Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – Students from the Zimbabwe Staff College who are taking part in the Joint Commandant Staff Course number 30 last week toured the best-performing sugarcane farms owned by indigenous farmers where they expressed appreciation of the role being played by the farmers in the development of the local economy.
A hundred and twenty-three army officers from the SADC region and Nigeria who are taking part in the course visited the Incorruptible Sappers Farm which is owned by Major Faster Gono (Rtd).
The farm, located in Hippo Valley, produces more than 140 tons of cane per hectare, making it the best farm in the region.
Commandant Zimbabwe Staff College, Brigadier General Josphat Kudumba said the team was touring various areas that are playing a critical role in the survival of the economy of the country.
“We are on a study tour with students of the Joint Commandant Staff Course which is designed for students to study defence and security issues and as we might be aware, security studies these days are much more diversified.
“We look at various areas of how the economy of Zimbabwe is surviving. We have already visited other industries including the mining sector and this specific trip is for us to know how much the industry contributes to the economy and this is important for our national security studies,” said Brig Gen Kudumba.
Speaking at the same event, former Tongaat Hullet executive Farai Musikavanhu said the sugar industry was key to national economic development.
“We harvest an average yield of 110 tons per hectare and the yield that we get from those tons is around 13.8 tons of raw brown sugar. The revenue per ton is around $540 – 600 and we translate it to around $7 400 per hectare revenue….In a year, we harvest 4.7 million tons of cane which can be processed up to 600 000 tons of raw sugar.
“In addition to that, you get molasses which can be cemented to produce ethanol and livestock feed. About four percent of cane tonnage produces 200 000 tons of molasses per year. We also have fibre or bargas at three percent.
“Bargas is of strategic importance in that we burn it in specialised boilers to produce electricity. During the milling season, the sugar industry does not import electricity from the national grid. In fact, we end up exporting into the national grid. Electricity from bargas can equate to something like 800 megawatts,” said Musikavanhu.local

Beatific Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI – Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Shuvai Ben Mahofa has blamed government for neglecting Chilonga and Mwenezi bridges in Chiredzi district saying the derelict bridges were slowing development in the area.
Speaking at the commissioning of road equipment at Chiredzi Rural District Council by the Minister of Rural Development, Promotion and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage Abednigo Ncube last week, Mahofa said conservancies like Malilangwe Trust can be made to upgrade the bridges.
“We have conservancies here in Chiredzi which are owned by those who refused to leave the country in 1980. We should have forced them to construct those bridges because they have a lot of money,” said Mahofa.
She also blamed the government for misusing the resources in Chiredzi that she said if they had been properly utilised, local authorities would long have been able to build better bridges in place of what is currently there.
“This is one of the biggest councils in Zimbabwe which has many resources although the government takes some through taxes as has been highlighted before. If they were in control of these resources, they could have constructed the bridge themselves,” said Mahofa.
Turning to Ncube, Mahofa said there was need to enable council to create Private/Public Partnerships (PPPs) to solve some of the country’s development challenges.
“Minister I want you to tell President Mugabe that the council can do it through their Public Private Partnerships. We once wrote to him about that. Let’s give responsibility to those with the problem. I think they can solve it faster than anyone else,” she said.
The narrow and low Chilonga Bridge across the wide Runde River easily gets flooded in the rain season forcing villagers to use unsafe makeshift boats. Many lives have also been lost as desperate people tried to cross the bridge while it was flooded.local

MASVINGO – Workers Day celebrations held at Mucheke Stadium on Monday were dominated by loud calls for workers to fight for their rights in a desolate economy where the average employee can no longer afford the basics of life.
Kamurai Moyo, a National Executive member of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU) who was representing the national president Peter Mutasa, expressed concern over the rate of unemployment which he said was signified by a demoralised working class.
“We used to fill these places when we do these celebrations but now look, there are few people here, and what does this signify; there are no workers,” said Moyo.
Moyo said the union could not desist from politics while workers were starving as the welfare of workers depended on good political leadership.
 “When people see us, they say ZCTU is now doing politics. We say yes, there is no way we can desist from politics while we are starving,” said Moyo.
In his speech, Moyo said a survey by ZCTU showed that a large number of the people are working suffer wage theft, a situation whereby workers fail to get their dues while their employers enjoy obscene luxury.
“At least 120 000 workers across the country worked without pay between 2015 and 2016 and about 350 000 of the formally employed workers live in poverty.
“We do not want to be misquoted here, the workers are not fighting a single person as some people would want to say, the workers are fighting for their rights,” he said.
The celebrations ran under the national theme: Fighting Unemployment, Poverty and Inequalities.local

Salani

Shumirai Zhou

ZVISHAVANE – The need to mitigate corruption saw the Zvishavane Anti-corruption Community Voluntary Action Group and the anti-corruption team of Kwekwe launching an anti-corruption awareness campaign.
About 172 kraal heads and headmen under Chief Masunda attended the meeting and were educated about forms of corruption and its effects in society.
Maxwell Moyo, an anti-corruption activist with the Zvishavane team was among the presenters.
“Corruption being the misuse of entrusted power, office, authority or resources for private gain appears in form of bribery, embezzlement, nepotism and favoritism among others vices. It results in political, economic, social and environmental effects. Corruption itself is like an armyworm in the maize field and has destroyed our country’s economy. We must unite as a community to end it before our lives are in danger,” said Moyo
Moyo arranged with the kraal heads to form village committees of anti-corruption to curb the scourge in their areas.
“Induction training will be done for those in the committee and these committees should report any corruption case to our group (the anti-corruption group in Zvishavane),” said Moyo.
Obert Chinhamo, coordinator of the anti-corruption team in Kwekwe, urged village heads to unite and report all corruption activities in their areas as soon as it happens.
The whole community agreed to work together in eradicating all forms of corruption within Chief Masunda’s area.
Incumbent Chief Masunda, Aaron Vengesa Nyoni urged kraal heads to be part of the anti-corruption drive in their respective areas.local

Lloyd Shunje in Mutare

MUTARE – In a case that has left Mutumburi villagers under Chief Garahwa in Chipinge shocked, a man believed to be a Mozambican national was found murdered and burnt allegedly by Muchaneta Simango Chigoti who has since been arrested.
Chigoti allegedly murdered and burnt John Manduso after accusing him of stealing his knife.
Manicaland Provincial Spokesperson Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa confirmed the case saying the suspect was assisting the police with investigations
“We are investigating a case in which Manduso, who is believed to be a Mozambique national, died on 25 April after he was attacked by Simango who accused him of stealing his knife. He was struck several times on the head with a log and his body was covered by a blanket which the suspect later set on fire” said Inspector Kakohwa.
Circumstances surrounding Manduso’s death are that on the day in question, the now deceased visited Simango who stays alone at his parents’ house around 18:00 hrs.
 It is said the two sat beside a fire as they used to do but Simango suddenly pulled a log from the fire and struck Manduso several times on the head accusing him of stealing his knife.
Before the victim fell unconscious, the suspect allegedly took a blanket and covered Manduso and set it on fire.
The matter came to light when Patrick Mahanya who is Manduso’s neighbour, visited the house and saw the burning body before alerting other neighbours Cannias Mahanya and Kasirai Maneneka.
Chisumbanje police attended to the scene leading to the arrest of Chigoti while the deceased’s body was taken to St Peters Hospital for a post mortem.local

Shuvai Mahofa

CHIREDZI – The Minister of Rural Development, Promotion and Preservation of National Culture and Heritage Abedinigo Ncube has praised the Chiredzi Rural District Council (RDC) for working to develop communities.
He said this during the commissioning of machinery and road equipment at a ceremony held at council offices on last week.
The machinery was procured by Chiredzi RDC for the purposes of maintaining infrastructure and improving service delivery.
Ncube, who was also the guest of honour at the occasion, said the RDC was a good example of a well-run council which other local authorities should emulate.
“Today’s ceremony is reflective of the hard work done by the council towards improving the lives of the people of Chiredzi and all other local authorities should borrow a leaf from this,” said Ncube.
He applauded the council for fulfilling its mission statement which is centred on building community livelihoods and improving standards of living in a sustainable manner as well as fostering a sense of partnership in all sectors of the district’s economy.
He said Chiredzi RDC was playing a fundamental role to fulfil of government’s National Development Agenda as guided by the ZimAsset blueprint.
“I am happy that Chiredzi Rural District Council has fully embraced the challenge of ZimAsset by embarking on deliberate programmes to improve the road network, education and the general welfare of the community through this initiative,” Ncube said.
Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs Shuvai Mahofa echoed the same sentiments saying the RDC exemplified unity.
“Chiredzi Rural District Council is a united council and we are proud that we are here today celebrating your success story,” said Mahofa.
Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Isaac Matsilele gave credit to Public Private Partnerships for the success of the initiative.
Chiredzi RDC now owns a dozer, two graders, front-end loader, UD80 lorry, two tractors, a tipper, and axle dumpers among other service vehicles.local

Herbert Chikosi

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more.
Only a heavenly based language is capable of conveying this message.
Mr Celestino Nheya Rwambiwa  25/11/1938-23 /04/17, touched some of our hearts ,my heart included ,in very extraordinary ways that we can under no circumstances, ever accurately or fully explain with the mere tools of these earthly written words.
Although decades have passed since we all sat in his class, that feeling we had when he greeted us back then has not faded a bit from our collective memories. Although I sometimes can’t recall how many whips I got from him, Mr  Rwambiwa created this effigy  atmosphere in his class for 44 years.
It remains forever quite vivid in the parts of our brains that experience pleasure. There is no tapering off of our recollections when it comes to matters involving this particular teacher. He was as strict as they come and funny as they depart. Catholism ran in his veins like the purgatory prayer, having attended Silveria and Gokomere mission high schools respectively for his education.
He was straight as a die and did not mince his words for his desire for results.
For me my first meeting with him dates back to 1987 as our school headmaster and my grade 2 teacher. Memories in his classroom are still fresh and very painful. Like what they say human beings tend to hold on to the best memories of our childhood and Mr Rwambiwa was most certainly a big part of our best memories.
One great writer once intimated that no significant learning can occur without significant relationship. I had a stammering speech and Mr Rwambiwa gave me confidence, imbued my self esteem by appointing me the class monitor as well as a book packer in his tiny and dingy headmaster’s office. The office he had occupied since 1978. It was an insurmountable dispensation during that time. He would always encourage me by saying intellect is in your head not in speech, shape it and you will not miss it. For sure, to his credit I now have extra patents to it.
 He was indeed . . . and will always be . . . a timeless icon in our lives.
To call him a civics geek would be an understatement.  To be sure, his classes were not easy, there are many students who fretted taking his class.  He was upfront about the challenges he posed and told us he thought we were smart enough to not deserve a dumbed down education.
I elect not to remind you that he was a disciplinarian which most students would read otherwise but he remain etched in our success epitaphs.
Mr Rwambiwa would begin his assembly address in hush sparklingly voice reminding all in sundry their sole purpose at the school. To him, Rwambiwa Primary School was Oxford University, the citadel of academic excellence, to  his many students he was the gerrymandering baker, meant the bake the best grades, with an adjective hand of heat .
 With that setting the tone for the school, the man who began teaching in 1959,would engage and inspire students and also colleagues. Many remember him as a mentor who taught not only English “Chirumbi” in his soprano Duma accent,but also greater life lessons that guided them to success.
When I heard the news of his passing, the educator for 44 years, there were so many thoughts and memories that raced through my head. I thought about the last time I saw him.
To give an idea, i had met him during our Rwambiwa Old students Association (ROSA) which he was the patron, AGM on the 18th of April, how painful it is. The man who never showed any slide of infinity, the man who spoke so passionately about the school. Little did we know it was a kumbaya my lord oracle.
We maintained eye contact during the whole course of the meeting, I observed a dash of happiness, a natter of fulfilment in his inner voice   to see his handwork speak in those big grammars, vacating from the harsh hush vernacular pudgy. Like a coach looking at his best players he remained seated and satisfied.
The man was in high spirits and like any teacher, the success of your students is something to marvel at, and for him as we traverse to and from the semantical ladders and stretching the grammatical biceps in fashionable way during discussions. It was a ureaka moment for him, I could read his satisfaction.
 The moment will tie our last moments with him.
But, one thing that I did not think about was his passion to see his former school doing very well, which shocked me, considering he had swapped interests from being an educator to a farmer.
Politically, he was a left winger and a diametrically opposed to my centre -left position, or he was a humongous fan of the status quo, while i remained obvious. At the end, our political persuasion did not matter; he would always say that we agree to disagree, never letting things get out of hand.
At the last event, we found ourselves sitting at the same table and he spoke passionately about his commitment to the development of the school. I tried to engage with him in political debate. He shocked me when he said he repudiated that, but changed the storyline. This completely blew me away, as he would not miss a chance to engage in one during our many meetings. He later told me that he had his time and could not compete with new ideas. The reversal of roles came easily to him. I was now his chairperson and he did not have any problem whatsoever. The spirit of instinctual and intellectual succession had naturally transmogrified without any hassle.
He was with us, he has left us and we are proud of the moments we had with him. We celebrate his life which he shared with us. The trumpet of the Lord had sounded and The Roll has been called up yonder.
Mr Rwambiwa as we play the UB40’s Blue eyes crying in the rain, we say some day we will stroll hand in hand again in land that know no parting .To your beloved wife, and your 6 children and grandchildren we share the same grief.
Mr Rwambiwa was born in 1938,in a family of 9 boys and  educated aat Silveria and Gokomere high schools in Masvingo. He began teaching in 1959.he retired in 2001 and he was now an A2 farmer in Chiredzi specialising in sugarcane, maize and tomato production. He is survived by his wife a retired educator as well,five daughters and 2 sons with a compliment of 14 grandchildren ..
We will meet Yonder, RIP educator
The writer is the Chairperson of Rwambiwa Old students association, journalist cum demographer.local