• admin
• Chronicle
• December 22, 2011
• 45 views

Gender-based violence up

By Temba Dube
THE number of women counselled for trauma due to gender-based violence in Bulawayo has dramatically increased by more than 100 percent this year, compared to last year.
According to data from the women’s rights group, Musasa Project, the number of women who were counselled at the centre this year shot up from about 700 last year to 1 851 this year.

For the first time, cases of physical abuse went down, to be replaced on the number one slot by the equally deadly emotional abuse.
It also showed that women in the 20 to 29 age group were the most affected as 510 of them were counselled.
The 30 to 39 age group had 424 victims; there were 304 traumatised women in the 40 to 49 age group while 280 women in the more than 50 years group were counselled.
A total of 63 teenagers aged between 15 and 19 years were counselled as well.

In a report, the organisation’s regional manager for Bulawayo, Ms Lindile Ndebele, said the country needed to redouble its efforts to curb the abuse of women.
“We understand that we are in a patriarchal society, but women also need to be respected and treated as human beings. This will give them confidence to become key contributors in their families’ and the country’s economic growth. In this vein, I call for stiffer penalties to unrepentant perpetrators of abuse. I also call on stakeholders to intensify efforts to spread awareness about the evils of spouse bashing and other forms of abuse against women,” said Ms Ndebele.

• admin
• Chronicle
• December 22, 2011
• 61 views

Student nurse jumps to death

By Temba Dube
A third year student nurse at Mpilo Central Hospital in Bulawayo jumped to his death from the roof of a three-storey building at the hospital, reportedly in protest that he had been made to fail examinations because he was gay.

The bizarre suspected suicide, which happened on Wednesday morning, has allegedly opened a can of worms as the student, Mandlenkosi Ndlovu (38), left suicide notes in which he claimed that there was a well-oiled syndicate at the hospital which leaked nursing examination papers to students for a $600 fee.
Ndlovu allegedly failed his final nursing examinations twice, in June and November.

He left several suicide notes, copies of which are in Chronicle’s possession.
Ndlovu reportedly spent more than two hours writhing in agony while doctors battled in vain to save his life.
In one of the notes, he named five senior officials at Mpilo whom he accused of co-ordinating the examination leakage scam.

• admin
• Chronicle
• December 22, 2011
• 67 views

ZEC prepares for referendum, general elections

Harare Bureau
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has started preparing for the constitutional referendum and general elections expected next year by carrying out various activities to ensure a smooth plebiscite.
ZEC chief elections officer Mr Lovemore Sekeramayi said in a statement that people should register as voters for the plebiscites.

“The public is hereby informed that as its legal mandate, the commission has an oversight function over the Registrar General of Voters,” he said.
“ZEC urges citizens of Zimbabwe 18 years and above to inspect the voters rolls and/or register as voters at Registrar General of Voters offices at the national, district and designated registered centres.
“Note that voter registration is a continuous exercise in Zimbabwe.”

Mr Sekeramayi said the commission had already launched a voter education campaign by designing a more sustainable programme and requisite material.
“This time around, ZEC has been more proactive and has designed materials that address specific needs of youth, women and people living with disabilities,” he said.
As part of its preparations, ZEC recently  trained its members and acquired vehicles, computers, laptops, photocopiers, public relations and training equipment and relevant software packages.

• admin
• Chronicle
• December 22, 2011
• 94 views

Zimbabwe celebrates Unity Day

ZIMBABWEANS yesterday celebrated National Unity Day differently