…as contractors demand fuel in ZW$

…monitoring tour by ERRP administrative team opens can of worms

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI– The government’s poor planning on Emergency Road Rehabilitation Programme is manifesting and seemingly haunting the government as contractors are now demanding that they be given access to fuel in local currency.
The recent visit by Major General (Rtd) Godfrey Chanakira who is the Permanent Secretary in Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s office on a week-long tour of ERRP roads in Masvingo province opened a can of worms on how poor planning is seemingly evident as contractors working on such projects are struggling to purchase enough fuel from the budgets funded by government.
Contractors cried foul that all fuel dealers demand foreign currency which is in contrast as government pays them in local currency.
In Masvingo District, journalists were not allowed to go on the tour, with Major General (Rtd) Chanakira who said he was only a technocrat hence taking the media on the tour was pointless, but in Chiredzi members of the media participated in the tour.
Addressing stakeholders at Chiredzi Town Council (CTC) boardroom, Major General (Rtd) Chanakira however promised them that government will engage the Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) in a move meant to ensure the parastatal bails out contractors through providing fuel in ZW$.
“The issues of fuel have been aired several times. The fuel uptake was very low during the first phase though it was later exhausted. We are in the process of resuscitating the programme and from your reports; I am seeing that both local authorities have requested 4341 litres each.
“We are going to avail it any time soon through CMED and I encourage you to purchase the requested fuel at once and find means for your own storage,” said Major General (Rtd) Chanakira.
Chiredzi Town Council (CTC) as well as Chiredzi Rural District Council (CRDC) pleaded with government to provide them with fuel in Zimbabwean dollar as they do not have access to the US dollar required in the fuel market, which is giving a major blow to ERRP funds which are quickly eroded by inflation before their disposal.
CRDC’s Executive Officer for Technical Services Takudzwa Chimanya said local authorities do not have access to foreign currency to buy fuel for the ERRP programmes a factor that is heavily affecting their ERRP allocations from Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA) as they are almost using half of the funds on fuel purchases.
“For 2022, we were allocated ZW$ 44 million ERRP funds from ZINARA, with ten percent of the amount having been disbursed to the local authority. With this inflationary environment, where fuel prices are only calling for foreign currency, it seems crazy to indicate that we have used half of the amount towards fuel purchases as a litter of fuel is pegged at around ZW$ 750,” said Chimanya.
Acting Town Secretary for Chiredzi Town, Engineer Wesley Kauma also expressed the same sentiments that fuel was dragging down the smooth flow of the ERRP as they do have access to United States dollars to purchase fuel to use in the equipment they are hiring to carry out their duties.
“I am also appealing to government to reintroduce the fuel system which was used in the first phase of ERRP which was made available in ZW dollars. We are having a lot of challenges towards fuel purchases which require foreign currency,” said Eng Kauma.
Ngomla Investments Director Zivisai Paddington Sithole who spoke on behalf of contractors expressed concern over the payments which are being done in Zimbabwean dollars vis-a-viz fuel which is being sold in United States dollars saying it is dragging behind progress of the ERRP programmes.
“We thank you for honouring upcoming contractors in the ERRP programme. However, the market forces are making it difficult for the contractors to operate at full throttle as we are being paid using the Zimbabwean dollar while fuel on the market is being sold in United States dollars. This will heavily affect quality of work by contractors,” said Sithole.
The delayed completion of ERRP projects has been attributed to delayed disbursement of funds which will come after they had already been chewed by inflation as government will not revise budgets that would have been approved at time of tender offers.
In some cases government has been accused of awarding tenders to dodgy contractors some of whom are constructing poor roads that developed potholes and showed signs of deterioration only weeks after being constructed.
Masvingo Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Jefta Sakupwanya once acknowledged the lack of adequate capacity on part of government to monitor and supervise contractors which he said might drive poor work though he promised such incompetent companies would be blacklisted.
“There was inadequate capacity for supervision and monitoring of contractors of these roads which could have led to the compromise in the quality of the roads,” said Dr Sakupwanya.
The desperate move by contractors to go to the parallel market to purchase fuel has been labelled by some sections of society as behind fuelling the parallel market rates of foreign currency trading so the contractors end up off-loading huge sums of the local currency in favour of the green back so that they can purchase fuel for their equipment.

Tendai Charumbira

Poverty in the country is continuously exposing children to nutritional vulnerabilities as the minors suffer due to poor income their parents and guardians have, as funding in child protection systems by government continues to dwindle.
In the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) April 2022 Policy Digest, they reported that a percentage total of 23.5 of children suffer from stunted growth while 12.6 percent are born with a low birth weight while they also experience poor dietary diversity resulting in three quarters of them suffering from malnutrition.
“UNICEF 2021 Zimbabwe Annual Report propounded that Zimbabwe has weak child protection systems that have failed to ensure safety and well-being of children. UNICEF reported that 4.8 million Zimbabwean children live in poverty and 1.6 million live in extreme poverty.
“The most prevalent issues of impoverished children in Zimbabwe include malnutrition, education, sanitation and access to portable water. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reported that less than 10 percent of the children between 6-24 months of age consume a minimally acceptable diet,” read part of the report.
In an interview District Medical Officer (DMO) for Chiredzi Dr Brian Dhlandhlara said the increasing nutritional vulnerability among children is a result of poor dietary diversity is being caused by low income as people no longer have enough money for their children to have a balanced diet.
“The increasing nutritional vulnerability among children as a result of poor dietary diversity is being caused by poverty as people are failing to give their children a balance diet,”said Dr Dhlandhlara.
According to medical practitioner Dr Calvin Maimba stunted growth is when a child fails to grow to the proper height commensurate with his or her age.
“The main cause of stunted growth is when there is poor nutrition in pregnant women or children. It can also be described as under nutrition,” said Dr Maimba.
In an interview with TellZim News, the director of Philadephia Medical Corridor Dr Doutie Chiwororo said that there is an increase in nutrition vulnerabilities as a result of poor diets because of civilization; literacy and internet where people now rely on the internet no longer seek medical advice on their children’s health.
The cost of living in Zimbabwe has been deteriorating, which has resulted in many people shunning from seeking for medical advice in deteriorating public health centres, coupled with expensive consultation fees in private health institutions.
This has led many parents to discover their children’s nutritional deficiencies late, when it has become hardly reversible.

Melinda Kusemachibi/ Faith Duri

As radio still plays a vital role in today’s world via information dissemination, Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) has partnered local communities in radio programmes as a way of trying to connect them to issues to do with public finance management to find solutions for local challenges.
Speaking to TellZim News Darlington Madzonga, a Social and Economic Justice Ambassador with ZIMCODD for Glenview South, Harare said radio listening clubs are community based clubs where people meet to listen and discuss public finance management issues as part of economic consciousness for development.

“Normally a club should have 15 people and are expected to complete six episodes for them to complete the modules.
“Issues discussed include debt, tax, budget process, inequalities in society, movement building and other public finances,” said Madzonga.
He also added that his community has benefited a lot from these clubs and they have managed to engage council on issues affecting them.
“My community has benefitted tremendously from the clubs. In harvesting outcomes, the community has managed to engage council on issues ranging from refuse collection, water supply, allocation of market stalls and car parks.
“Through the clubs, Glenview district office was forced to come up with a client charter, an instrument that gives contacts and modalities of approaching council to report faults and ensure engagement.
“Residents are now literate on public finance issues, ZIMCODD is building a social and economic justice movement,” added Madzinga.
Masvingo Radio Listening Club facilitator Ephraim Mtombeni said that the programme has got potential to empower marginalized communities.

“Radio Listening Club is a participatory communication platform that has the potential to empower poor communities into action that could lead us to sustainable social change and development. It creates a neutral platform where the skits improve the capability of citizens to demand accountability and transparency at local level.
“Most importantly it educates communities on their rights and responsibilities in public finance management to strengthen transparency and accountability in PFM. The participants managed to submit their priorities to the Members of Parliaments (MP) towards the Constituency Development Fund,” said Mtombeni.
Community Resource Monitoring Agent (CORA) for Lupane district Casuel Moyo said radio listening clubs is about PFM be it on government/public or private institutions and they use radio skits when they are doing their activities or programmes.

“We are monitoring issues on accountability and transparency with focus on public finances where we engage the general public, stakeholders and government employees.
“We generally discuss government accountability mechanisms thereby trying to reduce corruption in central or local authority sectors,” said Moyo.
He also said this has benefited his community in airing views on financial management.
“This has benefited the community in airing views on financial management where they needed especially on controlling their natural resources in communities hence engaging government officials,” he said.
Vice Chairperson of ZIMCODD Eastern Region Benneta Goneso said that the programmes done by ZIMCODD are benefiting them as a community.
“These radio listen programmes done by ZIMCODD really benefit the community as they have access to information and people are being well-taught of their rights and responsibilities as citizens. Once the community is empowered with information, they will be in a position to help fight against corruption,” said Chimeura.
CORA for Gutu District Matilda Nehohwa also said radio listening clubs increase awareness and gives the community better knowledge about their rights.
“Radio listening clubs increase awareness, gives knowledge to citizens about their rights. It widens awareness scope on issues of debt, PFM, service delivery; basically it’s a good way of information dissemination and a way of equipping citizens about their rights.
“The community gets brightened on finance issues, they even get to know that they have a say in what they pay and also that they are the beneficiaries of revenue collected by government. They also get to know that debt affect everyone and it weakens service delivery for them,” said Nehohwa.
Movement building assistant for Gweru district Grace Mashingaidze said community radio listening programmes were designed to raise level of economic literacy among ZIMCODD members and communities at large.
“Community radio listening programme is an improved access to information and powerful participatory communication approach where villagers in isolated communities have access to public finance management information and it’s designed to inform them on their rights and responsibilities,” said Mashingaidze.
She stated that the community is benefiting a lot because the skits are all in Zimbabwean languages making it easier for every individual to understand.
“The skits are in different languages Shona, English, Ndebele which makes it easier for communities to understand and participate.
“There has been an increase in participation among women, youth and people with disabilities. Citizens now demand transparency and accountability from duty bearers on different platforms, they are now asking the HOWFAR question and even demanding feedback,” she added.
Community Radio listening clubs are helping rural population participate in the development of both their communities and themselves. The clubs enable members (women, men and youth) to share concerns and take collective action.
In collaborating with rural radio stations that feed and broadcast their discussions, the clubs have become agents of change in different societal aspects.

Tinaani Nyabereka

GWERU- Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) in partnership with government last week hosted the International Girls in ICT commemorations where echoes were made on enhancing the participation of girls in Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Speaking at the engagement last week, POTRAZ director Gift Machengete said in as much as the country was driving towards the empowerment of the girl child, there was also need to embrace the boy child to address gender disparities.
“The boy child should not been left out because boys also have the much needed ICT skills. Let us therefore be wary of neglecting the boy child so much that we would end up having a problem where the boys are far much behind while their female counterparts will be far ahead of them.
“Potraz has embarked a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing ICT access to all especially in the marginalized communities. As POTRAZ, we believe in inclusivity and in leaving no one behind, which is why we have been rolling out information centres in communities. While our efforts are all-inclusive, statistics released by the United Nations shows that women and girls use the internet 12.5 percent less than men and boys, with some 46 percent of boys accessing the internet on their phones, compared to 27 percent of girls,” he said.
He further said girls access digital technology at a later age than boys.
Guest speaker Information, Postal and Courier Services Minister Jenfan Muswere said it was estimated that 5 million jobs would be lost by 2030 due to replacement by ICT systems.
“As we implement the girls in ICT and bridge the digital gender divide, it is important that we create the appropriate environment and policy realignment to sustain the interest of not only young girls but their male counterparts as well.
“My Ministry will work hard to ensure the availability of ICT infrastructure throughout the country to help provide internet connectivity and equip schools as well as various community information centres as information technology is going to overtake the traditional jobs by the year 2030,” he said.
Regina Mundi High School Priest-In -Charge, Rev Father Gilbert Chibhira said girls suffered most through the use social media platforms and hence the programme was an eye opener to the leaners.
“This day will open up the eyes of these young female leaners who we feel are abused through social media platforms. We hope this interaction will open up their eyes.
“Under the theme Access and Safety”-Ensuring every girl has safe and meaningful access to digital technology and ICT with over 150 careers in the technology sector,” said Chibhira.
The International Girls in ICT Day was set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to inspire and empower young women and girls to take up ICT careers and become active participants in the information industry.

Melinda Kusemachibi

Masvingo residents have cried foul over raw sewage discharge into Mucheke River albeit via the incomplete trunk sewer project as they claim to live in fear of a possible disease outbreak after Masvingo City Council reportedly discharged raw sewage into the river while arguing they were fixing a vandalized manhole in Rujeko A suburb.
Speaking to TellZim News Masvingo Residents Forum (MRF) chairperson Brighton Ramusi said the raw flow of sewage poses a health hazard to residents.
“The flow of raw sewage into Mucheke River is a perennial problem that requires a long lasting solution. It is a health danger not only to residents but also to the animals that drink water in the river. The trunk sewer project has continued at snail pace while the sewer bursts continue to worsen, this has been exacerbated by the continuous growth of residential areas without dealing with the fundamental problem of fast tracking the project.
“It is horrible if not terrible for the city fathers to continue allocating stands without completing the trunk sewer project. Recently council extended Pangolin residential area without increasing the capacity of the sewer system,” said Ramusi.
He also blamed the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) for folding their hands and do nothing about the issue.
“It is unfortunate that (EMA) is doing nothing about it. We have managed to engage the city fathers and they promised to attend to the burst pipes but the flow is still there, hence council must prioritize the completion of the project,” said Ramusi.
Masvingo Service Delivery Residents and Ratepayers Association (MASDRRA) Secretary General Moses Mavhusa said council is shifting blame on poor service delivery matters by citing vandalism and theft.
“We are greatly concerned with the alleged theft and vandalism of sewer infrastructure reported by Masvingo City Council, but however we hope this is not a scapegoat by the service provider whereby they try shift poor service delivery provision failures by citing vandalism and theft. Do they have any police report on the allegations? We would like to know the factual truth about this matter as we urge residents to protect sewer infrastructure but also demand quality maintenance of these structures. Its high time council finishes the construction of the trunk sewer project which started more than a decade ago. As residents we do not accept any justification on such a delay on the completion of the project by the city fathers,” said Mavhusa.
Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA) spokesperson Godfrey Mutimba said residents are furious on the flow of raw sewage into Mucheke River as it is contaminating the source of water.
“As residents we are so much concerned and furious over the issue of raw sewage that is flowing into our main source of water Mucheke River through Mucheke trunk sewer. We feel that it is hazardous to our health as sewage in contaminating our water and we fear that it will trigger out break of water borne diseases as we have seen dirty water gashing out of our taps.
“We have tried to contact council in several manners through advocacy, awareness and lobbying together with other organizations but we get responses that this is due to due to irresponsible residents who are breaking pipes. We urge our residents to desist from such wrong doings. We call for the sewer pipes to quickly be fixed so as to protect our residents,” said Mutimba.
Masvingo Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa said that the reporter should take a picture of such a case and bring it to council so that they can attend to and fix it.
“As a responsible resident, you should have taken a picture and come with it to show council what is prevailing then council will take action,” urged Eng Mukaratirwa.
Completion of the ‘legacy project’ has remained a headache for the local authority after its construction began after over a decade ago.
It has been a week now since raw sewage started flowing and the city fathers and EMA are yet to fix the problem.

Rutendo Chirume

There has been a sharp increase in the number of child vendors across Zimbabwe as the country’s economy titters on the brink of collapse, consequently pushing underage children out of school, forcing them to join thousands of vendors scattered across the country.
Findings by the SOS Children’s Villages International show that an estimated 1.6 million Zimbabwean children live in extreme poverty, without access to the most basic resources such as food, decent housing, safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.
Statistics from Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) April Policy Digest said approximately 20 children join the streets everyday as beggars and vendors while less than 10percent of Zimbabwean children between 6-24 months of age consume a minimally acceptable diet.
“UNICEF 2021 Zimbabwe Annual Report propounded that Zimbabwe has weak child protection systems that have failed to ensure the safety and well-being of children. UNICEF reported that, ‘4.8 million Zimbabwean children live in poverty and 1.6 million children live in extreme poverty’. The most prevalent issues for impoverished children in Zimbabwe include malnutrition, education, sanitation and access to potable water. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that less than 10percent of Zimbabwean children between 6-24 months of age consume a minimally acceptable diet. The figure further projects poverty in the lives of Children,” wrote ZIMCODD.
The Coalition against Child Labor in Zimbabwe last year placed the number of child vendors across the country at 112,000 which shows that Zimbabwe’s struggling economy is responsible for rising numbers of child vendors
Narrating how she became a vendor, a minor barely 11 years old who moves from office to office and every corner in Masvingo city center with a tray of bananas said she is forced to do vending in order to supplement income at home.
“I no longer go to school because my mother failed to pay my fees. We used to stay in Rujeko, but now we have no fixed aboard because we were also chased out when my mother failed to pay the rentals. In the morning my mother and I leave home, a shack that we built on our own, to come to town and sell these bananas because that is where we find some of the money needed to buy food.
“Sometimes when it is too cold in the morning, mother instructs me to stay behind and follow later so that I do not get flue. We do not walk together in town, my mother goes in her direction and we meet home after work which has been our routine since last year. I hope things will get better and we will have a place to stay and I can go back to school just like other children. I no longer cry or complain like I used to do because my mother told me that we will die of hunger if I do not do it,” she said.
Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation Director Samuel Wadzai said there was a huge surge in numbers of children into child vending and the numbers became worse after the Covid-19 pandemic.
“According to a survey that we conducted, there was a surge in children turning into vending and the situation became worse after Covid-19 because in most cases parents took their children to streets so that they can help them raise income to survive. It’s happening across the country but situation is dire in Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Masvingo and Gweru. We have seen a sharp rise and to us this amounts to child labour since these children are expected to be at school.
“If you look at the age ranges of these children, you would realize that they should be at school, learning. It’s a sad situation and as an organization we are trying to come in and see how we can help these parents and guardians so that they can work on their own without recruiting their children. In terms of statistics, on average you would find more than 200 000 children daily on the streets which is very sad because it’s a huge number and those children should be at school,” said Wadzai.
The rise of child vendors and child labor itself is happening at a time the country is a signatory to a number of conventions that protects children from abuse including the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines child labor as work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful to children and that interferes with their schooling and that too include child vending.
According to the Child Resource Institute Zimbabwe, there are 188,356 child vendors operating in towns, cities and rural areas in Zimbabwe who are according to the constitution are being deprived of their rights to access quality education, shelter, health services, social security and social care.
A source at Masvingo Provincial Social Welfare Office (who preferred anonymity) said the province has tried to get children off the streets by taking them to their homes and orphanages
“Statistics are usually found at the national office but issues of child vending are very sensitive that is why we always try our best to remove as much children as we can on the streets. It is difficult to trace those children who will be coming from home to sell because their parents are the ones who send them to do that and it is difficult to take them away from their parents because they would be telling you they are trying to sustain their income.
“But those who will be on the streets without anywhere to go, we take them to orphanages and for example last year, all the children who were on the streets and exposed to Covid-19, we removed them from the streets,” said the source.
Economic woes that have become prevalent in the country coupled with hyper-inflation and Covid-19 did not spare the struggling masses as more learners resorted to vending due to failure to go to school during the lockdowns.