In the community

Hwange sues residents over $100m debts

Published

4 years ago

September 18, 2021

BY NOTHANDO DUBE

The Hwange Local Board is taking legal action against ratepayers to recover over $100 million in outstanding bills arguing that efforts to persuade defaulters to pay up are hitting a brick wall.

Ndumiso Mdlalose, the town secretary, said legal action was the last resort for the local authority in Matabeleland North after various strategies to persuade residents to pay their outstanding bills failed.

“We have rate defaulters that have gone beyond 120 days, and we have issued them with final demand letters, and from our computation we are owed more than $ 100 million in non-paid rates,” Mdlalose said.

“We exhausted all other means to try and convince the defaulters to pay.

“We were then left with one option, taking the legal route because the challenge we have is that people are reluctant to pay.”

Council said $14 million of the debt accrued over the past three months.

At the beginning of the year the local authority embarked on various strategies to recover the money, which door to door debt collection and sensitisation programmes by councillors.

Mdlalose said the strategies failed to yield results, hence the decision to opt for litigation.

“If we had that $100 million, we would have done a number of projects which would have seen us meeting most of our obligations,” he said.

Empumalanga Phase I, Mpumalanga’s DRC section and Baobab’s T-Section are the

suburbs with the highest number of defaulters, the local authority said.

Fidelis Chima, Greater Whange Residents Trust coordinator, criticised the decision to take legal action against residents saying it was too harsh.

“The Greater Whange Residents Trust is very much worried about the move taken by the Hwange Local Board to take ratepayers to court at a time when the local authority is struggling to service stands at Phase Four, Baobab extension and Empumalanga West,” Chima said.

“Most of the residents that are likely to be affected are pensioners and low-income earners and the Hwange Local Board should come up with payment plans and continuously engage residents on service delivery issues. “

Most of Hwange’s residents were employees of the Hwange Colliery Company, which has been struggling to pay its workers and those that it laid off over the years.

In the community

Woman connives with boyfriend to kill step mother

Published

3 days ago

September 4, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A chilling murder case has unfolded in Tsholotsho, where a 34-year-old woman, Linnar Muzimela, and her boyfriend, Nkosi, are being sought by police for allegedly killing Muzimela’s 58-year-old step mother, Jenifer Dube.

According to the police, the brutal murder occurred in Magotsha Line in May 2025. The suspects allegedly buried Dube’s body in a shallow grave in the garden, where it was later retrieved by police on Tuesday, this week.

Police are now appealing for information that may lead to the arrest of Muzimela and Nkosi. The motive behind the murder is still unclear, but the police are working tirelessly to piece together the events surrounding Dube’s tragic death.

In the community

Victoria Falls Junior Council urged to propose projects for 2026 budget

Published

6 days ago

September 1, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

In a significant push to empower the youth and encourage community development, Kholwani Mangena, the Chamber Secretary of Victoria Falls City Council, has urged the Junior Council to identify and propose projects they wish to see funded in the 2026 budget.

This call to action was made during a recent budget consultation meeting held at Chinotimba Clinic, where concerns about the lack of support for the Junior Council and local youth from the council’s livelihoods program were raised.

Mangena highlighted an opportunity, revealing that the council has earmarked a piece of land specifically for youth-led initiatives, particularly in agriculture.

“Otherwise, on the other projects you have proposed such as poultry in this coming budget, for 2026, we have earmarked some piece of land so that if you want to do poultry, you can do that,” she stated. Her message was clear: youth and women, as well as people with disabilities, must take the initiative to define their projects and funding needs.

The Secretary brought attention to previous efforts made by the council to support marginalized groups, mentioning, “We gave them a piece of land somewhere about three months ago,” referring to the land allocated for various community projects. She encouraged the Junior Council to be proactive in outlining their desired projects, saying, “Identify your projects. Be clear about the projects that you want to do and the funding. And then we can ask the council to fund those.”

Mangena also offered support for fundraising efforts, suggesting that the council could provide initial funding for activities like a talent show to help raise funds for their proposed initiatives. “Before the end of the year, we can do that. For example, maybe you want to do some fundraising. We can give you the money to start that fundraising,” she continued, emphasizing the importance of grassroots efforts in driving change and development.

Hwange

Argument over underwear leads to stabbing and attempted murder charge for Hwange woman

Published

1 week ago

August 29, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

Eunice Ngwenya, a 32-year-old woman from Makwika Village, has appeared in the Hwange Regional Court, facing charges of attempted murder following a domestic dispute that left her boyfriend, Mbekezeli Sibanda, in serious condition.

The incident, which occurred on the 18th of August, began when Ngwenya, Sibanda, and Ngwenya’s sister were walking together. According to reports, the disagreement erupted over Sibanda’s inner garment, which Ngwenya allegedly refused to return despite his repeated requests.

Following a brief separation, Ngwenya returned to the scene with the garment in hand. However, she had concealed a kitchen knife within it.

As Sibanda reached to reclaim his clothing, Ngwenya allegedly pulled out the knife and stabbed him twice—once in the right arm and once in the right side of his chest.

Witness accounts indicated that Sibanda sustained serious bleeding injuries as a result of the stabbings.

In a state of distress, he attempted to seek help from a workmate but was unsuccessful. Despite his injuries, he managed to return home, where a friend assisted him in reporting the matter to the police and obtaining medical treatment.

A medical report confirming the wounds has been compiled and will serve as evidence in this case.

Following the incident, Ngwenya was arrested and charged with attempted murder.

She was remanded in custody today, with the court setting her next appearance for on the 5th of September, pending the finalization of investigations.