…Says champions should leave a legacy, solutions towards deteriorating service provision

Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru-Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) last week trained service delivery champions from Gweru’s 18 wards in a move meant to equip them with necessary advocacy skills towards the subject.
Speaking at the engagement meeting last week in the Midlands capital, GRRA director Conerlia Selipiwe said well-informed residents would talk and advocate for such issues in an improved manner.
“The reason why we have decided to impart skills to you as champions is so that you know how to hold leaders accountable.
“It’s only trained champions who know how to empower others in the community. We have issues of services delivery which need urgent attention like roads and sewer networks. For us to address this, we need people who stand for such issues. If you as champions are well trained, you can then mobilize other residents on how best to demand accountability,” said Selipiwe.
Development and local governance expert Didymus Dhewa said as local development champions, there was need for them to put more focus on solutions rather than challenges.
“As a champion you must be competitive because we don’t want to dwell much on loopholes. There are many challenges we have in our various wards with regards to service delivery,” he said.
He added that champions are supposed to be accessible and have knowhow of their geographical location among other factors.
“As a local champion, there are many things you ought to adopt. A local champion must be accessible, be a person who talks to everyone and engage with everyone without favoritism or taking sides. We want service delivery champions who will leave a lasting legacy of proffering solutions to the long standing challenges affecting the city.
“Also a champion must be a listener, people come with different ideas and feelings but as a champion you happen to be a leader. We need a situation were by you will be able to go back to your communities and help people to advocate for change towards issues affecting them on services.
“We know that if we inform you, you will be able to talk better because of that knowledge. If you are well informed, you will know how to report your issues and where to report them,” he added.
Dhewa however urged service delivery champions to be able to demand accountability in their wards.
“If refuse collection is not done, let’s ask what would be taking place, if there is no water let’s demand not only answers, lets also proffer solutions to these challenges.
“Let’s also understand the nature of the leaders we work and live with in our wards. We also need to approach our management and every council meeting that is full councils, quarterly review and budget consultation meetings so that we can even break down this subject to our fellow citizens,” he added.
GRRA’s Mtapa Ward 6 chairperson Sipiwe Nzira urged the trained champions to change their attitude to assume leadership positions.
“Let’s change our attitudes in order for us to change the communities we come from.
“We need to change our attitude so that we assume positions. We want to have women in leadership positions, we want a woman to be our Mayor next year as well as considerable women representation in council because they can be better leaders than men,” Nzira said.
GRRA Finance director Taurai Demo urged the participants to go and equip others as it was part of the community’s wishes that leaders will also be born from GRRA.

Branton Matondo

The bigger chunk of youth in the border town of Mutare have gone craze with drug abuse due to idle minds and the continued scourge of poverty, a social custodian has said.
With majority of unemployed youth across the city’s suburbs falling prey to Methamphetamine better known as Guka or Mutoriro which is currently going for US$ 20 a gramme, marijuana, bronclere which is ranging between US$ 8 and 15, and other unknown drugs that make their way through the Mozambican border from a foreign channel, the future sanity of the city hangs on a pin.
Traditional leader and Director of Mhakwe Heritage Foundation Trust (an organization which rests on ubuntuism) Chief Svosve said it is high time responsible authorities take drastic measures because everyone should be alarmed and terrified by the spread of the social and medical evil.
“Let me hasten to say that everyone should be frightened because this challenge is affecting many youth especially those that are idle. The situation has been made worse by the sharp rise of poverty levels and lack of occupation. The dilemmas that we are facing as a city is that the industrial sector is no more and so are recreational facilities,” said Chief Svosve.
With majority of industries in Mutare closed, families have now turned to selling second hand clothing at dotted centres in Chikanga, Sakubva and agricultural produce that stream daily from surrounding areas like Honde Valley, Chipinge, Bocha, Rusape and Dora estate.
The high rate of competition in these two informal sectors has led to a sharp rise in poverty since most fail to face the competitive challenge. Chief Svosve added that high poverty level is the major culprit.
“Poverty is the chief cause. Drug abuse and spread of other illicit social deeds is all because of desperation to pass the day. It’s a matter of survival,” added the social custodian.
This publication got in touch with one drug addict from Hobhouse, a low density suburb in Mutare who spoke on condition of anonymity drugs were everywhere alleging that most houses are now drug taverns thereby enabling easy access.
“Gone are the days when we used to get drugs in remote locations and secluded places. At the moment people are now selling drugs in their backyards, especially marijuana and mutoriro because they know that hotspots like Motomoto and places like Old Nandos are now on police radar. It’s now a job and people are surviving on that. We know of backyard sellers in Sakubva who sell drugs 24/7,” said the source.
He added that the mixture of drugs and popular alcoholic beverage Teku Teku manufactured in Mutare and going for $1 for two bottles at retail price is the order of the day.
“Teku Teku is cheap and readily available. Doing drugs and drinking such at the same time is what makes the day here because we do not have anything to do,” added the source.
Cases of drug paddlers falling in the hands of Mutare Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Drugs and Narcotic Section have been common occurrences, one being recent arrest of drug suppliers in Sakubva, Dangamvura and Chikanga.
Police recovered 120 grammes of crystal meth and 15 kilograms of mbanje.

Innocent Muraiwa

Masvingo-The Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ) showed its undying spirit in upholding everlasting peace and solidarity through joining the September 21, 2022 International Day of Peace Commemoration as a way reinforcing unity and prune down violent acts by the members of the Zimbabwean society so that people live peacefully.
EFZ Reverend Nyasha Rich identified different types of conflicts as well as best ways in which they can be solved.
“Conflicts are an enemy of unity and peace and there are types of conflicts which are intra-conflicts, inter-personal conflicts, intra-group conflicts, inter-group conflicts, all these conflicts exist in our today’s societies.
Just to take a mile of explanation, intra-conflict is a conflict within a human being whereas inter-personal conflict exists between two people with different opinions, same applies to inter-group conflict which is characterized with some conflicts within two groups and also intra-group conflict exists when there is a fight within a group.
“Within all the conflicts that might emerge in different societies of the world, as a Reverend under the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, I urge every member of society to be able to manage conflicts and refrain from triggering commotions which may lead to antagonism,” said Rich.
Speaking at the same event, the EFZ Bishop Philip Mahove also put across the notion of effective communication strategies and advocacy in a way to build up long standing peace and unity.
“People should be well conversant with their communication strategies so that they will be able to manage some conflicts that might arise for instance, in churches or certain organizations, when a leader fail to handle a duty, one may invite them to a private place and have some advice than to sharply rebuke them within the public which is a very provocative strategy that begets violence,” he said.
Mahove further illustrated some key effective communication strategies like listening carefully to what the next speaker is saying to avoid being led by emotions and said though conflicts are inevitable, people should bear in mind that communication solves everything.
The EFZ is a body under the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations which includes other three churches, Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, Zimbabwe Council of Churches and the Union for the Development of the Apostolic Churches in Zimbabwe Africa.

Beverly Bizeki

Five learning institutions from Masvingo province including care homes and schools recently received school uniforms and stationery from Masvingo Association of Residential Care Facilities Trust, a network of care homes in Masvingo.
The five institutions are M. Hugo Primary School, Shingirirai College, Bopoma Children’s Home, Driefontein Children’s Home and Nyajena High School.
MARCFT Executive Director Zendakwaye Zendakwaye said the organization is focusing on educational needs for school children.
“Today, we are particularly looking at educational needs of children in care homes and today we had a donation of school uniforms and stationery to needy children in these care homes,” said Zendakwaye.
He said their aim is assisting children with other educational needs apart from school fees so as to fill in the gap and boost their confidence.
“We are hoping that the children who have been identified to be having critical needs get uniforms and have their self-esteem raised and hopefully perform better in class,” said Zendakwaye.
The organization hopes to do gap filling by providing other critical needs for children in care homes particularly the girl child providing sanitary wear for girls and sunscreen lotions for children with albinism.
“We also look at sanitary wear because it’s one critical element that is not normally looked at and for the children who have disabilities, assistive devices and special lotions for children with albinism,” said Zendakwaye.
The event was attended by one Chidovi from Regency Group of Hotels as the guest of honour.

Branton Matondo

Mutare-The current sorry state of Mutare City Council managed Sports Oval has dispatched a lot of profuse talk from the city’s sporting fraternity on the incapabilities of local authority to maintain recreational facilities that are fundamental to youth development in sport and social norms.
Just like the same old maintenance sorrows stories of Mhangura, Rufaro, Gwanzura, Baghdad, Cam and Motor and Torwood stadiums only to mention but a few, Sports Oval has grossly fallen under the same disarray.
An investigation on the history of maintenance indicated the theatre of Mutare football last saw proper and standard upkeep in the mid 90’s (1994 – 96).
At the moment, strip roads have infested the once green side of Mutare Old Township while the six stepped grand stands on the eastern side of the pitch, entrance points and dressing rooms have dilapidated beyond recognition.
It has become difficult for the young generation to believe that Sports Oval once hosted premier league matches, division one and academy football activities at one point being a home ground for now former Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Tanganda FC.
The former stadium to clubs like BAT Ramblers, Leeds Fc and Tanganda FC was used on a hiring basis whereby teams paid money to council for use.
At the moment academies (Under 12, 15, 17) and division two teams tussle in the red dusted pitch while division one side Manica Diamonds Juniors use the pitch for their day to day training sessions.
Former Amazulu, Highlanders and national soccer star Blessing Gumiso who was born and bred in Mutare said Sports Oval gave birth to football legends and it’s very sad how such a platform has become so desolate.
“Sports Oval used to be so green and it was every kid’s dream to play there. Security was always intact. When we were young we used to see talents like Farai” Haulage” Gumiso, Wonder “Hanzu” Masunde, Talkmore Matondo, Joy Zvekare, Gilbert Sithole, Philmon Chikodzore, Godfrey Masakure. It gave us the will to also play soccer in Sports Oval. Now there is nothing, no watering systems, people are using the pitch as a short cut to Mutare CBD and the devastating thing is that all that green is gone,” said Gumiso.
The former iBosso iBosso midfielder added that teens from Sakubva are falling to drugs because such recreational facilities are not being utilized and serving purposes.
“We achieved our dreams of playing PSL via Sports Oval and opened my academy here in South Africa but it all started in Sports Oval. I feel sorry for our kids who don’t have recreational facilities to start from. No wonder youth from Sakubva are falling to drugs and alcohol abuse because there is nowhere to socialize and share positive ideas,” added Gumiso.
Mutare Residents and Ratepayers Association (MRRA) leader Chief Svosve told this publication that the issue of desolate recreational facilities which had been topical off late has been passed to the city fathers and it is in the channels. He hinted on a face-lift guarantee.
“As MRRA, we passed the issue to council so that put it is considered a priority. Apparently, I was chairing the budget committee in the absence of the chair on September 16 when we had a meeting. We pushed the concern and it was well received. There are valid plans coming up to make sure resources are channelled towards revitalization of recreational facilities, starting with Sakubva stadium,” said Svosve.
Former Buffaloes, Black Rhinos, Mutare United and Zupco FC player Nyarai ‘Nyangwe’ Masunde said Sports Oval was once maintained by council employed grounds men but since the 90’s maintenance has been lacking.
“Back then the pitch was maintained by permanent grounds men. The pitch was watered almost daily but it has been ages since we last saw a grounds man. The situation is very bad.”
Basketball and tennis courts around Chinyausunzi area have also gone in complete disarray.

Tinaani Nyabereka/ Yeukai Munetsi

Gweru-Following a public outcry over a spate of a number of criminal activities, 11 suspects were arrested in Gweru Rural District after a police operation.
Midlands Police Provincial Spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko expressed gratitude to the public for working with the police through provision of essential information in tackling crime before urging holders of unlicensed fire arms to surrender them before September 30.
“We thank the public for cooperating with our investigations in these cases.
“I also take this opportunity to warn the public that it is a serious crime to be in possession of a firearm without a licence or to lend a firearm to an unauthorized person. May members of the public in possession of firearms without appropriate authority take advantage of the window period up to September 30, 2022 where they can surrender them to police without being asked questions or charged criminally,”said Mahoko
The 11 suspects are London Ncube (42), Judge Dube (63), Complete Mpofu (39), Petros Chivava (42), Admire Mpofu (18), Bukhosi Mkandla (22) of London Farm, Gweru, Evans Muzabani (20), Witness Nkomazana (22) of Rubi, Tawedzerwa Zhou (27 ) of Zvishavane , Evans Chikwenya (21) of Shurugwi and Brian Ncube (24) of Mambo in Gweru.
Police recovered the following property during investigations: Nissan Vanette motor vehicle robbed from Shurugwi, a Honda Civic car which was being used on the commission of the cases, seven firearms including one pistol, three Bruno rifles, three 303 rifles and an assortment of live rounds of ammunition, 15 cell phones, television sets, gas cylinders, a cutting torch and cash US $1785.
The investigations established that the pistol recovered was smuggled into the country while one rifle had been lent to the suspect by a firearm licence holder with the remaining five having been stolen during robberies.
The 11 appeared initially appeared in court on September 17, 2022 and one suspect, Judge Dube was charged for unlawful possession of ammunition.