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MSU donates to Gweru Provincial Hospital

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MSU donates to Gweru Provincial Hospital


Tinaani Nyabereka

GWERU – Midlands State University’s (MSU) marketing department recently donated an assortment of goods worth over $2 000 to Gweru General Hospital’s pediatric and maternity wards.
The donations included groceries, toys, clothes, sheets and other essential materials.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the department’s chairperson Miriam Mugwati said the donation was the first of its kind and they will keep on assisting the hospital whenever they can.
“This donation is targeting nursing mothers and the disabled children who are amongst the vulnerable groups in the society especially in these trying economic conditions,” said Mugwati.
The hospital’s acting superintendent, Dr Tendai Chandaengerwa said they were humbled by the gesture and appealed to other institutions in the province to emulate what has been done by MSU.
“We feel honoured by what MSU has done for us. As you all know Gweru Hospital is the biggest referral center in the province so our resources are sometimes strained and it affects our work.
“But we are grateful, we welcome and greatly appreciate this helping hand as it will go a long way in improving the living conditions of our patients,” said Chandaengerwa.local

Two cattle herders arrested for sex with same minor

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Two cattle herders arrested for sex with same minor


Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Two cattle herders who both reside in Flora, village 5 under Chief Maranda who engaged in consensual sex with the same minor from the same village will live to regret the act after they were arrested for the offence.
Godfrey Siziva (24) who is employed as a cattle herder in the area, pleaded guilty to the offence when he appeared before magistrate Honest Musiiwa.  Siziva’s other co-accused, a 17-year-old minor who is a cattle herder as well, did not appear in court and is out of custody as he is set to be legally represented by the Justice for Children (JCT), a non-governmental organisation.
Siziva was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment of which four months were conditionally suspended for five years, leaving him to serve an effective 20 months behind bars.
Represented by prosecutor Angelinah Makonya, the State convinced the court that sometime this year but on separate occasions, the two accused persons proposed love to a 14-year old girl who resides in the same village.
It was further heard that later on, the two accused persons separately engaged in consensual sex with the minor in the bush. The matter came to light after some village elders got suspicious about the minor’s conduct with the two cattle herders.
A police report was then made leading to the arrest of the two persons.crime

Cure Chem in Gweru miners’ safety awareness campaign

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Cure Chem in Gweru miners’ safety awareness campaign


Tinaani Nyabereka

GWERU – Cure Chem Zimbabwe has urged small-scale miners to uphold safety measures when dealing with mining chemicals, saying failure to handle such substances with care often results in long term damage to personal health.
Speaking at an awareness campaign held at Bata Club for miners last week, Cure Chem group manager, Obert Chikwature said most miners were ignorant on how to properly handle chemicals they use.
“Chemicals are dangerous no matter how long the effects take to show. As miners and suppliers of mining chemicals, we are responsible for the safe handling of chemicals because sometimes, we take it for granted. Workshops such as these help us to know how to protect ourselves because such chemicals as sodium cyanide, nitric acid, sulphuric acid and others have long term effects on human health.
“Cure Chem Group, Medent Private Limited and the Environmental Management Agency (Ema) will deliberate on various indications on how best we can use chemicals and how best we can put on protective wear for our own safety in times of emergency. There is need for us to even know the environment and the people in surrounding communities for they are the immediate victims of any chemical and hazardous substance disaster whenever it occurs,” said Chikwature.
Medent Private Limited group sales manager, Nyasha Chakanetsa said mine owners must carry the mandate of keeping their workers safe, adding that an uninformed worker is a vulnerable worker.
“It is mandatory for mine owners to know the welfare and safety of workers in the mine. You must always control hazardous substances and provide the necessary steps because most diseases that affect miners are due to inhalation of poisonous gases and air.
He said the company offered affordable PPE equipment that can play a critical role in the prevention of such accidents.local

Man flees circumcision mob naked in broad daylight

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Man flees circumcision mob naked in broad daylight


Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – A 64-year-old man tried to escape home while stark naked in broad daylight after a mob from a nearby circumcision camp that had found him bathing in the river cornered and chased him before assaulting and forcing him to join them.
This was heard at the Mwenezi Magistrate Court during the trial of Chenjerai Chivarange (38) of Chiwarure village under Chief Maranda.
Chivarange faces charges of malicious damage to property belonging to Lysias Hlaisi who resides in the same village.
Appearing before magistrate Honest Musiiwa, Chivarange pleaded not guilty.
However, the complainant’s son identified as Chakwesha said Chivarange was the ring leader of the circumcision mob.
“Chivarange and a group of about 40 people arrived home chasing my father who was completely naked. When my father locked himself inside his hut, they went on a rampage, destroying the locked door and some property. They forcefully entered the hut, manhandled and bashed my father before taking him to their mountain camp,” said Chakwesha.
Arguing for the State, prosecutor Willard Chasi told the court that sometime in September 2010, Chivarange arrived at Hlaisi’s homestead with about 20 men. They wanted to take Hlaisi to a male circumcision camp at Tungunyu Mountain but Hlaisi locked himself into his bedroom hut.
When Hlaisi refused to open the door, Chivarange picked an axe which he used to break in and the mob started destroying property including a bed, a solar panel, radios sets and a set of cups all valued at US$1 872.
Upon committing the offence and after hearing that police were looking for him, Chivarange fled to South Africa where he spent some years.
The case was postponed to a later date for continuation of trial.local

Overpriced Zimbabwe hospitality industry putting off tourists

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Overpriced Zimbabwe hospitality industry putting off tourists
Azambezi Hotel on the Zambian side of the border along the Zambezi River. Photograph by Shingirai Vambe
Shingirai Vambe
VICTORIA FALLS – Hospitality facilities in Zimbabwe have been described as unreasonably expensive especially when juxtaposed with similar services offered in neighbouring countries like Botswana and Zambia.
The distance from Victoria Falls to the closest spot in Botswana is around 90km while the journey to Livingstone in Zambia is only 15 km. It is however, a far much longer route to South Africa, with most of the tourists from there preferring air travel over road.
These factors, and the fact that local products and services are very expensive, are militating against efforts to grow the tourism sector so that it can create more jobs.
Although hotel occupancy rates are said to have risen significantly over the past few months, tour operators in Victoria Fall told TellZim News their clients often complain that services in the country are way more expensive than elsewhere.
They said tourists from South Africa, for example, find Zimbabwe particularly expensive due to the fact that rates are charged in the US dollar whose strength against their rand puts them at a disadvantage.
Tourists who had crossed into Zimbabwe from Botswana and Zambia also made similar comments, saying tour operators, lodges and hotels needed to come up with a more reasonable rates regime.
Misheck Muzaza, who works for Escape to Adventure Safaris, said most of their clients from South Africa, Botswana and Zambia cannot afford to spend a night in local hotels because their rand, pula or kwacha is rendered useless when benchmarked against the dollar pricing system.
“They say their own money, though it definitely cannot be expected to have the same purchasing power as the US dollar, works well in their own countries or elsewhere outside Zimbabwe. They make use of our safari services during the day and depart to Zambia in the evening to sleep,” Muzaza said.
Local tourists have been hit hardest, with a night in Victoria Falls lodges or hotels becoming a preserve for a small elite with deep pockets.business

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

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