Tendai Charumbira

Pupils at Guni Primary School in Gutu South constituency of Masvingo are reportedly learning in the open after classrooms were destroyed by heavy rains sometime in April this year.
It is reported that some of the classrooms that were renovated after developing damages in 2021 later developed cracks due to the heavy rains the area experienced in April 2022 leaving the classrooms in a bad condition not appropriate for pupils to use.
A source privy to the matter at the school, who refused to be named said sometime last year the school failed to open following the destruction of toilets and classroom blocks by a heavy hailstorm which swept across the region in 2021.
“There was a heavy hailstorm in 2021 which caused Guni primary to delay opening due destruction of sanitary facilities and buildings,” said the source.
He further said that the school was then renovated and it was opened but currently there is a new challenge as pupils are currently learning outside classrooms due to cracked classroom buildings which the authorities fear could collapse and thus the decision to conduct lessons under tree shades.
“Right now pupils are learning outside as the classrooms were again damaged by the heavy rains in April 2022,” added the source.
Contacted for comment the head of Guni primary said she was not in a position to comment on the matter as she is not authorized to do so.
Masvingo Provincial Education Director (PED) Shylatte Mhike could not comment on the matter as she said the report had not yet reached her office.
The state of some schools especially those in remote areas has been sorrowful due to lack of proper learning facilities and poor working conditions for teachers.

Faith Duri

Masvingo City Council run Runyararo West Clinic is set to be opening its doors to patients during the first week of June 2022, Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa has confirmed.
The clinic was awaiting clearance from relevant authority for it to open its doors to the public as was highlighted during a full council meeting on March 28, 2022.
In an interview with TellZim News on May 17, 2022 Engineer Mukaratirwa said all is set for the health centre to open as currently they are doing the final touches on the facility while at the same time recruiting staff that will be working at the clinic.
“The relevant authority has already approved the opening of the clinic but right now we are in the process of recruiting workers. We are almost done so expect the clinic to be functional first week of June,” said Eng Mukaratirwa.
The clinic is going to offer different health services like mental health, adolescence and sexual reproductive health care, HIV testing, family planning, self help groups, Sexual Transmitted Infection (STI) screening and treatment among others and the working days and hours will be from Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm.
Health Service director Suzanne Hazel Madamombe confirmed that the clinic is going to offer different types of services including mental health care centre and adolescence and Sexual Reproductive Health Centre.
“We have noted that in the community there are more cases that are related to mental health, so we have set up a department that will be dealing with metal health issues and also we have a department of adolescence and sexual reproductive health centre where we are going be having specialist nurses who will be dealing with adolescence health specifically,” said Madamombe.
The much-awaited opening will offer relief to residents from the city’s western suburbs like Runyararo West and Victoria Range among others who endure the pain of travelling long distances to access health care services.

Tinaani Nyabereka

Gweru-Residents of Mtapa Section 6 in Ward 6 are sitting on a health time bomb as raw sewer is flowing in streets, seeping into the foundations of many houses.
The blockage has since disturbed the current maintenance work of water drainages in the areas, after council workers reportedly laid down tools last week when they approached the blockage.
Information obtained by TellZim News however revealed that at some point a group of the council plumbers once came to attend the blockage a few months ago, but refused to work on the overwhelmed septic tanks after demanding that the affected residents were supposed to contribute US$30 dollars per household to pay to them to work.
One of the affected residents Epiphania Gwena said, the situation was unbearable as children were picking plastic bottles and playing around the flooded drains.
“The situation here in Mtapa section 6 is very bad. Raw sewer is flowing and flooding our yards, some of the water is now seeping into our home foundations. We are living in fear for our lives because we may record cases of cholera or typhoid .This is now the third week reporting to council and nothing has been done.
“We once lodged a complaint with the City of Gweru engineering department but they didn’t do much, the solution only lasted for a few days as of last month and the blockage started again. The major challenge I have as a resident is that the whole waste accumulates in front of my house. I can’t even open the door, sometimes we even fail to cross the front drainage when flooded.
“Cooking outside is now hard for me when there are power cuts as my open fire place is affected. The smell of raw waste is unbearable and flies are all over the place. We need serious attention on this sewer,” she added.
Another resident, who identified herself as Gogo Matsvaira added that, at some point she failed to prepare her supper as the compound was flooded with waste.
“I once slept on an empty stomach after failing to prepare food outside as my yard was flooded with sewer water up to the doorstep. We cannot even bask for the sun especially during winter due to the disturbing smell. We are always knocking at Councillor Giwa’s door and we don’t blame him, he has been doing his part and reporting the matter but we feel management has let us down.
“We urgently need help before we die of cholera as we have small children and the elderly here. I don’t know what council thinks about this issue,” she added.
Chairperson for Mtapa’ s Mirror community group, Kennedy Muka said he was pained by the situation of the section 6 residents who are sitting on a health time bomb.
“We are appealing to Gweru council to come and attend to this blockage for good because the lives of people are at danger. We understand the economy is not doing well but making residents to pay for the blockage has become a burden. We once heard reports that some plumbers from council came demanding US $30 from these poor people; where can these poor people get such an amount of money? Some of them don’t work and some are our elderly mothers and fathers,” Muka added.
Meanwhile, Gweru United Progressive Residents and Ratepayers Development Association (GUPRARDA) director, David Chikore said urgent attention is needed to rescue the affected residents against a serious health hazard.
“Sights of barefooted toddlers playing in raw sewerage flowing generously in Gweru’s Mtapa Section 6, oblivious of the unattended health hazard really drive home the point that indeed things have fallen apart and the centre cannot hold at town house.
“Mtapa Section 6 residents are now being weakened by the raw human waste which has clogged the under maintained and overwhelmed sewer line and forcing water to seep under the doorsteps and foundations.
“As community representatives we are left bereft of any words of hope that we could give this community except to say that we will continue to escalate the matter to the relevant authorities.
“Will it be fair to blame such people for not honoring their council bills? They have openly expressed that they feel hard done by Council,” he added.
However efforts to get a comment from Gweru council Acting director of Engineering, Praymore Mhlanga were fruitless as his mobile phone could not be reached.

Melinda Kusemachibi

Community gardens in various parts of the country are proving to be a source of livelihood and major drivers of development as gardeners mainly in the countryside accrue numerous health benefits including improved access to food, nutrition, increased physical activity and mental health and also to promote social health and community cohesion through accountability engagements with local leaders.
Buhera ward 18 councillor Wisdom Jiri said their ward has also not been spared from such a wave as villagers are actively participating in the community garden initiatives.
Speaking during an engagement meeting organized by TellZim News in partnership with ZIMCODD at Sweraumire Garden News Club on May 21, 2022, Jiri said community gardens are a major booster for development.
“Community gardens are important as they boost development by providing a balanced diet to families and also profits from produce sales. We have 10 gardens in our district and we are appealing for an improved road networks to ferry our garden produce to markets,” said Jiri.

He went on to say that they used to do garden shows which promoted production of good quality produce but after the Covid-19 outbeak they had stopped.
“We used to do garden shows where farmers would be rated as they compete and that promoted production of good quality products. But Covid-19 disturbed our shows and hopefully we are going to resume them soon,” added Jiri.
Garden chairperson Janet Chidhakwa said lack of markets is a challenge to them and encouraged garden members to continue using natural ways of controlling pests in absence of chemicals.
“Lack of markets is a challenge to us here, but l continue to encourage the garden members to use natural ways of pest control using chaff from rapoko and other grain crops in place of expensive pesticides,” said Chidhakwa.
Village head Tavengwa Mumbijo said unity is the main key to development.

“Unity on working together is the main key to development, so I continue to encourage people to be united, work together and achieve the development we want in our community,” said Mumbijo.
Community gardens initiatives have seen people in most rural communities engaging in various horticulture projects which improve their food security, nutrition as well as getting income from produce sales.

Melinda Kusemachibi

Hwiridzo Garden News Club situated in Masvingo Central’s ward 16 under Chief Murinye over the weekend appealed for market places to sell their garden produce.
Speaking at an engagement meeting organized by TellZim News in partnership with ZIMCODD at Hwiridzo garden on May 21, 2022 Martha Mugabe who is the marketing facilitator at the garden said they are appealing for markets to sell their produce.
“We grow a variety of crops which include tomatoes, beans and onions. Currently we have beans in our gardens which are now at harvesting stage which we wish to have a market place to sell so that we will be able to make more profits and be in a position to pay fees for our children as well as sustaining ourselves,” said Mugabe.
Ward 16 councillor Edmore Dhemba concurred with the marketing facilitator as he said they are requesting for a market place so that they will be able to sell their produce and enjoy the profits.

“We have our garden here at Hwiridzo and they are growing varieties of crops which comprises of beans, tomatoes, onions and okra. The only thing which is not making us happy is a market place where we can sell our produce. Local people here are trying by all means to have a market place, but they end up eating those produce because they are failing to secure one. The people in Hwiridzo wish to have a market place to sell their produce and be in a position to sustain themself,” said Dhemba.
Market place had remained a problem in some parts of the districts as farmers are failing to have a place where they can sell their produce.
Zvamahande Women Accountability News Club members have also appealed to their local councilor for markets to sell their garden produce as well inputs and resources to develop their project.