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New content creators’ network launched

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New content creators’ network launched

 

TellZim
Reporter

Some six trailblazing
digital platforms have come together to form the Content Creators Network ZW which
will be launched virtually today, November 05.

The platform seeks to
defend content creators, promote free expression and grow the digital media
industry by strengthening the industry.

The network brings together Magamba
Network, Bustop TV, Centre for Innovation & Technology (CITE), Kubatana,
ZimFact, TellZim and News Hawks to share content that promotes independent
media, social justice and free expression.

Content Creators Network ZW convener
Samm Farai Monro, who is popularly known as Comrade Fatso, said the time had
come for digital content creators to come together and support each other in
defence of civil liberties and democracy.

“We live
in a time when the government is going after journalists and satirists who
speak truth to power online. Now more than ever we need our content creators,
community media groups and alternative media outlets to be united, to support
each other and defend free expression.

“Our network is diverse and
includes investigative journalists, political satirists, community media
voices, fact checkers and digital media organisations. Our diversity is our
strength,” said Monro.

The Content Creators Network ZW
will work as a loose network of media organisations that use media for positive
social change.

It includes affiliated content
creators, alternative media organizations and grassroots community media
initiatives.

CITES founder and
prominent social justice activist Zenzele Ndebele is the network’s inaugural spokesperson.

 

 

MyAge wants sexual health services for younger children

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MyAge wants sexual health services for younger children

 

MyAge Zimbabwe says sexual and reproductive health services mus be accessible to younger people

Charity Zvada

MASVINGO – Some adolescents
in Masvingo have called upon parents to encourage their children to access
Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services as means to reduce the number of
unwanted teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among
other things.

The current laws
of Zimbabwe set the age of consent at 16, meaning those that are below that age
cannot access SRH services.

Speaking during
a Girls Choose training workshop organised by MyAge Zimbabwe at Charles Austin
Theatre recently, the young people said according children the right to sexual reproductive
information and contraception was the way to go.

The gathering
was meant to train youths in business about SRH and disseminate information to
their peers within their social cycles and places of work.

The youths said society
was paying the price for depriving children the right to SRH Services.

“If a parent
discovers that I am taking contraceptive, she disowns me and at the end, I could
get pregnant and the effects are felt by everybody,” said a participant.

Others said
parents should embrace change by allowing children to open up about adolescence
and the challenges that come with it.

“They should
allow us to open up to them so that they help us get SRH services in time. Many
of us end up travelling long distances to get the services and the risk is that
some of us do not bother as they do not want to be seen anywhere close to a New
Start Centre,” said another

A representative
from Population Services International (PSI) Mike Chipepera said restricting children
from accessing SRH was no longer logical.

“Parents
should know that restricting children is no longer the solution. They should rather
be seen playing a parental role of helping their children get the services needed,”
said Chipepera.

Others suggested
that organisations like My Age should start sensitising the idea into young
people in order to create better future parenthood.

“The best way is
to start working on it now so that young people of today can become better
parents tomorrow,” a participant said.

MyAge Zimbabwe
has trained around 90 youths who are referred to as champions who educate peers
in SRH-related issues and refer them to service providers in a non-intrusive
way.

At the recent
workshop, two champions won prices for referring a bigger number of people.

Mutare earns spot at International Cities Challenge

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Mutare earns spot at International Cities Challenge

Kimberly Sithole


Felix
Matasva

MUTARE-  The City of Mutare has been selected to
participate in the initial edition of the Multi-City Challenge Africa competition
which seeks to unveil solutions for urban life problems affecting local
authorities dotted around the African continent.

City of Mutare is the first local authority from Zimbabwe
and Southern Africa to take part in the challenge and will compete for honors
against Kano from Nigeria, Kampala from Uganda, Accra from Ghana and Bahir Dar from
Ethiopia.

The City of Mutare’s Multi-City Challenge coordinating committee
chairperson Kimberley Sithole told TellZim News that the competition was very
significant in showcasing the Zimbabwean brand at an international stage.

“We highly treasure recognition of the local authority
beyond our borders. It has been very hard to sell the brand Zimbabwe on the
international arena and this stand as a chance to reshape people’s perceptions
towards our country.

“We are raising the Zimbabwean flag high since we were
selected among other cities like Johannesburg, Lusaka, Maputo and others,”
said Sithole.

She said the challenge offers a platform for Zimbabwean
residents and citizens to exercise their right to expression by revealing ideas
which will be assessed at an international level.

“We are embarking on an open challenge starting on
November 4 and ending on December 4. It’s a crucial stage in the entire
multi-city challenge whereby residents, stakeholders, academia, researchers,
experts, people in the media and corporate sector to uncover solutions to
problems identified in the initial stage.

“It is an opportunity for young think-tanks to showcase
their brilliant ideas by just a click on the website. We urge all Zimbabweans
and diasporas to validate our country’s intellect,” said Sithole.

 The Multi-City Challenge Africa, which is a build up to the fruitful
implementation of the Multi-City Challenge model in Latin America, the US and
Europe, provides an opportunity for African city leaders to work with others by
sharing experiences from communities 
through robust public engagement efforts across cities.

The prestigious International Cities Challenge was modeled
by a Singapore-based Governance Lab in 2016 and after being pioneered in South
America it was then transformed into a Multi-city Challenge.

The African version provides a platform for public servants
to establish workable solutions needed to resolve challenges of urban life
through extensive citizen engagement.

City of Mutare spokesperson Spren Mutiwi said the
competition is no longer for Mutare alone as they are carrying the national
flag.

“We are focusing on urban resilience and we urge all
stakeholders including citizens to participate in the open challenge under the
City of Mutare banner. We need to raise the flag of Zimbabwe hence this is no
longer a Mutare issue,” said Mutiwi.

The Multi-City Africa Challenge is being organized by United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Global Centre for Technology, Innovation
and Sustainable Development and the Governance Lab (GovLab) at New York
University Tandon School of Engineering.

 

 

 

 

US launches $78 million dollar anti-HIV projects

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US launches $78 million dollar anti-HIV projects

 

…sex workers to receive
greater HIV prevention support  

Moses
Ziyambi

The United States President’s
Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) through the US Agency for International
Development (USAID) has announced the launch of two new projects worth a combined
US$78 million to provide critical HIV healthcare services for over half a
million Zimbabweans.

The two projects, which
were announced by USAID Zimbabwe mission director Art Brown on November 03,
affirm commitment by the US to improved healthcare in the country through increased
financial support for the sector.

“The United States is
proud to stand with the people of Zimbabwe to address HIV. Together with our
partners, USAID is ensuring that people living with HIV can start treatment
early, adhere to treatment, reach viral load suppression, and live longer,
healthier lives.

“We are also working to
reach 95 percent of the estimated 40,000 female sex workers in Zimbabwe to help
reduce HIV infections, provide onsite initiation of anti-retroviral therapy
(ART), and transfer clients to public sector facilities,” Brown said in a
statement.

 Under the programs, USAID will for the next
five years work with the Organization for Public Health Interventions and Development
(OPHID) to provide care and treatment services for more than half a million
people living with HIV at 700 health facilities in 24 districts.

It was announced that OPHID
will expand client-centered services in facilities and communities and train
more than 12,000 healthcare workers on innovative models to increase testing,
ART initiation and adherence, and viral load testing.

USAID and OPHID will
support the development of national level policy, strategy, and healthcare
guidelines, which the Ministry of Health and Child Care will cascade to the
whole country.

Through a one-year
program, USAID and the Center for Sexual Health, HIV and AIDS Research
(CeSHHAR) will help close the remaining gaps in HIV prevention and care for sex
workers in the five hotspot districts of Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare, and
Masvingo.

Zimbabwe’s border posts
with Mozambique, Botswana, and Zambia will also be covered.

Working directly with
female sex workers, USAID will reduce new HIV infections through increasing the
use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), condoms as well as other emerging
prevention technologies.

US Ambassador to
Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols said the new programs will go a long way in helping
Zimbabwe meet its HIV and Aids prevention and treatment targets.

 “PEPFAR’s efforts to fight HIV will ultimately
help Zimbabwe meet critical AIDS treatment targets.  Our support breaks barriers and closes
remaining gaps in sustaining and accelerating HIV prevention and care,” Nichols. 

 Since PEPFAR’s support
for Zimbabwe began in 2006, more than US$1.2 billion has been channeled to HIV
and Aids prevention and treatment, leading to an 80 percent decline in the
annual number of HIV-related deaths.

Over one million Zimbabweans
who are HIV positive are accessing free-of-charge antiretroviral medicines
(ARVs) courtesy of PEPFAR.

 

 

Masvingo takes payment plan route to recover debt

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Masvingo takes payment plan route to recover debt

 

City of Masvingo Acting Town Clerk Edward Mukaratirwa

Mark
Chavunduka

MASVINGO—
The City of Masvingo has called on residents
with outstanding bills to approach the local authority and make payment plans
to avoid being disconnected.

There was groundswell of anger and discontent when
the city council announced that it was going to disconnect residents with
outstanding bills despite the local authority’s failure to provide adequate
water supply to residents.

Acting Town Clerk Edward Mukaratirwa said residents
should not let their bills balloon but should approach the council and commit
to payment plans so that service delivery can run smoothly.

Mukaratirwa said the residents have responded
positively to the call for payment plans saying that water will not be
disconnected once a payment plan has been agreed on. 

“When
we said we were going to disconnect residents with arrears there were a lot of
cries but we are an open council and open for negotiations.

“Residents
should come and make their payment plans. We know some bills have been nursed
for far too long and can be difficult to settle at once hence the need for
payment plans. The council needs money to operate and that can only be possible
if residents play their part.

“I
can say that people are responding well to the payment plans and more should
come. During the first 6 months, council was in a deficit of $131, 2 million
rising from an opening balance of $50, 4 million but after the introduction of
the payment plans the revenue collection has increased to more than $6 million
from collections dated October 26,” said Mukaratirwa.

The
council was under attack from the Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers
Alliance (Murra) who questioned why the local authority was disconnecting water
from residents without the provision payment plans.

Murra
director Anoziva Muguti said he was grateful towards the payment plan and have encouraged
residents to live up to their commitments.

“We
are happy the council has responded positively to our calls and now it is up to
the residents to approach the council and commit to payment plans.

“Residents
should make sure that they honor the agreement. We know residents are facing
difficult times in the face of Covid-19 lockdown but they have to commit the
little they have towards payment of their bills for services to continue,” said
Muguti.

The
payment plans stretch to a period of six months.

Government
departments are the heaviest debtors with the police, army and prisons owing
the council in excess of $30 million.

OFCAD’s HIV & Aids battle taken to remotest Mwenezi

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OFCAD’s HIV & Aids battle taken to remotest Mwenezi

 

MSF initiated a community programme to improve access to ARVs in Mwenezi


Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – The Out of Facility
Community Art Distribution (OFCAD), a unique model pioneered by the Medicins
Sans Frontieres (MSF), known in English as Doctors Without Borders, is making drastic
changes in the lives of people living with HIV and Aids.

The project, by which village
health workers are trained and authorised to distribute ARVs right within their
local areas of residence, has made it much easier and more convenient for
patients to access anti-retroviral medication.

“As a volunteer I am
currently responsible for distributing antiretrovirals (ARVs) from right at my
homestead to a total of 37 patients; 21 of them being women. At first, I was in
charge of 15 patients but now they have increased to 37.

“Though the work comes with its
own challenges, I continue to voluntarily do my job with utmost zeal and
passion,” said Tsitsidzashe Marova a 41-year-old OFCAD member from Mutandavaze
village in Mwenezi West Ward 17 under Chief Mazetese.

The model was piloted in Chirindi
and Sovelele which are among the most difficult areas to reach in Ward 17.

MSF, which is an international
medical humanitarian organisation, officially handed over OFCAD to Batanai HIV
and Aids Services Organisation (Bhaso) and the Ministry of Health and Child
Care who are now in charge of the 11 OFCAD sites.

Under the programme, village
health workers are torchbearers in the fight against HIV through their mandate
at OFCAD sites.

People in the beneficiary
communities say the programme is contributing to the significant improvement in
Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) client retention in those remote areas.

In other remarks to TellZim News,
Marova said she was gaining more experience and passion in the contact of her
work such that she no longer minded the obstacles.

“I am doing this task
voluntarily without any monthly income. Whenever I run short of drugs at our
OFCAD site, I borrow a bicycle from other villagers and cycle to the nearest
clinic, Chirindi, where I get replenishments. I am glad because I have managed
to register more people for anti-retroviral treatment,” said Marova.

Chirindi Clinic is some 45km away
from Marova’s homestead, meaning she spends the greater part of the day cycling
to and from the clinic should she run out of stock.

The local ward councillor, Simon
Chabata praised the project which he said was contributing a lot of positives
in the fight against HIV and Aids in the area.

“Ward 17 is one of the
remotest places in the district such that before this programme, patients would
travel for about 65km and more to get to the nearest clinic to get their
provisions of ARVs. This saw many people failing to consistently adhere to
their treatment regimes. I am glad, therefore, because OFCAD has brought drugs
closer to those that need them,” said Chabata.

He added that government and the
donor community could find a way of incentivising the village health workers so
that their work becomes easier and enjoyable.

Bhaso director Simbarashe Mahaso said
there was need to create more OFCAD sites in other remote parts of the district
to improve uptake of ARVs among people living with HIV and aids.

“This is a very helpful project
and I think it would be helpful if more centres are created in other needy
places of the district. As Bhaso, we are pleased with our own contribution to this
project through our partnership with the National Aids Council (Nac) which has
enabled us to maintain and service the existing OFCAD sites,” said Mahaso.

Mwenezi District Medical Officer
(DMO) Dr Itai Matibiri said more and more patients were being referred to the OFCAD
sites since the project kicked off.

“The medication received at
these OFCAD sites is distributed by NatPharm (the state-owned pharmaceutical company)
to ensure quality standards. It is pleasing that many patients are being
referred to those OFCAD sites to collect their medication,” said Matibiri.

Chiredzi residents petition DDC over politicised food aid

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Chiredzi residents petition DDC over politicised food aid

 

Ronald Ndava

Clayton Shereni

Residents of Chiredzi Urban Ward
6 and 7 have petitioned the District Development Coordinator (DDC) over what
they see as unfair and biased distribution of World Food Program (WFP), TellZim
News has learnt.

This comes in the wake of
allegations that Zanu PF structures are manipulating the DDC’s office to
channel the assistance to wards with ruling party councillors.

In letter dated October 23 and
addressed to the Lovemore Chisema, petitioners allege that the distribution exercise
is being implemented in a politicised manner to exclude people from wards with
MDC Alliance councillors.

“Currently on the Plan International
and WFP urban assistance, Ward 6 and 7 are left out as if there is absence of
vulnerable families in these wards. This is a serious cause for concern as
vulnerable families believe that your office will intervene in the spirit of
equity and justice for all. For the vulnerable in Ward 6 and 7, our average
income is US$0.35 per day.

“It becomes a worry among us the
vulnerable families in Ward 6 and 7 when aid agencies continue excluding us
from these programs without a concrete reason from your office and team. The
general feeling in Ward 6 and 7 is that we are being persecuted for political
reasons as our councillors are from the opposition party,” reads part of the
letter.

When contacted for Chisema
dismissed the allegations saying the exercise was being implemented in a
transparent and systematic manner.

“When a program comes into an
area especially food aid, it comes targeting the most vulnerable person in the
most vulnerable ward. Beneficiaries are ranked according to their level of
vulnerability. The beneficiaries are chosen through a systematic method and
it’s nothing intentional,” said Chisema.

Chisema said wards 3, 4, 5 and 8 had
already benefitted while wards 1, 2, 6 and 7 were set to benefit depending on
the vulnerability rankings.

Zanu PF Masvingo provincial
spokesperson, Ronald Ndava also rubbished the allegations saying his party did
not have influence over the determination of beneficiaries.

“Our party is not involved in
distribution of food aid but there are government arms which work directly with
WFP in that programme. I don’t know why people drag Zanu PF into these kinds of
issues. We don’t fit anywhere there. There are people who just speak recklessly
to the media,” said Ndava.

WFP Zimbabwe country director and
representative, Francesca Erdelmann told TellZim News her organisation was
committed to the reduction of hunger in needy communities regardless of
political affiliation.

“WFP is committed to ensure that
food insecure and vulnerable households receive food assistance, independently
of political affiliation. This participatory process identified wards 3, 4, 5
and 8 as the most in need. WFP continues to monitor the food security situation
and if more resources become available, WFP will scale up its assistance
prioritizing the most vulnerable households,” said Erdelmann.

The Urban Social Assistance is
meant to benefit 10 000 vulnerable people from 2 000 households in Chiredzi.

The program is being run as a collaboration
between WFP and Plan International.

 

‘Prophets’ face mob justice over stock theft

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‘Prophets’ face mob justice over stock theft

 

The ‘prophets’ were severely assaulted by angry residents

Progress Chaya

Birchenough
Bridge residents last week stormed detained two Johanne Masowe self-styled
prophets and severely assaulted them on allegations that they were notorious
stock thieves running away from the police.

Madzibaba
Tarisai and his junior were severely assaulted by the angry residents after some
security guards reportedly found then selling stolen goats to butcheries and
individuals.

Some
residents claimed that they had lost their domestic animals and property to the
two so-called prophets

The
duo had allegedly fled from Gutu district after allegedly being involved with
several case of stock theft before they settled in Birchenough where they opened
a church.

Some
of the people who assaulted them claimed that the duo had recently raped a
grade 7 pupil.

 

Woman resurfaces after 40 years with mermaids

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Woman resurfaces after 40 years with mermaids

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – An 8-year-old girl who was reportedly snatched away by a
mermaid spirit while bathing along a stream some 40 years ago has reportedly
resurfaced, TellZim News has heard.

Rowai Chihwakwa, of Matande
village under Chief Negari in Ward 2 of Mwenezi East, resurfaced a few days ago
after her family members engaged some traditional healers who performed intense
rituals at the scene of her disappearance for several days.

The now grown woman is said to
have disappeared while bathing along Matande stream which feeds into Runde
River.

In a phone interview with TellZim
News , Rowai’s brother Alfred Chihwakwa, who is MDC Alliance Mwenezi East
district chairperson, confirmed that her sister was indeed back from the
unknown spiritual world.

“It’s true my sister Rowai came
reappeared on Saturday (October 31) after we engaged the services of a woman
from Zaka. As I am speaking right now, I am with her but she is still
struggling to speak and eat. She does not look that old though. We hope that by
tomorrow she will be stable and as a family we will be able to divulge more information,”
said Chihwakwa.

The family refused to provide TellZIm News with a picture of the returnee, saying she was still under the care of traditional healers who needed to perform all the necessary rites first.

When contacted for comment Chief
Negari said he was aware that the Chihwakwa family had for several years been
making efforts to retrieve their relative.

“I heard about it last night
so I will look for more details about the issue. What I truly know is that the
family members engaged me and they informed me that they will bring some
healers who will retrieve the body of their daughter who disappeared several
years ago. I authorised them to go ahead with the programme because they had
been doing this almost every year,” said Chief Negari.

Former Masvingo Urban MP Matutu joins Zanu PF

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Former Masvingo Urban MP Matutu joins Zanu PF

 

… ‘the party has lost direction’

 

TellZim Reporter

Senior MDC official and former
Member of Parliament (MP) for Masvingo Urban Tongai Matutu has joined Zanu PF,
TellZim News can report.

Pictures of Matutu with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his two VPs Constantino Chiwenga and kembo Mohadi are doing the rounds on social media.

Matutu confirmed the development
in a phone interview, saying he took the bold decision after serious self-introspection.

“My apologies to the MDC
grassroots. They stood by me but the problem lies with the leadership which
should now celebrate my departure because they did not want me. The party has lost
direction,” said Matutu.

He said the MDC leadership was
always fighting him and he felt that it was high time he found a new political
home where he could be fully-appreciated.

“I worked for the party over the
past 20 years but they seemed to take my commitment for granted. They
frustrated my every move at each and every turn and I was left with no choice,”
said Matutu, who left the then Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC-T in 2014 during the
Tendai Biti led revolt.

He then became one of the most
senior Biti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) officials in Masvingo province
until the party became part of the MDC Alliance in the run-up to the 2018
general elections.

Matutu sounded particularly
bitter about the MDC Alliance’s decision to bar him from contesting for the
party’s Masvingo provincial chairmanship post during a chaotic elective
congress held at Masvingo Sports Club in early 2019. The race was won by James
Gumbi who defeated Simon Mupindu.

Matutu was prevented from contesting after the party invoked a clause in its constitution which required only those that had been consistent members for over five years to constest for leadership positions.

Asked how he had abandoned his
principles as an avid MDC member who invested so much time and effort in
fighting Zanu PF, Matutu said there were no longer any principles to talk about
in the MDC.

“What principles? The leadership
of MDC now is not principled at all and that is why you see Chamisa and Khupe
fighting. If they were principled, the party would not be where it is right
now,” said Matutu.

He criticised the Chamisa-led MDC
Alliance for its recent decision to remove Gumbi as the party’s Masvingo provincial
chair to replace him with ‘old and tired’ Misheck Marava.

 

 

 

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