BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A 30-year-old Lubimbi man has appeared in court for murdering a neighbor after he became agitated by seeing the deceased talking to a girl.

Qiniso Dube of Mafururo Village, was arraigned before the Hwange Magistrates Court on allegations of murder.

Allegations are that on the 20th of October at around 0200 hours, the accused person together with his friends were on their way home from Ntando shops, Lubimbi.

The now deceased joined them and started talking to a girl who was part of the group.

This did not go down well with the accused who ordered the now deceased to go to his village.

The now deceased refused. The accused person left the group and proceeded to his homestead where he allegedly armed himself with a knife.

When he returned, he found the now deceased still talking to the girl.

He punched the now deceased before he allegedly stabbed him with the knife three times on the chest, once on the back, and once on the left hand.

A Police report was made leading to his arrest.

The accused person was remanded in custody and will appear in court again on the 5th of November.

BY STAFF REPORTER 

Police in Hope Fountain, Bulawayo, have arrested two boys from Binga for robbery.

The accused, Billiat Mumpande, a male adult aged 20 of Sinamagonde, Binga, and his co-accused, a male juvenile aged 16 from the same village, were arrested for their involvement in a robbery that occurred on October 17 and 18.

On October 17, at around 1800 hours, the complainant, a male adult aged 48 of Hope Fountain, was at his workplace when he was approached by the accused persons who pretended to make some genuine enquiries from him.

Billiat and the 16-year-old boy were armed with pellet guns, and Tedious Dube, who is still at large, was armed with an Okapi knife.

The accused persons suddenly pointed their pellet guns at the complainant, threatening to shoot him.

Tedious also produced his Okapi knife, threatening to harm the complainant if he made any form of resistance.

The accused persons then force-marched the complainant into his room, where they ordered him to sit down. They searched his pockets and took his cash, US$413, which was in his pair of trousers’ pocket, and his Huawei cellphone, the police said.

The accused persons went on to ransack the complainant’s room, looking for valuables, but managed to take the complainant’s solar panel.

After taking the complainant’s property, the accused persons locked him inside his room from outside and went away with the keys.

On October 18, at around 0630 hours, the complainant, a female adult aged 28 years of the same place, opened the shop for the day’s business at her workplace.

While she was in the shop, the owner of the shop came to the shop, intending to do a stock take. After some minutes, a customer also got into the shop, intending to buy bread.

As the three complainants were all in the shop, the three accused persons got into the shop, pretending to be genuine customers.

One of the accused persons tendered US$3 and asked the shopkeeper to serve them with one loaf of bread and a 2-liter Coke.

The shopkeeper then told them that their money was not enough.

During the conversation, Tedious , who was armed with an Okapi knife, went beyond the shop counter where the owner of the shop and her shopkeeper were standing and threatened to stab the shopkeeper while demanding money.

He went on to search the shop shelves, taking US$430, which was on the shelf, US$60, which was on the Biscuit plastic container, one 750ml Viceroy, four 100ml Mayfair beers, one 750ml Cape Real spirit beer, the shopkeeper’s Itel cellphone, and threatened the owner of the shop with an Okapi knife and forcibly took her Itel cellphone.

The accused persons further slapped the customer on her forehead and forcibly took her Samsung Galaxy cellphone, and they then fled from the scene.

The report was made at the police station, and the police attended the scene and made some investigations at the scene, where they uncovered that the accused persons were staying in a local bush hideout where a local person saw them.

A swift reaction was made, which led to the arrest of Billiat and the 16-year-old boy at the hideout.

The police recovered a black bag with a pellet gun case, a black and red satchel, a black and white Fabian jacket, which the 16-year-old boy was putting on during the commission of the offenses, and a solar panel stolen from the first complainant.

The total value stolen is US$1132, and the value recovered is US$10.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

In the heart of Binga, Susumbe Village, Margaret Bernard, a devoted Village Health Worker (VHW), tirelessly ensures children receive their vaccinations, the elderly get necessary aid, and government health programs are successfully implemented.

Yet, despite her vital role, she receives no salary from the government, a situation she’s appealing to change.

“We’ve been asking for years for the government to put us on the payroll,”Bernard says, her voice filled with determination. “We’re the first line of defense in our villages, but our efforts seem to go unrecognized.”

With over twelve years of service, Benard has never received payment or support for her family.

“Sometimes I feel like giving up, but that would betray my community,” she confesses. “People never stop coming for assistance, and we must help.”

Margaret is one of approximately 14 000 VHWs in the country who labor without pay.

Itai Rusike, Executive Director of the Community Working Group on Health (CWGH), emphasizes the crucial role VHWs play: “They’re the glue connecting our healthcare system to communities… critical to health promotion, disease prevention, and early diagnosis.”

However, VHWs face numerous challenges, including lack of incentives, standardized payment, and protective gear. “We need political commitment to support them,”Rusike stresses. “Currently, VHWs rely on external partners, which is risky and unsustainable.”

Bernard’s story highlights the dedication and struggles of VHWs like her.

As Rusike advocates, “CHWs must be employed by the Ministry of Health and Child Care, with standardized allowances and training… Donors should complement government efforts, not replace them.”

The current ratio of VHWs per population is alarmingly low, with approximately 14 000 serving a nation in need of 30 000. “We need more VHWs, protective gear, and inter-sectoral support,”Rusike emphasizes.

As Bernard continues her selfless work, her plea remains: “We’re not just asking for payment; we’re asking for recognition and support to continue serving our communities.”