Sports writer

Volleyball fanatics in the former mining town of Mashava will be treated to a sports fiesta this coming weekend (October 15-16) when athletes take to the courts to showcase their talents in a tournament meant to raise awareness on breast cancer.
Zimbabwe Volleyball Association (ZVA) Masvingo Provincial Media and Marketing Officer Frank Tsuro said the two day tournament is set for Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) volleyball courts where all teams from the country’s ten provinces will battle it out for top honours.
“This year Masvingo is hosting the tournament which is held annually. Both ladies and gents teams from the ten provinces will be grouped into two groups where only two top teams will proceed to the semi-finals.
“There are no restrictions other than that players registered in provincial leagues are eligible to play,” said Tsuro.
He however bemoaned lack of sponsorship for the sport and appealed to the corporate world to chip in and save the game.
“There is no sponsorship, teams are funding themselves. We are appealing for sponsorship. For example we have our local league here in Masvingo Dzimbahwe volleyball association but there is no sponsorship,” he added.
Masvingo teams got their kits from New Horizon Pharmacy while their training needs are taken care of by Dr Richard Makoni of Masvingo City Medicals.
Masvingo province ladies team is coached by Glenn Tavarwisa assisted by Tichaona Shambare while men’s team is under the tutelage of Clemence Muzondo assisted by Kudzai Chibi.

Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru – In a move meant to foster transparency and accountability, residents and stakeholders have urged Gweru City Council to prioritize consultation on public funds to promote inclusivity and effective citizen participation.
The call was made during a pre-budget review consultative meeting held in Gweru last week.
The budget performance review and pre-budget consultation was focused on assessing how the 2022 budget funds were used and taking in community’s input ahead of the formulation of 2023 budget.
Speaking during the engagement, Gweru Residents Forum director Charles Mazorodze said council does not consult residents and stakeholders properly with regards to public funds as the disbursements of the devolution funds are not communicated to the people.
He added that, it is hard for residents to be actively involved in key decision processes like budget formulations as management and council would have passed their positions on certain decisions in most cases.
“The most key and important thing we value as stakeholders is inclusion in most council processes and projects mapping. As residents, we have a say in every decision you may sort to implement as we are the ratepayers.
“Consultations are key, we need them. A platform like this one where we undergo the budget review would encourage residents to attend in their numbers. Right now the community is not aware how much devolution funds were disbursed, how were they disbursed and used. We want to be active players in project mapping and have our areas of concern addressed as residents,” he said.
This year Gweru City was allocated ZW$ 302 million under devolution but due to delays in disbursement, a lot of projects are on hold, a development which has been seen as a major setback to the community.
Gweru Council Public Relations Officer Vimbai Chingwaramusee however said as of last month about ZW$ 44 million out of the ZW$ 302 million had been disbursed.
She added that with this year’s allocation which had been disbursed, council has managed to do something for the city.
“As for our 2022 devolution funds, we received something. The money which was disbursed is ZW$ 44 million. So we deposited a tender for two trucks.
“However, the money disbursed is not enough for a single truck, so we are still trying to raise more money to ensure that we procure the trucks as per plan,” she said.
However some of the paid up projects as reflected by the 2022 devolution funds statement as of July 31, 2022: four skip bins were paid for at ZW$ 704 024, street lights rehabilitation at ZW$ 5 million, transformer at ZW$ 6 million, new Front End Loader at ZW$ 15 million, New Tipper at ZW$ 9 million, Ambulance at ZW$ 7 million, tractor at ZW$ 2 million and Electrical fittings/ boards at ZW$ 6.7 million.
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) representative Rebecca Butawu said under next year’s devolution funds, there was need to prioritize the resuscitation of roads networks.
“Our council has a challenge, if your funds are allocated by the Central government under devolution they are not disbursed in time.
“As council, I want to know if follow ups are ever done to account for the remaining money. At least we need that money to be carried over to the following year.
“Kindly consider the state of our road networks in the city in next year’s budget, we need proper roads in our wards,” she said.
Brisky Ncube a Gweru youth also urged council to prioritize resuscitation of entertainment facilities in order to curb drug abuse.
“Yes, water is a priority; we need our water networks to be revamped. Invest again in the social wellbeing of the community. We no longer have sporting facilities as young people like theatres and recreational centres to keep youth away from social ills.
“Let’s combat the spread of drug abuse by establishing such therapeutic facilities. Prioritize youth needs in our next year’s devolution funds budget,” he urged.
Gweru Council Finance Committee chairperson and ward 3 councillor Martin Chivhoko said delays in the disbursement of devolution funds was greatly affecting proper consultation to be conducted.

…Residents castigate government fire tender decision

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI-Residents have castigated the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing for prioritizing a fire tender to Chiredzi Town Council, which has already made payments for its Fire truck using devolution funds instead of upgrading the town’s water reticulation system.
Acute water shortages continue to be a thorn in flesh for the small sugarcane town dwellers.
Chiredzi Residents and Rate Payers Association (CHIRRA) chairperson Jonathan Muusha said the idea was good but not for Chiredzi as residents face water challenges, which is a constitutional right.
“The purchase of fire tenders by government was good, but not in our situation. Chiredzi Town Council had already procured a fire tender and those funds were now supposed to be channelled towards construction of new water works system at Chiredzi River. The town is fast growing and the demand for water is increasing daily.
“I therefore pray that government hears our plea on water situation, especially in ward 5 which has gone for over 35 years with serious water problems. It pains that women and children are suffering, searching for water and they are sometimes raped, have their property stolen while out there looking for the precious liquid,” said Muusha.
Ward 5 is one of the oldest suburbs in Chiredzi and has gone for many years without water.
Chiredzi Low and Medium Residents Association (CLMRA) chairperson Denford Chikanyau also echoed the same sentiments that water is a constitutional right which should always be prioritized before anything else.
“The water issue should have been the first priority before anything else. Water is a right to the people, water is life. In Chiredzi, one fire tender is enough so prioritizing a fire tender is a disgrace to the residents who have never tasted showers in their houses. I think they should have done some consultations first with the residents on which projects to prioritize first.
“This is a very sad story to see residents lining up at a borehole during the middle of the night and women are at risk of being raped on their way to the borehole. If council still has the chance to reverse this, they must do so. Council should have argued their case before government go ahead and procure fire tenders. Our challenges differ by location, ours is of water,” said Chikanyau.
Chiredzi Town Council Acting chairperson Ropafadzo Makumire also highlighted that the decision by the government is like taking residents for granted as they are supposed to be consulted first on what needs to be done but when the money is availed, it is channelled towards what the minister deems necessary.
“Minister called us at his office where we highlighted what was in urgent need at our local authority to be covered by devolution funds which was mainly water and sanitation issues. After those consultations where residents also indicated that water sewer reticulation was an urgent need, which we also highlighted to be covered in our budget, the minister just points that we need fire engines. So we have taken residents for granted and end up being at war with residents. So this is a national crisis as almost every local authority is complaining about it,” said Makumire.
On June 14, 2022, The Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, July Moyo directed local government authorities to purchase fire trucks from Belarus on a government to government agreement, where each rural local authority will get one fire tender while urban local authorities and metropolitans will get two and three respectively at a cost of US$ 464 296 each.
Chiredzi Town Council is being served by Tongaat Hulett’s fire tender to deal with its fire problems and is currently anticipating for delivery of one of their own which they bought using devolution funds together with the recently delivered Refuse Truck, which will be sufficient to serve the small community of Chiredzi.
Residents, though they say the idea is okay, thought it was not a priority for government to force local authorities towards purchasing fire tender rather than upgrading the town’s water supply system.