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Look after your children, First Lady tells Chipinge

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Look after your children, First Lady tells Chipinge

First Lady during his visit to Mt Selinda


Stephen Ephraem

CHIPINGE – First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa last week poured her heart out to the Chipinge community and pleaded with them to look after their children and desist from the norm of dumbing their little children at the Daisy Dube Orphanage housed at Mt Selinda Mission Hospital.
There has been many reported cases of mothers in Chipinge who dumb their babies at the Mt Selinda Mission hospital entrance and disappear without a trace.
The Daisy Dube orphanage would then take in the children and raise them.
“We have heard from the authorities that some of the children catered for here were baby dumped at the hospital entrance. Why would a mother who carried a child in her womb for nine months end up doing such a thing?
“I appeal to the people of Chipinge to stop baby dumping. Families should cater for their relatives. Sending children into orphanages should not be fashion. That should be a last resort,” said the First Lady.
 The First Lady, who has been doing national tours carrying out her cancer screening awareness programme, said she would push for Mt Selinda hospital to have a well-equipped cancer screening unit.
“I am concerned about the issue of cancer screening here. Women cannot get screened for cancer because of inadequate facilities. Something should be done to avoid our mothers from dying of cancer,” she said.
The First Lady, who was in the company of the minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs Monica Mutsvangwa and Manicaland Provincial Administrator (PA) Edgars Seenza, donated foodstuffs and blankets towards the Daisy Dube orphanage.
Mt Selinda Mission Hospital was established in 1893 by the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (UCCZ).local

South East Zimbabwe: A cultural tourism hub

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South East Zimbabwe: A cultural tourism hub
Chokoto dancers at a 

Ndau Festival of the Arts in Chipinge

Stephen Ephraem

CHIPINGE – Cultural tourism, which can be described as travel by which the tourist is concerned with experiencing cultural environments like landscapes, arts, the lifestyle of locals, values, language, religion, traditions and events has gained ground in South East Zimbabwe.
South East region of Zimbabwe consist of Chiredzi and Chipinge districts. 
The cultural tourism concept was necessitated by the introduction of culture groupings, leading to the birth of high culture, sub culture, popular culture and global culture. The high culture group is termed as the “upper” class society which does not allow the ‘lesser’ class to dilute its ‘elite’ status and is the main consumer of cultural tourism.
Economically, cultural tourism contributes to economies of many countries. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, a forum for business leaders in the Travel and Tourism industry, in 2014 alone, nearly 1.14 billion people worldwide crossed borders as tourists.
Tourism, directly and indirectly, contributed US$ 7.6 trillion to the total global GDP (Gross Domestic Product). It also created 6.1 million jobs, thus one in every 11 jobs worldwide.
In Zimbabwe, tourism has directly and indirectly contributed US$1.44 billion in 2014 which is 10.4 percent of the GDP. It also generated 181000 jobs directly which is 3.1 percent of total employment. 
Socially, regardless of the cultural groupings, cultural tourism has broken the hatred and xenophobia barriers and has promoted peace, friendship and understanding between the host destination and the tourists. 
It also helps curb rural migration. Rural communities which have something to market in their culture have a sense of belonging in their environments and do not need to move to other areas for survival or well being.
Cultural tourism helps preserve the cultural and historical heritage to keep attracting visitors. The Karanga people ofMasvingo are a good example of people preserving their culture and heritage through marketing of the Great Zimbabwe monuments. 
Cultural tourism helps the host communities to maintain and take pride in their identity. This is a case with the communities of the San people in Tsholotsho who are regard as primitive by some people. To them, there is nothing primitive about their culture.
The south east region of Zimbabwe is a cultural tourism hub packed with Machangana Festival held in Mahenye in Chipinge, Ndau Festival of the Arts held in Bangira, Chikore in Chipinge and Great Limpopo International Cultural Fair held in Muhlanguleni in Chiredzi.
MaChangana Festival
MaChangana Festival brings together Tsonga (also known as Shangani or Xangani) communities surrounding Zimbabwe’s second largest national wildlife ornament, the Gonarezhou National Park. It takes place in September every year.
Established in 2010 and bankrolled by award winning conservationist, Clive Stockil of Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge, the inaugural MaChangana gala was held in Chiredzi South and in Chiredzi North in 2011. The third edition took place in Mahenye in Chipinge in 2012.
Due to general elections that were taking place that year, the 2013 commemoration was deferred to the following year. The 2014 event took place in Chief Gudo’s area in Chiredzi North. From 2015, the festival is now held in Chief Mahenye’s area in Chipinge South. 
The MaChangana Festival showcases most of Tsonga cultural practices including cultural villages, traditional food, traditional dressing, traditional dances and traditional hunting ceremonies. The traditional fishing ceremony known as saila is the key feature of the festival.  
Ndau Festival of the Arts
Ndau Festival of the Arts (NDAFA) takes place every September and was established in 2013 by Phillip Kusasa of Bangira village in Chikore, Chipinge district. He formed a trust which went on to apply for land to construct a heritage site. 
Kusasa’s dream became real when the trust received a shot in the arm by the allocation of a hectare of land by United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (UCCZ) in Chikore. Today, Paiyapo Arts Development and Heritage Centre is the pride of Bangira. 
Kusasa works closely Dr Elias Konyana of Great Zimbabwe University, Mr Fred Bandama of Chikore and revered female author of Ndau literature, Mrs Joyce Simango, who published a 90 page Ndau book titled “Zviuya zviri mberi” in 1974. 
NDAFA hosts various cultural aspects like research, music and dance, food, costume, paintings, environmental awareness as well as children and women’s rights. 
The festival has seen high profile government officials like permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Dr Thokozile Chitepo and principal director, Biggie Samwanda visiting. 
Great Limpopo International Cultural Fair
The Great Limpopo International Cultural Fair (GLICF) was established by Herbert Hasani Pikela in Chiredzi. The fair takes place in communities surrounding Gonarezhou National Park and is held in July. This year, it has been deferred to November. 
Gonarezhou is part of the Great Limpopo Trans Frontier Conservation Areas which amalgamates it with the Limpopo National Park of Mozambique and the Kruger National Park of South Africa. The Great Limpopo International Cultural Fair derives its name from the trans-frontier park.
The fair showcases mostly Tsonga cultural aspects in food, drink, dressing, agriculture, conservation, music and dance.                                                                                                                              
GLITF is the cultural tourism flagship of a non-profit making organisation, Centre for Cultural Development Initiatives (CCDI). In addition to the fair, the organisation runs Great Limpopo Cultural Village and Simuwini Conference Centre at Muhlanguleni in Chiredzi. 
GLITF draws participants from Tsonga communities in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It has won recognition from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and has partnered Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) in its marketing drive. 
High profile government officials like former vice president, Phelekezela Mphoko, Dr Chitepo and Samwanda have graced the festival in the past years. 
Truly, the south east region of Zimbabwe is cultural hub. Its pregnant with tourism packages that await to be delivery.business

Rushinga small scale miner transforms lives

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Rushinga small scale miner transforms lives

Alexio Rashirai
While asleep one summer night, Paradzai Kanopupa of Mushawembiri village in Rushinga had a dream of his late father telling him there was abundant gold in their field.
“At first I just ignored it as just another dream but my father kept coming back in my dreams. At first, it was alluvial mining but we have now moved to digging some pits,” Kanopupa says, pointing to two drilling machines.
Large dug out pits gaze up to the sky with heaps of dump ore surrounding them. An excited Paradzai jumps into one of the open pits, picks a stone the size of a palm which he claims is full of gold and pauses for a picture.
The site now has two diesel air compressors that are used by rock drill operators. There are also dozens of plastic shacks where workers live.
“We have 120 people now working at this site. We have created employment and all these people mean several more households have livelihoods. We employ people from around this area,” says mine secretary, Shushai Nyamuzhanda.
At the mining site, one is allocated a small area to dig and he becomes the pit owner who pays a percentage of his earnings to the claim owner. The pit owner employs his own people – usually not less than five – whom he pays and provides with food.
If they dig and hit rock bottoms, a drill will then be put to use, with the pit owner paying for the explosives, fuel as well as the drill operator’s wages.
The ore is crushed at the site and 28 pits have already been allocated.
The country’s mining sector contributes about 13 percent of the GDP and accounts for 68 percent of exports, with small scale mining now contributing an increasing amount to the total output.
Government recently decided to recognise small scale miners, commonly referred to as makorokoza, and help them legalise their work while making it mandatory for them to sell their gold to State-owned buyer, Fidelity.business

Gweru City Council in push for better service delivery

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Image result for City of Gweru council offices

Tinaani Nyabereka 

GWERU –   City of Gweru has revealed that plans are being made to purchase new water pumps and refuse collection trucks as a way of reducing years of service delivery backlogs.
Speaking at a service level benchmarking (SLB) preview meeting at council offices, Town Clerk Elizabeth Gwatipedza said work was underway to secure new pumps and refuse equipment in order to increase water supply and improve waste management in the city.
“Currently we are working on acquiring a new pump to improve our water supply in the city as we are currently not pumping water to some suburbs. We draw most of our water from Gwenoro Dam but due to pumping challenges, we are not producing what is enough.
“So work is underway to acquire pumps to increase our water supply. The pumps cost a lot; we need a big budget because one pump goes for approximately $850 000. We urge residents to effectively contribute by paying their monthly bills so that our services can become better,” said Gwatipedza.
She also touched on the problems being faced with waste disposal, saying the city’s 15 hectare dumpsite was no longer capable of sufficiently handling the growing needs.
“As for the dumpsite, there is need for maintenance because of the amount of waste disposed there. For us to get a new dumpsite, we need $1.5 million. We purchased a bulldozer to help in maintenance work and we have since got involved in recycling work. We have up to seven companies such as Delta that are helping us to recycle plastics and bottles. This has helped to reduce the load at the dumpsite,” she said.
The SLB review team toured the water treatment facility at Gwenoro, the dumpsite as well as the Cambrishire sewer plant, with recommendations that areas that needed urgent attention include road signage, drainage and the high costs of waste management.local

Realistic mechanisms on imports crucial for development-Gweru mayor

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Realistic mechanisms on imports crucial for development-Gweru mayor

Mayor Charles Chikozho

Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru – Mayor Charles Chikozho has called on the government to implement realistic mechanisms on imports so as to boost the development of the local enterprises and promote the buy local concept in the country.
Speaking recently at the 8th Buy Local Summit held under the theme “Competitiveness and retaining local preference in an open economy”, Chikozho said coming up with local content policy and realistic mechanisms on imports substitutions will help turnaround the economy.
“At a most basic level when you buy local more money stays in the country so I hope this summit will help to come up with strategies that promote the buy local concept in our economy.
“The business community must help in sourcing funds for domestic enterprises as this is a critical sector if we want to promote the buy local concept.
“I hope strategies are going to be brought forward to come up with realistic mechanisms on import substitutions which are crucial in developing our economy,” said Chikozho.
Chikozho emphasised on the creation of employment through production of local goods and services for consumption locally and abroad.
“We need to promote locally produced goods. We do not want a situation where we import goods which our very own people can produce. We have to be exporting some goods not to just be importing.
 “We will be proud of ourselves as Zimbabweans if we reach such levels of economic growth where we are able to produce our own goods and money will be circulating internally not the situation we have where all the money is being given to other economies importing goods which can be produced locally,” said Chikozho.local

From Nyazura to Kwekwe, tears of road accidents flow

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Lovemore Zigara

Shingirai Vambe

RUSAPE – The media fraternity was this week robbed of a dedicated cadre following the death of Zimpapers sports correspondent and 98.4 FM a Midlands presenter, Lovemore Zigara in a horrific car crash between Gweru and Kwekwe.
Zigara’s car rammed into an oncoming vehicle just after Kwekwe River as he tried to overtake a vehicle that was ahead of his. Zigara was buried at Mutasa Cemetery in Gweru on Wednesday, June 20.
In Manicaland, three accidents over three days caused the loss of 10 lives; the first one happening in Nyazura near Chipembere business centre at the 199 km peg along Harare – Mutare highway last Thursday afternoon.
A teenage girl lost her life after the vehicle she was travelling in got involved in an accident which was believed to be a result of over-speeding.
Privilege Stetshia (16) of Fiki village who was a pupil at St Stephen Secondary School in Nyazura died on the spot while three other critically injured victims were admitted at Rusape Hospital.
This was after an unlicenced driver, Stephen Marambanyika (23) lost control of his blue Honda Fit (Reg number AEO 8811) and veered off the road.
Investigations were underway at Rusape traffic police by the time of writing and a charge of culpable homicide (RRB 3405270) had been preferred against Marambanyika.
Two more lives were lost the following day just a few metres away from the first accident spot when a Toyota Venture carrying members of the Anglican Church headed for the Benard Muzeki Conference in Marondera burst a tyre, veered off the road and crashed.
The victims died on the spot while three more sustained critical injuries and were transferred to Rusape Hospital. Four other survivors were reported to be in stable conditions.
On Saturday at around 14:00 hrs along the same highway close to Chipembere business centre, a Toyota Elgrand (Reg number AEP

7647) headed for Mutare experienced a tyre burst and veered off the road before crashing.
The accident killed Rusape police Assistant Inspector Razarera and six other travellers, with all the injured taken to Rusape Hospital for treatment.
Speaking to iTell News, Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa KaKohwa said human error and unroadworthy vehicles were mainly to blame for the carnage.
“We encourage motorists to drive at safe speeds. All those accidents were caused by speeding and tyre burst. It is important to check your car tyres before driving,” said Kakohwa.

All set for ‘Go and vote’ campaign launch at Jerera

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All set for ‘Go and vote’ campaign launch at Jerera


Tiyani Hahlani

ZAKA – All roads are this week Friday leading to Jerera growth point where the Community Tolerance, Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD), in partnership with Heal Zimbabwe, will launch their Go Out And Vote campaign of initiatives against voter apathy especially among the youth.
The event will be boosted by the presence of an array of popular Zim Dancehall artists, with David ‘Sabhuku Vharazipi’ Mubaiwa and the ‘Chairman’ – of the Vharazipi fame – being the directors of ceremonies.
Artists that will be will performing at the road show are Tocky Vibes, Freeman, Lady Squanda and Jah Signal.
Speaking to Tell Zimbabwe, COTRAD programmes manager, Zivanai Mazorodzi encouraged all those who registered as voters to take the final step on July 30 by going out in their numbers to vote for the candidates they want.
He said the youth, women, people with disabilities and first time voters in general were particularly being encouraged to take a stand in the elections as theirs will be a call for the recognition of their issues.
“As COTRAD, we are saying the Biometric Voters’ Roll (BVR) has been closed and thank you to all those who went out to register as voters. But there remains the most important step to take on July 30. Let us continue with the cycle by going out in our large numbers to our respective polling stations and vote in peace.
“We encourage women and the youth to take this as their election which will decide whether or not their issues, as the biggest demographic group of citizens and registered voters, will be find space in the policy making discourse of the country. Their votes alone have the potential to decide winners or losers,” said Muzorodzi.
He also said similar campaigns will also be done in other districts such as Mwenezi, Gutu and Bikita this month.local

SIMBI Steelmakers yet to start operations

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SIMBI Steelmakers yet to start operations

Amand Bagamu Rao

Clever Taperamoyo

MASVINGO – The people of Masvingo had had their employment hopes raised high after it had been announced that SIMBI Steelmakers Company which closed four years ago was set to reopen in April but to date nothing has materialised.
In April, the minister of State for Provincial Affairs Josiah Hungwe did a tour at the company and assured members of the media that operations were going to start in a week’s time.
SIMBI Steelmakers general manager, Amand Bagamu Rao said they have started mining and getting ore from Glenlivet located in the east side of Masvingo which they will use when they open.
“We have started mining and getting ore from Glenviet. We imported critical spares and fixed them at our local plant. We have now finished plant maintenance and taking trial runs therefore we are ready to start,” Rao said.
The company closed down in 2014 due to depressed iron prices on the international market after being commissioned in 2004 becoming one of the biggest heavy industry to operate in Masvingo employing a number of workers.
The plant previously produced nearly 60 000 tonnes of sponge iron per annum while supplying about 30 tonnes of sponge iron daily to the Steelmakers in Redcliff.
Rao said they were only waiting for the process of outsourcing coal from Botswana on long term contract basis to ensure continuity.
“We are outsourcing coal from Botswana. We received some but we would like to get it continuously. There are some production issues in Botswana. We are discussing with them for long term contract without interruption. Efforts are being made for the start-up,” said Rao.local

Parents petition PED over Vic High mismanagement

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Parents petition PED over Vic High mismanagement

PED Zedius Chitiga

Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO – Once and epitome of excellence in Masvingo province, Victoria High School has now become a reflection of its former self and parents with pupils at the school have petitioned Masvingo Provincial Education Director (PED) and the Ministry of Education over the mismanagement of the school by the school administration.
One petition has been signed online with over 200 signatories while a hard copy petition was delivered to the PED’s office and the permanent secretary’s office bearing over 100 signatures.
The parents are disgruntled over the abuse of funds and mismanagement which has seen the school buildings and other infrastructure depreciating while the John Muzamani led administration shows no sign of action to remedy the problem.
PED Zedius Chitiga confirmed receiving the petition from the parents and said he will do investigations to establish the truth of the matter and said action will be based from the findings of the investigations.
“It’s true the parents wrote a petition with their concerns and we now have to do our investigations. If what they wrote to us is true then we will act and we are not taking the issue lightly because we also want our schools to develop,” said Chitiga.
The permanent secretary in the ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Silvia Utete Masango said there was no real issue at the school and accused one parent of influencing others against the school authorities.
“I visited the school, it was dusty and I told them to spruce it up but there was no need for parents to be that harsh to the school authorities, there is no genuine issue there. It is one parent who is influencing other parents.
“Parents should not over control school administrations, they will lose it,” said Masango.
In their petition, the parents complained about poor pass rate, poor management and delivery of lessons as a result of teacher absconding lessons and some selling their wares during lessons.
They also complained that prefects were bullying other pupils and said there was illegal procurement and late delivery of school uniforms.
“We the undersigned parents of the children of Victoria High School petition for change at the school. Having been one of the top school, it is now well known that Victoria High School’s standards are fast going down and it has become a worry among parents.
“There is poor security at the school, no gates at Temple house and broken windows, some children even sneak out through broken windows at night. We demand that the school authority restore and improve the standards of Victoria High School like before,” reads part of the petition.

Mwenezi teacher jailed for marrying second wife

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Mwenezi teacher jailed for marrying second wife


Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Simbarashe Hove (51), who is a teacher at Masaswe Primary School in Mwenenzi District, was last week convicted at the Mwenezi Magistrate Court after he was found guilty of entering into a one-to-one marriage with another wife before legally cancelling his first marriage.
Hove was convicted on his own plea of guilty of Contravening Section 104 (1) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23 “Bigamy”.
He was sentenced to 4 months imprisonment or alternatively pay a fine of $160.
Hove, who spent hours locked up at the cells before he later raised the fine, was severely condemned by magistrate Honest Musiiwa during trial.
Musiiwa pointed out that had he not taken into consideration that Hove was still employed, he would have imposed a straightforward custodial sentence without the option of a fine because Hove deserves such punishment.
The magistrate insisted that as a teacher, Hove was supposed to be exemplary but he decided to deliberately lie and hoodwink the courts into endorsing his second monogamous marriage.
State facts are that on October 19, 1990, at Masvingo Magistrate Court, Hove entered into a monogamous marriage with Naume Ngwenya in terms of the Marriage Act Chapter 37, which stipulates that a man/woman is obliged to have a single partner.
It was further heard that, on October 27, 2010, at Mwenezi Magistrate Court, Hove entered into another monogamous marriage with Patricia Ruzengwe in terms of the Marriage Act Chapter 5:11, which is an amendment of Chapter 37, with similar provisions.
The matter came to light when Ruzengwe approached the Chivi Magistrate Court claiming maintenance from Hove and a police report was filed leading to the accused’s arrest. Two marriage certificates were produced as exhibit in court.
Angelinah Makonya prosecuted.local

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