Valentine Makufa

Construction works at the seemingly abandoned Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) main campus near Masvingo Teachers College which has been lying idle for more than 18 years are set to resume in 2023.
Speaking during a tour of the site on the sidelines of a two-day Second Edition of the Great Zimbabwe University Research Fair on August 17, GZU Vice Chancellor Professor Rungano Jonas Zvobgo said the construction is expected to resume next year.
“The construction is set to resume in 2023 as we are going to finish the abandoned buildings. The budget is already set for the works,” said Prof Zvogbo.
However, he could not give details on why construction was put on hold for such a long time.
GZU was allocated another land near Kyle Dam and they failed to construct the campus due to unknown reasons.
The site was later condemned with authorities citing its interference with the Great Zimbabwe monuments as well as polluting Masvingo City’s sole water source.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Professor Fanuel Tagwira encouraged the university to consult their engineers to assess state of the abandoned buildings before resuming construction.
“You should consult engineers to assess the building since it has been lying idle for so many years before you resume the construction,” said Prof Tagwira.
The buildings have been lying idle since 2004 when the university was under the leadership of then vice chancellor Professor Obert Maravanyika.
Professor Zvobgo was appointed the Vice Chancellor in 2012 but who failed to facilitate the construction of the main campus favoring an expansionist policy which saw the construction of more campuses in and outside the city.

…. Complain over proliferation of guest houses in residential areas

TellZim reporter

Masvingo City councillors said they were worried over slow progress on servicing of Rujeko D residential area stands as well as the proliferation of guest houses in other residential areas.
Speaking during the last full council meeting, Masvingo mayor Collen Maboke said the project seems to be long overdue since its inception and at this point in time council should be already selling the stands to beneficiaries.
“Coming to Rujeko D, what is the situation like right now? We as councillors feel there should have been meaningful progress and council by this time could have or be selling stands to beneficiaries as a way of clearing the backlog on housing list.
“Was the lay out for the residential area approved? There have been continued assurances that the area has been approved and that keeps on being repeated,” quizzed Maboke.
However responding to the question, ward 10 councillor Sengerayi Manyanga who chairs the Public Works and Planning committee said the surveyor general’s office was done on its part of the job but said he was not sure of the number of stands at the site earmarked for the project.
“The surveyor general completed their job, what I am not sure about is the number of stands that are going to be allocated in the area. We once saw the master plan but did not read on the number of stands available but maybe the Town Clerk would help us to that.
“If possible, policy makers present here allow us (TC, Mayor, his deputy and the public works committee) to go to Harare to the Minister of Local Government and Public Works because he is the one responsible for signing the papers,” said Manyanga.
Speaking in the same meeting, Deputy Mayor Wellington Mahwende said Council should take effective measures to deal with the challenges likely to arise as a result of the proliferation of guest houses in most residential areas.
Mahwende said the guest houses were posing a challenge to the peace of residents who would have acquired properties in residential areas before the establishment of the guest houses.
“In my ward (6), we have two guest houses and I feel they disturb the peace of residents because at times they are used for other purposes which interferes with the peace of property owners. As council, we need to consider that when these property owners bought them, they did so not knowing that their peace would be disturbed.
“Council should rather avail land that would specifically be meant for such facilities so that residents can realize the value for the properties. Some guest houses are hosting parties which promote noise and thus interfering with the peace of other residents,” said Mahwende.
Notices of change of use from residential to lodges/guest houses have become a regular feature in full council meeting a move some have pointed to as a way of evading the higher charges and other processes of buying commercial stands and thus people prefer residential stands which they will convert later.

Tinaani Nyabereka

GWERU-City Council Mayor and ward 1 councillor Hamutendi Kombayi has implored management to come up with strategies to curb refuse collection challenges including the engaging of donkey-drawn scotch carts in refuse collection.
Of late, reports emerged that council refuse trucks which were serviced at Dully’s had been not working as they were blocked from going to the traditional workshop over allegations of unclear deals as council resorted to use their workshop for truck servicing.
Speaking in a Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) WhatsApp group on Monday (August 15), Kombayi said he was going to engage the Chamber Secretary on issues of adopting donkey pulled scotch carts to collect refuse in residential areas.
“The deputy mayor, all councillors here present, all protocols observed. May I take this opportunity to emphasize that I am trying to communicate to you this week with regards to refuse collection.
“We are going to hold our Midlands Agricultural Show from the 18th to the 21st of this month and as City of Progress, we need to unite bearing in mind that we have current disease outbreaks.
“We need to hold a robust clean-up campaign avoiding all that. The problem is that our council does not have refuse trucks. We need to make other suggestions so that refuse is collected. I am going to meet the Chamber Secretary so that he engages those with donkey scotch carts.
“As the Commander in Chief of Gweru Municipality police, I command that the Chamber Secretary allow those young people who own donkey drawn scotch carts selling firewood to do their firewood business freely and in return they collect refuse on behalf of council.
“Council management should also think outside the box. If you fail to reach your agreements with contracted trucks, let’s engage owners of donkey-drawn carts to lessen the burden,” said Kombayi.
Gweru council Public Relations Officer Vimbai Chingwaramusee said refuse trucks were being serviced and they are back on the road.
“Our refuse trucks have been serviced and they are back on the road. As we are speaking now, refuse collection has resumed and it’s now back to normal,” said Chingwaramusee.
She further said the local authority was considering to adopt a new refuse collection system to save the refuse trucks from continuous breakdowns.
“As council, we are in the process of planning to adopt a new refuse collection structure where all refuse is collected from one point in all locations. We saw this model in Bulawayo, it’s a model that engages private contractors in collecting and bringing garbage to one point of collection where our trucks will be collecting,” she added.
Residents in Gweru have since the beginning of last month been dumping litter at undesignated dumpsites a move that has posed a health hazard to the city.
A resident of ward 6 Sibonginkosi Moyo said people are now dumping litter in drainages.
“Litter has not been collected for weeks and weeks now, and it’s a health ticking bomb considering bad waste management practices at play in our wards now. Pampers are dumped everywhere, people are disposing dirty in drains. It’s now a health scare,” said Moyo.

…As Canadian cyclists embark on fund raising activity for the health facility

TellZim reporter

Gutu district worries over maternal and infant health care access are likely to be allayed after a team of cyclists in Canada organized a five-day fund raising event whose proceeds are set to be used towards improving the health facility.
The 500+ kilometre race dubbed ‘Ride for Gutu’ organized by Education for Medical Aid and Service (EMAS) is set for September 12-16, 2022 when cyclists ride from Burlington to Canadian capital Ottawa in support of maternal and infant health care.
EMAS Executive director Peter Agwa said the whole idea behind the activity is driven by passion to see mothers and their infants have a greater chance of health and survival since mortality rate in Zimbabwe is extremely high and is 40 times more than Canada’s.
“I am riding to help improve the health of mothers and their new-borns in rural Zimbabwe. The 500-plus kilometres from Burlington to Ottawa over five days will be my toughest cycling challenge ever. I am doing this to raise money for training hospital workers later this year. Like a famous king from long ago: I will not offer to God that which cost me nothing,” said Dr Agwa.
His sentiments were echoed by another cyclist Wally Boonstra who said he is participating for the sake of improving the life of people in Africa.
“I am riding for Gutu Mission Hospital because it is a mission like the work Dr Jean Chamberlain does in parts of Africa. Dr Chamberlain delivered both my beautiful grandchildren in Canada.
“I am intrigued by the work done in Africa to improve the lives of mothers and infants as well the outcomes. As a Christian, I have no medical background or training but will do my part by raising funds for the hospital,” said Boonstra.
Another participant Gary Aikema said he intends to help raise the funds because what are considered risk-free procedures in Western world can compromise lives of Zimbabwean mothers.
“I am joining the ride for Gutu maternity hospital because I know the need for improved service. When mothers’ lives are compromised with what we in the Western world consider to be virtually risk-free procedures, I feel compelled to involve myself, at least in the smallest way in God’s service to provide some help,” he said.
Tracy Robb the newest member in the cycling team said her wish is towards provision of proper equipment at the hospital.
“I’m riding for Gutu maternity hospital in Zimbabwe. I will be helping to raise much-needed funds so that families in that community could experience child birth as well as medical complications without fear and instead with the help of doctors and needed equipment,” said Robb.
Chi Mandivenga whose mother was born at the health centre would join the race on the first day for personal reasons.
The race will end at Zimbabwean Embassy in Canada where the cyclists are expected to be welcomed by Ambassador Ruth Chikwira.
EMAS is also going to co-host a medical conference with Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ) from October 30 to November 6, 2022.

Yeukai Munetsi

Zvishavane- People living with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are calling upon the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to consider them in the upcoming budget and invest more in mitigating risk factors they face.
This follows the lack of response by the responsible Ministry to allocate funds towards NCDs.
Speaking to TellZim News this week, Director for Beat Non- Communicable Diseases Network Zimbabwe, Jacob Ngwenya said investing in NCDs would assist government in reducing costs in treatment options.
“A direct budget allocation towards NCDs is long overdue and the country is already feeling the brunt as seen with disruptions of life saving treatment such as radiotherapy, absence of diagnostic services in public hospitals and the ever ending drug stock outs of life saving drugs.
“An interaction between Covid-19 and NCDs proved to be catastrophic to people living with the condition as they battled severe diseases and contribute between 60 to 90% of all Covid-19 deaths. Investing into NCDs is very essential for future pandemic preparedness,” said Ngwenya.
He went on to describe the NCDs as chronic illnesses that are contributing largely to high death tolls in the world.
“NCDs are usually influenced by physiological, genetic, environmental or behavioural factors and these diseases include cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, mental and neurological, kidney diseases, obesity, and arthritis among other skeletal. Five major causes of NCDs are in health diet, tobacco use and abuse of alcohol as well as air pollution.
“NDCs are diseases that cannot be transmitted from one person to the other due to the fact that they are usually chronic in nature and statistics have shown that 74% of the deaths recorded world over annually are mainly related to NCDs,” he added.
Ngwenya however highlighted that a meaningful conversation with people within the sector is one of the solutions to the NCDs funding that would assist the sector if applied.
“A meaningful consultation with the affected communities has to be done in the early budget formulation processes as this will assure People Living With Non Communicable Diseases’s views and voices are not only captured but holistically considered.
“The sin tax is a corrective measure which seeks to reduce uptake of harmful products at the same time raising funds for NCDs. Impose sin tax on all alcohol products, trans fats, ultra processed foods especially those high in iodine and on fossil fuels,” he said.

Kudzaishe Masendeke

ZAKA – Blessing Gomana, who was doing grade two at Murerekwa Primary School was knocked down, dragged for several meters by motor vehicle and died while patching potholes and charging motorist passing by on Friday August 12.
Though Masvingo police said they were yet to receive a report on the matter, local ward (8) councilor Tererai Tererai confirmed the incident and said the deceased has already been buried at his home in Gwara village under chief Ndanga.
“The boy was patching potholes a few meters from Murerekwa school turnoff towards Roy when a white guy stopped and offered him US$5 as a token. When he drove off, he mistakenly racked him with a boat trailer he was pulling and dragged him only to stop after some meters,” said Tererai
He went on to say after the incident, the juvenile was rushed to Ndanga District Hospital where died upon admission due to injuries sustained in the accident.
“The driver later stoped and helped the boy toNdanga Hospital but he died because he had lost a lot of blood. The driver assisted the family with US$570 to cater for funeral expenses,” said Tererai
Masvingo Provincial Roads Engineer Robert Mukome encouraged parents to prohibit children from working on roads and said awareness through schools to amplify cause was critical to avoid further losses in future.
“As a word of advice to parents, please prohibit children from working on highways as motorists will be traveling at very high speed. The speeding is dangerous to their safety. May this information be relayed through schools within the highway’s corridors as more noise on this notion will help.
“Again as a ministry we are still facing some operational challenges constrained mainly on resources. Management is still engaging all relevant stakeholders to come up with a long term and sustainable intervention to address this mishap we are encountering. Let’s continue to exercise patience and caution as we traverse this route, We are working flat out to ensure required resources are availed to address this life threatening danger posed by the current status of our road,” said Eng Mukome