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Chief Neshuro lives large

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Chief Neshuro lives large

…as
he demands forex from villagers

Cephas Shava
MWENEZI – Village
heads that are under Chief Neshuro (real name Rodwell Gudo) are complaining
that the traditional leader is charging foreign currency for services that are
often rendered free of charge.
Last
weekend, each village head in Rutenga West had to pay R50 to receive a 10kg bag
of rice which village heads receive under an annual government programme.
Some
of the village heads told TellZim News that they felt Chief Neshuro was conning
them, saying he was making them pay for services that must not be paid for.
When
contacted for comment, Chief Neshuro denied the allegations, arguing that there
was a named senior politician fighting him and trying by all means possible to
soil his name.
“It’s
true that rice was distributed to village heads under the Zunde raMambo
programme but the truth of the matter is that no one was charged in forex.
There are politicians here who are trying to tarnish my image because we have
got some unresolved land issues,” claimed Chief Neshuro.
However
one of Chief Neshuro’s headmen, Tanaka Zano whose area covers Rutenga West
confirmed that village heads were indeed being made to pay forex for services.
“It’s
true that we convened a meeting that was presided over by the chief himself. Our
village heads were given rice and they were asked to pay R50 transport cost but
those who did not have money were also given the option to pay in the local
currency,” said Zano.
Text
messages had been sent to the village heads informing them that they were
required to pay the R50 when they come to collect their share of the grain.
“Sabhuku
uyai neR50 nesaga empty paMutove neSvondo magwanani muzopiwa rice naMambo
musanonoka kana kutadza. (village head bring R50 and an empty sack at Mutove on
Sunday morning so that you receive your share of rice from the Chief. Make sure
you come early and you comply accordingly),” read one of the messages sent to
one village head.
Other
village heads also complained that the chief was demanding that they raise
foreign currency from their subjects on his behalf.
“Earlier
this year, we were each forced to raise R200 for his car tyres. Although we
managed to raise the money from the villagers the chief did not come back with
the said car tyres, rising suspicious that he could have used the money for
something else.
“He
is exploiting us for his lavish lifestyle and we are now helping him to raise
his maintenance arrears,” fumed one village head who spoke on condition of
anonymity.
Chief
Neshuro has on several occasions been in the media all for wrong reasons. He
was convicted twice at the Mwenezi Magistrate Court after he failed to pay
maintenance arrears to his ex-wife.   

The effects of road sign deficit on Zim’s roads

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The effects of road sign deficit on Zim’s roads

A fallen road sign

Clayton Shereni
Accidents
across the world have been related to various factors including bad roads, bad
weather and human error but the impact of poor road signage has largely been
ignored as one of the major causes of road carnage on Zimbabwe’s roads.
Human
error, according to reports by leading road safety advocacy organization,
Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ), is the biggest cause of road traffic
accidents in Zimbabwe.
The
failure by relevant authorities to provide and maintain traffic signs in order
to guide road users through the numerous accident black spots and hazardous
places on the highways is now being seen as one of the major causes of road
accidents across the country.
In
Zimbabwe’s towns and cities, local authorities are responsible for road signage
and road maintenance while the Ministry of Transport maintains national roads.
These
authorities are doing very little, if anything to maintain roads and road
signage to optimum standards as evidenced by derelict road signs on both
highways and smaller, council-owned roads.
TSCZ
spokesperson Tatenda Chinoda said the roads should communicate with the drivers
which is the international standard.
“Road
signs will enable our roads talk. International best practices speaks about
‘talking’ roads; meaning roads are speaking to the driver and warning them and
advising them where necessary,” said Chinoda.
He,
however, warned that drivers themselves needed to be cautious even where there
was no road sign that could save anybody from gross negligent driving.
“Lack
of these signs does not necessarily translate to serious consequences of road
carnage as the behavior of the drivers themselves determines most of what becomes
of them, their vehicles, fellow motorists and their vehicles as well as pedestrians.
Today, we see drivers are flagrantly ignoring red traffic lights and not
stopping at stop signs. All the best road sign signals are in the mind of the
drivers. This is, however, not to say local authorities have no obligation to ensure
that the roads they construct are talking roads,” said Chinoda.
Some
traffic signs are now old, vandalized and faded while some are located at a
short distance from the hazard, giving no sufficient time for the user to take
action.
These
days’ road users have to bank their safety on their familiarity with the roads
not on the signage or demarcations usually erected on the side of the roads or
on the tarred surface.
Sharing
his sentiments, an illegal pirate driver who plies the Harare-Masvingo highway
route said he was being extra cautious when driving since the road signs are
now faded and some of them are no longer there.
“Our
Harare-Masvingo road is now in an extremely bad state and road signs haven’t
been spared the vandalism, dilapidation and utter neglect. During the night, it’s
very hard for me to drive without the assistance of these road signs which are
supposed to warn me of a hazard as I drive through,” said the driver.
Inadequate
budgetary allocations, corruption and nepotism have also contributed to the
lack of road signs since tenders to maintain and construct roads are allegedly
given to non-deserving companies on political grounds.
If
road signs are maintained, the rate of accidents can drop significantly as road
users would be well-informed of hazardous areas.

Abel Mauchi retires from poetry

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Abel Mauchi retires from poetry

Mauchi with TellZim News news editor Moses Ziyambi

Ruvarashe Chichera

MASVINGO – During the launch of a poet album by Ngoni Paradza at
the Charles Austin theatre on December 6 2019, Abel Mauchi, one of the Masvingo’s
best poets told the audience that he was resigning poetry.
Mauchi performed a poem titled ‘Ndakumboenda’
as a way of saying goodbye to his fans whom he praised for being loyal to him.
He made it known that he will be
focusing on his monuments where he keeps lizards, millipedes, centipedes and
other creepy creatures.
He anointed Paradza as the new
leader of poetry in Masvingo; advising him to groom all other upcoming poets in
the province.
“I am resigning poetry. I will be
focusing on my monuments and the creatures I keep. I am appointing Ngoni as the
leader of all poets in Masvingo as he has proved potentially very great poet
with immense talent. I advise Ngoni to groom all other upcoming artists and
help them improve,” said Mauchi.
He went on to give tips to
upcoming poets surviving skills in the poet industry.
Mauchi is known for his rhyming
poems including Kurwara kwangu mai mwana and Nhai varoyi.
 

Manchester United FC supporters remember Alpha Cottages

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Manchester United FC supporters remember Alpha Cottages

TellZim
Reporter
MASVINGO
– Several
members of the Masvingo Chapter of the Manchester United Supporters Club
Zimbabwe mobilised each other and raised money to buy some groceries for Alpha
Cottages Children Home.
The groceries consisted
of mealie-meal, cooking oil, corn snacks, tea leaves, sugar, rice, salt, toilet
rolls, bars of washing soap and petroleum jelly.
The goods were received
by Alpha Cottages superintendent Brighton Karidza and other members of staff
who said they were humbled by the act of kindness.
“We greatly appreciate
this generous gesture from football lovers. It will help plug some gaps in our
supplies and we pray for this spirit of kindness to find room in the hearts of
many other people,” said Karidza.
He revealed that the
children’s home had registered capacity for 24 children but was currently
accommodating 33.
In his remarks,
Manchester United Supporters Club Masvingo Chapter chairperson Deckford Mautsi
said they decided to come together for a charitable cause in light of the
approaching festive season.
“We realised that this
could be one of the good way of putting smiles on the faces of the
underprivileged this festive season. It is a way of showing the more humane
side of local Manchester United Football Club supporters. We are, therefore, not
just football lovers but responsible community members that are concerned with
the greater societal good and human welfare,” Mautsi.
His words were echoed
by the association’s secretary general Mugejo Makoni who said going forward,
they will be making charity one of their main priorities.



“We won’t end here
because this is just the beginning of greater things that we aspire to do for
our community. This is just but one of the needy areas we have identified. We
acknowledge that we have a role to play in creating an ideal society we all
want. We are an association of responsible people and we want our club to grow
through the work we do in communities,” said Makoni, who also urged other
Manchester United supporters to join the club.

The event was also
attended by the club’s treasurer Isaac Bwanali, deputy treasurer Asiel
Pamhirwa, and chief advisor Josphat Zvemhara.
The club is affiliated
to English premiership football giants Manchester United and is recognised by
the Zimbabwe Sports and Recreation Commission (SRC).

Gvt must fund NAC forex, says ZNNP+

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Gvt must fund NAC forex, says ZNNP+

…ARV
shortages forces HIV+ adults to take pediatric, expired drugs
Courage Dutiro
The
Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+) has urged government
to provide funding to the National AIDS Council (Nac) in foreign currency in
order to stem the rampant shortage of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs).
There
have been many media reports recently to the effect that HIV and Aids
medication was in critically short supply, with health facilities at times
dispensing expired drugs or children’s drugs to adults.
Speaking
during the national commemorations of the World Aids Day held at Mucheke
Stadium, Evelyn Chamisa, who works in the communication department of ZNNP+,
said Nac was failing to procure ARVs due to the unavailability of adequate
foreign currency.
“The
drugs are supposed to be bought by Nac using money raised through the Aids levy
but they do not have foreign currency. Government is failing to avail forex for
the procurement of the anti-retrovirals. As people living with HIV, we fear an
increase in cases of defaulting caused by shortages of the medicine.
“Due
to the unavailability of HIV second-line drugs adults are now forced to take
pediatric drugs. We have also some cases in some provinces where people are
given expired drugs. Our question to the government is what will be the
after-effects of taking expired drugs, kids dosages and single dosages. The
government should make sure the Nac trust fund is built on forex to tackle the
problem,” said Chamisa.
She
said they engaged the government through the parliament in September but
nothing had materialized.
In
his speech at the commemorations, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr
Obadiah Moyo admitted that procurement of adequate ARVs was being hindered by
economic challenges being experienced in the country.
“Funding
for the response remains a major challenge as we grapple with an economic
setback occasioned by poor productivity and critically low levels of foreign
currency. I have been informed that the National Aids Council collects millions
of dollars but have challenges in accessing foreign currency to procure
critical HIV and drugs used to treat non-communicable diseases. I am therefore
appealing to government to prioritise the allocation of foreign currency to Nac
so as to ensure that we do not delay buying the requirements,” said Moyo.
This
year’s World AIDS day commemorations ran under the theme “Communities Make the
Difference”.

Helen McGhie Primary sets new record at Grade 7

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Helen McGhie Primary sets new record at Grade 7

Brighton Chiseva
MASVINGO – Helen McGhie
Primary School this year produced a remarkable 98.96 percent pass rate at Grade
7, setting a new unmatched record of 19 pupils with five units.
Of
the 19 pupils who obtained five units each, 14 are girls; a development which
augurs well for efforts being made to promote the girl child.
The
19 superstars are Audrey Chiguma, Ropafadzo Chivandire, Makanaka Hlasi, Lorreta
Kundanai, Kwashiwa Wayne, Rufaro Mhariwa, Tariro Rwafa, Esther Taendesa,
Makwara Tapiwa, Nenyasha Manyemwe, Jeremiah Mhlanga and Peace Nyaguze.
The
school had never exceeded 14 units in any of its previous examinations, and the
latest achievement will help cement the school’s record as one of the best in Masvingo
province and the whole country.
A
total number of 96 pupils set for the 2019 grade seven exams.
A
total of 17 pupils had six units, 16 had seven, nine had eight, four had nine and
three had 10 units.
From Grade
7 Red were Shalom Chakauya, Rutendo Daka, Laura Gore, Anopa Mpepetwa, Mutayi
Nokutenfa, Tafadzwa Tazvivinga and Takunda Saungweme.
The
school organised a special dinner for the outstanding pupils and their parents
at Bethany House last week where school head Sheilla Deve, teachers and pupils narrated
the journey that led to the results.
Deve
said she was happy with the results which she attributed to hard work and
enduring team spirit across the board.
“We
are very happy with the results which we got this year. The results indicate hard
work from all our stakeholders. The teachers, SDC, ancillary staff and the
pupils themselves worked very hard.
“We
used to have a challenge in the Shona subject but with the help of the parents,
we managed to get a consultant who helped our learners and it has yielded good
results,” said Deve.
She
challenged the 2020 Grade 7 class and their teachers to aim for better
outcomes.
Grade
7 Green teacher, Peuse Zuze said the 2019 results will inspire them to do
better for the sake of the growth of the school’s brand.
“I
think we have super parents. They provided stationery for printing out mock
exams which helped to prepare pupils for the final exams. It was a tough game
to get where we are now,” Zuze said.
Ruzai
Magumise, a grade Seven Red teacher said there was need for continuous
improvement through closer working relationships between teachers, parents and
their children.
Other
Grade 7 teachers are Catherine Muzondo who teaches a special class and Farirai
Hamandishe who teaches Agriculture.

Protesters embarrass Minister Moyo on World Aids Day

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Protesters embarrass Minister Moyo on World Aids Day

…accuse Govt of ignoring crisis in public
hospitals
TellZim Reporter



MASVINGO – Some 23 protesters embarrassed the Minister of Health and
Child Care, Dr Obadiah Moyo as he addressed people who gathered for the
national commemorations of the World Aids Day at Mucheke Stadium recently.
Some of the protesters, who were from HIV and Aids lobby group; The Aids
Arts Foundation (TAAF), lay down in front of the high table as Moyo conducted
his address.
They raised a banner written, ‘Communities Need Doctors and Drugs’ and
they managed to grab the attention of the media dignitaries there present.
Health ministry spokesperson Donald Mujiri tried to
persuade the protesters to disperse so that they could negotiate later but the
protesters refused.
The protesters said they were there to raise awareness against
government’s failure to address the shortage of drugs, equipment and other
things needed for hospitals to operate optimally.
They said they were displeased that government was not taking seriously
the grievances of health personnel in public hospitals; a crisis which has seen
doctors going on strike for several weeks.
“The theme for this year’s World Aids Day Commemorations is,
‘Communities Make the Difference’, but how can they make the difference if they
are incapacitated? There are no drugs in hospitals and people living with HIV,
we can’t get anti-retroviral medication.
“The doctors are on strike and the nurses are demoralised. People are
dying of opportunistic infections and there is no second line treatment. It’s
difficult if not impossible to make the difference needed under those
circumstances,” said TAAF national coordinator Emmauel Gasa.
After his address, Moyo refused to take questions and hos security team
barred journalists from getting close to him.

LACEP in public finance management support drive for Mwenezi

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LACEP in public finance management support drive for Mwenezi

Cephas Shava

MWENEZI – The
Local Authorities Capacity Enhancement Project (LACEP) recently facilitated a
two-day public finance management training workshop where the Mwenezi Rural
District Council (RDC) and its stakeholders got an opportunity to engage on
governance and service delivery improvement issues.
The
project is funded by the European Union (EU) to help enhance participatory
development and make the services of local authorities more inclusive,
gender-responsive and pro-poor.
The
event was held at the Mwenezi Development Training Centre (MDTC) premises,
Neshuro growth point on November 25 to 26.
It
was attended by Mwenezi RDC staff, all the councillors in the district, citizen’s
representatives from various wards and representatives from all other
stakeholders.
LACEP
project coordinator, Philip Kundishora said the programme was being implemented
in four other local authorities namely Mangwe RDC in Matabeleland South, Redcliff
Urban Council in the Midlands, Zibagwe RDC also in the Midlands and Lupane Urban
Council in Matabeleland North.
Kundishora
said the programme was born out of the realisation that there was a missing
link between the conduct of local authorities and residents’ expectations.
“We
are supporting revenue collection and public finance management through
engagement of citizens and local authorities. We initiated this programme upon
realising that during processes like budget consultations, residents do not
attend and they are reluctant to pay rates as they lack confidence in the
consultative processes.
“The
idea, therefore, is to facilitate dialogue and cultivate a spirit of trust
between the local authority and its stakeholders so that we can collectively
identify priority areas and actions for service delivery improvement,” said
Kundishora.
The
engagement saw resident representatives raising their own concerns against the
local authority. It was noted that there was need to work on improving and
modifying the communication channels between the local authority and its
stakeholders.
Another
critical concern that came up was the need for modalities to encourage and
accommodate female participation in the political field as currently all the Mwenezi
RDC’s 18 councillors are male.
Speaking
at the meeting, Mwenezi RDC Council chairperson, Jorum Ncube acknowledged the
existence of loopholes in council processes leading to revenue leakages.
Stakeholders
were then asked to, by the end of the year, identify a single project that will
be worked on and assessed meticulously with LACEP support.
In
the past LACEP extended support towards solid waste management to several RDCs
including Mwenezi.
The
project is currently assisting some local authorities to upgrade their information
systems. Among other improvements, the local authorities are being assisted to
transition from old model software like Pastel Partner to Pastel Evolution.   
  
      

Mumbijo Primary School gets aid from Lions Club

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Mumbijo Primary School gets aid from Lions Club

Elliot Jinjika

BUHERA – Australia-based
charity organisation, Lions Club of Angle Vale recently donated equipment to
Mumbijo Primary School as a way of helping the school deal with some of its
operational challenges.
The
donated equipment included solar panels and several computers.
Some
bicycles, books and school shoes were given to pupils taking Early Childhood
Development (ECD) classes as well as those doing grades one and two.
Parents
from the local community went to the school to witness the donation being
handed over to school authorities.
The Lions Club
of Angle Vale, over the last few years raised the needed money to buy a 40ft container
with donated goods for Murambinda Hospital and Mumbijo Primary School.
Representing
Lions Club of Angle Vale was Kennedy Mavunganidze who was the guest of honour
at the function.
Other
dignitaries who also graced the occasion were Chief Nyashanu and 10 of his
headmen, Nyashanu Mission principal Daniel Jeche, Ward 18 Councillor Wisdom
Jiri, health practitioners and Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officials
on district level.
Speaking
at the event, Mavunganidze said the act of generosity had been made possible by
the efforts of the club’s many members.
“I
was sent back to my own area to assist with what the club had put together. The
idea is to bring transformative change to communities by investing in tangible
things that can help build a better future for children and society as a whole,”
said Mavunganidze.
He
said Lions Club had a keen interest in bridging the seemingly small, yet
critical developmental gaps that exist in communities.
In
a speech read on his behalf by a representative, Buhera District Schools
Inspector (DSI) Godfrey Gumbwanda said the donation was going to lead to key
improvements at the school.
“Most
of the pupils at this school are not computer-literate but we have now been
uplifted. There is a big boost in the ICT department which will now be teaching
computers with fewer hassles. This development is in line with the requirements
of the new curriculum. We really thank you for this idea and initiative,” said
Gumbwanda.
Mumbijo
deputy school head, Munyaradzi Nyasha expressed gratitude for the donation,
saying Lions Club had shown unprecedented generosity to the school
Local
community soccer team Mumbijo Community Football Club, affectionately known as
Wafa Wafa, also received a new soccer kit to help motivate the players and its
stakeholders.
Other
institutions that benefited from the outreach were Nechavava Primary School (25
sports tops and 10 chairs), Bika primary School (25 sports tops and 10 chairs)
and Machaka Football Club (10 sports tops).
The
town of Angle Vale lies on the Adelaide Plains between Gawler and Virginia in
the southern part of Australia.
Despite the Lions Club of Angle Vale being a small club with 16 members,
the club members collectively over the past two years worked tirelessly to
collect these donations, raise money and highlight the need for this support to
beneficiary institutions and communities around them.

Lions Club of Angle Vale donates to Murambinda Hospital

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Lions Club of Angle Vale donates to Murambinda Hospital


Elliot Jinjika

BUHERA –
It was all smiles for a Buhera community recently when Lions Club of Angle
Vale, an international charity organisation based in Australia, made donations to
Murambinda Mission Hospital to the tune of US$15 000.
The
organisation was represented by its treasurer, Kennedy Mavunganidze who happens
to be a native of Buhera district.
The
organisation, whose motto is ‘We Serve’, consists of 16 members most of whom
being retired persons.
“We
conducted a research on the useful things that are needed here at the hospital
and we started raising money. We chose Murambinda because it is a referral hospital,
meaning many clinics in the district are dependent on it for medical cases they
themselves cannot handle.
“It
was not easy as we faced a lot of challenges in raising the required money but
we are moved by the need to stretch a helping hand towards different areas of
need,” said Mavunganidze.
The
organisation donated kitchen cookware, clothing for boys, men and women, shoes,
hospital consumables, linen sheets, spectacles, syringe drivers, books, medical
clothing, weighing scales, commodes, examination tables, office chairs, leg
braces, hospital beds, mattresses, tables, plastic and metal stools, IV stands,
blood pressure machines and cuff, medicine cabinets, wheelchairs, dental
electric chairs among other goods.
Many
Murambinda Mission Hospital staff members expressed great appreciation for the
generous gesture, saying the donation will go a long way in helping the
hospital deliver on its mandate.
“The
donation has brought relief, making it easier for us to take care of the
patients and we thank you so much for coming here with a kind heart. You have
filled a huge gap,” said Nzwisisai Mazuru, a tutor at Murambinda Mission
Training School.
District
Medical Officer, Dr Kwiri said the equipment donated by the club was going to
be of great use in surgical operations and other services.
“The
surgical equipment you brought will be of great help. We will pray for you to
do more as we work together to improve health services at this hospital and
elsewhere,” said Dr Kwiri.
Mavunganidze
thanked members of the club for their capability to acknowledge the role they
could play in improving conditions at rural hospitals in Zimbabwe, saying it
was hard to explain the Zimbabwean situation to people who have not been to
Africa.
He
thanked Buhera Central Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Matthew Nyashanu Gijima for
facilitating the movement of the container to its final destination despite
some challenges.

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