Online Reporter
What The HECK?
POLICE have arrested five men in connection with the abduction, drugging and rape of a 13-year-old girl in New Lobengula, an incident that has left the local community reeling.
The suspects — Nkosana Ngwenya (35), Derick Gama (34), Brian Ncube (26), George Ndebele (20) and Allan Mwale (26) — were apprehended following a swift police investigation.
According to Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, the victim was walking home from a friend’s house around 4pm on April 10 when she was ambushed.
The gang blocked her path, assaulted her with an iron bar and forcibly dragged her to a residence in New Lobengula.
Once inside, the victim was bound to a chair.
Reports indicate the suspects injected themselves with an unknown substance before forcing the girl to consume a beverage suspected to have been laced with drugs.
The minor subsequently lost consciousness.
She reportedly regained consciousness around 11pm and found herself partially clothed and in significant physical distress, with evidence indicating she had been sexually assaulted.
The following morning, the girl managed to use a shard of glass from a broken lightbulb to cut her restraints and escape while the men were away.
The crime only came to light on April 17, when the victim’s 63-year-old mother noticed her daughter was having difficulty walking. A formal report was lodged, leading to the arrests.
Inspector Msebele urged parents and guardians to maintain a high level of alertness regarding their children’s safety.
“Guardians must closely monitor children’s movements and teach them personal safety. The public should report suspicious behaviour without delay,” she said.
Residents and community leaders are calling for deterrent penalties. — Bulawayo Bureau
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Mystery SMS sparks witchcraft feud in Mutasa
A mysterious text message accusing two siblings of sorcery and blaming them for a relative’s death has ignited a bitter family feud in Mutasa, exposing longstanding tensions that are now playing out at Chief Mutasa’s community court.
Miriam Dzizawa and her brother Misheck sought the court’s intervention after receiving an SMS they described as defamatory and deeply unsettling.
The message accused them of using witchcraft to kill their elder brother, Justice.
What began as a shocking text has since escalated into a full-blown dispute within the Dzizawa family.
Miriam told Chief Mutasa that the message caused her mental anguish and tarnished her reputation.
“In January, I received a text message accusing me and my brother Misheck of killing Justice. We did not know where it had come from or who had sent it. I suspect it was my brother’s children who sent the SMS,” said Miriam, adding that the family was experiencing repeated misfortunes, which she believes fuelled the accusations.
“Men in the family are not employed, while most women are not married. Those who are married are being divorced, while family members are dying,” she added.
Misheck told the court that they tried to trace the origin of the text message through official channels without success.
“We went to Econet and to the police to try and identify the owner of the number, but we did not get any joy. The number is not registered on EcoCash and it is switched off. There is no trace of the person behind the mischief,” he said, noting that the accusation had damaged his sister’s mental well-being.
“My sister cries daily because of this. She hates being labelled a witch. The message stated that we killed our elder brother, Justice. We need help . . . ,” he added.
Chief Mutasa confirmed that attempts to trace the number had failed.
“The person who sent you the message is a crook. The number is not registered, and we cannot see who it belongs to. As we speak, the phone is switched off, so we cannot even call it,” he said.
He advised the family to seek spiritual help.
Following the directive, the Dzizawa family consulted a traditional healer, Gogo Chihera, whose findings added another layer to the already tense situation.
She reportedly told them that an unsettled ancestral spirit within the household wanted to be appeased.
“There is an ancestral spirit in the family that is angry with all of you. It must be appeased,” she said.
She also added that the misfortune was being caused by their stepmother.
“It is your stepmother who is behind all of this. She has blocked the family’s blessings,” she reportedly told them, while absolving Miriam and Misheck of dabbling in witchcraft.
“Both Miriam and Misheck are not evil. They have done nothing wrong. Their faces are being used spiritually by their elderly stepmother. Your late father sold the family’s ancestral spirits to his wife — a stranger — and now it is backfiring. If this is not corrected, you will all suffer and possibly die,” she warned.
The case has left the Dzizawa family divided between those who believe the spiritual explanation and those who do not. — Manicaland Bureau
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Mzingwane headmaster accused of handcuffing and torturing learner
Mzingwane High School is once again under the spotlight following claims the headmaster, Stanley Tizora, handcuffed and tortured a learner during a disciplinary incident.
Tizora has dismissed the allegations as false and politically motivated.
The controversy, which has also gone viral on social media, centres on a learner previously linked to a drug-related case.
Reports allege the learner was publicly humiliated during disciplinary action.
A message circulating on social media reads: “Please protect us from Mr Tizora. Our headmaster almost killed a boy today in front of the whole school after he was found with cigarettes and mbanje. Yes, the boy was in the wrong, but what the headmaster did was not right. He put him in handcuffs and forced him to crawl while kicking him until he bled.
“He pulled learners out of classrooms to watch, then put a sack over the boy’s head and poured water on him, saying he does not tolerate nonsense.”
Tizora rejected the allegations.
“The boy was caught delivering drugs to boarders. The matter was handed over to the police and went to court. He received a suspended sentence,” he said, maintaining that school authorities followed proper procedures.
He denied abusing the learner.
Tizora said since his appointment in 2022, Ordinary Level pass rates had risen from 30 percent to 75 percent, while Advanced Level results have improved from 60 percent to over 90 percent.
He also pointed to improvements in infrastructure and learning facilities under his leadership.
A concerned parent, Mbuso Dlodlo, suggested the incident reflects deeper, longstanding tensions within the school, particularly around leadership and governance.
“There have been ongoing issues of internal conflict and resistance to leadership at the school over the years,” he said, adding that while disputes may be resurfacing, learner safety must remain a priority.
Tizora believes he is the target of a coordinated smear campaign.
Officials pointed to a history of leadership disputes at the school.
With emotions running high and conflicting narratives, calls are growing for an independent investigation to establish the truth. — Bulawayo Bureau
