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

Relatives convicted of brutal assault of son-in-law over property dispute

Published

5 days ago

July 29, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Bulawayo court has concluded the case of a 65-year-old man, Abednico Maposa, who was brutally attacked by his relatives, including his wife and three brothers-in-law, over a property dispute in Swart Village, Inyathi.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, four accused individuals – Sikhanyiso Zulu, Isaac Sibanda, Cabangani Zulu, and Lucky Zulu – were on trial for assaulting Maposa.

The State alleged that on February 9, the accused persons attacked Maposa with stones, demanding a fridge and other belongings, and left him unconscious with head and body injuries.

In conclusion, the Tredgold Regional Court Magistrate in Bulawayo acquitted Sikhanyiso Zulu and Isaac Sibanda due to insufficient evidence.

Cabangani Zulu and Lucky Zulu were convicted and sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, with 6 months suspended and an additional 18 months suspended on condition that they complete 630 hours of community service.

Hwange

Teacher sentenced to 15 months for assaulting student with wooden stick

Published

6 days ago

July 28, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A Hwange Magistrates’ Court has convicted and sentenced a 27-year-old teacher, Shyleen Nenduva, to 15 months imprisonment for brutally assaulting a 15-year-old grade 7 student.

According to court records, on July 9, Nenduva from Gwai, struck the student several times on the back with a wooden stick, punched him once in the chest, and violently pushed him onto a desk. The assault resulted in the student sustaining a swollen and painful right elbow.

The court heard that the incident occurred after the student misbehaved outside the classroom, prompting Nenduva to caution him. However, a misunderstanding ensued, leading to the physical altercation.

In sentencing Nenduva, the court suspended 6 months of the imprisonment term for 5 years. The remaining 9 months were suspended on condition that Nenduva performs 315 hours of community service.

Hwange

Hwange driver remanded in custody for alleged beer theft

Published

6 days ago

July 28, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A 38-year-old driver, Munyaradzi Gotora, has been remanded in custody by the Hwange Magistrates’ Court on three counts of theft involving large consignments of alcoholic beverages.

Gotora, employed at Delta Beverages’ Hwange Depot, allegedly diverted multiple loads of Chibuku Super beer destined for Binga and surrounding areas between June 25 and July 9, 2025.

According to the State, on June 26, 2025, Gotora sold 1,189 cases of beer valued at USD4,451.62 and failed to deposit the funds. He allegedly falsified delivery invoices, presenting them as credit transactions with Gain Cash and Carry, which were not signed.

Similar incidents allegedly occurred on June 30, 2025, involving 866 cases valued at USD3,242.30, and on July 5, 2025, involving 1,933 cases worth USD8,779. In the latter incident, Gotora allegedly deposited only USD2,110, converting the balance to his own use.

An investigation into the anomalies in stock records uncovered irregularities across the three transactions. Police recovered receipts at Gotora’s place of residence, linking him to the crime.

Gotora is scheduled to appear in court again on August 14. In the meantime, he will remain in custody.