Sundaymail Editor
A Sakubva landlord is accused of performing unusual rituals to sabotage his tenant’s poultry business, which allegedly collapsed within two months.
Brian Matundu made these allegations after his landlord, Anthony Mapinda, sued him for US$390 in rental arrears at the Mutare Civil Court. Appearing before Mutare magistrate Prisca Manhibi, Matundu told the court that he had not paid rent on time because he had witnessed Mapinda and his friends conducting rituals at his fowl run at midnight.
“I can confidently say that my landlord is the main reason my project failed. I saw him and his friends performing rituals at my fowl run at midnight. Why did everything go wrong after these rituals? Since then, the chickens started dying one by one,” Matundu said.
He claimed the business’ failure, which he attributed to Mapinda’s alleged actions, prevented him from paying rent on time.
“If my project had not been sabotaged, I would have earned enough money to cover all my rent,” he said.
In his court application, Mapinda claimed US$390 in rental arrears, saying Matundu owed him this amount.
He said Matundu’s last payment was US$60 for October 2024, instead of the agreed US$106 for the two rooms he rented.
“I only received US$60 for October, and he had existing arrears. We are now in March and he has paid nothing,” Mapinda said.
In his defence, Matundu claimed they had agreed on a rental fee of US$90 for the kitchen and pantry he occupied when he moved in.
He also claimed the previous tenant paid US$70 for the same rooms.
“When I moved in, we agreed on US$90 for the two rooms. He knows that very well,” Matundu said, further alleging that Mapinda had increased the rent after discovering his successful poultry project.
“Your worship, my landlord later discovered that I had a thriving poultry project and decided to raise the rent without consulting me.”
However, Mapinda countered these claims, stating that he increased the rent to instal a new sink and make other improvements that benefitted Matundu.
“I installed a sink that he uses, not to mention the electricity and water bills that I pay,” he said.
Matundu insisted the US$390 in total arrears included a US$100 rent increase he had not agreed to. He proposed reducing the amount to US$290.
After considering the arguments, the court ruled that both parties would forfeit US$50 and Matundu was ordered to pay US$340 in instalments, starting this month.
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Monster dad impregnates daughter
The payment was to be completed by the end of April. — Manica Post A MAN aged 46 from Nyanga was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison for repeatedly raping his 14-year-old daughter and impregnating her.
He was found guilty of the crime after a full trial.
The prosecutor, Last Goredema, stated that in October 2023, the man forced himself on his daughter in their kitchen hut while his wife was away.
He appeared before Mutare regional magistrate Phethukile Msipa, who delivered the sentence.
Goredema told the court that the accused raped the victim multiple times in October 2023, taking advantage of instances when his wife was absent.
The matter came to light when the daughter fell pregnant.
She reported the abuse to the police, identifying her father as the perpetrator.
In a separate rape case also reported in Nyanga, a Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority employee was handed a 20-year jail term for raping an eight-year-old Grade One learner.
Msipa suspended two years of the sentence.
Lovemore Kurewa, from the management camp in the Nyanga National Park, where he worked in the maintenance section, was found guilty of the crime.
He raped the minor after giving her a drink. He then threatened her so that she could not report the assault.
Goredema told the court that on an unspecified date in 2023, the girl was left in the national park under the care of a man identified as Sithole by her mother, who was remarrying.
During her stay in the national park, Kurewa visited the child on several occasions and raped her.
The prosecutor stated that Kurewa repeatedly threatened the girl to keep her from disclosing the assaults and gave her a drink after each rape.
In August 2024, the girl was taken to Mutare for a holiday. On September 9, 2024, Sandra Muhambi informed her that she was to be taken back to the Nyanga National Park, but she refused.
She then disclosed to Muhambi that she had been sexually abused multiple times by the accused.
On September 10, 2024, Muhambi took the victim to Chikanga Police Station to make a report. The victim was subsequently referred to Victoria Chitepo Hospital for a medical examination. — Manica Post
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Families clash over grave in Bulawayo cemetery
AN unusual feud pitting two families has erupted in Bulawayo over a grave, forcing the city council to intervene to restore peace.
The families claim their deceased relatives were buried in the same grave in the West Park Cemetery’s Old Anglican Section. The situation has become so contentious that both families have requested the local authority to fund an exhumation to resolve the matter.
According to the latest council minutes, the dispute involves families of the late Florence Saunyama and Caleb Somkence, both of whom believe their loved ones were buried in Grave 19 of the Old Anglican General Section.
The controversy escalated when the Somkence family erected a tombstone on the site, believing their relative was interred there.
However, city records indicate that Florence Saunyama was buried in Grave 19 in 2003. While Caleb Somkence was also buried in the same section in 2004, his exact grave number was not recorded.
A report presented by the director of health services on February 10, 2025 detailed the findings of an investigation into the burial records.
“According to our records, including the interment receipt, section book, cardex and fees book, the late Florence Saunyama (female, 69) was buried on September 24, 2003, in Grave 19, Old Anglican General Section.
“The section and fees books also confirm that the late Caleb Somkence (male, 73) was buried on November 10, 2004, in the same section, but the grave number was not recorded,” the minutes read.
Adding to the confusion, two unmarked graves are located next to the disputed site, making it impossible to determine definitively whose remains lie in Grave 19.
In an effort to resolve the matter, a meeting with family representatives was held on January 8, 2025. The discussions led to a recommendation for an exhumation to identify the remains and provide closure to both families.
“To ascertain whose remains are in Grave 19, exhumation will be necessary. The process may also involve opening nearby graves to determine if the remains of one of the deceased persons lie there,” the minutes stated.
Following these findings, the council’s health services department sought authorisation to cover the costs of the exhumation.
The request was approved, paving the way for the process to begin.
As the city prepares for this rare intervention, the families wait anxiously, hoping for answers that will finally put their loved ones to rest, once and for all. — B-Metro
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