By Tatiana Mhararira

Since 2000, Madzive River Bridge that connects villagers from Hari, Mbeva and Mutonhodzi areas in Masvingo North has not been repaired and villagers are appealing to authorities to intervene.
The bridge, which connects roads network in Mbeva, Hari and Mutonhodzi villages, has an economic value since it links the community to Masvingo town where they access a number of services as well as selling their fresh farm produce.
Speaking to TellZim News, Ward 14 Councillor Misheck Nzvinginya whose ward the bridge is located said it is a vital economic resource that connects communities for different programmes.
“Most villagers from Mbeva travel daily to Masvingo to sell sugarcane and vegetables, and the damaged bridge has disrupted their economic activities because low lying vehicles struggle to cross through the temporary crossing point and it is worse during rainy season when the river gets flooded,” said Nzvinginya.
“Transporters who ferry villagers to and from Masvingo also face challenges, as the poor condition of the bridge has led to increased vehicle repairs, and the burden is felt by villagers as transporters transfer this cost to the villagers by increasing the fares,” Nzvinginya added.
During the rainy season, villagers on the other side of the bridge struggled to access essential services such as the grinding mill which is on the other side of the river.
A local villager Noah Machote said the situation was also affecting learners who cannot cross the river to school when there are floods.
“Most vehicles do not cross the bridge, and we are often forced to carry the sick on our backs to Zano Clinic, we have lost patients on their way to the clinic.
“The poor road network has also limited the movement of leaners to Makwavo and Zano schools, leading to increased absenteeism during the rainy season,” said Machote.
The prolonged abandonment of the bridge has had a significant impact on the economic and social well-being of the surrounding communities, highlighting the need for urgent intervention to repair the critical infrastructure.

By Staff Reporter

MASVINGO – Regency Group of Hotels management is failing to pay its workers with some going for more than four months without salaries.
Regency Hotels runs Flamboyant, Chevron and Panyanda in Masvingo as well as Fairmile Hotel in Gweru.
Contacted for comment, Regency Hotels Managing Director Edison Zvobgo Junior who is also Masvingo Central MP could neither confirm nor deny as he said there were some challenges which had since been resolved.
“I have no comment on that matter but what I can simply say is that there were some temporary challenges that have since been addressed,” said Zvobgo.
Sources within the organisation said the salary issue had been taken to the National Employment Council (NEC) and the Zimbabwe Catering and Hotel Workers Union (ZCHWU). The hotel management was said to have tried but in vain to persuade workers to withdraw the matter.
ZCHWU regional organizing secretary Elliot Madzore confirmed that his organisation was dealing with the matter but referred questions to his superiors.
“Yes we are dealing with the matter but I cannot give you more details as I am not allowed to speak to the media, you should talk to my superiors for a detailed comment,” said Madzore.
However, sources said ZCHWU had since given Regency an ultimatum to clear all the salary arrears before they take up the matter.
“They are paying workers in batches and so far they have only paid 10 people for the month of March and they only paid the ZIG component and the rest are yet to get their salaries. However, they were given seven days to clear the arrears and if they fail the matter will be taken up to labor court.
“The matter was taken to NEC and we have had several meetings with the management which is trying to persuade the workers to withdraw the cases and pursue internal processes. The workers are irked by the fact that the management is not showing any remorse, rather they are boastful, arrogant and too reluctant to address the salary arrear issues,” said one of the employees who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Another source said there was serious mismanagement of the organisation which is witnessed by the deterioration of services and infrastructure which is in dilapidating state.
“Standards are getting down every day at all the hotels, there is no maintenance of infrastructure, and there are very old beds and linen, the workers have no motivation so the services are also getting lower,” said another source.
Flamboyant Hotel used to be one of the best in Masvingo town but the standards continue to deteriorate and is left at the mercy of those clients who want to book there or Chevron because of its proximity to town.

By Staff Reporter

In a sad development, Masvingo Rural District Council has reintroduced a clinic levy on all its health facilities in the district ending a 10 year free access to health care services.
Masvingo RDC chairperson Elias Jera confirmed the development to TellZim News saying the move was necessitated by high operational costs since donors who were funding the costs for the past decade had pulled out.
A notice was flighted by the local authority giving specifications of the levy which is effective from August 01, 2024 where adults are expected to pay US$1 whilst children will be paying US$0.50. Pregnant women will be expected to pay US$5 per pregnancy.
“Please be advised that council is re-introducing clinic levies in council clinics with effect from August 1 as follows. Adults US$ 1 per visit, children US$0.50 per visit, maternity US$5 per visit. The move has been necessitated by clinics’ running costs,” reads the notice.
Jera said they were aware of the difficult situation villagers were facing especially in rural areas but had no better options than to levy them operational costs only.
“We reintroduced the levy that had been stopped in 2014. We used to have donors who were funding these operational costs but sadly the funding partner pulled out recently, therefore, we had no other option than to reintroduce the levy so that we cover the operational costs,” said Jera.
“We are aware that people are struggling and they hardly afford to pay for the health care services but this was the only viable option if we are to sustain these clinics. Villagers will only pay operational costs,” he added.
The health facilities were being funded on a programme called Result Based Financing (RBF).
Access to health is expensive and dire as most health facilities have no medication and usually people go there to get prescriptions that they will use to buy medication from pharmacies.

By Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru — The ZB Financial Holdings hosted a successful Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Expo at Gweru Sports Club last Saturday July 27.
The Midlands SMEs Expo was held under the theme; ‘Accelerating SME Growth through Financial Partnerships,’ with an objective to enhance collaboration and support to Zimbabwe’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Owen Ncube applauded ZB Financial Holdings for its leadership and commitment to advancing the MSME sector.
“Zimbabwe’s economy, noting that they account for over 60% of economic activities, provide 4.8 million full-time jobs, and contribute USD 7.8 billion to the GDP. Despite this significant impact, MSMEs face challenges such as inadequate business management skills, limited mentorship, and poor access to markets, workspace, and affordable finance.
“The government’s efforts, guided by the MSMEs Policy Framework (2020-2024), include promoting access to finance through various funds and Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOS), facilitating market access in partnership with ZimTrade, offering business and technical skills training, and encouraging the adoption of standards and product certification. Additionally, efforts to formalize MSMEs through business registration are ongoing,” said Ncube.
“Participants at the Expo are set to benefit from financial literacy training, opportunities to explore diverse funding avenues, and interactions with financial institutions to identify tailored financial products. The event also highlights sustainability practices through the Grow a Tree Foundation and provides insights into public procurement opportunities.” He added.
Speaking at the same event, Standard Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) representative, Nyasha Mutseyekwa said they were there to work with SMEs in coming up with fine standards.
“So as Standard Association, we are not responsible for making standards, rather we invite other important stakeholders – be it academia, retailers, researchers, etc, so that they assist you. We want you to bring your products for testing before taking them to the market,” said Mutseyekwa.
“The benefit of us testing your products as MSMEs is, you get the market value and quality of your product. Even if you want to get a loan, once your products are certified, it brings in confidence to the lenders,” Mutseyekwa added.

…Tagwirei, Chimuka, Kondongwe, Chadzamira attend the church service

By Jabulani Charumbira

MASVINGO – The Seventh Day Adventist’s (SDA) Zimbabwe Central Union Conference (ZCUC) – Adventist laymen’s Services and Industries (ASI) function held on July 27, 2024 at Masvingo Showground, where over 5 000 members attended, ended on a high note.
The event was attended by top business persons Kudakwashe Tagwirei, Masvingo based Stanley Kondongwe, Obey Chimuka and the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira.
Hundreds of congregants including the elderly and widows among other vulnerable groups went back home with smiles on their faces as they received groceries donated by Tagwirei, Kondongwe and Chimuka
The total consignment included 30 tons of mealie meal, 30 tons of beans and 30 000 litres of cooking oil.
Speaking to TellZim News, many beneficiaries thanked the trio for extending their hands to assist the less privileged during these difficult times worsened by the El Nino-induced drought.
“I am grateful; I want to thank them for the food hampers. There is serious drought caused by El Nino so I was struggling to put food on the table. May the Good Lord bless them,” said one of the beneficiaries.
Kondongwe is the current president of the Zimbabwe Union Conference which oversees the North West and Central Zimbabwe that includes Kwekwe, Kadoma, Gokwe, Sanyati, and Chegutu, Chiredzi, Masvingo, Zvishavane, and Gweru.
Tagwirei on the other hand owns Sakunda Holdings, a major conglomerate with interests in energy, agriculture, mining and other sectors, whilst Chimuka runs a business investments in mining, agriculture and real estate among other things.
Apart from the goods donated under the ‘Bridge The Gap (BTG) initiative, the trio also pledged to avail a revolving fund for the youths to start income generating projects.
Minister Chadzamira hailed the trio of Tagwireyi, Chimuka and Kondongwe for remembering the elderly and vulnerable groups who are facing starvation as a result of the El Nino induced drought.
Chadzamira said the event did not only provided a spiritual experience for the SDA community but also demonstrated the power of collaboration and the commitment of Zimbabwean business leaders to support their communities.