National

Spike in suicides by Zimbabwean teachers raises alarm

Published

4 years ago

September 9, 2021

HARARE – Even though suicide is considered the 19th most common cause of death in Zimbabwe, a slew of suicides by teachers have shocked the country.

According to the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ), as many as 380 teachers have committed suicides in the country from 2008-2020.

The country boasts 136,000 schoolteachers teaching 4.6 million students.

Thulani Maphosa (36), who worked as a contract teacher, was found hanging from a tree at his rural home in Nkayi in April.

He had been dismissed from the service due to the continuous closure of schools due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

“He was always sad after he lost his job. He found it hard to accept that he was now without a job,” 61-year-old James Ndumiso, Maphosa’s uncle, told Anadolu Agency.

Last year in March, 54-year-old Ntabiso Sibanda, a teacher from Magwegwe North suburb in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second-largest city, was also found hanging from a tree.

The body of the teacher was discovered by two boys who were collecting firewood near the Magwegwe Sewage Treatment plant.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, psychiatrist Anesu Chinoperekwei blamed economic challenges for the rising suicide cases here.

“Suicide is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the world and we are seeing a rise in the incidence of suicide cases every day. I would like to say amongst the things that contribute to people committing suicide are economic challenges,” he said.

In Zimbabwe, teachers earn less than US$200 a month, a meager amount to keep body and soul together for a family.

Jetro Ntali, a 47-year-old teacher in the country’s Chegutu town, had publicly announced that he will be killing himself to evade mounting economic challenges.

“The money I earn is not enough to support my family,” he said.

“ I can’t afford to pay the boarding school fees for my three children and I even struggle to buy food for them.

“I feel useless at times and so ashamed of myself that it feels better for me to just die.”

With more and more Zimbabwean teachers taking their own lives, trade union leaders are blaming poor wages and the absence of social security for the spate of suicide.

“There has been an increase in suicide cases in Zimbabwe, in the education sector, particularly among teachers and students.

“Several teachers have committed suicide after heated arguments with family members over their failure to meet family obligations, said Takafira Zhou, president of PTUZ.

Based on independent statistics from the PTUZ, every year Zimbabwe loses approximately 30 teachers and six students to suicides.

According to the latest World Health Organisation data published in 2018, suicide deaths in Zimbabwe have reached 1,728 or 1.46% of total deaths.

Another opposition politician Clifford Hlatshwayo said the widening gap between the rich and the poor created systematically by the Zanu PF is leading people to suicides.

“Most of the ordinary Zimbabweans are secluded and exposed to poor services and slave wages,” he said. – Anadolu Agency

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

3 weeks ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

2 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.

National

Retailers send Mnangagwa SOS as shops continue shutting down over operational woes

Published

2 months ago

January 27, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY ZIMLIVE

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and save the sector which has seen various formal retail and wholesale businesses closing shop countrywide due to operational challenges.

In a statement on Sunday, CZR president Denford Mutashu said the continued closure of formal retail and wholesale businesses is a direct consequence of the tough economic environment that has consistently failed to support formalised sector players who face stiff competition from informal businesses and vendors the majority of whom have no tax obligations to deal with.

Mutashu said his association was concerned that authorities continue to downplay the crisis.

“The recent closure of several outlets under the N. Richards Group, coupled with Spar Zimbabwe’s painful decision to shut down Queensdale Spar, Choppies Zimbabwe’s exit from the market, and Mahommed Mussa’s significant reduction of shop space by 60%, highlights the growing crisis.

“As the representative association for these and other brands, CZR is alarmed that while formal businesses face enormous challenges, the authorities continue to present a different picture of the operating environment,” he said.

Given the situation, Mutashu said, only President Mnangagwa can rescue the troubled sector.

“CZR therefore calls for urgent intervention from His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to rescue what remains of the formalized retail and wholesale sector,” said Mutashu.

He said the sector was in urgent need of rescue.

“While CZR acknowledges the continued support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, it is clear that the root causes of these challenges are fiscal and monetary in nature. These require urgent and decisive action to ensure the survival of formal businesses.

“CZR therefore appeals to the Presidium to prioritize interventions aimed at saving jobs and mitigating the ongoing wave of shop closures and retrenchments,” he said.