By Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru – Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) last week engaged office bearers and residents on service delivery accountability to improve service provision in the City.
Speaking during an engagement meeting in Gweru last week, GRRA Director Cornelia Selipiwe said it was important for the community to take a lot and account for development in their respective communities for progress.
He added, that with female councilors on board, it was key to give councilors time to align policies and implementation of operations on the ground.
“The purpose of this engagement is for us to find out where we are in terms of development, checking progress as we have councilors in the chambers formulating policies to serve the communities. Remember the challenges we have are broad; we have issues with water supply, sewer, and roads, so we want to find out where we are, and whether there are any changes. That is the purpose of the meeting,” said Selipiwe.
Ward 1 Councillor, Miriam Mangwanya, said she was working tirelessly to improve service delivery in the city and her ward.
“We have a lot of issues in our city which need urgent redress. Our roads, and our drainages are in bad shape but efforts are being made to make sure that we deliver the much-needed services.
“Of late water is a serious challenge, we are having pumping challenges due to some issues which include electricity, breakdown of pumps and pipe bursts.
“However we are always on the ground to ensure that we enable residents to get water for use. We are still pumping as per schedule so that everyone gets water,” she said.
Mangwanya added that she was going to take all the residents’ plea to the council so that the city fathers could deliberate and find lasting solutions to some of the challenges bedeviling the city.
Ward 5 resident, Tabeth Magigwana said council was taking residents for granted by overcharging for some services they were failing to provide.
“Council is holding us at ransom, we pay bills but we get nothing, we ask for updated bills, we hear we owe council a lot and at some point, we don’t get services at all.
“We don’t have water, water is a serious challenge, and we even see people fetching water in the roads and drainages to use.
“Most open boreholes in Senga are not safe considering that we always have raw sewer due to pipe bursts,” said Magigwana.
Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) Midlands Coordinator, Gracia Mashingaidze said the policy framework at council was questionable.
“We know that council and City Park moved commuter omnibuses to TM up to City Parking, but the whole road is no longer safe, observations are that, motorists are violating rules and the place is a high accident road.
“We then question the policy formulation of council policies by our local authorities, is it developmental or resource mobilization for the benefits of a few council individuals? We then need to foster strong accountability tools as well as performance ratings for deliverables which shape the city,” she said.

By Beverly Bizeki

Months of tension that was brewing at Victoria Primary School between the School Development Committee (SDC) and the school administration was finally brought to an end following the dissolution of the committee and election of a new one at the school Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on March 26, 2024.
The two parties were divided over several issues including the refusal by the SDC to conduct the AGM on March 26 citing that conditions that had been set for the holding of the meeting had not been met yet as well as the unavailability of some committee members on the given date.
On the other hand, the administration pushed for the meeting to be held on that date stating that the tenure of the committee had expired and they could not postpone the meeting once again with the new SDC expected to go for training by the parent ministry.
In a circular that made rounds on social media platforms before the meeting, the SDC cited that the AGM had to be postponed to a later date in April for the full committee to be present at the meeting as most of the members were said to be unable to attend due to various reasons.
“We understand the importance of the AGM and the role it plays in the governance of our school. However, we also recognize that many of our members are unable to attend on the originally scheduled date. We believe that it is essential to have as many members present as possible to ensure a productive and inclusive meeting and as we align to the law that governs the school,” read the circular.
The committee also noted in the same document that the meeting could not be held because the conditions set for the meeting to be done had not been met since one of the suppliers of materials for the construction of a classroom block at the school had not yet delivered the rest of the materials paid for.
“It is important to note that at our last meeting, we also agreed to do the meeting when one supplier supplied all the materials he was paid for in November 2023 which include 20,000 bricks and 130 bags of cement. The SDC also agreed to make sure the swimming pool is working that was also paid for last year,” read part of the circular.
Addressing parents on a WhatsApp group the chairperson Nesbert Mareverwa indicated that he would not attend the meeting and that the admin could go ahead with the meeting if they insisted.
“We are four members on the side of parents in the SDC and we all agreed to postpone tomorrow’s date owing to circumstances which include those in the above document. Why should we hurriedly want to do the AGM when the law says it can be done by the month of April every year?
“We have parental authority invested in us and if the other authority thinks otherwise then they should proceed with the meeting in our absence whereby the presence of ex officio will be noted. We will not be present tomorrow for there is more beyond the naked eye,” said Mareverwa.
However, the meeting went on to take place and the now former vice chairperson of the committee Nyaradzo Shumba told the gathering that as the committee, they had issues because the supplier had received payment but had not delivered so they needed to get a written agreement from the supplier or have him deliver before handing over the reins to the new team.
“We refused to conduct the meeting in February because we have a supplier who was paid US$ 8,000 to supply the said materials yet the rule states that the supplier is supposed to deliver first then get paid and we only learned that the supplier was paid.
“Upon asking, the head referred us to the clerk and we wondered how someone got paid without the head knowing the clerk does not sit in the SDC full committee. Upon that, we communicated with the head that we needed to see the supplier to tell us what was stopping him from supplying 5 months down the line or communicating directly to us because development is for the SDC.
“The supplier was called and came where he responded that he does not answer to the SDC but to the head then we said if we do not get a written agreement because this is the money we need to present to the parents what we did with it. The building which was supposed to be constructed was supposed to be at window level by now but that has not happened because of the delays by the suppliers,” said Shumba.
Speaking at the AGM, school head Dr. Rameck Mashuro said the meeting had to be done on the 26th because the tenure of the committee had expired and the new committee was supposed to go for a training of SDCs by the Ministry of Education hence the school had gotten a nod from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) to proceed with the meeting.
Responding to the supplier issue and questions by some of the parents on why some committee members were not present at the meeting to read the minutes and their reports, Mashuro said the supplier had notified the school that he would deliver the materials in batches.
“The supplier notified us that he had been attacked by robbers who took away money and a car from him which is why he said he will deliver the materials in batches of which he is already doing that.
The District Schools Inspector said we can go ahead with the meeting as the chairperson said he is no longer interested in matters to do with the school, there is a leadership gap within the SDC hence in that case the head is allowed to chair the meeting. The meeting was long overdue because the SDC postponed the first date in February when their tenure expired,” said Dr Mashuro.
Due to the ongoing clashes, the financial statements presented during the meeting were only signed by the head who assured the parents that results from the audit to be done in days to come will be available to them and they would get the clarity they seek in terms of the statements.
The school selected new committee members whose names were yet to be finalized at the time of reporting as the members still have to check whether their accounts are paid up as part of the conditions for being in the SDC.

By Staff Reporter

MASVINGO – Great Zimbabwe University has taken delivery of US$500 000 worth of equipment for its Simon Mazorodze School of Medical and Health Sciences.
The Medical School Dean Professor Jacob Mafunda said the consignment arrived from China where it was ordered last year by the institution according to their specific requirements.
“We have received this consignment here which we ordered a year ago from China, and the equipment is intended for the Bachelor of Medicine, Biometric and Bachelor of Surgery. In these we also have six disciplines namely Anatomy, Biochemistry, Behavioral Science, Herbal Medicine, Pathology and Physiology,” said Prof Mafunda.
He went on to say part of the consignment will allow the medical school to be able to do paternity tests which he said will be done soon
“We have PCR equipment here, that is the medical equipment used for paternity tests; this means we will soon be doing paternity tests here,” he said.
He went on to say the school will work in partnership with Masvingo Provincial Hospital where students will go for clinical attachment and some of the equipment will go there, saying the development will help the community of Masvingo.
“Masvingo Provincial Hospital will be upgraded to a teaching hospital for GZU medical school. So we will have some of the equipment there for our students when they go there for clinical attachment.
“Some of the equipment will also go to our teaching hospital in Mashava and we will have some upgrades on all those areas,” said Prof Mafunda.
The Medical School was commissioned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2022 in the presence of the widow to Dr Simon Mazorodze who the school was named after.

By Decide Nhendo

Thousands of suburban residents in Masvingo City might be at risk of losing their homes as most of them do not have ownership rights in the form of title deeds.
Findings from a survey conducted by the Masvingo City Council that were presented at a title deeds workshop organized by the local authority at Charles Austin Theatre on March 2, 2024 show that a large part of Masvingo’s population have no title deeds and are not aware of process through which one can acquire the documents as well as their importance.
Speaking at the event, Masvingo City Director of Housing and Social Services Simbarashe Mandishona said it was sad to note that most people living in high and medium-density suburbs where most people are located had no title deeds.
“Recently we conducted a survey in Masvingo City trying to figure out people’s awareness of the importance of title deeds and how one can access them. It was however shocking to note that most residents in middle and high-density suburbs formed the largest part of the population that do not have title deeds.
“It is only in low-density suburbs like Rhodene where most people have title deeds and are acquainted with the processes through which the papers are obtained as well as their importance,” said Mandishona.
Mandishona went on to urge all residents from low, medium, and high density suburbs, small and big organizations representatives who were present to take the issue of legal property ownership papers seriously, directing them to inform others who did not attend the familiarization programme.
“I urge everyone here to take this issue seriously because if not, there is a high likelihood that one can easily lose their hard-earned property, be it a house, business, or any other important valued assets. I encourage you all to inform others who are not present on the importance of title deeds and the processes to acquire title deeds to prevent loss of property,” said Mandishona.
Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwe Intellectual Property Office Deputy Registrar Elizabeth Nyagura said it was advisable to use registered legal practitioners known as conveyancers when dealing with property transfers.
“When dealing in property transfer, it is advisable to use a conveyancer who gives effect to the transfer from the seller to the buyer. The conveyancer will make both parties sign declarations where the draft deed of transfer will bear the name of the buyer as the new owner,” said Nyagura.
She warned property owners against displaying certificates in houses.
“A title deed certificate is a security document which must not be displayed on walls, nowadays because of technology one can scan and copy the paper, and who knows what next that person is going to use the document for, so it must be kept private,” said Nyagura.
She also urged people to be careful when using their title deed documents as collateral to get loans as they can be misused and they can lose their properties in the process.
“I also urge you to be careful when using title deeds as collateral, be aware of where you sign papers as they can be declarations giving other people or organizations power over your property. It is advisable to use reputable banking institutions.
“Finally on safe keeping of your documents, I encourage you not to laminate your certificates, because stamps do not work on laminated title deeds, instead place them in plastic to protect them from water and dust,” she said.
She said documents like the original deed of transfer in the name of the seller, CGT certificate issued by ZIMRA, and rates clearance issued by the local authority are some of the documents that might be needed when doing a transfer.
She went on to say when the documents are sent to the deeds office a stamp duty will be paid, the office will then examine the documents and send them to the surveyor general who will deduct the area and return the papers to the deeds office where one paper copy will be left at the office and the other given to the lawyer who will give the buyer.
The documents to be lodged together with the new or draft deed of transfer will vary depending on the cause of the transfer for example sale or transfer from the deceased estate, however, in the case of land development documents such as a compliance certificate issued by the local authority are usually required.
Speaking to TellZim News after the workshop, Edgar Katapa who runs a poultry business in Masvingo said the workshop was an eye opener as it helped with information on issues to do with title deeds to Masvingo residents, how to acquire, and how to keep them safe.
“The title deed workshop was an eye-opener to me, I have learnt a great deal about procedure to follow for one to get the certificate as well as the safekeeping of the documents.
“I urge all people in Masvingo to attend workshops like this one whenever they get a chance and to seek advice from relevant authorities on issues they do not understand concerning deeds certificates since a lot of people have lost their properties due to ignorance of how these things work,” said Katapa.
Reasons for title deed transfer include, sale, inheritance, donation when parents donate to children, or when a husband donates to his wife through sheriff or court order and reconstruction where some group or companies need to restructure or grow its structures.

By Bright Zhou

Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Angeline Gata has urged parents and teachers to monitor learners as there have been reports of them abusing sex-enhancing drugs.
Gata was speaking at a Masvingo City Council-hosted programme at Charles Austin Theatre on March 26, 2024, themed ‘Call to Action’, a Local Government programme that addresses socio-economic challenges, while striving to end drug and substance abuse, attended by learners from different schools around Masvingo.
She said what was more worrying was that girls were also involved in using these drugs and that resulted in them being vulnerable to early marriages and pregnancies as they fail to control themselves after taking the aphrodisiacs.
“School teachers should work hand in glove with parents to prevent learners from abusing sexual enhancement drugs. They should also note that it’s not only boys who use these drugs, even girls are taking sexual enhancement drugs which can cause them to have early pregnancies and early marriages because they cannot control themselves after taking the drugs. They even fail to use protection and some of them will be affected by Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs),” said Gata.
Speaking at the same event, Masvingo Gender Focal Person Alice Mashingaidze said sexual enhancement pills can be categorized as drugs, and some learners especially boys can affect their reproductive system by using these enhancement drugs continuously.
“Sexual enhancement drugs are also drugs and we warn the youth especially boys to stop using sexual them continuously because they will damage their reproductive system, digestive system, and other body parts,” said Mashingaidze.
Mashingaidze added that there were several rape cases emanating from taking sex enhancement pills where learners especially boys take them and end up raping girls in school toilets.
“In most cases, learners involved in rape cases at school are because of taking sex enhancement pills, especially boys. We received rape cases from different schools and mostly we find out that students are using sex pills and end up raping other learners in school toilets,” said Mashingaidze.
Speaking at the same event, Gokomere High School teacher Tatenda Mazorera said that sometimes young adults were being involved in drugs due to low educational levels and others were dropping out of school due to fees shortages.
He added that the government should provide Vocational Training Centers which facilitates free education so that young adults get things to do to forget about drugs.
“Young adults are being involved in drugs because of low educational levels. Others are dropouts because their parents failed to pay school fees. Government must provide free education or establish vocational training centers which provide free education so that young adults will have something to do and they will forget about drugs,” said Mazorera.

By Beverly Bizeki

When Constable Linda Nyoni gave birth to triplets she was happy like any mother, but her joy was short-lived as one of the infants died in the first few days.
She was however comforted by the generosity of her colleagues, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Masvingo community who rallied around her to provide overwhelming support to her in her time of need.
The 33-year-old mom received donations on March 25, 2024, varying from groceries, kids’ clothing and feeding, two cot beds, a double pram, and a bed for the twins from the ZRP Masvingo Women Network with the support of their male counterparts.
Speaking at the handover of the gifts, Assistant Commissioner Florence Marume thanked the entire ZRP Masvingo community for standing by their colleague and vowed to continue providing support in raising the children.
“As ZRP Masvingo, we were glad to know that one of us gave birth to triplets and did not want you to worry about taking care of the kids hence we have brought all these things for you from groceries, diapers, cot beds, and even a bed for you as a thank you gift.
“We have also provided a nurse to assist you with taking care of the babies, once you come across any challenge she will be available to help. We are not doing this because you lack anything but just to show how grateful we are and for the world to see the unity and love reigning amongst us as ZRP,” said Marume.
Nyoni was also given accommodation at ZRP Zimuto Camp to afford a decent home for raising her babies without having to pay rent with the assistance of Officer Commanding Masvingo Province Commissioner Chrispen Charumbira.
“I also wish to extend my gratitude to Commissioner Charumbira who acted on very short notice and granted us our request for a house at the police camp for our colleague to stay with her children so that we ease the burden of paying rentals as she now has a bigger responsibility,” said Marume.
ZRP Women Network Masvingo Provincial Chairperson Chief Superintendent Senzeni Maphosa said the donation was part of the network’s nation-building and social responsibility key result area.
“As police officers, we are not limited to combating crime only but we also do corporate social responsibility. We have extended a hand to our fellow police officers to alleviate issues to do with initial parenthood. When a person is pregnant they rarely expect to have three or four kids at one go but our colleague was blessed with triplets hence as Women’s Network we had to chip in and mobilize resources to help her with the kids,” said Maphosa.
Thanking the ZRP community an emotional Andrew Mubatapasango, Nyoni’s husband encouraged the police to keep on the good work of supporting their fellow members.
“I am grateful to this community that has supported my wife throughout this journey from delivery of the children up until today. You have helped us even in burying the third one and providing us with accommodation as well as the gifts brought to us today,” said Mubatapasango.
Nyoni delivered her babies on February 22, 2024, at Masvingo General Hospital and lost the third one on day five due to some complications.

…Bikita Minerals slime dam cuts off hundreds from only water source

By Beverly Bizeki

For decades, dozens of families from Murape village in Ward 11, Bikita West have relied on water from a protected well at Nollen Farm for domestic use but the construction of a slime dam by Bikita Minerals (Sinomine) has left them, together with their livestock, stranded without access to a reliable safe source of water.
The slime dam, in which the mine deposits residue from its mining activities has put over 200 people in a tight spot, especially in the face of the El Nino-induced drought that has seen people and animals scrambling for limited water sources.
The situation, according to Ward 11 councilor Lawrence Vhovha is so dire that some villagers now have to travel for about 4km to fetch water from the nearby Badmore Primary School.
“Some of the affected people have been here since the late 1990s and have always relied on this water source. The construction of the slime dam came as a surprise as we were never consulted prior, of which we were always aware that the water source was in the premises of the mining company.
“When construction started last year, people were still able to sneak in to fetch water but the situation has worsened since the trenches are now deeper such that it is now impossible to get through,” said Cllr Vhovha.
Efforts to get a comment from the mine were futile as the Public Relations Officer Collen Nikisi was not going through and not did respond to questions sent to him on WhatsApp.
In a press statement, Bikita Institute of Land and Development (BILAD) condemned the development and said this was a violation of human rights as the community was being denied access to clean water.
“Dozens of families in Murape Village, which is in the old Nollen Farm are now fetching water for domestic use from an open gully because Bikita Minerals closed off a deep protected well that had been their source of portable water for decades. Bikita Minerals (Sinomine) claims that the well is located within its mining lease area and forgets that villagers have the right to clean water as provided for by the constitution.
“By suddenly banning access to the well without providing an alternative, the company has violated that right. Given this, BILAD condemns the apparent disregard of genuine concerns of villagers,” reads the statement.
BILAD also noted that the construction of the slime dam was battering the environment due to serious leaks from the dam.
“Communities living close to the Bikita Minerals Slimes Dam are complaining that the environment is being battered by serious leaks from the dam. We are convinced that the dam was not properly built and is not fit for purpose. This is a direct result of the hurried and non-consultative Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) done by the mining company.
“The toxic waste and pollutants that leak from the dam pose a severe danger to the environment, the people, and animals. BILAD made its assessment and found that the dam was not properly sited and should have been built elsewhere further from human settlements,” the statement reads.
Bikita Residents and Ratepayers Association (BIRRA) also wrote to Bikita Rural District Council saying the cutting off of the reliable water source has left villagers at God’s mercy as they are forced to get water from streams and ponds which have contaminated water from the mine.
In the letter, addressed to Bikita Rural District Council (RDC) Chief Executive Officer, District Development Coordinator, and Chairperson, BIRRA said the construction of the dam was worsening an already bad situation caused by the ongoing drought and cholera outbreak.
“The construction of the dam has left us without access to safe drinking water forcing many residents to resort to unprotected sources, streams, and ponds with water contaminated by chemicals from mining operations. We are losing our livestock daily.
“Additionally the ongoing drought has further reduced the availability of water resources leading to increased competition and conflict among community members and livestock,” reads the letter.
BIRRA requested Bikita RDC to consider drilling a new borehole for the community as part of its essential responsibilities.
“We therefore, understanding that it is your mandate to provide safe water as part of your essential responsibilities, demand that Bikita RDC, conduct a thorough assessment of the community’s water needs and identify a suitable location for the new borehole; secure funding and resources necessary for drilling and installation of the borehole including any necessary equipment and infrastructure.
“The RDC must also engage the community in the planning and implementation process to ensure local ownership and sustainability of the project as well as establish a maintenance plan to ensure the continued functionality of the borehole,” the letter reads.
There is also an issue with a number of families who now have to vacate the area as they are said to have had settled in the mine’s lease area, with the construction of the dam now posing a risk to their lives due to the residue’s fumes.
“About eight or ten families that were settled in the premises are forced to relocate from the farm because they are at risk due to the proximity of the dam. Some have already vacated the place while others are still in the process of removing roofing sheets and other building materials from their houses as they prepare to leave. Some of the houses are on the verge of sinking and it is quite sad to witness,” said Cllr Vhovha.
Sources say the mine is of the argument that lab tests were done to determine the safety of the water from the well, after which it was found to be contaminated, results that were refuted by the villagers who insisted that they had been using the same water source for 25 years without any problems.
“Villagers disagree with whatever findings the mine claim to have on the water from the well because all of a sudden the water is said to be not safe for drinking despite them using the same source of water for over two decades, just because the mine wants to justify its construction of the slime dam,” the source said.
The situation is also affecting school children from Bikita Fashu who used to walk approximately 2km through the farm going to school.
“Children who used to take shortcuts through the farm on their way to school are now walking for longer distances, more than double the distance they used to walk since they are taking a longer route around the slime dam.
“We are aware that the premise belongs to the mining company and they have rights over the land but our plea is for the responsible authority to avail another source of water outside the premise because people are now at risk of the cholera pandemic in the country,” said Cllr Vhovha.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in November last year commissioned petalite and spodumene processing plants at the mine, valued at US$ 300 million at the time while urging the mine to uphold high ethical standards for the benefit of communities.
“I implore Bikita Minerals to undertake their operations with the highest ethical standards, professionalism, honesty, and integrity and we seek to realize sustainable prosperity that benefits all Zimbabweans,” said Mnangagwa at the time.