Cephas Shava

Excessive consuming of 18 bottles of undiluted illicit wine better known locally as “zvitandasawa” costed the life of a Mwenezi man while his co- binge drinker who is his younger brother escaped death by a whisker after they were both rushed to a local hospital while in deep slumber.
Innocent Siyafanana of Flora village 6 under Chief Maranda of Mwenezi West died upon admission at Neshuro District Hospital on Sunday, December 3, after he was rushed there unconscious upon drinking illicit wine excessively.
Ward 16 councillor Shongedzai Shoko confirmed the tragedy saying Siyafanana indeed died after a binge drinking spree.
“According to eyewitnesses Siyafanana is said to have consumed 18 bottles of illicit wine without eating food. He died upon admission at Neshuro hospital after being ferried there in a critical condition. The man had established in Mwenezi’s Flora village but he was originally from Bikita where he was buried,” said Shoko.
An eyewitnes, Trymore Tshakisi who ferried Siyafanana to the hospital confirmed that the deceased together with his younger brother identified only as Eddison were completely unconscious when he rushed them to hospital.
“Siyafanana and his younger brother who stays at the same homestead were drinking the illicit wine on December 3. After a binge drink, they slept at around 7pm but could not wake up until around 12 mid-day of the following day, Saturday that is when people tried to wake them, but all in vain .
I later arrived at their homestead around 8pm,” said Tshakisi.
Tshakisi added that upon first reaching Mwenezi Clinic, Eddison who later on recovered began to show some signs of consciousness while his brother Innocent remained in deep slumber until they reached Neshuro District Hospital where he had his last breath.

Melinda Kusemachibi

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (VISET) held an Enhanced Informal Sector Voter Mobilization and Advocacy Initiative (EISeVOMA) workshop in ward 4 Beitbridge last week where they engaged young women, people living with disabilities and informal traders as part of efforts to increase voter participation

VISET Programmes Manager Gillian Chinzete said the objective of the workshop was to increase participation of the once marginalised groups in electoral processes.

“The main objective of this workshop is to increase participation of young women, informal traders, people with disabilities, all of whom have hitherto been neglected groups when it comes to voter education campaigns, yet they are the majority,” said Chinzete.

Chinzete also took participants through the provisions of the Electoral Act as defined in the constitution as well as powers of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) as she emphasized on the requirements for those intending to register to vote.

She outlined that the electoral cycle and the attendant stages that consisted of pre-election with activities like budgeting, funding as well as logistics.

“Electoral cycle consists of pre-election stages that incorporate activities such as budgeting and funding of elections as well as logistics and procurements.

“The electoral period involves campaigns, nominations and manifestos by contesting parties and candidates. The post-election period’s key feature is delimitation, where constituency boundaries are re-drawn based on changes in demographics and this is why it is important for continuous voter registration to take place throughout so as not to lose wards and constituencies thereby compromising development initiative,” said Chinzete.

One of the participants at the workshop said that they are scared to be involved in electoral processes as the main parties do not focus on them.

“We are hesitant to be involved in electoral matters as we feel that both main parties are not focusing on us, generally in their messaging,” said the participant.

The participant also said they would vote for those that articulate their needs.

“We intend to ensure that we would vote for those that could articulate our needs as young people in the informal sector on issues like market space infrastructure, licensing and sewer systems,” noted the participant.

However, on the way forward, VISET Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Edward Kapodogo encouraged participants to make use of their peers, business associates, and family members to impart knowledge learnt from the workshop.

“Participants must utilize their spheres of influence through their peers, business associates and family members to ensure they impart knowledge learnt from the workshop in order to increase the number of registered voters.”

“A whatsApp group would be created to carry on the conversations and render any required support in mobilizing people to registration centers,” said Kapodogo.

Tinaani Nyabereka

Women across the Midlands Province have called upon government to provide a social protection fund for victims of Gender Based Violence.
The call comes as most women, particularly mothers struggle to sustain their families when the perpetrators are arrested leaving them as sole breadwinners.
Speaking during the annual commemorations of 16 Days Against Gender Based Violence (GBV) on November in Mkoba, Director for Ebeneezar Women Social Entrepreneurship Trust (EWSET), Florence Guzha said it is sad to note how women are still going in silence on cases of abuse.
“It is good to be in a season where women stand up to advocate for their issues. If you see a bitter woman, it is usually because of men’s actions. If a woman report an act of violence to the police, she wants justice to prevail.
“The problem we still have is, most victims tend to withdraw charges fearing that the husband will be locked away considering that in most cases he is the breadwinner at the same time he is the perpetrator of violence.
“As women, we lobby the government to assist women with a social protection cover to ensure that they sustain their families in the event that the breadwinner has been arrested. As soon as the courts charge the GBV perpetrator, women should automatically be eligible for that fund.,” she added.
Musasa Project representative, Agnes Muuya said the issue of inequality was fuelling gender-based violence in communities.
She added that as Musasa, they were available to assist victims of GBV through various services.
“Inequalities between men and women is still the major cause of gender-based violence considering that there is no level play field for everyone. This is the reason why violence is still prevalent among women.
“Anyone can be a victim of abuse including men. We strongly advise cases of gender-based violence be reported in time. As Musasa, we offer quiet a number of services to victims of abuse. These include counselling, temporary shelters and health aid in case our victim has nowhere to go until the issue has been dealt with,” she added.
Legal expert, Mufaro Jonasi said it was important for women to be sensitised on how the law works as they are mostly caught unknowingly.
“It is important to talk about the law because some laws and acts which then go to affect you as women looking at GBV. Looking at the bill in a layman’s term, it now calls for civil partnerships where in section 5 it recognises the existence of civil partnerships.
“The bill also goes on to stipulate that both partners in the civil union are equal and have same rights and obligations even looking at the issue of sharing assets,” he added.
Youth Essence Programmes Officer, Tendai Ncube however said the bill requires further interrogation.
“Looking on issue to do with gender based violence and abuse, I feel there is need for us to interrogate the bill objectively as it has both positives and negatives towards the welfare of women.
“In as much we feel bill is serving the interest of those who crafted it or in other way maybe promoting acts of immorality, there are some sections which have come to address our issues as women.
There is need for us to go through, understand and then pick along issues that the bill is addressing. Issues to do with violence and divorce, I feel the bill is addressing quiet a number of issues. Women have suffered enough without the law on their side, we need to give our inputs when the bill comes for consultations,” she added.
The commemorations were held under the theme: ‘End Violence Against Women Now’.

Thabiso Nxumalo

Masvingo City Council (MCC) held its first ever press briefing session after a full council meeting held at Civic Centre on December 1, 2021 and resolved to make it a routine.
Addressing the media and giving feedback on the full council deliberations Masvingo Mayor Cllr Collen Maboke said it was necessary for council to brief the media to avoid situations where the public will receive inaccurate information.
“I come to you with feedback on deliberations done by council today as we considered reports from various committees of Council. It has become necessary for me to give information to the press and thereby avoid speculation and circulation of inaccurate information on social media.
“We will therefore be holding these press conferences after every full Council meeting and I will therefore present the feedback as discussed in the committees and also on major service delivery matters,” said Maboke.
The mayor also advised media houses and freelance journalists to report accurately and responsibly as the media is a major influencer when it comes to luring investors in the city.
“We will continue to give the press accurate information so as to avoid situations where the public will receive information from speculative and unreliable sources.
“I also urge media houses and freelance journalists to report responsibly on issues affecting the city as this has an impact on investment promotion in our great city,” Maboke added.
This initiative by the city council comes barely a month after TellZim News engaged council at a workshop to create bi-lateral relations in information sharing and dissemination in order to better equip citizens with accurate and updated information on city issues.
The city council promised a media tour of the Mucheke Trunk Sewer project to see the progress.

Princess Masiiwa

Masvingo urban councilors told the recent full council meeting that the local authority was supposed to build offices for the councilors in their respective wards.
Ward 10 councilor Sengerai Manyanga said it was noble for council to construct offices for councillors at ward centres where they would be able to meet residents who would need their services.
“Council has to build offices for us councillors so that we do not meet with people under trees or in the streets,” said Manayanga
Manyanga said such facilities would help residents to be able to access services from their councillor without having trouble in calling him/her or even ask about their whereabouts as the councillor would be found at the office.
“We as councilors, are there to hear of the problems faced by the public, therefore offices are needed so that when they want to speak to the councillor, they can go straight to office without asking about the councillor’s whereabouts so that they can speak to him/her,” he said.
He also said Masvingo council is the only council that has not built offices for councilors but also lied that they built a mobile clinic.
“Our own council is the only one that has not built offices for its councilors. You lied to the public that you build a mobile clinic that you did not,” he said
Manyanga also said there is need for the council to build a police base at Eastvale in Masvingo as there are many thieves flocking the area.
“Council has to partner the police and build a police base at Eastview because the number of cases of theft has escalated. Thieves broke into Alpha cottage and 29 rabbits were stolen,” said Manyanga