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‘Dump ruinous austerity measures, rescue education’-ARTUZ tells Mthuli

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‘Dump ruinous austerity measures, rescue education’-ARTUZ tells Mthuli

Branton Matondo

Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has come out guns blazing on schools opening day (February 7, 2022) expressing dismay towards Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube’s inability to rescue a collapsing education system.
The education sector came to a standstill on February 7 when teachers reportedly boycotted schools opening citing reluctance by government for long to address fundamental teacher needs and conditions of service.
Reports indicate that learners battled to make it to schools and those who managed to make it to the classroom were turned back as there were no teachers to attend to them while some schools had no one to open the school gates, remaining closed.
The official document prepared by ARTUZ Secretary General Robson Chere said that Finance Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube is not respecting teachers who are sinking in muddle of slave salaries.
He implored Prof Ncube to halt austerity measures and focus on retrieving the sinking education sector.
“The union implores Mthuli Ncube to dump the ruinous austerity measures and rescue the education sector from collapse. Mthuli is committing an academic genocide and destroying a whole generation.
“Barring the poor from accessing education is a clear recipe for entrenching inequality and sow seeds of future conflict .The anti-people professor, Mthuli Ncube is working round the clock to frustrate efforts to attain, Zimbabwe’s vision 2030, SADC’s Vision 2050, Africa Union’s 2063 agenda and Sustainable development Goal, SDG 4, ” read part of the report.
ARTUZ claimed to have carried out a survey to gather learners and teachers numeric during the opening day and concluded that 96 percent of schools were inactive in terms of teaching.
“A sampled survey indicated that slightly above 10 percent of Zimbabwe’s 6 797 primary schools, 720 schools were visited nationally. 10 primary schools were visited in each of the 72 education districts of Zimbabwe. 3 798 teachers, (5 percent) were sampled from the total primary teacher population of 75 960. 52 teachers interviewed per district.
“At secondary school 2 392 teachers, (5 percent) were sampled from 47 839 total teacher population. 33 were interviewed from each of the 72 education districts. 298 schools, (10 percent) were sampled from the 2 980 Secondary schools. Four secondary schools were visited per each education district,” added the report.
ARTUZ is calling for the government to meet with a set of demands or else teachers will stick to their guns and refuse to report for duty.
“Government should provide an all stakeholders dialogue to find solutions to the education crisis, restoration of pre-October 2018 US$ 540 salaries for teachers, and enhancement of education recovery grants for all schools.
“State funded basic education should be prioritized while we also expect employers to enhance capacity of schools in adherence to Standard Operating Procedure (SOP),” added the ARTUZ report.
PTUZ President Dr Takavafira Zhou commented on the same lines saying that the moment is now or never for teachers to blow the torch and seek salary redemption from pay masters.
“For all fellow teachers, it is now or never. Let us engage a higher gear and ensure that we make maximum gains within a short period so that we can get US$540 and travel to our schools to teach our students who are in essence future leaders of Zimbabwe,” said Dr Zhou.
ARTUZ President Obert Masarure was recently arrested along with 16 teachers as they were demonstrating in Harare.

Twitter boys clinch MWOS deal

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Twitter boys clinch MWOS deal

Branton Matondo

Bulawayo Chiefs who have been dominating the local transfer market have clinched a lucrative deal with betting giant’s Moors World of Sports (MWOS) a move that will see Amakhosi receive sponsorship enhancement.
The deal was officially dispatched through an official statement released on February 7.
Initial sponsorship timeline is 12 months though there is room for extension.
The statement read, “We are pleased to announce that we have entered into an agreement with Moors World of Sport (MWOS) to receive various forms of assistance during the course of the year, with the option to extend for the coming years
“This relationship goes beyond financial funding, as we believe this partnership can play a great role in helping the growth and development of Bulawayo Chiefs Fc and football in general, MWOS will come in to ensure gradual growth of the team by picking out other areas of need in our day to day business including taking care of kits and regalia.
“The first of that agreement is to get assistance for us to be able to kit the team for the season through our Amakhosi Wear brand,” read the statement
MWOS will bring in three different kit versions which will be won at home and away games.
“Through this arrangement, we are guaranteed to be able to churn out new kits for each season.
“MWOS comes in to help us drive forward a vision of professionalism and success in football management and existence as a football club,” added the statement.
Bulawayo Chiefs patrons were excited on the move and said they believed that it’s a gateway to future development in football, not only at Bulawayo Chiefs but throughout the nation.
Chiefs has so far called for duty big names on the market including former FC Platinum players including defender Kelvin Moyo and Former FC Platinum and Warriors linkman Kelvin Madzongwe.
They face off Pure Platinum play at Luveve stadium this coming Sunday marking the return of premier soccer league.

Low turnout in first week of blitz

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Low turnout in first week of blitz

…more women register to vote than men

Fredrick Moyo

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) mobile voter registration blitz that commenced on February 1 2022 took off to a slow start with Masvingo province recording only 1015 first time voter in the first week of the exercise.
ZEC Deputy Provincial Election Officer (PEO) Maxwell Ncube confirmed that a total number of 1015 came and registered to vote in all the 287 registration centres in the province during the first week, before encouraging people to take advantage of the on-going blitz and register to vote.
“On the ongoing blitz, we have initial registers of 1015 with 496 males and 519 females and we have also recorded 833 transfers with 417 males and 416 females. We also have 128 people who were turned away, 61 males and 67 females. These were turned away because some had no proof of residence, while others had no national Identification Cards (IDs) as well as having defaced IDs while some were underage.
“We are encouraging people that have not yet registered to take advantage of this and register to vote. With the teams that are in the field, we will try to cover every ward and in some wards there are three or four centres depending with how big the ward is,” said Ncube.
He also said that those who were turned away due to failure to provide national Identification Cards and proof of residence should visit the Registrar’s office and get necessary documents needed for the registration exercise.
“We are encouraging those who were turned away because of national identification cards to visit the Registrar’s office so that they come and register. “If the issue is of proof of residence, Chiefs are allowed to write a letter that proves the person belongs to a particular ward or constituency.
“If they miss the first phase opportunity because of those reasons, they should use the second phase in April, the teams will be in their respective constituencies and wards till the end of the exercise,” Ncube said.
He said they are in the process of deploying voter registration teams with Commissioners of Oaths so that people who want to register would not be turned away.
“Right now we are trying to make sure that the teams we deploy should have a Commissioner of Oaths. We have applied to the authorities that every team should have such personnel so that if it happens that a person comes without proof of residence, he/she will be helped at the registration centre,” said Ncube.
He also added that from the BVR Kits ZEC deployed to 210 constituencies in the country, Masvingo province received 93 BVR kits that they deployed to the 26 teams that are on the ground to assist in the ongoing voter registration blitz.
“As Masvingo province, we received 94 BVR Kits that we deployed to every team on the ground and each team have three BVR kits. In the province we have 26 teams and this translates that 78 kits are in the field as we speak,” added Ncube.
The mobile registration exercise is meant to assist people in marginalised areas, those who have to walk long distances to access ZEC offices to register to vote.

72-year-old up for raping grade seven pupil

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72-year-old up for raping grade seven pupil

Russell Mapuvire

ZVISHAVANE- A 72-year-old man (name withheld to protect victim) appeared before Zvishavane magistrate Charity Tongera on February 8 on allegations of raping a grade seven pupil.
The matter was transferred to Gweru regional court where the accused will be tried on March 19 2022.
The state led by Isheanesu Mashayanye told the court that the accused raped the complainant, a grade seven pupil at a local school, in the bush where she was fetching firewood.
The state told the court that in October 2021 at an unknown date, the complainant was fetching firewood in a bushy area when the accused approached her and asked about his lost cattle.
He then grabbed the complainant’s hand and ordered her to remove her clothes.
Mugwagwa threatened the complainant with the axe he was carrying and forcibly pulled her clothes down and raped her once.
After the incident the complainant went home and told her grandmother about the matter but she could not understand since she has a hearing impairment.
On January 17 2022, the complainant developed an itching sensation and discovered some sores on her privates.
She then told her grandmother, who then accompanied her to report the matter.
The complainant was referred to Zvishavane hospital for medical examination, which was produced in court as evidence.

I am more defiant than ever: Makomborero Haruzivishe

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I am more defiant than ever: Makomborero Haruzivishe

…encourages youth to register to vote

Thabiso Nxumalo

Human rights defender and political activist Makomborero Haruzivishe says if anything, prison made him more focused, defiant and vibrant than ever.
In an exclusive interview with TellZim News on February 8, 2022 in Masvingo, Haruzivishe narrated his 10 months and 22 days ordeal behind bars at Harare Central Prison and Harare Remand prison, where he said regardless of the ill-treatment, psychological abuse and delaying tactics the system implored to crush his spirit of fighting for a ‘democratic and free’ Zimbabwe, he is rather more defiant and vibrant.
“Painful, is one word I would use to describe my ordeal behind bars, the whole process was meant to discourage me and kill the democracy spirit within me, but it gave me more power and determination to fight more and fight harder.
“What is at stake is more than me, it is way beyond the individual but it is about the nation as a whole. There are more people who die from cholera than from human rights incarcerations and as a result we will as human rights defenders suffer in order to bring good governance that will stop hundreds of people from dying of diseases brought by ill-governance,” said Haruzivishe.
He added that prison gave him time to reflect without distractions and bias on the situation in the country and how the system works.
“As a matter of fact, prison gave me an opportunity to reflect and think without bias on the prevailing situation in Zimbabwe and made me understand the system that governs our country because I was locked up with various members of the security forces, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) officials—high ranking officials.
“Most of these people once held influential positions in these organizations but the system had spit them out and as we got to converse, I got to understand how the system works,” he added.
He said that he met a lot of young people in prison who, due to failure to access jobs and education ended up turning to petty crimes and drug abuse and as a result urged youths to register to vote for a government that will panacea the lack of employment and improve accessibility of education as a way of keeping youths out of prison.
“You would see that a good number of young people are in prison, thousands of them, most of them tried going the education way but it was expensive, they could not access education and those who managed to graduate at various levels, be it O’ level, A’ level or university, cannot get employment and they are being forced into drug abuse and petty crimes for survival.
“As such, my message to young people is that they must register to vote and help build a better Zimbabwe for all,” he said.
Haruzivishe is still undergoing trial and reports to the local police station as per his bail conditions.

Mthuli, stop mocking teachers

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Mthuli, stop mocking teachers

Mapombi is not a radical feminist but always supports fellow women, handidi kunzwa anoshungurudza vakadzi especially in politics. It really hurts me when fellow women like ana Johanna, Chimbiri, Marry Mubaiwa, Linda Masarira locally kunana Mai Muchuchuti kuward 4, Everjoy Chidhindi kuward 7 being victimised. Stop victimising women in politics despite their political affliation. Whether ndewekwaMwonzora or Khupe kana LEAD. I hear Chidhindi is being victimised nana Musekiwa and this other guy from Zanu PF. I know with the nature of our voters, Musekiwa stands a better chance but that doesn’t mean he has to bully women. Regai vapinde mugango mune vamwe then adyiwa adyiwa. However, ini segentruman handivanzi, Thokozani Khupe aakurashika vasikana takatarisa. I think someone is ill advising her ini. I really don’t care about her relations naDhagi etc. As a fellow woman, I really support her for taking a bold decision of standing alone, It’s really encouraging though I know she won’t win in any election. Who advised her on the slogan yekurova poto iya, does she have any advisor? What nonsense is that? Vanhu vangasabva paRally vaakunzwa nzeve here nenoise yepoto. Whats the significance anyway? Does it have any meaning or its just stupidity. Hakusi kutsvaka kutishoresa here sevakadzi uku?
But ladies and gentlemen, Mthuli takamudyirei chaizvo? What sin did we commit against this guy to deserve this? I am not a teacher or civil servant but mmm this is a disgrace to humanity if not an insult. I told him to stop whatever he is smoking long ago but he doesn’t listen. I thought ED who claims to be a listening President told his ministers but alas. These guys should stop mocking our teachers and give them something better than peanuts. He is speaking English because of a teacher. He is not alone in this nonsense. I used to think that only men are ruthless but I can see there are other female leaders who have joined Mthuli. This lady anonzi Tumisang Thabela Perm Sec wePrimary and Secondary Education? She has the guts to threaten teachers who are incapacitated with dismissal. Everyone knows that the once noble profession has been reduced to rubbish. I am told even kumamisha uko no one wants a teacher muBeef committee even yemombe dziri kudai kufa neJanuary disease, hanzi they won’t be able to pay kkkk. Iwe Thabela as a woman you ought to have a heart, where is that motherly love heee. Instructing maHead of stations to charge teachers who did not report for duty kudii. Hee are you their employer? If my memory serves me right, civil servants are employed by the public service not the ministry. Iwewe you are also an employee yePublic service, so why are you threatening your workmates? If you are really worried about the children’s right to education, why not lobby for teachers’ salaries vana vadzidze. Are you forgetting that the constitution allows for peaceful industrial action? Vatuka munhu here mateacher aya. They are just demanding what they are owed and stop bullying them.
Your job sisi Thabela is just to advise the employer about the situation in schools not intimidating them or generating a nonsensical circular to intimidate teachers. Give recommendations to the employer aone zvekuita nevashandi vake, simple. I used to believe that women have motherly love but I am beginning to doubt that. If it was true then Mopse was supposed to be the best, Perm Sec Mukadzi, Minister Mkadzi, they could be advocating for the increment in teacher salaries than intimidating them.
Did Mthuli really increase the civil servants salaries or he just gave them their salaries in US at bank rate. Hanzi teachers to import cars duty free, what nonsense is that. How do you expect them to buy cars when they have no meaningful salaries? It’s the same nekuti vakadzi vese vaakugerwa ndebvu mahara kkkk. Vanodzitenga nei, after all they can ask their relatives to use the facility but the challenge now is bureaucracy, even if a teacher has some side hustles and afford to buy one, haa the channels that he /she has to follow kuti zviite are so monotonous zvekuti I don’t think they would be patient enough, imagine munhu ari kwedu kwaChirimudombo he has to endure a lot of costs to Harare to prepare all the paper work apa pane a lot of back and forth. Ndokunonzi kutengeswerwa dummy uku hapana hapana.
I hate people who say uncle Bob was better but sometimes you will be forced to believe kuti pamwe Isure. At least takambo enjoyer, teachers once enjoyed and they could get up to US$500. Now hakuna kana.
Before I go hangu kunokanga maputi angu for lunch, ko chaitemura change chava kuseva now choda kutemurazve kkkk, vanhu havana tsitsi naRugeje sure. He was bubbling with confidence last week apo achiti kubirwa kwakaitwa musarudzo, the politburo endorsed it and no one was going to reverse that. Zvino after a week, the Croc as usual intervened to the rescue of its faction in Masvingo. The Croc had lost control to Chiwenga but it has proved that it’s still in the game kkkk. But Zanu soo ka, ma1. They deny rigging elections but from how they rig each other in the primaries you can see kuti zvibaba paRigging. Let me warn my brother Robson Mavhenyengwa, please be careful, the Croc still has teeth, and please make sure you handle the by-election well, ukasadaro unonyura, remember Rugeje akaenda after failing primaries. Don’t say handina kumbotaura, the axe is hanging lower over your head. Hanzi tichaona kuti makavhota sei and we will then use that to fire you. Zanu haina tsitsi. That’s Zanu for you. Inini handisati ndawana party yekusuppoter hangu, CCC yachowo haina kurongeka haa unoshaya woendepi chaizvo.
Just another quick one, let me warn the thieves who are surrounding Chamisa. Please stop influencing our young boy to make silly decisions. Look now he has failed to solve the Masvingo urban ward 4 issue. He did the same with Maboke. He gave him seven days to withdraw but he is still the Mayor kkkk. Manje if he is failing to deal with isolated cases like his kuzoti next year when the whole country will be doing primaries kkkk.
Has anyone ever heard of Mboko, if anyone has his contact please ngaandipe, I want to ask him to politely talk to our beloved sister Thokozani asiyane nekuridza mapoto atsvake zvimwe zviri nani. I don’t want to sound tribalistic, but I think he is the best person to explain to her, achimuudza netsumo nemadimikira eNdebele maybe she can understand better. Mboko imboko !!!!

ED, Chiwenga battle to control Masvingo continues

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ED, Chiwenga battle to control Masvingo continues

. . . As Mnangagwa orders removal of 28 from PCC
… Machacha rates Masvingo elections rigging the worst

Brighton Chiseva

MASVINGO – The battle to control Masvingo province between President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Rtd General Constantino Chiwenga continues to escalate taking dramatic turns after the former ordered removal of losers who had been smuggled into the Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) by the new executive.
The new executive chaired by Zaka North MP Robson Mavhenyengwa had replaced 38 members who won the December 28, 2021 elections with some losing candidates from their faction in a bid to strengthen their faction against the rivals aligned to former chairperson and resident Minister Ezra Chadzamira.
Lt. Gen (Rtd) Engelbert Rugeje had assured that there wont be changes to the new executive when he addressed the last PCC meeting, a decision which was overturned by Mnangagwa barely a week later when he sent a delegation led by Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology principal director Munyaradzi Machacha to kick out the 38 members who were sneaked into the executive despite losing.
Speaking at the PCC meeting, Machacha said Masvingo had recorded the worst rigging antics out of the 10 provinces saying the President will send another team to investigate the alleged rigging.
“The President does not want to work with people who rig elections that is why he and the politburo have assigned us to address the irregularities. We have come to make sure that those who won are in the executive and those who lost must not be part of PCC.
“Another team will be coming down soon to deal with other outstanding issues. If that team comes and discover that you went into the bush and voted for yourself, then you can be fired from the executive. Masvingo is the worst in terms of rigging compared to the other provinces but everything will be corrected to make sure that the right people are in these positions,” Machacha said.
Chadzamira team won 77 posts while Mavhenyengwa’s side got 43. The recent reversal by Machacha left Mnangagwa firmly in control of the province through the Chadazamira team which now has the majority in the PCC.
The Chiwenga faction led by Mavhenyengwa allegedly smuggled in some of its losing candidates in an attempt to strengthen its control of the province.
Mavhenyengwa told TellZim News that the changes made by Machacha are likely to cause disunity in the province. Mavhenyengwa castigated the Machacha team saying the members who were kicked out of the PCC were the ones who won the elections.
“The members who were removed are the ones who were in fact elected by the people. I am confused by the decision and this might affect unity in the province. However, I have to follow the party’s decision and accept the changes made,” said Mavhenyengwa.
Sources within the party told TellZim News that out of the 38 members who had been replaced by losing candidates from the Mavhenyengwa faction, 28 have since been reinstated and 10 are yet to be included.
The 10 are Energy Mutodi, Godfrey Mukungunugwa, Felix Gwara, Josphat Zendera, Plaxedes Mhlambi, Tichagwa Chengeto, Machara Hove, a Chauke and Mahiya.
Energy Mutodi won with more than 300 votes against Bikita South MP Josiah Sithole with 281 votes but they went on to include Sithole ahead of Mutodi who they say had not completed his transfer from Mashonaland East and Mutodi is said to be eying Sithole’s seat in 2023.
Mukungunugwa won uncontested in Chivi North but Mathias Tongofa later appeared on the winners’ list with only four votes and Mukungunugwa with a zero – meaning only four people in the whole constituency managed to vote. Mukungunugwa is also said to be positioning himself for Chivi North seat in 2023 general elections.
Other losers who had been smuggled into the excecutive include Mavhenyengwa’s right handman John Chikomo who is tipped to take over the Zaka North from Mavhenyengwa. Chikomo had lost to a Chipato but he was given a post in the executive.
In Masvingo West Felix Gwara had been replaced by Todd Nyengerai despite garnering 352 votes against Gwara’s 88.
Chengeto Tichagwa won with 357 votes against Jairos Tandiwe but the latter found his way into the executive and now they are claiming that Tichagwa did not submit her CV and there is no record and this corresponds with what Machacha said on Masvingo having no records.
In Chivi Central, the incumbent legislator Ephraim Gwanongodza who is a close ally to Mavhenyengwa was walloped by Dr Tapiwa Murambi but was included in the executive after Murambi was accused to have ties to the opposition parties.

Chiwenga promises peace ahead of by-elections

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Chiwenga promises peace ahead of by-elections

Melinda Kusemachibi

As the long awaited March 26, 2022 by-elections draw near, Zanu-PF claims that there will be peace in the run up to the elections despite the party being ‘historically known to employ violence’ during polls.
Acting President Constantino Chiwenga who was guest of honor at this year’s World Wetlands Day celebrations at Njovo in Zezai village in Masvingo Central declared that peace will reign before the elections before accusing opposition parties of resorting to violence during campaigns.
“Those who think a country can be built by foreigners or opposition parties use violence thinking that outsiders will come and rescue them. We do not want to hear that. All campaigns in the country should be peaceful up until March 26, 2022, but we are going to win the elections in all the seats and build a Zimbabwe we all want,” said Chiwenga.
However, Chiwenga briefly turned the commemorations into a mini-rally before claiming victory for Zanu PF ahead of by-elections.
“In all districts which are being contested by oppositions who calls themselves ‘Chete-chete’, we are going to do something which has never happened before.
“Unogoita chete-chete pakuitasei ndiwe wega urimunyika here? (How can it be only you as if you are the only person in this world)? There is no such thing. We want to build a Zimbabwe we all want,” said Chiwenga.
Masvingo province will have nine by-elections on March 26 this year, with seven local authority elections and two national assembly ones.
Masvingo Urban has four vacant wards, with two in Chivi and one in Bikita.
For national assembly, there is Chivi South and Mwenezi East.

ZEC’s inadequate information erodes voter enthusiasm

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ZEC’s inadequate information erodes voter enthusiasm

Fredrick Moyo

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) reluctance to fully inform the public has eroded voting enthusiasm, with the commission being accused by Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) of inadequately advertising nor placing signage on voter registration sites.
Community Tolerance Reconciliation and Development (COTRAD) Programmes Officer Ishmael Kupfuwa said the low turnout of people visiting registration centres is because of inadequate information about the registration blitz while some have no required documents.
“The low turn-up of people going to register as voters is notably due to lack of information about mobile voter registration centres and also failure to have national identity cards especially to those who recently reached the voting age. Many people especially those in rural areas who do not have access to social media platforms have not been reached with adequate information,” said Kupfuwa.
He added that ZEC should strengthen their access to information using the media and also place posters in public places and in constituencies where the blitz is taking place and providing voter education as stated in section 239 of the constitution.
“ZEC should intensify access to information through the mainstream media, local radio stations, roadshows, adverts through local media houses and putting posters at public places in constituencies where mobile voter registration is taking place.
“It is the role of ZEC to provide voter education and register voters as enshrined in section 239 of the National Constitution and various actors should be allowed to compliment ZEC in voter education without stringent conditions provided in section 40C of the Electoral Act,” he added.
Election Resource Centre (ERC) Legal and Advocacy Officer Takunda Tsunga said lack of information about the blitz is leading to low turnout.
“The low turnout can be attributed to amongst other things lack of awareness on the blitz. There was insufficient information provided on the location of the mobile BVR kits and the blitz itself.
“There has been an increasing apathy brought about by disputed 2018 elections and the resultant lack of the implementation of electoral reforms necessary to build public confidence in electoral processes which will increase participation. Failure to implement reforms is impacting on participation levels and ZEC must carry out a robust awareness campaign working with all relevant stakeholders,” said Tsunga.
ZEC launched 287 registration centres in Masvingo province in the current blitz which will run from February 1 to 30, 2022, followed by the next that will run from April 11 to 30, 2022.

Is Zimbabwe prepared for natural disasters?

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Is Zimbabwe prepared for natural disasters?

Melinda Kusemachibi

The year 2019 remains a painful memory in the history of Zimbabwe after Cyclone Idai swept through Manicaland and parts of Masvingo province resulting in the death of many.
In 2014, many villagers in Zunga area of Chivi district of Masvingo were left homeless and were subsequently displaced to Chingwizi area after Tugwi-Mukosi dam flooded.
The situation at Chingwizi when the evacuation centre was established following the flooding of Zimbabwe’s biggest inland dam was so dire, with both government and donors having a hard time trying to meet the needs of the desperate villagers.
Tropical Storm Ana made a landfall in the last few days leaving a trail of destruction in some parts of the country, and before the country takes a sigh of relief, Cyclone Batsirai is bellowing in the Indian Ocean threatening to change lives for the worse in early February.
Questions have been raised on preparedness of government through Civil Protection Unit (CPU) to handle such natural disasters as in almost every occurrence of a natural disaster, the country has been caught off-guard, putting many lives at risk.
In the wake of the past disasters, the country may have learnt a thing or two in disaster preparedness, but huge gaps still remain.
The CPU in Masvingo recently said it is ready to combat disaster which might be caused by the spilling of Tugwi-Mukosi dam.
Masvingo Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Jefter Sakupwanya said relaying of information to the target community is the only way to go for now to avert the likely problems to people living downstream Tugwi-Mukosi dam.
“We are sending warning so that people stop activities they were doing along river banks since the dam spilled,” said Dr Sakupwanya.
Chiredzi CPU chairperson, Lovemore Chisema said they have incorporated opinion leaders at Chilonga to help in the campaign to encourage people not to cross flooded rivers.
“We are doing campaigns to educate villagers to desist from crossing flooded rivers and we have also incorporated village elders and other opinion leaders at Chilonga Business Centre to help in campaigns. In case the dam burst, we will evacuate people but currently there are no people who live near rivers but carryout activities like gardening near river banks,” said Chisema.
A situational report by United Nations International Children’s Educational Fund (UNICEF) estimated that 270 000 people, including 129 600 children were affected by Cyclone Idai across the country.
Everyone has right to shelter, but to date, many people are still living in tents as evidenced by both the Chingwizi and Chimanimani situations. Survivors are experiencing the worst living conditions as they do not have enough resources for survival.
The United Methodist Church (UMC) intervened in the dire humanitarian situation by building proper houses for four Bikita families that have been living under deplorable conditions since March 2019 when Cyclone Idai hit their area.
Again, Save the Children invested over US$2 million for Cyclone Idai victims in Masvingo and Manicaland. This initiative is there to help and save affected children in the two provinces.
Women and children are often at the receiving end of the vulnerability posed by lack of preparedness in the face of disasters, with gender based violence, child marriages and teenage pregnancies being the direct result of this vulnerability.
Musasa Project Advocacy and communication officer Rotina Musara said emergency response systems to child marriages need to be deliberated in those areas after cases of child marriages rose due to children not going to school as a result of destruction of infrastructure.
“Cases of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and child marriages increased in emergency areas such as the cyclone Idai affected areas that are Chipinge and Chimanimani. Musasa in 2021 assisted 990 GBV survivors in those areas of which some were incidences of child marriages.
“It is important that emergency response systems to GBV be deliberate in those areas. Referral systems need to be strengthened while various institutions become important to ensure quality service provision.
“Musasa has been providing shelter services, counseling, medical support, transport assistance, legal support through the Zimbabwe Idai Recovery Project support by World Bank, United Nations Office for Project Service( UNOPS), United Nations Population Fund( UNPF),” said Musara.
A cyclone idai victim who resides in Chingwizi camp said they are living in tents and other makeshift structures which is difficult especially in rainy season.
As of March 21 2019, a total of 250 000 people were reported to have been affected by floods in nine districts. An estimated 48 percent of the affected population is under the age of 18.
What is worrying is that despite government reporting budget surplus, it seems to focus more on political programmes while relying on the benevolence of donors whenever a natural disaster strikes.
In earlier disasters, it is conceivable that schools could have been closed earlier and children sent home if the country had adequate information for example instruction to ‘move to higher ground’ should have been part of evacuation process.
The situation at St. Charles Lwanga High School, where 200 children, teachers and support staff were stranded for two days and left to face the cyclone three school children died.
The fact that Cyclone Idai struck at night made the situation worse, and with no adequate preparedness, Zimbabwe had no designated evacuation centers. Chimanimani Hotel led the way when it provided refuge to 200 families, a number that reached 500 over two months.
Poor infrastructure still rings at places where the cyclone happened and to date only few roads affected by Cyclone Idai are functioning, a situation likely to be worsened by the coming of more flooding associated with tropical storms and cyclones every rainy season.

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