BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Residents of Victoria Falls are struggling to coexist with a large number of buffaloes that have taken over the streets of both high-density urban areas and low-residential areas.

The buffaloes seem to be everywhere, leaving residents frustrated and desperate.

Videos taken by residents and VicFallsLive, our media organization, show people trying to chase them away using sticks and rocks, but the buffaloes are undeterred.

This morning, three buffaloes blocked the road on Jakaranda Street, eating leaves from the trees and grass.

Despite the distress calls from residents, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) maintains that the buffaloes are within their habitat.

“I think we need to understand who is is saying there has been a growing trend of buffalos in Victoria Falls for an example, l think the numbers we have in Victoria Falls we don’t have much problems with them and this is what attracts tourists,”said Tinashe Farawo, Zimparks spokesperson.

“It’s a tourist town and one of the major draw-cuts for tourists is those buffalos. It is definitely their habitat that’s where they stay in the wild.”

However, residents disagree. They say the buffaloes are causing a nuisance and pose a danger to humans.

“We are working hard to make a living, and now we have to deal with these wild animals in our streets,” said Khulani Ncube.

In one incident, about 40 buffaloes blocked the road on Mkhosana Street near Kazungula Road, eating vegetables. “It’s like they own the place,” said Trymore Ndolo who witnessed the scene, adding that they might cause a casualty if action is not taken.

While the Zimparks says that the buffaloes are a tourist attraction, residents argue that their safety should come first.

“We understand that tourism is important, but what about our lives?” asked a resident.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A 37-year-old Hwange man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for stealing five cattle belonging to his mother, which he all killed before being caught by the police slaughtering another belonging to another villager.

Chasemore Ngwenya (37) fromMadumabisa  was arraigned before the Hwange Magistrates’ Court facing 2 counts of stock theft.

The National Prosecuting Authority says that sometime in 2019 and at Madumabisa grazing area, the accused stole 5 cattle (3 branded cattle and 2 calves) belonging to his mother.

The total value of the cattle stolen is$1 500 and nothing was recovered.

The offence only came to light on the 4th of November, at around 5PM when the accused was found by the Police at GVZ grazing area skinning another cow.

The value of the stolen property is $450 and nothing was recovered

The accused person was sentenced to 9 years imprisonment on the first count and 9 years imprisonment for the second count.

Both sentences will run concurrently.

He will serve 9 years effectively.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

An 18-year-old teenager from Victoria Falls has been arrested for suspected murder, where he is accused of murdering his 34-year-old  step father.

The accused, from Chinotimba is now under police custody charged with murdering the man identified as Trust.

According to Matabeleland North police spokesperson Glory Banda, the deceased was found hanging from a 1.8 meters long tree at a Truck Stop area, on November 4, with blood at the back of his head.

The accused allegedly assaulted his step father with a log after being instructed to stop insulting the family and refusing to stop.

The events leading up to the tragedy began when Trust, who was drunk, started insulting the accused’s mother and sister.

The accused asked him to stop, but Trust refused and insulted him as well.

In the heat of the moment, the accused picked up a log and assaulted his step father twice on the head, the limbs and several times on the body.

After the assault, Trust went to a neighbor’s house and reported that he had been assaulted by his son.

The neighbor advised him to sleep in his car to avoid further confrontations.

The next day, Trust’s body was found  by a 14-year-old at 6AM, hanging from a tree at a Truck Stop area.

Banda said he had used the rope extracted from a blanket.

Banda said investigation is ongoing, and the postmortem will reveal whether the cause of death was the assault or the hanging.