Police arrest notorious armed robbers
PFURA Rural District Council is building a public toilet, which will also be accessible to the wheelchair-bound, at the Mt Darwin bus terminus as the culmination of its sanitation programme that has seen a major change in public health.
The toilet, one of the biggest public toilets in Mashonaland Central, is part of the council’s Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme and will serve informal traders operating at the town’s new bus terminus as well as the steady flow of passengers through the terminus.
The council has managed to reduce diarrhoeal cases with no dehydration from 10 635 to 3 675 cases a year and diarrhoea with dehydration from 642 to 279 cases in its programme.
Pfura RDC chief executive officer Mr Stanslous Runyararo Nyachowe said the imposing public toilet is expected to be opened by end of month.
Mr Nyachowe added that 42 villages have attained the open defecation-free status out of the targeted 50 while 2 363 households constructed latrines without subsidy out of the targeted 2 662 households.
“What prompted construction of the toilet was the relocation of informal traders from town to the new bus terminus site where there was no sanitation facilities,” said Mr Nyachowe.
“Although the toilet was not budgeted for, we had to construct it fearing the outbreak of diseases.”
Mr Nyachowe added that a road network and drainage at the new bus terminus is under construction and they managed to procure a six tonne dumper trailer for road maintenance.
POLICE in Gweru have arrested three notorious armed robbers allegedly behind a spate of robberies in the Midlands, Masvingo and Bulawayo and are also linked to a US $ 250 000 heist in Madokero, Harare.
The three — Beverly Zimbiti, Shepherd Gundani and Cleopas Kandawasvika — were arrested on Friday night in Gweru’s Woodlands high- density suburb by police on night patrol.
National Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said he was yet to gather the full circumstances by last night.
Police sources said the trio was driving a Toyota D4D twin cab around midnight when police stopped them for a search.
“The suspects then sped- off resulting in a high speed chase with the police. Kandawasvika who was driving the car however failed to control it and it plunged into a ditch,” said the source.
The sources said four suspects jumped off the vehicle and ran towards a bushy area along Lower Gweru road leaving behind Kandawasvika trapped in the vehicle.
“Kandawasvika was immediately arrested and later implicated Gundani,” said the source.
“Upon arrest, Gundani also
They also managed to procure a refuse tractor and its trailer for refuse collection.
“We have put in place a WASH fund. Every household will contribute $20 per year. We have 39 974 implicated Zimbiti and the suspects also confessed they were behind a spate of robberies including the $250 000 heist which happened in Madokero in 2018.
The source said the three suspects were taken to Harare for indications and are expected to appear in court before going to Bulawayo for other indications where they committed other offences.
Two other robbers, who were only identified as Maparanyanga and Tatenda, are still on the run.
Meanwhile, Gweru residents are now living in fear following two terrifying incidents in which robbers armed with machetes and households. The success of our WASH programmes hinges on support from the community,” he said.
“There is a revolving fund which ensures that WASH related commodities such as borehole spares are knobkerries raided two homes on Sunday and Monday night, getting away with cash and a kombi.
In the first incident, police said the robbers broke into house number 24 Berwick Road, South Downs Gweru and ransacked the house before they got away with R 1700, US$ 37 and $ 150 from the complainant, Ms Lucy Young, a gold dealer.
Ms Young also lost two cellphones and some groceries.
The mater was reported under RRB 4192477 at Senga Police Station.
In the second incident, armed robbers attacked Mr Luckson Musarara in Woodlands Suburb and got away with US$ 5000 and a available to the community locally. Provision of WASH is critical, it contributes to the reduction of water related diseases such as cholera. Traditional leadership has also taken a leading role in spearheading the project implementation.”
Piped water schemes are complete at Bveke Clinic in ward 12, Kaitano Clinic in ward 1, Kamutsenzere Clinic in ward 34, secondary and primary school and the business centre.
The local authority managed to rehabilitate 575 boreholes out of the 808 that were no longer being used for reasons that included broken pumps.
Mr Nyachowe said they have started rehabilitating infrastructure damaged by the wind and hailstorm using the devolution funds.
“The devolution funds have helped our service delivery agenda. As we continue to receive the funds our aim is cover all the four constituencies with life changing developmental projects such as road rehabilitation, health facilities and schools construction in line with vision 2030,” he said
“We want to buy a grader, tipper truck, compactor and a front end loader.
‘‘We are also targeting to complete Mangare and Chimbuwe clinics and a piped water scheme.”
Kombi.
Narrating his ordeal yesterday, Mr Musarara said he was sleeping when the armed robbers jumped over his wall and started destroying his locked doors using machetes and knobkerries.
“I tried to raise alarm but they gained entry and started attacking everyone using machetes while demanding money.
I surrendered the money I had and they also demanded keys for my Kombi and I complied,” he said.
Mr Musarara said some neighbours who tried to rescue him were also stabbed by machetes.
Tiller Maringa
ZIMBABWE will host the 2nd African Regional Science, Technology and Innovation ( ARSTI) Forum to discuss the contribution of science and technology to the attainment of sustainable development goals.
The conference, which will run from February 24 to 25 in Victoria Falls, is being organised by the Government together with United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and UNESCO.
Addressing journalists in Harare on Wednesday, Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the forum will draw delegates from across the continent.
“This is a very high-level meeting of your dream, we have invited a lot of ministers from across Africa. Participants in Zimbabwe, scientists and interested people, are also welcome upon registration,” said Prof Murwira.
“The idea is to emphasise the contribution of science, technology and innovation to the attainment of our sustainable development goals to economic and social development.
“There is going to be an awards ceremony. It is good for people to come and enjoy Victoria Falls while they are doing science, technology and innovation for sustainable development.”
The first ARSTI Forum was held in Marrakech in Morocco on April 16, 2019 in collaboration with Department of Science and Innovation, South Africa.
Zimbabwe is hosting the second edition.
The conference will run under the theme, “2020 to 2030: A decade to deliver a transformed and prosperous Africa through the 2030 agenda and Agenda 2063”.