Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru- Following the recent power cuts at Gweru council’s main water treatment plants by Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) over the past weeks, the local authority has since agreed to settle the outstanding debt by ring fencing the water account.
Speaking during an engagement meeting with Zesa team and the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Larry Mavima in Gweru last week, Gweru Acting Town Clerk, Vakai Chikwekwe said an acceptable payment plan had since been made to the power utility.
He added that, as a local authority they have asked the resident minister to petition the line ministry over the re-introduction of set-offs.
“As city of Gweru we have engaged with Zesa on a number of agreements and have always done that before. We have agreed to have set-offs revived because the line ministries used to help us with those and we have agreed with the Minister of State to petition the line ministry , that is the Ministry of Finance over this setoff so that they help us clear our debt.
“We are also going to ring fence the water account so that we use it to clear the debts. This account has been used before to pay for other essentials such as chemicals and uniforms for our workers in that department and we have resorted to use it to clear the arrears at hand,” Chikwekwe said.
He added that water disconnections for residents with outstanding bills required a constitutional approach.
“On debt collection, yes it is one mechanism we have tried before but totally disconnecting residents is the last resort of all as that requires a constitutional approach. As a local authority we are continuously engaging our residents and the business community to pay their bills,” he added.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Senator Larry Mavima however instructed the power utility not to switch off the city’s water systems.
“I call upon Gweru city council to come up with an acceptable payment plan to clear its ZESA debt while calling on residents to pay their water bills and rates timeously,
“And for Zesa, I urge you to explore other measures of enforcing payment for services by local authorities as opposed to resorting to disconnection of power at critical service facilities such as water plants. The local authority will not disconnect residents’ water and instead should look at other alternative ways to recover the debt such as attachment of property.
“As for the residents of Gweru, they must fully play their part by consistently paying their water bills and rates to enable the local authority to meet its service delivery obligations,” he added.
Meanwhile Zesa Acting General Manager, Gibson Kasipo said the power utility was closely working with the local authority in averting some of the challenges on the ground.
“We always work closely with our local authority especially when we have challenges on the ground. During the rainy season, we usually encounter a lot of faults due to bad weather.
“So we usually seek assistance in form of tractors because some of the areas are not accessible. More so when our supplies are low or when shedding, we always notify them. So our interventions take long during this period,” he said.
Highlighting the aspect of introducing alternative power sources, Gweru council said it has no resources to establish such plants at the moment.
“While the local authority would love to have an alternative backup power source like a solar plant to ensure uninterrupted water supply, we do not have the financial muscle to undertake installation of solar power at our water works.” said GCC’s director of Engineering services Praymore Mhlanga.
Residents in areas such as Mkoba 19 and 20 as well as some some parts of Ascot have since resorted to harvesting rain water as council water remains a scarce commodity due to water rationing among other challenges.
Last year Zesa switched off Town House as the debt accumulated to ZW$143 million.

Fredrick Moyo

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) has rapped the private sector over their failure to give workers Covid-19 allowances like government is doing despite expecting full productivity from the risk-prone workers.
Addressing workers at ZCTU Southern region board-room in Masvingo,
on January 24, 2022, ZCTU president Florence Mucha Taruvinga said the private sector should follow the government move to give workers Covid-19 allowances since the pandemic is affecting every worker.
“The private sector is neglecting its workers by not giving them Covid-19 allowances like what the government is doing. What is disturbing is that, the private sector just follows government moves in enforcing lockdown periods as well as lifting them when government does so, but they would not even bother to follow when it comes to giving workers Covid-19 allowances.
“The pandemic is affecting every worker and every worker should be given Covid-19 allowances to help them during this difficult time of the pandemic,” said Taruvinga.
She went on to accuse government and private sector employers of joining hands to oppress the ordinary worker as they are failing to meet the basic requirements of the worker.
“The government and private sector employers have joined hands in oppressing us as workers. They are failing to meet our basic needs as workers.
“What should we do when a worker’s salary is below ZW $ 71 000 that was drafted last year, when the same worker is failing to travel from one place to the other just because his/her salary is not sufficient?” said Taruvinga.
Taruvinga added that the Zimbabwean market is demanding United States dollars whereas a worker is getting paid in local currency that is not sufficient to sustain their needs.
She also said that the government is failing to address the grievances that the workers are facing and refusing to discuss their issues citing that there is Covid-19.
“Yes there is Covid-19, but by-elections are being held during the pandemic, so why is the government not listening to our grievances and allow us to discuss the issue.
“Calling for the rights of the worker is not to remove the president but to know what he or she would eat and what would his or her pension be like tomorrow. We will keep on talking about the issue until we are heard. As workers, we are continuing to fight for our rights so that we will be paid in US$,” said Taruvinga.
The government has of late been struggling to deal the rage of its workers who are demanding that their salaries be in United States dollars as the local currency continue to lose value on the parallel market.
Accompanying Taruvinga were vice presidents Valentine Chikosi, Nicholas Muchapiwa and Runesu Chipamaunga, Secretary general Japhet Moyo, his deputies Runesu Dzimiri and Kudakwashe Charumbira, Treasury general Douglas Chiradza as part of the new leadership ushered in last year.

…as they move to fulfill his vision in capacitating sugarcane farmers

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI-Zimbabwe Sugarcane Development Association (ZSDA) trading as Royal Farmers Trust recently remembered the late police Assistant Commissioner Edmore Gochai Veterai the former chairperson of ZSDA, by implementing his vision to develop sugarcane farmers into business entrepreneurs.
ZSDA is currently celebrating winning their dispute over property and name use with a splinter organization also named Zimbabwe Sugarcane Development Association, recently held its first Annual General Meeting without their founding chairperson, Veterai at Duma City, where they remembered his vision towards empowerment of farmers to become business entrepreneurs and pledged to carry the vision forward.
Speaking during the AGM at Duma City, Peter Haruzivishe who is the chairperson of the association said farmers should take heed of Veterai’s vision to empower sugarcane farmers which they are currently pushing for.
“We should take a minute to remember our late founding chairperson, comrade Veterai due to his contribution to the sugarcane industry. He is the one who took us this far in sugarcane production. He had farmers at heart and had a hands-on approach to all his operations.
“Veterai was called to lead the second sugarcane farmer association, ZSDA, after we parted ways with the Commercial Farmers Association of Zimbabwe (CSFAZ),” said Haruzivishe.
He said ZSDA increased their production yield of canes per hectare by 41percent from the 2020 season where they produced a collective of 36 520 tons of sugarcane vis-à-vis 51 520 in 2021.
“Our Association, which currently has 48 farmers is doing better in terms of production as our cane tons increased by 41% from 2020 yields where we had a collective yield of 36 520 to 51 520 in 2021.
“Our ERC stood at 9 555 tones in 2020 against 2021’s 11 143 which is a 17% increase. This year, I am going to inspect production progress from our farmers’ fields and as the executive, we are encouraging every farmer to have his/her soil samples examined at ZSAES which will help us to do better in our production,” added Haruzivishe.
Dr Audrey Mabveni, who heads ZSAES also encouraged farmers to take educational courses in order to equip themselves with vast knowledge to operate as business people not just as substantive farmers.
“We need your spouses, children to take sugarcane production courses in order for them to take over your farms during retirement or in worst case scenarios as death. Most farms are being deserted after the farmer passes away, we do not like such scenarios,’ said Dr Mabveni.
21 farmers from ZSDA Royal Farmers Trust graduated with certificates in sugarcane production while six had diplomas and five are about to attain their Honours Degrees with Great Zimbabwe University.
ZSDA splinted from the Zimbabwe Sugarcane Development Association after disputes of election fraud in 2019, where Elisha Tamirepi was elected the chairperson at Pore Pore in Mkwasine, which did not go well with a faction that was led by the late Veterai.
The two sister associations sought the cleaners to settle their dispute, where the High Court last year barred the Tamirepi-led association to cease using the name as well as the assets including cattle, tractors, a truck and trailer.