BIKITA – Bikita Minerals was last week praised for its commitment to the communal good after a weekend which saw the company spending enormous resources to improve the welfare of its employees as well as that of the surrounding community.
Last Friday, the lithium producer commissioned a new Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD) which was built in response to the lack of such facilities in the mining community and beyond.
The development means that over 90 children of mine workers and people in surrounding communities who have been learning in a recreational hall – a place that lacked the requisite equipment and aura – will now enjoy a more comfortable learning environment.
Graduates from the centre will be able to move into the adjacent Bikita Minerals Primary School which has an enrolment of over 700 pupils, the vast majority of whom are children from surrounding communities.
The new centre boasts state-of-the-art road traffic simulations that are designed to give children an early introduction to rules of the road. The centre also has quality furniture best suited for the needs of children.
Masvingo Provincial Education Director (PED) Zedius Chitiga attended the official opening of the ECD centre as guest of honour.
On Saturday, the company held its Long Service Awards ceremony for year 2017, an annual event that has become representative of probably the most benevolent side of a company that is sweating it out in a difficult economic environment.
As alluded to by their very name, the awards are meant to reward loyalty; to recognise the discipline of employees who have served the company for a period of 10 up to 30 years and beyond.
Speaking at the event, Bikita Minerals director Grant Hudson said the awards were a recognition of the dedication with which a great deal of workers are serving the company.
“It is with pleasure that we have again gathered for the Long Service Awards; themselves a realisation that commitment and effort have to be rewarded accordingly. A few years back, we said we must all work hard to improve production for us to have more resources at our disposal. I am glad everybody is working towards that one common goal,” said Hudson.
On the same note, Bikita Minerals personnel manager Munyaradzi Mapeture said it was pleasing that the company was striking a balance between its commercial interests and its moral responsibility.
“The company is fulfilling all its promises to its employees as well as the wider community. The awards will continue and we hope they will get better. I would like to encourage our employees to keep on giving their best so that the reward can be better in the future,” said Mapeture.
The ceremony saw over 40 employees walking away with prizes that included electrical stoves and other household appliances.
The second and third day of the eventful weekend saw nine football and eight netball teams drawn from the whole Bikita district tussling it out for the coveted Chief Marozva Trophy.
The tournament was graced by many dignified people including incumbent Chief Marozva Phillip Mudhe and the director in the Ministry of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Kudakwashe Machako.
The tournament, which is the brainchild of Chief Marozva, brings together community teams from the district for a trophy and cash prizes sponsored by Bikita Minerals.local

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Nyengeterai Matengarufu of Matande village under Chief Negari who burnt down her boyfriend’s bedroom hut for refusing to take her as his wife was last week convicted of the offence.
Matengarufu pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment or alternatively perform 420 hours of community service at Matande Primary School.
Asked by magistrate Honest Musiiwa why she committed the offence, Matengarufu said she was angry that besides the fact that she is two months pregnant, her boyfriend Justice Machava was ditching her.
It was the State’s case that on October 30, this year, Matengarufu eloped to Machava who is still residing with her mother, Sheika Chauke at her homestead in Rutavo village under Chief Negari.
Matengarufu was not welcomed and was forced to sleep in one of the bedroom hut without any blankets.
The following morning, Matengarufu burnt Muchava’s bedroom hut resulting in the destruction of property worth US$964, 50 and nothing was recovered from the inferno.
A police report was made leading to Matengarufu’s arrest.
Angelinah Makonya prosecuted.
local

MWENEZI – Chief Mazetese, whose area of jurisdiction covers some parts of Mwenezi West, is reportedly presiding over criminal cases and fining ‘convicts’, the Mwenezi Magistrates’ Court has heard.
The beans were spilled during the trial of 34-year old Tadzoka Moyo of Chomunogwa village under Chief Maranda who was facing charges of contravening Section 59 (1) (A) of the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter 20:12 but was acquitted at the close of the State’s case.
In acquitting Moyo, magistrate Honest Musiiwa expressed a number of concerns key among them the State’s failure to bring to court Moyo’s co-accused, and the fact that the case was first heard at Chief Mazetese’s court.
“There are many loopholes in this case. The snares that the accused is said to have used were never brought as exhibit. The co-accused who was caught by game scouts after Moyo fled was never brought to court to stand as a witness or as an accused.
“Besides that, the matter is also said to have been presided over at the chief’s court. It shows that there was a possibility of underhand dealings in this case. Chiefs are not allowed to preside over criminal cases. Such loopholes, among others, served to discredit the case hence the accused’s acquittal,” said Musiiwa.
On his part, Moyo, who denied the charges, told the court that he had earlier on been arraigned before Chief Mazetese’s court and ordered to pay a beast for the alleged offence.
“Ndakauya ndikatorwa pamba nema game scouts akabva andiendesa kwa Chief Mazetese ndobva ndasvika ndikanzi ndibhadhare mombe pamhosva yepoaching. Apa ndaitoudzwa kuti umwe wangu aive atobhadhara muripo wake ndini ndega ndainge ndasara. Ndakadzokere nemupurisa waVaShe kumusha kwangu achida kunotinha mombe yacho asi ini ndakasvika ndoramba nokuti mhosva ndanga ndisingaizivi,” Moyo told the court.
Appearing for the State, Angelinah Makonya said in June last year, Moyo went to Malangani Ranch in the company of Moshen Mambanje, who is still at large, where they set 20 wire snares.
The following day, game scouts who were on patrol noticed that a wild beast with a net value of US$2 000 had been caught by the snare.
The scouts then spotted Moyo and Mambanje checking other snares but they later fled the scene. A police report was made leading to the arrest of Moyo.local

Misheck Mazuva

MASVINGO – MyAge Zimbabwe will soon introduce its Bio Buddyz10, an initiative meant to exploit existing social ties among students and people with disabilities in a rigorous drive to encourage them to register as voters.
The model seeks to make use of the already existing network of peers who are connected through common interests to encourage young people to develop an interest in electoral processes.
Addressing youths at Charles Austin Theatre last week Friday, Bio Buddyz10 project manager Joseph Njowa said MyAge will create accounts for those interested in participating in the initiative.
Those interested are given a challenge to recruit as many registrants as they can and post pictures of the registration slips on their accounts.
“We will open Ballot Buddyz accounts for each Buddyz Champion so those interested can come and join and we will monitor these accounts and identify winners,” said Njowa.
The targeted people are youths aged between 17 and 35 years residing in Masvingo rural and urban areas as well as Chivi district.
At least 9 000 youths are expected to be reached through the ballot buddies and those that recruit the most youths to register to vote will get cash prizes.
The ‘Championeer of Champions’ will get at least US$50 prize money with many cellphones, powerbanks and flash drives also up for grabs.
“A process is already underway to identify youths in the targeted districts prioritising opinion leaders, celebrities and young people who have been active in the youth engagement project,” Njowa said.local

…Fear of prosecution, losing Gushungo Dairy gets the better of him
….Masvingo, other cities explode in celebration as frail dictator falls
…Grace ‘Gucci’ nowhere to be found

Upenyu Chaota

26-11-2017-Just like Napoleon Bonaparte who conquered Europe during his glory days but met his downfall at the battle of Waterloo after Allied forces joined hands to defeat him, Robert Mugabe met his demise after the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) put him under house arrest before his Zanu PF party expelled him over a spate of allegations.
On Tuesday, however, the beleaguered Mugabe finally gave in to pressure when he tendered his resignation to the National Assembly which had already sat to impeach him.
After his resignation, the country exploded in celebration, with soldiers being called to disperse hundreds of people who had blocked traffic at the Chicken Inn outlet along Robert Mugabe Road in the Masvingo CBD.
This was followed by his former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa’s return from South Africa on Wednesday where he had paid a courtesy call on President Jacob Zuma before heading back home.
Mnangagwa is due to be sworn in as Mugabe’s successor on Friday, November 24, 2017 if everything goes as per plan.
Mugabe, who had been declining to resign, is believed to have fought for the security of his family and that of his Gushungo Diary among his vast business empire during his negotiations with the military.
He is also said to have sought guarantees of full immunity for himself and his wife to make sure they do not face prosecution for their alleged crimes.
Political analyst Dr Davidson Mabweazara Mugodzwa said Mugabe had held on to power for selfish reasons because he was worried about the welfare of his young family and business empire in Mazowe.
“Mugabe feared losing Gushungo Diary and his other businesses in Mazowe. He has been looting for the past 37 years and he knew he might lose everything overnight.  Mugabe was dealing with shrewd people therefore, he was not certain about the future of his family and businesses,” said Dr Mugodzwa.
“He is a multi-billionaire and has properties the world over and it is chiefly for this reason that Mugabe clung on to power and demanded a dignified exit which will allow him to keep all the stolen wealth,” he added.
Mugabe’s wife Grace and the G40 cabal that has been vocal when Emmerson Mnangagwa was dismissed from both government and Zanu PF, went into hiding in the short period leading to Mugabe’s resignation.
Another respected analyst Dr Takavafira Zhou said it was apparent that Mugabe would eventually lose and that is the reason why he wanted to negotiate his security as well as that of his family in Zimbabwe and beyond.
“Mugabe was initially stubborn because he was trying to negotiate his exit package as well as his security. He wanted to be assured that he will be safe either in Zimbabwe or elsewhere.
“It also took long because the army wanted to convince everyone that it was not a coup. The army wanted Mugabe to appoint Mnangagwa as his successor before he could leave,” said Dr Zhou.
MDC-T spokesperson Obert Gutu said Mugabe feared that leaving office could be putting his wealth and family at risk.
“Mugabe has always been a stubborn politician and has always wanted things done his way. He feared that if he left power without safeguards, his relatively young family would be in trouble and all the wealth would go. People would start to target the Gushungo Dairy and all the land they have taken in Mazowe,” said Gutu.
National People’s Party (NPP) national spokesperson Jeffryson Chitando said there is no doubt Mugabe was thinking about the future of his wife and children.
“At his age, Mugabe does not think of himself but his family and its security. His family is used to lavish lifestyles at the expense of the generality of Zimbabweans and it is only fair if he returns some of the wealth which has been robbing from us.
“We cannot let him walk away with stolen wealth, no no. We need to know how he got all that wealth and everything has to be accounted for,” said Chitando.local

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – A 35-year old man took the national identity card of his elder brother and used it to register to vote, the Mwenezi Magistrates’ Court heard last week.
Humphrey Maswabi, who worked as a general hand at Zishiri Farm in Umbono Ranch, appeared before magistrate Honest Musiiwa and pleaded guilty to charges of contravening section 37 (2) (d) of the Electoral Act Chapter  2:13 ‘Registration of Voters’.
Magistrate Musiiwa strongly warned Maswabi and pointed out that had it not been the fact that Maswabi was a mere farm worker, he would have imposed a stiffer sentence that would deter other would-be-offenders.
He sentenced him to 30 days behind bars or alternatively to pay a fine of US$100.
Asked why he committed the offence, Maswabi told the court that he did not have a national identity card but was eager to be registered as a voter.
The court heard that on October 25, Maswabi went to Zishiri Farm and asked for a proof of residence from the farm manager Philemon Marasha.
Although Marasha knew Maswabi as Humphrey, he produced a national identity card that was named Fortunate Maswabi. Upon being questioned, he convinced the manager that the name Humphrey was his second name and does not appear on the identity card.
As a result the manager issued Maswabi with a proof of residence bearing the name Fortunate Maswabi.
Maswabi then went to the District Administrator’s complex where he registered in the name of his brother, Fortunate Maswabi who is currently in Namibia.
Police detectives were informed and conducted an investigation that led to the arrest of Maswabi.
Angelinah Makonya appeared for the State.local

Shingirai Vambe

RUSAPE – The third phase of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) reached Makoni with fewer than expected people responding to calls to register as voters, TellZim News has noticed.
At 602 Hall where people gathered last week to hear from Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) district officer Joel Mutambiranwa, people who spoke to TellZim News indicated that they were not in the know as to how the BVR was all about and how it worked.
“We are not very sure how it is different from the previous system. We only heard that this time they are taking fingerprints. There was need for more awareness campaigns so that we can all know what exactly is happening,” said one woman.
This was echoed by another youth who said different people were explaining BVR in different ways depending on their motives.
“Some people are saying the system will be used to capture details of all voters so that it can be known when they vote for an opposition candidate while others are saying it is a better way of registering,” said the youth.
In his address at the hall, Mutambiranwa recounted the shortfalls of the previous phase and briefed Zec officers on what needed to be done this time around.
“We must work towards ensuring that everybody who is eligible is registered to vote so that the BVR becomes a success,” said Mutambiranwa.
TellZim News noticed that many registration centres were not at all busy last week and early this week, with some centres in Makoni recording no registration at all.local