By Precila Takabvirakare

Gutu Health Promotions Officer (HPO) Tonderai Chibura has warned communities in Gutu against fake doctors in the district mostly targeting rural communities.
The fake doctors are said to moving around claiming to be from government offering free scan services and asking patients to pay for herbs that one would have been prescribed.
Speaking during a media engagement meeting held at Gutu Rural Hospital on August 2, Chibura said they received reports about a team of fake doctors who were moving around the district claiming to be from the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC).
“We received reports about a team of fake doctors that is currently in the district targeting mainly rural areas claiming to be from the government. The team is allegedly offering free scan services and ordering people to buy prescribed herbs from them but we do not know them as we did not give any one a clearance letter at district level to do such campaigns. This team targeted remote areas such as Chingombe, Muchekayaora, Chepiri, Munyikwa, Mazuru, Magombedze Chitsa and Chinyika,” said Chibura.
He said this was affecting members of the community as people were asked to abandon their prescribed medication from hospital in favor of their often expensive herbs.
“This incident greatly affected us as we faced challenges during our integrated community outreach campaigns. We found out that people were asked to change their prescribed medication from the hospital in favor of the herbs that they would have been prescribed. This is a great challenge as the community lost their money and lives,” added Chibura.
Chibura further said they had communicated with village health workers to raise awareness so that people will be aware of how the government operates and prevent such scenarios.
“We have communicated with our Village Health Workers to raise awareness within their respective communities so that the community knows that government services and medication are for free they are not supposed to be asked to pay for any services and to know that if there is any government program it will be communicated through village health workers and local clinics,” he said.
The meeting was aimed at enlightening members of the media on how they should report health related stories to prevent causing alarm and panic to the public.
Chibura said as part of the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) the media was very important in circulating information regarding health related issues thus the media should verify facts and report correct information.
“Under the RCCE pillar, the media is very important in circulating health related information by raising awareness and alerts. When doing so I encourage the media to verify facts and statistics with relevant authorities before publishing to avoid causing alarm and panic to members of the public, said Chibura.
He also encouraged journalists to be careful with their headlines when it comes to health reporting and to be careful when dealing with statistics.
“I also encourage you to be careful on the issue of headlines because these may have negative impacts in the community and some may have a negative impact on the country’s reputation. Also you should be very careful when dealing with statistics and names,” he said.
He further urged the media and district health officials to work together to make sure the community gets correct information regarding the particular topic.
The MoHCC is holding media engagements across the province and have so far covered Chivi, Masvingo and Gutu where similar calls were made.

By Virginia Njovo

Masvingo – Community Based Aid Programme (CBAP) drilled a hybrid solar-powered borehole at Morgenster Central Primary School, putting an end to the water challenges that the school was facing.
CBAP Director Samuel Mhungu said as part of their mission to help the community, they had requested proposals for borehole drilling from 26 schools in Masvingo Province, including Morgenster Primary. They recognized the urgent need at Morgenster and decided to consider their proposal.
“We put out a call for proposals from the 26 schools we’re working with, and the urgent response we received from Morgenster CPS showed they were truly in need of the borehole, which we later drilled here for the benefit of the school and the community,” said Mhungu.
The CBAP has other projects at Morgenster CPS, including poultry, gardening, and horticulture, and the new solar-powered borehole has made these initiatives easier to implement.
“The 3,200 kW solar borehole has facilitated the implementation of some of our projects here at Morgenster CPS,” said Mhungu.
Morgenster CPS head Percy Chigumbu said the school had insufficient water supply for a long period since the mission’s water supply was being affected by power outages, leaving the school in a dilemma.
“We did not have a reliable water supply here at Morgenster Primary for a prolonged period due to power cuts affecting the mission’s water system. We could not store the little water we were getting,” said Chigumbu.
During the COVID-19 and cholera outbreaks, the lack of water at the school was especially problematic, as learners required frequent hand washing.
“We had significant challenges during the cholera and COVID-19 outbreaks, as there was a critical need for regular hand washing. We had to go to Morgenster Teachers College daily to request water, which was an extremely difficult situation. We’re grateful to CBAP for coming to our rescue,” Chigumbu said.
In Masvingo Province, CBAP is working with 26 schools (13 primary, 13 secondary) to help the community adapt to climate change. They have also constructed a borehole with a supported irrigation system for the Zimuto community.

By Rangarirai Shanyurai

Serima Funeral Logistics, a unique and rural-based funeral service provider established in the heart of Serima area in Gutu to offer affordable services to the rural folk in Serima and Gutu District at large is set to bring relief.
The funeral service provider is a brainchild of Gutu’s ward 5 Councillor, Daniel Mutunzi and was established in March 2023 to reduce the challenges faced by mourners before burying their loved ones.
Speaking to TellZim News, Mutunzi said he witnessed the challenges faced by the community during funerals and thought of establishing the service company which he said will offer a wide range of funeral-related services and expressed hopes for expansion from the area to the whole district.
“The funeral cover offers a range of services including financial assistance for travel, utensils for food preparation and storage, tools, cement for grave construction and coffins.
“The organization is currently only serving the Serima area but we have plans to expand to surrounding areas by 2025 and become a leading funeral service provider not only in Gutu,” said Mutunzi.
He said he was running the organization with his peers Alex Chakona, Munyaradzi Chipoterwa and Tonhorai Mutsau and said more than 200 people had already subscribed to the service provider.
“The programme has attracted over 200 members, who are required to pay a US$20 registration fee and US$3 monthly subscriptions.
“Serima Funeral Logistic is poised to make a significant impact in the community, bringing relief and support to those in need,” said Mutunzi.

By Decide Nhendo

The visionary and founder of Vision Bearers Leaders Institute Tawanda Mhoka last weekend launched his much-anticipated book “The Leadership Mandate” at Flamboyant Hotel in Masvingo.
People from various fields including businessmen, clergy, and academics converged at the Flamboyant Hotel to witness the launch of Mhoka’s first inspirational and empowering book.
The book delves into the essential qualities, principles, and practices that define effective leadership, to equip current and aspiring leaders with tools for effective leadership.
This groundbreaking work challenges conventional leadership norms and introduces a refreshing framework aimed at empowering leaders to effect meaningful change.
Speaking at the launch Mhoka emphasized the urgency for Africa to take the lead in shaping its leadership narrative.
“It is time to stand with Africa and take the leadership we deserve with a collective effort to embrace a new era of leadership,” said Mhoka.
He said the book was a good guideline to people who are leading in their different walks of life and he stated its potential to sculpt them into finer leaders.
“As “The Leadership Mandate” gains traction, it promises to be an essential resource for leaders committed to driving positive change and redefining the future of leadership in Africa and beyond,” said Mhoka.
In a landscape often characterized by stagnant practices and outdated paradigms, Mhoka’s insights are particularly timely. By encouraging leaders to rethink their approaches, “The Leadership Mandate” positions itself as a transformative guide essential for those aspiring to make a positive impact.
My Age Zimbabwe Director Onward Gibson Chironda aptly described the book as a game-changer for leadership development.
“This book by Mr Mhoka has the potential to revolutionize how leaders operate within their organizations and communities as it molds their knowledge to lead,” said Chironda.
Mhoka is a holder of National Diploma in Human Resources Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Ethics and Organizational Leadership. He has earned several leadership certificates from institutions including the Pan African Leadership Institute and the Inspirational School of Leadership.
He is the grants and compliance manager at My Age Zimbabwe.