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Softer lockdown: Women warn against complacency

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Softer lockdown: Women warn against complacency

 

Triader Chipunza

MASVINGO – Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) Masvingo chapter recently conducted an awareness
campaign encouraging citizens to continue exercising caution despite that the national
coronavirus infection rate has declined and the lockdown has been loosened.

The organization moved
in some wards in Masvingo Urban encouraging people to keep practising the
highest levels of hygiene and social distancing.

In Rujeko, CWGH chairperson Entrance Takaidza said the relaxation of the lockdown should not be
misconstrued as a licence for reckless behavior as the virus had not yet been fully
defeated.

“We are encouraging all
people to wear masks as some seem to now assume the pandemic has come to an end.
The opening of schools and beerhalls is good but if we are not careful these areas
will become hotspots of new infections.

“Always sanitize, wash
hands with soap under running water and always maintain social distancing
because coronavirus is still there,” said Takaidza.

She also lamented what
she said was becoming a common omission by many business premises that are now
ignoring some Covid-19 regulations.

“At most business
sectors, we have noticed that social distancing is not being maintained and due
to ignorance, negligence or both, some businesses are no longer sanitizing
their customers’ hands at the entrances,” she said.


She said CWGH understood that women bore the harshest brunt of the pandemic due to such factors
as increased cases of domestic violence in lockdowns and due to their
conventional role as primary caregivers at home.

“Coronavirus is real
and it kills so it is up to you to be safe. It is your right to have good
health as a citizen of Zimbabwe therefore I urge everyone to continue fighting
against the spread of the virus,” Takaidza said.

 

 

Sweden in Zim launches gender journal

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Sweden in Zim launches gender journal

 

Swedish Head of Mission to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Åser Pehrson

Moses
Ziyambi

The Swedish Embassy has
announced the launch of the first two volumes of the Gender Lens, a journal
initiative aimed at advancing the greater inclusion of women in governance
issues.

The publications will
be launched today, September 24 2020, through virtual platforms.

“Volume One examines,
in four articles, the issues of representation, and the best methods of
increasing female representation in Parliament. The particular focus is on
proportional representation and the value of quotas.

“Volume Two, in three articles,
focuses on the related issue of Gender-Based Violence, both generally and as it
affects women in elections,” the Embassy says in a press release.

Together with the
Research and Advocacy Unit (RAU), Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) and Gender
Media Connect (GMC), the Embassy formed a partnership called Strengthening
Women’s Advocacy for Inclusive Governance (SWAG).

The advocacy seeks to explore
means by which gendered dynamics play a role in influencing the marginalisation
of women in decision-making platforms and how these can be rectified.

The Swedish government
is one of the largest supporters of gender-related work as well as anti-discrimination efforts in Zimbabwe and the whole world.

 

 

 

Not enough that Sign Language is official, says DACT

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Not enough that Sign Language is official, says DACT

 

Dact to improve Sign Language usage in Masvingo

Nyashadzashe
Mambure

MASVINGO
– Disability Amalgamated Community Trust
(DACT) is this week celebrating the international week of the deaf in by advocating
for greater use of Sign Language in communities especially at public
institutions.

Speaking
to TellZim News, DACT executive director Henry Chivhanga said it was not enough
that Sign Language was one of the 16 official languages recognised by the national
constitution.

“We
want Sign Language to be well-recognised in communities so that we can have a
society that is more integrated and that takes the needs of people with
disabilities seriously.

“Currently,
should a deaf person have a case to report to the police, he/she would most
likely face communication challenges because people who are conversant with the
language are very few in public institutions,” said Chivhanga.

He
said he was encouraged that more community members were beginning to appreciate
the importance of mainstreaming disability issues into the everyday discourse.

“The
Presbyterian Church  at Yeukai business
centre in Mucheke, for instance, has granted us space in their yard where we
can conduct Sign Language classes to members of the community who are willing
to learn.

“We
encourage residents of Masvingo to take advantage of this opportunity to come
and join our efforts to improve the integration of disabled people in
communities by learning Sign Language,” said Chivhanga.

Presbyterian
Church pastor, Rev Kurauone Mutimwii said he was delighted that his institution
was contributing towards the improvement of conditions of people with
disabilities in Masvingo.

“I
am delighted that church members understand the importance of disability and
the need to play a part towards improving understanding by people in the wider community.

“Our
premises have been made available to DACT and I am glad because I will also
make use of this opportunity to learn Sign Language. It is an opportunity that
I greatly value as it will increase my ability to communicate with more
sections of the population,” said Mutimwii.

On
Friday, September 25, the group will march from Benjamin Burombo past the High
Court and along the road to Harare, before ending the march at the turn-off to
Bulawayo.

 

 

 

 

A schoolboy’s advice to the youth

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A schoolboy’s advice to the youth


Admire
Mukwengwe

In life, there are ups
and downs that cause many people to become nervous instead of sticking to their
courage in times of such instability. Many young people usually waiver their original
personalities and their true identities because of such circumstances as
financial crisis, poverty and peer pressure.

Financial crisis usually
affect those who have to look after family members; providing needs and wants
but it also affects young people who also look up to their parents and guardians
for their upkeep and wellbeing. In many cases, people become depressed when
they find themselves facing financial challenges, resulting in suicide or anti-social
behaviour.

Similarly, many
teenagers nowadays resort to drug abuse as well as immoral and promiscuous behaviour
thereby exposing themselves to Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs).

The advice here is that
peer pressure and the inner urge to experiment must not be one’s source of
defilement and destruction.

It is hereby encouraged
that young people have to learn to stick to their principles and not deviate
from them regardless of the difficulties of the moment as all situations do
come and go at the right time.

In times of economic
pressure, some young people engage in prostitution if they are female, and
theft and robbery if they are male. These are some of the surest ways to ruin
and to a life of serious trouble and dissatisfaction.

It is a fact that unfortunate
things do happen in life but it must also be remembered that such circumstances
are not necessarily of one’s own making.

Difficult circumstances
must therefore be handled with solemnity while acceptable ways of getting out
are devised.

The writer is an ‘A’
Level pupil at Corridors of Hope Academy, Dzivarasekwa Extension, Harare.

Masvingo budgets US$120 000 for 2nd-hand vehicles

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Masvingo budgets US$120 000 for 2nd-hand vehicles

 


Clayton
Shereni

City of Masvingo is in
the process of acquiring six pre-owned vehicles and has budgeted US$120 000 for
the deal, TellZim has learnt.

Council has already
flighted a domestic tender advert inviting bidders for the supply and delivery
of the vehicles.

Meanwhile, the council is
struggling to provide optimum service delivery and it recently drew a water
rationing programme which sees suburbs receiving water for only two days per week.

The city has only two
refuse collection trucks which are woefully inadequate for the job at hand.

Acting Town Clerk,
Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa told TellZim the pre-owned vehicles will be
critical in efforts to improve the mobility of council employees.

“We want five sedan
vehicles and one kombi. The vehicles are critical for council operations
including carrying our workers who stay out of town. Some of our workers stay
at Bushmead Water Works so they need transport. We have set aside US$120 000
for that exercise,” said Mukaratirwa.

The local authority is
currently implementing a water rationing exercise and refuse collection has
since been stopped in some areas due to lack of resources.

Residents’
representative organization, Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Alliance
(Murra) information officer Godfrey Mtimba condemned the intended vehicle purchases
as a case of misplaced priorities.

“This is a typical case
of misplaced priorities. We are currently facing severe water shortages and
other service delivery challenges and they are busy budgeting money to buy
vehicles. They are not sensitive to the plight of residents. We demand water
not pre owned-vehicles,” said Mtimba.

 

The Tugwi Mukosi Master Plan mirage that never ends

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The Tugwi Mukosi Master Plan mirage that never ends

 

Virginia
Njovo

Since the commissioning of Tugwi Mukosi Dam in May
2017 by then President Robert Mugabe in May 2017, government has not yet released
its much-vaunted ‘Tugwi-Mukosi Master Plan’ which will ostensibly determine
land use around the lake and spur economic growth.

The master plan is said to encompass diverse forms of downstream
infrastructure including irrigation projects which will spur agricultural
development in the area.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Munesu Munodawafa recently toured
the dam and declared that a national park will be created, but that is one of
the many plans that have not yet materialised.

Governments claims the dam will contribute significantly
to food security and that for this to happen, the master plan has to be made so
that the dam’s capacity of irrigating 26 000 hectares of land can be exploited.

Apart from the agricultural activities, there are
hopes that there will be tourism, reail and transport business opportunities.

 

 

Chamisa won’t protect you- Mwonzora warns MPs, Cllrs

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Chamisa won’t protect you- Mwonzora warns MPs, Cllrs

 

Douglas Mwonzora and Nelson Chamisa (File Pic)


 Upenyu Chaota

MDC-T
secretary general Douglas Mwonzora has warned Members of Parliament (MPs) and
councilors who won their seats under the MDC Alliance in the 2018 harmonised
elections that they should desist from making suicidal political decisions
motivated by blind loyalty for Nelson Chamisa.

Mwonzora
told TellZim News that no one is being victimized under the current wave of
recalls but they are only targeting those who pledge their allegiance to
Chamisa instead of MDC-T led by Thokozani Khupe

“We are
not going to be victimizing councillors and MPs as long as they tow the party
line. If they don’t, we will not hesitate to wield the axe.

“Some
people thought that they were invincible and would not be recalled from council
or parliament but where are they now?

“They
thought we were joking. They were being lied to by Chamisa and Biti (Tendai) that
they belong to him but where was Chamisa when we recalled them?

“There
is nothing personal about the recalls but it is about principle. Every party
has its principles and if you fail to live by them and do as expected we kick
you out,” said Mwonzora.

He said
all the MPs and councilors who got positions under the MDC Alliance ticket belong
to MDC-T and they should make no mistake to grand stand as they will be
expelled.

“The
argument on whether the MDC-T has jurisdiction over them has been exhausted.
Most councilors in the urban areas that we had to recall committed political
suicide.

“They
knew that we had the power to recall them and they continued to disregard the
law,” said Mwonzora.

TellZim
News has been informed that Mwonzora’s axe will soon land on Masvingo
councilors who are believed to be siding with Chamisa.

Fear of
recalls among the seven MDC Alliance Masvingo Urban councillors increased after
Mwonzora fired 11 Harare councillors including the deputy mayor in the wake of
a mayoral by-election which was won by Jacob Mafume ahead of Mwonzora’s
preferred candidate Luckson Mukunguma.

Those
fired in Harare are Lovemore Makuwerere, Gilbert Hadebe Gilbert, Simon
Mapanzure, Charles Chidhagu, Keith Charumbira, Steven Dhliwayo, Munyaradzi
Kufahakutizwi, Barnabas Ndira, Runyowa Chihoma, Charles Nyatsuro and Enoch
Mupamawonde.

In
Masvingo, Mwonzora is said to be targeting Ward 4 Cllr Godfrey Kurauone, who is
MDC Alliance national youth organising secretary and strong Nelson Chamisa
ally; Ward 5 Cllr Daniel Mberikunashe, who is related to Chamisa; and Ward 7
Cllr Richard Musekiwa, who is also said to be strongly loyal to Chamisa.

Sources
said Mwonzora could spare Mayor Collen Maboke, who has had several runs-in with
Chamisa prior to the controversial Supreme Court judgement that led to the
current turmoil in the opposition movement.

The
other two councillors; Selina Maridza of Ward 1 and Tarusenga Vhembo of Ward 3
would be threatened into towing the Mwonzora line and spared as well.

Mwonzora,
however, said that his party is yet to get a report about councilors in
Masvingo saying that they are still doing as expected of them hence they are
still safe.

“We
have not received any information regarding the councilors in Masvingo. This
means they are still doing as expected of them.

“The
Harare councilors were recalled for a number of reasons. They had specifically
by word and deed said that they had joined the MDC Alliance party.

“They
were fingered in various embarrassing allegations of corruption. The
councillors in Harare went against the party directive in the selection of the
mayor and ended up surrendering the position to PDP, which is unacceptable,”
said Mwonzora.

Masvingo introduces water rationing timetable

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Masvingo introduces water rationing timetable

 

The water supply system in Masvingo does not have capacity to meet the full needs to the city

…maintains
ban on use of hosepipes

Colleen Chitsa

City
of Masvingo has introduced a new water rationing schedule by which the local
authority hopes to achieve an equitable distribution of the precious liquid
among all suburbs for the rest of the dry season.

According
to the new timetable, all suburbs will now receive water twice a week while the
CBD, Masvingo Provincial Hospital and the industrial area will continue to
receive water daily.

Sisk,
New Railways, Aphiri, Chesvingo, Mucheke A and Mucheke D will receive water
only on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Runyararo
West, Runyararo North West, Runyararo South West, KMP and Victoria Ranch will
receive their water on Mondays and Thursdays.

Clipsham
Views, Clovelly, Eastvale, 4.1 Infantry Brigade, Rujeko A, B and C; Majange,
Mucheke F, Pangolin, Target Kopje and Zimre Park will be supplied with water on
Wednesdays and Sundays.

“This
is a result of high water demand as a result of high temperatures. Water demand
is estimated as 45 megalitres per day against capacity of 30 megalitres per
day. Several Areas were going without water for long periods of time.

“Fridays
are reserve days that will be used to balance the water supply in cases of
failure to supply a zone….Residents are also strongly advised to conserve water
and not that usage of hosepipes is still banned and attracts a fine,” council
says in the schedule which was released on September 20.

 

The granny who builds her own hut

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The granny who builds her own hut

 

…and looks after three
grandchildren

Beatific
Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI
– A
picture of an old woman hard at work using her bare hands to build a hut
recently circulated on social media and many people dismissed the picture as
fake news.

TellZim, however,
investigated the issue and found that the woman actually exists, and her birth
name is Patricia Mahinzu who stays in a resettlement area commonly known as ‘Kuma
3-Hectare’ some few kilometres behind Cottco Depot in Chiredzi.

With the help of
sources including former Zaka West Member of Parliament (MP) Festus Dumbu,
TellZim was able to track Mahinzu who is simply known as Mbuya Chisare.

The old woman’s farm
brick and mud hut is almost complete although it shows signs of poor
workmanship.


Mbuya Chisare and her three grandchildren at their new hut 


Mbuya Chisare provided
her national ID which shows that she was born in Baye village near Jerera in
Zaka district on the September 12 1942 meaning is 78 years of age.

“I was married to Jalisi
Maiza of Chijubana village in the Chitepo area of Chipinge South but he died in
July 2005. We were blessed with two daughters and a son but one of our daughters
is now late,” said Gogo Chisare.

Her second daughter,
who has two children of her own, is now a widow and is critically ill at her
marital home in Chipinge district.

Mbuya Chisare’s only
son illegally migrated to South Africa ‘many years ago’ leaving behind a wife
and three children and she has since completely lost touch with him.

She now looks after three
grandchildren including a 16-year-old girl who dropped out of school while
doing Grade 3.

After the death of her
husband, Mbuya Chisare went to live with her daughter and her son-in-law in
Chipinge but when the son-in-law died, she moved out as there was no more food
at home.

She said she worked in
the resettlement areas for several years without a salary, but just for food so
that she would not starve.

Three years ago, she
got a piece of land in the Kuma 3-Hectare area where she built a pole and mud
hut.

Gogo Chisare’s
daughter-in-law, who was abandoned by her husband when he illegally migrated to
South Africa, then heard that she had found her own place.

She sought and found
her; stayed for a short period of time before disappearing, leaving all her
children in the care of Mbuya Chisare.

“I have received
some food donations from the Church of Christ and it helped a lot. I have not
yet managed to get my name registered for the Social Welfare Department’s food
assistance programme so we don’t have enough food for most of the time.

When contacted for
comment, Chiredzi Rural District Ward 29 Councillor Keuswell Muvengi said he
had never heard about Mbuya Chisare and her plight.

“I don’t know
about that woman. I will summon village chairpersons to find out more about her
and how we could assist her,” said Muvengi.

Mbuya Chisare told
TellZim she looked forward to finish building her new hut before the onset of
the rains.

MDC Alliance is ours- Mwonzora

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MDC Alliance is ours- Mwonzora

 

MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora


…we will use name on coming by-elections 


Upenyu Chaota

Pressure
keeps mounting on MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa as his former top
lieutenant and now MDC-T secretary general Douglas Mwonzora has said that MDC
Alliance name belongs to the MDC-T and they are contemplating using the name in
the forthcoming parliamentary and local authority by-elections.

When
the Supreme Court judgment reverted MDC-T back to its 2014 structures, rendering
the presidency of Chamisa null and void, there has been turmoil in the biggest
opposition movement in the country with Thokozani Khupe, through Mwonzora,
taking the fight to Chamisa and all his sympathisers.

The
legitimacy fight between Khupe and Chamisa has claimed the scalp of many
legislators and councilors who have been caught in the crossfire.

Asked
by TellZim News on whether they would let Chamisa use the MDC Alliance name,
Mwonzora said they adopted the name and they are entitled to it.

Mwonzora
said that they will make a decision on whether to use the name MDC Alliance on
the forthcoming parliamentary and local authority by-elections.

“There
is MDC Alliance and there is now MDC Alliance party that they formed this year
and they crafted their own constitution.

“When
it comes to by-elections we will cross the bridge when we get there. We will
use the name we will use.

“We saw
people getting excited that there are by elections on December 6, 2020 but that
is not what Zec said.

“MDC
Alliance was the name that we adopted. MDC Alliance party is not our name. When
it comes to elections we will use the name that we will use. We will use everything
that we are entitled to,” said Mwonzora.

He said
that there is no permanent enemy in politics and they are willing to work with
Chamisa again if he repents and follows the party constitution.

“There
are no permanent enemies in politics. Everything is possible. We are prepared
to work with everyone provided they follow the constitution,” said Mwonzora.

Asked
where they are getting the power to call the shots since the three months given
by the Supreme Court to convene their congress have lapsed, Mwonzora said
people misread the judgment saying the three months’ time limit was given to
the president and not any other post.

“The
government stopped our congress because of Covid-19. We were ready and we are
ready to do our congress.

“The
Supreme Judgment restores the leadership of the MDC emanating from the 2014
congress. It then gives Khupe three months to hold a congress to elect one
person to be president. The secretary general was not given any time limit.

“There
is a concept in law called supervening impossibility where you are unable to do
as expected because of immediate circumstances beyond your control.

“The
law does not say a touch is a move, as long as it is reasonable, explainable
and objective. Our current structure at the moment is that we have an acting
president and chairman but we have Dr Mwonzora as the secretary general who
does not have the three months’ time limit,” said Mwonzora.

There
has been calls for Chamisa to dumb the MDC Alliance name and form a new
political party but officials within his troubled party say the option is
currently not on the table.

Recently
fired former Chivi South legislator Killer Zivhu has joined the bandwagon of
people who are calling on to Chamisa to form a new opposition party.

“My
brother Advocate Chamisa wezhira daidza 
MPs and Councilors vako wotanga new party, your supporters will always
follow u.

“Zvokudzingwa
nomunhu wakarambiwa vevanhu hazvishandi. MDC-T yakafanana nomunhu anoyeva ice
cream kuchipisa ichingonyunguduka yatopera party iyo,” said Zivhu on his
Twitter account.

 

 

 

 

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