Strapped for Soiling Blankets

……leading to her dearth

By Kudzai Dube

It was very unfortunate for a young lady of Nicholas Madubeko’s homestead Chipanangore Village in Gokwe as she met her dearth after succumbing to back pains after being beaten twice for soiling the blankets.

After realising that her husband couldn’t continue looking after her relative (the deceased) the accused resorted to abusing her relative to the extent of even beating her for miscellaneous actions like soiling the blankets.

The accused fell in love with Enias Nduna and stayed together at house number B17 Turk mine worker’s compound in Inyathi where the crime took place.

The court through prosecutor Miss N Ngwasha learnt that the deceased was related to the accused in that the deceased’s father was a maternal uncle to the accused.

In her defence the accused to the police at Inyathi Police Station that the deceased had collapsed and died along the way as she was walking with her.

The accused pleaded guilty to culpable homicide and since she was a juvenile, the court sentenced her to go to reformatory school where she will be released after two years in her parent’s custody.

The law of Zimbabwe does not convict a minor whom will be of 16 years or below instead they are sent for canning of sent for probation and at times they are given community service.       

Write right: MP Chakona

By Kudzai Dube

M

Asvingo :  Member of Parliament Mr Chakona took the journalist for an unexpected lecture for a while when he was presenting his speech on the annual Press Freedom Day commemorations which were held on the 9^th of May at Charles Austin in the city as he pointed on some of the journalist ethics.

In introducing his speech, he stressed the importance of the word (information) as he quoted the Bible from the book of John were it says “in the beginning was the word…”

The aspect of distance objective reporter was also emphasised as he said allow people to comment before publishing about them, “let them give their opinion or express themselves” he said.

He also castigated reporters on reporting only negative issues whilst there are positive issues which needs to be presented to the public for the development of the country in particular he pointed the indigenisation process.

He said as media practitioners we are responsible for the betterment of our country and we must be careful of what we are feeding the nation with as attitude counts when reporting.

National key issues need to be supported and the media is there to support the vision and there was no need to make noise with unnecessary things and on defence of himself and other politicians MP Chakona said “our backs are clean” and it is the duty for media practitioners to rebrand their politicians.

He concluded with the need to portray a good picture for other professions as he went on to quote His Excellency President Mugabe “you are a Zimbabwean first and anything follows”.   

      

Reform media laws, government told

By Kudzai Dube

M

asvingo Media practitioners in and around Masvingo took part in the annual Press Freedom Day commemoration in the city on the 9^th of May instead of 3^rd May since it was a Sunday, the celebration were under the theme “ Reform Media Laws Now for a sustainable, diverse and free media.

The events of the day began with a march from the Croco Motors to the Civic Centre which was the venue for the celebrations.

Representatives of Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), students from Great Zimbabwe University, Tell Zimbabwe staff, staff of Masvingo Star and other freelance journalist took to the streets their plea as they advocated for the media laws to be reformed through the march.

After the successful conduct of the march, Charles Austin theatre was the venue for the various discussions which arise in the media fraternity.

Issues which were of much concern were of the need to align the media laws with the new constitution as MISA Chairperson of Masvingo Mr Maunganidze pointed, he also alluded on points like the need for licencing of community radios and that social media should be free and accessible.

The event was graced by a Lawyer, Mr Murerwa who presented the laws which were still yet to be aligned with the new constitution amongst them Access to Information Protection and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), Zimbabwe Broadcasting Act (ZBA) and Public Order Security Act (POSA).

Amongst the panellist was Mr Mukusha who is a Social Political Philosopher and he took the task of presenting the state in how is media operating in Zimbabwe which he said is a contested matter since freedom of expression is available but needs to be enhanced.

He also noted that the government when aligning the media laws they should avoid ‘bucket chemistry’ hence for the realignment to be successful they need to take them one by one.

Banda and crew, a theatre group took to stage the importance of media in the society as it provides access to information which might be happening in distance places and with the invention of the internet it has been enhanced.