By Decide Nhendo

Puma Energy Zimbabwe has officially opened its Masvingo industrial retail branch at a colorful ceremony that was officiated by Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira on March 20.
The fuel station, which is located along Access Road, Masvingo Industrial Area attached to the new fast food outlet KFC becomes the third Puma service station in town with its first located next to Total service station along Robert Mugabe Road and another one located at Wimpy along Masvingo – BeitBridge road.
In his speech, at the event, Chadzamira described the move as a great catalyst to development towards the attainment of vision 2030 saying it was going to help accelerate development in all sectors of production and development as most business activities depend on fuel energy.
“I applaud the establishment of another Masvingo Puma Energy retail in Masvingo as it is going to foster progress and production since most of our businesses including mining, tourism and agriculture need fuel as energy so all sectors are going to benefit from this retail,” Chadzamira said.
Chadzamira also said the development done by Puma Energy Zimbabwe in Masvingo was in line with the country’s Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy (NDS1) mantra which targets to ensure development in all sectors and all places in the country to ensure that by 2030 Zimbabwe will be an upper middle income economy.
Speaking at the commissioning event, Puma Energy Zimbabwe General Manager Donatien Kodog said Masvingo industrial Puma Energy retail was established in order to keep bringing energy to communities as the company’s mandate.
He said the company’s main vision was to procure clean and safe fuel to all communities in the country including communities which are not easily accessible and said they had almost all motor lubricants at their retails.
“Masvingo Puma Energy retail was established so as to provide fuel to the Masvingo community as it is our mandate to procure clean and safe fuel to all our customers and I am sure the business community is going to benefit a lot from this,” said Kodog.
In Zimbabwe the energy firm now has 52 service stations countrywide, servicing four airports, operating one terminal and has four storage depots and mainly sell fuel, lubricants, refreshments and convenience shopping needs.
Kodog expressed the company’s commitment to solarize their retail network in the company, of which part of the broader plan is to install 300 solar systems across their network to help fight escalating climate change effects that are hazardous to environment.
The business community in Masvingo welcomed the move and described it as an added advantage that was going to fuel development as they now access fuel from one of major fuel giants in the country.
“Puma Energy Zimbabwe is one of the major fuel service providers in the country and globally, I am sure this development is going to help us with safe and clean fuel especially in my line of business as a taxi operator who plies Masvingo-Mashava route,” said Simbarashe Muchato.
One of small scale farmers from Mushandike John Machabi said the pump is a blessing as he is going to access clean fuel on his way in or out of town as he supplies his goods to Chitima market.
There is a proliferation of fuel service stations in Masvingo Town with another new station being Express Service station located in Hofmeyer Street near Makurira Memoral Clinic.

By Decide Nhendo

Masvingo Provincial Drug Taskforce which comprises of the Provincial Information Office, Ministry of Health and Childcare, Zimbabwe Republic Police among other stakeholders has taken drug abuse awareness to schools with the determination to nip the menace in the bud.
Determined to educate students in Masvingo schools on the escalating drug misuse in schools and the country as a whole, the task force is speaking to learners, encouraging them to shun substance and drug abuse.
On March 18, the taskforce visited three schools namely Gokomere High, Mushagashe Training Centre and St Stanislaus Secondary School where learners interacted with members of the taskforce and got firsthand information on the dangers of drug abuse.
Commenting on the sidelines of the school visits, Masvingo District Schools Inspector (DSI) Ishmael Chigaba applauded the move saying it was a great solution in bringing awareness to the dangers of drugs and substance abuse which has taken schools by storm, mainly in urban centers.
“I applaud this move which is being run by the government organs on drugs and substance abuse chaired by the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira as it is going to help learners know the dangers of drugs to their mental and physical health.
“This program should be done at all schools in Masvingo province and I think schools that need this awareness most are those in urban areas because that’s where drug abuse is more prevalent compared to those in rural areas,” said Chigaba.
Provincial Information Officer (PIO) Rogers Irimayi said the program was targeting secondary schools, institutions like universities and colleges, church gatherings, social meetings as well as any another meeting points in the province.
“Our task force targets any social gatherings including schools, colleges, universities church gatherings, and any areas where people gather to make them aware of the harm being disposed to our communities by drugs.
“We are targeting all the people elderly, youths as well as opinion leaders so that they educate children in their communities to shun drugs as they are destroying lives. We want people to know that overcoming addiction and substance abuse is a tough choice that requires great determination and sacrifice,” said Irimayi.
Echoing the same sentiments, Masvingo District Mental Health Coordinator Elliot Chidakwa said drugs were affecting youth leading to child marriages, dropping out of schools, and wild behaviors.
“If we look into our communities, it is clear that there are a lot of problems being brought by drug and substance abuse including suicides, child marriages, as well as mental disorders, a clear testimony that learners should walk away from dangerous drugs,” said Chidakwa.
Students from Mushagashe Training Center applauded the drug awareness campaign saying it gives them a clear picture of how drugs affect their lives and said the programme must be done in all schools within Masvingo.
“This programme is important to us, it is an eye opener that we should not keep on putting effort and energy into wrong things. We have a great task to shape our future through opportunities granted to us by our parents,” said Naison Maranda.
He said they were ready to take action and react to all the information they got on the dangers posed by drugs to help in community development.
Denzel Mabvundwe also thanked the programme and said it helps youth to select life paths that are good for health and mental well-being. He said the visit by President Emmerson Mnangangwa at the school where he also talked about the dangers of drug abuse challenged them to heed the calls.
“I thank the government for doing a programme like this, raising awareness on dangers brought by drugs to youths. From the negative effects that can be caused by drugs, it is clear that they are an enemy to progress as they are harmful to mental health, so it is left to us to select life paths that bear fruits for us,
“The fact that when President Mnangangwa came for Youths Day commemorations at Mushagashe raised issues concerning drugs shows that drug and substance abuse is becoming a pandemic, especially to the youth, the future,” said Mabvundwe.

By Beverly Bizeki

In a bid to alleviate the ongoing energy crisis across the country, Masvingo City Council and Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) have entered into a partnership that could see the two institutions producing bio methane gas as an alternative source of energy for commercial purposes.
The project, which is expected to be completed in three months will be a first of its kind in Zimbabwe, putting Masvingo on the map as a green city aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere.
Speaking at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the townhouse ZOU Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Francis Mugabe said the project was aimed at introducing an alternative form of energy to Liquid Petroleum Gas which is mostly used in urban areas.
“The world is heading towards an energy crisis and Zimbabwe is not spared as evidenced by frequent and prolonged power outages. We are proposing the introduction of biomethane as an alternative energy source that can complement LPG and significantly reduce the country’s energy import bill.
“We have been mandated by our line ministry to be centers of solutions for community challenges therefore we have to produce goods and services that address community problems. As ZOU this is our initial step in contributing towards the industrialization of Masvingo,” said Prof Mugabe.
Prof Mugabe said construction of the plant was expected to be complete within three months and benefits of the gas include reduced carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and revenue generation among others.
“Biomethane (purified biogas) is commonly produced from agricultural and municipal waste making it a renewable energy. It is a non-fossil fuel which means if correctly and consistently used, it will put Masvingo on the map as a green city striving to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere.
“The most obvious benefit is the revenue that is going to be realized from the marketing and sale of the biomethane. The partnership will also pay part of the electricity bill at the Sewage Treatment Plant. This will result in the reduction of the City Council’s electricity bill. The long term plan is to bring the electricity bill at Sewage Treatment plant to zero by commissioning biogas powered electricity generator at the plant within three years,” he said.
Prof Mugabe also said other benefits will be realized from value addition at the Sewage Treatment Plant and the improvement of the onsite city council laboratory and ZOU will have access to Research and Development facilities at the digester and biomethane plant.
Masvingo City Mayor and ward four councilor Alec Tabe said the project will contribute to council’s revenue and will help council in waste management issues.
“The project is both timely and important as it will contribute to council’s revenue as well as tackling the crucial waste management issues. The project will create employment in the city and contribute to the local GDP,” said Tabe.
The two institutions have agreed that Council will provide two digesters, land for the construction of the plant and water for use at the site.
ZOU on the other hand will be providing financial resources to acquire and commission the biogas purification and bio methane compression units as well as human resources and expertise to run the project.