LAST night, we bid farewell to the year 2022. Our Reporter VERONICA GWAZE recaps some of the stories that made it to The Sunday Mail Society’s front page last year.
The “Boss Pango” tragedy
News that popular Ximex Mall dealer Tafadzwa “Boss Pango” Murengwa had shot and killed his lover Samantha Dzapata before committing suicide came as a shock and gripped the nation for close to four weeks.
The Sunday Mail Society had an in-depth coverage of the tragedy. It also travelled to Murengwa’s rural home in Guruve, where events that led to the unfortunate incidents were laid bare.
Shopping mall craze grips Zim
One of our most read stories looked at how spacious buildings in towns and cities are slowly giving way to shopping malls, with the owners subdividing their properties into smaller rental spaces. The spaces are being rented out to people specialising in different trades. One finds boutiques, salons, massage parlours, garment-making businesses, among others, in these areas.
While this has helped create employment, it has come with its fair share of challenges. For instance, some of the new malls are attracting hordes of people, yet they are poorly ventilated and do not have proper ablution facilities.
Naturally, health experts are sounding the alarm.
Risking life and limb
We also visited landmine-infested areas in Rushinga.
Here, brave men and women risk life and limb, as they demine the border area.
Out of the 405 demining field staff, 97 were women.
Tales of expectant mothers
This section also extensively covered the sad tales of pregnant women who are failing to access proper services at Harare City Council-run clinics. It was revealed that some health workers at the clinics are making ridiculous demands, including bribes.
Expectant mothers were forced to bring their own linen and blankets on admission.
This was despite the fact that the mothers had paid for all the services in full.
Those who failed to comply with the demands were turned away. Budiriro, Glen Norah (Rutsanana) and Glen View polyclinics were identified as some of the institutions involved in the practices.
Hair chemicals linked to growing cancer cases
Nowadays, creams, pills and injectable chemicals are part of an inexhaustible combo that is increasingly being used to enhance beauty. Hair products, creams and chemicals similarly form an indispensable beauty toolkit to tame unwanted kinky hair in favour of the “straightened” modern look.
However, it seems, behind this insatiable quest for beauty lurks real danger, which is now being flagged by scientists. It has since emerged that relaxers and other hair-straightening chemical products are linked to rising incidence of uterine cancer.
This is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system. While most black women have used or use hair-straightening products for one reason or another, many are oblivious of the dangers of unapproved and untested products.
A research conducted in the United States, and published in the “Journal of the National Cancer Institute” in October last year, found a connection between using hair straighteners such as chemical relaxers, including pressing products, and increased risk of uterine cancer. The products are also associated with an increased risk of hormone-related cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers, as they contain a dangerous combination of compounds that include steroids, hydroquinone and mercury.
Dangerous innovations hit drugs market
We established that at least 11 new and dangerous drugs had been introduced on the market. Investigations revealed that Benylin, a cough syrup, and a “mysterious” drug commonly known as muti, were among the new drugs and substances that were being abused.
Muti is an imitation of the dangerous recreational drug crystal methamphetamine (crystal meth) and is often mixed with Broncleer, Histalix and Benylin.
Unlike other dangerous recreational drugs that are imported from South Africa and other countries, muti is manufactured in backyard pharmacies by local players.
Chipanga flees DNA test
In our arts section, we published an article of the drama involving veteran sungura musician-cum-politician Hosiah Chipanga and a controversial Zimdancehall chanter Lancelot Chibwana.
Chibwana is claiming that he is Chipanga’s son, who was born out of wedlock.
In our article, Lancelot sensationally claimed he had convinced Chipanga to undergo deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests. After setting the date for the tests, Lancelot claimed Chipanga “vanished” into thin air.
Save us from cheeky public drinkers
We listened to residents and ran a series of articles in which we raised the red flag over cases of public drinking, which had reached unprecedented levels in the capital.
The articles highlighted how some cheeky drinkers turned some shopping centres into open drinking holes, creating chaos in the process.
Residents were exposed to loud music blaring from parked cars. Some of the shopping centres are near schools, a situation that exposes schoolchildren to rowdy behaviour.
Open spaces were also being turned into illegal canteens, where food would be cooked and sold to the public.
Mai Sorobhi’s undying love for TV
We also covered a story on the late actress Rhoda “Mai Sorobhi” Mtembe’s love for acting.
The gifted actress succumbed to stroke on September 12, 2022, at Sally Mugabe Hospital.
She was aged 79. Mai Sorobhi rose to stardom in the mid-90s, when she featured in the local drama “Paraffin”, alongside the late actor Phillip Gadzikwa Mushangwe, who was affectionately known as Paraffin.
She featured as mischievous Paraffin’s no-nonsense wife.
Not even her failing health could take away her love for the small screen.
Sadly, she died in debt. – The Sunday Mail
