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Masvingo City councilors clash over Caravan Park

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Masvingo City councilors clash over Caravan Park

… as upsurge in house to lodge conversions continues

By Beverly Bizeki

Masvingo City councilors recently clashed over the continuous application for conversion of residential stands to lodges which they said were contributing to noise pollution in the commonage and expressed mixed feelings over Caravan Park which was described as the major culprit in noise pollution.
Speaking at a full council meeting held recently at the Townhouse, Ward 9 councilor Benard Muchokwa said residents were worried over the numerous conversions of residential stands as it was causing noise coming from rowdy parties at these lodges.
“The continuous conversion of residential stands to lodges is worrying because of the noise emanating from the use of industrious generators and parties at these venues. There are also complaints coming from residents that there is noise coming from Caravan Park. There are letters of complaint that have been written to the Town Clerk’s office which is a cause for concern, some of these letters were written before I even came into office,” said Muchokwa.
Ward 1 councilor Sabina Chikwangwani agreed with Muchokwa and said the conversions were posing threats to the mental and moral wellbeing of children living in communities with these lodges.
“Children growing up in communities that have lodges in them are prone to wild behaviors often displayed at these places hence it is crucial for council to regulate and monitor these places so that they observe the by-laws governing how they were operating,” said Chikwangwani.
Masvingo City Mayor Alec Tabe suggested that stiffer penalties be introduced for would-be offenders.
“The issue requires us to introduce heavy penalties for offenders of the by-laws guiding the running of operations at these lodges,” said Tabe.
However, outspoken Ward 10 councilor Sengerayi Manyanga dismissed the allegations that there were letters of complaint against Caravan Park saying he was the councilor so he was better positioned to talk about that, telling Muchokwa to mind his ward.
“As ward 10 councilor I have not heard of any complaints of noise pollution from Caravan Park by residents in my ward. Besides, my house is closer to the said place and I haven’t heard any noise disturbing people in the ward.
“Caravan Park is one of the most of exciting places in town and that is where most of us go to hang out. Even at Pioneer Cottages where the councilor has said there are noise reports I haven’t heard any,” said Manyanga.
Manyanga went on to tell Muchokwa to respect boundaries and allow each councilor to mind the business in his ward.
“It is not our role as councilors to tell residents to write petitions for certain issues in the wards. Vanhu ngavazive maboundaries, avo (people must know their boundaries), how do you know there are many reports in the TC’s office, who wrote them? It is not our duty to mobilize people to act on something. Caravan Park is in my ward and there are no such issues. You must notify me when you receive reports of issues in my ward. I am the councilor in that ward I am the one who was voted for, if it is possible let us approach the minister and exchange wards,” said Manyanga.
Councilors Sharon Marombedze and Esther Zishiri concurred with Manyanga and said there was need to consider residents as Caravan Park is one of the best place for them to refresh and allow council to set the rules of operations at the premises.
“We need to consider the interests of our residents when dealing with this issue, this is one of the biggest chill out places in Masvingo,” said Zishiri.
“Caravan Park is Council property and we are the ones who set the rules of operation at these premises. The responsible committee and department head must deal with the tenants,” said Marombedze.
The issue of house to lodge conversions was raised in council last year when councilors complained over the upsurge of the conversions with councilors saying owners were failing to adhere to regulations.
Ward 6 councilor Wilstaff Sitemere agreed with Muchokwa back then on the alarming conversions and said there was need for council to look at the area before granting permission citing cases of rape at one of the houses in his ward.
Most people in Masvingo living in low density areas are converting their houses into guest houses and lodges which has been allegedly causing disorders in communities.

Robbers get away with US$24K in Gweru Southview

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Robbers get away with US$24K in Gweru Southview

Tinaani Nyabereka

GWERU – Police in Gweru have confirmed a robbery incident in which six men armed with a pistol pounced on a family in Southview residential suburbs, Gweru, and got away with cash and property worth US$24 300.
Confirming the incident occurred on 5 March at about 0010 hours, Midlands Provincial Police Spokesperson, Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said the suspects were still at large and appealed for information regarding the suspects’ whereabouts.
“The Police are appealing to anyone with information which can lead to the recovery of the stolen property including the vehicle and subsequent arrest of the culprits to approach any nearest police station,” said Mahoko.
Circumstances are that, Antony Shanji, (55) his wife Blessing Shanji (49) years and their two daughters were asleep in their bedrooms when six intruders forced to open the kitchen door and gained entry into their house.
They threatened the family with a pistol, before tying their hands and legs using electric cables. They went on to search the house and took cash amounting to US$3005, two HP and one Lenovo laptops, two 55-inch television sets, a Samsung and an LG LED, ten new blankets, and various cellphones.
The loot was loaded into the family vehicle, a black Toyota Rav 4 registration number AES 5227 which they drove away in.

Opposition, Zanu: Aloota Continua

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Opposition, Zanu: Aloota Continua

Ladies and gentlemen, with this heatwave I hope you are taking care of the vulnerable muchivapawo mvura yekunwa. These days Masvingo City Council irikuzama kuunza mvura mumalocation umu although the bills are giving people sleepless nights. Let’s hope we get rains soon tiwane yekunwa because it will become a disaster. Ingatongosara yongonwiwa nevene vega isu vanyai tichitambura. This drought has proven that chero mukapanana mbeu muchinyima vamwe, Mwari ndiye muenzanisi, kkkkk. Rimaika mubairire fertilizer yamainyima vamwe tione. Climate inombozvida here zvevanhu vane dzungu. Hanzi naED kuMushagashe svasvanga yena masabhuku, macouncilor nevamwe vose who unfairly distribute inputs, bva vanogohwa here? Ukuwo Zesa nekuside, all of a sudden we are deep within a power crisis, no warning, no communication, just vibes. Zesa ndiBaba venyu vakomana, you know how some fathers behave, havabvunzwi kuti ko sei fees yangu isina kubhadharwa or sei tirikudya nemaveggie January to December idzo dzichiuya dzakadhakwa paden every day. If you ask him dzinongosticka zvadzo, ndokunge dzisina kuita hasha. Do not act as if you do not see Zesa cars criss-crossing, dzichitipfumburira guruva here at Chitima as if pane zvikuru zvirikuitwa. I once said in Zimbabwe the real dilemma is on training yourself to not being used to anything because zvinomuka zvakachinja. Planning in Zimbabwe inongoitwa nevene because isu vana Mapombi tinongotamba iri kurira. You may wake up uchitonzi where you built your house is unauthorized state land zvotodhakwa. Ask those who had built in Peri-Urban and growth Points, they will tell you how good the government of Zimbabwe is. Zanu ichapera riinikowo tizorore nhaimi?
Speaking of state land and evictions, can someone please tell Obert Moses Mpofu to quit whatever he is smoking or drinking? Mukati haasi aakuwanza Kambucha imi? I think we need a commission to probe into this guy because he is abusing drugs. How can he say the President was not aware of the evictions? How can he say Zanu PF is not involved? Does he want to tell us that our own Minister Chadzamira aidhomoka when he said the land belong to the President? Ok let’s say he was, what about ivo Vene Mbune, he said all the land belong to him, so who has the audacity and temerity to evict people from Trabablas’s land. Asi haisisiri Ngwena here, maybe wava mupurwa havo dambiro rematsvinyu. Mpofu should just shut up and ponder on how his party will convince the people who were affected to vote for them come 2028 because vakachera tukomba paruware vakapfira kuti they will never vote for Zanu PF nyangwe kunaye masese. Makaita own goal baba, pembe yakatorira there is no reverse, people have already seen what Zanu PF is made of. If what you said is true iwe Mpofu then we expect to see those orchestrated the programme being locked up and if you do bring the keys to me ndichengete coz vakarwadzisa vanhu. Muuye nekuno Mutore Minister and his secretary Pazvakavambwa they are the major culprits in Masvingo. But ukawana time Mpofu ukwane, idya mari yawakaba unyerere. Shit yemunhu ,nxaaa.
You all thought ndinodhomoka when I told you that in Zimbabwe, those you vote for their sole aim is to have access to the feeding trough, nothing more nothing less. Akazowedzerwa here maallowance amaichemera kuna Minister Chitando nhai Councilor Muchokwa? Kkkkk, hanzi mukasatiwedzera ndopatinozoita huori, as if threatening us isu macitizens necorruption. I hear they are received or are receiving allowances emameeting eruling party iwo maopposition councillors enyu iwaya. Zuro ndizuro maMP akadya ma$40k pakangova pasi, kutoita kubatirana to loot citizens’ pockets knowing all too well how struggling the majority of us are. These people do not care about us. Hanzi naWacko Jacko that is all I wanna say, that they do not really care about us. Kudhara when I was listening to his music ndaishaya kuti dzairevei, but now I understand. If they had conscience, like people who got into power promising change and having the will of the people at heart vaitofanirwa kuita whistle blow on the abuse of council funds, bva kudya kwakati kuuya uku, huye bodo. They do not have integrity these people. At least Zanu toiziva hedu namabasa ayo, hard as it is to accept but inotongoloota. What breaks my heart, and I know, so many other hearts is that team reopposition rinenge rakatosvinurira maallowance iwaya. Regai vanaJoji vachizovaseka havo because haa vanosvodesa vanhu ava. You see why I am still mad at Mahere for resigning from Parliament? NaMarkham wacho, if they were still in there the story would have been different because we know kuti they have some resources vaizokurudzirawo integrity, zvino ehhh. Pride too much at the expense of the electorate that put you there. Itongori Aloota Continua, like now, no one can reign in on them, ko handiti mukuru webato akatiza. Ahhh, ko makorokotozve nhai VaTshabangu. Ko dai makangotauraka kuti maingodawo kuitwa swear in saSenator I think mukomana could have heard you ozokupaiwo pana 2028 apo, you would have spared us all the drama and resources emaby-election. So ndoyaiva nyaya yacho all along, nxaa. On a lighter note, I saw Senator TshaNyongolo just got in and started fighting his own goblins and ghosts, zvitukwani zvemarecalls zvatotanga asati ambotura befu, kkkkk. Ko leadership and power come nekurara wakavhura one zisoka, because now you no longer have the privilege to go about as you please muchiita senge makatenga Mwari. Now you will get to experience real politics, unaided by anyone, zviya zvakaitika kuna Mdara-a, ra-a, ra-a…. Unotoseka shuwa because if you do not laugh you will cry. Vanyararisa VaMwonzora veduwe. Mr Cup takangozovaona paya vachikopesa Jobson Sikandela book redofo paya vakapfeka Book 4 yeMaths dzekusaonera politics, ndobva zvatopera. Imbodzokai kani vakomana munakidzise zvinhu. Madzokero ndoonetsa because now anything associated with you changova nehutengesi. Zvikagoti Nero’s supporters behave like cultists, you will be bullied into oblivion. Hamuna kuona Democlash yakaitika kufuneral? maDrama ega ega zvawo. But makanyadzisa zvenyu paya regai ndizvitaure wether you like it or not. But Zanu chiwororo boys dzangu, to dismantle an opposition kusvika munhu ega ega asara akabata chipenga chake, which just goes to show that these people do not know how to build a strong party. Kana ndatuka, sorry, and nemiwo izvozvo zvamanditukawo. Ini ndiri gentleman handivanzi. Go tell them vanaMai Kore nanaHwende, plus Biti naMdara Welsh that hanzi naMapombi you are hypocrites and cowards. They definitely should have done better but nhasi I don’t want kudzika dzika navo ndakavabvirira kudhara kana vane nzeve dzekunzwa vakatonzwa.
Ko murikuitana sei kunational broadcaster uko nhai? Sisi Ade vakapenga wena. She aired all the dirty laundry outside kuti yacha yacha zuva rakacheka nyika. Kuita kudya marasha. Anyway, play nice together, ndomashoko yangu ekupedzisira. Paya when you “allegedly” go into each each’s inboxes kunokumbira rudo munenge muchimbotembei chaizvo at your level? Hazvidi mhani. You did not get those ministerial posts to look for the love of your life. Tisataura hedu mazita. I always say mumacorridors of power umo munovhurwa hombe. You think Ama2k vanozarura huru, hamusati mariziva team redu maBorn Before Computers maBBC aya imi.
Ko totika nemakorokoto ekubvisirwa amwe masanctions. Please note that I said amwe because vene neteam ravo vachipo, sekuziva kwenyu 2030 vanenge vachipo, we do not know pai exactly but zvaikozvino pamasanctions vachipo havo. We were getting tired with the sanctions being blamed for everything, nemasoja akapihwa directive kunzi kombai tirove, zvotonzi masanctions. Chero aba macovid funds, zvotonzi masanctions. Now that they have been relaxed, wait and see Gold Mafia continuing to do what they do best. It reminds of mombe yaiva kumba kwedu kwaChirimudombo. That cow, even if you open danga, it would always jump through an opening pasiri padoor, apa that cow was very troublesome. Yaiba muminda dzevanhu. Handisi kuti chii kana kuti chii but we all know the characteristics of those who have such collective instincts, tisataura mazita. You were told in black and white kuti regai mahuman rights abuses zvinhu zvifambe, but that will be the last thing you will do. KuAmerica kunonakidza kuya, bvunzai Mutsvangwa namadam vake nemwana wavo Neville uya wekutengesa internet isingabvumidzwe yeStarlink, kkkkk.
Anyway let me go ndinokanga maputi angu for lunch. Nenzara iriko iyi gore rino I will have to learn to diet ndongorova maputi once daily, manheru ndorova rotten bananas. Ane nharo ngaauye kuno kuchitima wether uri Zanu or dzimwe dzacho, mese muri mbava.But if you see VaMphoko tell him to reconsider the zvitiyo project pamwe tingararama. Aluta Continua, Alooter Continua Mboko imboko!

Tech girls rising: Two Masvingo women take on world of phone repair

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Tech girls rising: Two Masvingo women take on world of phone repair

By Beverly Bizeki

In a world where technology is often seen as a male-dominated field, two young women from Masvingo are forging their path in that industry by not only taking the challenge of repairing phones but also challenging the status quo and showing that girls can do anything they set their minds to.
Growing up and attending school in Summerton, a peri-urban area in Masvingo, Ranal Gwandira (28) never imagined that she would one day be working in the tech industry. After leaving school with no source of income, Gwandira discovered she had a passion for fixing phones and a determination to succeed in the male-dominated field.
“After completing my O’ Level in 2012, I could not further my studies due to financial constraints and had to spend a lot of time at home doing nothing. I realized that I have a passion for repairing phones and servicing laptops when I was working with my uncle where learned from observing his work. After seeing my passion, he first taught me how to repair a charging system and from there, I can now fix any problem,” said Gwandira.
Gwandira who is employed at EngWorld, a tech company in Masvingo town said working in this field as a female has given her the upper hand over her male counterparts despite it being a male-dominated industry as people trust them with their gadgets.
“People tend to trust us women with their gadgets more than men and this has led us to attract more clients. They just have a general belief that women are honest which is true,” said Gwandira.
For Gwandira together with her colleague Jahmia Yasini, their line of work has earned them the financial freedom they have been looking for, and said she now desires to start her own company where she will employ other young girls out there.
“This hustle has opened doors of financial freedom I have been yearning for. I am now able to take care of my family and assist my parents with clean money.
“I desire to own a company of my own one day and provide employment for other girls as we try to get more women to join the tech world,” said Gwandira.
Yasini who grew up in Bulawayo, joined the tech world as a way to find income to finance her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse.
“I have always wanted to be a nurse but the dream was halted after failing Ordinary Level Maths and faced financial challenges to retake the subject. I have since then tried other menial jobs such as working in a restaurant but the money was not enough to take care of my responsibilities.
“I once worked as a security guard while attending school during the day to get a nurse aide certificate. After completing the course I could not find a job and worked as a maid but the money was barely enough to cover my expenses let alone finance my dream as I needed to pay for Mathematics extra lessons.
“However, after joining the tech world, the money I am getting from repairing phones is enough to cover my expenses while going to school and taking care of my family,” said Yasini.
Their employer Munashe Mabasa said the two young women were performing quite well and urged other females with passion to consider joining the tech world.
“The two ladies we have here are performing well and can produce the same results as males. Girls can equally flourish in this industry as boys as long as they have the passion to learn. I urge other girls to break the ceiling and join this industry because there is room for them in the tech world, girls are often considered transparent which works to their advantage,” said Mabasa.
The two girls major in hardware repairs and intend to step up.
As the two ladies continue to grow and develop their skills in the tech world they are becoming an inspiration to other females who might be considering a career in technology and also showing that girls can get a decent profession.

Local authorities urged to consider youth initiatives on procurement

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Local authorities urged to consider youth initiatives on procurement

By Beverly Bizeki

Local authorities in the country have been urged to support young businesses by considering initiatives by women and youth when doing public procurement as the country moves towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at local level.
Speaking at a local authorities’ conference held at Clever’s Resort in Masvingo, Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) Chief Executive Officer Clever Ruswa said local authorities needed to create space for procuring from young people to help them grow and avoid ‘tenderpreneurship,’ a case in which the same old businesses get tenders.
“The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act talks about domestic preference which is supported by section 8 of our regulation stating that there are categories which need to be considered including female-owned businesses as they were previously disadvantaged and youths.
“As youths are coming out of tertiary institutions under the Education 5.0 model so, they must be allowed to grow and this can only happen when they are supported. If they are not supported and people only go for their three quotations to established ranks and all they are not supported,” said Ruswa.
He also said local authorities need to support youth initiatives through innovative hubs at tertiary institutions.
“Local authorities need to support tertiary institutions because of the Innovation hubs where they are coming up with patents, as they register patents, we are also propping up Zimbabwe and companies under the indigenization act so it is already given under our act,” said Ruswa.
“We are aiming at imploring our colleagues to implement the law. If you are to talk to the youth and women-owned SMEs, they would think there are no policies that support them yet they are there and its only people who are not implementing the policies for other reasons that’s why we are insisting on local authorities and Rural District Councils to support these initiatives because geographically they represent the whole country,” said Ruswa.
Ruswa also said PRAZ to remedy this would through its Monitoring and Evaluation, come up with a framework to monitor the local authorities’ engagement with the said groups.
“Through our Monitoring and Evaluation, we are going to have a framework to monitor what kind of business and volume they would have given to the youth, and at the end of the year we come up with a scoring on policy implementation,” said Ruswa.
The meeting which brought together all 92 local authorities across the country was themed ‘Public Procurement and Sustainable Development Goals in Local Authorities: Opportunities Towards 2030,’ to reflect on the transformative power of procurement in driving positive change within communities.
Permanent Secretary in the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa who was representing Masvingo Minister of State Ezra Chadzamira echoed Ruswa’s sentiments and said sustainable procurement supports local businesses and promotes innovation.
“Through sustainable procurement, we are not only reducing our environmental footprint but also supporting local businesses and promoting innovation. By prioritizing environmentally friendly products and services, we contribute to the growth of a sustainable market and encourage businesses to adopt eco-friendly practices. This, in turn, creates new opportunities for entrepreneurship, creates jobs, and strengthens our local economy,” said Dr Pazvakavambwa.

Government shifts goalposts on mass evictions

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Government shifts goalposts on mass evictions

By Theresa Takafuma

The government of Zimbabwe seems to have backtracked on the crackdown on illegal settlers, which has seen hundreds of villagers in communal lands being dragged to the anticorruption court, with some completely losing their homes.
The anxiety of the past few weeks that saw the launching of the joint Operation Order No To Land Barons on January 10, 2024 seems to have regenerated into confusion for those affected as government seems to be dragging its feet in implementing the program, claiming to be going after the real land barons, without a clear plan for those alleged to be settling illegally in communal and gazetted lands.
In Masvingo province in the Mushandike area, popularly known as Bhuka, hundreds of families have been reduced to being squatters after they were forced to demolish their own homes during the operation, which was scheduled for January 10 to February 9, 2024.
As at February 29, 2243 arrests and 597 convictions had been made in Masvingo Province, a situation that has seen growing anxiety in communal settlements, especially those that keep making back-and-forth trips to the courts for nearly two months now.
Some of the affected villagers have attributed the shambolic settlement of people without proper documentation to government officials, particularly those from the Lands Ministry, saying the very same people who told them to stay put while they process their paperwork were the ones coming to arrest them.
Recently, 130 Glenhow farm settlers were acquitted on the charge of illegally settling on gazetted land after the complainant failed to turn up in court, despite them not having proper documentation allowing them to settle on the farm.
An official from the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development who spoke anonymously said in that particular case, the gazette which was supposed to be produced in court against the 130 settlers could not be found, hence their acquittal.
“The 130 settlers from Gledhow Farm under Chief Bere were acquitted because the gazette which was supposed to be used against them in court could not be found,” the official said.
The official also said that the operation was now targeting land barons more than the illegal settlers, but ironically, hundreds of villagers who were arrested on charges of illegal settlement are still frequenting the courts as their cases have not been finalised.
While tens of village heads were convicted of parcelling out and selling communal land, not much has been said about traditional leaders who allocate land to their subjects, but earlier in the operation, Chiefs from Masvingo Province condemned how government was conducting it.
Zanu PF Secretary General Dr Obert Mpofu was also recently quoted in state media saying that the operation should target ‘big fish’ land barons instead of poor villagers who are victims of those land barons.
Among those villagers however, are some who have been ordered to vacate their homes with immediate effect, failure to which they may be arrested and forced to pay hefty fines.
In Summerton Village 9, a number of affected villagers bemoaned corruption by officials from both the Lands Ministry and the local authority, as the acquisition of the required paperwork that authorizes them to stay there has not been clear.
“Chief Zimuto is the one who took us to the Lands offices around 16 years ago, after which they settled us here and told us to stay put while they processed our paperwork. They came back later with a few permits for some of us, telling us that they recognized us therefore we should remain here while they process.
“They came back once more and asked for the number of those who were yet to receive permits, assuring us that they were going to process them. All of a sudden we started seeing some people coming to build here, being allocated stands between our homesteads, and surprisingly, those people already had permits,” one of the affected villagers, Chizera Rungwe narrated.
She said what pains, as well as confuses her is how people who came nearly a decade after she and her family did, got permits while those who first settled there do not, saying that she believes some people in the village were working in cahoots with those from the Lands Ministry to remove them so they can settle those they want and benefit financially.
Rungwe also claimed that when police came to arrest people in village 9 in January, the following day when they appeared in court an official from Lands Ministry was called and asked if he knew them and he confirmed that he knew them, but when queried why he had facilitated their arrest, he only said they did not have permits.
“I believe the officials are working together with some people in this village to forcefully remove us because when we appeared in court, those from Lands Ministry recognised us, despite them leading police here to arrest us,” Rungwe said.
On the other hand, a number of the eviction cases have been taken up to higher courts, which might see government ministries fighting several civil cases as they are being cited as respondents.
Analysts have however attributed government’s inconsistent land operations to lack of security of tenure for settlers in communal lands, which continuously makes them vulnerable in instances like this.
Midlands State University Senior Lecturer in the Department of Governance and Public Management, Dr Vincent Chakunda, when asked for comment said the legal framework on communal land inherited from colonial times is the one that is still being used, but is detrimental to settlers, who do not have any security on the land they are settling in.
“There is no security of tenure for the masses settling in communal lands, and there is no political will to correct the legalities associated with that as well. The government should just give these communal settlers security on land to avoid situations like these, but then, it may then want to use the land for political purposes, which will remain a challenge,” Dr Chakunda said.
Reports from Mushandike area, especially in Village 15, are saying that some of the villagers who had deserted their homes after being arrested and threatened with further persecution if they remained in their homes are now starting to trickle back in, although they remain in the dark on what government’s next move is going to be.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa, together with all the dignitaries who addressed the recent National Youth Day gathering at Mushagashe Training Centre on February 21 avoided the issue, much to the disappointment of many villagers who waited eagerly to hear their fate.

Zim education underfunded: ZINASU

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Zim education underfunded: ZINASU

By Tinaani Nyabereka

Harare -Zimbabwean education is underfunded and does not to meet the Dakar Declaration standards, Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has said.
ZINASU Chairperson, Simbarashe Rambiyawo was speaking during a ZIMCODD WhatsApp Cafe discussion with stakeholders on current the state of the education system in Zimbabwe.
Rambiyawo told the participants that equality and accessibility in the education system, which in the long run will assist in building quality education.
“With the goal of creating a more equitable and fair system for all students around the country, one important aspect of social justice in education is the issue of educational equality and accessibility to education. First and foremost, there is need to ensure that education is funded so that we can have access and quality education to marginalized communities.
“This refers to the idea that all students, regardless of their background, should have access and chance to afford the same quality within the education system. Section 75 of the Zimbabwean Constitution is very clear on accessible and affordable education. The state of education right now is in a deep crisis.
“Education has become more accessible to the elites neglecting other students who come from different backgrounds, thereby creating an aspect of the haves and have-nots. It lays bare the difference of being a student from Borrowdale and a ghetto youth from Mbare,” said Rambiyawo.
He said the welfare of students was worrisome as most institutions of higher learning were hiking fees ignoring the economic hardships.
“State institutions demand fees in USD forgetting the daily struggles of the children of civil servants. Children of vendors who can’t pay such expected amounts demanded by tertiary institutions leading to structural inequalities.
“Urban institutions at the present moment are still suffering also from the education system which is being underfunded especially tertiary institutions, which reflects how our system has deteriorated.
“There is need to ensure we raise awareness, emphasizing on farcical discipline to ensure our educations system achieve the, education 5.0. We need also to ensure the channeled budget meet the expected percentage so that there is sufficient and adequate resources to improve the system.
He also said there was an unemployment and skills gap where the education system may not sufficiently align with the needs of the job market, resulting in a skills gap,” Rambiyawo added.
Chairperson Rambiyawo however said many young people were graduating without the skills demanded by employers a development that is contributing to high unemployment rates among the youth.
“This situation negatively impact their livelihoods, as they struggle to find suitable employment opportunities. Economic hardships and high rate of unemployment have also led to the education just being an achievement but without anywhere to implement the knowledge and skills.
“Since the education system is underfunded, the schools have no option than to raise the school fees in order to sustain the needs for the schools to operate effectively,” he said.
The Zimbabwean government stands as a signatory to channeling the expected 20 percent towards education as noted in the Dakar declaration. The Dakar declaration witnessed the education for all movement a global commitment to provide quality basic education for all the youths at World Education Forum in 2000. About 164 government pledged to achieve EFA and identify 6 goals to be met by 2015.

Masvingo social league chair calls for adherence to league principles

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Masvingo social league chair calls for adherence to league principles

By Decide Nhendo

Masvingo Organised Social Soccer League (MOSSL) chairperson has made a call to all clubs in the league to follow all rules and guidelines stipulated in the social league’s constitution.
Speaking to TellZim News MOSSL chairperson Taruvinga ‘Tango’ Mutangiranwa said all teams that were going to play in the league in season 2024-2025 must play registered players and communicate their protests in the way enshrined in their guidebook.
“All teams that are going to take part in the 2024-2025 season must use registered players as expected from our constitution as we do not want to repeat what some teams were doing last season. Some were using unregistered players to strengthen their teams to gain points.
“If a team thinks there is a matter not solved well, they must not use violence to solve that issue but follow proper procedures like writing a report to the league administration so they will come up with accurate solutions,” said Tango.
He also said three new teams were showing interest in joining MOSSL this season to add make the number of teams as per constitution than last season where 17 participated.
“From the general meeting, we held on March 1, three new teams have shown great interest in joining our league, and the teams include FC Motors a team from Masvingo Toyota Spares, a team from Reformed Church University, and Bokoharam a team from Mucheke rank.
“This addition of these three teams has made the number of our teams rise to 20 as we had 17 teams in the previous season and 20 is the right number as written in our constitution,” he said.
He also said all teams were supposed to keep much focus on the aims and goals of the MOSSL which include good social living and development of Masvingo community.
Tango said the trophy handover ceremony to 2024 MOSSL champions Masvingo ZRP is going to take place on March 9, with all teams expected to have paid affiliation fees by March 15 to be eligible to compete this season which is going to start on March 16.

CIASA establishes platform for stakeholder engagement

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CIASA establishes platform for stakeholder engagement

By Perpetua Murungweni

Citizens in Action Southern Africa (CIASA) in partnership with Alliance for Community Based Organisation (ACBOs) held an annual Pause-and-Reflect all stakeholders meeting, which was held at Great Zimbabwe Hotel on February 23, 2024.
The all stakeholders meeting was meant to bring constructive dialogue between stakeholders on active participation in implementing the NDS1 with the aim of shaping the future of Masvingo. The meeting was held under the theme ‘Trends and Insights for Tomorrow.’
CIASA director Gamuchirai Mukura, said as an organisation they organised the engagement because they saw that the implementation of NDS1 requires participation of all stakeholders.
“We saw a need for an all stakeholders meeting because we realised that the implementation of the NDS1 requires the active participation of all stakeholders, including the government, private sector, civil society, and development partners.
“NDS1 is a 5-year medium-term plan towards the realization of the Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030. NDS1 contains strategies and pathways that are meant to ensure sustainable inclusive growth and development. While the NDS1 is running under the Vision 2030 theme “Towards a Prosperous and Empowered Upper Middle-Income Society by 2030” the inclusion of non-state actors will help this desired outcome to be realized through their support in complementing government efforts, through their work in different sectors of society,” said Mukura.
Mukura said that the organisation noticed that since the beginning of the global goals there have been challenges that slows quality engagement between stakeholders and that the stakeholder engagement was under-resourced.
“Since the inception of the global goals, however both systemic and capacity-related challenges slow the development of quality engagement in many developing countries and Zimbabwe is not an exception.
“Engagements processes can often be rushed, under-resourced, and under-planned, leading to frustration on all sides. The responsibility for stakeholder engagement is not properly defined or resourced, and low levels of trust reduce the space for constructive dialogue,” said Mukura.
Mukura also said that, there was need for systematic engagement between stakeholders in order to respond to the fundamental of the 2030 Agenda.
“Systematic, quality engagement is needed to respond to the fundamental objective of the 2030 Agenda – that no one should be left behind. There is also a need for innovation to deepen the levels of engagement, going beyond consultations to build trust, creating a sense of ownership of the agenda and developing coherent policies, integrating the perspectives of different stakeholders, and information sharing,” said Mukura.
Speaking at the same event Deputy Director Enviromental Planning and in the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Clorence Matewe acknowledged the importance of stakeholder meetings and said the government will continue to work closely with all development key stakeholders such as NGOs.
“As government we acknowledge the importance of all stakeholders’ present, and their roles as some of the key drivers of development in the work that we do to improve the lives of people across the province. Our province stands tall in its impeccable track-record of harmoniously working with development partners such as NGO`s and the business sector,” said Matewe.
Matewe also said such initiatives like the one organised by CIASA allows collaboration and building of relations within the government and private sector.
“This is a very good initiative brought to us by CIASA, it allows the government to collaborate and work hand in hand with NGOs. We have undertaken various community development initiatives in collaboration with NGO`s in the provision of social services such as Education, Health, Access to portable water and sanitation, climate-resilience building and in addressing some of the social ills affecting us such as drug abuse and gender-based violence. Whilst there is so much work to be done, the sum total of all combined efforts has led to the improvement of our communities,” said Matewe.
The meeting was attended by different stakeholders such as civil society organisations (SCOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), International Non-government organisation (INGOs), local authorities and government departments

Masvingo’s Mambo Guramatunhu bags NAMA Award

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Masvingo’s Mambo Guramatunhu bags NAMA Award

By Beverly Bizeki

Masvingo poetry guru Mambo Guramatunhu real name Ngonidzashe Paradza last week shined at the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) held in Bulawayo after bagging the Outstanding Poet of the Year Award.
Speaking to TellZim News, Mambo Guramatunhu said he was excited about bringing the award home saying it shows that people are happy with his work.
“I am happy with this new achievement; it shows that people recognize the work I am doing and are appreciating it which motivates me to be a healer as well as a unifier to my audiences. It also gives me a responsibility that the nation is watching which is every poet’s dream to be awarded for their work.
“The award means growth, this means you have graduated from being a mere poet to a national project, if there are other people doing poet it means they will be looking up to you which requires one to self-introspect their character to live up to the standard of a leader, because the award is not mine alone but the whole poetry community,” said Mambo Guramatunhu.
Mambo Guramatunhu also thanked his fans for their unwavering support including member’s media that have supported him from the onset of his career.
“I am grateful to my fans for their support because without them I have no work to do, neither do I have anyone to appreciate and award what I do. I am also grateful to local media houses who have always ensured I am on the limelight from the onset of my career and my wish is for other artists to get such coverage and uplift their talents. To other artists I say nothing is impossible they must perfect their art and be patient enough to reach out to the media and businesses to get their work out there,” he said.
Recollecting his childhood, Mambo Guramatunhu said he has always been an artist from primary school through to university and has received various awards before the NAMA.
“I have always been a poet from a tender age, I was among the top artists at Great Zimbabwe University. This is not my first award; I have been awarded for this talent starting from speech and prize-giving day and went up from the district to national levels and that is not the last bus stop.
“So far, I have performed in most parts of the country and my talent has enabled me to work with various high-profile people including ministers, I have even performed for the president more than three times. The Arts have been a key for me to unlock doors that I could not open alone,” he said.
Mambo Guramatunhu who is a graduate of GZU with a Bachelor of Education Degree and intends to further his education said he works on various themes which include service delivery to put to task elected officials.
“I do various poems some depending on the event I am performing but I often focus on themes such as service delivery putting to task elected officials. After voting people into office, we expect them to do the work they have been entrusted with. I also do poems norms and culture to urge communities to live together in harmony,” said Mambo Guramatunhu.
Mambo Guramatunhu is a full-time artist and Master of Ceremonies and works with other brands as an ambassador.

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