Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru City Council has commissioned a US$ 73k fire tender which was purchased from Namibia recently.
The fire tender was commissioned together, with 4 Nissan NP200 trucks and two tractor trailers as part of boosting the service vehicle fleet.
Speaking to the media at the official opening today, Gweru City Council Public Relations Officer, Vimbai Chingwaramusee said the vehicles were bought to boost the service delivery fleet.
“We bought these vehicle, from our coffers as efforts to improve the fleet for service delivery. These cars are going to be distributed to critical areas of operations namely the Engineering side for sewer, fire department, health and finance where the other pick-up truck will be used for meter reading purposes.
“We pride ourselves in this development because as a city we are moving towards achieving middle income city status by the year 2030 as we work in line with the government’s developmental vision.
“Our fire tender was bought in Namibia at a cost of US$73 000, and its coming in to boost the fleet which already exist. As a local authority we say these are works of residents and we keep on encouraging them to pay their bills for their own benefit.
“All the money residents are paying is going in improvement of services,” said Chingwaramusee.
Gweru Council Mayor, Martin Chivhoko expressed gratitude to the residents of Gweru for pushing towards the improvement of their services.
“We are happy with the development which is taking shape in the city, this shows that as a people we are working towards the betterment of our home which is Gweru.
“As council we only want better service delivery for our people. Bins must be collected, we want water, we want working traffic lights, and we want good roads.
“Gweru is better if we achieve good services for our people. The vehicles are a sign is a sign that public funds are being used for the benefit of the people,” Chivhoko added.

Admire Chatindo

Pretoria Portland Cement Company recently commissioned fully-equipped science and computer laboratories at Chadzamira High School in Bikita.
Speaking at the commissioning, Minister of Primary and Secondary education Torerayi Moyo praised PPC for its social responsibility saying the construction of the two labs was in tandem with government’s niche of living no one behind.
He commended the strides by PPC towards promoting education saying the company has set an example which everyone should emulate and said the donation of a science laboratory and computer laboratory will leave no student behind with advancements in technology happening at a global scale;
“Your commitment to education and your understanding of its transformative power will positively impact the lives of countless students both now and in the future. Your generosity is an inspiration to us all and it will encourage others to follow.
“The computer laboratory we are receiving today is not just a collection of software and hardware, it is a symbol of progress, empowerment and equality. It will bridge the digital divide and ensure that no student is left behind in this rapidly advancing technological landscape.”
Speaking at the same event, Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution funds Ezra Chadzamira also hailed PPC for the gesture saying pupils could now learn science subjects as part of their curriculum, Physics, Chemistry and Biology at the school.
“We want to express our gratitude, to PCC for providing us with this computer and science laboratories and this has brought changes as pupils can now do science subjects Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
The Minister of education have provided this school with science subjects’ teachers and as a community we should guard jealously the property given to our care from thieves who may prowl.”
The school head Taurai Donald Tivaone said he felt elated, for receiving a fully-fledged science and computer laboratories and I was glad that doctors and engineers will be cradled from Chadzamira High School.
“I am highly ecstatic, so grateful and wish more would come, the school want such things and our sister schools will admire our new computer and science laboratories and our early childhood development facility. We are now going to have doctors from the rural areas, and engineers cradled from this school.” said Tivaone
PPC head of corporate services Trust Mabaya said the new science and computer laboratories will develop interest to stem in pupils to pursue science subjects;
“More students are doing well in STEM subjects and becoming interested in studying science subjects, to become doctors and at the same time contributing back to the community.”

Staff Reporter

RENCO MINE – The new Masvingo South’s ward 25 councilor who is also the first opposition councilor in the ward since 1980 Tarusenga Mapamba seem to have hit the ground running as he is putting solutions to water challenges in some parts of the ward.
Though he said they were just short term solutions while putting measure in place to have long term solutions, the move has been described by many as noble especially when the country is grappling with cholera outbreak.
Disaster was looming at Masarasara primary school where teachers and pupils endured the scotching sun without water for some weeks and the councilor intervened by engaging Renco Mine to provide water for the school with a bowser.
“I was invited for a meeting at the school which was meant to discuss the water challenge issue, I was told that they had sunk a 50 meter solar powered borehole which only served the school for three months. They then engaged other stakeholders who failed to help them.
“People raised different solutions like flushing the existing borehole or find a new site to sink a new one.
“That is when I said while we wait for a lasting solution let me engage the mine to help since we are in a cholera epidemic and the situation would force teachers to transfer to other schools and we would lose experienced teachers. So the mine agreed and the current arrangement is that mine delivers a 15000 litre bowser every Tuesday,” said Mapamba.
Mapamba went on to say he had facilitated for the repair of Mukazi borehole and have since engaged some guy who fixes boreholes to look into one that is in Chiponda village.
“I facilitated for the fixing of Mukazi borehole which had not been working for a long time, I have asked the guy to look at the one in Chiponda which is also not working,” said Mapamba
He also said through his intervention, the mine provided a water bowser twice a week in Chiponda and Ruchicha villages.
“Every Monday and Friday water bowsers are delivered to Chiponda and Ruchicha villages and villagers are getting safe water from there,” said Mapamba

Beverly Bizeki

It is one thing to talk about digitalization and another to bring meaningful inventions to the people but 18 year old Zimuto High School leaner who is also Child Vice President Theophelus Beans has defied the odds to actually walk the talk on the much talked about topic by bringing an invention which is likely to allay the challenges of people with visual impairments and the deaf too.
Moving in line with the theme of digitalization in the junior parliament, Beans who also doubles as child Minister of Health and Child Care has invented a digitalized walking stick to help children with disabilities.
Speaking to TellZim News Beans said the walking stick was now available but lacked funding for mass production to be able to cater for more children with visual impairments in the country.
“I went to conduct a health survey at Copota School for the blind and some of the issues that I picked from our discussion was that there was need for walking canes, the general stick. In the junior parliament we are working on the theme of digitalization so I decided to digitalize the walking stick.
“I looked for resources for the walking stick and found them in Bulawayo and started to work on the project from scratch with funding from my school and the Ministry of Youth with a Bulawayo based company.
“The walking stick is now present and functional and ready to be deployed but the challenge now is on the lack of funding for mass production because currently we have only one stick,” said Beans.
He said the walking stick which is custom made assists the visually impaired in navigating spaces where they walk as it is able to sense the objects on the surroundings as well as water.
“The stick is programmed to sense objects at one meter so it makes it easier for the user to navigate their surroundings without hitting objects or people, it also has a water sensor to help users avoid walking into pools of water.
“The walking stick is also unique as it beeps in different sounds when it senses an object closer by or water, it also has different vibrations for deaf people. The beeping sounds also alert people around as well,” said Beans.
Beans further said digitalizing the stick helps in increasing its durability as it depreciates at a slower rate because it has lower chances of hitting objects.
Beans is a lower six student at Zimuto High School in Masvingo studying Mathematics, Physics and Computers and was selected into the junior parliament recently.

Bright Zhou

Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) Masvingo District Chairperson Entrance Takadza has urged residents to be responsible if they are to prevent cholera outbreak in Masvingo Urban and the district at large.
Takaedza was addressing residents and journalists at a press club organized by the Zimbabwe Union of journalists (ZUJ) at Commercial Centre Building recently to discuss cholera related issues in town.
She said residents were supposed to practice basic hygiene like regular washing of hands with running water and soap to curb the spread.
“It is our duty as residents to it that we practice basic hygiene at our home like simple washing of hands with soap and running water.
She called on the responsible authorities to intervene and to stop the mushrooming of churches in open spaces mainly apostolic sects which operate without toilets and water saying they pose a greater risk of spreading cholera in case of an outbreak in the city.
“Some churches are located in the open spaces and we found out that church members use bush toilets during services because there are no toilets. We are raising awareness as an organization and some have heeded to our call and complied but some are failing to”, said Takaedza.
She also urged residents to use water treatment chemicals when using untreated water like aqua tablets, but in their absence residence can alternatively boil the water before drinking and can also use hand sanitisers to wash hands.
One resident Sungano Zvarebwanashe raised concerns over unlicensed and uninspected outlets which sell food in town at places which are not hygienic.
“After giving a license to someone to prepare food in town, how often would you visit the same premises to make sure that they adhere to what they are supposed to do? And if they are found wanting, what do you do,” said Zvarebwanashe
TellZim News editor Theresa Takafuma raised concerns of people who were using sanitary lanes in town for open defecation which is posing a great risk of spreading cholera.
Masvingo city deputy director of health and environmental services Sitabile Matava also emphasized the need for people to be responsible and avoid eating around in town and said as council they regularly do site visits and punish those who fail to abide by the set standards of operation.
“People should avoid eating everywhere, they should make sure they eat at licensed places and also consider if the place is clean. As council we are also putting gates in sanitary lanes to curb open defecation,” said Matava
Masvingo Provincial Information officer Rodgers Irimayi said journalists have a major role to play in raising awareness in preventing the spread of cholera through raising awareness.

An Econet Spokesperson said:

“Econet Wireless is aware of allegations of sexual harassment made against a former employee in Masvingo and reported by TellZim newspaper. The matter was fully dispensed with internally and the concerned employee is no longer employed at Econet Wireless.
“As a business, Econet has a zero-tolerance for sexual harassment and we would like to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to a safe working environment for all our staff.
“To this end Econet has in place a sexual harassment policy, a standards of business conduct policy and a social governance policy, among several policies that help the company protect the core of its values in the face of any issues including matters of moral concern that may emerge from time to time.”