By Taurai Masekesa

Chiredzi East’s Mupinga High School head has decided to call it a day after serving the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for 42 years and Mupinga High for 15 years.
The dedicated educator Jeshua Chituni, who received education from several schools, including Muzondidya, Gaba, and St Anthony High School, before going for teacher training at then Gwelo Teachers’ College, joined the service in January 1982.
Chituni taught at several schools such as Mashoko High and Hippo Valley High School as a mathematics teacher before assuming the post of a school head at Magudu Secondary School, in Masvingo District, in 1994 and later joined Mupinga High School in May 2009.
Giving his retirement speech at an event attended by people from all walks of life including education officials, politicians, business people, Save community members, traditional and religious leaders, Chituni thanked the community for the support he got during his tenure at Mupinga High.
“I want to thank the Save community for the time we worked together, the trust we built, and the support I got from parents. I hope the community will continue to support the interim administration and will do the same for the new head. Such support will enable the growth of the school and create a suitable environment for learners,” said Chituni.
Chituni was National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) Chiredzi chairperson from 2011 to 2018 and Better Schools Programme in Zimbabwe (BSPZ) Vice chairperson from 2011 to 2024.
He was influential in the management committee which is credited for mobilizing funds for the BSPZ Resource Centre which started operating on October 30, 2024, after completion of the first phase of construction.
The current NASH chairperson Victor Zvada described Chituni as a dedicated and hardworking person who wanted things to be done in the correct way.
“I joined the ministry while Chituni was already in the field, I learnt a lot from him while he was the NASH chairperson. He is someone who wants work to be done properly,” said Zvada.
During the event district education officials showered praise to Chituni for leading the district to the historic achievement that saw the migration of education offices from National Social Security Authority (NSSA) complex to the new BSPZ Resource Centre

By Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – Chiredzi Central Member of Parliament (MPs), Ropafadzo Makumire, recently expressed worry over the potential politicization of food aid in rural areas.
Makumire was responding to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of The Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament where he highlighted that government would roll out a food assistance programme following the El Nino induced drought.
After the SONA, MPs were allowed to debate on the issues raised in the address, and Makumire highlighted the need to stop politicization of food aid as the government move towards assisting communities affected by drought.
He said food aid was being distributed on partisan lines, sabotaging the President’s effort to fight hunger across the country.
“The President, in his address, also mentioned the efforts being made by government of Zimbabwe in addressing drought. As much as I appreciate the efforts made so far, Mr Speaker Sir, I am concerned about how food aid is being distributed in some of the drought-stricken areas. We have noted with concern that some of the aid is being distributed on partisan lines,” said Makumire.
Makumire added that people were sabotaging such efforts and it had to be exposed. He said the school feeding scheme should also be introduced to secondary schools.
“I am flagging some of these issues to bring to light people who are sabotaging the efforts that are being made by the President. This has to be known, Mr Speaker Sir, in as much as the President is trying to feed the whole nation, people are sabotaging such efforts. We must expose that in this house.
“The President also mentioned the school feeding programme in areas that are stricken by drought, but from my experience, I have realized that the assistance is going towards primary schools. In secondary schools, they have not received anything, but these children will be coming from the same home without food, without anything. It is also important, Mr Speaker Sir, that secondary schools be considered for such programmes, “said Makumire.
Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, responded saying it was the Parliamentarians’ duty to expose such behaviour by raising the issues with him or the Minister of Social Welfare.
“The President’s mantra is leaving no one and no place behind so if there are instances of that sort, it is the responsibility of Honourable Members to raise the red flag and advise the Minister of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare, honourable July Moyo what is happening on the ground so that corrective action is taken,” said Mudenda.
Chiredzi District is among those who were heavily affected by El Nino as some farmers failed to harvest single grain and it is in these areas where suspected opposition members are denied their right to access food aid from the government which is being distributed along party lines.

By Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru Residents have called upon Gweru City Council to prioritise safety of workers following the tragic death of two council employees who suffocated inside a sewer manhole while attending to a blockage in Athlone suburb.
Though there was no official statement on what exactly caused the death of the two, sources said the victims inhaled toxic gases that were in the shaft.
Gweru City Council Spokesperson, Vimbai Chingwaramusee confirmed the incident and said thorough investigations will be made to make sure that no incident of a similar nature happens again.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce the tragic loss of two Gweru City employees who passed away whilst they were on duty in Athlone.
“The incident occurred when they were working on a manhole and unfortunately, they succumbed to gas suffocation. Our thoughts and condolences go to the families, colleagues and loved ones of the deceased.
“The local authority values the lives of the employees and residents and we take the safety of our workers very seriously. We will conduct a thorough investigation into this incident to ensure that measures are put in place to prevent such tragedy from occurring in the future. We really appreciate understanding and support during this difficult time,” she added.
However, there were mixed reactions from various stakeholders and the Gweru community which accused the local authority of negligence towards the welfare of council employees.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) director, Cornilia Selipiwe, said council was supposed to prioritize the welfare of workers.
“We are disheartened but going forward we need to have robust measures which speaks to the safety of our workers
“Remember these are the people who are on the ground and make things happen, there is need to start at their wellbeing, their salaries because they are the ones who are busy rendering services to the community.
“Why buy luxurious cars at the expense of workers who don’t have protective clothing, who don’t have salaries,” said Selipiwe.
One resident told TellZim News that proper procedures were supposed to be followed when attending to the sewer manhole.
“A manhole is a confined space therefore there are procedures that must be followed before entering including testing for gases which are toxic. So a thorough assessment needs to be done before you enter the manhole.
“Council is to blame because workers don’t have protective clothing like masks, for sewer gas, first things first there is need for detectors to check the level of gases and to detect toxic gases such as hydrogen, methane among others” said the resident.

… boasts 2030 she will still be in charge

By Brighton Chiseva

The battle for control at Zaka Rural District Council (RDC) between Chief Executive Officer David Majaura and council chairperson Fungai Maregedze is raging on with the latest development being the council chair stopping a full council meeting that was supposed to take place saying no meeting would be held without her consent.
The council chair who is currently out on bail after being arrested for abuse of office, interdicted the local authority from holding a special full council meeting to deliberate on the budget without her approval as she flexes her muscles following the relaxation of her bail conditions.
The move comes after taking a sabbatical when she was arrested though she claimed to have been mourning a relative who had passed on.
Maregedze appeared at Masvingo Magistrate’s court where she was ordered to return to court on November 19 and will no longer report to the police as had been her initial bail conditions.
Soon after the court she wrote to council through her lawyer Dereck Charamba of Ndlovu and Hwacha legal practitioners where she said she was the only one with power to convene such a meeting despite being on bail..
“We refer to the above matter and confirm that our services have been retained by our client Fungai Maregedze, the substantive Chairperson for Zaka Rural District Council. We are informed that on 4 November 2024, it came to our client’s attention of the intended conduct of a Special Council Meeting on 6 November 2024 at 1000 hours. The notice was communicated via a notice by the Chief Executive Officer. For ease of reference a copy is attached and marked ‘A’
“This correspondence is a consequence of the notice and solely purposed to highlight the ensuing fundamental breach of the Rural District Councils Act [Chapter 29:13)
“We advise that, per section 46 of the governing Act, the calling of the intended special Council meeting is the statutory prerogative of the Chairperson in the performance of her functions as envisaged in section 45 (1) (a) unless obtaining circumstances satisfy the criteria set forth in section 45 (L) (b) of the same Act.
“For purposes of completeness, the Chairperson is neither on suspension nor subject to dismissal as envisaged in section I57 of the governing Act and as such not burdened by any form of statutory restrictions in the performance of her mandate.
“Further to it, the pending criminal charges under CRB No. MSVPACC 8/74 and imposed bail conditions, neither disqualify nor incapacitate our client.
“The intended meeting is a nullity at law as the obtaining circumstances are nor as such contemplated in section 45 (1) (b) and 157 of the governing Act.
“The complained conduct, is tantamount to a deliberate and conscious disregard of the Act and scandalizes good governance and normal functioning of Zaka Rural District Council
By copy of this correspondence, we consequently put you on notice to cancel the intended meeting via a communique to invited persons by no later than 1600 hours today (5 November 2024) to allow compliance with peremptory statutory provisions in the Rural District Councils Act. Failing which we have instructions to approach the high court on an urgent basis,” reads the letter.
As if that was not enough, Maregedze took to the WhatsApp group of councilors and management where she stamped authority reminding councilors that she will be there up to 2030. In the leaked chats she said she still has power which is why she had to cancel the meeting.
“Morning councilors, the meeting was cancelled because of this, I am still there until 2030. If I wasn’t there I wouldn’t have the power to cancel this. Read the sections, I am still Chairman (sic) of Zaka RDC. Those who do not want to report to me may be excused, all what we need to do is not to discuss the meetings done in February this year which are in court but that doesn’t stop me from attending meetings,” reads her post.
She went on to warn those who do not want to work with her that she will take correct measures to deal with them and those willing were supposed to work with her.
“Councilors and management, I am stamping my authority as chair. Those who feel cannot work with me are free to do so. I am not forcing anyone but I will take action according to the rules of the land,” she said.
However, the cancellation of the meeting on the 11th hour inconvenienced some councilors who had received communication of the meeting on October 28.
Maregedze and Majaura have been at each other’s throats with their feud being alleged to emanate from Zanu PF District factional fights as the ruling party big wigs fight for control of the district.
Maregedze is wife to former deputy Minister of Finance Clemence Chiduwa who is Zaka South MP and Zaka District Zanu PF Coordinating Committee Chairperson.
Chiduwa seconded his wife to be a proportional representative councilor and allegedly went on to pay several councilors to be elected council chair to cement their control of the district allegedly after getting the District Development Coordinator (DDC) Memory Dhliwayo in their corner.
Maregedze allegedly tried to fire Majaura intending to replace him with Dhliwayo and later herself as she felt she was qualified having worked as Masvingo Provincial head at RedCross where she left and has pending fraud cases in the courts.
Investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) revealed that the accused convened a number of unsanctioned meetings between February and April 2024. These meetings, attended exclusively by councilors and held without council management, had no formal agenda or records, and were outside the council’s official schedule. Despite the irregular nature of these gatherings, Maregedze authorized the payment of sitting allowances amounting to over US$6 000, all outside the council’s budget.
It is alleged that in February this year, Maregedze called for two meetings which were not part of the council’s annual schedule where US$692 and US$926 was paid to councilors, including herself, for attendance. A similar meeting was held on February 17 and she demanded allowances in violation of council procedures.
In April, Maregedze allegedly coerced the Finance Director to approve an unscheduled payment of US$4,749 for yet another unauthorized meeting.
In June 2024, she handpicked Lyonais Investments as the exclusive supplier of council fuel, disregarding the required procurement process. She allegedly authorized payment of US$1,630 for 1,000 litres of fuel without following the proper approval chain.