BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI

BEAUTY queen Blessing Mutamba (pictured) — who is also Miss Ireland International 2019 — is set to embark on a homecoming tour of Zimbabwe early next year during which she will explore opportunities to work with the local business community and young people seeking opportunities.

Mutamba told NewsDay Life & Style yesterday that her passion for her country has compelled her to consider making positive contributions to its development, and she was both excited and overwhelmed by the journey she has embarked upon.

“My platform is to advocate for young Zimbabweans either looking for a job or wanting to start a business mainly in Zimbabwe, but in the diaspora as well because that is where I have a lot of reach and visibility,” she said.

“It’s going to be exciting, but I am also really scared because it’s a really big project to organise from Ireland.”

Mutamba said she has been doing a lot of community outreach and mentorship programmes and supporting others, including Shift UK, at whose launch she was the guest speaker.

“Shift UK is a business forum for people of African heritage living in the UK and wanting to start a business,” the 23-year-old beauty said.

Mutamba, who was crowned Miss Ireland International in January this year, said she had a number of projects lined up and she was now taking a final step in the implementation of her entrepreneurial mentorship schemes as part of her homecoming tour next year.

“I am going to stop in Harare, Victoria Falls and Mutare where I am from. I was born there,” she said.

“I will do a lot of panel discussions with key industry players who I have started talking to and a lot of them are experts in their fields, key decision makers in the entertainment industry. I have rallied these together to understand what could be most beneficial for the youth of Zimbabwe to foster an environment that is conducive to do business and starting up.”

The beauty queen, who holds a Masters’ Degree in Entrepreneurship, said she will have several networking events to connect people together as part of her community outreach.

“I would want to talk to children in schools and other young people who are looking for opportunities,” she said.

“I will then use the information that I will collect to try and help solve some of the problems they face.”

Mutamba said she had teamed up with a number of stakeholders in Harare and Mutare and will capitalise on the growing popularity of beauty pageants in the country.

“It’s important for me to showcase that we are not just about being pretty on stage and looking good for one day,” she said.

OUTSPOKEN Ntabazinduna Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni says he will file a court application today challenging his suspension as the traditional leader of the area at the weekend.

BY NQOBANI NDLOVU

Ndiweni was suspended by the Matabeleland North Chiefs council on grounds that his appointment was not in line with the Traditional Leaders Act since he was not the first born in his family.

He was removed as Ntabazinduna Chief during a Matabeleland North Chiefs’ provincial assembly meeting held in Bulawayo on Saturday.

The Matabeleland North traditional leaders argued that Ndiweni was illegally acting as a substantive Chief in violation of Nguni customs, practices and norms which recognise the eldest son in the family, Joram as the rightful heir to the throne.

“Those who suspended Chief Ndiweni on legitimacy grounds should know that ‘legitimacy’ is a very sensitive term in Zimbabwe. They should have found other reasons; and they should have made due diligence because it will back fire on them because we are approaching the courts on Monday,” Ndiweni’s spokesperson Nothiwani Dlodlo said yesterday.

“If the suspension of Chief Ndiweni is illegal, the reason behind his suspension should be applied to Chief Charumbira since he is also being challenged in court… This suspension is suspicious and will open a can of worms since 80% of the current serving Chiefs are being challenged, for example, Chief Samambwa in Midlands.”

According to the Constitution, “…the appointment, removal and suspension of Chiefs must be done by the President on the recommendation of the provincial assembly of Chiefs through the National Council of Chiefs and the Minister responsible for traditional leaders and in accordance with the traditional practices and traditions of the communities concerned.”

The late Ndebele paramount chieftainship has been a contentious issue since the death of Chief Khayisa Ndiweni in 2010 with Joram insisting that he is the rightful heir since he is the eldest son.

Joram filed an urgent chamber application at the High Court over five years ago seeking to block his brother Nhlanhlayamangwe from being installed as substantive chief.

Nhlanhlayamangwe’s installation has been postponed several times despite the late former President Robert Mugabe confirming that he is the substantive Chief.

In May 2018, he sought Mnangagwa’s intervention, his deputy Constantino Chiwenga, Chief Justice Juke Malaba and Shana in the Ntabazinduna chieftainship row.

He accused Zanu PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu of throwing spanners in his way, accusing him of lobbying for his brother to be installed as Chief.

Ndiweni is an outspoken government critic, and accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwa of rigging his way to victory in the 2018 elections.

A CHIREDZI parent who reported a teacher to the District Schools Inspector (DSI) over alleged improper association with his daughter has accused authorities of covering up or being bribed to sweep cases under the carpet.

BY GARIKAI MAFIRAKUREVA

The parent (name withheld to protect the identity of the pupil) who caught his daughter red-handed in bed with her teacher said instead of finding solace in the new law banning such incidents, parents are now traumatised when the culprits walk away freely. He has since written a letter to the Primary and Secondary Education minister which he said he intends to hand over in person. This was after he reported Roddington Makuni Sithole, a teacher at Chingele Secondary School to Chiredzi DSI Petronella Nyangwe in March this year for having an affair with his 15-year-old daughter (name withheld), but the matter never saw the light of the day.

“I confronted him to stop his affair with my daughter. To my surprise two weeks later he approached me through a go-between seeking my daughter’s hand in marriage and to bribe me not to report him to his superiors at the district offices. His go-between was Hlayesi Chaveni from Tanzani Village just next to ours,” the aggrieved parent said.

“He paid R1 000 plus US$10. I made them both to sign and I recorded the whole proceeding before taking the audio and the papers they signed to the district offices to report my case. At the district offices I was told that the complaint was going to the province for disciplinary hearing, but after two months I was told the papers are back at the district offices for lack of evidence.

What evidence was needed?” he asked.

Nyangwe confirmed receiving the complaint, but said she had forwarded the matter to the Provincial Education Director (PED) for disciplinary hearing.

“Yes, I can confirm that we received such a complaint and we have forwarded it to our provincial offices. I assure you disciplinary action will be taken,” Nyangwe said.

Masvingo PED Zedius Chitiga denied receiving the report.

“I never saw that report. I will just do a routine check on the files, but I am sure I have never received such a report. By now a matter reported in March should have been concluded,” he said.

Sithole refused to comment, while his go between is said to have died last month. Primary and Secondary Education secretary Tumisang Thabela said they will only take action after receiving the complaint. Nyangwe is accused of covering up crimes by teachers in the district, including the one where Alice Mukanga, a school head, was convicted of bashing her subordinate Zivanayi Dekese and fined $80; as well as covering up the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council scam that saw teachers writing final examinations for their girlfriends.

BY RUTENDO MATANHIKE

PARLIAMENTARY Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education chairperson, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga has commended government for setting aside $200 million for procurement of sanitary ware for underprivileged women and girls across Zimbabwe.

She told NewsDay yesterday that while money being directed towards the cause could never be enough, she was happy that government had acknowledged the challenges faced by females particularly from less-privileged homes in accessing sanitary wear.

“No money can ever be enough in the provision of adequate sexual reproductive health care in the form of sanitary ware for women and girls, but for me the excitement is really about government finally acknowledging the problem women and young girls have been facing for a long time. This has been a war and I am glad has finally gotten the recognition it deserves,” she said.

Misihairabwi-Mushonga lobbied for the removal of import duty and value added tax (VAT) on sanitary ware which has proved expensive for many ordinary women with some resorting to unsafe alternative methods such as cow dung.

School going girls in rural areas are reported to be missing lessons during menstruation due to lack of proper sanitary ware.

The proportional representation legislator said the procurement process, as well engagements with the Finance ministry in finding sustainable sanitary ware, were underway.

“One of the conversations we have had with the Finance ministry is that we should not invest in buying disposable sanitary pads, but rather invest in sanitary pants for girls which have a life span of two years and also menstrual cups for women in order to promote sustainability, Misihairabwi-Mushonga said.

“We are already looking into the procurement process as we anticipate the approval of the budget at the end of November so that by the time we get into next year, distribution will be our (preoccupation). Some producers of these products have already indicated their plans in providing us with the sanitary ware we require.”

Plans are being made to distribute the products through independent channels to avoid corruption which may result in products not reaching intended beneficiaries, she revealed.

“We are thinking of not using government distribution channels to avoid cases of corruption which have been a major concern. We want the products getting to the people who really need them,” she said.

Responding to NewsDay on whether or not the hyperinflationary environment was a concern, Misihairabwi-Mushonga said early procurement of the products was important particularly considering sanitary ware was a non-perishable product.

A CROSS-BORDER bus belonging to City Bus was reduced to a shell when it went up in flames yesterday near the Gweru-Bulawayo Zinara tollgate.

By Brenna Matendere

On board were about 40 passengers who all escaped unhurt, but goods worth thousands of dollars was destroyed.

The bus was on its way from Botswana to Harare.

Passengers told NewsDay at the scene that the incident happened just after midday and members of the military who were travelling behind the bus saved some goods.

“The driver applied emergency brakes and we noticed some flames emerging from the bus. We all then disembarked in a scramble fearing for our lives. Some soldiers who were driving in the same direction stopped and braved the fire to rescue some goods that were in the trailer, but most of the items could not be saved,” a passenger, Patience Moyo said.

City Bus operations manager, Juliet Bokosha confirmed the incident.

“No one died and all people escaped unhurt. I can, however, confirm that our bus caught fire near Gweru and it was consumed by the fire. I am currently travelling and so I may not be able to give you more details at this stage,” she said.

Another passenger, Tsunga Nyoni, said: “Before the driver stopped the bus, the left rear wheel was showing signs that it was binding. But just as the bus stopped, fire started and we all disembarked. We watched helplessly as the bus and our goods were consumed by the fire.”

Midlands police spokesperson Inspector Joel Goko was not reachable for comment last
night.

MDC youths used the national soccer team’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) match against Botswana to protest against President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

With police banning opposition protests and rallies, the youths waved Red card ED out and ED is a dictator and Chamisa for president placards at the National Sports Stadium on Friday.

Youth leader, Obey Sithole said the party will continue to look for ways to democratically and freely express their displeasure at the ruling Zanu PF regime.

“As the youths supported the Warriors, they took the opportunity to express their displeasure against Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF’s failures. They have been prohibiting marches, but surely they can’t prohibit soccer matches,” he said.

The youths said the sporadic protests were meant to galvanise the nation around a massive demonstration on what the MDC has said is a national crisis anchored on Mnangagwa’s illegitimacy.

MDC deputy organising secretary Happymore Chidziva said the party was mobilising its structures to confront Mnangagwa and his government, including taking over public spaces to demonstrate their displeasure.

“We know that Mnangagwa was not elected by the people; he is illegitimate. The party is mobilising and readying its people to occupy democratic spaces to ensure that the voice of the people is heard. We will prevail even under the abuse of the gun, police brutality and oppression; our voices will be heard,” he said.

Zanu PF deputy youth secretary Lewis Matutu was quick to dismiss the protests by the MDC as an attempt to cover for glaring inability to mobilise and hijacking soccer matches.

“It’s an unfortunate thing because every Zimbabwean had the responsibility to support our Warriors during the Afcon match. I would want to assume that the only reason why the so-called demonstration was meant to take advantage of people coming to the soccer match since MDC no longer has the capacity to mobilise people anymore,” Matutu said.

“Our challenges as a country are not about an individual or any organisation, it’s about the mentality of the people and our lack of productivity as a nation. Every Zimbabwean has the responsibility to progressively contribute to the economic development of our country. President Mnangagwa is restlessly working for the country, he needs everyone’s support for the good of our country. Demonstrations will never produce economic results.”

Information permanent secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana said government will not lose sleep over a handful of protesters trying to gain relevance by hijacking platforms that have nothing to do with them.

“Government is not worried by a few choreographed placards being brandished in the stadium. We are in Harare, an opposition stronghold where their supporters try to hijack anything to gain relevance. We have seen them trying to hijack and contaminate the civil servants. As a government, we are not in the habit of being bothered when owls sing their disharmony at night,” he said.