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From borehole to the blackboard: Benzi Primary gets total makeover

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From borehole to the blackboard: Benzi Primary gets total makeover

By Beverly Bizeki

Deep down in Chiredzi, one of the most remote areas is Benzi Primary School, a rural school that is fast becoming a dream school for many children as it boasts of a good pass rate and facilities to provide high-quality education for its enrolment of 533.
For one of the pupils, Shammah Mubandekwana who is in grade 3 a dream school is well decorated, green with blooming flowers and lawn while for his other classmates its food and books.
The school now has running water which has made it possible to start gardening projects, and fish farming for its sustainability through an Education Development Fund (EDF) that has enabled them to repair the old borehole which often broke down, and purchase furniture and books for the learners.
The EDF, a multi-donor pooled funding mechanism supported through aid from the UK Government and the German Development Bank (KFW) enables donors to jointly support the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) in its activities with UNICEF managing the funds and providing technical support to improve learning environments in marginalized schools.
During a tour of the school recently, MoPSE Director of Communications Taungana Ndoro said the government together with its development partners has the goal to ensure that rural schools across the country get the necessary amenities to provide quality education to their learners similar to that at Benzi as they embark on the ‘My dream school campaign’ which entails rolling out projects across the country to make rural schools providers of quality education.
“Benzi Primary is in one of the remote areas in Chiredzi but the school itself is not lagging in terms of provision of quality services, the school has water, electricity, and internet connectivity. The school is better positioned to fight cholera because of access to water. Our goal is for all rural schools to be like Benzi Primary in line with the Second Republic’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.
“The school has a working Wi-Fi connection enabling learners to connect to the internet and gain access to digital learning initiatives such as the learning passport which means we can bridge the digital gap between the rural and urban learners,” said Ndoro.
Benzi school head Makasi Chimwayi said the School Improvement Grant Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SIG Wash) programme enabled them to repair their old borehole saving the school from having to look for water from distant places in the community.
“Before the SIG WASH program, we were using our old borehole which would always break down forcing teachers and learners to travel for long distances to get water in the communities. We did not have any agricultural projects since we didn’t have water.
“After receiving the SIG funds, we used the remainder of the funds with the help of other partners to install piped water and the school now has six water points. The water scheme enables us to green our environment and run projects such as fish farming,” said Chimwayi.
Chimwayi said the SIG funds came in handy as the agricultural projects could sustain the school operations so that they do not solely rely on school fees.
He also said they managed to buy furniture and books from the SIG Regular funds and said that resulted in improvement in the school pass rate which rose from 60 percent in 2022 to 76 percent in 2023.
“Before receiving the SIG funds which we used to purchase furniture, some of our learners used to sit directly on the floor, only the exam classes had the privilege of getting adequate furniture in their classrooms but now we got benches for the school.
“In 2022 we had 60 percent pass rate but in last year’s exams we punched above weight and scored 76.32 percent. This can attributed to the provision of books, electricity as well as motivation by the teachers,” said Chimwayi.
Chimwayi said the school has about 52 tablet computers which are used for learning Information Communication and Technology (ICT) and accessing digital platforms such as the learning passport brought by MoPSE in partnership with UNICEF. The platform enables learners to continue learning during disruptions like lockdowns.
As some learners have to walk for long distances of about 10km the school has received support from World Bicycles Relief which has provided the 168 bicycles at the school.
“We have received bicycles from WBR to assist our learners who walk long distances to school of more than 5km. 70 percent of the bicycles were given to the girls to help them bear the brunt of long distances,” Chimwayi said.
However, the school is still in need of staff houses as the school only has seven houses for the 19 teachers at the school.
The head also said the school has a desire to have drip irrigation for its growing garden so they can be able to increase their harvest to augment the school feeding program.

NAC calls for local finance mechanisms to fund HIV AIDS response

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NAC calls for local finance mechanisms to fund HIV AIDS response

By Felix Matasva

The National Aids Council (NAC) of Zimbabwe says in light of declining donor HIV AIDS funding there was need to mobilize local resources for a sustainable response to the endemic disease.
Speaking during a Family Aids Caring Trust (FACT) Zimbabwe’s 2024-2026 Strategic Plan meeting launched in Mutare recently NAC operations director, Raymond Yekeye said the assembling of local resources to fund the health sector was crucial in order to complement the progress made by Zimbabwe in managing HIV AIDS.
“We had partners who have been supporting the response but we noted that the support is declining. As it declines we need to find remedies to make sure that we do not lose the gains that we have achieved over the years,” said Yekeye.
“When I am talking about resources, I am not only talking about money but everything including our own human resources for health. How do we do things better in terms of implementation, where are we overlapping, are we in the right district targeting key populations. This will enable us to have a clearly developed road map that will help us to continue having sustained response in Zimbabwe,” said Yekeye.
FACT Zimbabwe executive director, Gertrude Shumba highlighted that there was need to establish other underlying causes by engaging communities in programming.
“From implementation experience FACT and other stakeholders have realized that whilst HIV was still at the Centre of all interventions, it is also important to understand and address the other underlying causes positively and aggressively with the shifts being towards community engagement and livelihoods programming.”
As of last year, only three Sub-Saharan African countries including Zimbabwe had achieved the UNAIDS 95-95-95 objectives.
In addition to the achievements, Zimbabwe’s Anti-Retroviral Therapy coverage currently stands at 99 percent of the 1, 3 million HIV positive people.
The new strategic plan launched by FACT will be focused on four key areas namely, safeguarding and sustainable livelihoods, health and well-being, organizational efficiency and effectiveness and strategic information and research.
FACT board chairperson, Washington Kuwana said the development of this plan was characterized by active engagement with various stakeholders considering changing health challenges and climate change related realities.
“Obviously there is still that HIV component in our strategic plan but it has been greatly reduced, we are no longer focusing more on that. We have turned to focus on mental health, drug abuse and so on which has been tabulated in our three year strategic plan. We have resources and we are looking for more to tackle these areas. With the partners that we have including government as our major one, we believe that in the next three years we will make a huge impact,” Kuwana said.
Presenting on the Safeguarding and sustainable livelihoods pillar, FACT official Bertha Mukome said they would be working on to improve agricultural productivity.
“We want to stimulate local economic development, build resilience as well as encourage sustainable natural resources uses. We want to promote social inclusion, build capacity for vulnerable households and communities so that they become more resilient to climate induced disasters. We will also implement climate risk management and adaptation interventions.”
Also present at the launch was Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Misheck Mugadza who commended FACT Strategy, saying it dovetails with government’s National Development Strategy1 (NDS1).

11 Zaka residents up for setting illegal business centers

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11 Zaka residents up for setting illegal business centers

By Brighton Chiseva

ZAKA – 11 Zaka residents were recently dragged to court for establishing illegal business centers in Mudzikati Village and Mutangiranwa Villages, as part of the ongoing government program, Operation Order No to Land Barons.
The accused appeared before Zaka Magistrate Patience Madondo who sentenced them to four months in prison, wholly suspended for five years.
Should they violate communal land regulations again within five years, the suspended sentence will be enforced without the option of a fine. The court also ordered the accused to vacate the premises within seven days and failure to comply will result in forced eviction by Zaka RDC and ZRP.
State prosecutor David Mavenga informed the court that as of February 2024, the accused unlawfully constructed an illegal business center at Mudzikati Village, Chief Nhema, and Zaka. They opened shops for trading without authorization from Zaka Rural District Council. The accused had no legal right to undertake such actions.
Similar circumstances were observed in Mutangiranwa village, where the accused established a business center without permission. The accused individuals include Joseph Mutanga (52), Medeline Mutanda (27), Doctor Totamira (51), Everisto Muhinga (56), Simbarashe Dembure (30), Martha Chisara (65), Tendai Tsikirai (33), Manyandi Fungwa (49), Tatenda Mushami (27), Krano Chibaya (71), and Aston Mutyoro (52).
Earlier, on February 13, the same court sentenced 32 illegal settlers from Benjamin Village in Jerera to four months, wholly suspended. They were ordered to vacate within seven days, or council and ZRP would demolish their illegal structures. Other affected villages include Manyimo, Bare, Musiso, Mudhumani, and Muchechetere.
The issue of illegal structures around Jerera dates back to around 2014, when people purchased stands in villages around the growth point. Stand prices in these villages range from US$800 to US$1000. Chief Ndanga recently fined all village heads accused of parceling out land earmarked for Jerera’s expansion.

Mnangagwa threatens to dethrone chiefs over droughts

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Mnangagwa threatens to dethrone chiefs over droughts

By Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO – President Emmerson Mnagagwa has blamed traditional leaders mainly chiefs over impending droughts that the country is facing.
Mnangagwa who was addressing scores of Zanu PF supporters at the Robert Mugabe National Youth Day at Mushagashe Training Centre in Masvingo North told chiefs to make sure they do traditional rites of making rain or they risk being dethroned.
“This year, the year is not smiling upon us especially farmers, if you look at it, we now have several days without rain but we have chiefs who are sitting there, Chiefs, if it doesn’t rain I will dethrone you, they should go, isn’t it their responsibility?
“Don’t say it’s not raining let’s go and ask the president no! I am not responsible for that, ask the chiefs who are seated there, why it’s not raining, and what you have done. But please don’t assault them, ask them nicely,” said Mnangagwa.
Chiefs have been a major feature in government and Zanu PF programmes though the constitution does not allow them to be partisan.
Traditional leaders have often been left at the mercy of the President and the ruling party Zanu PF which uses them to intimidate people during elections.
Their role of being custodians of culture and tradition has largely been removed and the traditional way of installing chiefs where the chieftaincy rotates among chieftainship houses has been ignored making the President through the Ministry of Local Government the sole appointing authority.
This has seen many chiefs succeeding their fathers against tradition making the throne stay in the same house for two or more generations.
In some instances like the scenario in Nyakunhuwa area in Zaka, the equivalent of biblical descendants of Esau are sitting on the throne ahead of the sons of Jacob.
The ongoing Operation Order No To land Barons has also reduced Chiefs’ powers as they have been told that they had no power over land in Zimbabwe.
Many people who were settled by Chiefs through their headmen and village heads were arrested and evicted with the operation done without the involvement of Chiefs who said it was unfair not to involve them in the operation.
Chiefs Mugabe born Matubede Mudavanhu, Murinye real name Ephias Munodawafa, Phinias Tafireyi who is reigning Chief Bere all from Masvingo District, Chief Chitanga born Feleni Chauke of Mwenezi and Chief Nemauzhe born Nelson Murandu all earlier confirmed to TellZim News that they were not consulted on the ongoing program but just heard it as a rumor.

Mwenezi RDC restores sanity around Rutenga growth point

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Mwenezi RDC restores sanity around Rutenga growth point

…moves vendors from CBD to designated places

By Cephas Shava

Mwenezi Rural District Council (RDC) has brought sanity to the district’s populous Rutenga growth point by designating workplaces for various informal traders who had haphazardly sprouted in every open space.
Substandard structures, which had become eyesores at every corner of the growth point, were razed, and council-approved structures are being erected at the local authority’s designated places, which are in high demand.
In an interview with TellZim News, Mwenezi RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Albert Chivanga said the local authority had enough space to accommodate those seeking working space, emphasizing that the exercise aims to create proper working places for everyone operating in undesignated areas.
“The exercise is a council program in which we ensure that those who had been operating in undesignated places get council-approved working places. We have enough space to accommodate many,” said Chivanga.
However, the program has come as a double-edged sword for some vendors as well as some serviced stand owners who, since the advent of Covid-19, had turned their respective places into lucrative rental areas accommodating several flea market vendors.
A concerned vendor who felt hard hit by the exercise, Melody Moyo, bemoaned the exercise, saying it was driving them far away from their clients.
“Though the exercise seems good from the authorities’ perspective, for us as vendors, there is nothing to cheer about. We had already established vibrant customer bases, but now we are being driven to the so-called designated places where nothing is being bought. The few days that we have been here prove that the place is not conducive for business.
“We could have been allowed to contribute to the local authority’s coffers right from where we had been operating, where we were at least conducting considerable brisk business,” said Moyo.
The designation of working places for informal traders is likely to boost the local authorities’ revenue base, as MRDC has long recorded revenue leakages due to several unaccounted vendors who constantly evade taxes by operating in undesignated places.

Masvingo where exactly are you in the equation?

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Masvingo where exactly are you in the equation?

Ladies and gentlemen I hope you are keeping hydrated in this scotching heat, and Mapombi is praying for some rain because mmm, tatsva veduwe. Izvozvi I’m nursing sunburns that I sustained kurally kuMushagashe kwatakaswera takasasikwa muchamunyenga chezuva, even kutoilet you wouldn’t go, imiwee, urombo uroyi chokwadi unoita seuchavigwa usina kufa kkkkk. Mapombi was privileged to find a seat in one of the Zupco buses aitakura vanhu at Chitima ndikati ndosarirei hangu kumafidhlongo. True to their word, uchipinda muground you were greeted with a box of chicken slice, mvura yako neiwo mapepsi, ihhh, ndakafara veduwe because for the first time this year I had something else other than mabanana akaora nemaputi. Ko ndaizivei kuti ndaifarira n’anga inobata mai? I ate my heart away, you know zvinoita mombe yabva kusina uswa, ko kutozogashira nechandaipihwa nevamwe, dumbu kuti tashu. Bva ndakagovata here when I came back kuChitima? Ndakavata mushanga maMucheke umu ndichidurura. I heard even some of madzimai mabiyangu emumusika umu they had the same fate. Ko taitika tazviwanirapo wanei iiihh. Some of my new friends who recently joined me after they demolished their homes around the province who also went kurally just to get a free meal tese takavata tichingopesana mugwizi imomu. Hondo yeMurombo naChinenguvo hamungaipedzi, kkkkk. But I doubt that everyone suffered what we suffered because I saw some eating zvakavhenekwa, which is quite obvious because zvoto zvine mazera, imi chenyu kuvhotera vanodya vodya havo. All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
But the whole scenario really got me thinking about how much Masvingo province keeps being played as pawn in the big Zimbabwean political picture. Today I will not speak about how Masvingo never had problems with ballots last year musi wa23 August and how the province had 100 percent of its polling stations opening on time. I will not dwell on that because kurovera mbambo pachitehwe cheshindi. What you only need to know is that Masvingo is like second born yepaden, anozongorangarirwa for certain things that he or she only can do, otherwise all year round anenge achipfeka zvekukumurirwa nedangwe. Mapombi has lost faith in the belief that Masvingo is the kingmaker province in Zimbabwean politics, because if you really look at it kuitisana kwega kwega. In light of the recent evictions and demolitions, Masvingo is the most affected, and vakuru venyu never uttered a word about it kuMushagashe apa ndizvo zvamanga mafambira. Zhara kwakanaya chaiyo, because that was the biggest bluetick of the year. And then you come back and say musangano wakasimba kumasero senge mazungairwa, haa imika. I hope it is a lesson learnt for you, because time and again munovingwa kunoku and you make sure you are praised, nekuwanzirwa maminister from the province muCabinet, but what exactly is in it for the common person anenge ini hangu? Kupakanura nyama yadyiwa panext door ndokwenyu kuMasvingo.
Kuopposition chaiko, game rese rinotambiwa between Harare and Bulawayo, imi chenyu zero, hapana chembwa vatenzi vararira mangai. I am reminded of yesteryear opposition stalwarts from the province who vibrantly stood for MDC kubva Tsvangison achipo, but ikozvino angova mazuru akapinda nyoka, hakuna uchaziva kuti vaimbovako vanaGumbi, Mureyi etc kkk kanJohn Cena, chedu Matutu, he was used and dumped. I remember Matutu was allowed to speak at every rally ahead of even the provincial chairperson, after maelections, kana kuzomunzwa futi kkk. Now unongonzwa zvichinzi dzinofonwa dzichibva Harare vanhu vachidzimikirwa kunoku kuMasvingo, like here there are no people who really understand party dynamics here. I agree, the soul of the country’s politics itself is rotten to the core, but the real dilemma is no one is willing to do better. We have a huge leadership crisis kwese kumisangano inovhoterwa nevanhu, maybe save for vanaElisabeth Valerio vatisati tanyatsoziva ava. Masvingo inoitwa dambiro rematsvinyu but where it matters it is the first to be affected.
Ukanzwa ED achiti pasi neregionalism netribalism unoti ndizvo. It is only bad when it does not work for him neteam rake. Masvingo is ridiculed and is laughing stock across the country, uone kuwanda kwakaita maminister ekwaGutu mucabinet—the very same people who approve programs that leave povho destitute vaputsirwa dzimba. Tell me, what nonsense is that? I heard ED thanking vanhu veMasvingo kurally kwake kuMushagashe uko because anoziva kuti basa rakabatwa zveshuwa, apa futi youth yekuno ndoyakatanga neslogan that is building momentum for him to be endorsed for another term. Even ED Pfee started in Masvingo kkk. Kungokwamatata muchishandiswa sezvikorobho to deliver another term for him, but ndimi makatangwa nemurambatsvina wakauya uyu. It is so sad mufunge. Zuro ndizuro kwakanzi takuvhura CSC neMashava muna2018, asi chakazarako angori mazai emazizi nematoto ezviremwaremwa. Tokwe Mukosi nanhasi harina waramboti ranyatsobenefitter, asi chinongozikanirwa Masvingo ndiko kusimbisa musangano kumasero. Masvingo was blessed with the largest water bodies in the country but they are not being used. I recently saw vakutombora tombora pamain bridge redu paMucheke apo, hopefully they finish the construction of the bridge they promised eons ago. Chimusana nanhasi pakangova pasi, kuita sekuti nyaya yacho haina kumbotaurwa. If you go to rural schools in this province unoti shuwa in which era are we because of the dilapidation, iko kwakatodzidza amwe maminister enyu iwaya kwanaRafomoyo uko, VaMurwira heeyy apo. Muri muMwenezi nemuChiredzi hatichatauri, mateacher anorara akatsamira nyoka mudzimba dzisina mawindow. Ehe kuconstituency kwavo the new deputy minister manyama Chikomo ikoko.
The major issue that pained me recently is the audacity of Zanu to choose to celebrate youth day at a place which a stone’s throw away from where people demolished their homes, and their decision to not even utter a single word about the issue, as if nothing is happening. Ko vanorwadziwa nei zvavo ivo mapurazi vanawo hobho hobho, dzimba vanawo mamansion, that is why vakaudza poor villagers kucourt uko kuti dzidzai kunovaka maupstairs. 2028 is coming, and chandinoziva ndechekuti Masvingo people as usual vanenge vatokanganwa zvavo, votopa Zanu ose maconstituency 26. My sincere prayers is for the two opposition MPs we have in the province not to succumb to the nonsense of resigning from parliament. Chokwadi Mapombi angakurembedzai nzeve every week about the issue kusvika mati eke, this is the mandate you were given by the electorate not naChamisa so please respect the voice of the people, hanzi naED it is the voice of God.
I hope councillors and village heads took heed to ED’s threats panyaya yekunyima vamwe mainputs handitika, hanzi tokusvasvangai mukanyima vamwe. Haa mazuvano chakachaya kumatraditional leaders, kkkk. Maishandiswaka kuvictimiza vanhu nhai vana vaShe ikozvino moswera muchindenderedzwa kumacourts hanzi muri maland baron, ehe that is what Zanu does. Musangano uyu chiororo. Huchi murume uyu, kkkkk.
KuCCC nyuwani uko, zviri kufamba sei sei? Chete it is now confusing because tsva dzawandisa, Mapombi has lost count kuchingonzi Behold the new. Mapower hungry cronies are on the loose, ndopaunoona kuti we do not have an alternative, we might be stuck with Zanu forever, kuda kana kusada. Hanzi neZanu asvotwa ngaarutse, bva nyika yose tichaita nyon’go because tirikusvotwa every day.
Before I go kunokanga maputi angu for lunch, I hope tsamba yangu to Sir Wicknell yakasvika, but semunhu akuti zikanwei kudai regai ndigare ndakageza maybe ndingangonzi ndimhanye kunoona Victor. Ko mukomana wekutumwa kuRussia ati adzoka here Dr Chandaizment? But veduwe mukaonawo VaMphoko tell him kuti endorsements dzakutanga, his skills are now required zvavakaita paStar Rally iya munaNovember 2017 kunaDR Gire paHarare apo then lastly please Mukaona John Cena Matutu muti hanzi neni ndeip kkk. Otherwise, mboko imboko!

‘Illegal’ settlements: the perennial plague of Mugabe clan of the Great Zimbabwe

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‘Illegal’ settlements: the perennial plague of Mugabe clan of the Great Zimbabwe

By Theresa Takafuma/ Courage Dutiro

Another year, another government operation, another plague; threats of being evicted from a place they claim to be their ancestral home have once again resurfaced for Zero Farm inhabitants mainly comprised of the Mugabe clansmen , and this time, it is more serious than it has ever been, as it came along with sleeping in police cells and unending court appearances.
The Mugabe-Haruzivishe-Makusha people claim to be the custodians of the area around the Great Zimbabwe Monuments, where the country derives its name, bemoaning continuous victimization that reminisces pre-independent Zimbabwe when their forefathers were displaced by colonial masters only to be resettled in the late 1970s, so they say.
Operation Order No To Land Barons is giving over 250 settlers who have established homes in the contentious Zero Farm area sleepless nights since it was announced on January 10, 2024, and the anti-corruption court at the Masvingo Magistrates Courts has almost become their second home as they keep being told to come back on different dates, a situation that is further straining their already bad financial situation.
They agree that the land they are settled on belongs to the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe (RCZ), which they say has never had any qualms with them settling on the land due to a pact made between one of their forefathers, a chief, and the RCZ some time back in history, with the church still paying tax to council.
Government however is determined to make them vacate the area as soon as possible because they are settling on gazetted land, which they allegedly got through illegal means, but they completely disagree.
“I am a Mugabe descendent and we are the rightful owners of this land. My grandfather was buried in Great Zimbabwe, his grave is there, so if I leave, where will I go at this age? If truly the government agrees that everyone should go back to where their ancestors came from, the only option I have is to go settle in the Great Zimbabwe Monuments.
“I am in the bloodline of the Mugabe chieftaincy, so let’s say I am displaced and I go somewhere far, when my turn or any of my children’s turns come to be chief, where will I come back to settle? I should be teaching grandchildren and daughters-in-law about our culture, not being harassed like this.
“Inini handibvi mandigere nyangwe kovuya ani. Kana vachiuraya vanongouraya havo. (I am not going to leave, no matter who comes, if they want to kill me, let them do it). How they even took us (on January 19) is not right at all. We were bundled in their truck like criminals, which made me wonder if I had suddenly become a slave in my own country,” said a visibly livid 70-year-old Kenneth Makusha.
Chikutuva Village Head Henry Makusha echoed his brother’s sentiments, saying it was now difficult for the villagers to do anything, including working in their fields because their fate is unknown, with him being at the center of the fracas since he is being suspected of having illegally parceled out land.
“All along we have been working with government, conducting Field Day events, and they (government) were even telling us to encourage people we had settled to build proper permanent houses, not mud and pole structures. The truth is that I am not a foreigner in this place, this is our ancestral land, and as the fourth Village Head Makusha, those I settled in Chikutuva village are obviously my clansmen.
“How people were arrested on January 19, myself included reminded me of how my father was taken during the Smith regime for the same land issue. My brother Kenneth, together with nine other brothers stayed in jail for three years from 1977 during the liberation struggle for the same land issue, but now we are being told to leave,” Village Head Makusha said.
He also added that he is appalled by the inconsistencies exhibited by all the authorities involved, as back on June 9, 2014 he says he was ordained by a number of chiefs and those from the Lands Ministry to go allocate land to his people, but now it seems as if he did not heed properly to that directive.
“My superior, Chief Mugabe was even surprised when we were arrested and asked if I had gone out of the jurisdiction I had been given, to which I told him that I had only done what I was supposed to do without breaking any law. Even my subjects now regard me as a conman because of these inconsistencies that are clearly not my fault. How would I have broken the law willingly as a cultural custodian?” he quizzed.
Women, most of whom were married into the Mugabe clan have not been spared from the nightmare, and the experience of being bundled into a police truck with armed men will forever be etched onto their memories.
Auxillia Moyo said her husband got allocated the piece of land where they are now living in 1999 soon after she got married that same year, and being told to leave was a bitter pill to swallow—this is the only home her children know.
“I have been diagnosed with hypertension because I do not sleep at night. My children ask me questions I cannot answer because I do not even have the answers myself. Unfortunately, no one has the answers. Our frequent appearances in court do not even give us any solid answers.
“My children came back home on that fateful day and were told I, together with other villagers had been arrested, and that night we did not return home, a memory which haunts them continuously,” Moyo said.
Juliet Dzingai, whose fears lie in the welfare of her minor children said as a single parent, she does not have many options as to whom to share the burden with, and she foresees a future jeopardized by the current situation.
“I am worried about the future of my children. I have paid fees for all of them, even bought new school uniforms. One is in form four, another one in grade seven, with two others in lower primary school. Where will I go with them?” Dzingai says.
Across the province, the number of arrests has shot to 2 243, together with 597 convictions, but Zero Farm villagers are part of those waiting for their verdict while making frantic efforts to take their case to higher courts with the hope of getting justice in time before they are forced to demolish their own homes like what has happened in other places.
Much has been said about the recent crackdown on land barons by government, an act that has been described by many as holding the poor villagers at ransom while real land barons go scot-free.
The inconsistencies in the execution of the operation have been laid bare, as the ‘illegal’ settlers all have different issues depending on where they are from, but one consistent thing in the whole scenario is that they all feel they are being wronged, with their right to shelter being snatched away.
In a statement released on February 10, 2024 human rights organisation ZimRights condemned the evictions, arguing that they are arbitrary as there has been no proper prior consultation with the affected, hence detrimental to them.
“Section 28 of the Constitution obliges the state to ensure that everyone has access to adequate shelter. Section 74 further protects against arbitrary eviction of people from their homes. An eviction is arbitrary where there is no proper consultation of the affected people, where there is no free consent, where there is no alternative land for them to settle on, there has been no impact assessment and no plan or resources for compensation of the affected people,” read part of the statement.
A few weeks ago, Permanent Secretary for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa said those who felt were wrongfully arrested were being given room to explain their circumstances in court, but this is yet to yield any positive results for the Mugabe people, whose only hope now lies in finding good human rights lawyers to fight their case in a higher court.

Mwenezi’s Rutenga passport office open doors

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Mwenezi’s Rutenga passport office open doors

By Cephas Shava

Mwenezi – The Mwenezi District’s passport office officially opened its doors on Monday, February 19th at Rutenga Growth Point, with applicants already flocking to the area.
The office is housed at the district’s Rutenga registrar offices, and one has to part with $170 to obtain the precious document, which will be ready for collection on the seventh working day following the processing day.
A visit by TellZim News on Thursday witnessed some applicants processing their papers, with officials confirming that despite some minor glitches experienced on the opening day, operations were currently in full swing.
One official from the district office, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated that they received 19 applicants on the first day.
However, due to network challenges, they managed to process only three but assured that operations were back in order.
“On the opening day, we received a total of 19 applicants, but we only managed to complete three. The delay was necessitated by network glitches, and as a result, we processed all the applicants’ papers, including fresh ones, on Thursday. Right now, everything is in order, and applicants can swiftly process their papers without any hassle,” said the source.
In an interview, Mwenezi District Development Coordinator (DCC) Isaac Mutambara expressed extreme gratitude over the development, stating that the people of Mwenezi district were certainly going to reap several benefits.
“We are really on cloud nine over the development, and we are very proud as Mwenezi. Our sons and daughters used to illegally travel to South Africa, with some being robbed and raped at various illegal crossing points, as access to passport offices was cumbersome.
“But this is going to be a thing of the past as the service is now at our doorstep. The coming in of the passport office is a great blessing to the entire people of Mwenezi, who used to travel as far as Harare, Bulawayo, and Beitbridge to acquire the document, which forced many to shun the process, forcing them to engage in illegal activities whenever they wanted to visit neighboring South Africa,” said Mutambara.
Mwenezi North MP Master Makope echoed the same sentiments and said they were happy as Mwenezi people, saying that as a district, several people cross into South Africa due to its proximity but often use dangerous routes because they do not have documents. Now that they can access the service close to home, they can cross legally.
“We are very grateful as a district that an E-passport office has been established just a doorstep from our people. Many people in Mwenezi are very happy because they rely on services across Limpopo.
“Now that they have easy access to passports, that will reduce the number of our youth who usually go to South Africa using dangerous and unauthorized routes, where they meet robbers and rapists. As a district, we are going to see a decline in such incidents, and we are going to see an increase in our district’s GDP,” said Makope.

Mwenezi West MP Priscilla Zindari Moyo has called on Mwenezi people who are out of the country without passports to come and apply since they can now get them closer to home.

“This is a very positive development for Mwenezi. Most of our people are very happy because they can now have a passport instead of having to jump the boarder illegally. A lot of our people were losing money by having to bribe their way through the border. We are also encouraging those who do not have passports to come back home and apply,” said Moyo.

Mwenezi District’s Chief Chitanga, born Feleni Chauke, applauded the development, saying it will ease transport and other travel hassles to go to Zvishavane or Harare to apply for a passport.
“We are happy that as a district, we have our own passport office. Our people used to part with a lot of money to travel to Harare to apply for passports, but now they can do that with less traveling costs, so we are happy with that development,” said Chitanga.
Rutenga, linked through the country’s major Masvingo-Beitbridge highway and a railway line, the coming in of a passport office in the populous growth point is set to invigorate the district’s epicenter, which is eyeing a town status.
The office is the first in the province since the introduction of the E-Passport, and people in the province had to go either to Harare or Zvishavane. The Masvingo Provincial office is currently processing birth certificates and the collection of passports that were applied for before the introduction of the e-passport.

Power obsession: ED mum on evictions as he addresses nation on youth day

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Power obsession: ED mum on evictions as he addresses nation on youth day

…as Masvingo pushes for ED third term, ignoring evictions

By Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO and the nation at large were left in shock after President Emmerson Mnangagwa remained mum on the issue of ongoing evictions in the province and other areas across Zimbabwe while addressing scores of supporters at Mushagashe Training Centre on the Robert Mugabe National Youth Day.
Mnangagwa’s address was his first public address since the evictions started and his supporters in Masvingo, who are the most affected were expecting him to say something about it, at least to validate government’s position to shelve the evictions since many are still living in fear.
He even went on to praise Masvingo for voting for him and Zanu PF, which seemed insincere since he failed to address one of the major challenges currently affecting the province.
“You had elections here and you thrashed them, well done Masvingo, today you have come in large numbers, this does not only show that you value our rich history but you are equally committed to building our great country brick upon brick, step by step,” said Mnangagwa.
The number of convictions for illegal settlers continues to rise in Masvingo with the current statistics showing that 2243 people have been arrested so far compared to 2064 last week and 597 convictions so far.
Several villagers in areas under Chief Bere, Charumbira, Nemamwa, and Mugabe are the most affected in the district and the operation has also left a tens of families homeless in areas like Chiredzi and Zaka.
Commenting on Mnangagwa’s silence on the issue, Youth Decide Zimbabwe (YDZ) Team Leader Learnmore Munhangu said it was unfortunate that the President failed to address an issue that was affecting youths on National Youth Day.
“It’s very unfortunate that the President himself failed to address the issue which is currently affecting a lot of people in different parts of the country, including the province where he made an address. Having a parent who is not always emotionally involved in your affairs, especially during times of need, is always problematic. In this particular case, the President is failing to take care of his own people as expected. We need to respect property rights as outlined in the Constitution,” said Munhangu.
He went on to condemn the whole programme saying the way the National Youth Day was being celebrated was on partisan grounds making it lose its national aura.
“As a youth organization, we are very worried about the way the National Youth Day is being conducted. The day is being conducted in a partisan and ageist manner – the day is so exclusionary, like a political rally. We need reforms in that regard.
“This day should belong to the young people, to share ideas, present their concerns and perspectives on the current social, economic, and political situation,” said Munhangu.
Labor, Economists and African Democrats (LEAD) President Linda Masarira said Mnangagwa made a mistake and missed a chance to address the issue.
“The mere fact that the government held a meeting and decided to halt the evictions that were happening countrywide, is an acknowledgment of an error of judgment that had been done. As the head of government, President Mnangagwa, I presume, had to make a strategic statement to avoid commenting on the issue.
“In my view, he wasted an opportunity to rekindle hope that such a stance will never be attempted again and reaffirm the main objective of the war of liberation, which was land for all native Zimbabweans.
“Land belongs to Zimbabweans, and we should always make sure that no one reverses the gains of the liberation struggle,” said Masarira.
Political commentator Dr Wellington Gadzikwa said ignoring the matter was strategic saying talking about it could have opened a can of worms and exposed confusion that marred the whole process.
“It’s an explosive thing, something that is not good in the eyes of the people and even the supporters who are saying we support the party but we are being evicted. The evictions have been condemned by many including the government itself that’s why they said the evictions should be stopped. So he saw there was no need to talk about it since the government position is clear and talking about it would open up the wounds and start to steer up other discussions so I think it was strategic that he did not talk about it.
“He may have chosen National Youth Day to talk about youths, so talking about evictions wouldn’t make sense because when they happened under the government’s watch and it’s the same government that stopped it, which resembles some sort of confusion so talking about it could not make sense,” said Dr. Gadzikwa.
As if Mnangagwa’s silence on evictions was not enough, people were also shocked as several speakers at the event seemed to endorse Mnangagwa’s third term bid by endorsing the new party slogan which says in 20230 he will still be there.
The slogan started in Masvingo by Masvingo youths recently, starting as a mere joke but was endorsed by several Zanu PF big guns.
Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial Chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa said the slogan came about after realizing that the vision 2030 of making Zimbabwe an upper middle-income economy was coined by Mnangagwa so they cannot achieve it without him.
‘We have a new slogan after realizing that we cannot achieve vision 2030 without the man behind it. We cannot achieve the vision without President Mnangagwa,” said Mavhenyengwa before chanting the slogan.
Minister of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training Tinomudaishe Machakaire who was hosting the meeting also chanted the slogan when he took to the podium, going on to say the reason why they were saying he should be there in 2030 simply meant that he should be alive to see the fruits of his projects.
“The reason why we want the President to be there in 2030 is simply that we want him to enjoy the fruits of his projects and programs. He has to be alive to see his vision being achieved,” said Machakaire.
On his part, Vice President Kembo Mohadi said he heard the slogan before seeking permission from Mnangagwa to chant the slogan.
“I have heard a new slogan here, so your Excellency allow me to recite the slogan,” said Mohadi before chanting the slogan adding that those who were against it should walk out of Zimbabwe.
Taking to the podium, Mnangagwa said he was surprised by those who said he should be there in 2030 asking where they expected him to be in 2030.
“Those who were saying I will be there in 2030, where were you thinking I will be? The only person who knows where I will be is one being, that is God and no one else,” said Mnangagwa.
He went on to praise Masvingo voters for supporting him and the party in the 2023 elections, voters who ironically are having sleepless nights due to the current evictions.

ZIFA to finalise Bikita Minerals championship fate this Saturday

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ZIFA to finalise Bikita Minerals championship fate this Saturday

By Decide Nhendo

Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is going to conduct a final meeting on Saturday February 24 where they are going to finalize which team is going to be promoted following Tenax FC’s complaint against Eastern Region Soccer League Division 1(ERSL) committee which had crowned Bikita Minerals FC as champions after punishing Grayham FC for using an unregistered player in their last meeting.
Speaking to TellZim News, ZIFA Eastern Region Soccer League Division One vice chairperson Wisdom Simba said following soccer processes they announced Bikita Minerals as 2023-2024 ERSL champions, but they were later invited to a meeting by ZIFA were they received a charge sheet written to them by ZIFA highlighting investigations to be conducted by ZIFA concerning ERSL championship.
“As ERSL committee we had already announced Bikita Minerals FC as champions for season 2023-2024, but we later on received a charge sheet from ZIFA after they invited us to a meeting, and they said they wanted to do some investigations following complain from Tenax FC,” said Simba.
Simba said if Tenax FC had an issue, they were supposed to follow soccer processes in their constitution rather than appealing to ZIFA.
“Tenax was supposed to follow our constitution’s rule 20 paragraph 3 which states that if a team want to appeal, they were supposed to pay a protest fee followed by assigning of an independent committee to overlook their matter,” he said.
Simba also said currently preparations for 2023-2024 preparations are going on well as all teams to play this season have paid affiliation fees and the fixture is already published as well as training of club security officers who will be managing games.
Speaking on the same issue, Tenax FC chairman Stefani Masina said Tenax FC was announced 2023 ERSL champions by several soccer bodies after they finished on top, but were shocked to hear that ERSL committee deducted their points siting they had used a player registered with another club, which he denied.
“We were crowned 2023 champions and several soccer bodies which include ZIFA congratulated us, but we were shocked to hear that our promotion was forfeited as they were issues that we used a player registered by another club, of which we deny cause all our players were eligible to play,” said Masina.
He said Tenax FC did not make an appeal on this case but only raised a complaint on how the issue was handled by ERSL committee.
Masina also said they tried to conduct the committee several times after they heard on press statement that Bikita Minerals FC were 2023 champions as they were awarded three points because they had used a player registered by Grayham FC, but the committee did not take heed of their complain and as a result they deemed it necessary to report to ZIFA.
“We tried several times to conduct the committee concerning forfeiture of our championship but they closed doors to us that is why we raised our issue to ZIFA and now the issue is being resolved as February 24 is the final day,” he said.
When the season came to an end Tenax FC was leading with 59 points, Bikita FC and FC Wangu Mazodze were following both with 58 points, but Bikita Minerals FC were crowned champions after being awarded three points for their 1-1 draw match with Grayham FC when ERSL committee verified that Grayham FC had used an unregistered player using a name of a registered player who was absent.
At a meeting held on Saturday 25 November 2023 at the Golden Peacock Hotel in Mutare were all the parties involved were present, Bikita Minerals FC were awarded three points according to rule number 13.1 Grayham FC had three points deducted for using an unregistered player since it is breach of rule 14.1.6 of the ERSL rules and regulations and also rule 13.2.
Bikita Minerals alleged that Grayham FC used Munyaradzi Mapisa’s ZIFA identity card on Calvin Tinashe Chiwere a Melfort FC player.
Reached for comment by TellZim News through phone call Bikita Minerals Collin Nikisi public relations officer said he was going to send feedback through email or WhatsApp but up until time of publication he did not send any feedback and was no longer picking calls.
Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League is commencing on March 2, 2024.

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