A man from BULAWAYO from Pumula suburb has appeared in court facing charges of bedding his 15-year-old girlfriend.

Recent Sibanda (23) appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Shepherd Mnjanja facing a charge of having s_əxual interc0urse with a young person as defined in Section 70 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.

Sibanda was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 23 December 2022.

Circumstances are that on 29 October 2022 and at around 3pm, the victim met Sibanda along a road in Pumula South suburb and he accompanied her.

Sibanda then proposed love to the girl and she accepted. Sibanda later asked for s_əxual interc0urse with the minor and she agreed on condition that they used protection.

Sibanda then lured her to go with him to his workplace at Sigawukawu Car Park where he works as a security guard and she agreed.

At around 8pm, Sibanda took her to one of the rooms at his workplace and they had s_əxual interc0urse and spent the night together.

The following morning Sibanda took the girl to his house where they spent the whole day together.

Later that evening, the two love birds went to Sibanda’s work place where they had s_əxual interc0urse again.

The court further heard that on 31 October 2022, the girl’s mother reported her as a missing person to the police.

She further circulated messages accompanied by her daughter’s pictures on WhatsApp appealing for help to locate her.

On 3 November 2022, the girl’s mother received a call from one of the vendors who operate from Pumula North shops informing her that her daughter was at the shops.

She quickly came in the company of her husband and they apprehended her.

When they asked her where she had been that is when she revealed that she had been sleeping at Sibanda’s work place and she also had s_əx with him.

A police report was made leading to Sibanda’s arrest.

— BMetro

Principal Consecrator, Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, Overseer of the Zion Christian Church and also Patron of the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches (ZIICC), accompanied by Co-Consecrator Reverend Apostle Andrew Wutawunashe, Founder and Overseer of the African Revival – The Worldwide Family of God Church and also Chairman of the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches (ZIICC), preside over the ordination of Professor Reverend Rungano Jonas Zvobgo who has been installed as Bishop of the African Reformed Church “Chibarigwe”.

The African Reformed Church was founded in 1953 by the late Bishop Jonasi Mudadirwa Zvobgo, father to Professor Reverend Rungano Jonas Zvobgo.

The African Reformed Church is a breakaway from the Dutch Reformed Church after misunderstandings between the late founder Bishop Zvobgo and founding missionaries of the Dutch Reformed Church.

The late Bishop Zvobgo, under his African Reformed Church, in 1956 founded Shonganiso Mission, which has a clinic and school that offers both primary and secondary education.-ZBC

Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa had his party’s campaign rallies that were scheduled for Harare and Chitungwiza banned by the police as fears grow that the popular opposition leader will not be allowed to freely mobilise ahead of next year’s elections.

Chamisa was scheduled to address CCC rallies in Harare’s Budiriro and St Mary’s in Chitungwiza yesterday, but police refused to clear the events.

The ban on the rallies came a few days after police refused to give permission to a Masvingo villager who wanted to hold a tree planting event where Chamisa was slated to attend.

A staggering 20 events for the CCC have been banned by the police since the opposition party emerged in January this year.

On the other hand, Zanu PF and other opposition parties, including Douglas Mwonzora’s MDC-T are allowed to hold their activities without much interference from the police.

Police banned CCC rallies in Marondera, Gokwe and Binga among other areas ahead of the March 26 by-elections where the party went on to win the majority of the constituencies and wards that were up for grabs.

Other rallies were disrupted by suspected Zanu PF supporters.

A CCC supporter in Midlands was stabbed to death with a spear early this year by suspected Zanu PF loyalists who disrupted a rally addressed by opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

Chamisa yesterday shared on Twitter two letters from the police banning the rallies in Budiriro, Harare and St Mary’s, Chitungwiza.

“Our end of year rallies are banned,” Chamisa tweeted.

“Police have prohibited our two rallies this weekend after stopping our tree planting programme earlier this week.

“I am told Zanu PF fears the bumper crowds and our big rallies will send the wrong message to the world.”

CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba accused the police of pandering to the whims of the ruling Zanu PF party to block CCC rallies.

“Police blocked our end of year rallies, which were obviously going to be attended by many people,” Siziba said in an interview yesterday.

“(President Emmerson) Mnangagwa’s regime is obviously petrified and they are running scared of the citizen movement.”

Chamisa and other MDC Alliance leaders formed the CCC after their nemesis Douglas Mwonzora snatched the MDC Alliance name and emblems from him.

Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi in August gave reasons why opposition rallies are barred included their failure to employ marshals and stick to scheduled times, which police believe pose security threats.

However, political commentator Farai Gwenhure rubbished Nyathi’s claims and accused police of bias and partisanship in its discharge of duties.

“The police have been systematically banning CCC rallies only,” Gwenhure said.

“It shows that they are getting the instructions from the ruling Zanu PF and the government.

“This is just a precursor of what to expect next year.”

Mnangagwa is likely to face Chamisa in next year’s elections where he would be seeking a second full term in office after coming into power through a 2017 military coup that toppled long time ruler Robert Mugabe.

The then 40-year-old MDC Alliance candidate was narrowly defeated by the 80-year-old ruler in the disputed polls.

Chamisa refused to recognise Mnangagwa’s election win, arguing that the polls were rigged.

— The Standard

A man from BULAWAYO from Pumula suburb has appeared in court facing charges of bedding his 15-year-old girlfriend.

Recent Sibanda (23) appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Shepherd Mnjanja facing a charge of having s_əxual interc0urse with a young person as defined in Section 70 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.

Sibanda was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 23 December 2022.

Circumstances are that on 29 October 2022 and at around 3pm, the victim met Sibanda along a road in Pumula South suburb and he accompanied her.

Sibanda then proposed love to the girl and she accepted. Sibanda later asked for s_əxual interc0urse with the minor and she agreed on condition that they used protection.

Sibanda then lured her to go with him to his workplace at Sigawukawu Car Park where he works as a security guard and she agreed.

At around 8pm, Sibanda took her to one of the rooms at his workplace and they had s_əxual interc0urse and spent the night together.

The following morning Sibanda took the girl to his house where they spent the whole day together.

Later that evening, the two love birds went to Sibanda’s work place where they had s_əxual interc0urse again.

The court further heard that on 31 October 2022, the girl’s mother reported her as a missing person to the police.

She further circulated messages accompanied by her daughter’s pictures on WhatsApp appealing for help to locate her.

On 3 November 2022, the girl’s mother received a call from one of the vendors who operate from Pumula North shops informing her that her daughter was at the shops.

She quickly came in the company of her husband and they apprehended her.

When they asked her where she had been that is when she revealed that she had been sleeping at Sibanda’s work place and she also had s_əx with him.

A police report was made leading to Sibanda’s arrest.

— BMetro

Tinashe Sambiri|The Zanu PF leader Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa is brewing trouble for himself by continuing to detain CCC deputy chairperson and MP Hon Job Saro Wiwa Sikhala.

This was said by CCC youth taskforce spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma.

Chuma challenged Mr Mnangagwa to release Hon Sikhala with immediate effect.

The fearless CCC youth leader declared:

“The continued pre-trial detention of @JobSikhala1 by @edmnangagwa’s government is a criminal act. This is unacceptable!

Mnangagwa is brewing trouble for himself and stirring public anger.

This political persecution of Sikhala must end now!”

By A Correspondent

Zanu PF agents are terrorising exiled CCC member and former councillor for ward 4, Masvingo Urban, Godfrey Kurauone’s family.

Kurauone fled to the United States of America following incessant persecution from Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration.

A family member who declined to be named said:

” State Security Agents are terrorising Godfrey’s wife and children.The thing is they think Kura wants to come back to Zimbabwe to campaign for the Masvingo Urban House of Assembly seat.

They are intimidating his family so that he will not come back.

The sad thing is they are forcing Kurauone’s wife to disclose his whereabouts.”

“They also think he was influencial in the March 2022 by-elections.

So family yakugara in fear coz they don’t know mangwana zvichazodii as we move towards elections( we do not what will happen tomorrow and the family is living in fear).

We are deeply worried about the persecution of Kura’s wife and children,” a CCC official said.

Government sources claimed there was a plot to eliminate the former Movement for Democratic Change Youth Assembly organising secretary in prison.

Kurauone was denied bail several times and at some point government agents attempted to abduct him in Sisk, Mucheke.

As we move towards elections, it is feared that persecution of opposition members will increase.

Govt is working towards paying war collaborators what is due to them, in accordance with the law, President Mnangagwa has said.

Mnangagwa Promises New War Collaborators Mass PayOut Similar to 1997 Economy-Crash Bomb

— ZimEye (@ZimEye) December 18, 2022

In a speech read on his behalf by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga at the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Collaborators Association (ZILIWACO) national conference in Nyanga yesterday, President Mnangagwa, said: “I am aware that those who successfully passed the vetting process are looking forward to receiving what is due to them, in accordance with the Veterans of the Liberation Act. My Government is working on all those issues so that all issues pertaining to this category of veterans of the liberation struggle are constitutionally completed.

“The level of patriotism and political astuteness of war collaborators has to be rewarded. War collaborators did what a lot could not do in a heartfelt expression of love for their motherland.”

President Mnangagwa said since 2019, Government has been working on modalities to facilitate support to war collaborators, culminating in the vetting process that is now complete.

“From the onset, let me once again personally recognise and appreciate the role that was played by the youths of yesteryear, who sacrificed their lives in the heartfelt quest to liberate their motherland.

“Although it has taken the Government almost 42 years to put enactment as a vehicle to propel the vetting exercise of war collaborators, the year 2019 saw the Second Republic, under my stewardship, come up with the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Act. The Act gave power to Government to undertake a vetting exercise of war collaborators and other categories of veterans of the liberation struggle. The programme was undertaken in March/April.”

He added: “I am proud to say that this category of the liberation struggle war collaborators, despite the seeming delay in being legislatively recognised, they have remained resolute in defending their country against the perpetual onslaught by Western countries. These Western countries, in their daydreams, think they can recolonise Zimbabwe through the imposition of hard survival conditions, the illegal sanctions.”

President Mnangagwa urged those who were not successfully vetted not to despair as something is being done to address the issue.

“I am aware that there are issues that emanated from the vetting exercise that include the disqualification of other bona fide war collaborators due to the provisional section in the Veterans of the Liberation Act, and were not vetted due to various circumstances. These have been brought to my attention,” said President Mnangagwa.

He promised to provide resources to ZILIWACO for them to effectively execute campaign programmes that will ensure a resounding victory for the ruling party in the 2023 harmonised elections.

“I am fully aware of the campaigning programmes that you, as an association, have undertaken throughout the country such as ZILIWACO for ED mass mobilisation for the 2023 harmonised elections. I have received your requests for resources as we move a gear up, campaigning for the elections. Due consideration will be given to the requests and you shall be informed in due course,” said President Mnangagwa.

ZILIWACO national chairperson Cde Pupurai Togarepi promised a resounding victory for ZANU PF.

The conference was attended by ZILIWACO members from the country’s 10 provinces and ran under the theme “ZILIWACO Celebrating the Successful Vetting of War Collaborators”.-state media

More than 100 Zimbabwean women who had been lured into slavery through fake promises of well-paying domestic work in the Gulf region were recently freed from captivity after the Government paid off their employers to secure their release.
The Government has, in recent weeks, successfully negotiated freedom for 105 women and two men who were being subjected to deplorable living and working conditions that included constant beatings, being overworked, forced labour, underpayment and sex slavery in Arab countries.

Some of the women, aged between 25 and 45, had been working under virtual captivity for nearly two years.

An official investigation earlier this year concluded that some local employment agents, working in collusion with criminal syndicates in the Middle East, were recruiting Zimbabwean women before trading them off into slavery.

It was established that most of the women had their passports confiscated on arrival and were being forced to see out their two-year employment contracts in spite of poor working conditions.

Some of the employers were reportedly demanding up to US$2 500 from the women in return for their freedom, according to the official investigation, which also found that most of the domestic workers were earning between US$60 and US$80 per month.

In an interview on the sidelines of the SADC High-Level Tripartite Dialogue on Migration Management held in Victoria Falls recently, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Secretary Mr Simon Masanga said the authorities were concerned by increasing cases of human trafficking in the country.

“We have made great strides in making sure that we bring back our citizens,” he said.

“A few weeks ago, we repatriated about 105 women. Their situation was not good at all.

“They were forced to work under poor conditions for two years, while their salaries went to agents who facilitated their travel.”

Some employers, he said, demanded huge sums of money for the release of the women, which Government duly paid.

He, however, could not disclose how much was paid.

“The challenges they faced include long working hours with no rest; no off days, even when one was unwell, physical assault and verbal abuse.”

Most Gulf nations religiously enforce the kafala labour system, which is used to monitor migrant labourers, working primarily in the construction and domestic sectors in Gulf Cooperation Council member states and a few neighbouring countries.

The system requires all migrant workers to have an in-country sponsor, usually their employer, who is responsible for their visa and legal status.

It gives employers total control over migrant workers’ employment and immigration status.

The system arose from growing demand in Gulf economies for cheap labour.

Added Mr Masanga: “They endured a lot of suffering. So, we have put them under the guidance of the Department of Social Welfare, which helps them with a smooth reintegration back into society, ensuring their privacy is respected, at the same time, taking care of their welfare.”

Programmes officer responsible for migration and repatriation in the Ministry of Social Welfare Mrs Margareth Ruzive said Government has provided US$1 000 to each of the repatriated women.

“The journey was not easy; these people had been traumatised in different ways and we had to set up a team of people with different expertise to give them the much-needed support,” said Mrs Ruzive.

“We had to bring in psychologists and other professionals to assist with their recovery.”

She said Government has established remote counselling centres in some Gulf nations to assist stranded citizens.

“Upon arrival in Zimbabwe, we did not rush to send them to their respective homes,” she added.

“We trained them in different fields, including poultry farming, and offered financial support of up to US$1 000.

“We also gave them grocery hampers that had all the basic needs and toiletries so that they would not go home empty-handed.”

Officially opening the high-level meeting in Victoria Falls, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said a framework to monitor recruitment agencies had been established.

“We have strengthened inter-agency cooperation to deal with unscrupulous recruitment agencies, who seek to recruit our human capital through unethical means, which eventually subjects labour migrants to human trafficking and exploitation.

“This approach enables us to ensure coherence among state and non-state actors involved in the recruitment of our citizens on both the regional and international labour markets,” he said.—state media

Even though we talked at a fair length, you cut the phone on me before I could fully introduce myself. This is a legal exercise – Is your commission fit for 2023 elections since 5 of you are well known kids of ZANU PF leaders (Shava, Mpofu, You, Mohadi & @mangwana_jasper ?

— Simba Chikanza (@schikanza) September 29, 2022

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is preparing for next year’s harmonised elections, with the ongoing delimitation exercise set for completion soon. Below is the state newspaper, Sunday Mail’s Wallace Ruzvidzo (WR) interviewing ZEC spokesperson, Commissioner Jasper Mangwana (JM), on a range of issues, including preparations for next year’s plebiscite.

WR: Can you give us your assessment of by-elections that were held this year?

JM: The commission held a lot of by-elections this year, including the March 26 ones, which were quite big.

And which legal provision excludes those who have relatives in any party from occupying the office after following due process?

— Jasper Mangwana (@mangwana_jasper) September 29, 2022

As a commission, we are happy with how our officers handled the elections because we did not have any major adverse incidents or issues in conducting them.

We held the last ones on December 17.

We are now waiting for the pending court judgement on the five wards in Binga, which were challenged in the Electoral Court.

We have seen great improvement in the conduct of polls.

People now better understand the legal aspects governing the conduct of by-elections, for example, that not everyone can participate in by-elections.

There are laws that determine who can participate in both local authorities and National Assembly by-elections.

For local authorities, the voters’ roll closes the day the vacancy arises, and for the National Assembly, it closes two days after proclamation of the by-election.

As a commission, we are happy that we did not have court cases challenging by-election results held throughout the year.

WR: What challenges did ZEC face during by-elections and how have they been addressed?

JM: Problems in elections are always the same, but the commission will continue to execute its mandate because we are aware of our Constitutional mandate, so, we will continue to ensure that we continue engaging stakeholders so that we improve on voter education.

The commission is happy because, when you see people mobilising their supporters to register to vote, it means they have faith in the process that is free, fair and credible.

WR: How prepared is ZEC for the 2023 harmonised elections?

JM: The commission is actively preparing for the 2023 harmonised elections.

You can never say that we are already prepared, but we are, indeed, working flat out to ensure that preparations for the elections are well on course.

We are also constantly advising the public on what the commission is doing to make sure that come 2023, we are ready to conduct the elections.

WR: How much will ZEC require to conduct the 2023 elections?

JM: The commission was allocated $101 billion, which includes $77 billion to conduct the elections, with the remainder going towards administration costs.

ZEC will continue to ensure that we undertake our mandate according to provisions of the law.

And the budget is adequate to guarantee that we deliver.

However, we will continue to lobby for more resources from Treasury, despite that, as a commission, we have never failed to deliver an election because of budget constraints. We would like to appreciate Government for its continued commitment to this key democratic exercise.

WR: Can you outline progress you have made in undertaking the delimitation exercise?

JM: The commission is working flat out on the delimitation exercise, and when we are ready, we will appraise the public on the latest developments.

However, if this exercise is not completed or the boundaries are proclaimed less than six months before the election, we will have to revert to using the 2007-2008 electoral boundaries.

It is also important to note that this is the first time we have done the delimitation exercise in terms of the 2013 Constitution.

Again, this is also the first time we are responsible for the demarcation of ward boundaries, which is more administrative and has a huge effect on resource allocation, as well as community development.

So, we are ensuring that we do a perfect job.

It is also important to note that, as we are conducting this exercise, it also has implications on the 2023 elections.

Another issue also pertains to the amendment of the Electoral Act, and any changes to the law.

The commission has always argued that it is important for the legislature to ensure that these laws are changed on time.

We also appreciate that the authorities are looking into setting up provincial councils and the youth quota system because these are quite important as we approach next year’s elections.

WR: Turning to the voters’ roll; some stakeholders have questioned the integrity of the document. How does the commission respond to these allegations?

JM: We have seen a lot of speculation from institutions that are not really known and we don’t know what they represent.

But what we can say is that, as a commission, we have a continuous voters’ roll inspection platform, which is *265#. This can be used by the public.

The commission has been providing this platform to ensure that people can apply for the correction of their registration details if there are any problems.

We are, however, happy that complaints about the voters’ roll amounted to less than 1 percent of the entire listing.

The complaints were raised during the voter inspection exercise, which ran for 10 days; in addition, the voters’ roll was published at 11 107 traditional polling stations countrywide.

So, to answer your question, the allegations are untrue.

They are coming from people who want to tarnish the commission’s image, because the voters’ roll inspection was done by the owners of the information.

There is no way a third party can be allowed access to someone’s identity details.

The commission is happy that no political party has raised issues about the voters’ rolls that we gave them for by-elections.

All contestants were given the voters’ rolls, and none of them raised any complaints.

So, as a commission, we are saying people should disregard speculators and engage us directly.

WR: What is the commission doing to safeguard the integrity of its systems from online mischief makers who reportedly hacked your website recently?

JM: We have reported this shadowy group to the police because it has attempted to hack our systems multiple times and we have left the matter to them for investigation.

However, we will continue to advise the public to desist from threatening the institution or attempting to get into online platforms used by the commission because that is a crime.

WR: How much progress has ZEC made in cleaning up the voters’ roll by removing names of deceased voters ahead of the elections next year?

JM: The commission will continue to publish notices of the deceased so that they can be removed from the voters’ roll.

We look forward to quite a lot being gazetted in the coming year, as we prepare for the 2023 elections.—- Sunday Mail

INGUTSHENI Psychiatric Hospital in Bulawayo says 90 percent of its patients in the acute wards are admitted for alcohol and substance abuse with over 2 000 more with the same problem being attended to in the out-patient’s department each month.
This has led to overcrowding in the wards with numbers constantly increasing month after month despite the hospital discharging at least 40 patients weekly.

The development comes on the back of police in Bulawayo on Friday busting an illicit alcohol distribution racket where truckloads of the illicit brew consumed mostly by the youths commonly known as injengu were confiscated.

The effects of abusing the cheap and sometimes fake “take me quick”’ illegal booze has strained the hospital’s budgetary allocations that is exacerbated by the fact that the institution does not charge user fees like other central hospitals.

The hospital is a 708-bed facility but has acute wards where there are patients that are very ill from alcohol and substance abuse.

Ingutsheni’s new Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Nemache Mawere, explained the extent of the challenges being experienced in the acute wards.

“The Khumalo and St Mary’s wards are always overcrowded, particularly the Khumalo ward, as we speak has about 200 patients, yet it has a holding capacity of 89 patients and the facility is strained. We struggle to make things work in that area,” he said.

Dr Mawere said Bulawayo had a high number of mental health patients owing to drug abuse and gender based violence (GBV).

“The issue of substance abuse is the biggest we have in Bulawayo and beyond. Ninety percent of male patients at Ingutsheni have substance related problems, very few patients have other mental health issues which are not drug related. If you look at the female ward, there are a mixture of a lot of things, we are talking of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence. If you sit with those women admitted you will find that quite a substantial number of them are going through GBV issues which are leading to their mental health problems. A few are doing substance abuse but not as much as the males,” he said.

Dr Mawere said since the hospital, which covers the whole of the southern region was overwhelmed, he would want to decentralised treatment to local clinics in communities.

“My plan is to work on a community programme to appeal to the community to discharge patients back to them. If anything, I will be more willing to work outside the hospital to assist local clinics and those outside the city whenever they need assistance so that they do not send patients to Hospital but attend to them from their nearest clinics.

We have a place in Emakhandeni, it belongs to Ingutsheni, it is a half way home and currently it is not functioning. The place can work as a clinic and we see patients and dispense medication then they return to their homes. We also have some space where these patients can come from the community and do the same projects that we are doing at the main hospital,” he said.

He said they are now seeking to engage donors to reopen the centre.

“We have to go and appeal to donors and the Government and also our own resources to start using that centre since it is ours. We want to start seeing patients there. On average we see 2 000 patients in our out-patient’s department every month. That kind of workload is very huge and sometimes it affects the quality of work so we would rather go out there to where they are in the community,” he said.

However, the issue of medications, he said, would be the challenge because the City of Bulawayo clinics and other institutions do not have psychiatric medications and the medicines are centralised.

“We are struggling in terms of the centralisation of drug distribution as they sometimes get stock outs which causes problems as the whole of the southern region depends on Ingutsheni for medicines so when people come from outside Bulawayo and we do not have their drugs they have challenges and have no alternative,” he said.

“I wish we could replicate the model that is used for HIV treatment, if you have HIV wherever you are, you are known by a unique number that is used to identify the type of medication you take. So, wherever you will be they can see all that detail and they can trace where ever you will be collecting that medication such that if it shows you collected then you cannot access the drugs. But for our patients at Ingutsheni it is free treatment with no tracking mechanisms. We need to really work on capacitating clinics. So, I would really like to work with the clinics and work on a programme where they stop sending patients to Ingutsheni and we decongest in that way.”

On substance abuse, which is believed to be the main cause of mental health problems, Dr Mawere said: “At times communities are afraid of reporting or they do not know what to do as these peoples who do drugs are more like gangsters so they protect their territory. We need to shut out the suppliers and it will go a long way.” However, Dr Mawere said education on the detriments of drugs was missing the mark.

“In terms of education, I feel we are still missing the point, we are talking to the wrong people, the people in high school and colleges, I think we should go and talk to the children in Early Childhood Development (ECD) that is where it should start, they should grow up knowing that it is wrong from the onset. But when you educate them when they are older, they know the feel-good factor of taking drugs. It becomes hard to control and they will do anything to have that feeling,” he said. —Sunday News

NEARLY 590 suspects were caught cheating while sitting for November 2022 Ordinary and Advanced Level final examinations, the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has said.

This was after Zimsec unleashed Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officers to fish out the cheats and the criminals behind the widely publicised examination paper leaks that rocked this year’s end of year “O” and “A” Level examinations.

Zimsec deputy director Farai Zisengwe and Education ministry director Barnabas Mangosho yesterday told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education led by Honourable Torerai Moyo that despite the progress on the issue of leaked papers, the matter has not yet been concluded.

“This is an issue which has not been concluded. We are doing the assessment and we are marking to identify these cheats,” Zisengwe said.

“About 588 candidates were caught along the way, but we believe there are more who will be caught during the marking period.

“The board is going to be seized with the issue and we can confidently say Advanced Level results will be out early January, but for Ordinary Level we cannot say the same.”

A number of examination papers leaked before students sat for their final “O” and “A” Level examinations last month.

Government localised public school examinations in the late 1990s after scrapping the Cambridge examination system, but frequent leaks have dented Zimsec’s credibility.

Government once said it intended to install geographic positioning systems software on boxes containing examination papers to curb paper leaks, but the scam has continued unabated.

According to police, the recent leaks could be traced to Zimsec offices in Harare.

Mangosho, however, disputed that the leaks could be traced to Zimsec.

“No November 2022 question paper leaked from Zimsec because of the security protocols that were put in place. It is regrettable that a member-in-charge of the police in Gutu posted on social media that the question papers had leaked from Zimsec yet there was no evidence of such,” Mangosho said.

He said Zimsec engaged CIO officers to trace the leaks, leading to the seizing of cellphones from candidates and arrest of criminals that were involved in the selling and buying of question papers.

“Zimsec has requested the amendment of the Zimsec Act to [to provide for] a mandatory custodial sentence for leaking question papers since 2019,” Mangosho said.

“This is a prohibitive tool which is vitally important to curb the leaking of examination question papers. Most of the convicted criminals have been given community service. This is not commensurate with the impact of the problems caused by the leaking of question papers.

“There has been an erosion of the integrity of some of our heads of schools and this has caused problems in the keeping of question papers. Cluster points are selected schools which have heads of schools who should be of integrity.”

In December 2020, a Zimsec clerk was dragged to court on charges of stealing and selling a copy of the October-November Economics Paper 3. He stole the examination paper from the printing press.

— NewsDay

Tinashe Sambiri|The Citizens Coalition for Change ( CCC) has challenged Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa to release jailed party official Hon Job Saro Wiwa Sikhala and arrest criminals looting State funds.

Hon Sikhala was arrested on June 14 for denouncing the brutal murder of CCC activist Moreblessing Ali.

In a statement on Wednesday CCC said:

“FREE SIKHALA: Hon @JobSikhala1 was unlawfully arrested on 14 June. He has been in detention without trial for 183 days. He’s been denied bail over 10 times even though it’s a constitutional entitlement.

Let’s continue to demand his release. “

CCC youth taskforce spokesperson Sarkozy Chuma said :

“Hon Sikhala is not a criminal, the irony of the whole matter is that real bandits are lavishly feasting on State money out there.”

Principal Consecrator, Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi, Overseer of the Zion Christian Church and also Patron of the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches (ZIICC), accompanied by Co-Consecrator Reverend Apostle Andrew Wutawunashe, Founder and Overseer of the African Revival – The Worldwide Family of God Church and also Chairman of the Zimbabwe Indigenous Interdenominational Council of Churches (ZIICC), preside over the ordination of Professor Reverend Rungano Jonas Zvobgo who has been installed as Bishop of the African Reformed Church “Chibarigwe”.

The African Reformed Church was founded in 1953 by the late Bishop Jonasi Mudadirwa Zvobgo, father to Professor Reverend Rungano Jonas Zvobgo.

The African Reformed Church is a breakaway from the Dutch Reformed Church after misunderstandings between the late founder Bishop Zvobgo and founding missionaries of the Dutch Reformed Church.

The late Bishop Zvobgo, under his African Reformed Church, in 1956 founded Shonganiso Mission, which has a clinic and school that offers both primary and secondary education.- ZBC

NEARLY 590 suspects were caught cheating while sitting for November 2022 Ordinary and Advanced Level final examinations, the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has said.

This was after Zimsec unleashed Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officers to fish out the cheats and the criminals behind the widely publicised examination paper leaks that rocked this year’s end of year “O” and “A” Level examinations.

Zimsec deputy director Farai Zisengwe and Education ministry director Barnabas Mangosho yesterday told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education led by Honourable Torerai Moyo that despite the progress on the issue of leaked papers, the matter has not yet been concluded.

“This is an issue which has not been concluded. We are doing the assessment and we are marking to identify these cheats,” Zisengwe said.

“About 588 candidates were caught along the way, but we believe there are more who will be caught during the marking period.

“The board is going to be seized with the issue and we can confidently say Advanced Level results will be out early January, but for Ordinary Level we cannot say the same.”

A number of examination papers leaked before students sat for their final “O” and “A” Level examinations last month.

Government localised public school examinations in the late 1990s after scrapping the Cambridge examination system, but frequent leaks have dented Zimsec’s credibility.

Government once said it intended to install geographic positioning systems software on boxes containing examination papers to curb paper leaks, but the scam has continued unabated.

According to police, the recent leaks could be traced to Zimsec offices in Harare.

Mangosho, however, disputed that the leaks could be traced to Zimsec.

“No November 2022 question paper leaked from Zimsec because of the security protocols that were put in place. It is regrettable that a member-in-charge of the police in Gutu posted on social media that the question papers had leaked from Zimsec yet there was no evidence of such,” Mangosho said.

He said Zimsec engaged CIO officers to trace the leaks, leading to the seizing of cellphones from candidates and arrest of criminals that were involved in the selling and buying of question papers.

“Zimsec has requested the amendment of the Zimsec Act to [to provide for] a mandatory custodial sentence for leaking question papers since 2019,” Mangosho said.

“This is a prohibitive tool which is vitally important to curb the leaking of examination question papers. Most of the convicted criminals have been given community service. This is not commensurate with the impact of the problems caused by the leaking of question papers.

“There has been an erosion of the integrity of some of our heads of schools and this has caused problems in the keeping of question papers. Cluster points are selected schools which have heads of schools who should be of integrity.”

In December 2020, a Zimsec clerk was dragged to court on charges of stealing and selling a copy of the October-November Economics Paper 3. He stole the examination paper from the printing press.

— NewsDay

Tinashe Sambiri|Citizens’ victory is certain in 2023, Gift Ostallos Siziba has said.

Siziba is the Citizens’ Coalition for Change deputy spokesperson.

In a statement on Friday, the CCC official said:

As we exit 2022, we meet with the Citizens Champions from all the clusters in Zimbabwe to
deliberate on the journey thus far.

Fellow Citizens you movement will be taking decisive and strategic direction in a bid to Win Zimbabwe for Change.

Fasten your seat belt.
Isukile- let’s go!

FOUR Abroad Gateway Studies employees were brought to court to answer fraud charges after purporting to be agents of United Kingdom-based Seren Health Care Solutions.
Makanaka Mukwesha, Fidelis Mazhindu, Crispen Gazimbe and Chelsea Makombe were not asked to plead when they appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi.

They will be back in court today for their bail ruling.

It is the State’s case that the complainant was looking for information regarding potential nurse aide employers, when he got information that Abroad Gateway Studies could help him.

It is alleged that the company masqueraded as agents which recruit interested nurse aides to work in the UK.

The court heard that the complainant then contacted Mazhindu who directed him to their office.

On October 26, the complainant went to the office, where he was told to pay US$500 as administration fee, and submit a police clearance, TB test, nurse aide certificate, IELTS certificate and proof of residence.

He was also told that he would wait for 21 days, after submission, while the documents were being processed.

The complainant then made the payment and was added to a group with 71 other participants.

He was also told to pay £2 000 for a plane ticket, rentals and visa appointment.

It is further alleged that on November 8, the complainant received a phone call from Makombe, who indicated that there was a new requirement.

He was told he should pay £1 000 as a security fee before receiving a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS), and the balance, after receiving it.

The complainant paid the money. He was then made to sign a non-disclosure agreement on November 11.

It is further alleged that on November 23, he was called and told that his support letters were ready.

He went to the office where he met the quartet. He was told that he would start work next year.

However, the complainant became suspicious when the organisation started to shift dates.

The complainant inquired from a friend abroad, to check if the company existed and recruited nurse aides.

The complainant was told that the company belonged to Stella Chimano, who is based in the UK.

Chimano advised the complainant to report the matter to the police and the quartet was arrested.

The complainant lost US$2 900 and nothing was recovered. Pardon Dziva prosecuted. —H Metro

A 25-year old tout from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo has been arrested for allegedly biting a police officer who had arrested him for touting for passengers.
Nhlanhla Khumalo appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Busani Sibanda facing charges of touting for passengers and assault.

He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to 30 December 2022.

Allegations against Khumalo are that on 23 November 2022 and at around 12.50pm, Marvelous Ndlovu and his colleagues were on duty patrolling in the city centre in civilian attire when they approached 6th Avenue and saw Khumalo touting for passengers.

The police officers reportedly disguised themselves as potential passengers and boarded the Honda Fit that was going to Matopo.

When they got into the car, they identified themselves and told Khumalo that he was under arrest.

They then ordered him to go with them to Bulawayo Central Police Station.

Khumalo reportedly defied the instruction when he drove his vehicle in a different direction and told the police officers that he was going to a mine in Matopo where he was going to teach them a lesson.

When he got to a robot-controlled intersection at 4th Avenue and Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street, Ndlovu tried to arrest him but he became violent.

Khumalo, the court heard, violently grabbed Ndlovu’s hand and allegedly bit him once.

The other police officers managed to arrest him. —B Metro

Mupedzanhamo flea market in Mbare, Harare, is set to reopen during this festive season following Government’s intervention.
Probably Harare’s popular market, Mupedzanhamo has been closed for months following violent clashes instigated by CCC hooligans that led to the death of one Zanu PF member while several others were injured.

The Herald news crew yesterday visited the area and observed council workers clearing heaps of garbage that had accumulated in the working space and the surrounding environs.

Roads were still closed to motorists while a handful of traders could be seen engaging in cat and mouse chases with law enforcement agents that were assisting to restore sanity at the place.

In a statement yesterday, Permanent Secretary of Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Mr Tafadzwa Muguti, said Mupedzanhamo flea market would be opened after proper renovations and upgrades as the Government was seized with the matter at the highest level.

“It is our hope that all procurement processes in the City of Harare run smoothly and urgently in order to address the much-needed renovations at Mupedzanhamo so the market can be reopened during this festive season.

“All tiers of Government namely, Central, provincial and local, have been incorporated into this whole of Government approach and are ably guided by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, who chairs the Enhanced Cabinet Committee,” he said.

The Office of Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution has no involvement in the allocation of tables and registration of potential traders as perpetuated by misinformed and misguided personnel, said Mr Muguti.

“Ultimately the decision of how Mupedzanhamo shall operate rests with Cabinet through a whole Government approach which includes the property owners, City of Harare.

“We will continue to stand by our zero tolerance to corruption policy and support all our informal traders as a Government,” he said.

Traders were warned against paying money to rogue elements that are already collecting money in the name of their political parties.

“We are aware that others have already started collecting names of potential traders purporting to have such authority from their political parties and associations.

“No lists will be entertained, we plan to have each interested trader paying directly to authorities and registering on their own through laid down whole of Government protocols which will be announced soon,” said Mr Muguti.

Harare City Council chairperson of Small to Medium Enterprises committee, Councillor Denford Ngadziore, said the market was expected to be re-opened next Tuesday. -Herald

A 23-year-old woman, Vanessa Nyakabawu, appeared in court on Thursday facing allegations of scalding another woman and her baby with cooking oil, leaving them hospitalised with serious injuries.

She allegedly poured the cooking oil on Shyleen Masai and her baby Pauline.

The two are now admitted to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, according to the State.

Nyakabawu, who resided in Epworth, disappeared from her place of residence after the alleged act in a bid to evade arrest.

She went to reside in Highfield, Harare, and was only arrested after a couple of days at Machipisa Shopping Centre. She was then taken to court charged with attempted murder, and was not asked to plead to the charges.

Nyakabawu was remanded in custody to December 29 and advised to apply for bail at the High Court. -state media

Tinashe Sambiri|Police have claimed they banned CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa’s tree planting event scheduled for Gutu North on Thursday due to “fear of possible violence.”

Police further claimed another political party had an event lined up in the same area.

See NewsDay report below:

POLICE blocked a tree-planting event scheduled for Thursday by the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in Gutu, Masvingo province on the basis that an unnamed political party is scheduled to hold a meeting in the area.

Police officer commanding Masvingo East district Joachim Mambure yesterday refused to disclose the name of the party that intended to hold the meeting.

The tree-planting event was scheduled to be held in ward 4, at Takaona homestead in Gutu North constituency. CCC leader Nelson Chamisa was scheduled to lead the event.

“We can’t allow two parties to hold political gatherings in the same ward on the same date,” Mambure said.

“There will be violence. Our duty as police is to maintain peace and order; hence we had to stop one party from holding the meeting.”

In a letter dated December 12, 2022, in response to the CCC notification of the event, Mambure ordered police in Gutu to monitor CCC to ensure it does not violate the prohibition order.

Part of the letter read: “For the avoidance of doubt, it is declared in terms of section 8(11) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act [Chapter 11:23] that any person who knowingly opposes or fails to comply with this prohibition notice shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 14 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both such fine and such imprisonment.” CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere accused Zanu PF of influencing police to interfere with their party activities.

“Zanu PF continues to abuse State institutions and the police service as demonstrated by the latest purported prohibition of our mass citizen tree-planting initiative billed for the countryside this week,” Mahere said.

“This initiative is part of our Green Zimbabwe Agenda which champions the creation of climate secure communities, protection of the environment and reforestation. It’s a matter of regret that Zanu PF is running scared of the citizens and is trying to interfere with a project that is good for the citizens and good for Zimbabwe. It proves beyond any doubt that Zanu PF knows it has lost popular support. The citizens have rejected it. It can never win a free and fair election; so it is resorting to violence, intimidation and weaponisation of the police and the law.”

Former Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti was Thursday remanded in custody after being arrested for rape.

Bhasikiti (60), a former ZANU PF Politburo member, is accused of raping a 12-year-old girl at an orphanage that he ran in Mwenezi.

He appeared before Mwenezi magistrate Faina Makumbe facing rape charges.

Bhasikiti was not asked to plead when he appeared in court on 15 December and was remanded in custody to 29 December.

He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

Bhasikiti will be transferred to Chiredzi Remand Prison as his case will now be heard at the Chiredzi Regional Court.

Allegations were that sometime in 2019, Bhasikiti went into a room at an orphanage that he ran at his farm in Mwenezi.

He allegedly approached the complainant and gagged her mouth with one of his hands.

Bhasikiti then allegedly forcibly removed her clothes before proceeding to rape her once and threatened unspecified action if she told anyone.

Police at Mwenezi police station arrested Bhasikiti after they received a tip-off about the alleged rape sometime this year.

Hardlife Machando prosecuted.

Bhasikiti served as Minister of State from 2013 until his expulsion from Government and ZANU PF in December 2014. | The Herald

Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa will be removed from office through the ballot box in 2023.

This was said by CCC youth taskforce spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma.

Chuma slammed Mr Mnangagwa’s administration for banning President Nelson Chamisa’s tree planting event.

“A regime that bans tree planting must be removed! Climate change is a reality.

Massive tree planting helps avert it. But ZANU PF govt wants to ban @CCCZimbabwe tree planting event.

We cannot allow ZANU PF to toy with our future and that of generations. Trees are life,” said Chuma.

CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba condemned the regime’s desperate measures.

“We intend to travel to Gutu tomorrow where President Nelson Chamisa will launch our national Tree planting program under our Green Zimbabwe Agenda.

Police has banned the event and we are seeking redress.

We have an obligation to make our country better and Green.”

Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa will be removed from office through the ballot box in 2023.

This was said by CCC youth taskforce spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma.

Chuma slammed Mr Mnangagwa’s administration for banning President Nelson Chamisa’s tree planting event.

“A regime that bans tree planting must be removed! Climate change is a reality.

Massive tree planting helps avert it. But ZANU PF govt wants to ban @CCCZimbabwe tree planting event.

We cannot allow ZANU PF to toy with our future and that of generations. Trees are life,” said Chuma.

CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba condemned the regime’s desperate measures.

“We intend to travel to Gutu tomorrow where President Nelson Chamisa will launch our national Tree planting program under our Green Zimbabwe Agenda.

Police has banned the event and we are seeking redress.

We have an obligation to make our country better and Green.”

Former Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Kudakwashe Bhasikiti was Thursday remanded in custody after being arrested for rape.

Bhasikiti (60), a former ZANU PF Politburo member, is accused of raping a 12-year-old girl at an orphanage that he ran in Mwenezi.

He appeared before Mwenezi magistrate Faina Makumbe facing rape charges.

Bhasikiti was not asked to plead when he appeared in court on 15 December and was remanded in custody to 29 December.

He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

Bhasikiti will be transferred to Chiredzi Remand Prison as his case will now be heard at the Chiredzi Regional Court.

Allegations were that sometime in 2019, Bhasikiti went into a room at an orphanage that he ran at his farm in Mwenezi.

He allegedly approached the complainant and gagged her mouth with one of his hands.

Bhasikiti then allegedly forcibly removed her clothes before proceeding to rape her once and threatened unspecified action if she told anyone.

Police at Mwenezi police station arrested Bhasikiti after they received a tip-off about the alleged rape sometime this year.

Hardlife Machando prosecuted.

Bhasikiti served as Minister of State from 2013 until his expulsion from Government and ZANU PF in December 2014. | The Herald

Today we were in Hopley, Hre South for voter mobilization campaign. We got 560 pple who are ready to register to vote next week. We are taking that seat from ZANU PF. We can't have a Mnangagwa in Hre. #Ngaapinde pic.twitter.com/SG1d2Oq6D2

— Stephen Sarkozy Chuma ?? (@chumasteve) December 16, 2022

Tinashe Sambiri|Police have claimed they banned CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa’s tree planting event scheduled for Gutu North on Thursday due to “fear of possible violence.”

Police further claimed another political party had an event lined up in the same area.

See NewsDay report below:

POLICE blocked a tree-planting event scheduled for Thursday by the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in Gutu, Masvingo province on the basis that an unnamed political party is scheduled to hold a meeting in the area.

Police officer commanding Masvingo East district Joachim Mambure yesterday refused to disclose the name of the party that intended to hold the meeting.

The tree-planting event was scheduled to be held in ward 4, at Takaona homestead in Gutu North constituency. CCC leader Nelson Chamisa was scheduled to lead the event.

“We can’t allow two parties to hold political gatherings in the same ward on the same date,” Mambure said.

“There will be violence. Our duty as police is to maintain peace and order; hence we had to stop one party from holding the meeting.”

In a letter dated December 12, 2022, in response to the CCC notification of the event, Mambure ordered police in Gutu to monitor CCC to ensure it does not violate the prohibition order.

Part of the letter read: “For the avoidance of doubt, it is declared in terms of section 8(11) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act [Chapter 11:23] that any person who knowingly opposes or fails to comply with this prohibition notice shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 14 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both such fine and such imprisonment.” CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere accused Zanu PF of influencing police to interfere with their party activities.

“Zanu PF continues to abuse State institutions and the police service as demonstrated by the latest purported prohibition of our mass citizen tree-planting initiative billed for the countryside this week,” Mahere said.

“This initiative is part of our Green Zimbabwe Agenda which champions the creation of climate secure communities, protection of the environment and reforestation. It’s a matter of regret that Zanu PF is running scared of the citizens and is trying to interfere with a project that is good for the citizens and good for Zimbabwe. It proves beyond any doubt that Zanu PF knows it has lost popular support. The citizens have rejected it. It can never win a free and fair election; so it is resorting to violence, intimidation and weaponisation of the police and the law.”

Tinashe Sambiri|Police have claimed they banned CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa’s tree planting event scheduled for Gutu North on Thursday due to “fear of possible violence.”

Police further claimed another political party had an event lined up in the same area.

See NewsDay report below:

POLICE blocked a tree-planting event scheduled for Thursday by the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in Gutu, Masvingo province on the basis that an unnamed political party is scheduled to hold a meeting in the area.

Police officer commanding Masvingo East district Joachim Mambure yesterday refused to disclose the name of the party that intended to hold the meeting.

The tree-planting event was scheduled to be held in ward 4, at Takaona homestead in Gutu North constituency. CCC leader Nelson Chamisa was scheduled to lead the event.

“We can’t allow two parties to hold political gatherings in the same ward on the same date,” Mambure said.

“There will be violence. Our duty as police is to maintain peace and order; hence we had to stop one party from holding the meeting.”

In a letter dated December 12, 2022, in response to the CCC notification of the event, Mambure ordered police in Gutu to monitor CCC to ensure it does not violate the prohibition order.

Part of the letter read: “For the avoidance of doubt, it is declared in terms of section 8(11) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act [Chapter 11:23] that any person who knowingly opposes or fails to comply with this prohibition notice shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 14 or imprisonment for a period not exceeding one year or both such fine and such imprisonment.” CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere accused Zanu PF of influencing police to interfere with their party activities.

“Zanu PF continues to abuse State institutions and the police service as demonstrated by the latest purported prohibition of our mass citizen tree-planting initiative billed for the countryside this week,” Mahere said.

“This initiative is part of our Green Zimbabwe Agenda which champions the creation of climate secure communities, protection of the environment and reforestation. It’s a matter of regret that Zanu PF is running scared of the citizens and is trying to interfere with a project that is good for the citizens and good for Zimbabwe. It proves beyond any doubt that Zanu PF knows it has lost popular support. The citizens have rejected it. It can never win a free and fair election; so it is resorting to violence, intimidation and weaponisation of the police and the law.”

Kwekwe Town Clerk Dr Lucia Mnkandla has moved into the local authority’s mayoral mansion in a move that is likely to anger councillors.
Located in the leafy Hazeldine suburb, the mansion had been lying idle for more than five years after being last occupied by the then mayor, Alderman Matenda Madzoke.

Councillor Angeline Kasipo who took over from Alderman Madzoke turned down the offer to move into the mansion just like the incumbent Cllr Future Titora who chose to remain at her house in Mbizo suburb.

Councillors resolved that the house would be refurbished and converted into a lodge which would generate income for the local authority.

In a sudden turn of events Dr Mnkandla, who was appointed substantive town clerk last year, took over the house after major renovations had been done and has been staying there for about three weeks now.

Director of Housing and Community Services, Mr Edson Chiyangwa confirmed the development yesterday.

“She moved into the house because she has been appointed substantive Town Clerk. We could not find a suitable house for her hence she had to move into this council house which has been lying idle,” said Mr Chiyangwa.

He said before Dr Mnkandla moved into the Mayoral Mansion, council had been renting a house for her.

“We had been forking out about US$500 per month to rent a house for her so we decided that she moves into this house instead of spending a lot of money constructing a house for her,” he said.

Mr Chiyangwa said the mayor turned down the offer to move into the house choosing to remain at her house in Mbizo suburb.

He said the house is not big enough to be a lodge.

“We also discovered that the house is not big enough to be converted into a lodge hence we shelved the idea,” he said.

Acting Mayor, Councillor Pikurai Msipa said councillors were yet to be informed about the new development.

“We are yet to be informed about this new development you are talking about because we are just hearing about it in the corridors. What I understand is that our decision as councillors was to convert that house into a lodge,” said Cllr Msipa.

The mayoral mansions used to be occupied by executive mayors but Government has since reverted to ceremonial mayors. –state media

Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa will be removed from office through the ballot box in 2023.

This was said by CCC youth taskforce spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma.

Chuma slammed Mr Mnangagwa’s administration for banning President Nelson Chamisa’s tree planting event.

“A regime that bans tree planting must be removed! Climate change is a reality.

Massive tree planting helps avert it. But ZANU PF govt wants to ban @CCCZimbabwe tree planting event.

We cannot allow ZANU PF to toy with our future and that of generations. Trees are life,” said Chuma.

CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba condemned the regime’s desperate measures.

“We intend to travel to Gutu tomorrow where President Nelson Chamisa will launch our national Tree planting program under our Green Zimbabwe Agenda.

Police has banned the event and we are seeking redress.

We have an obligation to make our country better and Green.”

IN a fit of jealousy, a 27-year-old man from Bulawayo assaulted his wife as punishment for being greeted by another man while she was on her way to church.

This was heard when Daniel Ncube from Njube suburb appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Shepherd Mjanja charged with physical abuse as defined in Section 3 (1) (a) as read with Section 4 of the Domestic Violence Act Chapter 5:16.

Ncube pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $30 000 or (60 days in prison).

The court heard that on 25 November 2022 and at around 6pm, Kwazinkosi Nkomazana (20) was on her way to church when she met her husband who was coming from the bar.

When the couple met, Nkomazana was greeted by another man and that didn’t go down well with Ncube.

Nkomazana tried to explain to her husband that there was nothing going on between her and the man but Ncube turned violent and started assaulting her with fists on the head.

She fled and sought refuge at a nearby house.

Ncube followed her and hit her again with fists and open hands several times all over her body.

Upon sensing danger, the owner of the house called members of the Neighborhood Watch Committee who apprehended Ncube and escorted him to ZRP Njube where a charge of physical abuse was filed against him.

— HMetro

Tinashe Sambiri|Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa will be removed from office through the ballot box in 2023.

This was said by CCC youth taskforce spokesperson Stephen Sarkozy Chuma.

Chuma slammed Mr Mnangagwa’s administration for banning President Nelson Chamisa’s tree planting event.

“A regime that bans tree planting must be removed! Climate change is a reality.

Massive tree planting helps avert it. But ZANU PF govt wants to ban @CCCZimbabwe tree planting event.

We cannot allow ZANU PF to toy with our future and that of generations. Trees are life,” said Chuma.

CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba condemned the regime’s desperate measures.

“We intend to travel to Gutu tomorrow where President Nelson Chamisa will launch our national Tree planting program under our Green Zimbabwe Agenda.

Police has banned the event and we are seeking redress.

We have an obligation to make our country better and Green.”