Itai Muzondo

MASVINGO – Premier Service Medical Investment (PSMI) employees are lamenting a six month salary dry spell, saying they last received salaries in February 2016.
The medical insurer’s employees who opened up to the TellZim News this week said they were finding it hard to put food on the table but are staying put because, they do not have any immediate alternatives should they leave their jobs.
Despite what they see as very little light at the end of the dark tunnel, the workers have remained hopeful that management would soon find a lasting solution to the problem which is linked to the broader economic climate in the whole country.
“We have not received anything from our company since February this year. We are struggling to make ends meet since the beginning of the year and no formal communication has been made to us on when we can expect our back-dated salaries,” one employee said.
“We are just holding on to our offices because we have no option but we are surely running out of morale. If there could be an option to sign up with a new company which gives me the little I deserve, I would leave PSMI immediately but as for now, we just pin our hopes on management,” another employee said.
PSMI Salaries Manager England Pelhams refused to comment on the issue.
“Who gave you my number and who told you about such issues? Did that person say I am answerable to that? I do not know you and I cannot help you in getting in touch with responsible authorities, try other channels to get the comment,” said Pelhams.
PSMI Business Development and Customer Relations Manager, Nhamo Marandu, was not available for comment by time of going to print.news

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Chiredzi – Stagnation and total neglect of Chiredzi basic infrastructure over the decades has seen the town’s miniscule sewer infrastructure getting overloaded to breaking point, with a continuously growing population not being balanced with equal infrastructural upgrades, TellZim News can reveal.
The previous census indicates Chiredzi has 35 000 people but recent estimates put the population at 55 000 yet the town’s sewerage capacity was meant for a population of only 9 000.
Speaking during an engagement meeting which was facilitated by the Zimbabwe Liberators Platform (ZLP) and attended by residents and council personnel, residents of Tshovani said most of the sewer bursts have resulted in pools of stagnant sewer water.
These, the residents say, are an excellent breeding ground for mosquitoes in the town.
Chiredzi Town Council (CTC) secretary, Charles Muchatukwa confirmed the gravity of the situation and said council was working on rectifying the problem.
“It’s unfortunate that those pipes are old since they were commissioned in 1964 and they were meant for a population of only 9 000 people which was the population of the town by then.
Now the population has shot to almost 55 000, something which has led to continuous bursts of the sewerage pipes. We are working on that,” Muchatukwa said.
The town’s surging population is attributable to steady migration as people seek to make a living in the sugar industry; the country’s only industry which is still operating at 100 percent capacity and more.
The population growth has, however, come with dire consequences for the small town which now has to deal with countless sewer bursts and other infrastructural deficiencies on a very weak revenue base.
The sewer line from West road to Mugandani in Tshovani has for a long time been an eyesore to residents and a headache to council due to frequent bursts.
Town Council engineer, Wesley Kauma said council is mobilising funds to the tune of US$1 million which will be channelled towards the upgrading of the sewer pipe.
The country’s sewer and water infrastructure was put up by successive colonial governments and virtually nothing has been done to rehabilitate the systems for the past 36 years.news

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ZAKA – Paradzai Chakona, the Zaka Central legislator, has urged the people of Jerera not to look at development through political lenses, saying differences in political affiliation must not be allowed to stifle progress in communities.
Chakona was addressing a poorly attended meeting held in Jerera last week to clear the air on a contentious electrification programme for Garikai suburb in Jerera.
Some residents stayed away from the meeting, thinking it would be used by the MP to score cheap political points.
Many residents of the suburb do not have electricity in their homes and some had been speculating that their MP was abusing the electrification programme and was blocking progress for political gain.
There was also confusion on whether they were supposed to pay for the hired contractor to get connected or wait for Rural Electrification Agency (REA) programme spearheaded by Chakona.
The MP encouraged residents to use their resources to get electricity connection if they can afford but also made commitments to help those who cannot afford the connection fees.
Chakona denied speculations that he was blocking development saying he was committed to uplifting his constituency by complementing developmental programmes initiated by the people.
“Though some people hijacked the programme I had started, I do not want to block those who formed groups and hired the contractor but I want to develop this area so I will go ahead with it and help those who can’t pay,” said Chakona.
The legislator implored people not to associate developmental programmes with politics but just embrace development regardless of its origins saying people had boycotted the meeting thinking it was a Zanu PF affair.
“Leave politics to politicians and focus on developing your area. If I come here and say I want to sponsor Zaka FC, I will not bring it as a Zanu PF programme,” he said.
He rebuked the leadership of his own political party for doing slogans during meeting on developmental programmes saying the habit was offensive to people of other political convictions, a situation that negatively affects development.
“Neither Zanu PF nor MDC will come and build a house or cook sadza for you at your home. When doing developmental projects, lets come together despite our political differences,” said Chakona
Zaka assistant District Administrator Victor Zinanga who was also present urged people to unite and develop their area.news

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Kennedy Murwira

GUTU – Residents of Mpandawana and stall holders of the new flea market which was opened at the beginning of this year have questioned the costs of putting up the market as has been made public by the town, saying they suspect the costs are being inflated.
The stall holders are arguing that the costs that are being paraded are not commensurate with the quality of material that was used to construct the market.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, traders said they are strongly convinced that the town board was deliberately inflating the costs to cover up their corruption tracks.
“We were surprised to hear that the construction costs of this market stood at $80 000 yet only diamond mesh wire, treated poles and zinc roofing sheets were used during construction.
“Even if we are to add the cost of cement and the paint that was splashed on the roofing sheets, the cost would never get to $80 000,” one trader said.
The traders also complained that the rentals were too high as business was low and most of them were finding it difficult to make the monthly payments.
“We are expected to fork out $30 every month yet we can hardly afford it as business volumes are low in view of the current economic hardships in the country.
Gutu United Residents and Ratepayers Association (Gurra) chairman, Lloyd Mufudze, said councillors who were elected to represent the people were not doing their work as they were misrepresenting facts about the costs.
“Even a layman who is not a quantity surveyor can see that the people are being taken for a ride here. By simply looking at the flea market you can deduce that the construction costs have been highly inflated.
“It is time that council stopped taking the people for granted and give them information that is accurate,” Mufudze said.
Gutu Rural Diistrict Council Chief Executive Officer, Alexander Mtembwa, was not available for comment while new Mpandawana Town Board chairman, Gabriel Mapepa, said he was not privy to how the costs were estimated.
Corruption in most town council has seen local government minister, Savior Kasukuwere taking a heavy stand, with some senior council officials in Chiredzi, Zvishavane and Gweru being in the firing line.news

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Increase Gumbo

Chiredzi – The practice of illegal urban farming is costing the town of Chiredzi thousands of United States dollars in damaged property as farmers are now irrigating their crops using sewer water they get by vandalising sewer pipes, it has been learnt.
To solve the problem, Chiredzi Town Council is now planning to destroy all crops that are planted on undesignated land.
A recent community engagement meeting heard that the farmers are deliberately damaging council’s sewer infrastructure in bizarre ways of finding water for their crops.
Council secretary, Charles Muchatukwa said it was time for the council to take stern measures as people had shown a reluctance to stop their illegal activities.
“We have tried everything to keep them away from such behaviour but I think it’s high time we do something drastic. Council is set to take a step further by destroying their crops so that they stop vandalising the pipes,” said Muchatukwa.
A resident who spoke to this publication said he agreed with council’s position because the behaviour of illegal farmers is creating permanent sewer streams that are a health hazard.
“I think it is a good resolution. If the people fail to cooperate, the best solution is to slash their crops so that they feel the pain and desist from vandalising the sewer pipes. These people are also damaging the environment through unauthorised farming,” he said.
However, a farmer who spoke on condition of anonymity said he was engaged in illegal farming activities because that was his only source of income, claiming he is raising his kids through the practice.
“Farming is my only source of income and I am only doing this to raise my children and if council is convinced we are vandalising their pipes, why don’t they use steel pipes?”  the farmer said.news

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