BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Villagers in Nkayi have  expressed concerns about the socioeconomic difficulties they face as schools reopen.

At Mathetshaneni Primary School, parents struggled to pay the previous term’s fees of $25, with only 20% managing to do so.

“The situation is dire,” said a traditional leader, Sitshengisiwe Sibanda from Liver Khumalo’s jurisdiction. “Now, the school fees have been increased to $30 per term, which is unaffordable for most parents.”

Villager, Daina Ncube, echoed Sibanda’s sentiments: “We’re already struggling to make ends meet due to the drought and El Nino. How are we expected to pay such high fees?”

Another parent, Lewis Dube, added: “It’s not just the fees; we’re also struggling to provide basic necessities like food and clothing for our children. The government needs to intervene and provide support to vulnerable families.”

The villagers’ concerns are compounded by the fact that many families rely on subsistence farming, which has been severely impacted by the drought.

As schools reopen, the villagers are calling on the government to provide relief measures, such as fee subsidies or waivers, to support struggling families.

“We’re not asking for much,” said the traditional leader. “Just a little support to help our children access education. It’s their future that’s at stake.”

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Tragedy struck at a squatter camp in Bulawayo when a 56-year-old man from Nkayi was brutally murdered and his body later discovered dumped.

According to the police statement, on October 18th, around 3 a.m., Josephat Sibanda was sleeping in his shack when he was attacked by accused persons.

A neighbor heard the door being damaged and someone being beaten up but was too afraid to intervene.

The neighbor only went outside at around 6 a.m. and discovered that Josephat’s door was damaged, his blankets and clothes were scattered outside, and he was nowhere to be found.

A search party was formed, and Josephat’s body was found about 40 meters from his shack, lying in a pool of blood, covered in tall grass.

The police report indicates that Sibanda had a deep stab wound on his left shoulder, a cut on the occiput, and bruises on the left side of his stomach.

The body was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals for post-mortem examination.

Following investigations, Promise Ndebele, a 20-year-old male, was arrested in connection with the murder.

Two other suspects, Xolani Moyo and Oscar Mlauzi, are still at large, and the police are appealing for information leading to their arrest.

BY BAYANDA NKATHA

Stakeholders from Nkayi District have gathered in Bulawayo for the inaugural Nkayi Diaspora Investment Indaba, which kicked off this Thursday morning at the Zimbabwe Art Gallery.

The event has drawn various stakeholders, including heads of government departments, traditional leaders, Diaspora-based business people, humanitarian organizations such as Amalima Loko and others.

The district is seeking to court investors for various projects and service delivery, with the aim of addressing the area’s marginalization and development challenges.

Nkayi is one of the districts that has lagged behind in terms of development, with its two major connecting roads – Bulawayo-Nkayi and Kwekwe-Nkayi-Lupane – deteriorating to an extent that driving has become a nightmare.

However, the district has huge potential, boasting vast natural resources, including rich agricultural soils, water, the upcoming Ziminya Dam, sand abstraction, timber, beekeeping, and more.

Its proximity to Gokwe, Lupane, Binga, and Kwekwe makes Nkayi a strategic market district.