By Rangarirai Shanyurai

Delta Corporation recently donated US$10 000 to the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ) for prisons in Masvingo Province to conduct breast, cervical and prostate cancer education as well as screening to inmates.
Cancer is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with delayed diagnosis often resulting in poor health outcomes.
In a press statement, Delta Corporation indicated that inmates faced challenges in accessing medication and said the partnership was going to benefit inmates in Masvingo Province
“Incarcerated individuals face unique challenges in accessing timely and equitable health care services, including cancer screening.
“To address the disparity, CAZ in partnership with Delta Corporation offered breast, cervix and prostate cancer education and screening services to inmates and prisoners at the following prisons, Masvingo Remand, Mutimurefu, Gutu, Bikita, Zaka, Chiredzi, Chikombedzi, Mwenezi and Chivi prisons/satellites with support from Delta Corporation,” part of the statement reads.
The campaign was meant to empower inmates with information around cancer and more than 200 were screened.
“The campaign started with breast, cervix, and prostate cancer education sessions in a bid to empower the participants with information on prevention and early detection to reduce morbidity and mortality from cancers.
“Breast education equipped the participants with skills on how to conduct a self-breast examination and what to look out for. A total number of 282 women and men were screened,” reads the statement.
Delta Corporation Limited General Manager Corporate Affairs Patricia Murambinda said the grant from Delta enabled them to empower communities to combat cancer through education, screening and evidence based interventions which improved lives of patients.
“This project has enabled us to take a step towards empowering communities to fight against cancer, which is a major public health concern.
“The provision of education and screening will assist in cancer prevention and improving the quality of life of cancer patients, their families and communities through timeous, sustainable and evidence-based interventions and this has been made possible through a generous grant from Delta,” said Murambinda.

By Virginia Njovo

Masvingo City Council non-revenue water headache continues with the local authority losing US$483 492.19 in January only.
This was revealed in the Public Works and Planning Committee minutes dated February 10, 2025 that almost 50 percent of treated water fell under non-revenue water for January only, due to leakages and stuck meters.
“It was reported that the non- revenue water for January was 48.71 percent which translated to US 483 492.19.
“It was reported that the discussion on ways of reducing non-revenue water would be made at the combined meeting of the Public Works and Planning and Finance and General Purposes Committees,” reads part of the minutes.
Previous reports show that Masvingo City Council lost millions of dollars in non-revenue water as the estimated figure in October last year ranged towards US$5 million. This shows continuity in the loss of treated water as by October the rate was 43 percent and now the city is fast approaching 50 percent which is half of the treated water.
Speaking during a full council meeting on February 24, ward 9 Councillor Bernard Muchokwa said if the matter remained unattended Masvingo City Council would be broke.
“If the issue of non-revenue water continues to come in these meetings without tangible resolutions, the local authority will become bankrupt in no time as the percentage is rising, in 2024 before year end we lost almost US$5 million in non-revenue water ,” said Muchokwa.
Masvingo Residents and Ratepayers Alliance (MURRA) spokesperson Godfrey Mutimba told TellZim News that the continuity of these loses had become a matter of concern to the residents.
“The continued loss of treated water has now become a matter of concern to residents as the huge amount would be used in other areas of concern. As MURRA we urge City Council to come up with lasting solutions to this problem, proper planning and immediate implementation to curb these losses as WASH is prioritized even in budgeting procesess,” said Mutimba.
Speaking to TellZim News, Masvingo City Council Mayor, Alec Tabe said they had plans in place to mitigate the challenge which he said was mainly caused by illegal connections.
“As Masvingo City we noticed illegal connections in the commonage might be the major problem and stuck meters which leads to wrong estimates.
“Therefore we are trying our best to attend to the leakages as well as doing zone metering where we check the billed water versus the amount of water which has been delivered to that area,” said Tabe.
He also said urged residents to pay minimum charges when they get water through bowsers for events as that water was classified under non-revenue water.
“We are also encouraging residents to pay minimum charges when given bowser water on funerals and other incidents as that water falls under non-revenue water though it is already in our system of treated water,” he added.

By Virginia Njovo

Tensions ran high during Masvingo City full Council meeting on February 24 as councillors continued with a debate over the Mucheke Rank resolution where they had opted for a boom gate at Croco Motors as a way of revenue collection as well as controlling the buses which pass through the ancient City.
In the January full council meeting, councillors had resolved that the Old Croco Motors rank be transformed into a pickup point and would install a boom gate to generate revenue for old Mucheke Bus Terminus renovations.
Mucheke Bus Terminus was abandoned over a decade ago, with long distance buses going to Harare or Bulawayo using the Old Croco Motors as rank. Those going to the east use Metro Peach Downtown rank and the issue has remain unsolved for years.
Ward 9 Councillor Bernard Muchokwa said it would be useless to put a boom gate at Croco Motors saying there was need for a lasting solution in contrast to the January resolution.
“Council should adopt long lasting solutions when it comes to the removal of buses at Croco Motors. The boom gate resolution is not practical, its better we gazette a US$1 000 fine for those who use Croco Motors. I am sure this will scare and force them to use the Mucheke Rank which is our main goal,” said Muchokwa.
Ward 10 Councillor Sengerayi Manyanga said it was almost impossible to remove business operators at Croco Motors instantly.
“Do you think it is easy to remove Inter Africa or Stallion Cruise buses who use Croco Motors as their rank? It is better to implement the boom gate resolution rather than bringing new ideas every meeting we won’t go anywhere,” said Manyanga.
Deputy Mayor and ward 5 Councillor Daniel Mberikunashe who was chairing the meeting supported Manyanga saying the resolution should stand.
“We all support resuscitation of Mucheke Rank but I think it is better if we install a boom gate at Croco Motors and get money for renovations of Mucheke Bus terminus rather than bringing new ideas that are contrary to previous resolution,” said Mberikunashe.
Ward 1 councillor Sabina Chikwangwani said vendors were doing cat and mouse games with the municipal police in town because they followed the buses and said if the Mucheke Rank was resuscitated the vendor menace will be reduced in town.
“Buses should go back to Mucheke terminus where residents can do their business and pay rates here. Where do you think they will get the money as they are being chased by municipal police in town, some of them are of old and they lose their stock everyday so we cannot put a boomgate there,” said Chikwangwani.
The Mucheke terminus was expected to be refurbished through a build-operate-transfer (BOT) system, copying Gweru’s Kudzanayi bus terminus model, but failed to materialize and buses continue using the Central Business District (CBD) for pick-ups and drop offs.

By Virginia Njovo

Masvingo residents have raised concern over the issue of stray dogs which they said threaten residents’ public health and safety and accused the local authority of being reluctant to address the menace.
This came out during a feedback meeting held at Building Brigade Hall, in Ward 5 Masvingo Urban on February 26, where residents raised alarm over the rise in number of stray dogs in the commonage which posed a risk of dog bites and high costs of rabies medication.
Ward 5 resident Taneta Chongore said they were excited when council resolved to engage Zimbabwe National Army to shoot roving dogs in streets but were disappointed that the resolution was not implemented.
“The problem in our ward is that dog owners are letting their dogs roam freely despite regulations compelling them to lock them up. We were happy when we heard that council had engaged the army to assist in shooting stray dogs but we are disappointed as that was not implemented” said Chongore.
One ward 5 health club member Shylet Kaunga said residents could not afford paying rates and let alone afford medication after dog a dog bite.
“We are worried about the availability of rabbies vaccine in our clinics as well as their affordability. If one is bitten the dog owners rarely take up the responsibility,” said Kaunga.
Responding to residents’ concerns, Ward 5 Councillor and deputy mayor Daniel Mberikunashe encouraged residents to own a maximum of two dogs per household.
“I have heard your concerns regarding stray dogs, I encourage residents to have at most two dogs per household which have to be fully vaccinated and have decent shelter so as to guarantee safety,” said Mberikunashe.
During a full council meeting which was held on February 24, Deputy Director of Health, Housing and Environmental Services Sithabile Matava said they had tried to engage other partners on the issue of stray dogs as the Society Prevention Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) had transport challenges to pick up the stray animals.
“The SPCA was under- resourced for the work, that’s why we had engaged other partners but the issue of the vehicle which they are supposed to use is the challenge. We got a car which needs some touch ups so soon we will start the shooting,” said Matava.
Last year Masvingo Province topped the national statistics of dog bites in the country.

…as referral hospital refers patients to private clinics for basic tests

…nurses making a killing from alleged corruption, criminal scheme

By Brighton Chiseva

As a journalist, I’ve spent several years reporting on the dire state of healthcare system in Masvingo in particular at Masvingo Provincial Hospital and Zimbabwe in general.

I wrote about shortages, corruption and the struggles of patients and medical staff alike especially at Masvingo Provincial Hospital. However, despite my extensive coverage, I never thought I’d become a part of the story one day.

That was until I fell ill and had to seek medical attention at Masvingo Province’s biggest referral hospital. Suddenly, I found myself on the other side of the notebook, experiencing firsthand the harsh realities I had written about for so long.

The hospital’s crumbling infrastructure, scarcity of medical supplies, and the overwhelmed staff were all too familiar. I had written about these issues countless times, but living them was a different story altogether.

My experience was a stark reminder that, no matter how much we report on a story, there’s no substitute for lived experience. And as a journalist, I’m more determined now than ever to continue shedding light on the struggles of Zimbabwe’s healthcare system, expose corruption in the hopes that one day, real change will come.

I once wrote about corruption at the provincial hospital which resulted in one staffer who was involved losing his job. Though I was not proud that he lost his job, I thought the incident would serve as a reminder to others but I was wrong.

My ordeal was a wake-up call, a reminder that the struggles of Zimbabwe’s healthcare system were real and devastating. It is a crisis that demands attention, action, and accountability from   leaders.

I’ll never forget the day my health took a turn for the worse. It started like any ordinary day, but as I was scrolling through my phone, just after supper, I suddenly felt an excruciating pain in my groin area that shifted to my back. The pain was unbearable, and I couldn’t sleep, sit, walk, or do anything.

Desperate for help, I called several people, hoping someone could take me to the hospital. Luckily, a colleague answered, and despite the late hour, he rushed to my side and took me to the Provincial Hospital since I had no money to afford a private doctor.

We arrived just before midnight and I paid US$9 for my card to be stamped. After a brief wait, I was attended by a nurse who administered an antibiotic and painkiller through a drip. I paid $4 for the medication, which provided some relief.

However, the nurse informed me that the doctor on call had left, and my situation required his attention. She offered me the option to wait or return home and come back early the next morning before 0700 hours. I chose to go back home, but the pain returned around 0100 hours, and I went back to the hospital just after 5 am.

The wait for the doctor was long and he eventually arrived way after 7 and after examining me, he ordered some scans. But what happened next left me stunned. The nurse borrowed my phone, supposedly to call another department, but instead, I was led out of the hospital and into a waiting vehicle, which took me to a private clinic for the scans.

The vehicle, a Toyota Probox was not equipped for transporting patients especially with my condition, raising concerns about safety and potential corruption. I was charged $70 for the scans, but I have no idea how the cost was divided between the three scans I had.

I must give credit where it’s due and would remiss if I did not acknowledge the private doctor who did scans’ impressive efficiency and speed in conducting the scans.

From the moment he was called to his swift arrival, I thought he was coming from another wing. He worked with haste leaving me wondering whether his speed compromised the accuracy of the results or he was simply skilled and well experienced.

However, it’s difficult to ignore the motivation behind his speed, the financial gain.

To make matters worse, I later discovered that I needed blood tests, which no one had informed me about. I had to go to another lab, pay $45, and wait for the results.

“Those scans and tests are done both at the hospital and private clinics,” said one Doctor whom I showed my card and enquired where I could get the services.

However, sources within the hospital revealed that nurses were complicit in the scheme, receiving a share of the profits from the private clinics at the end of each day.

The nurses allegedly call the private clinics to inform them of patients in need of tests, and the clinics then send their staff to collect the patients from the hospital using personal vehicles and are allowed to take blood samples from the hospital.

“What happens is, there are selected clinics and labs that patients are sent to, so the nurse has to call and even record the names of patients they would have referred. They collect their share at the end of their shift,” said a source.

I tried to get information from the private clinics but most of them were reluctant to shed information and some denied ever paying the nurses and one said they would simply give discounts to relatives of the nurse who would have referred people.

“We do not pay them, however, what happens is we give them discounts and at times we give the nurses free service when they come or if they directly refer a relative of theirs,” said one employee from a private clinic.

My investigation revealed more disturbing truth. The scans and tests I was referred for are actually available at the provincial hospital. However, the nurses have a vested interest in referring patients to private clinics, as they receive kickbacks.

By referring patients to private clinics, they are able to profit from the arrangement, rather than allowing patients to access the same services at the hospital.

Furthermore, I discovered that the X-ray and scan department at the hospital often cites electricity challenges as an excuse for not providing the required services. However, if a patient is referred through a private arrangement, the department will miraculously find a way to perform the scans – for a fee, of course.

This fee is often less than what private clinics charge and that the nurses are complicit in the scheme. The nurses also allow the clinics to take blood samples from the hospital.

The Masvingo Provincial Medical Doctor, Dr. Amadeus Shamhu, acknowledged that the hospital refers patients to private clinics for certain tests and scans. However, he failed to provide further comment, despite repeated attempts to contact him.

Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr. Douglas Mombeshora, condemned the practice, stating that it was illegal. He urged those with information to come forward, but noted that he cannot comment directly on the matter without further investigation.

“We have had some reports here and there, but the challenge is that we do not get enough information to aid in investigations. If someone can provide us with comprehensive information, then we can investigate, because that is not allowed,” said Dr Mombeshora.