Beverly Bizeki

Masvingo province has given President Emmerson Mnangagwa a herd of 148 cows as a thank you gift for the Zaka star rally held at Chinorumba Primary School on July 16, 2023.
Politiburo members and Ministers in the province gave him 10 beasts each with deputy ministers giving him 5 each and not to be left out, Chiefs, aspiring and sitting MPs chipped in with one beast each. National Political commissar Mike Bimha who was announcing the donations just after Mnangagwa’s address said Mnangagwa had had thanked Masvingo for mobilizing but they also wanted to give him their gifts.
“President you have said Masvingo has done well in mobilizing people for the rally as evidenced by the huge turnout. They have said they want to give you their gifts. Politburo members from this province have given you 10 cows each. These are Cdes Lovemore Matuke, Engelbert Rugeje, John Paradza, Paul Mangwana and Ottilia Maluleke.
“Ministers, Ezra Chadzamira, Winston Chitando Amon Murwira and Anxious Masuka and Davis Marapira have given you 10 cows each,” said Bimha
Deputy Ministers, Clemence Chiduwa, Yeukai Simbanegavi, Provincial Chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa and Zanu PF Chief Whip Pupurai Togarepi donated five beasts each.
Sitting MPs who are eyeing for another term in office namely, Energy Mutodi (Goromonzi West) now eyeing Bikita South, Priscilla Moyo (Mwenezi West), Master Makope (Mwenezi East) now vying for Mwenezi North, Ophias Murambiwa (Zaka West) now contesting for Zaka North donated one each.
New aspiring candidate Court Zevezayi ( Bikita East) Makusha, Godfrey Mukungunugwa (Chivi North, Saul Maburutse (Chivi South), Exevia Maoneke (Chivi Central), Siyaki Mundungehama (Chiredzi East), Darlington Chiwa (Chiredzi West), Joel Sithole (Chiredzi South), Roy Bhila (Chiredzi North), , Benjamin Ganyiwa (Gutu East), Edison Zvobgo Junior (Masvingo Central), Tanatsiwa Mukomberi (Masvingo South), Brian Mudumi (Masvingo North), Wellington Mahwende (Masvingo Urban), Sheilah Chikomo (Mwenezi East) one cow each.
Chiefs Nhema, Bota, Nyakunhuwa, Nemauzhe, Chitsa, Mugabe, Chitanga,Nemamwa were among Chiefs who were present and they each donated either cattle or sheep.
Chief Ndanga gave Mnangagwa two sheep while chief Nyakunhuwa and chief Nhema gave the president 1 sheep each, Trees 4 ED 50 fruit trees, Keith Mutasa gave him 10 hoes.
On his part Mnangwagwa brought 120 laptops, four printers, four projectors and four projector screens for secondary schools in the province.
He also gave brought 130 tonnes of mealie meal.
Speaking at the rally, Mnangagwa said he was impressed by the attendance with a drone estimation of 124 000.
The rally was also attended by Vice President and Minister of Health and Child Care Constantino Chiwenga, Zanu PF vice president Kembo Mohadi, National Chairperson and Minister of Defence and War Veterans Affairs Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri among others.

Perpetua Murungweni

The ruling party Zanu PF has accused Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) for poor service delivery in urban areas.
Speaking at the press discussion organized by TellZim News held at Chevron Hotel Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial Youth League Vice chairperson Charles Munganasa who was representing aspiring Member of Parliament candidate for Masvingo urban constituency, Wellington Mahwende, said CCC councilors constitutes the majority in the council and they are to blame for poor service delivery because they had the majority vote in passing decisions.
“In local authorities resolutions are done by the majority and the majority Masvingo City Council is the opposition, Zanu PF has only three councilors. Whatever ideas that Zanu PF councilors has cannot pass”, said Munganasa.
Munganasa blamed Masvingo City Council for incompetence and said that is the reason why the Zanu PF led government has intervened with Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme (ERRP) and Devolution Funds.
“Masvingo City Council failed to maintain roads, in fact all urban councils are failing in Zimbabwe failed to fulfil their mandates that is why the government has introduced the ERRP programme. Zanu PF is a practical organization that is doing all it can to improve service delivery in the country that councils failed”, said Munganasa.
The only developments brought by council since the opposition took over control in local authorities was through the devolution funds Munganasa added.
“Council has been in existence for a very long time, and it is dominated by the opposition CCC since the early 2000, but they failed to construct clinics and roads. Here in Masvingo Runyararo North West Clinic was not built by council but by government through devolution funds which was put into effect by the second dispensation under President Emmerson Munangagwa.
“When Masvingo City Council was still dominated by Zanu PF councilors we never had water problems and our roads were good. It was only after opposition took over when we started encountering water problems, having potholes and refuse not being collet”, said Munganasa.
Speaking at the same event, Masvingo Mayor and aspiring Independent Candidate for Masvingo Urban Constituency Collen Maboke blamed the urban council’s act and interference of the parent minister in council affairs for poor service delivery.
He promised to advocate for review of the act which he said gave more power to the minister at the expense of councilors and management.
CCC candidate for the same constituency Martin Mureri said when elected he and his party aims at restoring executive mayors.

Cephas Shava

Mwenezi Police had a torrid time, on Sunday July 23, to disperse Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters who were waiting for the party President Nelson Chamisa who was on his way from Beitbridge where he had addressed another rally.
The police had ordered them to disperse saying the stipulated time for the rally had lapsed and went on to throw teargas canisters at them but they remained defiant and temporarily dispersed and regrouped again.
They said no amount of smoke will stop them from waiting for their president saying Zanu PF was being allowed weeks of gathering while CCC was being denied only a single day.
“We are not going anywhere until we see President Chamisa.
“They can throw teargas at us but we will remain strong. In Zaka Zanu PF was allowed to spend two weeks but we are being denied a single day so we are not going anywhere,” said one supporter.
Around 4 pm CCC supporters who had patiently spent the better part of the day waiting to be addressed by their leader at Rutenga growth point in Mwenezi East were told by police officers to disperse since the stipulated time for the rally had lapsed.
The party supporters briefly dispersed and regrouped after the party National Organiser Amos Chibaya arrived ahead of Chamisa around 5:30 PM.
Police in anti-riot gear immediately pounced on the regrouping CCC crowd throwing teargas canisters leaving scared supporters scampering for safety.
However, the combat between civilians and the police turned fierce when the police attempted to arrest one of the CCC leaders who were present.
When the party supporters discovered that one of their own was cornered, they charged towards the officers throwing stones forcing officers to run away for dear life leaving the rally engulfed with tear gas.
The police officers later on came back and fired warning shots at defiant CCC supporters who had regrouped at the centre of the growth point and kept singing and dancing.
The police had mounted an emergency roadblock along the highway just before Rutenga growth enroute to Beitbridge, a development which many believed was targeted at blocking from going to Rutenga.
Chamisa’s convoy however, managed to find its way from the least expected side of the growth point around 6pm where he was greeted with wild ululations from party supporters whom he briefly waved while standing in his car.
From Rutenga, he was whisked to Ngundu Business Centre where teargas canisterswere again thrown to party supporters who were waiting for him.

Beverly Bizeki

MASVINGO – ZANU PF Masvingo urban ward 3 aspiring candidate Taurai Mudzwiti popularly known as Bucho says he is the best shot he said he aims at resuscitating service delivery in his ward when he gets into office.
Speaking to TellZim News, Mudzwiti said he intends to improve a number of issues concerning service delivery for residents especially repairing water meters.
“A number of houses Masvingo have old water meters and some are no longer functional so council is estimating water bills and this is not fair to both council and residents,”
“When I get into office I intend to lobby for council to make arrangements whereby they fix meters for residents and they can pay later to make sure that council record actual water meter readings,” said Mudzwiti.
Mudzwiti also touched on the issue of refuse collection saying the timetable for refuse collection should be flexible so that residents are be able to take out their bins out for collection to minimize illegal dumping.
“Refuse trucks should change their timetable as they come too early whilst people are still sleeping. A number of people do not put out their bins for collection overnight because they may be stolen,” said Mudzwiti.
Mudzwiti said he will advocate for upgrading and creation of recreational facilities in Mamutse Stadium for youths, resuscitation of Mucheke Hall swimming pool.
He said council was not realizing much from renting out beerhalls and said if they were turned into markets the local authority would realize more money than they are currently getting from the same premises.
“Council is getting less money from leasing its beerhalls. If you look at them you will see that they are big but the area being used is very small. If I get into council I want to propose that they be turned into markets where residents rent market stalls. That way council gets more money and maximize its revenue flow which means it won’t burden residents on rates since they would have found more revenue avenues.
He also talked about poor drainage system in town and locations which he said needed improvement.
“When I moved around doing door to door campaigns, I observed that there are poor drainage systems in our communities which is problematic to residents in the rain season as water gets into people’s homes.
“Some of the areas near Chikato police station and here around sisk have poor drainage systems so we want council to have a tour before we get into office in order to get an appreciation of the problems people face in communities and we will address that,” said Mudzwiti
He said there was need for policy change on land sell saying the stands council was selling was rectangular forcing people to build block houses.
“It’s difficult to construct a house in any shape you want because of the shape of the stands. Council should allow a person to buy any shape of stand as long as one has the money. Why should every stand be rectangular,” said Mudzwiti.
Mudzwiti said there was supposed to be a provision to discount water bills for the elderly members of the community who are in town since most of them have lean sources of income.
“When I get into council I want to push for council to discount bills on our elderly members of the community especially those in Mucheke. They don’t work and have no sources of income but council bill them the same way with other people who are working. There is also need for people in old railway to get full ownership of the houses,” he said.
He said there was need to reintroduce the bus service to help during funerals as well as making sure street lights are functional.
As a businessman, he said he will make sure that council respects local businesses by giving them tenders unlike what happens in most cases where tenders are given to companies from Harare.
“When I get in office I need to make sure that council respect local companies and prioritise them on contracts so that money circulates locally.
“Local companies should be prioritized on tenders not what is currently happening. Most tenders are given to companies in Harare while local companies are there, that should be changed and if elected I will push for that change,” said Mudzwiti
He went on to say the city should not just sell land for the sake of it but should make sure that they model new developments in tandem with current trends.
“Council should find developers who develop in a modern way. We cannot allow people to build old building like the ones we have. If council want to extend the city, they shouldn’t develop a replica of what we have. The new town across Mucheke River should be a modern city not just an extension,” said Mudzwiti
He said it was time for the city to have shopping malls where residents get all goods and services under one roof and said it is one of the major priorities that he will push for once elected in council.
Mudzwiti, will lock horns in the 2023 election with Citizens coalition for Change (CCC) candidate Maxwell Madhuna, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC T) candidate Vhikai Emily and Zvirevo Pedzisai from ZZPP.