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MPs are useless: Zivhu

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MPs are useless: Zivhu


Killer Zivhu


….trashes legislature as a waste of time


TellZim Reporter

Chivi South Member of Parliament (MP) Killer Zivhu has disparaged the legislature, calling it a place where ‘useless noise’ is made with no chance of the debates contributing to nation-building.
In a recent tirade on Twitter, Zivhu poured scorn on parliament, saying he would rather go back to his previous days as councillor in Chivi.
“I do miss the time I was councillor I could contribute to nation building but now as MP I have been reduced to useless leader (sic), only to talk as per instructions or wait to make noise in parliament even if the things said make a lot of sense my duty is now to make noise,” the tweet reads.
The tweet was accompanied by a picture taken when he became president of the Zimbabwe Local Government Association (Zilga) in September 2017. By then, he was also president of the Association for Rural District Councils Association (ARDC).
His sentiments seem to mirror the general feeling that most people aspire to go to parliament only to access the perks and privileges.
Most MPs have also been criticised for being backbenchers that are either too incompetent to contribute to meaningful debates or are prevented from doing so by their political parties’ whipping systems that puts political interests ahead of national good.
A former MP who refused to be named said Zivhu’s tweet was either a strong political statement or ‘was just one of the many attention-seeking rants by the publicity-crazed political celebrity’.
“He either meant it or he was just looking for attention. If you follow the parliament hazard closely, you would find that more than half of the MPs finish their whole terms without contributing anything. They simply sit there and wait for the session to end, have their lunch and go.
“Some of us really wanted to make constructive contributions but we were afraid of going against the party line and exposing ourselves,” said the former MP.
A few weeks ago, Zivhu engaged in an expletive-filled Twitter row with Norton MP Themba Mliswa, with the two trading accusations and counter-accusations of corruption and sexual improbity.
Zivhu is also the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Cross Border Traders Association (ZCBTA) and is also director of the Zimbabwe Amalgamated Housing Association (Zaha).

Zanu PF packs hundreds of people in goods train for ED rally

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Zanu PF packs hundreds of people in goods train for ED rally

TellZim Reporter

Hundreds of people made it to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ‘Thank You’ rally in at Rutenga last Saturday aboard an old goods train in which the party’s Chiredzi leadership had packed them to boost attendance, TellZim News can report.
Some of the party supporters said they had expected to be ferried in busses but that was not to be as they were told at the 11th hour that they would travel by train.
“Nothing could be more dehumanizing than traveling over 100km in an open goods train. Some people did not care and were actually excited. But a few of us didn’t take it lightly,” said the female party supporter.
Another one said what was more outrageous was that senior party members and their close associates drove all the way to Rutenga in their big vehicles.
“We were packed like sardines. It was not comfortable but there was nothing we could do about it. You want to go wherever other go as that is the system in the party. If you stay behind, you risk being labeled and you then lose out on many things,” said the ordinary card-carrying party member.
Zanu PF has consistently ignored calls not to abuse public resources for partisan gains, and up until now, many of the party’s vehicles do not pay tollgate fees.

Decrease in Masvingo STI cases

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Decrease in Masvingo STI cases

Courage Dutiro

The National Aids Council (NAC) last week revealed that the province recorded a decrease in Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and an increase in condom uptake in 2018, TellZim News can report.
Responding to questions before the 2019 International Condom Day, Nac monitoring and evaluation officer, Munorwei Munyikwa said the organisation had noted a slight increase in condom uptake leading to a decrease in STIs cases in 2018.
He said the figures were encouraging especially with regards to greater efforts to fight new infections this year.
“Cases of STIs have decreased in 2018 as compared to 2017. This year, we are expecting to have a further decrease in new cases and an increase in the uptake of condoms as we are going to introduce condom dispensers to improve distribution.
 “The condom dispensers will be found in all seven districts of the province and they will be monitored by Nac through the use of champion holders,” said Munyikwa.
Munyikwa encouraged youths and everyone who is sexually active to make use of condoms correctly and consistently.
“We encourage youths in tertiary education institutions, youths in schools and everyone else who is sexually active to make use of the condoms correctly and regularly,” said Munyikwa.
As a way of reducing the transmission of STIs, Nac has come up with many programmes in schools to educate pupils about HIV, sexual and reproductive health.

GZU sets new standards in journalism training

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GZU sets new standards in journalism training


Professor Rungano Zvobgo

Staff Reporter

Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) has set new standards in broadcast journalism training in the country after the establishment of a state of the art radio broadcast studio in Masvingo.
The University has since applied for a broadcasting licence from the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ), a development that will see the University becoming the first ever media training institution to run a radio station in the country. This ground breaking project will provide media students and students from other Departments in the University with exposure to real-life radio broadcast experience.
At a time when the government is working on opening up the broadcasting sector to new players, GZU Vice Chancellor, Professor Rungano Zvobgo said the campus radio will be a tool that prepares journalism students for the real work environment.
“We are a university that trains journalists and we feel this station is a tool which we will use to prepare the students for the real world out there,” said Prof Zvobgo.
Besides being a training hub, the establishment of a radio station on campus is expected to provide an alternate link between the University and the community.
 “We are raring to go. We have adequate content to immediately go on air once we get the licence from the authorities,’’ said Prof Zvobgo.
The Dean in the Simon Muzenda School of Arts, Culture and Heritage Studies Mr. Nicholas Mutami said the establishment of a campus radio will go a long way in linking the university with the community.
“GZU is operating under a multi-campus system and this radio station will be the link between the campuses with lecturers taking advantage of the radio to deliver mass lectures to students in our campuses.
“The surrounding community is also set to immensely benefit from this innovative project as lecturers from various schools and faculties will give critical lessons on issues that directly help the communities for example Agriculture, Health and Legal matters among others. Thus, this radio station will be the ideal medium of communication that educates, informs and entertains,” said Mr Mutami.
The Acting Chairperson of the Department of English and Media Studies, Mr Golden Maunganidze said journalism training will greatly improve as a result of this latest move by the institution.
“In a highly competitive world where the job market demands training institutions to produce competent students, the radio sector already has a good starting point. I can promise you that we are going to be number one in as far as broadcasting training in Zimbabwe is concerned,” said Maunganidze.
Apart from establishing a radio station on campus, the university has already started the construction of television studios.
“The major aim of establishing this campus radio is to come up with professional journalists and presenters who will be able to leave the University and fit well in the commercial, community and public radio broadcasting sector. There is vast potential of our graduates being absorbed by these sectors as the country liberalises the airwaves. We are also doing very well in print journalism training,” added Maunganidze.
The broadcasting sector in Zimbabwe is also bound to directly benefit from this project since the university is going to introduce a radio academy that offers mid-career short courses for journalists already practising. The radio academy will be mainly looking at areas that need improvement and come up with short courses that answer to the needs of the industry.

Small scale sugarcane farmers lose over 1 000 hactares to poor drainage

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Small scale sugarcane farmers lose over 1 000 hactares to poor drainage





Beatific Gumbwanda


CHIREDZI – Mkwasine sugarcane farmers have lost more than 1000 hactares of land since the withdrawal of Tongat Huletts Zimbabwe in Mkwasine Estates as farmers are failing to clean the Jete drainage system leading to sodicity and salinity of their soils.
On the side lines of a field day hosted by the Zimbabwe Sugarcane Development Association (ZSDA) vice chairperson Elias Nyatowo at farm 27 in Mkwasine, Professor Munashe Shoko of Great Zimbabwe University’s (GZU) Gary Magadzire School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences said farmers are failing to manage sodicity and salinity costing them huge chunks of land.
Sodicity refers specifically to the amount of sodium present in irrigation water. Irrigating with water that has excess amounts of sodium can adversely impact soil structure, making plant growth difficult.
Soil salinity is a term used to describe the salt content within soil. Excess soil salinity causes poor and spotty stands of crops, uneven and stunted growth and poor yields, the extent depending on the degree of salinity.
“Sodicity and salinity is caused by poor water management which is a common problem to small holder farmers especially over irrigation without proper drainage.
“Cane does not require water the way you may think of. When you over apply water, it raises the water table to the extent that when you apply fertilizers they don’t infiltrate through the soil and end up creating a white crystal on the surface,” said Professor Shoko.
Professor Shoko said managing sodicity and salinity at such a stage is costly and takes years.
He said there is need for a complete write off and rehabilitation of the field by bringing in break crops like soya beans then gypsum.
“There is need for a complete write off, so the farmer needs to quickly do what we call rehabilitation and it is very costly.
“You need now to apply bags of gypsum, a lot of them and there is also need to work on the drainage system,” said Professor Shoko.

As ED shuts out Chamisa

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As ED shuts out Chamisa


President Mnangagwa and MDC-A leader Nelson Chamisa

…says dialogue will continue without him 

Upenyu Chaota

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has warned that he will not be arm-twisted to the negotiating table by MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa, saying the national dialogue will continue without him and will work with those interested in building the country.
Addressing thousands of Zanu PF supporters at a rally in Mwenezi last Saturday, President Mnangagwa expressed displeasure that Chamisa snubbed his recent call to all parties to come to State House and discuss issues that he said were aimed at narrowing political differences.
He accused Chamisa as an attention seeker, saying people will soon see him for what he was.
“I called for a meeting with all leaders of the political parties in the country so that we could discuss the future of our country because the election period is now behind us.
“I wanted us to come together and work for the betterment of our country giving them an opportunity to tell us where we make mistakes so we can make amends. Chamisa then said if we meet as leaders who will be chairing the meeting because we are all on the same level.
“I told him there is no problem, you are a president of your own party and I am President of my party so let us find a religious person to mediate but we later discovered that the man of God was a political activist and we dropped him,” said Mnangagwa.
Mnangagwa said that they later roped in the chairperson of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC), Retired Justice Sello Nare.
“Other political party leaders came but Chamisa refused to come showing his true colours. He is a lost person and does not want to work with others. He cannot ask for special treatment because he lost the election just like others.
“We always tell them to come join others but he is adamant and wants to be left outside. We want people to work together peacefully and build our country because we are Zimbabweans. We will continue dialogue with other political parties.
“We will let Chamisa criticise us from outside but when he makes sense we will take that advice and implement it,” said Mnangagwa.

Knowledge is key to development – Murwira

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Knowledge is key to development – Murwira


Professor Amon Murwira

Diana Gondongwe

The Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Professor Amon Murwira has said five senses alone are not what it takes to develop a country, adding that only if a people formulate the best education practices will they stand a better chance of developing .
Speaking at a conference on devolution in Masvingo on Monday, Murwira said for too long, Zimbabwe’s education was not practicals-oriented.
 “As Zimbabweans, our problem is we focus on theories that Europeans came up with and these theories do not apply to our context. We should have an education system which reflects on who we are and be able to create our own industries based on what we have and our cultures thus developing our nation,” said Murwira.
He said students must become creators while tertiary institutions must move away from analysis to innovative and industrial education.
Murwira said the country must use its resources to develop the nation and not focus on exporting raw materials and importing finished goods.
“For devolution to be a success, we must be able to make use of the available resources. We are misusing the raw materials we need for development because we lack knowledge. Resources are not resources unless we know they are resources,” he added.
Murwira said a country cannot develop using imported goods because imported goods entail imported minds and students, therefore, should move from the comfort zone and create goods that do not exist today.
His view was supported by the president of the National Council of Chiefs Fortune Charumbira who said the country could come up with its own developmental model based on its own culture.
“No country can develop by abandoning their own culture, therefore, we must stop the cut and paste practice and we must work to develop our economy,” said Charumbira.

‘Rural girls need nurturing to rise above gender barriers’

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‘Rural girls need nurturing to rise above gender barriers’


The event provided a platform for engargement on how best to uplift young women and girls

Clayton Shereni

Women advocacy group, Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) has urged women of Zimuto community to help young girls discover and shape their talents.
This came up during the belated International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrations in Masvingo Rural Ward 2 on Monday, March 11.
The celebrations were held under the theme #BalanceforBetter, and they drew women and a few men from all walks of life who gathered at the Ministry of Women Affairs community hall where they discussed various gender related issues affecting women in their area.
Speaking at the interactive celebrations which was attended both by elderly and young women, WCoZ provincial coordinator, Belinda Mwale challenged older women to take it upon themselves to guide girls and younger women.
“Our young women and girl children must enjoy freedom and their rights but let us help them to discover their talents so that they don’t stay below boys forever. We should give financial and moral support to our young women and girls.
“Young women should stand toe to toe with young men and do the same work that everybody else does. We don’t want girls to always be at a disadvantage,” said Mwale.
Some participants applauded WCoZ for taking its programmes to their own area, saying the information that was being shared was critical for gender mainstreaming at family and community level.
“We really appreciate these engagements that we know do make a difference in the way we perceive gender matters,” said a participant.
WCoZ initially held the IWD celebrations last week in Masvingo Urban where they did a Young Women’s Forum for women aged between 18 and 35.

Zaka district’s marula relief

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Zaka district’s marula relief


Zaka West Member of Parliament (MP) Ophias Murambiwa (in yellow) tasting the brew

Brighton Chiseva

When the uninitiated look at marula fruits (mapfura), it is hard to imagine their value beyond the sweetness of their strongly scented sap which is ordinarily sucked before the soft skin and the jellish seed is chucked away.
But for hundreds of families in Zaka, the fruits are more than just that as they are providing a substantial income stream through the marula brew known as mukumbi.
Like every other indigenous fruits, marula are seasonal; lasting for not more than three months per year on average when they blanket rocky areas and fields from March to May.
Along the Chivamba – Bangala Road in Zaka West, people ply their mukumbi business every year thereby increasing the popularity of the age-old traditional brew.
In areas under chiefs Nyakunhuwa, Bota and Nhema, custom has it that the first brew from the first fruits of the season has to be dedicated to traditional leaders and must be consumed communally before villagers can then sell subsequent brews.
This is a traditional rite known as ‘matasutsa’; a form of celebration of the first fruits and a thanksgiving to ancestral owners of the land.
The marula tree is a revered tree which has sent many children to school and has helped preserve an important custom in communities where modernity continues to wipe off traditional practices.
For Estere Mudzingwa (63) of Guyo village under Chief Bota, mukumbi is a reliable source of income every year especially if the rains have been good in the preceding months.
“We sell our brew on Wednesdays and Saturdays for 50 cents a cup. We do it in groups and one can have 40 to 60 litres of mukumbi to give us $20 or better on a good day,” said Mudzingwa.
Acting Chief Bota and Charuka village head, Kamurai Zezai said marula, just like other natural resources, were a gift from ancestors hence the rule that the product of the first fruits must be shared through the traditional leadership.
“When the fruits ripen, those with marula trees in their fields have to bring at least 10 litres to the village head. He, in turn, would call his aides and they then drink together with the family of the brewer.
“This way, we would be thanking our ancestors because we believe that they give us the fruits. Long ago, people were not allowed to sell the brew for it was regarded as a free gift from the ancestors but things have evolved partly due to economic factors that have come into play,” said Zezai.
Incumbent Chief Nhema, Rangarirai Bwawanda said mukumbi was a product of a sacred fruit hence the need to observe customary practices when commercialising it.
“The system of presenting the first brew to the traditional leadership is done as a way of thanking the ancestors. It also brings the village head or the chief closer to his subjects.
It also preserves the leader’s authority over his subjects and allows the leadership to be able to monitor the conservation of natural resources like trees,” said Bwawanda.
In Matembudze area and most parts of Chief Nyakunhuwa’s area, cutting down a marula tree is a serious offence which is punishable by a fine in the form of a goat and traditional beer for the chief and his court.
Matigimu village head, Joseph Mutubuki said when there is genuine need to cut down a marula tree, one has to consult the village head who then gives permission.
“When one has a convincing reason to cut the tree down, we assess the reason and if there is a real need, we then give the go ahead. If the tree is barren, for example, or it affects the growth of crops or if it poses a threat to humans, we allow it to be cut down,” said Mutubuki.
He said besides selling the brew, villagers were also using it as payment for work done especially when people have been given piece jobs like weeding and clearing new land for crops.
For Hamon Chigevenga, a mukumbi connoisseur from Kuvenga village, Headman Chidembo, under Chief Nhema, mukumbi brings families together.
“I brew mukumbi for my family. I call my sons and sons’ in-law who stay and work in other areas to come and have quality time drinking mukumbi. It unites me and my relatives and I do it every year. I don’t wait for Christmas holidays to come together with my extended family and be happy. I am lucky to have plenty of trees in my fields so I brew at least two 20 litre buckets every weekend,” said Chigevenga.
However, the brew’s taste and strength varies from one brewer to another, and from one area to another, with brewers in other areas bordering Zaka district adding millet malt to catalyse fermentation.

Plans for Rujeko Secondary School ready— Cllr Musekiwa

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Plans for Rujeko Secondary School ready— Cllr Musekiwa




Diana Gondongwe

Ward 7 councillor Richard Musekiwa last week said the plans for a secondary school in Rujeko are now ready and the school will be built on the open space opposite Rujeko Primary School.
During a Ward 7 feedback dialogue meeting organised by TellZim News, Musekiwa told hundreds of Rujeko residents that the plan for Rujeko Secondary School were now ready and waiting logistical issues to begin construction.
“We are aware of the secondary school challenge and the plan is already there. We are working on starting the constructions and the school will be located opposite Rujeko Primary School,” said Musekiwa.
Residents complained about the trouble they go through looking for Form 1 places for their children either at Ndarama High School, Mucheke High School or Masvingo Christian College which are far away.
Rujeko residents believe that they deserve their own secondary school which will see pupils from Shakashe Primary School and Rujeko Primary School obtaining secondary education within their vicinity area.
“Every year we go through a lot of troubles looking Form 1 places for our children. We are forced to send our children to boarding schools because we don’t have a secondary here.
“Those who cannot afford to send their children to boarding schools have no choice but to send their children to schools in other locations which is expensive because the students will have to travel to and from schools everyday which requires a lot of money,” said one resident Webster Makore.
 Another resident weighed in saying Rujeko Secondary School is an idea whose time has come and the authorities must expedite the construction process.
“We have been discussing this issue for a long time now and it is time we put our words into action. A secondary school for Rujeko is an idea whose time has come. We cannot be sending our children to Mucheke when we can have our own secondary school. We have two primary schools which can feed into the secondary school,” said another resident Idah Hokonya.

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