By Yeukai Munetsi

Gweru Mayor Martin Chivhoko, is facing backlash after he made claims that he was going to make sure the city’s water woes were a thing of the past, as residents are calling him clueless and a pathetic liar.
The disgruntlement follows Chivhoko’s appearance on different media platforms claiming the successful installation of a transformer at Gwenhoro, which was expected to significantly increase the city’s pumping capacity.
Gweru Residence and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) Director Cornelia Seliphiwe raised concern about the mayor’s lack of technical understanding which he said led to disparities between official claims and reality on the ground.
“It is very unfortunate that a whole Mayor goes for interviews and talks about things he does not understand. It shows how dangerous he is to the community of Gweru because some of these things are too technical. There is no way a newly elected mayor would understand these things. We are still in trouble as we do not have water and residents are paying for a service they have not consumed,” said Seliphiwe.
Seliphiwe went on to say the mayor had appeared on different media platforms claiming the installation and commissioning of a transformer to ease the water issues which was not true and urged him to desist from relaying information that is not true.
“The mayor commented on certain news platforms that the transformer had successfully been installed and commissioned. He lied and had no idea what he was talking about.
“It is unfortunate that as Gweru residents we were lied to and I think the mayor should stop this behavior of going to the media with information that is not authentic and verified because he is not technical. I also think he should apologize,” he said.
Residents expressed disgruntlement in various WhatsApp platforms and said when Chivhoko was elected Mayor he promised to end water woes but nothing has changed so far.
A resident from Ward 15 who chose to remain anonymous raised concern over the unfair water rationing schedule claiming that several areas in Gweru continue to experience prolonged water shortages.
“There are some areas in my ward that go to over a month without water. We have an uneven distribution of water on the days allocated for us to get water such that when others in my community have water, our houses just across the road will have dry taps,” said the resident.
She further said the unfair distribution led to many residents paying for water that they had not used.
“Despite not getting the water, we are still paying for the water we have not used. My bill for this month is pegged at US$25,” she said.
Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe Chairperson (WCOZ) Gweru Chapter chairperson, Merjury Makunere, pointed out the detrimental effects of water shortages on women, including an increase in gender-based violence and unwanted pregnancies.
“These erratic water shortages and failure of the local authority to do proper assessment on the effectiveness of water distribution have led to women being victims of domestic violence. Women are being hit by their husbands for spending long hours on water queues at the expense of their domestic chores.
“There have also been cases of a sharp rise in unwanted pregnancies as young women are being taken advantage of by men at water queues to get favors to carry water and skip the long queues,” she said.
She urged the mayor to walk the talk and fulfill promises and implored Gweru City Council to do an assessment in the communities and set aside days for areas that are not receiving any water to be compensated.
Gweru City Council’s inability to fulfill the pledge of ensuring adequate water supply has led to widespread dissatisfaction among the disability community, prompting concerns about accountability and effective governance within the city.
Quadriplegics and Paraplegics Association of Zimbabwe, an organization for people on wheelchairs due to accidents, Program Coordinator Audry Rusike reiterated that the situation was worse for them.
“Where I reside in ward 15, Mkoba 16, houses opposite my house have water whilst houses in my line do not have any. I am surviving on paying people to carry water for me since I use a wheelchair and cannot do the task myself. The bills are always high and yet usually when we get the water it is at odd hours, at 11pm and by 0430 hours it will be disconnected. As people with spinal disabilities, medically we are required to sleep for specific hours but we are failing to do so as it takes long to fill our storage containers further worsening our situation,” said Rusike.
Youths from Ward 9 in parts of Mkoba 11 have also raised concern over the same issue saying it was affecting their informal businesses.
“As youths we survive on an informal economy selling different items. We have to wake up at 0400hours to go fetch water, in unprotected sources. Due to the long queues, we usually come back at around 0900hours and this has a negative impact on our businesses. We are always tired and failing to cope up with other responsibilities,” said Victor Mupoperi.
In response to the escalating discontent on GRAA WhatsApp platform, Chivhoko attributed the water shortages to power outages and urged residents to seek divine intervention or take matters into their own hands by engaging with the power utility, ZESA.
“Good morning our dear residents as your council we are doing our best to ensure that you get water every day. Unfortunately, some of these challenges are beyond our control; load shedding, erratic power outages, etc. Dayi mataura nyaya yekuenda kuZesa monokumbira dedicated line for Gwenhoro zvaitibatsira tose (if you could approach ZESA and ask for a dedicated line to Gwenhoro it would be beneficial to us all),” wrote Chivhoko.

By Beverly Bizeki

Retail outlets popularly known as ‘China shops’ that often supply cheap goods varying from kitchenware, clothing, electrical gadgets, and detergents among other things are only accepting US$ cash payments, with no other multicurrency payment method being accepted.
Analysts have attributed the proliferation of illegal forex dealers to these shops, as the general populace patronizes them very often because of the availability of a variety of modestly priced goods.
A survey conducted by TellZim News in Masvingo city revealed that out of nine of these shops in town, none of them accepts swipe or Ecocash transfers be it USD or local currency (ZiG) with some of them even refusing payments in the South African Rand or local hard cash payments.
The practice is against Statutory Instrument (S.I) 85 of 2020 states that payment for goods may be done electronically through a foreign currency account or in cash or through any electric payment platform but the retailers have been on record for taking cash payments only.
Economic Analyst Collen Jonas said the issue had long been in existence and blamed the reluctance of monetary authorities and law enforcement agencies
“The issue is nothing new and is widespread with Chinese, Indians, and other nationals who have always refused to accept local currency as a method of payment. The issue is on law enforcement agencies applying the law selectively. Other giant retailers such as OK, and PnP are forced to accept local currency payments for their goods but those small traders always get away with it. It really brings into question the role that the police are playing in enforcing our policies and regulations and our laws as well as the role that the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) plays in managing the financial services and retail sector on issues related to our money.
“There is a lot that has to be done by our monetary authorities as well as the police working hand in hand to ensure that our local currency, the ZiG in this place is fully embraced as a means to transact,” said Jonas.
Jonas said there was need for policy makers to put effort in building confidence of local currency
“Economic agencies need to have confidence in our currency, policy makers so if our monetary authorities are inconsistent in policy implementation if they are deceptive and are not able to build confidence we will end up having such situations where local currencies are not being accepted for payment of goods and services.
“Confidence cannot be built by making a policy pronouncement or overnight but is something that is built over a long period of time and is also built through consistency and honesty in as far as policy formulation and implementation is concerned,” said Jonas.
Another analyst who preferred to be anonymous said it was illegal for shops to refuse other forms of payment since the country’s monetary policy stipulates that the country is in a multi-currency system and it should be up to the buyer to choose the payment method he or she requires amongst the legal ones.
“Zimbabwe has a multi-currency system which is in place up to 2030, so if other shops refuse other forms of payment and accepts one it becomes problematic. It should be up to the buyer to decide which currency to use not the seller,” said the analyst.
The analyst went on to say if there is evidence then the ordinary citizens should take up the matter with relevant authorities who may not be aware of the practice and further said there was need for investigations to establish whether the shops were remitting taxes in US$.
“People should take the matter to the relevant authorities because they may not be aware of the practice. Investigations should be done to establish if these shops are remitting in US$ and where they were taking all the US$ cash sums they were getting,” said the analyst.
Masvingo Urban ward 10 Councillor Sengerayi Manyanga said the shops should accept all forms of payment legal in the country if they are operating in Zimbabwe saying people are paid in different currencies so they should all get equal opportunities to buy in these shops.
“These shops should accept all payment methods including the recently introduced ZiG, people are paid in different currencies and forms at workplaces so everyone should be allowed to use the payment method he or she wants depending on how they get the money,” said Manyanga.
Human rights activist Thomas Mbetu weighed in and said Zimbabwe currently operates under a multicurrency regime, allowing for the use of various currencies in its financial system. Therefore, it was advisable for these retailers not to insist on immediate payment in USD when conducting transactions in Zimbabwe.
“By embracing a multicurrency system, Zimbabwe has recognized the importance of accommodating different currencies to facilitate economic transactions. This approach has been implemented to alleviate the challenges associated with the country’s own currency, which has experienced significant instability in the past.
“Given this context, it would be prudent for these retailers to be cognizant of the prevailing financial landscape in Zimbabwe. While the USD is widely accepted, it is not the sole currency in use, and other currencies are also considered legal tender. Consequently, it is recommended that the retailers be open to accepting alternative forms of payment, such as the local currency or other internationally recognized currencies.
“Adapting to the multicurrency regime in Zimbabwe can help foster smoother business transactions and promote economic cooperation between international and Zimbabwean markets. By acknowledging and respecting the financial policies in place, the retailers can contribute to a mutually beneficial environment that supports trade and economic growth,” said Mbetu.
Announcing the Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) recently, RBZ Governor John Mushayavanhu said the multi-currency system is to stay up until 2030 as per the law and ZiG is circulate alongside other currencies.

By Decide Nhendo

Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Ezra Chadzamira has urged parents to identify talents from their kids from an early age so that they support them to make it through.
Chadzamira said this while meeting Masvingo’s five-year-old model Dillish Masango and her mother Rumbidzai Chisangowerotah on their return from Nigeria where she won three modeling titles at the Little Mr and Miss Toto Africa.
He said parents must identify talent in children from an early age and nurture it to help them earn a living by using their talents citing the many people who are making it in life through utilizing their gifts.
“I urge parents to look for talent in their children at an early age and support them so that the young people can make the best of their lives from the gifts,” said Chadzamira.
Chadzamira applauded efforts of Masango’s mother and urged other parents to learn from her while they dedicate time to their children to know their capabilities and motivate them.
“I also thank her mother for spending time to make sure that her daughter achieves her goals and ambitions which show that she is a good mother.
“Many mothers leave their kids around with their housemaids without putting much care to their children’s capabilities and potential.”
Chadzamira said Masvingo was proud of Masango as she had raised the provinces’ flag high on international stages at a tender age.
“Dillish made us proud because she is only five years old but is already competing at an international level making it from regional and continental stages to a world stage in America to represent Masvingo in particular,” said Chadzamira.
He said he was ready to support her and challenged other private organizations to extend hands and assist the young model with funds and support for her next destination saying this can help the country and province to be recognized globally.
Chisangowerotah said she realized her daughter’s passion for modeling at an early age, and started to monitor and support her, as a result, her efforts, as well as motivation, were bearing fruits. She urged parents to support their children on what they have a passion for making a better living.
“I saw that Dillish had a passion for modeling at an early age and I started to help, teach and support her. She is only five but she is now able to compete in international pageants. Parents must see to it that their children make the best out of their talents and passions.”
Masango, a grade one pupil at Victoria Primary School in Masvingo bagged three titles at the Little Mr, and Miss Toto Africa namely second runner-up Toto Miss Africa, Miss Smile and Miss Popularity.
Masango will be representing Zimbabwe at the World Imperial Beauties, an international pageant that takes place every year in Florida, United States, with two other winners from the Toto Africa 2024 pageant in July.