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Chiredzi people alarmed as Malilangwe lion goes loose

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Chiredzi people alarmed as Malilangwe lion goes loose
Malilangwe

Beatific
Gumbwanda

CHIREDZI
– A
team of wildlife scouts from Hippo Valley and Malilangwe Trust Conservancy are
tracking a large lion which strayed and is believed to be roaming somewhere in
Hippo Valley Game area, TellZim News can report.

The Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe
(THZ) Safety and Healthy Environment (SHE) recently issued an alert of the
stray wild cat.

The lion’s spoor were
first spotted on Friday in Hippo Valley’s section 20 and then to Dambalangwe
Hill as well as up to and around Gozonya Hill.

“Employees and the
community in general are all being warned on the presence of a large male lion
which has been sighted on the estates. The spoor of the lion was seen near Section
20 shed on Friday 12 June 2020. The lion travelled some distance going up to
Dambalangwe Hill as well as up to Gozonya Hill,” reads the alert.

The department also
warned people against venturing into the Hippo Valley Game area where the lion
is believed to be holed up.

“The Wildlife
Scouts continue to track the animal with an aim to drive it back to Malilangwe
or managing it before it causes any harm. The lion is still currently in the
game area of Hippo Valley Estates and people are safe as long as they do not
trespass into the game area,” further asserts the alert.

Hosts to the Big Five, Malilangwe
Trust Conservancy is considered one of the best, well-secured animal sanctuary
in Zimbabwe.

Hippo Valley Estates
also has well-trained scouts in its game reserves, where buffalos and other
animal species like kudus and impala are still found.

Last month, Berty
Chigwe, a 20-year-old man from Munyamana village in Rimbi, Ward 21 under Chief
Musikavanhu, was admitted to St Peter’s Mission Hospital after he was savagely
attacked by a lioness while working with others in a cotton field.

The people in parts of
Chipinge and Chiredzi districts are perpetually in conflict with wild animals
that often stray from Save Valley Conservancy and Gonarezhou National Park.

 

 

Mashava Hospital almost ready for Covid-19 patients

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Mashava Hospital almost ready for Covid-19 patients

Masvingo provincial Covid-19 taskforce members including its chairperson Ezra Chadzamira (with hat) are seen at the isolation centre at Silveira Mission in Bikita back in April



Ratidzo Munembi

Preparations to turn Mashava Mine
Hospital into a full-fledged Covid-19 isolation centre are advancing, with one
wing of the health facility now ready to take in some patients, TellZim News can
reveal.

The hospital, situated in the
Gaths Mine, can accommodate over 300 people when fully-equipped and is currently
ready to absorb some pressure in case of a great emergency.

Masvingo Provincial Information
officer (PIO) Rogers Irimayi, who also chairs the risk communication
subcommittee of the provincial Covid-19 taskforce, said work was being done to
make sure the hospital became fully ready.

“Work on one wing of the hospital has
already been completed and work on the rest of the wings is underway. We are
confident the work will be completed very soon so as to make the hospital ready
for any possible spike in the number of coronavirus positive cases this winter,”
said Irimayi.

He said he was pleased because
completion of preparations will make Mashava Mine Hospital the biggest
isolation centre in the whole province.

“We have other isolation centres
in all the districts of the province so the provincial taskforce has been
working hard to increase capacity and the quality of care that can be provided there.
Mashava Mine Hospital will take us a step further in our capacity to care for
Covid-19 patients in a hospital setting,” said Irimayi.

The provincial Covid-19
taskforce, which is chaired by the Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial
Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira, has also announced plans to establish
another isolation centre at Sango Boarder Post in Chiredzi South to cater for
those coming from Mozambique and South Africa with severe symptoms.

As on June 14, the province’s
isolation centres were largely empty as its 49 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were
mostly asymptomatic. When a case is asymptomatic, the person is released to
self-isolate at home with some supervision from the Ministry of Health and
Child Care.

The province currently has 10
isolation centres in all the seven districts at Silveira Mission Hospital (Bikita),
Mashoko Mission Hospital (Bikita) Bikita District Hospital (Bikita), Rupangwana
(Chiredzi), Chiredzi General Hospital (Chiredzi), Chivi District Hospital
(Chivi), Gutu Mission Hospital (Gutu), Rujeko Clinic (Masvingo Urban), Neshuro
District Hospital (Mwenezi) and Ndanga District Hospital (Zaka).

 

Covid-19: Call for Parliament to shelve public hearings

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Covid-19: Call for Parliament to shelve public hearings

Upenyu Chaota

In the wake of the
coronavirus pandemic, Parliament of Zimbabwe had suspended public hearings on
the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 2 but recently announced that
the hearings will continue.

This caused serious
concern in the civil society, with the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) now
taking parliament to task over the move.

With the country in an
indefinite level 2 national lockdown, movement of people remains restricted and
CiZC said that people will not be able to participate in the public hearings
fully.

In a statement, CiZC said
that the current movement restrictions will stop people from contributing and
expose them to Covid-19.

“The Crisis in Zimbabwe
Coalition (CiZC) rejects the premature announcement of Public Hearings dates on
proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill No2 and call on the Parliament of
Zimbabwe to suspend the hearings.

“The announcement comes
at a time when the country is in lockdown level 2 due to the COVID 19 pandemic,
a move which will unnecessarily expose citizens to Covid-19 unless necessary
and sufficient measures are put in place.

“This is to ensure that
citizens are not exposed to Covid-19 and that citizens’ voices are heard and
respected during the Public Hearings on the proposed but absolutely unnecessary
Constitutional Amendment No. 2,” reads the statement.

The Public Hearings on
Constitutional Amendment Bill No2 were initially scheduled to take place from
March 29 to April 3 but were suspended together with all parliamentary
activities from March 18 to May 5, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

CiZC said that the
country has no capacity to deal with a full blown Covid 19 crisis hence the
need to shelf all public hearings until the situation normalizes.

“The Parliament of
Zimbabwe must ensure that Covid-19 preventative measures are in place before
any public hearings commence. It is strange that the public hearings are
resuming at a time when the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has suspended
all electoral activities citing Covid-19 regulations.

 “Some of the key
Covid-19 measures announced by the government which have a huge effect on
citizens’ contributions to this process include maintaining social distance at
all times, wearing face masks outdoors, limiting unnecessary travel and travel
restrictions locally and between towns and cities, except for those providing
essential services, and a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people,” reads the
statement.

Masvingo in coronavirus recovery wonder

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Masvingo in coronavirus recovery wonder
Rujeko Clinic isolation centre

… as three provinces maintain zero recovery cases

TellZim Reporter

A total of 13 of Masvingo’s 49 coronavirus cases recorded over the last four weeks have recovered, making the province
a top performer in terms of per capita recoveries, TellZim has discovered.

The province recorded its first
case on May 21, with several more cases being registered in the ensuing days; 12
of them on a single day on May 09. This took the cumulative number
of coronavirus positive cases in the province to 42 as on June 12.

On June 08, a national Covid-19
data diagram released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care revealed that 11
people had recovered from the virus, with two more recovery cases being added
on June 11.

This took the recovery rate of
the province to 31.7 percent against the national average of 14.86 percent.

In the adjacent Midlands
province, the recovery rate stood at 9.67 percent from a total of 31 confirmed
coronavirus positive cases as on June 14.

Harare, the national epicenter of
the virus, had 18 recoveries out of 149 confirmed cases, putting the
metropolitan province’s recovery rate at 12 percent.

With 46 cases, Matabeleland South
has the third highest number of confirmed coronavirus incidences and zero cases
of recovery.

Manicaland and Mashonaland
Central also have zero recoveries out of their 18 and eight confirmed
coronavirus cases respectively.

Last month, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) praised India for its 31.15 percent recovery rate, but the
country has since reported up to 49 percent recovery rate in more recent days.

On June 14, Zimbabwe’s recovery
rate had dropped to 14.09 as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to
383, with a total of 54 recoveries. The Masvingo provincial recovery rate also
dropped to 26.53 percent after cases rose to 49.

The country has registered only
four deaths since the first case was confirmed on March 23.

 

Sugarcane farmers , Tongaat relationship deteriorates

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Sugarcane farmers , Tongaat relationship deteriorates

… farmers complain over ‘exploitative’ cane grading process

CHIREDZI –
Out-grower farmers under the Zimbabwe Sugarcane Growers Collective (ZSGC) recently
petitioned Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe (THZ) complaining over what they consider to
be an exploitative working relationship between them.

The
farmers allege that THZ is failing to take reasonable measures to preserve,
protect and promote the dignity and viability of the sugarcane growers.

The
farmers signed a milling agreement with Tongaat Hulett Zimbabwe for the
processing of sugarcane into raw sugar.

[read related story here https://tellzim.com/2019/10/tongaat-hulett-fights-zimra-over-vat.html ]

Through
the arrangement, farmers pay a milling fee to THZ under the Division of
Proceeds (DoP) ratio of 87:23 percent.

ZSGC,
however, feels there are now several new factors that must be considered in
light of a changed environment characterised by higher production costs.

The
petition was delivered by Bernadette Chipembere and signed by Anatholia Mukwe
and Kutsirai Mufari as witnesses.

It
bears an eight-point query involving Value Added Tax (Vat), exorbitant costs of
inputs, erratic delivery or distribution and allocation of inputs, unreliable
grading process, disparity of local mill door price, disclosure of Zimbabwe
Sugar Sales (ZSS) cost structures as well as consultation with sugarcane
growers and poor governance systems.

“We
are the sugarcane growers of Zimbabwe gathered herein under the banner of the
Zimbabwe Sugarcane Growers Collective in our capacity as petitioners concerned
however about the deteriorating relationship between THZ and the sugarcane
growers largely due to THZ’s failure to take reasonable measures to preserve,
protect and promote the dignity and viability of the sugarcane growers,” reads
part of the petition.

On
July 2019, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) issued a directive that 15
percent VAT must be charged on the miller’s 23 percent DoP share of cane
revenue but THZ sought relief in the courts.

“On
the 5th of July 2019, the THZ Finance Director confirmed to all
sugarcane growers by a way of letter that the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority had
issued a directive to the effect that the 15% was applicable on DoP share of
cane revenue regardless of the nature of the cane supply agreement.

“It
is common cause that THZ has now sought legal relief to object to the ZIMRA
directive , and has in the same instance arbitrarily taken an untenable
antagonistic position to levy the 15% VAT on top of the milling agreement,”
reads the petition.

The
petition also underlined alleged disparities in the grading process where
farmers are not technically involved.

“All
sugarcane growers are not involved in the grading process, and the miller
produces a handwritten paper as the weigh bill. Given the glaring governance
issues flagged by the PwC audit report, [and] in a bid to protect the sugarcane
grower from potential manipulation, we demand that the weigh bill and ERC must
be computer-generated and that the Sugarcane grower must be given a pre-emptive
option to witness the weighing process,” reads the petition.

One
sugarcane farmer and businessman, Saul Chin’anga said he hoped the petition
will be treated with urgency it deserved by the Managing Director Aiden Mhere.

“This
matter is beyond all these new guys and the 13 retired executives from Tongaat
Hulett. The matter sits with Mhere so the recent appointments will not make any
difference,” said Chin’anga.

 

 

 

 

Veterai regains ZSDA leadership

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Veterai regains ZSDA leadership
Edmore Veterai

…as
High Court dismisses magistrate’s elections ruling

Beatific Gumbwanda

Former Zimbabwe Republic Police
(ZRP) Senior Assistant Commissioner Edmore Veterai was recently reinstated as
Zimbabwe Sugarcane Development Association (ZSDA) chairperson by the High Court
following his appeal seeking the overturning of election results which he
argued were rigged.

Zimbabwe Sugarcane Development
Association (ZSDA) last year held elections to select the new administrative
executive after Chiredzi Magistrate Rogers Mawarire, under court order GL54/19,
ruled that elections be held by July 18, 2019.

The elections were held despite
protestation by the rival Elisha Tamirepi camp which had sought a court order
to postpone elections on the basis that obtaining conditions that time would
give the Veterai camp an unfair advantage.

The elections were held at Pore
Pore Hall in Mkwasine and were convened by Chiredzi Rural District Council chairperson
Edward Matsilele. The Tamirepi camp defeated the Veterai camp by 74 votes to 60
but Veterai disputed the result on the basis of rigging, claiming that non-association
members were allowed to vote.

[Read related story here https://tellzim.com/2019/07/elections-threaten-to-tear-zsda-apart.html ]

In his High Court submissions Veterai
argued that Mawarire’s ruling was compromised as the Tamirepi camp had
clandestinely solicited for a favourable ruling.

Veterai also lodged a complaint
to the Chief Magistrate’s officer over what he said was Mawarire’s unbecoming
behavior.

He then obtained relief from the
High Court judge, Justice Neville Wambambo and Justice Sunsley who set aside
Mawarire’s judgement and restored the chairmanship to him.

“The point in limine in
jurisdiction is upheld and the application be and is hereby dismissed for want
of jurisdiction,” reads the High Court ruling.

The Tamirepi camp was ordered to
meet the costs of the appeal.

During the time of waiting for
the High Court judgement, ZSDA had split into two groups that never missed an
opportunity to malign each other.

Veterai said he will now work
hard to heal past divisions for the common good of all the organisation’s
members.

Craft Properties spreads its wings to Masvingo

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Craft Properties spreads its wings to Masvingo
Kudakwashe Tarubereka




TATENDA CHIZU

MASVINGO – Exciting times abound in the housing development industry of Masvingo with fast-growing construction company, Craft Properties (Pvt) Ltd opening a branch in the ancient city.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder of Craft Properties, Kudakwashe Taruberekera who is from Masvingo, promised to change the face of the construction industry in the town.
“These indeed are exciting times for us and the people of Masvingo as we are looking at changing the industry in the oldest urban area with products they have only been dreaming of.
“We are bringing world-class innovations and a work ethic. We will also use our contacts and world-wide networks to bring the best for our new clients in Masvingo,” said Taruberekera.
Craft Properties Zimbabwe, a subsidiary of Craft Properties Holding, is located at Number 18A Bradburn Street and opened its doors to the public on June 01 this year.
The company is prepared to partner individuals, organisations in and around Masvingo who have land that needs to be developed into residential and industrial stands where Craft Properties offers very flexible conditions.
The company, which is headquartered in Kadoma, has successfully implemented housing development projects in the City where it developed 1573 high density residential stands and an Agro-Residential Plots Project comprising 93 plots.
The land development and construction giant has dominated the construction industry in Kadoma for the past 12 years setting its sight on consolidating its dominance by spreading its wings across Zimbabwe this year.
Taruberekera said the company seeks to complement Government’s Vision 2030 by which President Emmerson Mnangagwa has set his sight at making Zimbabwe an upper-middle income economy.
“We believe the year 2020 is ours to take giant steps in dominating the industry so we would engage massive business and investment in and around the country. We intend to offer our excellent services in land development and construction to every town and city in Zimbabwe with an aim to improve housing developments for the communities and individuals.
“The company needs to ensure ready availability of decent and affordable shelter to the people of Zimbabwe in line with the Government’s initiatives of improving housing standards of the nation at large,” said Taruberekera.
Craft Properties (PVT) Ltd was established in 2008 as a small organization and has grown to become a reputable organization that has earned respect and recognition both locally and internationally. The company has expanded and now boasts of various entities registered locally and falling now under the holding company, Craft Properties Holdings.
The company has also established the Craft Properties USA LLC in the United States of America that principally deals in real estate business. Craft Properties USA LLC specializes in property sales and management, project management and land development, asset valuations and advisory services.
The company supplies building and construction materials, appraisal management, construction, risk management, auctioneering, property accounting services and tenant/buyer management. 
Craft Properties USA LLC also coordinates international business for the organization and mobilizes investors for Zimbabwe in various sectors of the economy.
“We have been on a growth trajectory in recent years and in 2020 we see ourselves spreading to all provinces in Zimbabwe. Our vision can only be achieved with the support our organization gets from clients and stakeholders since inception in 2008. 
“We are sincerely grateful to our clients and stakeholders who made it possible for us to get this far since our establishment 12 years ago,” he said. 
Craft Properties (PVT) Ltd has also been chosen as the high profile representative of regional business elite on behalf of Summit of Leaders organizing committee at a business conference held in Oxford United Kingdom. 
The diversified property developer has also been awarded an International Business Licence in Oxford, UK by the Europe Business Assembly in accordance with the United Kingdom Trade Marks Act of 1994 and Europe Business Assembly awards regulations which allows it to operate internationally.

Masvingo vendors get PPE from VISET

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Masvingo vendors get PPE from VISET

TellZim
Reporter

MASVINGO
– The Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation (Viset) has
today, June 10, donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to vendors at
Tafara market in Mucheke.

A consignment of hand
sanitisers and hand washing bucket tanks were among some of the donated items.

The Tafara market is located in Ward 1 whose Councilor Selina Maridza expressed gratitude to the donations saying market places pose a serious threat
if they are ignored.

“A lot of people come
to do business at this market and this means that there will be great risks of
spreading coronavirus.

“We want to thank Viset
for handing over this donation so that our market place remains safer. Now we
have to make sure that the donation will be put to good use.

“More donations of this
kind are needed at this market,” said Maridza.

Viset director Samuel
Wadzai Mangoma said the donation was a way of empowering women to continue working for
their families during the economic hardships caused by the Covid-19 national
lockdown which has seen most of the informal sector remain closed.

“We have realized that
our economy is largely informal and vendors are contributing a lot to the growth
of the economy.

“The women are the ones
who are working at the markets to feed their families since most companies are
closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic so they need a place which is safe for them
and their customers,” said Mangoma.

Premier Africa disinfects Masvingo Teachers’ College

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Premier Africa disinfects Masvingo Teachers’ College

Diana Gondongwe

Premier Africa, a new company offering disinfection services,
has donated 40 litres of a water based disinfectant to Masvingo Teachers’
College for the disinfection of six hostel blocks, the clinic, the dining hall
and the surrounding areas which were used by people who were quarantined there
in recent weeks.

The organisation also donated an ultra-sonic
disinfectant automiser to the office of the Minister of State for Masvingo
Provincial Affairs and Devolution.

In his remarks, Chadzamira said the private sector was
critical in complementing government efforts in the fight against this pandemic.

He urged communities to not harbour people who escape
from quarantine centres and those who come home straight from neighbouring countries
without getting into mandatory quarantine.

“As I launch this disinfecting programme, I would
like to thank Premier Africa for the donations. I also want to thank other
private organisations who are working with us to contain the pandemic. Communities
should report returnees who have not gone through quarantine and those who run
away from quarantine centres,” Chadzamira said.

Premier Africa director Viktor Hwakwa said they are
working together with the provincial task force to fight the pandemic.

“As Premier Africa, my co director Esther Hwakwa
and I are offering free disinfecting services to the college as a way of fighting
against the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Hwakwa.

Masvingo Teachers’ College principal Benson Mutambudzi
said many facilities at the institution needed to be disinfected as they had
been used by hundreds of repatriates.

“We are thankful to Premier Africa for the free
disinfection offer because we are preparing to welcome back 600 third-year
students,” said Mutambudzi.

Last month, Masvingo province received 681 returnees,
of which 297 were accommodated at Masvingo Teachers’ College starting on May 06.

 

Sanitizers for all golf clubs as courses reopen

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Sanitizers for all golf clubs as courses reopen

Mudzikisi, Cummings and Ngwenya at the handover of sanitizers for Masvingo Golf Club

Moses
Ziyambi

MASVINGO
–
The Zimbabwe Golf Association (ZGA) has welcomed government’s cautious decision
to allow a conditional reopening of the sport, and has taken steps to comply
with the conditions by donating sanitizers to all golf courses in the country.

Masvingo province received
its share this week and such courses as Masvingo, Hippo Valley in the Lowveld and
Mutirikwi in Renco have already benefited.

At national level; Royal
Harare, Chapman and Warren Hills are among other courses that have already
received their own share.

ZGA Masvingo provincial
president Pascal Mudzikisi said he was pleased that his organisation took the
safety of players seriously.

“These have been very
difficult moments for us as an association and for the sport in general but I
am glad that government has acknowledged that we are a low risk sport hence the
special dispensation for our conditional reopening.

“We have taken the
initiative to distribute sanitizers to all golf clubs as a way of demonstrating
our willingness to comply with the conditions and as a way of helping our
courses to improve the safety of players and employees,” said Mudzikisi.

Receiving 40 litres of
sanitizers on behalf of Masvingo Golf Club, deputy club captain Ryan Cummings
thanked ZGA for the effort, saying the assistance came at a time of great need
for the club.

“The lockdown has had a
dire impact on our operations so we welcome the donation which has come when we
have recorded almost zero revenue over the past nine weeks,” said Cummings

The Sports and
Recreation Commission (SRC) recently allowed golfing activities to resume under
strict protocols and guidelines.

The guidelines prohibit
group competitions, the use of caddies and ball spotters as well as the opening
of clubhouses and bars.

Sanitizing
material and running water must be readily available to players, staff and
visitors to the club.

 

 

 

 

 

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