BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

For Obert Dube, a renowned African poet, the stage is no longer just a place for performance; it has become a platform for a massive humanitarian effort aimed at Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable children. Since November, Dube has traversed the rugged terrains of Matabeleland North and South, visiting over 100 schools to provide essential supplies to students who, much like his younger self, are struggling to stay in the classroom.

Obert Dube

Dube, who describes himself as an “African poet… born and bred in Zimbabwe,” has dedicated his career to what he calls a “mission of mercy.” His work focuses on children who are often forced to drop out due to a lack of school fees or basic stationery. “I’m an African poet… a philanthropist engaged in a special mission,” Dube said in a recent interview. “I help vulnerable children… who sometimes fail due to school fees. Some approach me for help with registering for examinations.”

The poet’s motivation is deeply rooted in his own childhood trauma. Raised by a widowed mother who passed away before his final exams, Dube became a “child parent” at a young age. He recalls the humiliation of attending school in borrowed uniforms and the struggle of trying to learn without the most basic tools. “I remember some raised by elderly grandparents… their parents are passed on,” Dube explained, noting that many guardians cannot afford books. “They will spend the rest of the time at school without writing, and that is what is contributing to low pass rates.”

To fund this initiative, Dube allocates 30 percent of his earnings from every performance to purchase stationery and pay school fees. His reach has expanded to districts including Nkayi, Binga, Lupane, and Hwange. While he started alone, his social media presence has attracted global support, including a Zimbabwean-born UK citizen who recently donated football kits for the schools. “This is a different thing collectively that builds helping our own communities,” Dube said.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

An elephant trampled a villager to death overnight in Mthoniselwa village in Ward 13 of Nkayi district, local authorities said on Sunday, in the latest human-wildlife conflict incident in the area.

The fatal attack occurred in the early hours of the morning, according to community leaders, who said the victim was attacked near the homestead.

“We have received a report from our Lupane Investigations Office regarding a tragic incident in Mthoniselwa village, Ward 13 of Nkayi, where a villager was trampled by an elephant,” said Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks spokesperson Luckmore Safuli.

“Further details regarding the identity and circumstances surrounding the deceased are still pending. ZimParks personnel are actively conducting assessments in the area to gather more information. Additionally, the Nkayi Rural District Council officers, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, are on site to investigate the incident and conduct community awareness initiatives,” Saffouli added.

A message circulated in local community groups earlier in the day alerted residents to the incident and urged caution.

“We received a sad report from police this morning of a person who was attacked and killed by an elephant at night in Mthoniselwa, Ward 13. ZimParks has been notified and a ranger is on the way to track the elephant,” the message read.

Community leaders also urged residents to report the presence of dangerous wildlife and to remain vigilant to avoid further tragedies.

Zimbabwe has in recent years recorded a rise in human-wildlife conflict cases, particularly involving elephants, as animals stray into villages in search of food and water.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A Grade 2 pupil and a young man died on Thursday in a tragic incident at a neighbor’s well in Nkayi Ward 19, after being overcome by suspected carbon monoxide and a total lack of oxygen.

The tragedy unfolded near Nkayi Primary School area when the young student was reportedly sent into the well by an elderly man  to retrieve a bucket that had fallen to the bottom.

He reportedly lured him on the promise of buying him sweets.

When the child failed to resurface, a neighbor entered the shaft in a desperate rescue attempt.

Councillor Thubelihle Mabuza Ncube, who visited the scene on Friday, described the harrowing moments that led to the double fatality. “What happened, we understand, is that a bucket fell into the well and the boy, whose mother was not at home at the time, was lured to get in an retrieve it in exchange of sweets and things,” Ncube said. “It is said there was carbon [monoxide]… there was no oxygen at all at the bottom and that’s how he died”.

According to the councillor, the second individual who had reportedly sent the child to fetch the bucket in the well reached the bottom and was briefly able to interact with the child before being overwhelmed . “He reached the bottom, but [the gas] overcame him,” Ncube explained. “He reportedly tapped the child, but then he was overcome by that carbon and lack of air… They both died in the water “.

A third person attempted to enter the well but immediately signaled to be pulled out, reporting a suffocating heat and a total lack of oxygen inside the shaft.

The councillor expressed deep distress over the decision to send a young child into the well. “It is very painful… a Grade 2 pupil being sent into the well by elders to go and retrieve a container from the bottom,” Ncube said, noting that it appeared the community had grown accustomed to such tasks.

Due to the extreme danger posed by the air quality, rescuers were unable to physically enter the well to recover the bodies. Instead, villagers were forced to use a makeshift tool to retrieve the deceased from the surface.

“They were finally taken out not by being fetched from below; instead, they ended up using something like a wire to pull them because people were afraid to enter where that gas was,” Ncube said.

The incident has left the Nkayi community in mourning. “Nkayi is hurting deeply,” the councillor added. “It is a very painful situation”.

The accused has been charged by the police, according to the councillor,