By Rex Mphisa
BEITBRIDGE chief VhoTshitaudze born David Mbedzi has appealed to people in his area to shun child marriages and send children to school to empower them.
VhoTshitaudze asked his people to stop deals by the river and heed government’s call against illicit trading now synonymous with the Limpopo River.
He said Beitbridge must not lead the country on bad things but instead parents must strive to educate their children and build them livelihood foundations.
“Beitbridge leads in child marriages and teen pregnancies and is famous for that throughout the country. Why should we be known for bad things. We must stop child marriages and discourage teen pregnancies. We must uplift our community,” he said.
VhoTshitaudze was making closing remarks at the burial of the late deputy commander of the Matabeleland South Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Rever Mbedzi at Malala on Saturday.
He described the late Mbedzi as a role model for the Beitbridge community.
Mbedzi declared a Liberation War Hero by President Emmerson Mnangagwa died on March 18.
VhoTshitaudze told hundreds of mourners that Mbedzi was an example of a man who always rhought about his home, something he asked people to emulate.
He said people must not live on luck but work to earn a decent living.
He said if the government inists people must not live through illicit deals at the “river”, people should take heed.
“You heard our minister (Albert Ngluvhe) saying people must move away from the river. Let us abide by that. Let us strive and work hard like Mbedzi here who worked his way up,” said VhoTshitauze.
“He was pro-development, he loved his people and changed Beitbridge Prison during his stint at the station. He helped recruit many Beitbridge youths to join the ZPCS because he had love for his people,” he said.
“He had a human and he did not select relatives. He visited me telling me it would be easier to have youths from Beitbridgebsecure employment if as chief we wrote recommendations for applicants,” he said.
He asked schools to have a bias to STEM subjects he said affected most Beitbridge students looking for employment.
Mbedzi had a different approach to work and conducted himself to his juniors in a brotherly as opposed to a boss approach, said VhoTshitaudze.
He remembered the gift of a chair made from worn tyres Mbedzi gave him on one of his visits to Beitbridge prison.
Mbedzi was accorded a military burial in accordance to the treatment of all people declared heroes
At the time of his death Mbedzi, who died on his birthday, was stationed in Gwanda.
He is survived by his wife and three children and his immediate family all wrote messages on his surprise departure.
“You have been promoted to heaven as you always got promotions during your career,” his wife wrote in her heart-rending message read to mourners.
Mbedzi was born in Beitbridge in 1971 and went to Malala and Tongwe secondary schools for his primary and secondary educationrespectively.
He joined ZPCS in 1995 and rose through the ranks to the position of Assistant Commisioner.