Beverly Bizeki

Masvingo City Council Mayor Collen Maboke has revealed plans by the local authority to reclaim Runyararo West dumpsite area by constructing a school.
Speaking to TellZim News after a Full Council Meeting held on Monday July 3, Maboke said council had a recovery plan for the land at the Runyararo West dumpsite which is now being relieved by the Cambria landfill.
“There are no longer any activities of dumping refuse at the old site as we speak, as council we are planning to build a school on that site.
“This is not the first time that council builds a school on former dumpsite, previously there was a dumpsite on what is now Runyararo Primary School so we intend to utilize the land by constructing a new school and recreational facilities for Runyararo West and Victoria Ranch residents,” said Maboke.
Maboke said the new landfill started functioning two weeks back relieving the former dumpsite which he said was a health hazard to residents who lived nearby.
The new landfill had been on record for false starts as council missed three deadlines from the first set date which was September 2021.
Reclaiming the old dumping site area will relieve residents from the two suburbs who had for long been prone to foul smells, swarms of flies and smoke that came from burning of rubbish.
Though council had stopped dumping at the site, there is still a lot rubbish at the site and metal and plastic scavengers are still frequenting the area burning rubbish to the detriment of residents.

Beverly Bizeki

Masvingo Teachers College is set to construct two schools, a Primary and Secondary school for the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development’s model schools.
This was revealed in Masvingo City Council’s Health and housing minutes dated June 5, 2023 where council granted application for space by the college.
“Council has resolved that the application by MTC for space to construct two schools, a primary and secondary school and establish model practicing schools for its programmes (Primary and Secondary science teacher education) be granted,” reads part of the minutes.
The ministry is set to operationalize the education 5.0 philosophy which was introduced to ensure tertiary institutions .
“It was reported that the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education in its quest to operationalize the Education 5.0 philosophy has directed MTC to establish model practicing schools for its programmes and the ministry will fund the entire process,” read the minutes.
Masvingo Teachers’ College principal Benson Mutambudzi told TellZim News that the college will be facilitating construction of the two schools with funding from Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education.
“The two schools will be a world class type of school for practicing to link theory and practice and will be run by our former students and the college itself,” said Mutambudzi.
He said location of the two schools is yet to be decided by the local authority.
“Whe we engaged the local authority, they gave us two possible site for the schools and they are yet to finalize and give us the site,” said Mtambudzi
The college is set to extend its pre-school which is located in Hay Robertson Street by constructing more classrooms and other essential facilities due to the overwhelming demand for places from Masvingo City residents.
Council resolved that the college builds and transfer the structures to council upon completion since they are renting the premises from council.
“Council has resolved that request by Masvingo Teachers College to extend the Council building on Stand Number 1047, Hay Robertson Street, Masvingo which they are leasing as a Pre-School be granted and that Council enters a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) agreement with Masvingo Teachers College on the proposed developments on Stand Number 1074 which they are leasing as a Pre School,” read the minutes.
On that note Mutambudzi said the college intends to make the pre-school big enough to accommodate more learners and to offer grade one and two facilities.
He said the pre-school will be the model pre-school for the whole of Masvingo Province.
Under the education 5.0 philosophy, the higher and tertiary education sector is expected to teach, research, community service, innovate and industrialise so as to ensure the country moves towards an innovation led and knowledge driven economy.
The education 5.0 model was adopted five years ago with the aim of empowering students with practical skills rather than theory only.
Previously, the education system in Zimbabwe was characterized as Higher and Tertiary Education 3.0 focusing on teaching, research and community service but the new model seeks to innovate and industrialise as the country is moving towards attainment of Vision 2030 to transform the country’s economy into an upper-middle income economy by 2030.

Perpetua Murungweni

Masvingo city council is owed over ZW$5 billion in debts with government toping the debtors list for the month of May constituting to 29percent of the overall debt.
The minutes of finance and general purpose committee held on 22 and 30 May 2023 indicates that Council has recorded a debtors balance that amounts to ZWL$ 5,047,211,293, for the month of May which is 14% increase from the previous month balance.
“The distribution of debtors by category was noted with Government constituting 29%, commercial 16%, industry 7%, institutions 6%, low density residential 17%, medium density residential 4% and high density residential 21% respectively,” read the minutes
“Debtors balances as at 31 May 2023 amounted to ZWL$ 5,047,211,293, an increase of 14% from the April 2023 balance,” reads part of the statement in the minutes.
The report indicates that council collected less total billing than they collect in the previous month.
“A total of ZW$ 1,532,376,617.93 was collected against a total billing of ZWL$ 2,136,901,453.98 translating to a collection efficiency of 71.71% as compared to 66.32% realized on April 2023,” read the minutes.
Last year October Masvingo City Council recorded a high increase in debts and resolved to increase measures to enforce bill payment because there was a huge closing balance for debtors in August 2022.
Council has resolved to raise public health by-laws in the event of non-payment or failure to stick to payment plans.
Also in 2021 Council management tasked Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa and Mayor Collen Maboke to approach the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira to help them recoup outstanding debts from government institutions and departments.
The council cited that failure to pay bills was one major cause behind poor service delivery as the local authority struggles to fund their projects.
Residents and institutions continue to owe them huge sums of money that would be easily eroded by inflation and becomes valueless due to the instability of local currency has been subjected to.

Beverly Bizeki

Masvingo City Council is set to descend on uninspected meat sellers following the rise in cases on the illegal act which poses health risks to unsuspecting residents.
In the council minutes of Health, Housing and Environment dated June 5, 2023 the local authority said it had noted the sale of uninspected meat in the city and would issue a prohibition notice against selling uninspected meat.
“Members noted with concern the sale of uninspected meat in the City. The Chief Environmental Health Officer advised that a notice on the prohibition on sale of uninspected meat will be issued out,” read part of the minutes.
In the same minutes, council also noted the number of illegal activities going on around the city including the illegal car wash at craft centre.
“On illegal car wash operations in the city. Concern was raised on the illegal car wash operating at the Craft Center. The Acting Director of Housing and Social Services noted that the issue was actioned, and the owner had been issued a notice on the illegal activity,” read the minutes.
Councilors also agreed that a blitz on all illegal activities in the city should be holistic with focus on Industrial activities in residential areas.
On dog tie up council also noted the need to determine if a dog is truly stray or not before shooting.
“On enforcement of the Dog tie up order, some members felt the need to determine if a dog was truly a stray before shooting, which the Chief Environmental Health Officer clarified that the blitz is usually conducted in the evening, when kept dogs have been locked up,” read the minutes.

…tracking system records 4 285 driving violations in one month

Perpetua Murungweni

Vehicle misuse is reigning supreme at Masvingo City Council as the vehicle tracking system has recorded a shocking 4 285, driving violations on the municipal vehicles in one month.
The statistics are almost double from the 2019 recorded in April last year.
This came out in the report of the Acting Director of Engineering Services on vehicle tracking system for the month of May 2023.
“It was reported that 4 285 driving violations had been recorded during the month of May 2023,” read the statement in the minutes.
However, Mayor Collen Maboke said some of the offences were very minor as the tracking system records everything.
“Some of the violations recorded are very minor like if one applies emergency brakes, so if we are to punish offenders we would fire all drivers,” said Maboke.
Last year the local authority was challenged to employ a vehicle tracking system on its fleet so as to curb misuse of the local authority’s vehicles.
This was after council vehicles were seen parked at places where they should not be such as recreational and social joints.
As a preventive measure, councilors, mainly Sengerayi Manyanga of ward 10, implored management at Town House to install tracking systems on vehicles and also assign a specific officials to take care and monitor errands of vehicles.
The City Council’s engineering department acknowledged in full council minutes this publication is in possession of that most of their vehicles were developing faults and the top cause being idling.
However, the shocking statistics shows that the local authority could probably failing to take action against errand drivers as the statics continue to sour.
In April last year, 2019 violations including over speeding, harsh braking, turning and idling, were recorded.
The local authority had also noted that ambulances were at fault on regular basis and it was discovered that 95 percent of the mileage recorded on the ambulances were not related to patient transfer but other errands
The recent full council meeting was also told that the municipal police in its errands had raised a total of USD 18950 from 1625 violations by the citizens for the month of May.
“Covering Human and Material Resources, operational activities, Traffic Offences, commonage patrols, vending, boom gate activities and status of ranking of buses at Mucheke Bus Terminus. It is reported that the Section attended to 1625 violations in the commonage and raised a total of USD18950 during the month under review,” reads the minutes.