03 April 2017, GUTU – Most roads in Gutu urgently need attention after the heavy rains that pounded the district rendered many areas hardly reachable, TellZim News can reveal.
Buses and small passenger vehicles are resorting to side roads to avoid getting stuck on the badly damaged roads.
The most affected major roads include the Gutu – Zvavahera – Chitsa, Gutu – Buhera and Mpandawana – Kurai roads.  The first two roads have been surfaced for the first 11 kilometres while only 40 km of the Kurai road is tarred.
Transport operators said the incessant wet spell saw most parts of the roads becoming dangerous and difficult to drive on.
“Gutu has not received as much rainfall in the last 20 years as it received this year so the state of the roads is putting us out of business. You have to part ways with some of your money to pay villagers to assist pull your vehicle when you get stuck in the mud. This has increased the cost of doing business,” said one kombi driver who plies the Gutu – Nyazvidzi road.
 Another motorist said he was losing business because travellers between Gutu and Murambinda now choose to use the longer route through Chivhu.
A Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco) bus recently spent two days stuck in the mud close to Guzha Primary School.
The Gutu Rural District Council (RDC) and the Zimbabwe National Roads Authority (Zinara) were not immediately available to comment.

Charles Maregere

03 March 2017, Don’t let traditional gender-based views of careers stop you from pursuing your passion. Worldwide studies have shown that often women will grow up with a strong influencer, such as a teacher, a guidance counsellor, or a parent who will guide their student or child into “traditional” careers based on gender. You might not have even noticed it happening.

Charles Maregere

03 March 2017, Women are certainly inspiring change within pharmacy at all levels and across all sectors which is all crucial as we celebrate the achievements of women who are making a difference to the profession. Grace says, “Women have gotten through pharmacy school, been working full-time, and they have ascended into those management roles across all pharmacy settings.”
Grace who runs a pharmacy in Masvingo, also mentors junior Pharmacists and in a way helping to develop pharmacists as professionals. “I want both male and female pharmacists to be capable and confident in doing their work such that they are able to realize their full potential.”
From humble beginnings at St Ignatius College in Chishawasha, Grace has a Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) from the University of Zimbabwe as well as another post-graduation managerial qualification.
She recently attended the Afro Asia Indian meeting Pharmexcil organised by the pharmaceutical manufacturers of India in conjunction with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of India held in September 2016 in Hyderbad India.
With a wealth of experience to tap from Grace has worked at senior level for various Local and International organisations.
Grace also acknowledges that her success did not just come on a silver platter ,she had to be firm and put extra effort to ride above societal myths ,misconceptions and all the stereotypes faced by the girl child growing up and taking up sciences to trail blaze her career. As a prayerful woman she thanks the almighty God for her mother who has been the backbone and powerhouse to her success story.
How would you encourage a young woman into this field?
“Pharmacists are the experts in medicines,” she says. “They have the skills and there are great opportunities out there for women in pharmacy who are determined enough. To be a leader Grace hints that one need to be a good communicator, open-minded, confident, enthusiastic, have initiative, proactive, flexible and organised. Many women have these qualities. They just need to believe in themselves more.” local

Brighton Chiseva

03 April 2017, MASVINGO – Our Inheritance, an inclusive student club at Great Zimbabwe University (GZU), has joined hands with City of Masvingo to launch an anti-pothole campaign targeted at plugging some of the most damaged roads in the city.
Heavy rains over the past weeks have worsened the state of the roads in Masvingo, with motorists having a hard time negotiating through huge potholes on most of the roads.
The group recently carried-out a pothole-filling exercise as part of belated Women’s Day celebrations.
The exercise ran under the theme “Accelerating Gender Balance and Ethics by Celebrating International Women’s Day”.
City of Masvingo Mayor Hubert Fidze thanked the students for helping to strengthen the bond between the city and the university.
 “We appreciate this positive move. It shows we are working together for the development of our city,” said Fidze.
Our Inheritance founder and events coordinator Jennifer Chitanda said the programme was meant to show that students were responsible residents of the city.
 “We use these roads with our buses to and from school so we saw it necessary to put our energies together and contribute to their rehabilitation. As students, we need to appreciate that we live in a tolerant city which treats us right,” said Chitanda.
Chitanda also said the event was just the beginning as the club had a series of social responsibility plans lined up for the current and next semesters.
Event facilitator Struggle Desire Nyahunda said the club was meant to unite students from different political persuasions so that they become active, responsible citizens.
“The club was founded after the realisation that what divides students is not bigger than what can unite them,” said Nyahunda.local

03 April 2017, MASVINGO – Humanitarian organisation Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe (LCDZ) last week donated a Toyota Hilux double cab 2016 edition to Margaret Hugo (Copota) Primary School for the blind.
The car was received by Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) Education Secretary Samson Shava, Copota head Simbarashe Manjere, Tapiwa Madamombe, LCDZ provincial coordinator Jerad Maguta and Farai Chikwature from the organisation’s offices in Harare.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, LCDZ programmes manager Greaterman Chivandire said the car will assist in community rehabilitation programmes.
“The vehicle was acquired to assist in the implementation of the Community Based Rehabilitation Programme. It will also assist in ensuring that services reach every person with a disability within their areas of residence.
“This car will make it easier for our provincial team to access communities that have people living with disabilities so that they can be empowered,” said Chivandire.
Speaking during at the event, Shava said the vehicle will assist the team in assessment work as well as in the identification of community members who need assistance.
“The organisation will use the vehicle to conduct the necessary programmes and activities. With this vehicle, it will be easy to access all communities and to make follow ups where there is need,” said Shava.
Last year, LCDZ, through Copota, donated a wheel chair to a rape victim in Zaka and assisted in her successful pursuit of justice which later saw the rapist being sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.local

Brighton Chiseva

03 April 2017, BIKITA – Businessman and Zanu PF member, Everson Machaya has stretched a generous hand to the Matambura family of Mudaniri village under Chief Mukanganwi whose home was destroyed by a landslide earlier this month.
The family’s home was destroyed and household property was crushed after the floods triggered a massive landslide which saw heavy boulders gliding from a nearby mountain. One person was injured in the disaster.
Machaya recently donated groceries which included cartoons of sugar, flour, rice, soap and other basics.
The goods were handed over in the presence of Ward 9 councillor Sabina Kujongonya Mukaro and other relatives to the victims.
Speaking during the event, Machaya said Christian values oblige people to help those in need and to show compassion to the less fortunate.
“When I heard that there was a disaster in my home area, I saw it fit to come to the aid of the affected people. We are duty-bound to live in accordance with our Christian values,” said Machaya.
After receiving the donation, Remina Mukurunge Matambura said she never thought she would be shown that kind of generosity after the disaster.
“I am very happy to realise that there are people who still care for the poor whom they are not even related to. This has left a mark on us as a family and I will always remember this,” said Mutambura.
Councillor Mukaro also thanked Machaya for being in touch with the realities of his home area.
“If all of us could be this kind to the vulnerable people in our communities and if everyone cared, our areas would easily develop. We must all learn from what Machaya has done here,” said Mukaro.local

GUTU – Residents of the new town of Mpandawana want the Town Board to be weaned off the Gutu Rural District Council (RDC) which they accuse of diverting revenue collected from the town to service rural areas.
Residents who spoke to TellZim News said they were not happy with the manner in which the 2017 budget was allocated, arguing that they contribute the lion’s share of the revenue yet there is little to show of it in terms of service delivery.
“We were surprised to hear that the rural council was actually proposing to allocate funds to the Town Board. We were of the opinion that this year, the board would come up with its own budget as per information that was conveyed to us when the members took their oaths of office last year,” said Clarissa Masocha, a concerned ratepayer.
She accused authorities of reneging on earlier pledges to leave responsibility for the town in the hands of the Town Board after one year.
“We don’t see the value of the rates we are paying because the services we are getting do not match the money we are paying.
“The bulk of the budget is being gobbled by the rural council yet the areas under its jurisdiction contribute very little to the coffers. Roads in the residential areas are in very bad shape and there are endless leaks on the sewer pipes.
Other residents said service delivery had deteriorated because a powerless town board working at the pleasure of the RDC was appointed.
“The board has to be independent. We can’t continue with a situation whereby we are made to pay for services being rendered elsewhere,” said another resident.
When contacted for comment, Town Board chairperson Gabriel Mapepa said he could not comment on the issue.local

File pic

Peter Chawapiwa

03 April 2017, GUTU – An adulterous pair from Gutu died last week in a suspected runyoka incident when they failed to separate from each other after they had met clandestinely for their usual sexual escapades near Gutu Mission.
TellZim News was informed that the pair, whose names were not released were having an extra marital affair behind the married woman’s husband’s back. The man involved in the affair was employed at Gutu Mission as a security guard while the woman was a housewife.
The pair met as usual on March 5, 2017 and went missing from that date until their bodies were discovered in an advanced state of decomposition last week on Monday. Villagers who spoke to this publication said the woman’s husband had heard of the affair and allegedly ‘fenced’ his wife.
“What happened is that after being intimate the pair became locked together and could not separate from each other.  They should have shouted for help but must have been ashamed of being found in such a compromising position and thus decided to forcibly separate.
“That is how the most probably died. The husband knew that they were having an affair and must have fenced his wife with runyoka,” the villagers said.
Photos circulating on social media platform, Whatsapp, in Gutu last week showed the woman’s body stark naked with her lover half dressed in a white pair of trousers lying next to her.
Piniel Mafuranhunzi, a traditional healer, said runyoka was not very common in Gutu but it was possible that the woman was fenced without her knowledge.
“She would have stopped the affair had she known that she was fenced. Fencing women is not encouraged as it takes away life unnecessarily,” he said.
While the bodies were collected for post mortem on Tuesday last week police in Gutu could not shed any light on the issue.local