to save her grandchildren from the same bees.
A close relative to the deceased confirmed the death and said Matiki’s grandchildren were attacked by the bees while hunting and when she tried to help them by covering them with her clothes, the bees turned against her.
“Her grandchildren were chasing a wild cat with their dogs just close to the homestead. The cat climbed onto a tree which was home to a beehive. The rattled bees attacked the people at home and Matiki took off her clothes to cover the boys before the bees turned onto her,” said the relative.
The relative said she was attacked in the full view of other villagers including her husband but they could not help her.
She was later rushed to Ndanga District Hospital where she was pronounce dead on arrival. The person who rushed her to hospital was also admitted for treatment of bee bites and was later discharged.local

GWERU – Rugare Gumbo made a surprise appearance at the Midlands State University (MSU)’s 17th graduation ceremony, sat at the high table reserved for VIPs and later indicated that he was amenable to rejoining Zanu PF.
Gumbo, who was the Zanu PF secretary for information, was fired from the party in 2014 during the Gamatox purges that also claimed the scalps of other bigwigs like Joice Mujuru, Didymus Mutasa and Nicholas Goche.
He has been associated with opposition politics ever since, having teamed up Mujuru and others to form Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) which later broke up to pieces some months ago.
In an interview with TellZim News, Gumbo said he had ‘no problem working in solidarity’ with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government now that Robert Mugabe is gone.
“I think it’s proper to be working in solidarity with President Mnangagwa because there is no bad blood between us. Those who chased us out are no longer there so I attended this ceremony as a way of making fruitful interactions with people that I hold no grudge against,” Gumbo said.
He also made it clear he was ‘making consultations’ with people he has been working with in the opposition in order to know if they are comfortable with him moving back to Zanu PF.
“I can’t really say I have re-joined Zanu PF but we are currently making consultations with our supporters on the rightful move to make. Politics is about people and when people speak, nothing will stop me from rejoining Zanu PF. I will also definitely come back to you with our position once we are done with consultations,” Gumbo said.
Many former party heavyweights expelled in 2014 have been making groveling statements about Mnangagwa, with Kudakwashe Basikiti and Claudius Makova announcing last week that they were going back to the ruling party.local

…vendors flee streets in fear of crackdown

Lloyd Shunje

MUTARE – City of Mutare has partnered with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) in a massive cleanup campaign aimed at removing illegal vendors and flushing out touts from hotspots in the CBD and Sakubva high density suburb.
Dubbed ‘Operation Restore Sanity’, the exercise began early this week and illegal vendors, who hitherto had seemed to have permanently settled on pavements in the CBD and around Sakubva Bus Terminus, were seen packing their wares and moving back to designated areas.
Speaking to TellZim News, Mutare City Council spokesperson Spren Mutiwi said vendors and touts had been given a two-day ultimatum to comply as the city wanted ‘to reclaim its pride as the cleanest city in Zimbabwe’.
“The operation has started today (Monday) and illegal vendors have been given a two-day ultimatum to move out of town and revert to their designated sites.
“This is an aggressive operation that will bring order and sanity and we want to reclaim our status as the cleanest city in Zimbabwe,” said Mutiwi.
He warned public transport operators to desist from engaging services of touts.
“We want the rank marshal and tout menace to disappear from Mutare. All commuter and long-distance bus operators should desist from engaging touts. It is disturbing to note that a number of people have lost valuable items through theft due to the influx of touts at various bus terminus,” said Mutiwi.
Members of the public who spoke to Tellzim News welcomed the operation urging the council to adopt a zero tolerance especially to touts.
“We could no longer travel in peace because of touts. They would harass and sometimes steal from people. We hope this will continue in the CBD and the main rank in Sakubva,” said Takunda Mudzimiri.local

MASVINGO – Vendors in Masvingo have demanded that the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) must work to ensure their safety against harassment by the city council officials and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
The demands were made at a Zimbabwe Chambers of Informal Economy Associations (ZCIEA) workshop held at Mucheke Hall recently.
Addressing the informal sector business operators, ZCIEA secretary general Wisbon Malaya made it clear that vendors would resist current suggestions that they make contributions to the authority unless they secure the freedom to do their work without hindrances.
“As vendors, we are declaring today that we are not going to pay a penny to NASSA or join their funeral policy until they make sure that we are granted security in the city just like other businesses,” Malaya said.
Malaya also claimed that 94 percent of workers in Zimbabwe were sweating it out in the informal economy, and argued that the enormous size of that sector made it obligatory for authorities to treat vendors with respect.
Most participants agreed with Malaya, promising not to cooperate with NSSA as long as they keep on getting harassed by authorities.
Other people later told TellZim News that NSSA was so tainted by corruption that they will not entrust their hard-earned money to it given the endless reports of misuse of funds and maladministration at the State-run social security agency.
Collen Chikova, a NSSA representative who was present at the ZCIEA workshop, promised to take the grievances of the informal traders to his superiors.local

Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO – Zimbabwe Super Seeds (ZSS) celebrated its six years by inviting famers and other stakeholders for a three-day workshop held at Flamboyant Hotel this week.
ZSS managing director Nelson Munyaka said the conference was meant, among other things, to increase awareness on climate change.
“We are celebrating continuous supply of smart seeds to the country from 2011 to 2017. We also want to provide a learning platform for various stakeholders on the work they are doing in relation to seed supply and food security.
“We have brought together researchers, farmers, extension practitioners and industry to share experiences, compare notes and develop a common vision,” said Munyaka.
Farmers who attended the workshop praised ZSS for being an indigenous company which produces quality seeds that are in agreement with local climatic conditions and soil types.
Other stakeholders present included researchers from Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and Chinhoyi University Technology (CUT)
The company was formed in the 2011/12 cropping season in Zaka district. By then, it was called Zaka Super Seeds but was later renamed Zimbabwe Super Seeds.
In 2013, ZSS spread to Masvingo and Gutu, and in 2015, to Mutasa and Makoni with Mwenezi, Mberengwa and Bikita being 2016 additions.
 “The marketing of ZSS seeds is now going national. We have increased output from 460 to 1 160 metric tonnes; representing a 152 percent production growth rate,” said Munyaka.local