By Maxwell Katakamba
NEWSMAKER OF THE WEEK
Esnath Dhokotera, 29, has risen from owning a small tuck-shop to becoming a decorated businesswoman in the city - breaking the long-held belief that only men can be masters of the retail sector. Dhokotera employs more than 35 women at her Pure Drop shops and bars in Senga
She was nominated by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to be the country’s representative at an exhibition in Nigeria.
She put together a superb display of African ornaments and traditional dishes and was voted the best exhibitor out of over 100. She was awarded with a certificate of being Africa’s Best Entrepreneur exhibitor in the tourism and hospitality division.
In June the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce recognised her at an annual awards ceremony as the best upcoming entrepreneur in the Midlands region for 2012-2013.
BUSINESS NEWSMAKERS OF THE WEEK
PICK N PAY, PINE GUEST LODGE OPEN FOR BUSINESS
PICK N PAY General Manager Africa Division, Dharmalingum Dass, has invested about $2,5 million in the refurbishment of former Gweru Meikles Departmental store which opened its doors to the public early this month.
Gweru TM supermarket closed its doors to pave way for the opening of Pick n Pay, but Dass said the building will be occupied by a sister company within the Meikles group.
“TM Supermarkets (Pvt) Ltd under two brands being TM and Pick n Pay Zimbabwe and the workers from the Gweru store will all be transferred to the Pick n Pay store,” Dass told Southern Eye Business through e-mailed responses.
“We have created in excess of 50 new jobs as well. The Gweru store will be occupied by a sister company within the Meikles group.”
Pick n Pay is expanding its presence in Zimbabwe through a partnership with TM Supermarkets, a subsidiary of Meikles Limited, by investing $25 million to upgrade the chain to international standards as it consolidates its market share in the country.
Dass said Gweru shoppers should expect expanded merchandise exclusive in Pick n Pay.
“The fresh foods department will showcase an expanded deli and hot foods, wider range of meat products in the butchery, state-of-the-art bakery equipment resulting in better quality breads and confectionery at competitive prices,” Dass said.
Farmers in the Midlands province will supply produce to the retail outlet.
“We will be buying most of our produce from farmers around the Midlands area, as well as poultry and meat. In the event that we are unable to procure certain merchandise locally we will source from other markets,” Dass said.
Meanwhile Tinashe Manzungu, the reigning Zimbabwe Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises (ZICOSME) Midlands Businessperson Of The Year, last week opened up a new lodge in the city.
Trading under the name Pine Guest Lodge, the exquisite accomodation facility is situated at 85 9th Street.
“We took our time to provide Gweru visitors with a lodge that will not make the think kumba kwavo. Free WiFi, DSTV, newspapers are some of the benefits our tenants should look forward to,” informed the soft-spoken Manzungu, who jointly runs Tinshel Properies.
The award-winning entrepreneur was also proud to show off his Zimbabwe Tourism Authority(ZTA), Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA), and Gweru City Council inspection certificates and trading licences
1. MP CLEARED OF RAPING FELLOW MSU STUDENT
'Complainant, lecturer's evidence unreliable'
OPPOSITION MDC-T legislator, Costa Machingauta, has been acquitted on charges of kidnapping and rape by Gweru Regional Magistrate Morgan Nemadire.
Machingauta, who is MP for Budiriro, had been accused of kidnapping and raping a fellow Midlands State University (MSU) student in May this year.
But Nemadire ruled that the state failed to prove its case adding evidence given by the complainant and a witness who is a lecturer at MSU was unreliable.
2.FISH VENDOR KIDNAPS GIRL, EMPLOYS HER AS MAID
A 27-YEAR-OLD Harare fish vendor who allegedly abducted an 11-year-old girl and employed her as a housemaid to look after her two minor children appeared before a Gweru magistrate on Monday to answer a charge of kidnapping.
Beauty Rangarira, of Tynwald South in Harare, is also being charged with violating a section of the Children's Act by employing a minor as a housekeeper.
3. GWERU COUNCIL MULLS DEBT COLLECTION UNIT
THE Gweru City Council plans to establish a debt collection unit to recover close to $26 million the municipality is owed be defaulting ratepayers, a senior official has said.
Mayor Hamutendi Kombayi told an online publication in an interview Monday that council intends to put in place mechanisms that enable it to effectively collect money owed to the local authority.
"We have plans in place to establish a debt collection department so that we recover $26 million owed by defaulting ratepayers," Kombayi said.
The envisaged plan comes at a time council is struggling to pay its workers on time and is two months behind in salary arrears.
4. “MY ORGAN HAS MARKS, LET COMPLAINANT DESCRIBE THEM”
Michael Mabana (26) of 1699 Village 12 Mkoba suburb this week proposed to Magistrate Tendai Madanhire that a Gweru maid who is accusing him of exposing his male organ as a way of seducing her, describe what his manhood looks like, since ‘it has marks’.
The suspected sex pest who is employed by Unki Mines, appeared before the Gweru magistrate in Court Three facing a charge of public indecency. Mabana is pleading not guilty and is out of custody.
5. SUPREME COURT DENIES PASTOR GUMBURA BAIL
A sombre atmosphere prevailed in the Supreme Court Thursday morning when incarcerated RMG End Times Ministries founder Robert Martin Gumbura’s bail appeal was dismissed by the court on the basis that his appeal, against both conviction and sentence, “was doomed to failure”.
Just after listening to the judgement, Gumbura’s wives, relatives and friends quietly walked out of the court room in the company of their lawyer, Rekai Maposa.
Gumbura, a former Regina Mundi, Mambo and Ascot high schools geography teacher-turned-pastor, moved to Harare recently from the time he came to Gweru Teachers College (GTC) for his course
6. ARMED POLICE ARREST CITIZEN JOURNALIST, GAMBLERS IN CBD
Armed members of the Police Support unit swooped on unemployed youths who spend their time gambling behind N. Richards Wholesale along Leopold Takawira, this week.
Clutching Kalashnikov rifles and batons, the law enforcement agents caught the card-playing crew unawares, netting about ten of them.
A citizen journalist who had been filming proceedings using his cellphone was also caught up in the net, with cops in plain-clothes not amused by his journalistic skills.
"Uri freelance journalist here iwe? Shuwa ungatora video ye21 minutes unoda kuidii?(Are you a freelance journalist? How could you possibly film proceedings for 21 minutes, and what for?," this reporter heard the officers quizzing the suspect as they dragged him to Gweru Central police station.
7. GWERU BUSINESMAN MARIHOHO ARRESTED IN FAKE NOTE ECOCASH FRAUD
Police bust a three-man fake note syndicate suspected to be part of a gang that has been using EcoCash to circulate counterfeit money in the country. Police suspect fake $100 notes are made in Harare and rolled out countrywide by a suspected syndicate.
The trio, Nomore Nyoni, 36, from Zvishavane, Pardon Nyoni, 28, and Wellington Marihoho, 44, both from Mkoba in Gweru, were arrested last week Wednesday in Hwange after a botched attempt to rob unsuspecting businesspeople.
'Kwapisa' (Its too hot) was Sampletech Trading boss Marihoho's last Facebook update when he got the chance to chat to friends on the social network last week Thursday.
His buddies thought he meant the hot weather.
According to reports made to the police, the suspects would target EcoCash shops where they would deposit the counterfeit money and go on to withdraw it from a different agent. The suspected fake money launderers allegedly committed crimes in Binga before moving to Victoria Falls where they left in a huff on Tuesday after alert victims notified the police. They were eventually arrested in Hwange trying to commit similar crimes.
8. ‘MBANJE WAS FOR TREATING PREGNANT WIFE’S ASTHMA ATTACKS’
Forget about ginger, figs, garlic, coffee, eucalyptus or mustard oil, dagga can cure asthma!!! However you need to take that advice with a pinch of salt, considering that it was given by an accused person in a Gweru court this week after he was found with two twists of mbanje early Sunday morning .
State prosecutor Euphrasia Chinaka told the court how Rodger Ncube (33), on 12 October 2014, met Constable Gwenyambira at 1 Mimosa Rd, Mvuma Road. The cop carried a stop-and-search on Ncube and recovered two twist of dagga weighing 0,006kgs.
Magistrate Sharon Rakafa fined the night rider $30 or 30 days in prison after he pleaded guilty to violating provisions of the Dangerous Drugs Act.
9. ZANU PF FACES SPLIT, SAYS CEPHAS MSIPA
Zanu PF could split if President Mugabe does not deal with factionalism, veteran nationalist and senior Zanu-PF Politburo member, Cephas Msipa, has told The Chronicle newspaper.
In an interview at Gweru base last week, Msipa, who was a key player in the Unity Accord negotiations between Zanu-PF and PF Zapu, said factionalism linked to succession was rendering the party dysfunctional.
“I’ve given a great deal of thought to this issue and I feel that it has gone too far and I must say it’s really up to the leadership to deal with those who are promoting factionalism. It’s unfortunate that we’re spending so much time on this succession thing. Some of us knew that something like this would happen,” he said Msipa said he spoke to President Mugabe five years ago about the need for him to indicate his preferred successor as happened in Tanzania and other countries.
10. CHINOZ PAGWERU!!!
Takatsikwa naComrade Chinoz! Gweru residents, mostly second-hand appliance traders from Bahudur Centre, vendors, and taxi drivers this week mobbed Buhera South MP Joseph 'Chinoz' Chinotimba along Main Street. They were shouting 'Cde Chinoz! Pamberi naChinoz!' and similar praises.Chinoz was cruising in a relatively new white state-of-the-art Ford Ranger, a four-wheel drive and double-cabbed truck.
The Zimbabwean political figure, according to Wikipedia, rose to prominence during the invasions of white-owned commercial farms that started after the 2000 referendum in Zimbabwe. He is widely regarded as a militant ZANU-PF cadre with unquestionable allegiance to the old guard of the ruling party. He is the President of the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions and the National Vice-Chairman of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association.
PARTING SHOT
CHINOZ ON EBOLA
REPORTER: Makanzwa nezve Ebola here vaChinotimba?
CHINOZ: Usabvunze zvakadhakwa, Max. Ndoyataitaura pama elections kuti "Ebola egedhini!!"
Maxwell Katakamba(36) is a veteran Gweru journalist who for 14 years has strung for The Citizen, The Times, Daily Mirror, The Herald, The Standard, The Mail, and NewsDay among other media houses. He was also the news editor at The Midlands Monitor.
View his full profile on Viadeo here: zw.viadeo.com/en/profile/maxwell.katakamba
Cell: +263772697163
Email:mkatakamba@yahoo.co.uk
Website:www.nhasimugweru.com
Blog.www.nhasimugweru.blogspot.com
Twitter: Maxwell Katakamba@GweruToday
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