By Rangarirai Shanyurai

People with Disabilities in Masvingo (PWDs) have raised concerns for being left out of a number of governmental projects particularly the allocation of sugarcane plots in Chiredzi recently.
Speaking at a stakeholder meeting on the state of healthcare in Masvingo organised by TellZim in partnership with ZIMCODD at Chevron Hotel on March 27, one participant, Prazen Jakata said majority of PWDs were being left behind in various programmes.
“People with disabilities consistently advocate for inclusion in programmes like the Kilimanjaro project but sometimes we are left behind because many of us are not present when decisions on such important matters are made. I believe the media has a crucial role to play in this regard, we need information on such programmes.
“We are often misinformed or receive information that is difficult to digest. This is why the media should intervene,” said Jakata.
Addressing stakeholders at the same event, Masvingo Province Director for Economic Affairs in the Minister of State for Provincial and Devolution Clever Chingwara emphasized the importance of inclusivity and equal opportunities of PWDs in sugarcane farming sector.
“People with Disabilities are complaining that we left them behind on the allocation of sugarcane farms and the likes but I think the government is looking into it.
“So PWDs representatives should approach our offices with their concerns and need for plots in Chiredzi. For sure if you do not voice out your concerns you might be left behind although the government is trying to include everyone,” said Chingwara.
Chingwara said government had availed 4000 of land for indigenous farmers.
“Throughout a public private sector partnership, I think you have seen us conducting business. The province has successfully allocated 4 000 ha of new sugarcane plots to indigenous farmers benefiting over 2000 farmers from all walks of life,” he said.
He added that they established a multipurpose innovation hub to promote economic development in the province.
“The establishment of a multi-purpose innovation hub in Mwenezi specifically for sesame and all cultural projects processing, represents a significance milestone and a testament to effectiveness of a viable public, private sector publicity funded by Southern Agricultural Deployment (SAD).
“This hub not only enhances local agriculture production but also adds value through processing thereby increasing income potential of farmers and fostering economic development in the province,” said Chingwara.

By Rangarirai Shanyurai

Chivi District Hospital and five schools in Chivi Central are among the first institutions that are going to benefit from a US$50 000 Community Development Fund (CDF) disbursement from government.
The announcement was made on March 22 by Chivi Central Member of Parliament Exevia Maoneke at a field day at Sarah Muza’s homestead in Ward 12.
He said he had received half of its allocation with priority given to Chivi General Hospital solarization as well as other institutions.
“We have received US$50,000, and we decided to prioritize Chivi Hospital solarisation and five other schools.
He said the hospital played a critical role in serving Chivi Central residents, noting that a needs assessment had been conducted to determine priorities.
“We discovered that the hospital has no enough beds, sheets and power back up, despite catering for the entire Chivi Central area. The cost of the required equipment, including scales and a blood pressure machine, could reach US$20 000.
“We decided to allocate the first batch of the Community Development Fund (CDF) to these projects based on the research we conducted with community members and Chivi District Medical Officer (DMO).
“By the end of this year, the projects will be completed because we have already received the funds and we expect the project will begin in the next two weeks,” he said.

By Tatiana Mhararira

Progress resumed recently at the Mucheke main bridge in Masvingo, having been paused late last year, with authorities saying it was now 40 percent complete.
This was revealed by Provincial Director for Economic Affairs, Clever Chingwara who was standing in for Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira at an all stakeholders meeting to discuss state of healthcare in the province at Chevron Hotel on March 27, 2025.
“Additional efforts on the Chevron Bridge are now at 40 percent completion and designs for Chimusana Bridge are at advanced stages, both of which will alleviate congestion in Masvingo City,” said Chingwara.
Chingwara also revealed government’s plans to empower farmers with government said to have availed 4 000ha of sugarcane plants under the Kilimanjaro project. Indigenous farmers are set to benefit from the project.
The Mucheke Bridge is located on the Harare-Masvingo Beitbridge highway and is used by heavy trucks going plying the Harare-Beitbridge highway, with it also being used by the locals to cross to Masvingo CBD and is the only route into town when Chimusana Bridge is flooded.
With the bridge being the only way through to the CBD from across the river, traffic congestion stretches from the bridge to Masvingo Polytechnic and to Chikato Police station from the other side.
Masvingo City 2012/13 budget, Masvingo City Council had proposed US$800 000 for the widening of Chimusana Bridge and in 2014 council then indicated that the same project needed at least US$2.5million.

By Beverly Bizeki

As Zimbabwe grapples with the effects of the withdrawal of USAID funding for its health sector, researchers have suggested the adopting a hybrid taxation model, tapping into the country’s corporate sector to help address the crisis.
Speaking at an All Stakeholders Meeting on the state of healthcare in the province hosted by TellZim in collaboration with ZIMCODD, Dr. Ramphal Sillah emphasized the importance of shifting from a funding model to a resourcing model, where both corporations and citizens contribute not just money, but tangible resources.
“When it comes to the budget side of things in healthcare financing in Zimbabwe, statistics have shown that there has always been a shortfall. We also have bureaucratic inefficiencies whereby, despite underfunding, the health sector fails to spend the little that it is given. There is a need to consider decoloniality, where we develop a fit-for-purpose approach to our systems. The first step in doing away with coloniality is to reject money because as much as it is easy to raise money, it is also easy to embezzle it,” said Dr Sillah.
Dr. Sillah said government funding alone was insufficient, citing Masvingo General Hospital’s bid for an equivalent of US$9.9 million budget of which only 13 percent was allocated leaving a significant deficit for the hospital.
To address this shortfall, he suggested a hybrid taxation model, where businesses directly contribute to hospitals instead of just paying traditional corporate taxes.
“With salaries covered by the government, Masvingo province has 25 registered pharmacies, and these could provide the 30 percent required for drugs. Pharmacies could contribute commodities like drugs because they are already trading in the sector,” he explained.
“Private pharmacies are supposed to pay corporate taxes, and this can be done in the commodity they are trading in. To ensure compliance, the government can make it a policy to renew operating licenses only for pharmacies that contribute to the hospital. In addition to that, departments like ZIMRA and the Ministry of Health can form a committee to ensure accountability.”
Dr. Sillah also suggested that fuel stations could contribute to the health sector by providing fuel for hospital ambulances.
“Fuel stations are mushrooming, clearly showing that there must be something there. For a 280-bed hospital like Masvingo Provincial Hospital, calculations based on international standards showed that 21 ambulances would be required to service the hospital, with an estimated 9,125 liters of fuel required monthly,” he said.
“Zimbabwe has 1 048 registered fuel stations, up from 733 in 2020. These fuel stations are trading in billions of liters per year and can pay their taxes through the commodities that they trade,” said Dr Sillah.
He further proposed that the 18 registered motor vehicle insurance companies in Zimbabwe finance health services by covering the costs of servicing hospital vehicles.
“Zimbabwe has 1.58 million registered vehicles, and around US$27,000 is required to ensure that vehicles at Masvingo Provincial Hospital are properly serviced, if each vehicle owner contributed just one dollar, the hospital fleet could be maintained at US$300 per vehicle for the next five years.”
Dr. Sillah also pointed to the informal sector as a potential contributor to healthcare financing.
“Statistics from VISET show that 5.2 million people are in the informal sector, with 480,000 vendors in Masvingo province. Instead of playing cat-and-mouse games between vendors and authorities, we could introduce a Health Contributor Green Card, where informal vendors contribute something to the health sector—either in cash or in kind—and their contribution is registered,” he suggested.
“The card would eventually allow vendors to secure better trading spaces in the city and receive reductions in levies paid to the local authority.”
One of the participants at the meeting, Rejoice Maridza, supported the idea, highlighting how it could assist in financing health services specific to women.
“Formalizing the informal sector could assist the government in collecting taxes from women, which can, in turn, finance health services that are related to women.
“There are specific diseases that affect women, such as cervical cancer, breast cancer, and mental health wellness, and women vendors can also contribute toward financing the provision of such services,” said Maridza.
However, another participant, Anoziva Muguti, raised concerns about adding more taxes to an already struggling business sector.
With donor funding diminishing, Zimbabwe faces the urgent task of finding innovative and self-sustaining solutions to finance its health sector.