Source: EASTERN NEWS | Amnesty freed man arrested for murder – DailyNews Live
Bernard Chiketo 19 April 2018
MUTARE – A Chipinge man freed from a six-year sentence after President
Emmerson Mnangagwa granted him amnesty is behind bars again in connection
with a knife attack on two women that killed one and left another with
multiple slash and stab wounds.
Misheck Simango, 35, was arrested for murder in Muchawaya Village under
Chief Musikavanhu last week.
He had also violated other conditions imposed when he was released from
prison.
“This defendant was literally given a second chance to become a productive
member of society and has wasted it,” prosecutor Witness Nyamundaya said
when Simango appeared before Chipinge senior magistrate Farai Gwatiwa.
Nyamundaya said Simango had clearly shown a wilful disregard for the law
and was denied bail, on the basis that he was a flight risk and must face
the consequences of his crimes and actions.
He was advised to apply for bail at the High Court and remanded in custody
to April 30.
Chipinge criminal investigations department spokesperson Assistant
Inspector Daniel Mhini said they arrested Simango on March 25 and
classified the case as murder.
“On March 25 at around 12pm the deceased Catty Mtisi (35) who was a
mentally challenged person and her mother Munemwase Sithole (78) of
Muchawaya Village proceeded to their maize for weeding.
“At around 3pm, it started raining and the two decided to go back home.
“While on their way back they met Simango who is an ex-convict.
“Without any provocation the accused drew out a knife from his pocket and
stabbed Catty four times; on the left hip, left cheek and twice on the
left collar bone.
” Deceased’s mother tried to help her daughter but the accused person
advanced towards her.
“She retreated to safety and called for help but no one heard her pleas as
it was raining,” he said.
Simango reportedly fled from the scene after the murder.
The case was reported to Chipinge police and Simango was arrested at his
residence.
Malaria, leading killer: Health ministry
MALARIA remains the leading killer in Manicaland, claiming 28 lives in the
first quarter of the year, but there has been a drop from last year’s
figures, the Health and Child Care ministry has said.
Malaria, a life-threatening disease transmitted to people via mosquitoes,
inflicted nearly 30 000 people, mainly infants in the eastern highlands
and the south eastern plateau of Zimbabwe.
Provincial medical director Patron Mafaune said there had been a marginal
decline in cases in Manicaland, where 29 953 were recorded in the first
quarter. Just over 40 000 cases were recorded in the first quarter of last
year.
Manicaland recorded a total 137 malaria deaths last year, the highest in
the country, with the figures attributed to increased rainfall received
following the El Nino-induced drought.
Public health officials said they were scoring a marginal victory over
malaria year-on-year, but the mosquito-borne disease continues to
needlessly infect and kill inhabitants of Manicaland
Insecticide-treated bed nets have been credited with spurring a drop in
malaria incidence and a marginal drop in malaria deaths.
The province has made tremendous strides in combating malaria following
the introduction of critical interventions such as Indoor Residual
Spraying and Intermittent Preventive Therapy in pregnancy as well as
Malaria Community Case Management done through the village health worker
and school health coordinators.
Officials hope renewed action and boosted funding to fight malaria could
prevent cases of the disease in the next five years and save thousands of
lives across the Manicaland Province.
The United States government through USAid leads the presidential Malaria
Initiative in Zimbabwe that aims to reduce malaria deaths by half and
works closely with the US Centre for Disease Control.
Activities support the ministry of Health and Child Welfare’s National
Malaria Control Programme.
Mafaune – who is responsible for all health activities, including malaria
control and has a team of managers responsible for epidemiology and
disease control, nursing services, environmental health, administration,
nutrition, health promotion and pharmacy – called for better garbage
collection systems and the elimination of stagnant water where mosquitoes
usually breed.
Majority of cases were in children under age five. Malaria is the third
leading cause of illness and mortality in Zimbabwe.
People infected with malaria might carry the disease for months or years
before falling ill.
In the meantime, an infected pregnant woman could pass malaria to her
unborn child, and a mosquito could bite an unsuspecting infected person
and pass malaria on when it bites another person.
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