MASVINGO – TellZim News’ Founding Editor Passmore Kuzipa left the country this week for the United States of America (USA) where he is expected to tour more than five States under the Edward R Murrow programme for journalists.
Kuzipa, who is also a director at TellZim News, was nominated for the International Visitor Leaders Program (IVLP), a programme by the US Embassy’s Public Affairs after realising the leadership skills he exhibited in promoting access to credible sources of information by marginalized communities in the southern region of Zimbabwe, through citizen journalism.
He is the only Zimbabwean journalist taking part in this programme and he will be sharing experiences with veteran journalists from over 15 countries across the globe.
The Edward R Murrow programme will see Kuzipa visiting various States like Washington DC, Chicago, New Mexico and Carlifonia among many other States learning and appreciating the new media trends in the digital age as well as civic engagement.
The programme will also afford Kuzipa opportunities to meet and engage with international journalists from media houses like The Washington Post, New York Times and CNN among others.
Speaking about the programme, Kuzipa said the well-deserved nomination was as a result of the immense work TellZim News is doing to promote universal access to credible information by marginalized communities.
“We are doing great work as TellZim News and, as the founding editor, I am grateful for being afforded the opportunity to attend the Edward R Murrow programme for journalists in the U.S.
“I have no doubt that the exposure will go a long way in improving TellZim News’ quest to promote access to credible information in Masvingo province and the entire nation,” said Kuzipa.
Under the able team leadership of Kuzipa, TellZim News has grown to become the leading regional community news reporting newspaper in the country, promoting development and dialogue between leaders and citizens.
The newspaper is the first to introduce citizen journalism where citizens are trained basic journalism skills and then contribute stories to mainstream media thereafter.
Since the introduction of TellZim Newspaper in 2015, the organisation has won more than five national awards, while six of its journalists won different national individual awards for excelling in different beats.
“I strongly believe that citizens make better decisions when they are well informed; it is not just about having access to information but credible information.
“Citizen journalism is very critical because citizens should be able to tell their own stories and be able to engage the leadership in developmental issues,” said Kuzipa.local
TellZim News Founding Editor Kuzipa off to America
Outcry as Masvingo Mayor posts indecent video on WhatsApp group
MASVINGO – In a reprehensible act of indecency, Masvingo mayor Collen Maboke on Wednesday afternoon posted an explicit video of a nude woman on a WhatsApp group, sparking a serious outcry, with some questioning the moral values of the city father.
Maboke posted the indecent video of a heavily built woman moving back and forth to expose her privates from different angles and positions.
Many professionals and other respectable people in the WhatsApp group, which is operated by TellZim News, called the mayor to order.
The TellZim News group, which is full to the brim, has many respectable people and was formed to advance increased access to information as an agenda; providing for decent discussion on current affairs as well as the sharing of credible news.
The posting of crude or petty jokes, fake news and obscene content is strongly prohibited on the group.
After noticing that people had not received his obscene post well, Maboke then apologised, giving a lame excuse that he wanted to delete the video but ended up forwarding it.
“I am sorry; I wanted to delete the video,” that was all Maboke could say some minutes after posting the indecent video.
Some group participants, however, would have none of the shallow excuse, saying the features of deleting and forwarding a video on a smartphone were completely different, therefore, unmistakable.
Other participants even suggested that probably Maboke wanted to forward the video to many groups where such kind of material was acceptable, but ended up including the wrong groups on his ‘forward’ list.
The explicit and highly offensive video became the talk of the town and the outcry extended to other community WhatsApp groups.
When contacted for comment, Maboke said the video was sent in a church group and he forwarded it by mistake.
“I panicked when I realised that I forwarded the message on TellZim News group chat; the video had been sent in a church WhatsApp group,” said Maboke.
Some participants urged Maboke to delete the video immediately since WhatsApp allows one to do so within seven minutes of posting, but the city father failed to do so.
There were mixed reactions as some participants defended the mayor for posting the nude, while others demanded his and other ‘adulterous’ participants’ exit from the TellZim News.
One Twitter handle read ‘an awkward moment in this WhatsApp group when a whole mayor forwarded an indecent video’.
Maboke’s behaviour has been a hot discussion and his MDC Alliance national leadership does not recognise him as mayor.
The party leadership directed that Maboke must resign and pave way for Ward 5 councillor, Daniel Mberikunashe.
Maboke, however, seems to have defied Nelson Chamisa and his national executive as he is already carrying out his mayoral duties.local
550 km cycling along Great Dyke
ZVISHAVANE – A gruelling 550 km cycling race which was organised by YA FM started on October 02 and ended on October 06 with a total of 20 cyclists participating.
The tournament was sponsored by a number of companies including Mimosa platinum mine, Makanaka Investments, Seed-Co, ZimAlloys, GML Explosives, Unki platinum mine and Met Bank.
Participants cycled from Darwindale all the way to Zvishavane, with 22-year-old Andrew Chikwaka of Bulawayo winning the first prize followed by Advocate Phiri and Nkulumo Dube who came second and their respectively.
“I am so grateful to the organisers of the event and I urge them to keep up the good work which motivates us as young people to showcase our talents,” said Chikwaka.
All cyclists won cash prizes, hampers and medals to thank them for their efforts in the rigourous race, which is in its third year now.
Amongst the cyclists was Portia Chitendere, who was the only female cyclist in the tournament. She managed to complete the tough race regardless of the enormous temptation to quit in face of the big obstacles along the way.
Speaking to TellZim News after the race, Chitendere, a Harare-based mother of three who developed a passion for cycling while at St Michaels High School, said it was not an easy race but she endured the pain due to the extreme love she has for the sport.
“I am extremely honoured for the opportunity to take part in this cycle race as a representative of all other women out there. I am grateful for the support I got from different quarters and from my family,” said Chitendere, who is a member of the Ghetto Cyclists.
She walked away with many prizes including a trophy and $500 from the Minister of State for Midlands Province, Larry Mavhima, who presided over the presentation of prizes to the cyclists.
Chitendere also got $50 from GML explosives and a humper from Adam Bede Furnishers.
Mavhima thanked the organisers YA FM and all the sponsors for promoting cycling as a sport, saying he hoped the tournament will grow.
“I hope that next year this tournament is going to be a national event which will include cyclists from as far as Hwange,” said Mavhima.sport
Zimuto High retains national baseball championship
Zimuto High School retained their under 16 baseballs national championship at the National Association for Secondary School Heads (NASH) baseball tournament held at Gwanda High School on July 5 -6.
Zimuto High head, Harris Mashava said he was pleased by the fighting spirit shown by his pupils and their coaches as they fought hard to keep the trophy home.
He pledged that Zimuto High will provide all available resources to perfect the team so that the trophy stays at the school.
“I salute the learners and their coaches for a job well-done. Commitment and dedication to duty paid dividends so we will do whatever it takes to make sure we continue defending the championship,” said Mashava.
Zimuto High progressed unbeaten right from the group stages to the finals where they won 4-2 against Nemakonde High School.
In group stages, the team played Glenorah 3 High and Mandwandwe High and won 6-3 and 9-5 respectively.
They again won 9-2 against Alaska in the quarter finals before thrashing Mutare Boys High 10-1 in the semis.
Zimuto is one of the RCZ-run high schools that has continued to make impressive achievements in terms of both academic results and performance in the sporting field.
Murowa Diamonds donates medicine to Mutambi Clinic
ZVISHAVANE – Murowa Diamonds have extended a helping hand to Mutambi Clinic by donating hydration fluids and antibiotics.
The donation to the clinic, which falls under Chief Mazvihwa’s area, came at a time when most health institutions are struggling to get sufficient supplies of drugs and medical equipment.
The drugs are expected to assist over 109 000 patients in the event of a cholera outbreak in Mazvihwa, a remote area of Zvishavane where most of Murowa Diamonds mines much of its diamonds.
The clinic serves some employees of the mine and their families.
Some remote cholera cases were reported in parts of the Midlands but no case was reported in Zvishavane where Murowa and Mimosa took the lead in educating people on how to prevent the deadly disease.
Murowa Diamonds health, environmental safety and projects manager, Olivia Dzawo told TellZim News the company was glad to contribute meaningfully to the area in which it operates.
“We are happy to make this donation here at Mukambi Clinic and we hope we will be able to do more of such work which we belive creates a vital bond between us as a mining company and the community. This relationship needs to be cemented going forward,"Dzawo said.
She said Murowa Diamonds appreciated the dire state of medical supplies in the community’s health facilities, adding that the company will be pleased to help in whatever way possible.
Mercy Ndebele, a local resident thanked Murowa Diamonds for the donation, saying it came at the right moment when the country was battling a cholera epidemic.
“In terms of medication, we were facing a huge problem and it gets even more serious now that the country has seen an outbreak of cholera. We often come to the clinic, get diagnosed and they write a prescription for us to go and buy from the pharmacies,” Ndebele.local
MSU student drops music video
GWERU – A Midlands State University’s (MSU) student and upcoming Afro pop, RnB and Hip Hop artiste Kudzanai Gona, popularly known as Sqkatta, early this week released a music video titled Mamacita.
The video is making waves on social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook where it gained 1 000 plus views in just two days after its release.
Sqkatta told TellZim News he also did a couple of music videos due for release and has worked with organisations like MyAge Zimbabwe in the Girl Child Awareness Campaign.
He said he started doing his music while still in primary school; singing in the church choir and he then began writing his own songs when he was in form four.
“I started singing when I was doing my primary education at Helen McGhie in Masvingo. I was also very much active in the church choir and that is when I grew fond of singing.
“I started by copying from other people’s songs and later started writing my own. Over the years, I have been featured in songs of other people but this time I have decided to go solo and do my own work.
“This is my first video and I am receiving overwhelming response from my followers,” said Sqkatta.
He said he will be releasing a six-track album by year end, adding that the song will feature Bongiwe Moyo, better known as Bongzee in music circles.
Sqkatta is in his part four doing an honours degree in Media and Society Studies.entertainment
Shiri praises country’s cotton farming hub
GWERU – The Minister of Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement, Rtd Air Marshall Perence Shiri has said it was remarkable that the Midlands province’s Gokwe district had maintained its record as the anchor of the country’s cotton farming business over the years.
Speaking at the official opening of the 2018 Midlands Agricultural Show recently, Shiri urged farmers to continue working hard so that they could contribute more to the national economy.
He said government will continue supporting farmers with inputs under the Presidential Free Cotton Input Scheme.
“I am very much aware that major cotton production in our country is done in Gokwe and the Honourable Minister of State here (Owen Ncube) has been very busy with the distribution of not only cotton inputs but also of cereals such as maize and sorghum.
“We therefore hope that this year, Gokwe will maintain its status because inputs are being made available. What we are doing is to identify farmers interested in cotton farming so that we can motivate them with inputs. We don’t have enough farmers who are serious about cotton farming,” said Shiri.
He also applauded the Midlands’ contribution to livestock production, saying Zimbabwe had been among the best beef producer in the world, thanks to the province’s efforts.
“Zimbabwe has been contributing much to the production of quality beef. We currently had been facing many challenges due to foot and mouth diseases but that is being dealt with and we look forward to starting maximum exportation of beef to get more foreign currency.
“Government is also promoting command livestock as we now have the command livestock programme. I hope we will have farmers who will come forward to take part in the programme. We are currently importing a lot of processed beef and chicken and we need to promote our local products and attain self-sufficiency,” he said.
Shiri said the government was looking forward to purchasing more tractors and other forms of machinery to boost agriculture production.
The show was held under the theme ‘Steering the Economy to Vibrancy.’agriculture
Chipinge agricultural show gets better
There was a marked improvement in attendance and activity at the 2018 Chipinge Agricultural Show that was held from August 16-18 due to improved publicity and a more spacious venue, iTell News has learnt.
In previous years, the show was held at Gaza Primary School, a smaller venue compared to the new showgrounds that were availed this time around.
The show ran under the theme, ‘Unlocking the Agricultural and Industrial Potential for Economic Growth in Chipinge District.’
Chipinge Show Society chairperson, Samuel Maronga said the allocation of independent showgrounds to the society had given more companies reason to exhibit than ever before.
“We have seen big private companies and public companies exhibit for the first time at our agricultural show. Notable entities include Zimra, Econet Wireless, Nyaradzo Funeral Assurance, ZimParks, Getbucks Financial Services, Agriseeds, Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA), Plant Quarantine Services and Coffee Research," said Maronga.
He invited exhibitors from elsewhere to consider Chipinge in all forthcoming shows.
“Investors should come to exhibit at Chipinge Agricultural Show. No one will regret being an exhibitor in our farming town,” he said.
Chipinge Crop and Livestock Department (formerly Agritex) district head, Tapiwa Chagwesha said the district had registered an improvement in crop production.
"The district continues to deliver more grain since most farmers in the district are receiving inputs from government schemes," said Chagwesha.
Guest of Honour at the event, Ivan Craig, who is the Agriseeds director of sales and marketing, urged famers to work harder so as to attain food security for the district.
"Farmers should not shy away from joining government programmes such as command agriculture as this is the only way to ensure food security," Craig said.
He also urged farmers to value-add their produce after harvesting so that they could derive maximum gain from it.
"Farmers should understand the value chain so that they can make informed decisions on pricing. This can be achieved if farmers work together. They should establish cooperation and scout for better markets,” he said.business
Discover Chipinge’s vast investment opportunities
Chipinge Rural District Council (RDC) has embarked on extensive marketing drive which it hopes will help attract more investment to the south-eastern district which lies approximately 460 km from Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare.
The RDC has produced fliers and a 27-minute-long documentary film named ‘Chipinge the Thriving District’.
The district has a small farming town that was established in 1957. The district borders Mozambique starting from Mahenye to Southdown. It borders Chimanimani district to the north, Buhera and Bikita districts to the west and Chiredzi district to the south.
Chipinge town is located in the natural farming region 1, but the district overlaps the high veld and low veld which falls into natural farming region 5. Chipinge is a district that one can cross from natural farming region 1 to 5 over a short period.
Before splitting into Chipinge Town Council and Chipinge Rural District Council, the two councils started as Gazaland District Council in 1980. Chipinge RDC was then formed in 1991 under the leadership of Charles Inggs who was then succeeded James Mundoma. Currently, Chipinge RDC is under the leadership of its chief executive officer (CEO) Blessing Mamvosha.
“Our council operates under five departments that are administration and human resources, finance, internal audit, technical services department and social services,” said Mamvosha.
“We want to guarantee prospective investors that our staff will take care of their business needs in whatever trade they want to venture in. Chipinge has opportunities in forestry, agriculture, energy, property development, tourism and hospitality,” he said.
Mamvosha went on to emphasise on the need for partnerships, saying they were the most viable way of ensuring successful projects.
“Our government is focusing on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). We invite private investors to make Chipinge a thriving town. With everyone’s support, Chipinge Rural District Council can become a place of excellence in terms of investment and service delivery.business
Zim reaffirms commitment to welfare of refugees
CHIPINGE – Government has vowed to increase support for refugees by providing more land for self-reliance and livelihoods projects.
This was said during the World Refugee Day commemorations held on July 05 at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge.
Chipinge District Administrator (DA) William Mashava headed the function.
Tongogara Refugee Camp is situated along Save River approximately 74 km from Chipinge town via Tanganda and Middle Save.
On its western side is Save Valley Conservancy on the other side of Save River.
In a speech read on her behalf by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Ngoni Masoka, Minister Patronella Kagonye said Zimbabwe was pleased to be a member of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Executive Committee with full voting rights.
“Our government is increasing support for the refugees. We shall avail more land for refugees’ self-reliant and livelihood projects.
“To deal with the humanitarian needs of these persons, the government of Zimbabwe works with UNHCR, World Food Programme, Terre des Hommes, Goal Zimbabwe, Jesuit Refugee Services and Childline.
“A 24 member soap making project was started with funding from the United States of America Embassy under the Julia Tuft banner. Also, GOAL Zimbabwe supports crop production under the irrigation animal husbandry benefitting 569 female and 522 male residents in 2018,” Kagonye said.
She urged refugees to abide laws of the land.
“In responding to the humanitarian needs of refugees, the partnership is guided by government laws and policies while also borrowing from United Nations Conventions, protocols and standards. I urge refugees to observe the laws of this country,” she said.
Tongogara Refugee Camp Administrator, Johannes Mhlanga said the place was home to 12 234 refugees and asylum seekers.
“The 2017 refugees’ statistics show that 72 percent are from Democratic Republic of Congo, 14 percent from Mozambique, 6.2 percent from Burundi, 5 percent from Rwanda and 2.8 percent from smaller communities,” said Mhlanga.local
