MASVINGO – Many people who wanted to register with the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) system but could not acquire proof of residence status can now smile as the lawyers in Masvingo have opened their doors to members of the public who want to have their affidavit forms certified.
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) affiliated lawyers including Mutendi, Shumba and Mudisi Legal Practitioners, Ruvengo and Maboke Legal Practitioners, Matutu and Mureri Legal Practitioners among others are certifying voter registration affidavit forms free of charge.
Countrywide, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) is collaborating with the Election Resource Centre (ERC) to mobilise volunteer lawyers and deploy them at various centres to assist those who want to register as voters.
Speaking as an affiliate of ZLHR, lawyer Collen Maboke said they decided to offer their services for free because many people do not afford paying the money charged by lawyers of other commissioners of oaths to have their documents certified.
“The ZLHR is driven by the need to see to it that every citizen exercises his/her constitutional right to vote. Normally, we charge at least one dollar to certify a copy and this can be too much for people who want to register to vote. That is why we have decided to go free,” said Maboke.
He said it would be unfair for people to fail to register to vote because they do not have the money needed to certify their proof of residence affidavits.local

GWERU – Nomadic Gweru Town Clerk Elizabeth Gwatipedza is desperate to leave the local authority for a similar post with Harare City Council for several reasons including reports that she is angry that Gweru turned down her offer to occupy the mayoral mansion which was part of the packages that attracted her to take the job.
Gwatipedza, who was Redcliff Town Clerk, joined Gweru municipality in December last year following the jettisoning of Daniel Matawu.
Her plans to relocate to Harare comes less than a year after joining City of Gweru where she has been criticised for making outrageous demands for luxury.
She has been shortlisted for the capital city’s top post together alongside other aspirants who include Dr Tapiwa Mashakada and Dr Cainos Chingombe.
Recent reports, however, indicate that City of Harare may not be able to recruit a Town Clerk anytime soon because council disregarded a government directive on the composition of the interviewing panel.
The reports said Harare used councillors to interview the shortlisted candidates instead of the stipulated professionals in accordance with the requirements of the law on separation of powers in local authorities.
Sources said Gwatipedza was desperate to move to Harare because Gweru had rejected her demands for many perks and privileges including a demand for US$30 000 worth of curtains for her house and US$15 000 worth of fuel.
Gweru city fathers clashed with Gwatipedza in August this year after they reportedly resolved to turn the 20-roomed mayoral mansion she had wanted to occupy into a lodge.
Gwatipedza was insisting that she should be allowed to occupy the mansion because it was part of the package that attracted her to join the council.
“There is a lot of talk regarding the mayoral mansion,” she said then. “To begin with, it is a package that made me join Gweru City Council. When I got this job, I was supposed to be booked in a hotel until council found suitable accommodation but I decided to commute while waiting for council to find suitable accommodation.”
City of Gweru mayor, Charles Chikozho in response, said the council was sticking to its 2015 resolution to convert the mayoral mansion into a lodge to boost council revenue.
“As of now, our position regarding the mayoral mansion is to turn the mayor’s house into a guest lodge. As for the Town Clerk, the council is now sorting out her accommodation elsewhere,” Chikozho was quoted as saying.local

ZVISHAVANE – The severe cash crisis and long bank queues being experienced in the country call for all schools to see to it that they put in place alternative fees payment methods in order to spare people unnecessary hassles, parents in Zvishavane have said.
Those who spoke to TellZim News urged responsible authorities to begin providing swipe machines especially in rural schools where the service is lagging behind.
The country is facing cash shortages and most banks have imposed a daily cash withdrawal cap of as little as US$25. This has been more painful especially for rural people who have to travel to town to find banks but only to get back with something that little or nothing at all.
“Because we are facing cash problems in the country, it would be a good move if swipe machines are introduced in rural schools. Having point of sales will make things easy for us as we will be able to pay fees using plastic money into school accounts. Schools must also embrace plastic money as a new method of payment,” said Francis Makore.
Another parent said the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education could make it compulsory for all urban and other better resourced schools to have point of sales while poor rural schools could be subsidised.
“It is time for those schools that can afford it to be made to purchase swipe machines. Parents are busy and they don’t want to spend time in bank queues trying to get cash or making RTGS. We understand that there are poorer schools in rural areas which would need government or local councils to subsidise them so that they too can have swipe machines,” said another parent.
Recently, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education announced that 3 500 swipe machines for distribution in schools throughout the country.local

MWENEZI – The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA)’s goodwill thrust to improve the learning environment in poor communities reached Mwenezi district where the army constructed two 2 x 2 classroom blocks at Mukume Secondary School in Ward 13 under Chief Chitanga.
The classroom blocks were officially opened last Thursday by ZNA Chief of Staff Major General Douglas Nyikayaramba.
Local labour was also utilised during the construction process after ZNA received funds from the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe (CBZ) and FBC bank to cater for building materials.
Delivering his speech at the occasion, Maj Gen Nyikayaramba chronicled some of the social responsibility work that ZNA was doing in the province and elsewhere and thanked all people who worked to make the project successful.
“The construction of the classroom blocks reflects the army’s role in working with other ministries to help communities to attain development. The army intervened after realising that Mukume Secondary School was in urgent need of assistance.
“Classes were conducted under tree branches. We also thank CBZ and FBC bank for disbursing funds that catered for the building materials for the two classroom blocks,” said Maj Gen Nyikayaramba.
School head Takura Whande acknowledged that before the recent intervention by ZNA, the school’s learning environment was disturbing due to substandard facilities.
On his part, Mwenezi schools inspector Philip Gumbo said the entire district has a total of 172 schools of which 102 are satellite schools.
He said a majority of the satellite schools are in a sorry state such that they also need interventions as was done at Mukume Secondary School.
The ceremony was attended by Commander 4 Infantry brigade Brig Gen Exsebious Tshuma and other various army personnel, Assistant District Administrator (DA) Martin Musakanda, CBZ provincial manager Wishnomore Sikireta and other CBZ staff, Mwenezi RDC representatives, ministry of education staff, various dignitaries and ordinary people.local

Mayor Hubert Fidze