Vendor beats up suspected thief

By Mashudu Netsianda TRAVELLERS and traders at Dulibadzimu bus terminus in Beitbridge were yesterday treated to a free show when a young woman severely assaulted a suspected thief who had attempted to steal a packet of biscuits from her market stall. The woman believed to be in her mid-30s stunned onlookers, especially when she threw all caution to the wind and turned into a fearless boxer reducing her victim, a man who could be in his late 30s, into a punching bag. The incident witnessed by this reporter occurred at about 9am at an open market centre situated in the heart of Dulibadzimu bus terminus. According to witnesses who saw the incident unfold, the suspect, a towering man, approached the woman at her stall and enquired about the prices of commodities on sale under the guise of intending to purchase. He, however, then later tried to steal a packet of biscuits on display but ran out of lucka as the suspicious woman was quick to notice him. It was a matter of a few seconds before the man was brought down by the young woman, before she eventually turned him into a saddle. She then threw a barrage of punches much to the amusement of other vendors who had abandoned their wares to get a closer look at the drama. Some men broke into song and started whistling.The suspect bled profusely as a result of the assault. An elderly woman managed to break through the cordon of chanting vendors and rescued the man whose mouth was already dripping blood. The suspected thief was subsequently whisked away to safety.

Publisher: www.chronicle.co.zw/26/08/09

COSATU demo thwarted

By Mashudu Netsianda in Beitbridge
Courtesy of Zimbabwe Chronicle

SOUTH African police yesterday thwarted attempts by some
members of the Congress of South African Trade Unions to
blockade the Beitbridge Musina Border Post.

The intention of the handful COSATU members who started their
march at 11 am was to block the Zimbabwean side of the border
post and thus stop trucks from travelling between the two
countries.

The demonstrators some carrying placards written, "Fact
finding mission is the workers mandate" marched towards the
entrance gate but were blocked by South African police.

When this reporter arrived at the scene at 12 noon, the group was
singing chanting anti-Zimbabwe songs while assembled near a
taxi rank, about 200 metres away from the border post.

Police cordoned off the entire area and continuously kept an
eye on the demonstrators.

However, COSATU leaders such as secretary-general, Mr
Zwelibanzi Vavi did not take part in the march.

The aborted blockade lasted for about three hours and the
protestors eventually dispersed peacefully and marched back
to Musina.

South African police said the labour organisation applied to
the courts to hold the demonstration.

A COSATU delegation, led by its general secretary Mr
Zwelibanzi Vazi, has twice failed to bulldoze its way into
the country to conduct its dubious fact finding mission.

The Minister of Home Affairs, Kembo Mohadi has warned the
labour body that their plans to block the Zimbabwean border
on the eve of elections was just a "wishful thinking."
He said the Zimbabwean and South African Governments will not
standby and watch people engaging in unlawful activities, to
push their political agendas.

Meanwhile, COSATU said they would hold an all night vigil
rally dubbed the "Zimbabwean Solidarity Rally" at Skoonsplaas
Stadium in Musina.
"We will hold a rally on 12 and 13 March and we are doing
this as a way of showing our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe
that we care for them and we are always thinking of them
especially during this turbulent time where there is no peace
and democracy in Zimbabwe."
"We are also praying for the return of democracy and peace in
Zimbabwe," said the organiser Ms Emily Wellman.
Publisher: http://www.assatashakur.com/03/12/05

Cross-border cattle rustling worries villagers

By Mashudu Netsianda VILLAGERS in Tshitulipasi area in Beitbridge District and neighbouring Madimbo outside Musina in South Africa have expressed concern over rampant cross-border stocktheft cases occurring between the two countries. The councillor for Ward One, which embraces Tshitulipasi village, Clr Enock Ndou said cattle rustlers were stealing beasts from either side of the border and smuggling them into neighbouring Mozambique through the Sengwe corridor. "We are getting more and more cases of cattle being stolen from Tshitulipasi and Madimbo in South Africa, which are then smuggled into Mozambique and we suspect there is a well-orchestrated syndicate involving some locals, Mozambicans and South Africans," he said. Recently police in Beitbridge recovered 60 head which stockthieves intended to smuggle into Mozambique. Three suspects were arrested in the process. They were two locals and a Mozambican. Clr Ndou said last week they had a meeting with their South African counterparts over the issue. The meeting was also attended by Chief Matibe and Chief Sengwe from neighbouring Chiredzi district. "We had a meeting with villagers and all the relevant stakeholders in which our South African counterparts offered to put security personnel at some illegal crossing points through which the suspects drive the stolen cattle," said Clr Ndou. Chief Nne Madimbo of Madimbo also expressed concern over the increase in stocktheft cases along the border. He attributed the problem to the vandalism of the border fence. "We are losing our cattle to organised syndicates involving suspects from both South Africa and Zimbabwe and this is largely because of the boundary fence which has been vandalised by border jumpers, resulting in cattle straying into either side of the border. The rustlers are now taking advantage of that," he said. He said some of the stolen cattle were recently recovered by members of the South African army. This was after the suspects were intercepted by the soldiers at Madimbo military training base. Madimbo and Tshitulipasi villages are situated along the Limpopo River.

Publisher: www.chronicle.co.zw/28/07/09

Beitbridge Border Post gears up for festive season

By Mashudu Netsianda THE Principal Director of Immigration Mr Clemence Masango on Monday said his department has already put in place mechanisms aimed at dealing with congestion at the Beitbridge Border Post during the festive season. He, however, expressed concern over the staff shortage to man the border. “We are aware that during this time of the year we get an increased volume of travellers including other nationals such as Zambians and Malawians using Beitbridge Border Post, resulting in pressure on our personnel and infrastructure,” said Mr Masango during a tour of the border post by the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Gorden Moyo. “We therefore need more officers as queues are unpredictable and as immigration we are doing our best to ensure smooth movement of travellers.” Mr Masango said the number of travellers entering the country was beginning to rise with 36 000 arrivals having been recorded between Friday and Sunday, while 22 000 were attended to on the departure side at the weekend. He also expressed concern over the vandalism of the perimeter fence, a development that resulted in uncontrolled entry into the border area. “You will note that because of the vandalised fence we are getting touts and bogus clearing agents finding their way to the customs yard where they are conning travellers,” said Mr Masango. The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) regional manager, Ms Angela Mashiri, said as a decongestion strategy, they started relocating impounded vehicles from the customs yard to an area outside the border to create parking space for travellers during the festive season. She said they received an average of 150 imported cars mostly from Japan everyday, with the majority of owners failing to pay customs duty on time resulting in the vehicles being impounded and end up congesting the border area. Mrs Mashiri also expressed concern over the shortage of staff saying they were expecting 15 more from other stations to beef up personnel at Beitbridge Border Post. Zimra has a staff complement of 121 officers, which have been divided into five shifts. Minister Moyo was touring Beitbridge border post to assess the preparedness by border officials in anticipation of an increase in the number of travellers ahead of the festive season. He said the Government was concerned about congestion at Beitbridge Border Post during the festive season, adding that there was a need to come up with strategies aimed at easing congestion. “The Government is concerned about practical realities at Beitbridge Border Post characterised by congestion, poor infrastructure and inadequate staff and therefore we are keen to seeing a change and have a different picture during the festive season. In fact, we are saying there is need to come up with effective and workable strategies to ensure a smooth movement of travellers which essentially is why I am here to meet stakeholders so that we jointly explore ways to facilitate the quick clearance of traffic and people,” he said. The minister said there was need to come up with a long-term plan to address the challenges bedevilling Beitbridge Border Post. He added that they were also exploring avenues such as the reopening of the Old Limpopo Bridge to southward bound traffic to ease congestion during the festive season. “We are beginning to think strategically about how we can make Zimbabwe benefit from next year’s World Cup in South Africa since our country is strategically located. We therefore need to come up with a long term strategy to address the many challenges at Beitbridge Border Post and we are also looking at cross cutting issues that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency,” he said. Minister Moyo highlighted the issue of infrastructure, sanitation and staff shortage to help speed up clearance of travellers, as major challenges. “We are saying the processing of traffic especially commercial trucks carrying cargo and buses should be speeded up to avoid unnecessary delays and congestion. We are looking at facilities in order to know how well they are able to handle the huge influx of travellers during the festive season,” he said. “In fact this visit is aimed at capturing the essence of the real situation on the ground in line with the recommendations of the Council of Ministers.”  Publisher: www.chronicle.co.zw/16/12/09

VaPfumbi culture shrouded in secrecy

By Mashudu Netsianda

TRADITIONALLY culture describes the many ways in which human beings express themselves for the purposes of uniting with others, forming a group, defining an identity, and even for distinguishing themselves as unique.
However, despite the world moving closer together through increased migration, globalization and technological advancement, some people continue to have a great concern for the preservation of their culture fearing that their cultural values and traditions might be at risk of getting lost among the mix of new and different ideas, particularly in the wake of the global villagisation trend.

Such a group that continues to defy the trend and continues to express its culture by often creating mysterious activities, practices and symbols that apparently distinguish themselves from others is the Chief Matibe clan of the VaPfumbi tribe in Beitbridge District.

Chronicle recently traveled to the area and unravels the mystery behind this group whose rituals are largely shrouded in secrecy.
Lying on a rugged terrain at the foot of the magnificent Malungudzi Mountains about 70km east of Beitbridge town, is the Chief Matibe homestead, the royal home of the VaPfumbi clan. Traditionally, the homestead is regarded as a sacred place among the VaPfumbi whose custom and rituals are a closed guarded affair shrouded in utmost secrecy.

Despite our 70km journey having been largely characterised by uncertainty following reports that VaPfumbi were a secretive lot, particularly when it comes to sharing their culture with other tribes, Lo and behold! It was a different story as the royal family was very cooperation right from the onset.

On arrival at the chief’s homestead, we were instructed to stop outside the courtyard while our escort, Mr Joseph Lungano, conveyed the message of our presence to other members of the royal family including the objective of our visit.

About 15 minutes later, an age-worn woman, smallish in stature with wrinkly dark skin comes to the gate and she crouches in a manner that defines the traditional VaPfumbi way of greeting. She grins and showing a few stumps of teeth before subsequently beckoning us to enter the homestead yard.

Mr Lungani later introduces the old woman to us as Mrs Mariah Matibe, the late Chief Chichewo Matibe’s widow before quickly taking us through the brief history of the clan and the rituals, which they normally conduct when a chief dies.

Chief Matibe died on 10 May and as part of the VaPfumbi culture, the body was conveyed to a sealed rondavel known as pfamo where it is kept for a period of one year before his successor is chosen.

At the rondavel, the body is placed on a wooden raised bed, which is supported by stilts and a round deep basin is then put underneath.

“When the chief dies the body is taken to a rondavel and we place it on a raised wooden bed after which we then completely seal the hut with mud and cow dung. We then create an opening on the tip of roof top, which we call chiludza through which we pour water onto the body and the remains will be collected into the bowl underneath,” said Mr Lungano.

Traditionally strangers are not allowed to be anywhere near the pfamo, but however, we had the privilege to go near the rondavel.

Mr Lungano, who is part of the royal family, but stays at a neighbouring Tshabili village, said they take turns to visit the pfamo to water the remains of the chief. The ritual is conducted every week and it is the aunts who somehow have the powers to determine the days as well as delegating duties to family members.

The ritual is followed until a one year period of mourning elapses after which the chief’s children would then be paraded around the pfamo. One by one they are instructed to touch a specified section of the mud wall of the hut and whoever touches the wall and pushes it to the ground automatically assumes the chieftainship.

“What is however, peculiar about the VaPfumbi clan is that a chief is spiritually anointed by our ancestral spirits unlike in other groups where the chief’s eldest son automatically takes over following the death of his father,” Mr Lungano said.

What is also unique about the Matibe clan is that they pass on the chieftainship through the swallowing of a stone called Ngwedi. The stone is found in the remains of the chief collected in the bowl.

A local historian, Mr Samuel Mulaudzi said the stone was discovered by the clan’s first chief in a crocodile stomach after he had killed the reptile.

“The first chief of the Matibe clan discovered the Ngwedi in a crocodile stomach, which he had killed and then swallowed it and ever since that time they have been passing on the stone from one chief to another throughout generations,” he said.

Once a successor is chosen he or she washes his or her body using the water from the bowl as some form of protection from the evil as well as being a way of acquiring wisdom to rule.

There is also strange drum, which symbolizes the Matibe clan’s ancestral spirits. The magic drum, whose name is Nangwenani, a term derived from their totem, is believed to have outlived at least four generations. The drum is well-respected as it defines the clan’s identity.

Mrs Matibe takes us to the place where it is kept and just a few metres away from the drum we were ordered to remove our shoes as a way of showing respect.

She crouches around the “mysterious drum” and starts uttering praises to the drum as we knelt on the sun kissed ground sitting on our heels with the knees drawn up. My heart flutters and beat like a bird trying to escape from its cage as globules of sweat continuously beaded my brows as I was witnessing such an unusual and rather unique ritual for the first in my life.

She gently touches the membrane of the drum, picks up a stick and beat it. The rhythm vibrated every muscle in her lithe body as she smiled broadly. 

“The drum has outlived four generations and throughout these years it has remained loyal to our family. In fact, it continues to render inestimable support to the family, particularly during difficult times like now when we are still mourning my husband,” Mrs Matibe said.

“We play the drum during special occasions such as the rain making ceremony or when we are mourning the death of a chief. We also play it when it is raining. In fact, it is the vein of the family without which we wouldn’t be what we are today,”

The drum is however, strictly played by members of the Matibe family who are past the child bearing age and they are supposed to be clad in the traditional attire.

“Not everyone plays the drum; it’s only those who are no longer bearing children.”

According to the Pfumbi culture, whenever a chief dies the children including some close family members are supposed to meet every evening at the homestead during which they play music and dance the night away as some form of consoling the chief’s widow.

“This is a daily routine that has to be done until the chief is buried on 10 May next year,” Mrs Matibe said.

The children then leave the homestead the following morning.

The family also meets every September to choose family members who are supposed to travel to the Njelele shrine in Matopo for the annual rainmaking ceremony.

A local historian and renowned author of history books, Mr Phathisa Nyathi traces the VaPfumbi history dating more than 1000 years ago when they first arrived in Zimbabwe from Central Africa.

“My understanding is that the VaPfumbi belong to an older group, which arrived in Zimbabwe much earlier than the Shona and the Venda. They were however, pushed to the peripheral eastern parts of the country in dry land by the incoming stronger Shona group, which is why you find them in the eastern parts of the country,” he said.

The Pfumbi language is a dialect of Shona and Venda, a development, which is largely attributed to their links and common history with the two tribes.

“You will realise that Shona and Venda are related and they have same origins and also share common traditions and they have common cultural heritage such as stone architecture. 

“However, I don’t mean all Venda groups since they are a heterogeneous tribe and that is why there is an element of Venda and Shona within the VaPfumbi as they were neighbours with the two tribes and that is why you also find the VaPfumbi under Chief Maranda area of Mwenezi in Masvingo,” he said.

Mr Nyathi said the Matibe clan settled in the Malungudzi hills in eastern Beitbridge District from which came the rain-making Mbedzi clan.

“The Matibe clan is of the Chidzivahungwe (Ngwenya or Siziba) totem, which is a Shona group and the Mbedzi clan, which is now Venda, from which came the Pfumbi language. They have however, since become part of the Shona society,” he said.

But why is the VaPfumbi culture shrouded in secrecy?

“It’s a way of safeguarding their tradition and I believe every group has a right to bar access to its culture to outsiders and it should be noted that these are the same people who are associated with rain-making,” Mr Nyathi said.

“What distinguishes this group from other clans in Zimbabwe is that you need to swallow a stone, which comes from the stomach of the crocodile, their totem and if you are not eligible you automatically won’t be able to swallow it and precisely that is how they are different from other groups.”

Professor Charles Nthambeleni Netshisaulu, a South African author and lecturer at the University of Venda and Great Zimbabwe University, concurred with Mr Nyathi:

“This group (VaPfumbi) has close links and share traditions and customs with the Venda people wherein chieftainship is passed on through the swallowing of a stone. In South Africa, some Venda groups in Limpopo Province still practice that although the names of the stones vary here and there depending on their totems.”

www.chronicle.co.zw/13/12/10

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Journo detained over police botch-up story

Posted on April 9, 2010 | Category: Politics; Business, Sport

A Chronicle journalist  based in Beitbridge was on Thursday morning detained
by police over an article that claimed that eight detectives fled for dear
life after an armed suspect opened fire at them.
Mashudu Netsianda, who is Chronicle Beitbridge office reporter was picked up
by two police officers for questioning over a story titled “Cops flee police
station as injiva opens fire”.
Police said the story was likely to place the country’s security at
risk.Netsianda wrote that on Sunday eight detectives fled for dear life from
Beitbridge Police Station “after an angry injiva they had arrested for
illegal possession of a firearm opened fire”.
Quoting sources, Netsianda said the detectives took the suspect who is now
on the run to the police station. However, the detectives failed to find the
gun but the suspect suddenly withdrew it from a bag and ordered the
detectives to lie down before he fled  leaving his car.
One of the detectives, according to the story ” plunged into a pool of water
on a drainage system as he ran for dear life”.
Matabeleland South police spokesperson Inspector Tafanana Dzirutwe told
Zicora that Netsianda was not in police custody.
“I am not aware of that. Infact Mashudu phoned me in the morning inquiring
on some story. So if there was anything wrong he would have told me so,”
said Insp Dzirutwe.
Dzirutwe said the journalist should not be arrested for carrying out his
duties ‘unless he/she had incriminated someone”.
However, Netsianda told Zicora that police wanted to charge him with
“placing the country’s security at risk”.
He said he was detained for more than an hour at the Law and Order Section
and a docket was opened for him.
“However, after the police officers consulted their bosses they told me that
they are dropping the charges. But they strongly told me that the language I
used was demeaning the police establishment.”
He was then released but now feels threatened by the police action.
Netsianda’s arrest comes hardly a week after three Harare-based reporters
where also quizzed by police.Last week two female journalists  Feluna Nleya
and Jennifer Dube of the privately owned Standard  weekly were questioned by
police from the Law and Order Section for exposing an alleged massive land
scandal involving the Minister of Local Government Ignatius Chombo and
business person Philip Chiyangwa.
The story was based on a 54-page report titled: Special Investigations
Committees report on City of Harare’s Land Sales, Leases and Exchanges from
the period October 2004  to December 2009. Earlier in the week, police had
summoned freelance journalist Stanley Gama over a related story published by
The Sunday Times of South Africa.
The harassment of the journalists comes hard on the heels of statements by
the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity Webster Shamu that
harassment of journalists should stop.
http://www.zicora.com

Moo sound in a catte rustler's belly

By Mashudu Netsianda
 

IN a bizarre incident that has left the community of Gwanda district shell-shocked, a 41-year-old man suspected of stealing 11 head of cattle has been admitted to Gwanda Provincial Hospital, suffering from a mysterious disease.Reporters yesterday visited the suspect, Mlaki Ncube of Ngoma Village under Chief Marupi area, at the hospital where he is admitted and found him writhing in pain. His stomach has swelled.

According to police and members of the public, a bellowing sound was heard coming from the man’s stomach. “We actually heard a bellowing sound like that of a cow mooing while he was admitted to Manama Hospital, which is why hospital authorities decided to transfer him to Gwanda,” said a witness. Villagers tipped off the police that Ncube, whom they suspected to be a cattle rustler, was admitted to Manama Hospital, resulting in his arrest on Saturday. All along he had been feeling the pain.

Narrating his ordeal from his hospital bed, Ncube admitted that he stole the cattle and he believes the owners bewitched him.

He said he is also suffering from abdominal pains, adding that for the past four days he has been failing to relieve himself.

“I can’t go to the toilet to relieve myself and my stomach is continuously rumbling. I am in terrible pain and I believe these are acts of witchcraft for the offences that I committed,” said Ncube.

He said he has been pleading with the police so that they could release him from hospital to “seek herbal treatment” at his rural home.

“The police should at least give me five days so that I can go to my home and get an inyanga because doctors have failed to detect anything yet I am in continuous pain,” said Ncube. “This is getting worse and I am really in terrible pain.”

However, efforts to contact the doctors were fruitless as they were reportedly out on official business.

A nurse who spoke to reporter equally expressed shock, saying she was witnessing such an incident for the first time.

The suspect was arrested together with a local senior village head, Madubeko Dube (63) and his son Tsokolo Dube (43) during an anti-stocktheft operation code-named Operation Inkomo Wazithathangaphi.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Tafanana Dzirutwe said they managed to recover 29 head of cattle worth US$6 000 during the exercise, which was launched on Wednesday last week.

He said the policemen who arrested Ncube said they heard a beast bellowing in his stomach.

“We recovered 29 cattle during the operation, which we launched last week after having realised that villagers in Shangaugwe, Ngoma, Selonga, John Dip and Guyu had expressed an outcry over rampant cattle rustling activities in their areas,” said Insp Dzirutwe.

“As police we continue to urge villagers to report stocktheft cases as soon as possible and we will continue to conduct such operations until sanity prevails.”

Publisher: www.zimdiaspora.com/15/03/10