Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru- City council has channeled half of this year’s ZW$4.1 billion budget towards the rehabilitation of the city’s water works as part of efforts to improve water provision, an area that has troubled the city of progress of late.
Recently a donor, Welt Hunger Life chipped in with solar powered boreholes to ease the burden of water in various suburbs of Gweru.
Presenting the budget breakdown last week during an online engagement hosted by Gweru United Progressive Residents and Ratepayers Development Association (GUPRARDA), Gweru council acting Director of finance Owen Masimba confirmed that 50percent of the budget had been channeled towards the city’s water and sanitation.
He said plans are underway to revive the water reservoirs in Kopje for emergence use.
“The issue of our water tanks in Kopje is one of the plans which council is working on under the recently approved budget. The tanks need to be cleaned, at some point we attempted to clean them so that we store water. I am sure when things are in place, you will see them being revived because we are working towards boosting our pumps at Gwenhoro so that we can fill the tanks.
“Bulk of the budget has been channeled towards the city’s water system rehabilitation. The tanks are part of this rehabilitation exercise as we want to create a buffer such that if electricity is switched off, our tanks will be having water to supply residents for two to three days,” said Masimba.
Outlining the nature of the budget, Masimba said the 2022 budget was a pro-poor one.
“Our budget is a gender responsive one because there are policies, procedures and terms which inculcates gender perspectives. We also have provisions which cater for the allocation of stands to the disabled, women and orphans. Our budget mainly focus on issues which affect women and children because most of their time is spent at boreholes and wells looking for water,” Masimba said.
Gweru deputy Mayor Cleopas Shiri said the budget was aimed at revamping the city to its original status.
“There are two fundamental issues that we need to take note of: the first issue is that as residents, we also need to play our part in fulfilling the Gweru budget while the second is that our budget might be affected by inflation.
“When the budget was crafted the exchange rate was US$1 as to ZW$85, and by the time the budget got approved the exchange rate was already US$1 as to ZW$110-115. The public needs to note that the gap will obviously affect our budget performance,” said Shiri.
Meanwhile council finance committee chairperson, Martin Chivhoko urged resident associations to engage the community on bill payments.
“We urge residents to play their part by paying their bills so that council provide services efficiently. I want to encourage resident groups to keep on engaging their various constituencies on the importance of servicing bills,” Chivhoko urged.
Mkoba resident Lewis Kuchineyi however said the local authority was failing to prioritize water as a service.
“It is sad to note that our local authority never prioritizes the issue of water provision. It remains in the periphery as it has always been. We wait to see how the budget will improve water supply as some areas have gone for years without water,” he added.
Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) social and justice ambassador, Gracia Mashingaidze said water supply in the city was still a nightmare.
“We still have a crisis when it comes to water. Gweru city council has been failing to provide water consistently for years now.
“Channeling the budget towards water system revamps shows that the budget is indeed gender responsive and we appreciate this as women. This has been the case even in the previous budget where half of the devolution fund was channeled towards water rehabilitation but still we face the same problems. Having a budget is one thing, implementation is another,” said Mashingaidze.
National Association of Non-Governmental Organisation (NANGO) Midlands Chapter coordinator Titus Mangoma said as Civic Society Organisations (CSOs), they were going to monitor the exercise.
“As you know the water situation in our city has reached another level as some areas can get water for two days, some one day and some nothing at all especially in areas like Mkoba 19 and 20 due to the water rationing schedule.
“We greatly welcome the move but we want to assess the results of the revamping exercise because water is one of the fundamental rights that are enshrined in section 77 of the country’s constitution. More so, council need to improve in terms of civic engagements as the budget needs to be people-driven in order to address the needs of the people,” he said.

Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO –Minister of Local Government and National Housing July Moyo has praised Masvingo City Council for infrastructural development and road maintenance saying the roads were better than in Harare.
He was speaking at the official opening of Rujeko Secondary School, the only council owned school in the city which opened doors to its pioneer pupils earlier this month.
Moyo said he was delighted about how the local authority was working with the Mayor and the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution despite the former being from opposition, after which he promised to help ease water challenges facing the city because of that.
“I heard the Mayor and the Town clerk telling me that they work with the minister of state on any development they do. Even though the Mayor is from the other party, he can work with the minister and this has brought about development.
“Because of good working relationship, you are the best and if you need anything you can come to my office and I will help you. I heard you have water challenges but now if you need money to help in water provision, come to me and I will engage the Minister of Finance. Even engaging the President, it will be easy to convince him that you work together and deserve all the help you need,” said Moyo.
He commended the local authority for construction of Rujeko Secondary, Runyararo Clinic as well as the Cambria Farm landfills.
“The roads I have seen in Masvingo are better than in Harare, I have travelled from town to Mucheke and to the new clinic there, the roads are really good, it is because you work together as council, the Minister of State and other government departments. That is what we call devolution,” said Moyo
He said council should make sure that they develop Rujeko Secondary School to meet the best standards, saying they should construct high rising buildings to save space and thrive to make the school one of the best in the province.
“You have to make sure that this school is better than St Anthony’s academically. I want to get reports of your two year or three year plans about this school. You need to construct high rising buildings to save space because the ground does not stretch,” said Moyo.
Speaking at the same event, Mayor Collen Maboke said the city was not spared by the economic situation but managed to construct the school.
He said they have invited Moyo to officially open the school so that when they knock at his door about Rujeko, he will know what they will be talking about.
“We managed to construct two classroom blocks and ablution facilities though things were hard. So we have invited you here so that when we knock at your doors and talk about this school you know what it is,” said Maboke.
The school has an enrolment of 220 pupils and is operating as a satellite under Ndarama High school.

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI-West Member of Parliament (MP) Farai Musikavanhu last year failed to fulfill his ZW$1 million pledge from the 2021 ZW$2 Million Constituency Development Fund (CDF) towards the refurbishment of Tshovani Stadium.
In July 2021, (https://tellzim.com/musikavanhu-promises-zw1mil-towards/)  Musikavanhu who is also patron for Chiredzi FC wrote to then Chiredzi Town Council Secretary, the late Charles Muchatukwa seeking permission to devote 50percent of the 2021 CDF, towards the refurbishment of the facility in order to promote local football, which he later failed as the CDF’s 2021 share was used towards other projects.
During the run up to 2018 harmonized elections, Musikavanhu also promised the electorate that he will transform Tshovani Stadium to FIFA standards and now its four years down the line but the stadium still looks like a primary school football pitch.
Speaking during the meeting with Chiredzi Town Council in council boardroom last year, Musikavanhu confirmed his intention to use 50percent of the 2021 CDF towards refurbishment of the stadium while he challenged Chiredzi Town Council and other stakeholders to join hands towards that cause.
Musikavanhu indicated that half of the budget will go towards construction of two classroom blocks at Monyoroka (ward 27) and Batanai Schools (ward 28).
In an interview with the committee responsible with the refurbishment of Tshovani Stadium, who is the Vice chaiperson of Chiredzi Town Council and ward 3 councillor, Ropafadzo Makumire said they are still to get the promised ZWL$ 1 million from the legislator and the local authority has since injected ZWL$268 000 in the project.
“The local authority has so far channeled ZW$268 000 towards electrification and we are still to get the ZW$1 million which was promised by the Member of Parliament,” said Makumire.
Musikavanhu did not respond to the questions sent to him by this publication but he had already made a budget for the 2022 CDF which he, through a message attributed to him sent to some WhatsApp groups, indicated that he will finish construction of two blocks in ward 27 and 28 respectively.
He also indicated that he will construct another new block in ward 28, electrify existing borehole at ward 5 Zava Shopping Center and installation of two-5000 litre water tanks for that borehole.
The legislator also targets the construction of a Polyclinic patients waiting shed and Maternity wing staff toilet at the council run clinic, where he once allegedly sabotaged a donation by a UK based businessman, John Manganye who had bought state of the art electric hospital beds, an ambulance and water tanks.

Rutendo Chirume

What promised to be an eventful beer drinking spree ended up in disappointment for Masvingo man from Victoria Range after he allegedly discovered an unidentified object in his beer after drinking it halfway mark, an incident similar to the one that took place in Karoi last month when six men reportedly found three condoms in a beer container.
Norman Kusizani who claims to have made that discovery which has left him in fear for his health and life at Taimbokuudzai Beer hall in the suburb on February said he has since reported the matter to police.
Kusizani had pictures of what looked like a scorpion from one side and a patch of cloth from the other side.
He reported the matter to the bar’s owner who replaced the beer and told him to report the matter at Delta depot.
He called to report the incident and the sales representative arranged for them to meet in town the following day to present his case.
Kusizani told TellZim News that during the meeting, a misunderstanding arose between them after he got accused of being the one who might have placed the object in the beer bottle.
“Whilst we were still trying to find a solution, one of the guys started to accuse me of being the one who might have placed the thing in that beer. We started to fight in which we ended up going to the police where I was charged for assault and paid a fine, but I opened a docket against Delta which police said would take some time since the case need to be investigated. I have been experiencing stomach upsets since then. I need to confirm with doctors just to make sure I am alright because I do not know whether it is in my head or the beer actually that caused it since it was contaminated,” said Kusizani.

…bleak future as second republic commits ‘educational genocide’

Melinda Kusemachibi/ Emmanuel Chitsika

Zimbabwean educational sector used to be ranked among giants on the African continent, making most countries green with envy with the way the country produced academic intellectuals ready to invade any market on the global arena.
The country used to churn out complete and competent graduates to meet the requirements in the global job markets.
However, the former citadel of academic prowess seems to be slowly turning into a shadow of former self with a number of forces at play, ranging from job actions by educators over poor remuneration as well as boycotting marking of Advanced and Ordinary level examinations among other issues.
The ongoing impasse over improvement of salaries between government and teachers, with the battle culminating into the former resorting to use of threats and suspensions to the striking employees serves no good to the sector.
The spilling into the High Court of the suspension of educators by their employer is also another cause for concern with educators approaching the courts seeking redress over ‘illegal suspension’ by the employer and technically on whether the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has the authority to suspend employees who belong to the Public Service Commission (PSC).
ZIMSEC markers downed tools in protest allegedly accusing the examination body of acting in bad faith by failing to honour their part by paying their allowances in hard currency instead of the local one a factor that could stall the release of the 2021 Ordinary and Advanced level results after grade 7 results were delayed as well.

Renowned educationist Elijah Chitsika said the education system is in the intensive care unit (ICU) with no workable solution in sight to put the system on a proper trajectory as government and teachers seem not to find each other.
“There seems to be no sincerity on the part of government which has developed a culture of attempting to address the teachers’ grievances at the last minute always. Teachers had their grievances on the employer’s table since last year if not beyond and government had more than ample time since last year to address them during normal holidays as well as Covid-19 induced extensions.
“A number of questions prop up like: Is government serious about the welfare of teachers, To what extent are teacher unions genuine representatives of teachers, are teachers seriously concerned about their welfare, to what extent are parents as key stakeholders in education concerned about the education of their children and does the country have enough resources to sustainably improve teachers’ welfare?
“It is realistic to state that the powers that be have no commitment to solving the teachers’ problems. Whatever solutions are provided, are piecemeal solutions that do not aim to genuinely improve teachers’ welfare. The teacher is the hungry man that knows what he needs but government is a ‘heartless master’ who offers wrong solutions that do not genuinely improve their welfare,” said Chitsika.
He also said the new dispensation has taken down the education system towards a decline.
“I t is a mere fallacy for our government to clamour that our education system is the best on the continent. The Second Republic has set our education system on a serious decline. There is a possible danger of lowering our grading system to give a false impression of a sustained high pass rate.
“The current impasse between Zimsec and markers does not do well to the already wounded education system. Zimsec, like government has also shown itself to be a ‘dishonest employer’. Zimsec has not been able to honour the allowance promises made to markers. Markers who own an important niche in the country’s education system are a very demoralized force and hence this compromises their output. All these developments come at a time when a new dimension in form of Continuous Assessment of Learning Activities (CALA) was introduced and with this current pace at which markers are moving, learning time is lost as teachers are occupied at marking centres than the classroom,” he added.
Veteran educationist Cabnson Magaya concurred with Chitsika and said the education sector in Zimbabwe is now underrated.
“We are not happy with the education sector in Zimbabwe as it is depriving the rights of children to education. Teachers are now into extra lessons as most children cannot afford to pay for extra lessons. Since communication is important government, Zimsec and teachers should communicate in order to resolve those issues,” said Magaya.

Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) secretary general Raymond Majongwe said government should reconsider their stance and treat teachers with the dignity they deserve.
“Teachers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect as they are on national duty. Zimsec should not treat teachers like workers at a tobacco farm in 1923,” said Majongwe.

Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) president Obert Masaraure indicated that Zimsec should fulfill its mandate it signed with the teachers.
“Zimsec should honor its contractual obligation signed with the examiners. The current impasse threatens to destroy the credibility of examinations. The evaluation process is no longer trusted. These examiners are already underpaid and are only asking for timely payment of the paltry allowances. The use of force by the Zimbabwe Republic Police should also stop forthwith.
“These allowances they promised are supposed to sustain the teachers while marking. If they do not get 100percent who is going to pay for the rest. Zimsec should pay these allowances in full,” said Masaraure.
Contacted for comment, Zimsec Public Relations Officer Nicholette Dhlamini said Zimsec markers were not on strike.
“Examiners were not striking but they were calling for a general meeting in which we engaged with them and resolved the issue. We never promised to pay them in US$ even the contracts they signed, we indicated that they will receive ZW$,” said Dhlamini.
The Public Service Commission (PSC) who is the employer of the civil service was also quoted in sections of the media emphasising on their tough stance to rid the service of teachers resisting the call to go back to work.
PSC secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe said disciplinary measures shall be taken against defaulting teachers.
“The few civil servants who are reported to be absconding will face frim disciplinary measures,” said Ambassador Wutawunashe.
Such use of a commandist approach by the employer speaks volumes about their commitment to break the deadlock by amicably engaging teachers to map the way forward. The stance which follows barely a week after the High court ruled in favour of striking teachers by nullifying Minister of Primary and Secondary Education’s (MoPSE) decision to suspend the former.
Efforts to get a comment from PSC secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe proved fruitless as his mobile number went unanswered while WhatsApp messages were not responded to.
Teachers reportedly stated that Zimsec agreed to pay them US$25 a day for those staying out of residence and US$12 per day for those in residence but instead they only received ZW$19 000 and ZW$9 500 for 28 days of marking respectively prompting them to protest.
Last year government forcibly re-introduced CALA in both primary and secondary schools without the consent of various key stakeholders including school administrators and teachers as well which left many people pondering about the future success of the programme.