BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 49-year-old security guard from Hwange appeared in court facing four counts of aggravated indecent assault.

The accused, from Hwange, is accused of sexually assaulting three male colleagues, including a 17-year-old, on various dates in August.

According to the prosecution, the accused offered the 17-year-old complainant accommodation at his house after he secured a job at his workplace.

On the night of August 10, the accused allegedly had anal sexual intercourse with the complainant without his consent.

The complainant confided in a friend and workmate, who advised him to wear tight-fitting clothes to deter the accused.

However, the accused allegedly had sexual intercourse with the complainant again on August 13.

Furthermore, he is accused of indecently assaulting two more male colleagues, aged 19 and 18, on August 15 and August 25, respectively.

He was remanded in custody to October 25, pending trial.

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A 34-year-old man has appeared in court on charges of threatening to commit murder and possession of prohibited knives.

Irvine Shoko, of Gamba Village, Hwange, is the accused.

On June 6, Shoko went to Possent Nyathi’s homestead around 10 pm and declared his intention to marry Nyathi’s daughter.

When Nyathi informed Shoko that his daughter was already married, Shoko became agitated, shouted at Nyathi, and threatened to kill him.

A police report was made, leading to Shoko’s arrest.

During his arrest, Shoko was found in possession of an okapi knife, a prohibited weapon.

Shoko was fined USD150, which was broken down into USD100 for the threat to commit murder and USD50 for possession of a prohibited weapon.

He was also given a wholly suspended three-month sentence on the condition that he does not commit a similar offense in the next five years.

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

In a proactive move to combat the spread of Mpox, a rare viral infection formerly known as Monkeypox, the Hwange district has set up an isolation facility at the Victoria Falls City Council run clinic.

According to Fungai Musinami, the district’s medical officer, the facility is ready to receive patients and is equipped to handle suspected cases of Mpox.

“We have engaged the tourism stakeholders so that we can have a concerted effort in our preparedness, should we have a case or a suspected case,” Musinami says.

With the facility in place, the district is well-prepared to handle any potential cases of Mpox and prevent the spread of the virus.

The isolation facility is a result of the district’s efforts to build on existing systems established during the Covid-19 and Cholera outbreaks.

“We will be utilizing facilities that we used for Covid-19 isolation to isolate Mpox. So, should that happen, those facilities are ready and available,” Musinami explains.

The facility will provide appropriate care and treatment to patients with Mpox, and the district’s medical team is on high alert to monitor and respond to any suspected cases.

In addition to the isolation facility, the district has implemented temperature checks for travelers entering the country and has disseminated key messages to local communities about Mpox infection prevention.

The district is particularly cautious with truck drivers and tourists in Victoria Falls, where the risk of transmission is higher.

The Ministry of Health and Child Care has highlighted symptoms to look out for, including fever, rash, headache, muscle ache, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, and respiratory symptoms.

People with Mpox can pass on the infection to others until all sores have healed and a new layer of skin has formed.

Children, pregnant women, and persons with weakened immune systems are at risk of complications.

As of October 15, Zimbabwe has confirmed two cases of Mpox.

The cases were reported in Harare and Mberengwa, and both patients are in stable condition, receiving appropriate care. The first case involves an 11-year-old boy who traveled to South Africa in August and returned on September 10.

He developed symptoms on September 23 but is no longer infectious and is being cared for in isolation. Seven contacts have been identified and are being monitored.

The second case is a 24-year-old man who traveled to Tanzania on September 14 and returned on September 21. He developed symptoms five days later and is also no longer infectious, with contact tracing underway.