By Rangarirai Shanyurai

People with Disabilities in Masvingo (PWDs) have raised concerns for being left out of a number of governmental projects particularly the allocation of sugarcane plots in Chiredzi recently.
Speaking at a stakeholder meeting on the state of healthcare in Masvingo organised by TellZim in partnership with ZIMCODD at Chevron Hotel on March 27, one participant, Prazen Jakata said majority of PWDs were being left behind in various programmes.
“People with disabilities consistently advocate for inclusion in programmes like the Kilimanjaro project but sometimes we are left behind because many of us are not present when decisions on such important matters are made. I believe the media has a crucial role to play in this regard, we need information on such programmes.
“We are often misinformed or receive information that is difficult to digest. This is why the media should intervene,” said Jakata.
Addressing stakeholders at the same event, Masvingo Province Director for Economic Affairs in the Minister of State for Provincial and Devolution Clever Chingwara emphasized the importance of inclusivity and equal opportunities of PWDs in sugarcane farming sector.
“People with Disabilities are complaining that we left them behind on the allocation of sugarcane farms and the likes but I think the government is looking into it.
“So PWDs representatives should approach our offices with their concerns and need for plots in Chiredzi. For sure if you do not voice out your concerns you might be left behind although the government is trying to include everyone,” said Chingwara.
Chingwara said government had availed 4000 of land for indigenous farmers.
“Throughout a public private sector partnership, I think you have seen us conducting business. The province has successfully allocated 4 000 ha of new sugarcane plots to indigenous farmers benefiting over 2000 farmers from all walks of life,” he said.
He added that they established a multipurpose innovation hub to promote economic development in the province.
“The establishment of a multi-purpose innovation hub in Mwenezi specifically for sesame and all cultural projects processing, represents a significance milestone and a testament to effectiveness of a viable public, private sector publicity funded by Southern Agricultural Deployment (SAD).
“This hub not only enhances local agriculture production but also adds value through processing thereby increasing income potential of farmers and fostering economic development in the province,” said Chingwara.

By Rangarirai Shanyurai

Chivi District Hospital and five schools in Chivi Central are among the first institutions that are going to benefit from a US$50 000 Community Development Fund (CDF) disbursement from government.
The announcement was made on March 22 by Chivi Central Member of Parliament Exevia Maoneke at a field day at Sarah Muza’s homestead in Ward 12.
He said he had received half of its allocation with priority given to Chivi General Hospital solarization as well as other institutions.
“We have received US$50,000, and we decided to prioritize Chivi Hospital solarisation and five other schools.
He said the hospital played a critical role in serving Chivi Central residents, noting that a needs assessment had been conducted to determine priorities.
“We discovered that the hospital has no enough beds, sheets and power back up, despite catering for the entire Chivi Central area. The cost of the required equipment, including scales and a blood pressure machine, could reach US$20 000.
“We decided to allocate the first batch of the Community Development Fund (CDF) to these projects based on the research we conducted with community members and Chivi District Medical Officer (DMO).
“By the end of this year, the projects will be completed because we have already received the funds and we expect the project will begin in the next two weeks,” he said.

By Tatiana Mhararira

Progress resumed recently at the Mucheke main bridge in Masvingo, having been paused late last year, with authorities saying it was now 40 percent complete.
This was revealed by Provincial Director for Economic Affairs, Clever Chingwara who was standing in for Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira at an all stakeholders meeting to discuss state of healthcare in the province at Chevron Hotel on March 27, 2025.
“Additional efforts on the Chevron Bridge are now at 40 percent completion and designs for Chimusana Bridge are at advanced stages, both of which will alleviate congestion in Masvingo City,” said Chingwara.
Chingwara also revealed government’s plans to empower farmers with government said to have availed 4 000ha of sugarcane plants under the Kilimanjaro project. Indigenous farmers are set to benefit from the project.
The Mucheke Bridge is located on the Harare-Masvingo Beitbridge highway and is used by heavy trucks going plying the Harare-Beitbridge highway, with it also being used by the locals to cross to Masvingo CBD and is the only route into town when Chimusana Bridge is flooded.
With the bridge being the only way through to the CBD from across the river, traffic congestion stretches from the bridge to Masvingo Polytechnic and to Chikato Police station from the other side.
Masvingo City 2012/13 budget, Masvingo City Council had proposed US$800 000 for the widening of Chimusana Bridge and in 2014 council then indicated that the same project needed at least US$2.5million.

By Beverly Bizeki

As Zimbabwe grapples with the effects of the withdrawal of USAID funding for its health sector, researchers have suggested the adopting a hybrid taxation model, tapping into the country’s corporate sector to help address the crisis.
Speaking at an All Stakeholders Meeting on the state of healthcare in the province hosted by TellZim in collaboration with ZIMCODD, Dr. Ramphal Sillah emphasized the importance of shifting from a funding model to a resourcing model, where both corporations and citizens contribute not just money, but tangible resources.
“When it comes to the budget side of things in healthcare financing in Zimbabwe, statistics have shown that there has always been a shortfall. We also have bureaucratic inefficiencies whereby, despite underfunding, the health sector fails to spend the little that it is given. There is a need to consider decoloniality, where we develop a fit-for-purpose approach to our systems. The first step in doing away with coloniality is to reject money because as much as it is easy to raise money, it is also easy to embezzle it,” said Dr Sillah.
Dr. Sillah said government funding alone was insufficient, citing Masvingo General Hospital’s bid for an equivalent of US$9.9 million budget of which only 13 percent was allocated leaving a significant deficit for the hospital.
To address this shortfall, he suggested a hybrid taxation model, where businesses directly contribute to hospitals instead of just paying traditional corporate taxes.
“With salaries covered by the government, Masvingo province has 25 registered pharmacies, and these could provide the 30 percent required for drugs. Pharmacies could contribute commodities like drugs because they are already trading in the sector,” he explained.
“Private pharmacies are supposed to pay corporate taxes, and this can be done in the commodity they are trading in. To ensure compliance, the government can make it a policy to renew operating licenses only for pharmacies that contribute to the hospital. In addition to that, departments like ZIMRA and the Ministry of Health can form a committee to ensure accountability.”
Dr. Sillah also suggested that fuel stations could contribute to the health sector by providing fuel for hospital ambulances.
“Fuel stations are mushrooming, clearly showing that there must be something there. For a 280-bed hospital like Masvingo Provincial Hospital, calculations based on international standards showed that 21 ambulances would be required to service the hospital, with an estimated 9,125 liters of fuel required monthly,” he said.
“Zimbabwe has 1 048 registered fuel stations, up from 733 in 2020. These fuel stations are trading in billions of liters per year and can pay their taxes through the commodities that they trade,” said Dr Sillah.
He further proposed that the 18 registered motor vehicle insurance companies in Zimbabwe finance health services by covering the costs of servicing hospital vehicles.
“Zimbabwe has 1.58 million registered vehicles, and around US$27,000 is required to ensure that vehicles at Masvingo Provincial Hospital are properly serviced, if each vehicle owner contributed just one dollar, the hospital fleet could be maintained at US$300 per vehicle for the next five years.”
Dr. Sillah also pointed to the informal sector as a potential contributor to healthcare financing.
“Statistics from VISET show that 5.2 million people are in the informal sector, with 480,000 vendors in Masvingo province. Instead of playing cat-and-mouse games between vendors and authorities, we could introduce a Health Contributor Green Card, where informal vendors contribute something to the health sector—either in cash or in kind—and their contribution is registered,” he suggested.
“The card would eventually allow vendors to secure better trading spaces in the city and receive reductions in levies paid to the local authority.”
One of the participants at the meeting, Rejoice Maridza, supported the idea, highlighting how it could assist in financing health services specific to women.
“Formalizing the informal sector could assist the government in collecting taxes from women, which can, in turn, finance health services that are related to women.
“There are specific diseases that affect women, such as cervical cancer, breast cancer, and mental health wellness, and women vendors can also contribute toward financing the provision of such services,” said Maridza.
However, another participant, Anoziva Muguti, raised concerns about adding more taxes to an already struggling business sector.
With donor funding diminishing, Zimbabwe faces the urgent task of finding innovative and self-sustaining solutions to finance its health sector.

By Brighton Chiseva

Young women and Civic Society Organisations (CSOs) have called for the amendment of the Termination of Pregnancy Act (TOP) to allow safe abortion services to be accessed widely with studies showing that 25 percent of pregnancies end up getting aborted due to various personal and social circumstances.

Speaking to TellZim News in an interview,  Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) Executive Director Itai Rusike, said there was need for the revision of the laws that abolish abortion because despite it being illegal, a large number of women were doing it unsafely.

“Many women and girls are driven into the shadows because of restrictive abortion laws and lack of clarity about their provisions.

“They continue to seek for abortion services outside health facilities, with most of these abortions being done in unhygienic conditions by people who are not trained to do the procedure, let alone address the complications which may arise leading to high morbidity and mortality,” Rusike said.

He said the topic was taboo in Zimbabwe and the African society but abortions continue to happen behind the scenes so revising the legislation would help promote safe practices.

“The topic of abortion is taboo within the African context and cultures, as it is not openly talked about although evidence shows that it happens frequently,” said Rusike.

Adolescent Girls and Women Rights Forum (AGWRF) Executive Director and Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) advocate Priscilla Mafa told TellZim News that the restrictive laws do not stop the need but promotes unsafe abortions.

“The restrictive abortion laws in Zimbabwe do not stop the need for abortion; they only make it unsafe. People are having backdoor abortions. The fact that 25 percent of pregnancies result in abortion despite legal barriers shows a critical gap in SRHR services, access to contraception, and comprehensive sexuality education,” said Mafa.

She said the restrictions endanger women and violates their bodily autonomy against the Maputo Protocol in which Zimbabwe is a signatory to saying there was need for policies that respect women’s health choices.

 “Criminalizing abortion not only endangers women’s health but also violates their right to bodily autonomy as recognized by international agreements like the Maputo Protocol and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), to which Zimbabwe is a signatory. We need progressive, evidence-based policies that prioritize women’s health and choices, rather than punitive measures that perpetuate stigma and inequality,” she said.

The Maputo Protocol, officially the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, is a landmark human rights instrument adopted in 2003 that guarantees comprehensive rights for women and girls in Africa, including political participation, equality, reproductive health, and freedom from violence

CEDAW was adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly, and is described as an international bill of rights for women, defining discrimination against women and establishing legal obligations for states to end it.

In another interview with TellZim News, My Age Zimbabwe Trust Communications and Advocacy Officer, Veeslee Mhepo, said there was need for legislative reform to expand abortion access as lives were being lost due to unsafe abortion practices.

“We are advocating for the amendment of the TOP Act so that abortion services become available in every healthcare facility. Currently, only Post-Abortion Care (PAC) services are provided, but abortion itself remains largely inaccessible.

“We are losing lives due to unsafe backyard abortions. In addition to advocating for legal changes, we are conducting outreach programs to educate young people on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) to reduce unwanted pregnancies,” said Mhepo.

Several young women who spoke to TellZim News expressed their desire for legal abortion services to be accessible at public health institutions, as many young girls get pregnant before they are ready for motherhood, leading to an increase in unsafe backyard abortions, which put lives at risk.

“We engage in sex but in most cases pregnancy is not expected. It may be another burden on top of my existing struggles so I may choose to terminate it. In most cases we are forced to do unsafe abortions because of its legality. So we think it the act should be revised so that safe services are provided,” said one young woman.

Another young woman said some were getting pregnant whilst in school thereby affecting their school despite the government allowing them to remain in school. So she said there was need for the law to consider that and allow victims of such situations to have safe abortions.

“I might not have been raped, but if I fall pregnant before finishing my studies, approaching my parents would be difficult so terminating the pregnancy will be the best option. So access to safe abortion should be available for those who need it,” she said.

Another woman said if the government does not want to amend the law, at least there should be more circumstances in which termination is allowed.

“We are having girls below 14 getting pregnant and the law should allow abortion in that circumstance and any other which may be deemed appropriate,” said the young woman.

Despite growing calls for reform, Masvingo Urban MP Martin Mureri, who is also a human rights lawyer, opposed the changes to the law.

“I am against this proposal. We must consider the original intent of the legislature when this law was made. What problem was it meant to address? Has that problem been solved?

“Yes, we know that abortions are happening through the backdoor, but that does not mean they should be legalized. Culturally, this cannot be defended,” said Mureri.

The TOP Act, which was enacted in 1977, has remained unchanged despite significant social and medical advancements. When Zimbabwe’s Constitution was amended in 2013, the law was left intact, despite shifting global perspectives on reproductive rights.

According to the TOP Act, abortion is legally permitted only if the pregnancy poses a serious threat to the mother’s life or could cause permanent physical impairment to the child. Abortion is also permitted if the pregnancy resulted from rape, incest, or intercourse with a mentally disabled woman.

By Staff Reporter

A Zimbabwe Republic Police Officer stationed at Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Mwenezi who was on suspension for a murder case was involved in another fatal incident during a high speed chase with armed robbers.

The incident left questions on the accountability within the police force as to how a suspended officer was found in line of duty.

The detective Farai Simudzirai (43) who was suspended in July, 2024 appeared before Masvingo Magistrate Elizabeth Hanzie on March, 24 and was remanded in custody to April 8, 2025 for continuation of trial.

Circumstances are that on March 16, Simudzirai teamed up with one Detective Constable Simbabure who was on duty and went to Lundi Business Centre on surveillance and intelligence gathering despite the former being on suspension.

At around 2330 hours the two reacted to a highway robbery which had occurred at around 2200 hours at a 120km peg along Masvingo-Beitbridge road.

They were using a white Nissan Wingroad that they had been authorized to use. Upon reaching the scene, Simudzirai and Simbabure saw a Mazda B1800 pickup vehicle parked near the scene.

Upon approaching the vehicle, the driver of the vehicle sped off before the two police officers could identify themselves.

Simudzirai and Simbabure chased the vehicle for about 30 km while the former was firing at the Mazda B1800 using a service AK rifle.

As a result, Shadreck Madzore (24) from Runesu Village, Chief Nhema, Zaka was shot with two gun bullets with one of the bullets going through the right side pubic area. The bullet went out through the right side buttock.

The other bullet entered through the left breast and went out through the left shoulder thereby sustaining serious injuries.

Madzore was taken to Rutenga Clinic where he died while preparations were being made for him to be transferred to Neshuro District Hospital in Mwenezi.

In the first case, it was alleged that on April 20, 2024, Simudzirai was at Kutepa Night Club, in Chiedza Karoi drinking beer with Mirirai Chiweza another police officer when he had a misunderstanding with an unknown person leading to a fist fight

Chiweza tried to intervene and took Simudzirai outside of the bar where the latter hit the former with a fist once on the forehead.

The now deceased Privilege Hove, another member of the police force, tried to stop Simudzirai from assaulting Chiweza. Simudzirai produced an okapi knife from his pocket and stabbed Hove on the stomach who sustained injuries.

Hove was rushed to Karoi Hospital by Chiweza and other civilians where he was later transferred to Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital. Hove later died from the injuries sustained leading to Simudzirai’s suspension.

Isabel Pambuka prosecuted.