Increase Gumbo

CHIREDZI – Members of the Shangani ethnic group are increasingly embracing new methods of male circumcision, with the culture now opening up to modern ways of removing the foreskin.
This was apparent during the graduation ceremony which saw a total of 665 males from Chief Sengwe and Headman Muzamani graduating after spending four winter weeks undergoing the male circumcision process which was aided by Ministry of Health and Child Care through the National Aids Council (NAC).
The Population Service International (PSI) was also involved in the programme.
Speaking during the occasion, Headman Muzamani, Papazela Masivamela praised the involvement of health officials in the process, saying the procedure was now safer and less painful than before.
“The intervention of NAC, ministry of health and PSI has improved the whole experience. We would normally do it with knives and without using any anaesthetic,” said Masivamele, admitting that many incidents of death would go unreported in accordance with the Shangani culture.
William Chauke, who was one of the graduates, praised the medical procedure as safe and painless, saying he had dreaded doing it in the past owing to the severe pain and trauma that would be involved.
NAC Provincial AIDS Coordinator, Evos Makoni said the surgical male circumcision process has proved to be safer than the traditional way of doing it. He said he was happy now that they were getting a breakthrough after facing tough resistance from locals when the idea was first proposed.
“We are happy with our proceedings because we have not received any reports of deaths since we started in 2009. Before this new approach, cases of deaths were reported at almost every initiation but it’s now a thing of the past,” Makoni said.
He however encouraged the circumcised males to abstain and practice safe sex saying circumcision alone will not stop anyone from contracting HIV/AIDS.
“Male circumcision only reduces the infection of HIV by 6o percent so we do encourage all men who have undergone the circumcision process not to take circumcision as a ticket to promiscuity,” said Makoni.
The Shangani and Lemba cultures are the only groups with a history of circumcision in Zimbabwe but they have for a long time resisted government attempts to improve the practice, with their annual circumcision rituals largely shrouded in secrecy.news

Paida Mukono

CHIREDZI – Residents of Chiredzi are suspecting that there is an organised ring behind the sharp increase in the number of stolen water meters in the town, with others claiming the criminals are driving around in a car collecting the stolen meters.
Speaking during the second engagement meeting which was facilitated by the Zimbabwean Liberators Platform (ZLP) and attended by residents and council personnel, residents of Tshovani high density suburb complained about the increasing cases of meter theft and urged authorities to do more to fight the crime.
“The last few days alone have seen many new cases being reported around the town. We believe it is the same gang which is moving around stealing the meters. I also lost my own meter a few days ago,” said Miriam Chengeta of ward 7.
There were also reports that the United Church of Christ and Lutheran Church have also lost their own meters in the spate of theft.
Town council secretary, Charles Muchatukwa warned against the thefts saying council will work with the police and come down hard against the thieves.
He said council will work hard to make sure the thieves do not get a local market for their stolen meters.
Stolen water meters are believed to be sold to racketeers who smolder them before using the ductile metal for other purposes.news

Brighton Chiseva

Masvingo – The 2017 annual budget consultations meeting held by the Provincial Development Committee at Civic Centre last week revealed that more than 100 million United States dollars is needed for ongoing and new infrastructural development projects in the province.
 A total number of 189 projects have been identified; 115 of them already started while 74 are still in the offing. These require a total estimated amount of US$105 570 301 to fully implement.
Major projects in the proposed budget are the completion of Tokwe-Mukosi dam which is supposed to be finished by next year for an estimated cost of US$50 million and the establishment of Chenhuwe police station.
The ZimAsset blueprint, which is the guiding document for government’s development priorities, is divided into clusters that were identified as critical for the country’s immediate developmental needs.
The Social Services and Poverty Eradication cluster’s total of 80 projects require an estimated US$4 350 247 while the Food Security and Nutrition cluster needs around US$7 658 620 for 106 projects.
The Value Addition and Beneficiation cluster requires a projected US$10 444 851 for its 126 projects.
Provincial Administrator (PA) Felix Chikovo urged the Provincial Development Committee (PDC) to make sure that their budgets estimates are reasonable to make sure there are no inconveniences caused by wrong estimates.
“These are just estimates so you don’t have to be afraid of estimating; make sure your estimates are not less than what is really needed on the ground, you have to compete for a larger cake,” said Chikovo.
The districts were asked to go and make corrections on areas highlighted to them by Committee chairpersons, fill in the gaps on their reports as well as use the ZimAsset document as guideline with reports expected to be submitted to the PA in the third week.
The provincial report will be given to the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Shuvai Mahofa for approval before being sent to Harare by the end of September.news

Tatenda Shunyai

MASVINGO – City of Masvingo and the National Aids Council (NAC) have extended a helping hand to Alpha Cottages by providing transportation for goods that were donated to the children’s home by the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe.
Alpha Cottages, was one of the fifty children’s homes around Zimbabwe that benefited from the First Lady’s donation of a thousand dollars and other basic commodities for each shelter.
The donations were made in Mazowe and Alpha Cottages had difficulties securing transport to ferry the goods.
Officials from the facility were in Mazowe to celebrate the First Lady’s birthday.
NAC then pledged a T35 truck and the city council also chipped in and gave a hundred litres of diesel for the journey.
Superintendent of Alpha Cottages, Brighton Karidza expressed gratitude for the gesture of generosity shown by NAC and the city council.
“We at Alpha Cottages would like to express our sincere gratitude to the council and NAC for what they did to us because without them the donated goods would probably still be stuck in Mazowe.
“Our gratitude also goes to the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe for the generous donation,” said Karidza.
He also appealed to other well-wishers to help Alpha Cottage so that the facility can meet its operational requirements in the interests of children.
Alpha Cottage is a home for orphaned, abused and other vulnerable children.news

MASVINGO – Provincial offices of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education are languishing in the dry after water supplies were disconnected on August 22, 2016 for suspected enormous large sums of money owed to the city council in unpaid water bills, it has been learnt.
The ministry, housed in Wigley House along Josiah Tongogara Avenue, is believed to be one of the worst debit defaulters and has been using water for years without paying for it.
As a result, arrears running into millions of dollars are suspected to have been accrued, thereby compromising the city’s efforts to improve service delivery.
Town clerk, Adolf Gusha confirmed the disconnection and promised to continue with the operation in the city.
“This has nothing to do with the Ministry of Education, we are conducting an operation and we will disconnect everyone who owes the city council. We do not have enough chemicals to purify the water and money to pay workers yet some individuals and ministries have not been paying their bills for up to five years. We do not have an option but to disconnect our services.
“Though I am not particularly aware of the Ministry of Education case, I know for certain that the operation targets all those who owe us regardless of their status or profession. We will look into it and see a way forward,” said Gusha.
Masvingo Provincial Education Director (PED), Zedius Chitiga, however, criticised the council for disconnecting a government department in the current difficult economic situation.
“This ministry belongs to the government and it is government’s responsibility to pay the city council. The bill has been accumulating for some years now and the city council should settle with the government instead of just disconnecting us. We are suffering here.
“I did not have time to talk to them but I have called them today and they promised to come and reconnect. The people who disconnected us do not know the procedure; they should not disconnect government offices without authorisation. The government does not have money at the moment so they should bear with us instead of making us suffer,” said Chitiga.
It was not immediately clear if the water had been disconnected by the time of going to print.
A council insider, however, said council was on a drive to disconnect all habitual defaulters who owe millions and will engage debit collectors against them.
Other government entities like the Masvingo General Hospital, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) and Zimbabwe Prison and Correctional Services (ZPCS) owe in excess of US$30 million in unpaid water bills.news

ZAKA – Fidelis Gwanya, a village head under Chief Bota, has been caught in a corruption scheme of ‘Sabhuku Vharazipi’ proportions after he allegedly smuggled four of his children’s names on the beneficiary list of a food aid programme sponsored by CARE International.
Surpisingly, Gwanya was recently in the press attacking the programme, claiming that it was promoting laziness among the people by providing food handouts.
Gwanya is said to have ordered his subordinates to make sure that they put his sons Leonard, Ignatious, and Fidelis jnr, daughter Clara and sister Epfania on the beneficiary list.
Under normal circumstances, Leonard, Ignatius and Fidelis would not qualify to be on the list because they are employed as a teacher, police officer and agritex officer respectively.
The programme is targeted at destitute and vulnerable people with no sources of income including orphans and the elderly.
Sources said CARE officials were suspicious at first but could not act since villagers had nominated their names as deserving beneficiaries following the order by their village head.
A tip off from one Severino Chivasa resulted in CARE officials calling a meeting to discuss the issue in the presence of the District Administrator (DA) and the ward 19 councillor, Peter Imbayarwo.
After the meeting, CARE officials removed all the names of Gwanya’s relatives and set out to do a door to door audit of beneficiaries in the village.
Imbayarwo confirmed being called by CARE officials to settle the matter.
TellZim News is informed that Chivasa is now being victimised for exposing Gwanya and a village meeting has already been to convened punish him with his mother reportedly being threatened with banishment from the village.
Imbayarwo was later tasked to settle an alleged simmering grudge between Gwanya and Chivasa which was one of the reasons why Chivasa exposed Gwanya.
When asked why he had corruptly sneaked the names of his relatives onto the beneficiaries’ name list, Gwanya reportedly denied any wrongdoing, saying it was his children who put themselves on the list.news

Patricia Makubaro

ZVISHAVANE – Packs of marauding hyenas and jackals are causing sleepless nights to villagers in Mabasa under Chief Masunda in ward 8 with the vermin now roaming the area in broad daylight, posing a constant threat to people and livestock, it has been learnt.
Villagers who spoke to this publication expressed outrage that the parks and wildlife authorities had failed to act in the interests of villagers despite being notified of the problem on several occasions.
“We have lost livestock and the situation is now getting worse as those wild animals are becoming more daring. They roam our areas even during the day and they devour anything they come across.
“We are now being forced to cage our goats and chickens and constantly monitoring our cattle; our most valuable source of livelihood here,” said Ester Chikara, a villager in the area.
Other people also said they feared for their children as they are an easy target for hyenas which are known for being efficient at identifying easy prey.
In the cover of darkness, hyenas can also attack even adult people while jackals are known for preying on smaller domestic animals like goats and sheep.
“I am not happy with wildlife and parks department because they are not doing anything to solve our problems here. I lost two of my goats but we are told the law forbids the killing these hyenas.
“I wonder what is special about them. A goat means a lot for poor villagers who do not have any other source of income. Now the new school term has just begun and we are worried about the safety of our children,” said Beula Gavara.
The National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority could not be reached for comment but is notorious for poor responses and inept management of human/wildlife conflict.news

ZVISHAVANE – Tenants of mine houses in the Hospital Section of Maglas suburb have complained that they are being arbitrarily evicted from their homes in a short-notice relocation exercise being carried out by Shabani Mine to make way for the Midlands State University (MSU).
The residents say they were never notified of the relocation exercise in a reasonable period of time in accordance with the occupation contracts they signed with the mine.
After the closure of the mine, the houses were rented to ordinary residents after an agreement that they will be given a three months’ notice in case the mine wants them out.
The tenants are now angry and claiming that they are coming back home to find their household property thrown on to the streets and their doors locked. They say the mine is taking advantage of people with arrears in rentals to force everybody out.

“This is a clear violation of human rights and an abuse of authority. We are likely to see the growth of shanties around the town since many people have nowhere to go,” said one victim of the operation.
Community Service Office (CSO) clerk in Maglas suburb, Shamiso Gwenzi confirmed the relocation exercise but refuted allegations that the mine was conducting an arbitrary eviction exercise.
“We are carrying out a relocation exercise in the Hospital Section but we are not simply throwing out our tenants. Instead, we are relocating them to other areas to pave way for Midlands State University structures to be constructed there.
Those who still have rental arrears will however have to find accommodation for themselves because we won’t allocate them alternative accommodation,” said Gwenzi.
Councillor Itai Pasira of ward 9said she had been putting efforts in trying to negotiate with the mine on behalf of the residents so that they could get their three months notices prior to being moved out.
She also said she was trying to negotiate for tenants with outstanding rentals so that they can be given a chance to make a payment plan.
The spread of MSU to Zvishavane has been met with mixed feelings among residents with some saying the move was good for the economy of the town while others claim the university is muscling residents and small businesses out of buildings.news

Isabel Ndlovu

ZVISHAVANE – A village head under Chief Shiku last week approached the Zvishavane magistrate court seeking a peace order against his brothers whom he claimed were in the habit of accusing him of witchcraft.
Ruka Mudzingwa, who is the Mudzingwa village head, made an application for Lazarus Gavhu, Owen Gavhu and Learnmore Gavhu to be barred from giving him a hard time.
Magistrate Peter Madiba granted the peace order barring the respondents from visiting and communicating with the applicant in whatever way.
Mudzingwa had applied to have the respondents forbidden from abusing him in any way and he wanted the court to ban the respondents from communicating with him by whatever means.
The respondents, however, claimed that they had so far consulted nine prophets who all pointed to Mudzingwa being the one behind acts of witchcraft in the family. They claimed that Mudzingwa had a clay pot half-filled with blood and had the names of family members written in it.
They also alleged the complaint had a ‘missile’ which he used to kill people.
Mudzingwa said although prophets were consulted concerning the witchcraft allegations, he had chosen never to talk about that issue again or consult prophets over the same issue.
‘It is true that we consulted nine prophets but one of the prophets told us that he had removed everything related to witchcraft in my homestead. I therefore see no reason of consulting other prophets on something that was removed a long time ago,” said Mudzingwa.news

MASVINGO – Chicken Inn employees at Exor have approached the National Employment Council (NEC) seeking action against gross labour malpractices at the company including alleged acts of sexual misconduct by a senior manager at the eatery.
In a letter to the Complex Manager, Chicken Inn Exor Branch dated August 22, 2016, Fambai Mandeya, who is the Designated Agent for Catering at NEC Masvingo Regional Office, says on his visit to the food court on August 18, employees raised many grievances including sexual abuse, illegal deductions of salaries and understaffing.
The letter was also copied to Jemitiasi Chirevo, the Workers Committee chairperson and to Elliot Madzore, the Organising Secretary for the Zimbabwe Catering and Hotel Workers Union.
At the centre of the sexual misconduct allegation is Justice Rusike, a senior manager at the food outlet who is being accused of sending explicit sexual messages to Adolene Chipumuro, a junior employee who has since been fired after she allegedly spurned Rusike’s sexual advances.
Mandeya is now investigating some of the allegations with powers vested in him in terms of Section 63 and 93 of the Labour Act, Chapter 28.01 and Section 93(5) of the Labour Amendment Act No 5 of 2015.
“The above cited are allegations being raised against you. It is your right to proffer defence in line with the audi alteram partem rule. May we have a meeting to discuss the above listed as soon as possible.
“You are free to propose the date failure of which this office will have no choice but to fix the date on behalf of the parties,” the letter reads.
The letter also contains a long list of other grievances which include staff being forced to pay for losses incurred by the company including gross profit drops.
The employees also complain about being forced to sign leave forms when in actual fact, they will be reporting for duty and overtime not being paid.
Chicken Inn Human Resources manager, Misheck Muleya professed ignorance to sexual harassment allegations and promised to investigate the issue.
“We do not know of a sexual harassment case that has been reported to NEC, instead we have a case of alleged unfair dismissal for which the employee was dismissed for a clear case of theft after having been caught on CCTV stealing. Dismissed employee maybe making those allegations to tarnish the image of the manager as mere sour grapes,” Muleya wrote in an email to TellZim News.
When asked how far the investigations into the alleged abuses had gone, Mandeya said they had already had a meeting with Rusike and some issues were resolved.
“We did not discuss any sexual harassment issue because Adoline was dismissed from work and she was not called to the meeting. I suggest she report her case to police because NEC cannot deal with employees who are already fired,” Mandeya said.
Chipumuro vowed to take her matter to the police saying she is disappointed by the manner NEC and Chicken Inn had handled her case.
She alleged Muleya had failed to protect her and was working in cahoots with Rusike whom he allegedly tipped off when she forwarded the messages to him.
“I forwarded Rusike’s inappropriate messages to Muleya to get his support but to my surprise, he quickly went behind my back and tipped off Rusike. I was puzzled the following day when I received a written warning saying I was not doing my job well and I was stealing from the company. A few weeks later, I got dismissed from work after being falsely accused of eating food from the stock. I am the only one who was dismissed for the alleged offence although others were also involved,” said Chipumuro.
She expressed shock that NEC had already entered into a meeting with Rusike yet they failed to call the complainants to the meeting.
“I was not even called to the meeting with NEC thus denied a chance to list my grievances and present evidence. It’s so sad how these managers take advantage of poor and young women using money and office. I suspect the NEC person was bribed and they are even calling me a thief. Many women are being abused at Chicken Inn but they are scared to speak out and some are sleeping with Rusike to keep their jobs,” she added.news