MWENEZI – Due to inadequate equipment and a fast-expanding Rutenga growth point, the Mwenezi Rural District Council (RDC) is struggling to cope with refuse collection demands and has advertised for private players to come forward.
The RDC has issued a public notice advising interested companies and individuals to submit their quotations at council offices.
Part of the notice reads: “The task entails moving around the centre’s commercial, industrial and residential areas collecting all the scattered heaps of solid waste/refuse and then dispose them off at a dumping site which is located approximately 1 km away.”
The notice says the ideal company or individual should have, among other requirements, a reliable three tonne truck and must be in a position to provide own labour and fuel.
Mwenezi RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Albert Chivanga confirmed that council needed the services of a private player as the RDC did not have enough vehicles to effectively execute the task of refuse collection.
He said the available vehicle was in a sorry state such that it could no longer effectively service the fast-expanding Rutenga growth point.local

MASVINGO – TellZim last Tuesday conducted a workshop for citizen journalists at the Civic Centre where participants were equipped with skills on election reporting.
The workshop was facilitated by John Mokwetsi who is a veteran Journalist and the online editor at Alpha Media Holdings (AMH).
Mokwetsi encouraged local citizen journalists to take advantage of technology and social media platforms to tell stories that matter in their areas.
“People outside Masvingo depend on citizen journalists for information, so take advantage of you phones to tell stories in your locations. There is no one who can tell the stories that happen in your location better than you,” Mokwetsi said.
He encouraged accurate reporting, saying citizen journalism holds a lot of potential if practitioners do the job as per expectation.
Mwenezi East Member of Parliament (MP) Joosbi Omar, in a speech read on his behalf by his constituency coordinator Knocks Mutsambwa, said citizen journalists were instrumental in creating dialogue between leaders and the public for the sake of development.
 “WhatsApp groups, for example, are helping to relay information throughout the Mwenezi East community. Such platforms are being used to mobilise volunteers to refurbish schools, clinics and to sink boreholes in the constituency,” said Omar.
He also said citizen journalists are helping to report emergency cases as well as to highlight areas that need the attention of leaders.local

CHIREDZI – The Organisation for Public Health Interventions and Development (Ophid) recently handed over a pre-fabricated building worth US$30 000 to the Family and Child Health (FCH) unit at Chiredzi Hospital.
The FCH offers a range of services including Antenatal and Postnatal Care Services, HIV counselling and testing, screening of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Antiretroviral Therapy.
The new pre-fabricated building addresses structural deterioration and congestion at the previous Family and Child Health unit, which had two small rooms for the provision of family and child health services, making it uncomfortable for clients.
The unit is a result of collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Health and Child Care and Face HIV consortium partners Ophid and the J.F Kapnek Trust; with funding from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) and the United Stated Agency for International Development (USAID).
Speaking during the handover ceremony at Chiredzi Hospital, Families and Communities for the Elimination of HIV (Face HIV) consortium chief of party Patricia Mbetu encouraged the Chiredzi community to embrace the family-centred approach to health care.
“We acted upon the request to ensure men, women and children receive a package of services under one roof and avoid missing out any opportunity on comprehensive health,” Mbetu.
The newly installed structure comprises of five spacious rooms to provide confidential and private health care services.
Chiredzi Hospital medical superintendent, Dr David Tarumbwa also encouraged the participation of men in the fight against HIV-related infections.
“HIV is real and we need to examine both parties before child birth so that we avoid unpleasant situations where a child is born infected,” said Dr Tarumbwa.
Chiredzi is the first district in Masvingo to complete the installation of the prefabricated units that are meant to address space shortages.
The Face HIV has also done similar work at Headlands Clinic in Makoni district, Zindi Clinic in Mutasa district and at Rimbi Clinic in Chipinge.local

ZAKA – Sarah Munemo, a renowned entrepreneur, says multi-tasking defines every successful woman because one has to balance all tasks that come with the responsibility of womanhood.
Munemo, who owns Phinies Motel, one of the best hospitality spots in Jerera, says being in business does not relieve a woman of other duties that are expected of her.
“I am a business woman but that does not take away my other duties as a wife, mother, grandmother and as a daughter-in-law. I don’t need to shed any of those responsibilities to be successful in business. I have to balance all the duties,” Munemo said in an interview with TellZim News.
She acknowledges that being a businesswoman excelling in a male-dominated sector comes with immense challenges that one needs to overcome.
“You are called all sorts of names; sometimes by relatives and sometimes by competitors who haven’t accepted that things are changing and women are working themselves up into every male-dominated industry. If you are focused as a person, you got to ignore all that and keep moving forward,” said Munemo.
The soft-spoken Munemo has defied the odds to become a successful farmer, entrepreneur and community leader within Zaka and beyond.
She was born at Morgenster Mission and attended Chikarudzo Primary School before proceeding to Morgenster Secondary School where she completed her secondary education in 1985.
From there, she trained as a teacher but later left to pursue a secretarial course at Foundation Technical College. She also did a computers course at Bulawayo Polytechnic.
In 1994, she did Foundation in Business studies and established Safra (Pvt) Ltd in the same year. Safra Pvt Ltd is the holding company under whose stable Phinies Motel and Munemo’s other investments fall.
In 2012, Munemo opened Pecom Academy, a private high school which is credited for restoring the hopes of pupils who would have failed to obtain good marks in their first exam sittings. The college also admits older pupils and young mothers who normally find it difficult to be admitted into other schools.
It is however, Phinies Motel, situated at Jerera growth point, which rises as a flagship of all her investments. The motel offers quality conference facilities as well as overnight accommodation for people in different income brackets.
Excellent catering services with a traditional touch are what one can expect at the motel which, since its opening in 2012, has grown to be a favourite venue for top-of-the range weddings, parties and workshops.
Munemo also started Saru Pro Chickens in 2015 and went on to form Saru – Pro Development Trust, an organisations which helps rural women to get into indigenous poultry and eggs production. The organisation has so far uplifted hundreds of rural women by getting them into the ‘road-runner’ chicken and egg production business.
She won the 2015/16 SMEs Best Rural Business Person of the Year and was a 2016 Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) AWECA award winner.
She was certified Professional Women Entrepreneur Executive Proweb, Virgine Unite USA and was certified Brilliant Entrepreneur in the Netherlands in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
In 2016, she was also certified Professional Entrepreneur Mentor Proweb-Virgine in USA before being certified SanBio/NEPAD Participant (Southern Africa Network for Biosciences/New Economic Partners for Africa Development).
She is Masvingo province and Zaka district secretary for the Zimbabwe Chamber of SMEs and chairperson of the Federation of National Associations of Women in Business in Eastern and Southern Africa (FEMCOM).
To add yet another feather onto her cap, Munemo is an executive member of Leading Women of Africa, a pan-African organisation based in Cape Town, South Africa. The organisation advocates for women inclusion in influential positions.
Besides being a provincial member for Proweb and a member of Sanbiobiz – SA Innovation, Munemo is also a committee member for the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industry (CZI) and is the chairperson of Women of Substance, a women empowerment advocacy group.
With such responsibilities on the shoulders, any person of ordinary capabilities would find the pressure too much to bear but due to her boldness and ability to manage time, Munemo has managed to navigate the waters with remarkable ease.
“The boldness I inherited from my upbringing gives me the strength to move on. I also draw my strength from the business trainings I have received over the years as well as from a very wide network which has given me access to vital information,” said Munemo, who also credits her good interactive skills for her phenomenal growth.local

CHIREDZI – Tongaat Hullet Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Sugar Association Experiment Station (ZSAES) have joined hands to empower A2 farmers with skills and knowledge on how to turn farming into a viable business.
Tongaat Hullet and ZSAES recently held their second field day in Hippo Valley at Farm 28/1. The event ran under the theme ‘Addressing yield decline through good managerial practices’.
Their first field day was held in Chipiwa, Mkwasine Estates.
Speaking at the field day, Triangle Agric Limited operations executive, Francis Chifombo encouraged farmers to practice good managerial practices for the sake of increased productivity.
“I can’t call this a field day but a business day because we have been discussing business issues all day. The reason why we came to these fields is to see how we can make profits in our businesses,” said Chifombo.
It was heard that the sugarcane crop, if managed well, can last up to 10 years but some farmers were going up to 15 years with the same crop, something which affects the quality of the end product.local

BIKITA – Bikita Minerals was last week praised for its commitment to the communal good after a weekend which saw the company spending enormous resources to improve the welfare of its employees as well as that of the surrounding community.
Last Friday, the lithium producer commissioned a new Early Childhood Development Centre (ECD) which was built in response to the lack of such facilities in the mining community and beyond.
The development means that over 90 children of mine workers and people in surrounding communities who have been learning in a recreational hall – a place that lacked the requisite equipment and aura – will now enjoy a more comfortable learning environment.
Graduates from the centre will be able to move into the adjacent Bikita Minerals Primary School which has an enrolment of over 700 pupils, the vast majority of whom are children from surrounding communities.
The new centre boasts state-of-the-art road traffic simulations that are designed to give children an early introduction to rules of the road. The centre also has quality furniture best suited for the needs of children.
Masvingo Provincial Education Director (PED) Zedius Chitiga attended the official opening of the ECD centre as guest of honour.
On Saturday, the company held its Long Service Awards ceremony for year 2017, an annual event that has become representative of probably the most benevolent side of a company that is sweating it out in a difficult economic environment.
As alluded to by their very name, the awards are meant to reward loyalty; to recognise the discipline of employees who have served the company for a period of 10 up to 30 years and beyond.
Speaking at the event, Bikita Minerals director Grant Hudson said the awards were a recognition of the dedication with which a great deal of workers are serving the company.
“It is with pleasure that we have again gathered for the Long Service Awards; themselves a realisation that commitment and effort have to be rewarded accordingly. A few years back, we said we must all work hard to improve production for us to have more resources at our disposal. I am glad everybody is working towards that one common goal,” said Hudson.
On the same note, Bikita Minerals personnel manager Munyaradzi Mapeture said it was pleasing that the company was striking a balance between its commercial interests and its moral responsibility.
“The company is fulfilling all its promises to its employees as well as the wider community. The awards will continue and we hope they will get better. I would like to encourage our employees to keep on giving their best so that the reward can be better in the future,” said Mapeture.
The ceremony saw over 40 employees walking away with prizes that included electrical stoves and other household appliances.
The second and third day of the eventful weekend saw nine football and eight netball teams drawn from the whole Bikita district tussling it out for the coveted Chief Marozva Trophy.
The tournament was graced by many dignified people including incumbent Chief Marozva Phillip Mudhe and the director in the Ministry of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Kudakwashe Machako.
The tournament, which is the brainchild of Chief Marozva, brings together community teams from the district for a trophy and cash prizes sponsored by Bikita Minerals.local

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – Nyengeterai Matengarufu of Matande village under Chief Negari who burnt down her boyfriend’s bedroom hut for refusing to take her as his wife was last week convicted of the offence.
Matengarufu pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment or alternatively perform 420 hours of community service at Matande Primary School.
Asked by magistrate Honest Musiiwa why she committed the offence, Matengarufu said she was angry that besides the fact that she is two months pregnant, her boyfriend Justice Machava was ditching her.
It was the State’s case that on October 30, this year, Matengarufu eloped to Machava who is still residing with her mother, Sheika Chauke at her homestead in Rutavo village under Chief Negari.
Matengarufu was not welcomed and was forced to sleep in one of the bedroom hut without any blankets.
The following morning, Matengarufu burnt Muchava’s bedroom hut resulting in the destruction of property worth US$964, 50 and nothing was recovered from the inferno.
A police report was made leading to Matengarufu’s arrest.
Angelinah Makonya prosecuted.
local

MWENEZI – Chief Mazetese, whose area of jurisdiction covers some parts of Mwenezi West, is reportedly presiding over criminal cases and fining ‘convicts’, the Mwenezi Magistrates’ Court has heard.
The beans were spilled during the trial of 34-year old Tadzoka Moyo of Chomunogwa village under Chief Maranda who was facing charges of contravening Section 59 (1) (A) of the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter 20:12 but was acquitted at the close of the State’s case.
In acquitting Moyo, magistrate Honest Musiiwa expressed a number of concerns key among them the State’s failure to bring to court Moyo’s co-accused, and the fact that the case was first heard at Chief Mazetese’s court.
“There are many loopholes in this case. The snares that the accused is said to have used were never brought as exhibit. The co-accused who was caught by game scouts after Moyo fled was never brought to court to stand as a witness or as an accused.
“Besides that, the matter is also said to have been presided over at the chief’s court. It shows that there was a possibility of underhand dealings in this case. Chiefs are not allowed to preside over criminal cases. Such loopholes, among others, served to discredit the case hence the accused’s acquittal,” said Musiiwa.
On his part, Moyo, who denied the charges, told the court that he had earlier on been arraigned before Chief Mazetese’s court and ordered to pay a beast for the alleged offence.
“Ndakauya ndikatorwa pamba nema game scouts akabva andiendesa kwa Chief Mazetese ndobva ndasvika ndikanzi ndibhadhare mombe pamhosva yepoaching. Apa ndaitoudzwa kuti umwe wangu aive atobhadhara muripo wake ndini ndega ndainge ndasara. Ndakadzokere nemupurisa waVaShe kumusha kwangu achida kunotinha mombe yacho asi ini ndakasvika ndoramba nokuti mhosva ndanga ndisingaizivi,” Moyo told the court.
Appearing for the State, Angelinah Makonya said in June last year, Moyo went to Malangani Ranch in the company of Moshen Mambanje, who is still at large, where they set 20 wire snares.
The following day, game scouts who were on patrol noticed that a wild beast with a net value of US$2 000 had been caught by the snare.
The scouts then spotted Moyo and Mambanje checking other snares but they later fled the scene. A police report was made leading to the arrest of Moyo.local