Brighton Chiseva

MIDRAND – The President of the Pan Africa Council Chief Fortune Charumbira has urged all member states to embrace the tenets of the The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) saying its implementation will remove 50 million people from abject poverty.

Currently underway in Midrand, South Africa, on the side-lines of the ongoing Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), the two-day workshop is aimed at discussing the African Free Trade Area and to define the role of the PAP in the effective implementation the trade agreement.

Speaking at the AfCFTA workshop official opening, Charumbira said AfCTA will increase Africa’s imports to the outside world as well as increasing intra-Africa trade by more than 100 percent.

He said the topic was not new since independence and what only changed was the terminology and something was not working well, which is the reason why there has not been changes.

“If we implement this, 50million people will escape extreme poverty.  Africa export to the world would grow, and intra-Africa trade will expand by more than 100percent. We knew since we got independence that we needed to trade amongst ourselves but we were not doing that and that is the reason why this workshop has two days while others are only lasting for an hour. We need to see what has been blocking us from getting there,” said Charumbira.

He urged parliamentarians to contribute towards its success saying it was an important topic that is why the workshop has been given two days unlike other programmes which are given a few hours.

“As parliamentarians, we have been told that AfCFTA will bring prosperity to Africa. So our duty now is to establish the bottle necks and impediments towards achieving the Africa we want and then address them because this is the solution to our economic problems,” said Charumbira.

He said it addresses all African problems like unemployment, energy crisis, and fertiliser shortages in Agriculture will be a thing of the past.

Charumbira also said Africa had a challenge of not being proud of themselves and said once they address that problem, Africa will develop.

Speaking at the same event, president of the Africa Business Council Dr. Amany Asfour said if Africa wants to achieve the AFCFTA and the “Africa we want”, there was need for the private sector involvement.

“If we want to realise the African dream, the Africa we want, a prosperous, integrated, physically integrated Africa, we need the role of the private sector. Are we going to trade amongst ourselves when we are still importing goods from China, Dubai and other states?” she said.

She said African governments were supposed to legislate procurement of goods and services and make sure that a certain percentage of the procured goods and services are from African companies.

“One of our advocacy pillars is about having 40 percent of government procurement going to the African private sector, this is how we can empower the African private sector by this policy because it is not possible to have what is found on the African soil outside Africa, that is why we need at least 40 percent,” she said.

She went on to say there was need for investment in the health sector among other investment opportunities which Africa can explore to make sure that it is fully industrialised which she said was the only way to get the African dream a reality.

“AfCTA without industrialisation and investment will remain a dream but to make it happen and you your excellences present wield the power to make it happen. We as the private sector need your guidance. For instance in the health sector, according to WHO, 80 percent of African people are dying from cancer as compared to 24 percent in the west because we are not investing in health. Our people are going to India and other parts of the world to seek medical treatment and all that could end if we have a public-private sector engagement and deliberate on the matter,” she said.

In his presentation at the same workshop, Mohamed Ali who was representing AfCFTA Secretary General, said as an organisation they were happy and were relying on PAP support after which he urged PAP to continue rendering support which he said was key to making the dream a reality.

Branton Matondo

Mutare Resident and Ratepayers Association (MURRA) has raised concerns over the deterioration of sanitation in Sakubva and Mahalape suburbs as Cholera cases increase in the city.
Manicaland has over the past weeks recorded double figures in suspected cholera cases and as of May 10, 2023, six deaths had been recorded.
An increase in confirmed Cholera cases was also recorded, with 46 new confirmed cases.
In an interview with TellZim News MURRA Programmes Director David Mutambirwa said that the state of hygiene in Sakubva and places surrounding the area is deteriorating while at the same time creating a breeding ground for Cholera.
“Sakubva is the oldest suburb in Mutare. When you visit the suburb, you are greeted with perennial running water in areas such as Old Location, Muchena, Maonde, Chinyausunzi, Matida, Chineta, Old Dangare, Zororo, Magregors, NHB and Murapa. Some of the flowing water is dirty with a punching smell. Clean water is also perennially flowing. The lost clean water is disenfranchising the areas where water is not available,” he said.
Mutambirwa also added that hygiene at Mahalape or Body Slam home to over 800 settlers is in a sorry state.
“Social amenities are not known to the people of Mahalape. There is no refuse collection, no water, no electricity and no road networks. Only God knows where they relieve themselves. Some of the neighbours buy water from nearby locations while others have dug open wells for domestic use,” added Mutambirwa.
A resident of Mahalape who spoke on condition of anonymity said most of the people in the settlement have resorted to bush toilets because there are no proper toilets.
“There is nothing that we can do because there are no toilets. People who live close to the railway line relieve themselves in the railway line. Some of them find a discrete place to relieve themselves. We really are surviving on God’s grace,” said the resident.
Addressing local media recently, Mutare District Health Promotion Officer Sophia Nezandoyi said Manicaland is at risk as surrounding areas are experiencing a rise in confirmed Cholera cases.
“Cholera cases were high in Burma valley from February to March and by April the cases were low. However, there is now an increase of cases in Bocha, Odzi, areas in Marange. We assume that the main cause of an increase in cases in Chishingwi is contaminated water in Odzi River because there are a lot of informal miners (magweja),” said Nezandoyi.
The issue of sewer streams was also raised in a constituency feedback meeting held last year by Mutare Central Constituency Member of Parliament Innocent Gonese at Sakubva tennis court.
On the sidelines of the event, Reverend Muchebve from Church of Christ in Chinyausunzi said the issue of poor sewer systems continues to put people’s lives at risk amid confirmed cholera outbreaks.
“In my area of residence, the sewer pipes are outdated. We do not spend four to five days without a sewer blockage. When council comes, they push the waste to another pipeline. This goes on and on because the pipes are outdated,” said Muchebve.

Perpetua Murungweni

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has urged its clientele and other stakeholders to make sure they contribute their input when the ministry carries out nationwide 2023 Curriculum Review Consultations set for May 23 and 24.
The ministry’s permanent secretary Tumisang Thabela released a statement dated May 17, 2023 saying they are carrying out a curriculum review where everyone will get a chance to participate in deciding the best education curriculum.
“We will be carrying out a Nationwide 2023 Curriculum Review Consultations with our clients and internal stakeholders on 23 and 24 May. Every school will be a consultation center starting from 0830 to 1700 hours.
“The consultations will give an opportunity for the internal stakeholders to participate in deciding the education we want as a nation and their views are important to shape our socio-economic development,” said Thabela.
Thabela also encouraged all stakeholders to be part of the consultation which she says is meant to improve the competence-based curriculum.
“All stakeholders should not miss out this opportunity to improve the competence-based curriculum in the ministry’s quest of providing equitably and inclusive 21st century quality education, leaving no one and no place behind,” she added.
A curriculum review is a critical examination of academic programmes for the purpose of optimizing student learning experiences led collaboratively by academic staff who teaches within the programme.
Zimbabwe introduced the competence-based curriculum in 2015 on a seven year duration up to 2022 where great strides have and are being made to ensure the education system produces self-reliant learners and is aimed at shifting from the traditional system where learners’ participation was minimal resulting in them not obtaining the critical skills they need in their lives.

Beverly Bizeki

Only six female prison inmates of the 375 total inmates were released in Masvingo province on May 18, 2023 under the amnesty proclaimed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) Provincial Public Relations Officer Stanslous Sanike confirmed the statistics and said the inmates were released on May 18.
“As Masvingo province, we have released 375 inmates, six of which are females,” said Sanike.
He urged members of the community to play their roles in the rehabilitation of ex-convicts by accepting them back in society.
“We urge members of the community to accept the ex-prisoners who have just been released under the presidential amnesty to play their role in the rehabilitation of these inmates by accepting them back into society so that they do commit crimes and go back to jail where they have been,” he added.
Sanike also said inmates released have been equipped with new skills to help them survive after spending time in prison.
“We offer rehabilitation programmes such as motor mechanics, education and agriculture to inmates to ensure that they can have something to do when they get out of prison,” said Sanike.
The amnesty offered to non-violent prisoners has seen the release of 4 279 inmates countrywide with 104 being women while those serving violent crimes remained behind bars.
Among those pardoned were the terminally ill, females and juveniles who were not serving specified offences. From Harare Central Prison, a total of 405 mostly elderly inmates were released.