Colleen Chitsa

Masvingo- Executive director of Envision Zimbabwe Women’s Trust Anyway Mutetwa applauded the relationship between the organization and Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) saying their partnership should be a demonstration that Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) can work well with the government in building a better Zimbabwe.
Speaking at a refresher course for ZRP Community Relations and Liaison Officers (CRLOs) drawn from different operating stations in Masvingo Province held at Urban Lifestyles lodge in Rhodene, Mutetwa said the training workshop was the fifth around the country since last year.
“This is the fifth training workshop we have partnered on since last year and we are excited to witness the progression of our long relationship with the ZRP.
“Let the relationship between Envision Zimbabwe Women’s Trust and the ZRP be a substantiation that NGOs can indeed work positively with government in modeling a better Zimbabwe for all,” he said.
Mutetwa said as a women’s organization, the promotion and protection of women’s rights, gender equality and women empowerment form part of the key objectives and their partnership with the ZRP will go long way in achieving this.
“We appreciate the important work that the police play in law enforcement but more importantly for us, the protection of rights of women and girls in our country is critical and we will continue seeking ways to support this work,” he added.
He also said the organization recognizes the importance and centrality of the CRLOs in interfacing the ZRP as the policing organization and the general public it serves.
“It gives us profound pleasure to be part of this training workshop, we have partnered on as we believe and support policing excellence and recognize the importance of continuous learning.
“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Commissioner General of Police and his esteemed team for accepting us as a partner in this endeavor,” said Mutetwa.
The training workshop saw a total of 26 participants comprising of 14 men and 12 men undertaking the refresher course.

Colleen Chitsa

Masvingo Town Clerk Engineer Mukaratirwa has spoken about the council’s plans to relocate flood victims in Runyararo West suburb to other areas as well as mobilizing resources to put up new structures for them.
Speaking during a residents engagement meeting between Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA) and council at Civic Centre on March 24, Eng. Mukaratirwa said council is undergoing the process of identifying stands for the affected families.
“We have started engaging with government regarding this issue and have concluded that the permanent solution to that situation is relocation of the victims to other safe areas.
“As council, together with government are in the process of identifying stands to relocate those people and mobilize resources to put up some structures in those areas,” said Eng. Mukaratirwa.
He said a total number of 21 properties were affected by the floods but six were more affected and this year they are prioritizing on assisting the six families first.
“Runyararo West’s Davis Mugabe Street is the worst affected and because of the effects of climate change, we do not see the situation getting better anytime soon.
“We have identified 21 properties affected but six are very critical and this year we are targeting those six properties first. What we want to do is, if you had your six bed room plan before the flood, we just build the same plan on another stand for you so that your space that you were used to does not change,” he added.
During the heavy rains that hit Masvingo before Tropical Cyclone Freddy, the affected people were temporarily accommodated at the District Development Fund (DDF) offices in Mucheke suburb.
Challenges have been experienced on properties built on wetlands or along stream banks of Mucheke River which if flooded would extent to the nearby properties.

Beverly Bizeki

Schools from Masvingo district made a big come back from the long Covid-19 induced closure of school competitions after they came out tops in quiz competitions hosted by Helen McGhie on March 24, 2023.
Masvingo district shrugged off competition from six other districts in the Provincial Heritage quiz competitions and were awarded a floating trophy for their efforts.
Helen McGhie Primary School representing Masvingo district won the competition with a whopping 36 points followed by Gutu district represented by Gutu United Primary trailing the winners with two points on 34.
Chivi district represented by Madyangove Primary School came third on 32 points while Marecha Primary School from Bikita came out fourth with 28 points.
Masvingo Provincial Deputy Education Director Micho Hove graced the event together with N Richards Southern region manager Andrew Chekani as well as National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe Director Southern Region Lovemore Mandima.
The competition saw participants answering questions in five categories which included object identification, science and nature, environment and general knowledge.
Hove who was representing the Masvingo Provincial Education Director Shylatte Mhike said the competition resonates well with Heritage studies as a learning area in schools.
“This competition dovetails well in the focus of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education as we have introduced the Heritage Studies learning area.
“As I speak right now, government has provided textbooks on Heritage Studies and for this week it was Mwenezi and Masvingo district which were collecting their books from our head office in Harare,” said Hove.
Mandima said he was impressed with the quality and quantity that has been showcased by the schools.
“All the districts were well represented in terms of quantity and even the quality, we always compare ourselves with other provinces, Masvingo is always atop in terms of quality,” said Mandima.
Chekani urged the school authorities to maintain the standards displayed at the event.
N Richards honored the participants with books and cash prizes which saw participants from number 7 to 5 walking away with US$ 20 each.
Number 4 winners walked away with US$ 25 each, while number 3 winners walked away with US $30 each.
The runner up walked away with cash prizes including US$ 40 each and a trophy for the district from the NMMZ while the winners had US$ 50 each and a shield from the NMMZ.
Each district had three participants.
The heritage quiz competition for primary schools was started in 1993 and was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past three years.
The final competition will be held on May 18, 2023 in Bulawayo.

TellZim Reporter

Masvingo Rural District Council (MRDC) Ward 2 villagers have urged council to constantly come back to them with feedback on projects being implemented by council in order for them to be kept informed on development in their area.
Speaking at an engagement meeting organized by TellZim News in partnership with the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) at Zimuto Siding Community Hall on March 20, 2023, participants told MRDC Chairperson Albert Mangena that it was important that council comes back to give feedback to community on what they were doing for transparency’s sake.
One of the participants, Stephen Chipadza said there are council houses that are now lying idle in various places within the wards, which council could use for its other businesses if they can take account of them on time.
“On infrastructure issues, we have several houses here at this shopping centre, in Gurajena, in Maraire and other places. We think if council take these houses into account, the community can benefit from them,” Chipadza said.
Another participant, Ozias Dunira said the issue of community boreholes needed council’s attention as there were other villages that had no boreholes and had to go far to access clean water.
“At Chikato School, we are appealing for a solar powered borehole there. Also in Gumbiti Village, we have to rely on water from uncovered wells and if we want clean water we would have to go to Chikato or come to Zimuto Siding Shopping Centre to get water,” Dunira said.
The issue of unfinished projects was also topical as villagers suggested that Cllr Mangena gives feedback on which projects had been finished and which ones were yet to be completed.
Cllr Mangena then gave a brief on the completion of several clinics as well as maternity waiting homes that had been completed, some of them using devolution funds.
“Mwarizvo Clinic in Ward 23 is now complete, with only a few touch ups left on the nurses’ house. At Musingarabwi in Ward 20, there is a clinic that has been completed. There is Chatikobo waiting mothers’ shelter that has been completed, among others.
“On the project profile issue that has been discussed here, I want to assure you that council wants it to be understood and appreciated from the grassroots here because every year, MRDC road works and planning director Nyatsanza does not pass February without requesting project profiles from respective councilors,” Cllr Mangena said.
Also in attendance was Chief Zimuto, who expressed gratitude towards council for revamping business centres in his area, among other developmental projects the local authority had spearheaded.

…As ZIMCODD lands landmark constitutional ruling in PFM

Emmanuel Chitsika

The Zimbabwe Coalition for Debt Management and Development (ZIMCODD) is basking in glory after scoring a ‘landmark constitutional ruling’ compelling the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to amend the Public Finance Management Act through a bill.
The ruling by the High Court of Zimbabwe on March 23 saw the ministry being given an order to ensure that the bill amending the act shall be done within a period not exceeding 12 months.
“It is ordered by consent that within 12 months from the date (March 23, 2023) of this order, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Development shall propose for national assent to the National Assembly by way of motion or in the Finance Bill the limit for public borrowing envisaged in section 11 (2) of the Public Finance Management Act (Chapter 27:21).
“Within 12 months from the date of this order, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Development shall gazette a bill amending the Public Finance Management Act (Chapter 21:22) which Bill will outline: The role of Parliament in approving loans and guarantees before the contraction of the same, the limits on debts and obligations guaranteed by the State pursuant to section 300 (1) of the Constitution, the procedure in respect of which Parliament ratifies or rejects any loan or guarantee and the procedure in which the State regularly updates Parliament on debts are obligatory loans including guarantees. Each party shall pay its own costs,” read the ruling by the High Court.
ZIMCODD, Henry Kane, Chioneso Samantha Kanoyangwa and Alice Kuveya as applicants were represented by former Finance Minister Tendai Biti while the Minister of Finance (Mthuli Ncube), Parliament of Zimbabwe and the Attorney General of Zimbabwe were the respondents.
ZINCODD Programs Manager John Maketo praised the ruling saying it will go a long way in ushering some sense of discipline that has been lacking in the Ministry of Finance while at the same time bringing into play the principle of decentralization of power.
“This is a landmark ruling in Zimbabwe and a correction on serious roles in the management of public finances. It is taking away centralized powers from the office of the Minister (of Finance) and strengthening Parliamentary approval to public spending.
“The situation has not been fine because the Minister previously would just decide to give a certain company the guarantee to borrow money without the scrutiny of Parliament which will in turn give a burden to ordinary citizens. Most of the guarantees that were given be it to private companies or parastatals were a total failure because the companies are or were not performing,”
“Assuming public government debt being done by one person without Parliamentary approval was a major undoing to the country. This ruling thus is a constitutional error that existed but has been corrected by this order,” said Maketo.
On a number of occasions, Minister Mthuli Ncube has been caught offside as he wantonly presided over excessive government expenditures without following protocols like seeking prior Parliamentary approval before making key decisions while at times he would apply for Parliamentary pardon after over spending.