…over 8 000 farmers set to be evicted

CHIREDZI – The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) is moving to take back Magudu Ranch, Uswaushava in Chiredzi North, from the thousands of new farmers who were settled there at the beginning of the Land Reform Programme in the early 2000s.
Arda reportedly abandoned the ranch some few years ago but is now eager to get back after reportedly finding an investment partner in the name of Integrated Construction Project (ICP).
The farmers, some of whom are into cotton farming, complained that they are being threatened with arbitrary eviction and this was affecting their preparation for the 2017/2018 cropping season.
They aired their grievances to members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Land, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development which was recently on a visit to the area to assess the impact of the Presidential Cotton Input Scheme.
Committee chairperson, Christopher Chitindi (Zanu PF MP for Muzarabani South) however advised them to put their case in writing, which they later did and they also wrote to the Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement.
He promised to look into the dispute, adding that parliament was set to pass the Zimbabwe Land Commission Bill into law which he said would help cases of farmers without offer letters.
 “We are about to pass the Zimbabwe Land Commission Bill which is aimed at resolving these kinds of conflict. You should put all your concerns in writing addressed to our committee.
“It’s long overdue, you were supposed have offer letters by now and we are going to look into your issue very soon,” Chitindi said.
One of the farmers, Emmanuel Nyathi said people at the ranch were no longer sure about their future as they did not have offer letters.
“We were resettled here in 2000 but we were not given offer letters. People from Harare are now busy getting offer letters for the same land because they now realise the importance of agriculture. We don’t know where we would go if they make good of their threats,” said Nyathi.
Magudu Ranch used to be Arda property and was extensively used for cattle ranching until the onset of the Land Reform Programme when the parastatal allocated 6 000 hectares of the land to new farmers and remained with 5 500.
Later, Arda withdrew all its remaining operations at the ranch after the new farmers began to steal its fencing materials and encroaching into its remaining portion of the land.local

The Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) first year Psychology students last Friday gave a donation to the Ngomahuru Psychiatric Hospital.
The department falls within the Julius Nyerere School of Social Sciences and has made a commitment to donate to the less privileged at Ngomahuru every semester.
This initiative started in 2015 and has been running for two years now. The department, through its first year, first semester (1:1) students, gives donations as part of moulding a culture of social responsibility.
In the past, the department donated sandals after noticing the serious shortage in footwear at the institution, and it also gave a radio set for entertainment.
This semester, the students donated kapenta and sugar beans and other food items including cooking oil and sugar.
Psychology department chairperson Herbert Zirima said the initiative was done entirely by the students and was pioneered by the first Master’s class of 2015.
“We will not tire to go out of our way to aid the hospital for as long as we are able,” Zirima said.
The medical superintendent at the hospital, Dr Parirenyatwa Maramba expressed gratitude to the university and students for the benevolent gesture.
Dr Maramba said the institution relies on donor and government funding and any form of donation it can get.
He said there was malnutrition at the hospital because there is often very little if any protein-giving foods like meat.
The hospital has a 300 bed capacity but currently has close to 200 patients and it is taking two GZU students for work related learning every year.
Mpokiseng Tlou, who is attached with the institution, said she was gaining vital knowledge through her work at the institution.local

Clever Taperamoyo

MASVINGO – The province put on splendid performance at the National Annual Science and Sport Festival (NASSAF) games held last week at the National Sports Stadium in Harare.
The event saw all the ten provinces convening to participate in more than 42 disciplines under three categories of the new curriculum of January 2017.
The categories were science, performing arts and sports and the province took 17 gold medals for such activities as painting, drawing, printing, and sculpturing.
During an interview with TellZim News, Provincial Education Director (PED) Zedius Chitiga was happy with the performance which saw the province emerging as the fourth best.
“Our children had an opportunity to showcase their talents and they did enjoy themselves and our province outcompeted many others. We were a good crowd puller and our own Mutendi brass band entertained the crowds,” Chitiga said.
Schools Inspector physical education and culture who is also the provincial focal person, Fredrick Matavikwa also expressed satisfaction with how the province performed.
He praised Vinemighty Masendeke, a pupil at Kanongovere Secondary School in Gutu, for designing a stock feed grinder which came first at the festival.
He said he was also pleased with the province’s exceptional performance in the performing arts cluster activities like mass display, wushu, poetry and band.
“Many artists do make money through live performances therefore the new curriculum is focusing on talent identification with the main thrust being Ubuntu,” Matavikwa said.
Under the performing arts cluster, various schools and individuals obtained gold medals among them the Dikwindi Primary School gymnastics team, Victoria Junior marimba band and Margareta Hugo special mbira team.
The poetry prize was won by Lisa Sibanda from Mazambara High while solo was won by Malvin Chidhuza of Silveira High School.
The overall best provinces were Harare with 59 gold, Bulawayo with 26, Mashonaland east 24, Masvingo 22, Mashonaland West 20, Manicaland 14, Midlands 13 Mashonaland Central 11, Matebeleland South 7 and Matebeleland North 5.local

Rtd Brig Matavire standing close to heaps of hay. If wild fires are not stopped, his cattle will starve

…veld fires damaging environment, threaten livelihoods

Itai Muzondo in Gweru

GWERU – Whenever summer approaches, it is sad news for Somabula residents who have to grapple with the menace of raging fires that are often times deliberately caused by illegal game hunters and fish poachers.
Rtd Brig Brave Matavire has a farm approximately 20 km from Gwenoro Dam and he says illegal fishermen start fires that then spread to people’s homesteads especially during the night.
He says game poachers are also starting veld fires in the wild so as to trap animals but in most cases, the fires are getting out of control.
“Often times, we see fires approaching our homesteads from Gwenoro Dam where fish poachers make fire and never put it out when they leave their bases. The most irritating of these people are however those who hunt game by using fire as a trap because in most cases they lose control of the fire,” Rtd Brig Matavire said.
He is a victim of the raging fires himself, having lost stock piles of hay that he had intended to feed his animals in the long dry season.
“What we need is enforcement. We have a village watcher who traps these notorious poachers but we also need visible police presence to deter the poachers once and for all. It’s sad to see them concentrated on roadblocks while ignoring environmental issues,” said Rtd Brig Matavire.
Ward 15 councillor Sibongile Matavire, whose area is regarded as one of the most vulnerable to wild fires, said if the police could complement the efforts of the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), most of those enemies of the environment would be scared away.
“I think the police is not doing enough. If their commitment could match that of EMA, we wouldn’t be facing these challenges,” said Cllr Matavire.
The area’s usually tall grass sustains the livelihoods of many families that cut the grass for thatching purposes and for sale but people of the area say veld fires are destroying it all.
“We survive on grass business. It is the business by which our parents raised us but with these recurrent fires, we have become poorer. Those at the top must find a solution to catch people who start veld fires and give them heavy penalties,” said Priviledge Maburutse.
TellZim News managed to talk to Ministry of Agriculture chief engineer Gerald Chirapa who said a team he leads was on a national tour to see how challenges that threaten the nation’s harvest could be dealt with.
“For now we just advise famers to use available measures to safeguard their environment from veiled fires. Fires cause a lot of losses as far as productivity in the farming business is concerned and that should be stopped,” Chirapa said.local

Siyabonga Sayi

BIKITA – The Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA) under the youth department of the Central Zimbabwe Conference recently donated and installed a water pump and equipment valued at around US$5 000 at Hozvi Secondary and Primary schools in Bikita.
The installation of the equipment was done during a two-week super mission community service and evangelistic programme conducted in the Hozvi area by the SDA youth.
During the programme, which ran between September 17 and 30, the young people constructed two tank stands and an electricity switch room to regulate the pump before digging plumbing trenches.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, President of the SDA church in the Central Zimbabwe Conference, Pastor J Manyakara applauded the young people for working together with the church to make a success of the project.
“We are happy to see this project succeed, but what is much more exciting is seeing all these young people coming together and donating their skills to people in this community,” said Pastor Makanya.
The local councillor Sign Mkanganwi expressed gratitude for the project, saying the church had worked to provide one of the most essential needs of his community.
“I am grateful to whoever prayed for us as a community because that prayer has been answered. I am pleased to witness this development which came through the efforts of the Seventh Day Adventist Church,” said Mkanganwi.
The leader of the youths in the conference Pastor Charles Madembo revealed that the project was implemented at a cost of around US$5 000.
“The water project cost covered the procurement of two 5000 litre tanks and a single phase 3 horse power submersible pump as well as all the plumbing, electrical and construction materials,” said Pastor Madembo.
He said the church had learnt of the lack of clean water in the area through a community stakeholders committee that was initiated by Pastor Philemon Majoni who is the responsible pastor for Bikita district.
“The idea of a water project came from a Hozvi stakeholders committee which was formulated by Pastor Majoni after we asked him to identify community needs. This committee is made up of school heads, traditional leaders, the councillor, parents and other community leaders,” Pastor Madembo said. 
An evangelistic programme which ran concurrently with the water project saw 155 people enrolling into a Bible study course with 113 of them graduating. Some 31 people from the local area were baptised into SDA.local