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Three Chiredzi men on the run for murder

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Three Chiredzi men on the run for murder

By Beverly Bizeki

A 22-year-old man from Tshovele Village, Headman Chitsa, Chief Tshovani recently died at Parirenyatwa Hospital days after he was assaulted by three men who accused him of stealing cellphones.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed 22-year-old Vengai Tshovele’s death and said the three accused persons were still on the run.
“I can confirm the death of Tshovele who died at Parirenyatwa after being beaten by three men from Chiredzi. The three suspects are still at large. Members of the public should not take the law into their hands or administer justice,” said Dhewa.
Circumstances are that on May 13, 2024, Godfrey Khurivale and Absolek Ndali both from Ndali Village together with Answer Musaingira from Keep 1 Village Headman Chitsa, Chief Tshovani teamed up and went to Tshovele’s homestead where they took him to task accusing him of stealing two cellphones.
Tshovele admitted committing the crime after which he showed the three where he had hidden the cellphones and they recovered them.
The three then took Tshovele to the owner of the cellphones’ homestead and took turns to assault him with logs on the way before dumping him on the road.
He was seen by a passerby who took him to his home and administered primary care although the matter had not been reported to the police. On May 23, Tshovele was taken to Chitsa Clinic for medical attention where he was referred to St Peter’s Hospital in Chipinge and was attended to.
Tshovele was discharged the following day and was told to come back for a review on May 27. However, on May 26 a human rights defender is said to have taken him to Parirenyatwa for further treatment where he died on May 31.

Workforce Transformation in the Age of Automation

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Workforce Transformation in the Age of Automation

By Shadreck Zangairai

It is an undeniable fact that we are living in the era which is driven by the adoption of new technologies at an exponential rate. Some call this era the fourth industrial revolution. Analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), cognitive technologies, and the internet of things (IoT) enable a new fusion between the digital and the physical worlds, creating a more holistic, interconnected digital enterprise. As noted by Deloitte in 2018, the change is not only global and technological, but also social and economic. This article will focus on how the demand for workforce skills will change with automation, how organisation can adapt to AI, and how to build the future workforce.
AI applications are designed to assist human beings think better. They enable performance of tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. Automation will speed up the shift in required workforce skills that have been witnessed over the past years. The strongest growth in demand will be for technological skills, hence this will affect demand for basic digital skills as well as advanced technological skills such as programming. Demand for emotional and social skills such as leadership and managing others is expected to rise and the demand for higher cognitive skills will also grow moderately, for some skills, while it will also rise sharply for some other skills such as creativity.
However, other skill categories will be less in demand. Results from an MGI research on Automation, basic cognitive skills, which include basic data input and processing, is expected to decline by 15 percent while demand for physical and manual skills, which include general equipment operation, will also drop, by 14 percent. Skill shifts will play out differently across sectors. Healthcare, for example, will see a rising need for physical skills, even as demand for them declines in manufacturing and other sectors. Companies will need to make significant organizational changes at the same time as addressing these skill shifts so that they may remain competitive. A survey of more than 3,000 business leaders in seven countries by MGI highlights a new emphasis on continuous learning for workers and a shift to more cross-functional and team-based work. As tasks change, jobs also need to be redefined and companies will need to become more agile. Independent work will likely grow. Leadership and human resources will also need to adapt: many companies will lament that their executive team lacks sufficient knowledge to lead adoption of automation and artificial intelligence. The feeling will be that they lack the necessary skills for automation adoption which will hurt the organisation’s future financial performance.
As a result of this gap, competition for high-skill workers will increase, while displacement will be centred mainly on low-skill workers. High-skilled workers are most likely to be hired and retrained, leading to a raise in wages. Firms in the forefront of automation adoption expect to attract the talent they need, but slower adopters fear their options will be more limited.
The biggest question is how will demand for workforce skills change with automation. According to an MGI research on automation and AI in the workplace. The next 10 to 15 years will see the adoption of automation and artificial intelligence technologies transforming the workplace, as a result of people increasingly interacting with smarter machines. This interaction between technologies and human-machine will bring numerous benefits such as higher economic growth, improved corporate performance, and new prosperity. Furthermore, automation will replace aging workers which will also help solve societal problems as well. For instance, in the health fraternity, AI-powered machines are more adept than expert doctors at diagnosing some diseases from X-rays and MRIs. Trade agreements such as the Zimbabwe-China partnership has led to supply of such sophisticated machines such as those mentioned above.
What this means is that such technologies will also change the skills required of human workers. This is not a new phenomenon for skill shifts in the workforce because skill requirements have changed ever since the first Industrial Revolution reconfigured the role of machines and workers. There is a global complain from companies in trying to match the needed talent. Conversely, workers often complain about being underqualified or even overqualified for their jobs. Skill shortages and mismatches have negative implications for the economy and the labour market. Findings from the MGI researches (A future that works; Automation, employment and productivity; Jobs lost, jobs gained; Workforce transitions in a time of automation; Artificial intelligence; the next digital frontier) indicates that this can lead to increased labour costs, lost production due to unfilled vacancies, slower adoption of new technologies, and the implicit and explicit costs of higher unemployment rates. Interestingly, appropriate skills can boost economic growth.
To understand which skills will be needed more and those needed less, the MGI researches looked at the economy as a whole and in depth at five sectors: banking and insurance; energy and mining; healthcare; manufacturing; and retail. MGI’s hallmark micro-to-macro approach uses micro insights from industries and companies to inform broader macroeconomic trends. This assisted in identifying some of the key skill shifts in the future that will profoundly affect not just individual workers, but also companies and organizations.

To be continued next week….

Disclaimer: The information contained herein does not serve as alternative to legal advice. The author do not accept any liability for any damages or losses suffered as a result of actions taken based on information contained herein.

Shadreck Zangairai is a Human Resources Practitioner and for feedback, email: shadreckzanga@gmail.com,
+263772939877/713068365

Small scale dairy cooperative appeals for more dairy cattle

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Small scale dairy cooperative appeals for more dairy cattle

By Bright Zhou

Hama Ruwomba Dairy cooperative based in Masvingo is appealing for dairy cattle from government and other private players to boost its herd as the association is failing to meet demand.
This was revealed during World Milk Day commemorations held at the cooperative headquarters in Masvingo North near Mushagashe Training Centre on May 31, 2024.
Speaking at the event, Hama Ruwomba Cooperative Chairperson Christopher Somerai said the cooperative was appealing for dairy cattle since it only has a herd of four, resulting in them sourcing milk from surrounding farmers to meet the market’s demand.
“We only have four dairy cattle and the demand for milk is high. This has resulted in us buying milk for resale from farmers in surrounding areas as we sometimes face milk shortages for days. We are appealing to the government and Non-Governmental Organisations to support our cooperative with more cattle to increase milk production for sustainable dairy farming,” said Somerai.
Member of Parliament for Masvingo North Constituency Brian Mudumi said he was going to present the association’s plea to government for the association to boost its herd for to enhance production.
“The small number of dairy cattle at this cooperative is affecting milk production yet demand is very high. On behalf of this cooperative i will communicate with government to provide more dairy cattle to increase milk production,” said Mudumi.
The Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Vijay Khanduja, who toured the cooperative urged dairy farmers to take good care of their cattle stressing the importance of good cattle health in milk production.
“Dairy farmers should take good care of their cattle, in India most farmers have recognized that a cow’s comfort and health is important in the overall sustainability efforts as healthy and well treated dairy cattle produce healthy milk.
“When it comes to animal care, nutritious diets, healthy living conditions and good veterinary care are practices routinely used by our farmers to keep their cattle healthy,” said Khanduja.
Khanduja commended Hama Ruwomba Dairy for its diligence in contributing towards the country’s food security.
“This dairy cooperative is doing a good job in contributing towards the country’s food security despite some challenges they are facing. Farmers should be motivated and inspired to increase milk production through the support from government programmes, private sector and other development interventions,” said Khanduja.
Ward 3 Councillor Jadiel Makahore said the government gave farmers heifers but they forgot them and appealed for intervention saying the cooperative was supplying milk to a huge number of people and was contributing towards the President’s vision 2030.
“Hama Ruwomba supplies milk to various wards in Masvingo and is failing to meet the demand. The government gave heifers to farmers and forgot us so we are appealing for help since this cooperative is contributing towards achievement of vision 2030,” said Makohore.
Hama Ruwomba was established in 1999 with 18 farmers who contributed and bought dairy cattle through ARDA but the number has gone down to 11 farmers.

North West Clinic maternity wing nears completion

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North West Clinic maternity wing nears completion

By Virginia Njovo

The long awaited North West Medical Clinic maternity wing will soon open its doors for services with council saying much of the work has been completed.
Masvingo City Health and Environmental Services Director Suzanne Madamombe confirmed the development and said the authority was in the process of acquiring equipment for the wards as construction has been completed.
“Construction work has been completed and we are in the process of purchasing medical equipment for the labor ward, neonatal and antenatal wings. “Tendering processes have already started and we expect to commission the ward in about two months’ time,” Madamombe said.
Masvingo Mayor Councilor Alec Tabe said he was happy with the progress at the clinic as it was an important facility and said council had plans to expand all its clinics.
“We are happy with the progress at the clinic as opening of the wing will lessen the distance that women from as far as Victoria Ranch walk to access maternity health services at Mazorodze Clinic in Mucheke. Council however has plans to expand all its clinics and Runyararo Clinic is next after completion of the North West Clinic,” said Tabe.
Building of the wing which has a carrying capacity of six commenced in June 2023 and was expected to be completed in December 2023.
The maternity ward is expected to decongest Mazorodze Clinic which currently serves Mucheke and Victoria Ranch community as Runyararo Clinic in Mucheke also does not have a maternity ward.
Pregnant women from these two suburbs are exposed to walking for long distances to access maternal health services.

Man found dead after lobola argument with son-in-law

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Man found dead after lobola argument with son-in-law

Tinaani Nyabereka

Gokwe- Police are investigating a murder case in Gokwe where 63-year-old Odent Matikiti was found dead near Kana Primary School with a swelling on his left ear.
Midlands Provincial Police spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the development and appealed for information that could help in apprehending the suspect.
“I confirm the incident which occurred in Gokwe where a 63-year-old man was murdered and we are looking for information regarding the suspect’s whereabouts,” said Mahoko.
Circumstances are that, Matikiti was last seen arguing with his son-in-law, Stanley Nkomo, during a beer drinking session.
The altercation reportedly stemmed from Matikiti’s demand for lobola from Nkomo on June 1 2024 at a local business centre.
In a separate incident, police in Gwelutshena are seeking information regarding the murder of 27-year-old Mongameli Mpofu, who was discovered with a stab wound on the neck near the Sebhumane Cattle Sale Market on May 30, 2024.
Police are urging anyone with information related to either case to report to the nearest police station.

6-year-old crowned Teen Hub First Princess

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6-year-old crowned Teen Hub First Princess

By Beverly Bizeki

Masvingo’s six-year-old model, Dillish Masango who made headlines after winning a pageant in Nigeria is fast becoming a household name as she continues to shine in beauty contests with her latest achievement being crowned First Runner Up at the prestigious Face of Kids Teen and Hub contest at Longcheng Plaza Harare recently.
Minenhle Mathema won the first-prize award under the Face of Kids and Teen Hub Girls’ 6-8 years category and walked away with US$600 cash, a US$300 shopping voucher as well as a one-year brand ambassadorship, followed by Masango who won a US$200 shopping voucher and Hannah Gezi on third position with a US$100 shopping voucher.
Masango’s mother, Rumbidzai Chisangowerotah told TellZim News that she was happy and proud of her daughter’s achievements so far considering her age.
“The girl is bigger than I thought. Each time she is on stage, she wows me with new skills and I am proud of her,” said Chisangowerotah.
Masango first made headlines after winning Miss Victoria Primary School after which she won the Little Miss Toto Africa Zimbabwe which landed her in Nigeria where she was representing her motherland.
Masango made waves in Nigeria when she was still five years old after bagging three titles namely Second Runnerup Toto Miss Africa, Miss Smile and Miss Popularity.
To cap off her greatest achievement so far, Masango is meant to contest at the much coveted World Imperial Beauties, an international pageant that takes place every year in Florida, United States, with two other winners from the Toto Africa in July this year.

Mnangagwa nullifies Musara chieftainship downgrade to headman

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Mnangagwa nullifies Musara chieftainship downgrade to headman

. . .rescinds former Min of Local Govt July Moyo’s decision
. . . .gives Chief Musara powers to carry out duties expected of chiefs

By Staff Reporter


President Emmerson Mnangagwa has, with immediate effect, nullified the
decision by former Minister of Local Government July Moyo to downgrade the
Musara Chieftainship to a headman.
Mnangagwa, through the Minister of Local Government Daniel Garwe has
since wrote to the Musaras copying all relevant departments including the
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Masvingo Ezra
Chadzamira, director local government ministry and many others.
In the letter, which TellZim is in possession of, Minister Garwe said the
President has nullified the downgrading and has since reinstated the Musara
Chieftainship with immediate effect.
“Please be advised that His Excellency the President of the Republic of
Zimbabwe, Cde Dr E.D Mnangagwa has nullified the decision to downgrade the
Musara Chieftainship to Headmanship.
“By copy of this Minute, you are therefore advised to proceed to carry out the
full statutory duties of a chief as prescribed in the Traditional Leaders Act
(Chapter 29: 17),” part of the letter reads.
In 2014, the High Court ordered Boniface Musara as substantive chief for ward
32 Masvingo District, after then President Robert Mugabe through Local
Government Minister Ignatious Chombo had resuscitated the Musara
Chieftainship in 2013, which had been banished by the colonial regime in the
1940s.
In August 2023, the Musara Chieftainship was downgraded to headman by July
Moyo under controversial circumstances. Mnangagwa has since nullified the
downgrade and reinstated the chieftainship with immediate effect.

Anti -development or genuine concern?

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Anti -development or genuine concern?

….Parents clash with Shakashe admin, SDC over bus levy

By Beverly Bizeki

Some parents whose children learn at council-run Shakashe Primary School in Masvingo are up in arms with the school administration, School Development Council (SDC) and responsible authority over the school’s intention to purchase a school bus accusing the latter of misplaced priorities.
The parents are accusing the admin and the SDC of imposing a bus levy on them despite their refusal saying purchasing a bus could not be a top priority as other areas needed attention.
In a leaked and unsigned petition seen by this publication, about 52 parents allegedly wrote a petition against the procurement of a bus which they have said was done without the approval of parents, asking for cancellation of the tender as well as an investigation of the school.
“As disgruntled parents once again we are kindly asking for cancellation of that tender and wish the ministry to send its investigation team to Shakashe Primary School, Masvingo and dig deeper into this matter as soon as possible. We want an investigation team from another province, not our Masvingo team to come and assess the status of our school and submit true findings,” reads part of the petition.
Allegations are that sometime last year, the SDC and administration called for a meeting with parents with the agenda being bus procurement which did not sit well with some parents who argued that the school had other projects to work on including the construction of more classroom blocks.
“Issues of concern are; the school does not have enough classrooms forcing pupils to do hot sitting and learning under trees. Some are even missing classes as the hot sitting starts from grades 1 to 6. Some grades 1 to 3 sometimes forget what time they should be at school because they wake up and spend half of the day at home playing and miss class.
“When they come back from school they will be very dirty because they will be sitting on the ground where there is dust and when it is winter time they will be exposed to cold weather sitting on verandas which is high risk for children to contract pneumonia. During the rainy season they are at risk of being struck by lightning not to mention being soaked in rainwater along with their belongings,” reads part of the petition.
The parents are said to have tasked the SDC and administration to enquire with the bank and gather information on acquiring a loan for the purchase of a bus but did not bring feedback to the parents who then assumed the issue had been dropped.
“However on July 4, 2023 SDC and administration sent us some letters stating the responsible ministry and authority had approved the bus levy in three phases which starts from the second term of 2023 and the first term of 2024. All this was done without any feedback to parents. We called for an urgent meeting which was blocked by the school authorities who called the police to turn away parents on that day. At this juncture we presumed the bus issue was a closed chapter,” reads part of the letter.
The parents also indicated that they were not happy with the total amount of money that will be paid for the bus which is US$210 000.
Contacted for a comment, Masvingo City Mayor Councilor Alec Tabe, representing the responsible authority, said the petition was not signed as is supposed to be and said the authority usually does due process before giving a nod on the school’s projects.
“The SDC must be in agreement with parents before embarking on a project. However due processes were done and a consensus was reached. Relevant stakeholders were consulted. As long as due processes were done we can only work with what was agreed with both parties at their meetings. Our schools however must prioritise development,” said Tabe.
Masvingo District Schools Inspector Ishmael Chigaba said he could not comment on the matter as he was yet to receive the petition as he was only hearing about it for the first time from the reporter.
Masvingo Provincial Education Director (PED) Shylatte Mhike said she received the alleged petition but it was not directed to her office as she was simply copied on the fourth position after the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), Resident Minister, and MoPSE permanent secretary.
“I received it but it was not addressed to my office, so we waited for the office that it was addressed to. I was simply copied meaning I was just being notified of what was going on. So the relevant office will action it and advise us so that we take our responsible action,” said Mhike.
SDC chairperson Last Magwati dismissed the issue and said the petition was not a proper one and lacked parents’ signatures.
“What you have is not a petition; there are no signatures, and the person who wrote that just sat on his computer and produced that telling himself he is representing parents. Ask him what that document is,” said Magwati.
The petition was also copied to Ministry of Local Government, the Director of Housing Masvingo City Council, the Mayor, the Masvingo Town Clerk and the Zimbabwe Ant-Corruption Commission in that order.

Sugarcane farmers take THZ to court over ‘double standards’

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Sugarcane farmers take THZ to court over ‘double standards’

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI- Over 45 A2 sugarcane farmers have taken the sole sugarcane producer, Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe (THZ) to the High Court over a breach of agreement, which they argue has led to a lot of financial stress which might prejudice future production.
THZ which runs Hippo Valley Estates and Triangle Limited has two different agreements with A2 Sugarcane farmers including the Cane Purchase Agreement, where farmers are paid for the sugarcane delivered and Cane Milling Agreement, where farmers pay the milling charge and employ the Zimbabwe Sugar Sales Pvt Ltd (ZSS) under the Tripartite Sales and Marketing Agreement for selling and marketing of the sugar.
46 A2 sugarcane farmers recently engaged lawyer Emmanuel Chibudu of the Manyika Law Chambers to file an urgent chamber application for interdict before the High Court barring ZSS Pvt Ltd from selling sugar this season before finalizing the material breach of the Agreement from the sale of last season’s sugar which farmers argue have left them in dire financial distress.
ZSS is the first respondent in the case while Zimbabwe Sugar Association, Hippo Valley Estates Limited and Triangle Limited are second, third and fourth respondents in their sequence.
According to the application for interdict filed at the High Court, ZSS is being accused of selling the sugar on the export market which was supposed to be sold in the domestic market thereby demanding the variation from the farmers.
“That the 1st respondent has unilaterally varied the volumes of the sugar that is supposed to be sold to the export market, without communicating the decision to do that with the applicants. The Applicants were put and are still continuing to be in dire financial distress as a result of the first respondent’s action of disregarding her obligations in terms of the agreement.
“The applicant followed the dispute resolution procedure as outlined in the agreement but the 1st respondent ignored the invitation to mediation. There was not even courtesy of giving a response to the invitation to mediation. The 2nd respondent who is as well dictated by the agreement to be the mediator ignored the invitation to mediation without even responding. This left the applicants to continue to languish financially while their product is sold on volumes which they never agreed to and were never consulted on,” reads part of the application.
As at January 2024, an expected value for US$ domestic market was $775.68 calculated at 63.58 percent of the sugar produced while the expected value for US$ export market being $220.02 calculated at 22.84percent of the sugar produced while 13.58percent was being sold for ZWL on the domestic market.
Farmers under the Cane Milling Agreement are given advance payments way before their sugar has been sold and the miller is now demanding the variation of the sugar which was sold on the export market at $220.02 which was supposed to be sold on the domestic market at the cost of $775.68.
According to Blessing Z Mahwererera (the first applicant)’s founding affidavit, there are two agreements that they enter into with the respondents which are the Cane Milling Agreement where the 3rd and 4th respondents receive cane from the applicants for milling and charge milling costs.
The 1st respondent would then take over, giving birth to the 2nd Agreement, the Tripartite Sales and Marketing Agreement where she acts as the agent for selling the applicants sugar.
“The applicants remain the principals and owners of the product in terms of this agreement. The 1st respondent acts as an agent for selling the applicants’ sugar.
“The 1st respondent has obligations under this agreement one of which is transparency. Clause 4 of the agreement provides for duties of the agent. A duty placed on the agent under this agreement is the duty of ensure transparency in the determination of the price of the pooled product attributable to the principals by providing the principals with such information as is required in terms of this agreement,” reads part of the affidavit.
The founding affidavit also postulates that the sugar is sold to proportions allocated to different markets with different prices.
“The applicant’s product is sold on proportions allocated to each market and the markets have different processes hence different proportions to each market.
“The mischief and prejudice to these uncommunicated changes are illustrated as follows, for instance let’s say a farmer has 100 tons of sugar, 17 tons of the 100 are to be sold in ZWL in the domestic market and 70 tons are to be in US$ in the local market and the remaining 13 will be sold in the export market for US$.
“If 1 ton is sold for US$857.00 on the domestic market and US$26 on the export market and the agent takes away even just 1 ton from the local US$ market and sells it on the US$ export market for US$26, the farmer loses US$831.00. This is what the first respondent did to the applicants herein and many others who had subscribed to the Cane Milling Agreement and the subsequent Tripartite Sales and Marketing Agreement,” reads the affidavit.
Contacted for comment, THZ Head of Industry and Corporate Affairs Dahlia Garwe said she could not comment on the matter that was in court and added that the sugar-crushing season was progressing well.
“Unfortunately, I am unable to comment regarding the above issue as it is subjudice. But I am happy to inform you that the sugar-crushing season is progressing well having kicked off on 16 April at Triangle and 23 April at Hippo. We anticipate a much more successful season than the previous one,” the affidavit read.

Infant dies in botched tongue-tie cutting

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Infant dies in botched tongue-tie cutting

By Beverly Bizeki

In what could be one of the most heartbreaking incidents of backyard medical operations , a three-month-old infant from Bikita died after a self-styled prophetess who was performing a tongue-tie cutting operation on her mistakenly cut her left cheek, which later resulted in her succumbing to excessive bleeding.
Masvingo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa confirmed the incident and urged members of the public to seek medical assistance from qualified personnel.
“We confirm the death of a 3-month-old baby girl from Duma in Bikita who died after a tongue tie operation and the accused person has since been arrested. Such operations should be the preserve of qualified personnel,” said Dhewa.
Allegations are that on May 30 at around 1000 hours, 25-year-old Betty Chaka left her home in Duma, Bikita with the now deceased Nokutenda Muchini to Prisca Bvunyenge, a self-styled prophetess’ home in Makuwe Village, Chief Mukanganwi in Bikita for a tongue-tie cutting process.
Bvunyenge used a razor blade to perform the process and accidentally cut the left side of the baby’s mouth which made the baby bleed.
Chaka went home with the baby but returned as the bleeding continued and Bvunyenge tried to stop the bleeding using blackjack concoction remedy in vain. Chaka went back home and was advised not to use methylated spirit and had to go to the hospital at around 2000 hours on the same day.
Muchini was admitted at Silveira Mission Hospital where she died just after midnight on May 31 and the matter was reported to the police leading to Bvunyenge’s arrest.

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