Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru- The move by financial institution ZB bank to rebrand its local branches into service centres has been described as a key step in growing the business to resonate with customer services.
The development was revealed by brand consultant Thamsanqa Moyo during the official launch of the Gweru Service Centre last week.
Moyo said that the branding concept was focused on shifting the position of the market through providing an all-inclusive service central point.
“The reason for the transformation was that they wanted to grow their business but in order to grow their business, they needed to change having learnt that the way they do the business has to resonate with their customers. How can you resonate with your customers without understanding what the customer need?
“To learn what the customers need, they learnt that maybe we are not configured properly without the audience. They were bold enough to then begin a transformation programme to say how do we reconfigure ourselves as an organization as a financial service, how do we transform ourselves so that we can match the needs of our customers.
He also said part of that was now brand repositioning to make their customers look at them a certain way.
“So when they did the examination to say how the market looks at us, they found out that they were synonymous with the old and slow, we were stable and strong and stiff like all other banks which are authoritative and friendly,” said Moyo.
“The organization decided to go through with the transformation. One of the things they did was to be digital, modern, want to be friendly and we want to be relevant. And now digital becomes a strong issue. They are the only ones with a mobile application that you can do banking, insurance and investment,” said Moyo.
He further said true branding was not changing the logo, but transforming the services.
“A brand is not a logo, it’s not a banner, it’s not a T-shirt, it is the gut feeling that someone has when they think of a product, service or company.
“So ZB decided to transform their brand to reflect how they want their customers to feel. What they have done is very bold world over; you will never see a financial service that will centralise the experiences of a customer.” he added.
ZB Bank Executive Head Projects and Programme manager organisational transformation, Patrick Tendai Huni said the transformation of Gweru branch into services centre was exciting as it was set on timelines.
“The transformation process was exciting, demanding and unique as it was done with set timelines. For Gweru service centre it was done on short space of time which is close to a month. In that phase, we say it is a life changing organisational transformation as it impacts on both customers , internal stuff as the same time bring convenience service to the market,” added Moyo.
The transformation brought in a new digital banking innovation which called ZB mobile application.
The application is an online convenient and secure platform to manage to money on the move around the clock. The feature packed app cater for things such as Logging into accounts from anywhere, around the world, checking account balances and transaction history, bill payments, Transfers, Viewing and assessing loans and term deposits among other services.

Branton Matondo

Creative artists and the rest of the arts sector from Manicaland province are set to benefit from a nationwide European Union (EU) funded programme enforced by Culture Fund which will see individuals, institutions, culture organizations, focal groups and unions receive funding for their projects.
The official European fund tagged at €2 million is expected to finance projects from approved proposals received across all ten provinces.
Minister of Youth, Sports, Arts and Recreation Kirsty Coventry on February 24 launched the nationwide programme dubbed Creative Actions 2.
Addressing arts and culture personnel from Manicaland at Courtauld Theatre in Mutare on March 9, 2023, Culture Fund Executive Director Farai Mupfunya said the programme will go for 36 months as it seeks to target projects tackling challenges affecting Zimbabwe’s arts and culture industry.
“The response has been very good. The programme targets not just artists but creators from academics, teachers and instructors of music. We also expect that those who come and attend the sessions also go and equip others with the necessary knowledge. The response has been productive looking at the fact that people ask technical questions on how to apply and seek clarity on issues that are supported and not supported.
“In line with stipulations of the fund, interested individuals will have their proposals assessed by a panel of delegates from the local and regional cultural front,” said Mupfunya.
He added that Creative Actions 2 targets an array of sectors though there are other sectors on the fall out.
“People have raised talk on whether Creative Actions 2 supports the construction and refurbishment of culture hubs or not but unfortunately the fund does not support that because there are a lot of complications in that sector not forgetting that they are complicated to manage. Hence the programme is mainly for activities that are that span to a maximum of 12 months” he added.
Culture Fund Programme Facilitator Simbarashe Mudhokwana highlighted that Creative Actions 2 runs under three mantras which are capacity building, innovation and policy development (National Development Strategy 1).
Responding to government lobbying support on the culture sector, Mupfunya said it is a priority to have government come in and add resources to the project meant to facilitate the change of arts and culture in Zimbabwe.
“We are not government but we really expect government support in putting more money and resources. We have argued our case to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Culture Fund delegation will head to Murehwa Cultural Centre in Mashonaland East, Marondera, Bindura and Chinhoyi. Besides the funding of projects, Culture Fund also supports training courses, festivals, book launches, exchange programmes, culture based technological innovations, e-commerce and a plethora of sectors,” said Mupfunya.
National Arts Council (NAC) Provincial Manager Caroline Makoni said the programme by Culture Fund is equally beneficial to women as it is to men.
“The programme is important to women as it is equally important to men but specifically to women because we know that their participation of in the arts sector is limited. We encourage women to participate and get funding because it gives them an incentive which is important for them as a marginalized entity.
“Most of the challenges being faced by our fellow colleagues revolve around the issue of funding. There is a big gap in terms of funding projects in Manicaland. In terms of infrastructure, we are looking at offices, rehearsal space and spaces where they can operate from,” said Makoni.
Redwing Traditional Dancers group Director Tupele Mudhala who benefited from the first grant which spanned from 2020 to 2021 said the fund is a great opportunity which should be utilized by artists.
“As has been said in the meeting today the major challenge facing creative artists is infrastructure or innovation hubs. You find out that many people have standing projects that lack a physical platform. I have been a beneficiary of the fund in the past. I have managed to change the sector of operation in Penhalonga because l bought resources from the funds,” said Mudhala.
Zimbabwean culture and arts industry has over the years been hampered by lack of resources which has seen promising talent being wasted.

Beverly Bizeki

Members of the public in Masvingo expressed concern over the rise in cases of rape between minors and children under the age of 18 and such cases have become prevalent in communities and common feature at the courts.
The revelation came out during the Parliamentary Portfolio committee hearing on Prisons and Correctional Service Bill and Criminal Law Codification and Reform and Amendment Bill held at Mucheke Hall recently.
Residents who attended the public hearing on the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act rallied behind the need for government to amend the law on rape and aggravated indecent assault.
One resident at the meeting pleaded for the law to consider the rape incidents between minors following the rise in cases between minors.
“We have seen a rise in the cases of minors raping other minors yet they have to walk away scot free even though they have to receive that mandatory psycho social support but then it is not enough regarding the rise in the cases. Something must be done for the juveniles that commit rape,” said the resident.
Another resident at the meeting suggested that there should be a mandatory sentence for rape of a minor and rape of an adult.
“We are aware that there can be cues between adults but this cannot be the same with a minor, so there must be a stiffer sentence on those who perpetrate such an offense on minors,” the resident said.
Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mutare Central legislator Innocent Gonese said the amendment entails the introduction of a mandatory sentence for rape where a minimum of 15 years is going to be prescribed in cases of aggravating circumstances and a minimum of five years applied to other cases.
“There is also an issue which has not been covered by the bill which is very topical and important because the constitutional court gave a ruling in May of 2022 in terms of which it ruled that the current age of consent which is pegged at 16 is unconstitutional.
“There have been voices that the definition of young person which is in the Criminal Law and Codification Act particularly section 70 which relates to the crime of sexual intercourse with a young person is going to be amended.
“Particularly there are also sentiments that the definition of extra marital be removed because it is giving license to older people to have sexual relations with minors,” said Gonese.
Recently in Masvingo, a 13 year old teenage boy who raped two other juveniles escaped a jail term after being pardoned by the court and was cautioned not to commit a similar offense over the next five years.
In a related case, a 28 year-old man from Masvingo was charged for having sexual intercourse with his alleged 15 year-old girlfriend.
There has also been a rise in cases of adults having sex with minors which the public considers should also attract a mandatory sentence.