Mrs Mandisuka Shumba getting behind her new wheel
Congratulations to Mrs Mandisuka Sheila Shumba for winning Gokwe SPAR’s Green Tag Sale competition! The draw was done at a fun filled event where the local community came out to celebrate with us! thank you for Shopping and saving with SPAR! #ThereForYou #MagicMoments
VILLAGERS in Gokwe in Midlands province are allegedly being fined a goat by their chiefs if they fail to go for HIV testing or accompany their pregnant wives for antenatal care.
Addressing provincial parastatal heads at an HIV and Aids sensitisation meeting yesterday, National Aids Council (Nac), Midlands provincial HIV and Aids coordinator, Mambewu Shumba said because of the chiefs’ interventions, Gokwe North was doing well when it comes to fighting the scourge.
Although he could not name the chiefs who have taken such a stance, Shumba said the district was leading in terms of the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV.
He said husbands are fined a goat by their chiefs for refusing to accompany their wives for PMTCT.
“Gokwe North and South districts are number one. They lead in the number of couples who go for HIV and AIDS testing. Husbands accompany their wives to the clinic for testing helping in the prevention of mother to child transmission. Chiefs also fine people who don’t go for testing as a means of enticing them to go for testing,” he said.
He said Nac had also made progress in outreach programmes which include condom use in areas such as Zenda and Nora which have had an influx of illegal gold panners.
Shumba said gold panners in the areas had systems in place to fight HIV and Aids.
“The gold panners in Zenda and Nora have a system in place. They’ve focal persons where they collect condoms from. We’re however in the process of conducting a study to see why the area has low prevalence and new infections as compared to other districts in the province,” he said.
Shumba said of the eight districts in the province, Kwekwe and Gweru were the HIV hot spots. The Chronicle
Ward 5 councillor Emmanuel Mafa triggered the heated debate halfway into the meeting when he took town chairperson Ester Senga to task demanding to know who had pulled down the portrait from the boardroom walls.
Gokwe Town Council has five Zanu-PF councillors and one MDC-T councillor.
VICTORIA Falls magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa yesterday referred Gokwe-Nembudziya MP Justice Mayor Wadyajena’s case to the Constitutional Court for determination as she gave him a longer remand period to November 28.
This means that the Constitutional Court is the one which will decide whether or not Wadyajena, 35, will go on trial for criminal insult charges. Wadyajena, through his lawyer Givemore Muvhiringi, had made an application to have his case referred to the ConCourt on the grounds that the insult charges had been ruled unconstitutional by the superior court.
The MP is alleged to have insulted two people; Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge’s wife, Letina Munamato Undenge, and Zanu-PF member from Mashonaland West Jimayi Muduvuri.
The crimes were both allegedly committed last December during Zanu-PF’s 15th Annual People’s Conference in Victoria Falls.
Magistrate Maphosa yesterday said: “Come back to this court on November 28 pending the determination by the Constitutional Court.”
Wadyajena’s trial date has not yet been set.
Prosecutor, Listen Nare said the State wasn’t opposed to the matter being referred to the upper court.
“We’re not opposed to the finalisation of the matter at the Constitutional Court and we’re proposing a longer remand to November 28, a date at which we hope the matter will have been dealt with at the Constitutional Court,” said Nare.
Wadyajena’s lawyer also successfully applied for the relaxation of bail conditions. The legislator will now report once on the last Monday of every month instead of twice a month as he was initially doing. He can also apply for the release of his passport which he can have whenever he intends to travel on Parliament business.
Allegations against Wadyajena are that on December 11 last year, he saw Muduvuri travelling to Elephant Hills Hotel along Park Way road in his Mercedes Benz ML320 which had pictures of the First Lady Grace Mugabe with the words “Munhu wese kuna Amai” (Everyone should rally behind the First Lady) inscribed below the images.
Wadyajena, who was standing beside his car, is alleged to have shouted: “Iwe Jimayi uri mboko . . . Unongoti munhu wese kuna Amai sei. Getaway,” loosely translated, “Jimayi you’re an idiot, why do you say everyone should rally behind the First Lady? Get away.”
Prosecutors allege that on the following day while at Elephant Hills Resort reception area, he allegedly insulted Undenge.
He is alleged to have said: “F**k you, you’re an idiot ndinokukiya (I will deal with you) . . .,” said prosecutor Ndovorwi.
Some of the words that the MP allegedly uttered are unprintable.
Inside Gokwe 