IN 2016, government officials, commuter omnibus operators, passengers and members of the public converged at the Mabvuku railway crossover bridge to launch and celebrate the newly-refurbished Plumtree-Mutare Highway.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

The Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe research blamed over 90% of the 2016 road accidents on human error

Extensive work had been done on the 900km road, making it the best highway in the country following its widening, resurfacing and fresh markings.

Just one year later, the road has become the deadliest, according to accident statistics released by the Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ).

According to a TSCZ research paper, Critical Analysis of the Road Traffic Crashes in Zimbabwe — A Reflection of the 2016 Road Traffic Collision Statistics, the newly-refurbished highway tops the list of roads with the highest number of accidents.

The Plumtree-Harare Road recorded 367 crashes, while Harare-Mutare had 202 to give a total of 569 fatal crashes.

Harare-Kariba route is third with 112 fatal crashes while the Harare-Murewa Highway recorded the least, 97 crashes.

“The road has become too good and drivers get too excited. For example, the new buses that ply the Mutare-Harare Road have become popular in overtaking small cars. Something needs to be done, for we cannot have the best road recording the highest number of accidents,” Wellington Mberi (31), a passenger, who frequently travels along the road, said.

According to TSCZ, examples of the fatal crashes which occurred along the highway include, the Kwekwe National Disaster (March 3, 2016) which killed 31 people and injured 36, the head-on collision between a Toyota Hiace and a Mitsubishi Colt of April 2, 2016, which occurred near Gweru, killing 10 people and injuring 13.

Other fatal accidents that occurred on this road are: The Iveco crash of June 11, 2016 near Battlefields Camp that claimed nine lives and injured 17 people, with most of the victims being Dynamos supporters going for a soccer match in Gweru.

His Presence Ministries founder, Charles Chiriseri, also died in a car crash on September 16, 2016 near Mbembesi although his wife, Petunia, survived.

Isaac Simbarasi of Arrive Alive Awareness, an organisation that advocates for road safety, said it was embarrassing that the best road had become a “highway to hell,” with people perishing almost every day.

“Drivers tend to relax whenever they are travelling along that highway, but that is not it. It is common to meet someone travelling at 160km/h within an 80km/h speed limit range. Drivers need to be aware of all the road signs as well as observing the speed limits. The road is now the best and we can only blame human error in most of the accidents,” Simbarasi said.

A number of public transport drivers told this paper that the road is so good that they get excited and speed to meet their daily targets.

“We are now travelling on a carpet. Most drivers now prefer the routes along the Plumtree-Mutare Highway because of the perfect road. The drivers can speed to meet their daily targets. This can be evidenced by the influx of new commuter omnibuses and buses along the highway; the road is now attractive, but deadly. We need to be cautious,” a commuter omnibus driver identified as Panganai Tigere, who plies the Marondera-Mutare route, said.

In 2016, the country experienced 38 620 crashes as compared to 41 494 in 2015. The number of people, who died in the 2016 accidents 1 721 compared to 1 762 in 2015. The total number of people injured in 2016 was 11 379, while 12 822 were injured the previous year. This means there is a 7% decrease of road accidents in the country between 2015 and 2016, although the latest findings are still shocking. Within the same period, total number of injured people decreased by 11%.

Tobias Mapiki (71), a spirit medium and traditional healer from Wedza, said to avoid road accidents along the Plumtree-Mutare Highway, a traditional cleansing ceremony should be held to chase away evil spirits causing road accidents.

“This could have been done at the official opening of the road. Traditional leaders could have performed a rite to exorcise the road so that evil spirits that cause accidents were chased away from the road. There is still time to do that and government should consider it,” he said.

Harare Province recorded a 10% increase in deaths from road accidents after 336 people perished in 2016 compared to the previous year where 304 people died. Second was Mashonaland East with 208 deaths, while Bulawayo recorded 87 deaths.

TSCZ managing director, Obio Chinyere said speeding was the major cause of road accidents along the Plumtree-Harare Highway.

“This has to do with speeding. The road is now good and we urge drivers to observe the speed limits. However, this is not going to be the pattern each year. Deaths on the highway increased because of the mega accidents that included the Battlefield accident,” he said.

According to the TSCZ research, human error was largely to blame for over 90% of all road traffic crashes in 2016. Speeding caused 9 829 crashes (27%), inattention and misjudgment recorded

6 776 crashes (18%), following too close resulted in 5 759 crashes (15%), failure to give way 4 402 crashes (11%), overtaking error 3 724 crashes (9%), reversing error 2 368 crashes (5%) and others 5 762 accidents (15%).

In the same year, December was the bloodiest, recording 4 711 road accidents, 158 deaths and 1 015 injuries. This was attributed to the influx of traffic with Diasporans mainly from South Africa returning home, as well as pilgrims travelling to various places for religious purposes.

According to a 2015 World Health Organisation report, more than 1,3 million people are killed and more than 50 million injured in accidents on the world’s roads annually. About 90% of these deaths occur in developing countries.

Curse of Plumtree-Mutare Highway : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

ALTHOUGH Zimbabwe has made significant strides in promoting gender equality, female farmers feel marginalised and that has consequently affected the nation’s food security.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

Women can surpass their male counterparts in terms of production if they are given resources

Both rural and urban women farmers are bearing the brunt of gender disparities, as they are still facing problems of accessing land, inputs, as well as loans unlike their male counterparts.

Edna Rushesha (44), a farmer in Wedza resettlement area, says women are still regarded as unproductive.

“There is need to do away with patriarchal behaviour when it comes to farming. In the communal areas, there are more women farmers, meaning that we are the ones producing much at both household and commercial level. But when it comes to accessing inputs and land, the authorities have other thoughts. It is still difficult to convince the authorities that as women we are the backbone of the agriculture sector,” she said.

Rushesha said government’s delay in opening a women’s bank was negatively affecting farming, as they were failing to access loans from banks with some demanding collateral, which most women do not have in their names.

The Presidential Land Review Committee, set up in 2003 to examine the impact and implementation of the 2000 land reform programme, noted that women did not benefit equally with men.

According to a report by the Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network, the accelerated land reform programme did not correct gender imbalances in land ownership, as it focused on ability, not need, thereby, disadvantaging women.

Social commentator, Admire Mare, said recognition of women is being hindered by patriarchal cultural beliefs despite their potential in unlocking the agricultural value chain.

“Basically, it’s because women in traditional patriarchal societies are not custodians of land. Even the history of commercial agriculture shows that male white farmers received substantial support from the government of the day.

The situation continues in modern-day Zimbabwe, where women, despite their invaluable role in the agricultural sector value chain, are still marginalised,” he said.

“They often receive inputs as extension of their husbands rather than in their own right. This policy and planning blind-spot somehow is self-defeating because failure to empower women farmers leads to poor harvest and food insecurity. It’s high time the government put women farmers at the centre of communal and commercial agriculture in order to alleviate poverty and food insecurity.”

Mare said the reason women are marginalised has to do with institutionalised patriarchy and cultural prejudices.

In a research done by Fungai Mudzengere (National University of Science and Technology), titled: The Contribution of Women to Food Security and Livelihoods through Urban Agriculture in the City of Bulawayo, 70% of women in Nketa, Nkulumane and Umgwanini high-density suburbs were into urban farming.

“It was also found out in this research that 70% (42 out of 60) of the respondents in Nkulumane, Nketa and Umganwini were women who practice urban agriculture in these high-density areas. However, 30% of males, who practice urban agriculture, are usually hired on a part-time basis by the land ‘owners’ to till, and weed, and to harvest the crops,” the report said.

Zimbabwe Indigenous Women Farmers’ Association Trust director, Depinnah Nkomo, says there is need for women to control the distribution of inputs to ensure gender equality.

“We are very keen to see each and every woman farmer in Zimbabwe being empowered. A look into farms shows that there are more women than men though women are not being recognised. Women should be in control of distribution of inputs. Men, who are at the front, are corrupt. If you empower a woman, you have empowered a nation,” she said.

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), women are the custodians of food security in Africa with over two-thirds of women employed in the agricultural sector.

FAO country representative, David Phiri, says there is need to empower women farmers, as they are more efficient than their male counterparts, so that there is an improvement of food security in the country.

“FAO is committed to women’s participation in agriculture because of the important role they play in food security and nutrition. FAO has in place a gender equality policy, which provides a comprehensive framework for FAO programming. When women are empowered, the household food and nutrition security status improves. When women are provided with equal access to key resources and opportunities, they can become as efficient farmers as men,” he said.

“Moreover, available empirical evidence shows clearly that the income and resources that women generate have direct beneficial effects on the health and nutrition of their households and communities. Thus, empowering rural women brings major gains to society at large, because it can increase production, improve food security and nutrition, boost the economy and improve human capital of future generations, thereby, fostering long-term economic growth.”

Phiri said closing the gender gap in access to assets, resources, services and opportunities had been identified as one of the most effective approaches to combat rural poverty and promote agriculture and sustainable rural development.

Meanwhile, FAO has boosted women’s participation in agriculture through a number of initiatives like offering support to the Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development ministry to implement a number of projects.

Some of the projects include the empowerment of women through community gardens, and promotion of women’s access to finance through income savings and lending schemes. This is through an European Union-funded livestock project, which is being implemented in Nkayi and Lupane.

Women and Land in Zimbabwe national director, Thandiwe Chidavarume, said women in the rural areas should form lobby groups and approach relevant authorities to access land and inputs.

“We are mobilising women to form lobby groups under the banner Rural Women’s Assembly, a loose movement that is spearheading issues to do with land access, control and ownership. In these groups, the women approach their spouses, their local authorities, traditional leaders, district administrators and the Lands ministry demanding pieces of land either as groups or individually,” she said.

“Even with access rights only, women have always produced enough to feed their families and get surplus. In these times of economic hardships, most husbands migrated to other parts of the world, leaving the women with the responsibility of looking after the family. The women are managing to do that without any help or ownership of land, a demonstration that they have the ability to improve food security if they are empowered through security of tenure.”

Meanwhile, the 2013 adoption of the Constitution is viewed as a watershed moment for women in terms of giving and affording them equal opportunities and responsibilities between men and women.

Zim losing plot on food security due to women marginalisation : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

THE running of community affairs in rural areas is often left to men, leaving women playing a passive role both in the political and developmental arenas.

BY TAPIWA ZIVIRA

A local non-government organisation, Institute for Young Women in Development, last week unveiled a programme to facilitate the active participation of women in issues that affect their community

This is seen even at indabas that traditional leaders like village heads and chiefs hold, where often the views of the women are disregarded.

In many rural societies, where men are regarded as heads of houses, women do not get a chance to participate on decision-making forums, and in the end, the women’s views and concerns are left out as it is then assumed that it is the men who are better placed to speak on behalf of the women.

However, in Bindura rural district, this is about to change as a local non-government organisation, Institute for Young Women in Development (IYWD), last week unveiled a programme to facilitate the active participation of women in issues that affect their community.

With the principal aim to facilitate engagement platforms among young women, local authorities and mining companies for accountable and improved “Gender Responsive Social Service Delivery” in Bindura and Mazowe rural district councils.

The engagements, which involve panel discussions and one-on-ones with representatives from councils, government and the corporates, are named Public Resources Accountability Indabas.

According to IYWD, “the lack of accountability and transparency in the local authorities is fuelled by the unwillingness of traditional leaders and local authorities – elected and appointed – to engage young women and girls on social service delivery issues, and this leads to the imposition of solutions that do not consider their lived realities in the various communities.”

At the first indaba held last week in Bindura, attended by over 100 women drawn from Bindura district, women expressed concern about what they said was inadequate citizen consultation by the council authorities and lack of information on what role women should play to complement service delivery in their communities.

“We often do not get the information that we need, and in the end we have a perception that what council needs from us are just the taxes that we pay,” said Brenda Charakupa from Masembura.

According to Charakupa, women can contribute with manual labour to developmental projects like the rehabilitation of roads.

“We can help rehabilitate our roads and we can maintain our drainages and control soil erosion, but this can only happen if council authorities come to us and deliberate with us, just like we have done at the IYWD meeting.”

Elnet Barwa also said she and other women are prepared to complement council efforts.

“For example, if there is building of a clinic going on, we can assist with getting the sand, or we can provide food and cook for the workers to reduce the costs of such work,” she said.

Citing resource constraints to thoroughly engage constituents, councillor for Ward 16, Justice Chinakwetu, who is also the council chairperson for Bindura Rural District Council, said he hoped initiatives such as the one by IYWD would take place every time.

“When we discussed with the women at the IYWD meeting, we realised that some of them said they did not know what their responsibilities were and we would be glad to take part in such collaborative efforts with NGOs that can bring our constituents and other stakeholders to the same platform,” said Chinakwetu.

Women, local authorities collaborate : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

ZIMBABWE is supposed to embark on a major process, which will likely transform the electoral playing field for the better — coming up with a new biometric voters’ roll (BVR), which, for the first time since independence in 1980, will not be controlled by register-general, Tobaiwa Mudede.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

President Robert Mugabe

The voters’ roll has been at the heart of every contested poll amid allegations that it was the cockpit of all electoral fraud, since it was littered with dead people who miraculously vote during the polls.

Empowered by the 2013 Constitution, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and with the help of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) appeared to be on track to come up with what respected elections watchdog Zimbabwe Elections Support Network (Zesn) says is the nerve of any credible election — a clean voters’ roll.

The UNDP, from its base in Denmark, Copenhagen, had floated a tender for the supply of BVR kits, which according to most political parties, was handled in a transparent and respectable manner, with five companies out of the 12 interested being selected for meeting all requirements.

It is at this stage that the Zanu PF-led government, pulled the joker in its pack of cards and struck by announcing out of the blue that it now had the funding to buy the BVR kits, this sudden announcement shocked opposition parties and aroused serious debate that dominated Parliament in the past week.

The MDC-T, through its spokesperson, Obert Gutu, said a government facing a massive strike by doctors, has failed to pay civil servants bonuses and has a road network that has been declared a national disaster, can only dump the UNDP for sinister motives.

“The bankrupt and faction-infested Zanu PF regime knows fully-well that they can never win a free and fair election. Thus, in order for the regime to cling on to power, they have to control and manipulate the essential elements of the election process. This is the major reason why, all of a sudden, the regime claims that they can fund the purchasing of the biometric kits without any assistance from anyone,” he said.

The MDC-T says Zanu PF wants a vendor, who can manipulate registration software, to ensure that perceived opposition supporters are systematically disenfranchised.

“The UNDP process was proving to be too transparent for comfort. The Zanu PF regime was getting worried that if they fail to manipulate the biometric voter registration process, then their days in power are numbered. The long and short of it is that this is a game of power retention, at whatever cost,” he said.

The government has been coy on why, after indicating it had no capacity to fund the procurement of the BVR kits, it had jumped in at the last minute and where it got the money from?

Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, instead, said Zimbabweans should be proud of that, instead of depending on handouts from foreigners.

“Instead, every Zimbabwean should be proud that their government is able to procure the kits to run our own elections instead of relying on donations … it is the duty of government to fund its elections,” he said.

However, Zesn says the move is likely to cause problems if major gaps and concerns are not addressed before the equipment is procured, pointing this could likely compromise the polls.

“Furthermore, Zesn notes that the Electoral Act is silent on the procedures of the procurement of the BVR equipment, hence, the need for provisions outlining how the procurement will be conducted. The absence of transparency on the procurement of the BVR kits, coupled with inadequate funding for Zec, will compromise the credibility and delivery of key electoral processes,” Zesn said in a statement.

Election Resource Centre (ERC) said, while funding of the elections was the primary role of the government, the latest move cast aspersions on the process.

“Funding of election-related costs is indeed the primary responsibility of governments globally. However, the ERC is perturbed by the continued absence of transparency characterising funding of elections by government. The recent commitment by government comes in the wake of Parliament of Zimbabwe passing a National Budget, which only availed less than 10% of funds required by Zec to support the intended biometric voter registration exercise. Clearly, the 2017 National Budget could not provide for funding of such a crucial process ahead of the 2018 elections.

“This situation leaves electoral stakeholders wondering, as to what could have motivated such a reconsideration by the government. The ERC is deeply-concerned that the new government commitment to fund procurement perpetuates a funding model for elections, which is fraught in secrecy, as it is done outside the approved national budgets,” ERC said.

Zec has, however, dismissed any mischief on the government’s behalf, saying even if they are getting funding from Treasury, they will remain in control of the procurement process and will strive for transparency.

Its chairperson, Justice Rita Makarau, says they will continue to use the UNDP system to select the supplier of the BVR kits.

“From the five companies that qualified, we are going to invite three of the lowest bids to Zimbabwe for evaluation and site validation tests, thereafter, one will be chosen and that tab will be picked by government,” she said.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson, Jacob Mafume, said while it is government’s responsibility to fund elections the manner in which this was happening was dubious.

“It is important for a government to prioritise elections, whether it is broke or not that the government wants to pay for elections is ordinarily a good thing, however, in this case someone else was willing to pay and then one wonders the motive behind not getting assistance from the UN of all places.

The tendering process had been done openly and it would have given some confidence to the process if the UNDP had completed its procurement process. One can then conclude that the government is more interested in a pre-determined outcome. It still has the hangover of the last elections,” he said.

Zimbabwe People First spokesperson, Jealousy Mawarire said government just jumped in so that it could manipulate the system.

“We know there are companies linked to Nikuv that failed to meet requirements set out for the kits suppliers that the Zanu PF government now wants to smuggle back into fray through the State Procurement Board now that Mugabe’s government claims it wants to fund the procurement exercise. If the government feels compelled to chip in, why can’t it leave the procurement process that was in progress to go on and, instead, fund the rollout which is going to cost more than the machines?

“As an opposition political party, we are very worried that a competitor in the 2018 race wants to be involved in the procurement of the paraphernalia that is going to be used, just at the 11th hour,” he said.

Why Zanu PF govt dumped UNDP : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

HARARE — As the cock crows, Tambudzai Zimbudzana (32) is suddenly awakened from her sleep. She quickly folds her blankets and strides outside her three-room, sheet iron-roofed house in rural Masvingo.

IPS

Generally women in third world countries put in a lot of work in running their households

Picking up a few logs of firewood from a huge pile, Zimbudzana sets a fire to boil water for her husband to bathe and prepare food for him to eat before cycling to work.

“Shorai! Shorai! Shorai!” Zimbudzana calls her 14-year-old daughter, who is fast asleep to assist her with other duties.

“My day begins at 4 am, cooking, setting a fire, fetching water and spending the rest of the day in the field or garden depending on the season. My day often ends at 10 in the evening, as I have to ensure all household work is done, including attending to the demands of my six children, before I put my body to rest,” Zimbudzana said.

She said she rarely attends community activities because of time and work that demands her presence.

Many women and girls carry the heavy, unequal and seemingly natural burden of care work, which is rarely appreciated, not financially beneficial and deeply rooted in culture.

“In recent years, significant evidence and research findings demonstrate that investments in addressing unpaid care burden — by governments, civil society and employers — improve wellbeing, women’s enjoyment of their rights, economic development and reduce inequality,” says Anna Giolitto, Oxfam programmes manager on Women’s Economic Empowerment and Care (WE-Care).

Since 2014, Oxfam in Zimbabwe has been working to strengthen women’s economic rights by building data on unpaid care, innovate on interventions and influence policy and practice to address care as part of women’s empowerment.

Oxfam has carried out programmes in three districts since 2014, and developed two tools to assess unpaid household work and care of people in the communities: The Rapid Care Analysis and Household Care Survey.

“The key aim is to reduce the time or labour required for daily housework and caring for people, and thus increase women’s participation, empowerment, leadership and representation in both the public and private spheres,” Giolitto said.

Results of the survey showed that women do three to six times more hours of care work than men.

On March 8, countries around the world came together to commemorate International Women’s Day, under the theme Women in the Changing World of Work.

According to United Nations Women, the world of work is evolving, with significant implications for women. There is globalisation, technological and digital revolutions and opportunities for women.

However, the growing informality of labour, unstable livelihoods and incomes, new fiscal and trade policies, and environmental impacts have a negative effect on the well-being of many women in Zimbabwe and the world. As such, they must be addressed in the context of women’s economic empowerment.

Women in the informal economy in Zimbabwe grapple with a hostile economic environment, security and customs officials on a daily basis.

Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Associations (ZCIEA) president, Lorraine Sibanda says, “Our goods are confiscated at border posts due to the limited amount of goods one is allowed to bring into the country. We end up paying more money to transporters in order to get reasonable stock across the border.”

Sibanda added that the transporters’ charges are not consistent and one may pay several times for the same goods. Further, they have to carry heavy loads of goods over a long period of time, which can have health implications for these women involved with cross-border trading.

“Little or lack of knowledge of customs and exercise procedures such as declaration of goods also contributes traders falling prey to predatory transporters, immigration personnel and other elements who prowl the border post for a living,” Sibanda said.

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Office (ZimStats) has noted that 84% of the country’s working class are in the informal sector, with 11% in formal employment. Further, ZCIEA told IPS that 65% of its members are women.

Although Oxfam does not work with women cross-border traders in Zimbabwe, it has used the “four R’s” approach for change.

*Recognise care work at policy, community and household level, make it visible and value it. Change the idea that it’s just natural activity of women, it’s work.

*Reduce care work through using time labour saving technologies and services;

*Redistribute responsibility for care more equitably — from women to men, and from families to the State/employers.

*Represent carers in decision making.

“Women will be able to do more when there are men sharing the responsibility at home as well as playing a key role in decisions at their households,” Giolitto said.

Kelvin Hazangwi from Padare (Men’s Forum on Gender) also emphasised the need to share unpaid care work.
“Men should take the lead to lessen the care burden of women as this has a positive effect on the whole household, community and country at large,” he said.

Padare is a men’s forum advocating for gender equality in Zimbabwe.

ZCIEA believes the informal sector is the future, thus gender-inclusive economic policies, formalisation of informal trading, decent infrastructure, provision of social protection, healthcare services, recognition of informal traders as key economic players will result in sustainable, inclusive growth.

16-hour days for Zim’s women : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

The number of teenagers venturing into commercial sex work has been increasing notwithstanding the bad weather caused by current heavy rains spawned by the Cyclone Dineo phenomenon, the youngsters continue to venture out in a desperate bid to make ends meet.

BY FARAI MATIASHE

Prostitution is among the vices that have taken root in Sakubva, itself a filthy ghetto, densely populated and characterised by high rates of crime

Infrastructure, including houses and bridges, has been swept away in most parts of southern Zimbabwe, but 15-year-old Mitchell*, continues to track to a popular bar in Sakubva high-density suburb, where girls as young as her line up against the bar’s precast wall, waiting for clients.

The dilapidated Chimoio Flats, which have outlived their lifespan, along Paulington Road in Sakubva, have a room which has been turned into a brothel by four teenagers, including Mitchell, all aged between 13 and 19.

Prostitution is among the vices that have taken root in Sakubva, itself a filthy ghetto, densely populated and characterised by high rates of crime.

This writer had an opportunity to present himself at the “brothel”, where he was mistaken for a client, before the four girls opened up on their activities.

Mitchell said business runs like clockwork, both in the afternoon and at night, adding that a “short time” was pegged at $2.

One of the girls, Shamiso*, said they gave each other an opportunity to use the room upon securing a client.

“When a client comes in, we let him choose a woman of his choice and usually after the two agree, the other three leave the room for some minutes,” she said.

In the evening, she said, they would go out in search of clients at nearby night clubs at a place dubbed “Kuchigomba”.

Another sex worker, Vanessa*, said during weekends, they often went to Mutare’s top night clubs, including Gulliver’s, Afriport, Soul City and Mandisa, to lure men.

She said after a “good night’s work”, they can pocket as much as $45.

“The prices in town (central business district) are much higher as a short time costs around $10 in the top clubs.
So for us to fill our pockets, we must bed up to five men, although during lucky days, we can get as much as $40 for spending a night with a client,” Vanessa said.

Research has shown that some teenagers, who turn to sex work, are often victims of physical and emotional abuse.

Mitchell said she was impregnated while doing Form 1, but her older boyfriend refused to take responsibility.

She then left Gweru, where she lived with her parents, and went to stay with her sister in Mutare.

But due to the abuse and neglect at her sister’s hands — as the sister and her husband were also struggling to make ends meet — she decided to venture into commercial sex work to earn a living.

She, however, said sometimes she sent her mother money, although she had never told her the source of the money. Her mother looks after her child.

“My mother does not even care how and where I get the money from. If I fail to send her money, she calls or sends threatening messages insisting my child will spend days and nights on an empty stomach,” she said.

The teenage sex workers disclosed how some clients take advantage of their youth and desperation, refusing to use protection, thus exposing them to sexually transmitted diseases.

According to a recent report on Young Women in Commercial Sexual Exploitation produced by the Zimbabwe National Council for Welfare of Children, 66,7% of girls that are sexually exploited are school dropouts.

Educationist Olga Ntuli told NewsDay that most young girls, who resort to sex work, get little or no help from their families, hence they run away from home and end up with no choice other than prostitution.

“Schools and families are failing to provide effective guidance and counselling so many young girls turn to prostitution,” she said.

“Commercial sex work becomes a means to an end since their education levels are minimal and cannot accord them meaningful employment.”

Mitchell said if she had completed her education and secured a job, she would not have gone into sex work.

*Not her real name

Teenage sex trade boom in Mutare : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

TWENTY one-year-old Natasha Murenga (not real name) is a bitter young woman.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

Female students are faced with a myriad of problems as they pursue their studies

Her hopes of securing a first class degree at a local university faltered after one of the lecturers demanded to be intimate with her so that she could get better grades.

Female students often suffer in silence under the unwritten code of “a thigh for pass” in which male lecturers solicit for sexual favours in exchange for good grades.

“I am not a loose woman. I turned down the lecturer’s demands and had to drop out of college. The lecturer demanded sex first in exchange for better grades. I told my friends about it and they laughed at me saying they had received the same offers,” she said.

Natasha is one of the many female university students who have fallen prey to sexual harassment at the of their lectures.

According to a survey done by Female Students Network Trust (FSN), 98% of female students have experienced sexual harassment mainly by their lecturers who use final exam marking as a tool to force them to give in to their demands.

Speaking during a dialogue meeting held under the topic Take a Stand, and End Violence Against Young Women and Girls organised by a civic organisation, Stand, recently, FSN director Evernice Munando said a number of students have been sexually harassed.

“The statistics are shocking. Female students are suffering at the hands of their male lecturers who promise them passes in exchange of sexual favours. But this has to end. The female students should come out and report these matters to the police. It is high time we put an end to this,” Munando said.

According to the survey, apart from the lecturers, non-academic staff like security guards and other students at tertiary learning institutions are also sexually harassing female students.

On March 4, a security guard at a tertiary institution in Masvingo, Pedziasai Takawira (35), allegedly raped a female student in return for her identity card he had confiscated after finding her with a boyfriend outside campus.

Takawira – who recently appeared in court over rape allegations – is said to have later summoned the young woman to the guard room and demanded to be intimate with her before he could return her ID before forcing himself on her.

According to the survey, only four tertiary and higher learning institutions in the country have a sexual harassment policy (SHP).

Charlene Chekenya, a director at Stand, an organisation that advocates for the rights of young women, said sexual harassment has become a major cause of concern, but the reporting mechanisms remain unclear.

“Female students in higher and tertiary education institutions in Zimbabwe face a number of untold challenges as they endeavour to complete their education, ranging from financial to social issues. Most of these problems remain silent due to inefficient support systems, a poor understanding of their constitutional rights and limited awareness campaigns on the subject matter,” she said.

She said male lecturers are taking advantage of female students by passing remarks loaded with sexual innuendo and seeking to trade grades with sex, thereby leaving female students in a precarious position.

“Yet the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Victim Friendly Unit and even the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) have identified few to no reports on sexual harassment in tertiary institutions in Zimbabwe,” she said.

ZRP Victim Friendly Unit (VFU) boss Assistant Commissioner Dadela Bonongwe said there is a problem, but the cases are not being reported to police.

“Since there is this problem, for someone to come up with this dialogue (sexual harassment of female students) it means there is a problem. But for us we say, yes there is a problem, but the cases are not being reported to the police,” he said, adding that they did not get attempted rape, indecent assault and sexual harassment reports against male lecturers.

“Maybe it is the humiliation and stigma associated with these cases, but we are saying as police we try to address this situation of humiliation and stigma through the VFU.”

A University of Zimbabwe department of students affairs official identified only as G Chiganga said the government should ensure that tertiary education institutions should have SHPs for the protection of students.

“Surely, if you are starting an institution without a policy, which is important in protecting students, it means perhaps we got a ministry which superintends institutions of higher learning,” he said.

“Students perhaps only perceive something as harassment if it goes to physical violence. But the very fact that a lecturer comes to you and says he loves you, that is the beginning of harassment.”

Rumbidzai Moyo of ZWLA said courts could only attend to matters brought before them.

“I haven’t meant a case pertaining students female sexual harassment, at least one. This is not reflective of our justice system, because the courts only address cases that are brought before them. I think it is reflective of our personal perceptions and attitudes as a society,” she said.

Speaking on the issue of sexual harassment policy in tertiary institutions, an official from Higher and Tertiary Education ministry who declined to be named said all tertiary institutions have been ordered to submit their SHPs.

“Currently, we have engaged all tertiary institutions to submit their SHPs so that we produce the initial document for tertiary institutions. The argument from head of institutions was that lecturers are under the Public Service Commission and we have Statutory Instrument 1 of 2000 which classifies sexual harassment as an act of misconduct,” he said.

“Then we have also a code conduct for civil servants which talks about sexual harassment. But let me promise you that by the end of this year, all tertiary institutions will have SHPs.

Until then, female students may have to use other available channels to report male staff that exhibit inappropriate behaviour.

Curse of ‘sexually-transmitted’ grades haunts female students : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

Hauna Growth Point in Mutasa district, Manicaland, is struggling to recover its lost glitter.

By OWN CORRESPONDENT

Mutarazi Falls, in Hauna, used to attract hordes of tourists

Tucked away in the easternmost part of Zimbabwe, two to three kilometres from the border with Mozambique, deep in agriculturally-rich Honde Valley, Hauna sits right in the centre of the scenic Eastern Highlands.

Once a promising centre with the potential to become a tourist hub for its outlying scenic landscape, Hauna is slowly folding its arms as if not to welcome visitors at all.

Hauna started as a business centre which grew rapidly to a commercial scale before it was awarded growth point status, paving the way for developing a rural town.

It had become a flourishing commercial centre with great potential for industrial growth.

An aerodrome where small planes landed at the business centre has been neglected and reduced to a grassy car park.

The meandering breathtaking main road to Hauna, which branches off the highway to Nyanga from Mutare, is badly in need of attention.

Many vehicles have fallen down the cliffs in which lives have been lost.

Residents feel there is need for government to build a barrier to protect motorists from black spots where accidents have occurred in the past.

Gravel roads at the centre, including the one leading to Hauna Government Hospital, are in a sorry state.

A host of other problems like an ugly layout of buildings, unkempt vending stalls and general uncleanliness have taken over where the opposite once prevailed.

These and many other administrative problems have seen Hauna become a pale shadow of itself, much unlike its glory past.

This angers locals whose economic fortunes have dipped owing to lower tourist arrivals to Hauna and its rolling scenery.

“We used to have tourists coming to view the Mutarazi Falls, Mahwemasimike and these beautiful mountain ranges,” a resident, opting to identify himself just as Godfrey, said.

Of late people fear being identified citing a rough political reprise where they are deemed to have criticised the ruling elite.

“Small planes ferrying people doing business in the tea and coffee plantations were regular.”

Tea, banana, coffee and forest plantations at Katiyo, Aberfoyle, Rumbizi and Chiwira Estates in their own way add as attractions apart from their agro-economic value, he said.

Timber plantations decorating mountain sides add to the beauty of the area which has a deep natural scent of flora and fauna.

Villagers’ non-motorised irrigation schemes around Hauna then attracted farming and geographical enthusiasts.

Animal husbandry here is low and under strict control to avoid animals straying into fields.

Villagers in this part of the country own thriving banana plantations in the land where healthy fruit trees and vegetables thrive.

Horticulture is also possible in these fertile lands with a climate favourable to all-year round agriculture.

“Katiyo, which we expected to grow has closed down, their plant is a white elephant now,” Godfrey said.

Tea and coffee plantations at Katiyo were run by Arda, a government agricultural body which of late is thinly funded.

At its height Katiyo Tea, which had become a brand, built a state-of-the-art factory just outside Hauna creating employment for many residents.

This added to the economic vibrance of Hauna which rapidly grew, feeding off the industry.

Today Katiyo’s expensive equipment lies idle, while some is reportedly being auctioned at far below cost price.

“We do not expect the factory to be stripped, instead our leadership should look for other investors to revive these ventures and create employment.”

Residents feel they are playing their part with the establishment of private schools, active retail shops and a highly-reliable transport system.

In their small way neighbouring villagers supply the small town with vegetables and many other nutrients.

Godfrey said they expected their Member of Parliament Luke Phibion Masamvu, from the ruling Zanu PF party, to jealously protect equipment at Katiyo.

“We are in difficult times, but we must protect what exists and start from there at a later stage.”

Other Hauna residents accuse Masamvu of self-development at the expense of the constituents.

“He is building his shops and expanding, but other businesses are going down, look at what is happening here,” a vendor, awkwardly positioned in front of a shop, said.

“If he [Masamvu] wants our vote he must start acting now, we need progress,” the vendor added.

Although there is electricity at Hauna, residents feel other sections of the growth point and its precincts should enjoy the facility generated in the Pungwe Valley.

“We need electricity throughout the valley because it is generated locally. They are making millions of dollars so we feel the owners should also give back to the community from which they operate,” Godfrey said.

Hauna Phase 2, a residential suburb is, despite having been established years ago, still in the dark without electricity.

This was discouraging other property developers thereby stifling growth.

An independent power company Nyangani Renewable Energy has a number hydropower stations in Honde Valley collectively generating more than 10 MW supplied to the national grid which locals feel should also benefit them.

Godfrey said as part of social responsibility electricity companies should improve infrastructure and ensure all locals have power which they are ready to pay for.

Elsewhere in Zimbabwe people in mining areas benefit from community ownership schemes in which part of the proceeds from the businesses is channelled towards community development.

Residents also want Masamvu to ensure proper distribution and billing of water and the establishment of an effective sewer reticulation system.

Poor water billing patterns have resulted in people owing as little as $100 being disconnected. Residents feel the municipality is a bit too tough for a rural set up.

“Besides we also need good roads and effective street lighting,” Godfrey said.

Masamvu is also expected to spearhead the creation of synergies for value addition in an area now devoid of industry yet capable.

“Fruit canning factories are possible, we have water, electricity and human resource. We lack initiatives industrially and politically,” an agricultural extension officer said.

He said fruit canning industries had long been on the drawing board and migration to reality was paramount.

Hauna has a population the last census put at 8 000 and has a permitting climate for multi-sectoral development which the government must compliment, Godfrey said.

Other residents interviewed reiterated the possibility of profitable tourism ventures considering Hauna sits at the feet of Nyanga and other mountain ranges forming a fort around it.

Apart from Mahwe Masimike, a natural tourist attraction of rock outcrops believed to be sacred and Mutarazi Falls, there are areas to establish bungee jumping and mountain climbs for adventure lovers.

Other numerous ventures can be created around the beautiful Mutarazi Falls, the sixth largest water fall in the world.

Locals believe Mutarazi Falls are mystic and sacred.

“Mutarazi Falls could be packaged with many attractions here. We are in a little Eden and not far from here there is a game park with an array of wild animals such as hyenas, reedbucks, klipspringers, antelopes, and predators like leopards for a complete tourist package,” the extension officer said.

Many world-class hotels are within reach from the scenic Hauna with a permitting weather all year round.
An elderly man joked that tourists could come to Hauna to see how lightning is made.

“We have it all here,” he said.

“All these are naturally given facilities for success we need to exploit, but we are lacking.”

Masamvu said he could not do everything alone.

“When I was elected roads had not been attended to in 15 years,” he said.

He facilitated the upgrading of roads, but accused people with ideas of not coming to share, but rushing to tell strangers “like you”.

He said the gravel roads could only be attended to after the rains to guard against erosion.

“Our economy, not only here in Mutasa, but throughout the country, is struggling hence the closure of industries you mention. This has happened in towns and even here,” Masamvu who finally decided to speak after two weeks of excuses.

He said he was a hard-worker and people should do the same and not expect handouts.

“If you go to my banks, I owe a lot, am not using anyone’s money to develop my business ventures,” he said.

On his social media profile, Masamvu, described by some as “big dad” says he has 15 wives and more than 50 children.

He is currently building a massive shop at Hauna next to his large supermarket that is opposite the centre’s bus terminus.

Masamvu said he invites people with business ideas in tourism and fruit canning to arrange meetings with him and the Mutasa North community to find a way foward.

Hauna, surrounded by Rori, Chigweshe, Danhama, Nyatsanza, Mboto, Samushonga, Mandiopera, Pangeti, Samhere, Makwasa, Gatsi, Muparutsa, Buwu, Murara, Pimai, Chavhanga, Sagambe and Zindi villages, wants a local market for its farmers’ produce as opposed to ferrying their stuff to large cities.

“Its easier if people come to buy and not for us to take our produce to them, we cannot carry everything including the beautiful scenery,” Godfrey said.

The entire plantations owned by villagers are under non-motorised gravity irrigation courtesy of the mountain ranges.

Hauna, despite the shortcomings, remains a quiet cool place which will explode into a large town when the economy and political will takes a positive turn.

Hauna has lost its glitter : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

PARLIAMENTARY Portfolio and Thematic committees are pivotal in making the Executive accountable, and last week in Gweru during stakeholders meetings between the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda and members of the public, he was put to task to explain how effective Parliament is in putting to check the Executive arm of government.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda

As part of the institution’s constitutional mandate to take Parliament to the people, Mudenda, supported by the Southern Africa Parliamentary Support Trust (Sapst) on Thursday and Friday, visited the Midlands Province where he met civic society, journalists and the academia to discuss Parliament processes.

During his visit to the Midlands State University, Mudenda was asked to explain how efficient Parliamentary Portfolio Committees were, given that in most instances people had noted that their recommendations on reports they produce are never implemented by the Executive.

Mudenda singled out Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa and Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko, as having taken recommendations by Parliament and implemented them.

“The Public Accounts committee is chaired by an opposition MP and they look at the Auditor General’s reports on certain government ministries and analyse them, and recently they came up with 18 recommendations directed at Chinamasa’s ministry,” he said.

“Chinamasa accepted all the 18 recommendations which then led to the revamping of his department in order to implement budgetary programmes, and he had to ask for an additional 10 members of staff, which he was given.”

Mudenda said Mphoko had listened to the wisdom of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice, the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC), and the people of Zimbabwe who aired their views on the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill in 2015, when it was first introduced in the House for crafting.

The Speaker said it was another example of the Executive choosing to implement recommendations by a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee.

“The NPRC Bill was rejected and there were 22 clauses that the PLC and the Justice committee said were against the Constitution. The result was that Mphoko came to Parliament and withdrew that Bill because of the work of the committee,”he said.

Mudenda said if Zimbabweans feel that a Bill is not properly done, they must not hesitate to take Parliament and the Executive to the Constitutional Court.

“The Local Government Bill was being crafted in the National Assembly, but civic society challenged the issue, saying the public hearings were not done and the matter is before the courts.”

In terms of Parliamentary Portfolio Committees input on Bills, Mudenda said committees made recommendations to amendments of 10 pieces of legislation.

“They also have raised issues on corruption, but it is not for committees to arrest corrupt people. They wait for the Executive to arrest, and then the Judiciary tries them to see if they are guilty,” he said.

Midlands State University (MSU)’s Media Studies department head, Nhamo Mhiripiri, asked the Speaker to explain why alignment of laws with the Constitution was taking too long, and to explain if it were political contestations in the country that were hindering alignment.

“So far 126 laws have been realigned and those outstanding are 228. The pace appears to be slow, but when you align laws you have to be meticulous in terms of provisions in the pieces of legislation, and cross referencing with the Constitution is an onerous task.”

Mudenda said Parliament has engaged the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) to do preliminary drafting and alignment exercises. He said Parliament signed a memorandum of understanding with the LSZ.

“They did 10 pieces of legislation with the Justice ministry, and eight with Parliament. There is no political contestation. We have also asked the Ministry of Justice to engage universities’ law faculties to assist with drafting,” he said.

Civic society and journalists also questioned the Speaker over public hearings — the violence normally experienced due to political intolerance at public hearings on Bills, and the role of MPs in disseminating information on Bills to their constituents.

Mudenda said members of the public must immediately notify Parliament of rogue elements that disrupt public hearings.

National Association of Non Governmental Organisations Midlands branch official Titus Mangoma asked the Speaker to explain why MPs walked out of motions they deemed attacking their political party resulting in lack of quorum. He also asked why there was absence of ministers during question and answer session.

“Absence of ministers is a worldwide phenomenon. Ministers that used to be MPs have a tendency that when they get promoted to ministers, they forget that first and foremost they are MPs. But we have whipped them by threatening them with contempt of Parliament and have written to the President about their behaviour and there is a significant improvement.

“No quorums are just political manoeuvres, where if a party feels a motion is attacking them they move out. The electorate must follow Parliament activities and if they find their MP is not performing they must petition Parliament,” he said.

Tawanda Sibanda of Gweru Ministers Fraternal said there were some MPs who have never reported back to their constituencies once voted into Parliament, adding the constitution needs to add a clause for the system of recall of a non-performing MP.

“During the Constitution-making process I was one of the people advocating for recall of non-performing MPs, unfortunately this was not supported and the phrase was not included in the Constitution. If an MP is not coming to address you, write a petition to the Speaker that the MP is missing,” Mudenda said.

Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust executive director John Makamure said section 141 of the Constitution demands that the people of Zimbabwe must have a say in legislative processes.

Makamure said the Speakers’ Forums, where he goes out to meet different stakeholders were part of Parliament’s strategic plan to involve the people in the Legislature’s activities.

Members of public grill Mudenda : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

FOUR-YEAR-OLD Nokutenda playfully tugs at her father’s ear and scampers off giggling. She skips about in the dimly-lit mud and pole hut in Nhema village, Shurugwi. Her eyes shine with excitement.

BY PHYLLIS MBANJE

Patrick and Mildred Makonto with their daughter, Nokutenda

Her parents, Patrick and Mildred Makontos, fondly gaze at their daughter, whom they regard as a miracle.

“She has given hope to other HIV positive couples who were afraid of having children,” Mildred explains.

Patrick, a teacher at the village high school, Gare High, tested positive for HIV in 2003.

“My wife used to carry me in a wheelbarrow all the way to the clinic,” he says, eyes fixed on the ground.

Patrick began anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and his health improved. Studies have shown that ART prevents HIV from multiplying and, therefore, keeps the amount of virus in an HIV-infected person’s body under control.

Patrick’s work colleagues and fellow villagers, however, shunned him. Some even suggested that he resign himself to his fate and go home to die peacefully.

Despite the discrimination, Patrick, who was bedridden at the time, started taking his medication as prescribed and soon showed signs of life. He returned to work afterwards.

In 2004, after taking an HIV test, Mildred was shocked to discover that she too had the virus.

“I was scared, angry and hurt,” she says, recounting memories of friends discarding a cup she had used to drink water. “People discriminated against me.”

After counselling and encouragement, she accepted her status and fought against the stigma.

About eight years after Patrick started ART, the Makontos decided to have another child, but those close to them warned them that their child would be born with HIV.

At the time, Zimbabwe still had one of the highest burdens of new HIV infections. Around 30% of all babies born to HIV-infected mothers in the country in 2009 were either born with the virus, or became HIV positive during breastfeeding, according to Zimbabwe’s United Nations (UN) progress report of 2014.

The World Health Organisation says without medical intervention, women who are HIV positive have between a 15% and 45% chance of passing the virus on to their babies during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding.

However, tables turned when two global health organisations, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation (EGPAF) and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), joined the Health ministry in rolling out the Virtual Elimination of HIV Infection in Infants and Young Children project.

A $45 million grant was awarded to support the government’s five-year programme for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, also known as PMTCT.

There was strengthened capacity of PMTCT projects at national, district and community levels. Health care providers were trained to manage PMTCT patients.

PMTCT sites were increased from three in 1999 to 1 495 sites in 62 districts of Zimbabwe, providing 96% coverage of the country’s 1 560 antenatal care sites.

This has meant more and better treatment for HIV positive mothers. According to the Global Aids Response Country Progress, PMTCT drugs were made more widely available and nurses received intensive training on the issue, making it easier for the women to get treatment without having to travel to the urban health facilities.

According to the 2014 Global Aids Response Country Progress Report, 93% of pregnant mothers living with HIV in Zimbabwe had access to comprehensive PMTCT services and 15 000 HIV infections were averted this way.

High quality, comprehensive PMTCT services are now provided in 95% of the 1 560 health facilities in Zimbabwe. This has meant more and better treatment for HIV positive mothers.

So when the Makontos approached staff at Chikwingwizha Clinic, they were told that there was hope that their baby could be born HIV negative, if they followed the treatment procedures of the clinics PMTCT programme.

“The first step, the nurse said, was to make sure our CD-4 counts were not too low,” Mildred says.

A CD-4 count measures the strength of someone’s immune system. HIV-infected people, who are not on ART, usually have low CD-4 counts, because their immune systems have been weakened by the virus.

“When we counsel HIV positive couples who want to try for a baby, we emphasise that their CD-4 count should be in the normal range, between 400 and 1 200,” a nurse, Miriam Mushati, from the Chikwingwizha Clinic, says.

Mildred’s CD-4 count was within acceptable range, but Patrick had to keep taking his medication until his was well above 500, and the Makontos started trying for a baby.

“When I realised I was pregnant in 2012, we knew that if we took better care of our health and Patrick continued to take his drugs, we were less likely to have an HIV-positive baby,” she says.

When Mildred started visiting the Chikwingwizha clinic for her antenatal check-ups, the clinic staff explained the PMTCT treatment guidelines, which included practising safe sex and eating healthy foods and adhering to treatment.

But in 2011 Zimbabwe adopted the World Health Organisation’s (WHO’s) 2010 PMTCT guidelines, which recommended, among other things, that women begin receiving ARVs from 14 weeks into their pregnancy.

The new guidelines improved the mothers’ health and reduced the risk of transmitting HIV from mother to child to 5% or less.

In 2014, Zimbabwe adopted the WHO’s 2013 guidelines for PMTCT, known as “Option B+”, which recommends lifelong ART for all HIV positive pregnant and breastfeeding women, regardless of CD-4 count.

She gave birth to Nokutenda after a few hours of labour.

After delivery, Mildred was shown how to breastfeed, and instructed to practice exclusive breastfeeding until her daughter was six months old.

This meant she wasn’t allowed to give her baby anything other than breast milk for six months — not even water.

Nokutenda received Nevirapine syrup until she was six weeks old. She was put on cotrimoxazole, which she took daily until she was six months old and had her first HIV test which was negative.

WHO recommends that HIV-exposed, but uninfected infants get cotrimoxazole (CTX) prophylaxis from the age of four to six weeks until they are no longer exposed to HIV and have confirmation of being HIV negative. Cotrimoxazole is a highly effective antibiotic against pneumonia and other opportunistic infections.

Nokutenda was again tested when she was two, and her result was negative.

“I was so happy. The community learned that an HIV-positive mother can give birth to an HIV-negative baby,” Mildred says.

Patrick is speechless when asked how he felt about his daughter being HIV negative.

“I cannot believe it some times that this beautiful child is part of me. It makes me happy and proud that we did this for her,” Patrick says, as he hugs a sleepy Nokutenda and draws her gently to his chest.

He hopes to live long enough to see her graduate from college.

The Makontos were one of the first couples to openly declare their HIV status and today, remain in the forefront fighting stigma.

Defying odds: A woman’s courage in the face of ‘calamity’ : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

KAROI — The long journey travelled by 42-year-old Shamiso Mudoka in the fight against tuberculosis is a typical case that calls for the scaling up of the fight against the disease.

BY NHAU MANGIRAZI

Her sorry tale highlights the importance of awareness among TB patients and the community at large.

Soon after she was diagnosed, Mudoka discovered that she was about to travel a long journey to defeat the scourge.

She had nowhere to stay, after her brother evicted her from their family home.

Although her electrifying smile greets any visitor in Karoi’s oldest high-density suburb of Chikangwe, the battle she went through in the last seven years is still fresh in her mind.

A single mother of two children, aged eight and 11, Mudoka has somehow managed to overcome the social outcast jacket she wore for several years and also the disease.

“It all started in early October 2010 when I developed cold fever,” she recalled.

“I went to the hospital and was given amoxicillin drugs. The doctor recommended that I must have my sputum tested.”

It took some time before Mudoka could get results and the feedback that she was to undergo TB treatment.

All hell broke loose as she could no longer afford to fend for herself because of the burden brought by the disease.

“I had to move to our family house, but my brother, Stephen, could not accept me,” Mudoka says.

Her neighbour, Ambuya Jennifer Mapanga, says Mudoka was a social outcast after her brother evicted her.

“We were touched by Mudoka’s plight after eviction. She was a social outcast,” she said.

Without anyone to turn to for solace and shelter, Mudoka went to Karoi General Hospital, where officials understood her plight and accommodated her.

“For six months, my brother never visited me, but I used to get regular visits from other friends,” she says. “But eventually, I fought through and won the battle with the help of strangers.”

Mudoka’s plight aptly explains how TB should be treated as a cause of concern by both the government and co-operating partners.

HIV and Aids advocate Muchanyara Mukamuri notes that TB patients face more pronounced stigma, compared to other patients, making it a barrier to accessing treatment and adherence.

“Stigma must be fought from all angles, starting at family level, health care givers and the community at large. Awareness must be included with easy-to-read materials in vernacular,” Mukamuri says.

“Political commitment and will must be reflected in costing it through the health budgets allocation. As long as the health budget continues to be as it is, we may make as much noise as possible, but we may not achieve any tangible results.”

The Global TB Report 2016 lists Zimbabwe as among the 30 high burdened countries, with a triple burden of TB, TB-HIV and MDR-TB.

The other countries on the list are Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Central African Republic, China, Congo, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russian Federation, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Thailand, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zambia.

“The 30 high TB burden countries accounted for 87% of all estimated incident cases worldwide,” the report reads in part.

“The six countries that stood out as having the largest number of incident cases in 2015 were (in descending order) India, Indonesia, China, Nigeria, Pakistan and South Africa (combined, 60% of the global total).

“Of these, China, India and Indonesia alone accounted for 45% of global cases in 2015. The annual number of incident TB cases relative to population size (the incidence rate) varied widely among countries in 2015, from under 10 per 100 000 population in most high-income countries to 150–300 in most of the 30 high TB burden countries.”

TB has attracted the attention of Parliament. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health in February 2016 produced a report painting a gloomy situation with regards to the disease.

While TB treatment for six to nine months costs $31, it was discovered that MDR-TB treatment for 20 to 24 months goes for $2 571.

The situation is worse for another TB strain called Extensively Drug Resistant-TB costing $31 000 to treat for 24 to 36 months.

“In this regard, with the economic strains facing the country, prevention and control of the disease becomes key to TB management in the country,” the legislators noted in their report.

They recommended government moves swiftly and reduces the exorbitant costs of the second line TB treatment.

Aids/TB Programmes (National TB Control) in the Health and Child Care ministry, Charles Sandy, says TB eradication is now a success story through community involvement.

“The programme on TB has been very successfully because we have rapidly decentralised diagnosis, care and treatment to the district level and successfully adopted a community based approach,” he says.

The Union through Challenge TB, a USAid funding mechanism continues to provide highly qualified specialist TB staff, managerial and leadership support, materials including equipment such machines and financial support to the TB programme.

The Union director, Christopher Zishiri, says they are working with the National TB Control Programme to strengthen TB control in Zimbabwe in the last nine years.

“Current interventions include enhancing access to quality patient centred care for TB, TB/HIV and MDR-TB services; prevention of transmission and disease progression through active case finding; and strengthening TB platforms including political commitment to end TB,” he says, adding that although funding is always not enough, financial challenges always hinder the provision of adequate services, the Union has, however, helped in lessening the financial burden in the TB programme.

Mudoka, free from the disease, had to go through what she termed “hell”, especially after her rejection by relatives because she had contracted the disease.

A sorry tale to tell in the fight against TB : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

HUNTING has been traditionally revered, particularly in rural areas, where it has always been a mark of noble manhood and marksmanship defined by the ability to use the spear and bow and arrow to bring down prey.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

Chirumhanzu Zibagwe legislator Auxilia Mnangagwa and her aides battling a veld fire in Mvuma (file)

Things, however, have since changed with the current generation of hunters in the rural areas accused of engaging in illegal and dangerous practices detrimental to the environment.

The use of fire in hunting expeditions has triggered veld fires in Mashonaland East Province, with recent reports revealing that apart from land clearing, hunting using fire is the major cause of the fires destroying the environment.

“There is a lot of grass and hunting is difficult. The rabbits and other wild animals hide in the grass, hence to expose them we have to set the grass ablaze. We are aware that it is illegal, but we survive on hunting,” a 21-year-old Wedza herdboy said.

According to an annual 2016 report by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), the province recorded a 31,4% increase of burnt area, with hunting being one of the major causes of veld fires.

“During the reporting period, the province recorded 214 incidents which resulted in approximately 112 729,87 hectares of land being burnt. Burnt area increased by 31,14 % from 2015 when 77 622,13ha were burnt,” the report reads.

It further states that the increase in burnt area is attributed to uncharacteristically very windy conditions experienced between July and October, which resulted in the rapid spread of fires whenever there were outbreaks.

Chikomba district had the highest burnt area of 35 667,54 ha, while the least affected district, Mudzi, had the least area burnt of 208,81ha.

It has been established that the major causes of veld fires in the province also include children playing with fire, while smoking motorists were the least contributors, and illegal hunters are the second major causes.

“The major drivers of veld fires were land clearing and illegal hunters. Approximately 58% of all veld fires experienced were attributed to land clearing using fire. Poachers of wild animals who use fire to flush out wild animals contributed to about 16% of all veld fire outbreaks. Arson, children playing with fire and burning waste each contributed 5%. About 2% of the drivers could not be determined,” the report read.

Approximately 3,8 % of the total provincial land area was affected by veld fires. This was an increase of 1,2% from the 2,6% that was affected in 2015. Seke had the largest proportion (15,3%) of land area affected while Mutoko had the smallest proportion of 0,33% of its land area affected by veld fires.

EMA provincial programmes officer Astas Mabwe said the latest trends are worrying and that the problem was worsened by the high temperatures experienced last year.

“We have experienced an increase in the prevalence of veld fires in 2016. The people where vigilant at first, but as temperatures soared we experienced a lot veld fires. In other words, high temperatures exacerbated the problem of fires. People could not contain some fires due to heat,” he said.

He noted that in Chikomba district, veld fires were prevalent in small-scale farms because small-scale farmers lacked capacity to set up suppression measures against the fires.

“As an agency we have done a lot of awareness and most people appreciate the need for preventing veld fires. We continue with our awareness campaigns,” Mabwe said.

Total hectares of burnt area for other districts is Seke (23 637,83ha), Goromonzi (14 034,61ha), Wedza (9 188,99ha), Uzumba (847,22ha), Marondera (18 274,74), Murewa (10 240,42), Mutoko (629.71) and Mudzi (208,81).

Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007: Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27) provides for communities not to leave fires unattended, defines the fire season, no starting of fires outside residential or commercial premises during the fire season, adequate veld fire suppression measures and for communities to investigate and report fire incidents to EMA and the police.

Maria Mverechena (36) of Wedza, whose garden was razed by fire last year, said those found guilty of causing veld fires should face the full wrath of the law.

“I suggest that there is need to propose a stiffer penalty on perpetrators to deter would-be-offenders in the future. I lost my livelihood after some hunters who were trapping rabbits, started a fire, that burnt down my garden. I feel traditional leaders should demand two beasts from offenders, not goats as we have witnessed,” she said.

According to the EMA report, a total of eight cases were handled by the courts. Three cases had dockets opened and referred to the Magistrates’ Court and are yet to be finalised. Five cases were handled by traditional courts where the culprits were mainly made to pay fines in the form of goats.

The report says 21 tickets with a value of $1 850 were issued in Goromonzi, Chikomba and Marondera mainly for failure to put in place adequate fire pre-suppression measures. A total of $515 has since been paid from the issued tickets.

Environmentalist Clever Jambaya said poor fire response in the country has resulted in the destruction of the environment, as veld fire razes the forests without efforts and attempts to put them off.

“Despite awareness campaigns and demonstrations of putting out fires in the communities, the country’s fire response system is very poor and this has resulted in the destruction of the environment as villagers fail to contain veld fires,” he said.

“On many occasions we have witnessed veld fires dying on their own without any attempt from trained personnel or professionals to deal with it. A good example is the Pomona fire incident of November last year when authorities failed to contain the fire for a number of days. We need a vibrant fire response system to preserve nature,” he said.

Last year a five-year-old boy was burnt to death by veld fires in Seke, while two people were seriously injured in Seke and Chikomba districts. Five houses with property, 38 gardens, three goats, a calf and 11 rabbits were also lost to veld fires, according to the annual report.

EMA says 90% of fires in Zimbabwe are anthropogenic (originating from human activity) and 10% natural. In 2001, half a million hectares of land were

burnt, but the figure increased in 2014 where more than 1 600 000 hectares were burnt.

Mashonaland West Province usually tops, while Manicaland has the least veld fire cases. In 2010, eight elephants were burnt.

It is said infrastructure destroyed so far by veld fires is valued at an estimated $2m.

Former large-scale farming communities had the highest number of fires followed by commercial land and, lastly, forest land.

Illegal hunting practices threaten environment : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

Ten years ago, former bricklayer, Samuel Musengi was allocated a nine-hectare plot to cultivate in Zimbabwe, as part of an accelerated phase of land reform programme that saw tens of thousands of black families resettled on what were once vast, mostly white-owned commercial farms.

Unpredictable weather and lack of government support has made it all but impossible for Zimbabwe’s resettled farmers to achieve anything like the full potential of their plots

It’s not going so well for him; nor for many others.

Increasingly unpredictable weather and a lack of government support has made it all but impossible for Zimbabwe’s resettled farmers to achieve anything like the full potential of their plots.

Even the government’s weather forecasts are unreliable, according to 42-year-old Musengi, who grows maize and beans and raises a few head of livestock in Wedza, some 90km southeast of Harare.

“These people (the weather forecasters) get it wrong about when the rains will come most of the time. That makes it difficult to prepare our fields. If the Meteorological Service Department cannot correctly tell when it will rain, what do you expect from simple farmers like me?” he said.

But it’s getting harder too for forecasters.

Extreme weather shocks are occurring with rising frequency in Zimbabwe, “with a flood year immediately following a drought year”, according to a 2015 study by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the Harare-based Research and Advocacy Unit.

In addition to more floods and droughts, the report predicted that the onsets and ends of rainy seasons would continue to change and be interrupted by more frequent and longer dry spells, and that the distribution of rainfall across the country would also become more and more erratic – bad news indeed for Zimbabwean agriculture, which is mainly rain-fed.

In the absence of accurate official forecasts, Musengi and scores of other resettled smallholder farmers in the Wedza area have turned in desperation to self-styled “prophets”.

But they too are of little help.

“The angels have advised the prophets not to predict the rains,” said Musengi.

“Only God knows when it will rain. Other farmers go to traditional healers, who carry out rainmaking ceremonies, but it is difficult to tell if the rains that come are due to those rituals.”

By rights, rain shouldn’t be an issue for Musengi and the 20 other smallholders now living on the farm: It has a borehole deep enough to supply water for year-round irrigation.

But the pump is broken and there’s no money to replace it.

It is common for resettled farmers to have to share infrastructure, but during the violence and chaos of President Robert Mugabe’s fast-track land reform programme in the early 2000s, much vital equipment was vandalised or looted, leading to disputes over, who should meet the costs of repairs.

“Because of the droughts, we have not been able to produce enough,” Musengi, who in recent years has seen fellow farmers lose cattle to disease, thirst, and lack of pasture, said.

“I have been getting less than a tonne of maize from my field every year, meaning that I cannot sell anything and get money for inputs and other household needs.”

Eddie Cross, an economist, farming expert and opposition MDC-T lawmaker, estimates that smallholder farmers should be producing some 10 tonnes of maize per hectare in a good year.

One stated aim of land reform was to give subsistence farmers, who had long toiled on low-quality soils in communally-owned areas – as well as junior civil servants, war veterans, pensioners, and businesspeople – access to more productive land so as to contribute to Zimbabwe’s food basket.

More than 140 000 people benefitted from the scheme, with an average plot size of 12 hectares.

However, in practice, many have been left to fend for themselves, with little support to face up to the growing effects of climate change.

“The fast track land reform programme could have gone a long way in addressing the climate adaptation and resilience needs of smallholder commercial and other resettled farmers, but unfortunately this opportunity may have been missed,” Leonard Unganai, a climate expert working with Oxfam, said.

“This is so simply because that was not an explicit policy objective of the programme.”

While those resettled have the right to live on and work the soil of their farms, they were not given title deeds, even those who farm on a commercial rather than subsistence basis. Ownership of all rural land in Zimbabwe acquired under the fast track land reform programme is now vested in the State.

After drought, Zimbabwe contends with fall armyworm invasion

Many resettled farmers have been issued 99-year leases, but these can be revoked at any time if the government says the land has not been used productively.

“They have no security of tenure, no ability to borrow money against their land holdings, and no way of selling their assets if they want to move or change to another activity,” Unganai said. “Secure land tenure is definitely important to encourage adaptation and resilience-building investments on the land. One hopes the government addresses this gap as a matter of urgency.”

Cross explained how this sense of insecurity means the farmers have no motivation to invest in and develop their plots.

“They can be removed from their farms at the whim of the minister at any time for any reason or no reason at all,” he said. “Their vulnerability is total.”

Without sizeable investments, farmers are unable to cope with the repeated droughts and floods. They hardly have any means to fall back on for their own subsistence and to pay for the preparation of the land for the next season. This has created a vicious cycle of food insecurity.

The ruling Zanu PF party concedes there is more to be done to help resettled farmers.

Christopher Chitindi, an MP, who heads the Parliamentary Committee on Lands and Agriculture, said the “government must urgently look at ways to ensure that the land given to resettled farmers is bankable, and the best to achieve that is to make land rights transferable from one person to another and from one generation to the other, which is not the case at the moment”.

“It must also speed up the process of coming up with the new land policy to address existent tenure rights gaps and to specifically address the needs of resettled farmers in the context of climate change,” he said.

Ongoing land invasions and the forced displacement of resettled farmers make matters worse.

These have been sporadic of late, but factional wars within the ruling party complicate the situation and have become more frequent as different camps jostle to succeed Mugabe, now 93.

Mwazviona Gora (58) of Goromonzi district in Mashonaland East Province, some 50km southeast of Harare, is a veteran of the war of liberation that brought Zimbabwe independence from Britain in 1980.

Gora participated in the invasion of white farms at the turn of the century. He received 90 hectares in 2003 and has since been farming maize, groundnuts, and vegetables, together with scores of goats and chickens.

“They (militias from Mugabe’s ruling Zanu PF party) say I am thankless and now claim that the farm actually belongs to one of their godfathers,” he said.

“I have hardly done any farming this year and these boys are stealing my livestock. They have also taken away my generator and irrigation pipes and won’t let me use the small dam for irrigation.”

Gora had enough problems even before his plot was invaded. Like many other farmers, banks have been turning him away because his farm is considered state land.

This means he has no collateral security and can’t insure his crops against droughts, veld fires, and floods.

He hopes to convince established agricultural companies to contract him to grow seed potato, as the luckiest smallholders in his area have done.

These firms provide expert help that boosts skills and productivity and gives farmers the opportunity to diversify from maize, which has proved particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events.

Such support is sorely needed in a country where the agriculture sector, despite accounting for some 60% of the labour force and 20% of gross domestic product, gets only around five percent of the National Budget.

This is about half the proportion set out in the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme drawn up at an African Union summit in 2003.

The government’s National Climate Change Response Strategy notes that the impacts of climate change “pose a serious risk to food security and adaptive capacity”, but it barely mentions the needs of resettled farmers.

“Generally, resettled and non-resettled farmers now know that there is climate change, through experience and sporadic awareness campaigns by development partners,” Wonder Chabikwa, president of the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union said. “The problem is that they still don’t know what exactly to do to adequately respond to the challenges of climate change.

“Even (government) agricultural extension workers seem to be confused too. This is worsened by the fact that, unlike in the past, they are no longer accessible to farmers. They must be on the ground, teaching farmers on the best methods to till their land, what crop varieties to adopt, and how to deal with crop and livestock diseases.”

Chabikwa suggested the government should set up a non-commercial bank that gives loans to farmers at sustainable rates.

“It used to do that in the past, but the bank has commercialised and is no longer responding to the needs of resettled and poor smallholder farmers,” he said.

Although the situation is desperate, the farmers themselves are determined to find solutions, with or without the help of the government.

“We must not be crybabies,” said 38-year-old Thabeth Marimo, Musengi’s neighbour in Wedza. “(We must) become more self-dependent and organise ourselves into community groups to discuss the challenges we are facing and how best we can deal with the changing seasons.
After that, we can approach the government and donors to help.” — Irin

Resettled Zimbabwe farmers left high and dry : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

AFTER a series of seasonal climatic shocks and changes, women have been forced to bear the brunt.

BY TAFADZWA UFUMELI

Sorghum

But for Rutendo Gusinyu (21), the story is different, as she has managed to create a new narrative, as her participation in the small grain production project has brought positive changes.

Following her participation in a small grain production programme sponsored by World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Gusinyu was able to produce a healthy crop of sorghum on half a hectare piece of land close to her family homestead.

35 year old Christine Mabika smiles holding sorghum in her farm

The last born in a family of five, she was among the most successful of the beneficiaries and is now able to sustain her family throughout the lean season.

“I was interested in this initiative because we have been affected by periodical climate shocks. My father has also equipped me with a strong background of farming since I was a child,” Gusinyu said.

She said the small grain will be used for home consumption, with the surplus channelled to feed their livestock.

Christine Mabika

“I am urging all young people to embark on sustainable farming in order to earn a living. Although I am a young girl and inexperienced in agriculture, but I have done it,” she said.

Women’s participation in farming in Mudzi and Rushinga district is increasing, as statistics from the assessment programme by Agritex showed that women were producing more than their male counterparts.

Of the 184 lead farmers in Rushinga District visited during the assessment, 106 were women, who planted 55,8 hectares of land out of the total of 95,3 hectares, while in Mudzi 49 out of 114 lead farmers were women.

A woman harvests ground nuts in the Nyamanyanya area in Rushinga

Despite the effects of climate change, shortage of inputs like seed, fertiliser, fuel, machinery and implements also affected productivity. Through the intervention of WFP in partnership, with the government farmers were taught good agriculture practices.

“I am expecting to get a profit after value adding my produce,” Gusinyu said.

After undergoing the WFP training, I have discovered that farming is not just subsistence, but commercial”

A woman harvests ground nuts as part of their own small grain projects in the Nyamanyanya area in Rushinga.

AgriSeeds marketing director, Ivan Craig said, “We are quite happy with the progress so far in Mudzi and Rushinga districts, however, there is need to have food fairs and food shows as a way of promoting the small grains.”

Empowering women is key to achieving zero hunger in all WFP activities that include health and nutrition, lean season assistance, productive assets creation and small grains production which Rutendo has benefited from.

Christine Mabika looks on some of the sorghum she harvested.

Christine Mabika (35), a mother of three, who was selected to be a lead farmer under the programme, said following the El-Niño effects, she lost her cattle, but the training she received on good agricultural practices has put her back on the path to recovery.

“The future (now) looks bright and promising. It looks like with the small grains that we planted, we are going to have a good harvest,” she said.

WFP deputy country director and head of programme in Zimbabwe, Niels Balzer, said farmers were on the front lines of climate change.
He said the project was aimed at increasing production and productivity of drought-tolerant crops.

21 year old smallholder farmer Rutendo Gusinyu at her field in Mudzi

“And we know it works following implementation of a similar project. A community in Mwenezi surpassed average yields and was the only community in the area not to require WFP food assistance during the El-Nino drought,” he said.

“WFP has been supporting smallholder farmers with inputs since 2014. The 2016 project is assisting 5 389 farmers and their households in Mudzi and Rushinga districts, reaching over 20 000 people. WFP partnered with FAO and Agritex.”

Smallholder farmer Christine Bandera at her field in Mudzi

Agric training provides lifeline to rural women : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

FOR Jennifer Manatsa (56) of Sithole village, taking care of 11 grandchildren has been challenging. Toiling in other people’s fields and gardens was her order of the day.

HAZVINEI MWANAKA

Dzingazhara Fish Cooperative made up of 14 members, said the fish farming project has transformed their lives

“My grandchildren had difficulties going to school, I could not feed them, and it was very difficult for me. We used to work in other people’s fields and all we get were just peanuts,” she said.

But all that is now water under the bridge. Manatsa, who is now a member of Dzingazhara Fish Co-operative, made up of 14 members, said the fish farming project has transformed their lives.

Every morning she goes to inspect her fish ponds. She feeds the fish, and when it is harvest time, they prepare the fish for the market before taking some home for consumption.

“When we started in 2011, we thought it was a joke, actually we did not know that we could come this far, but we have seen changes. My grandchildren are now very happy, they are now going to school and at least I can now feed them,” she said.

“During production, we weigh the fish and measure the upper body to assess their growth and if they are suitable for the market we then sell them.

“So far, our market is still local, that is villagers and teachers, but we are hoping to extend to other places.”

Manatsa said last year they sold 1 035kg at $3 per kg, getting around $ 3 000 and sharing the profits before buying inputs for their other projects.

“Over 8 000 fish will be ready for the market soon and we are hoping to increase in the next season,” she said.

They are also developing an orchard, poultry, garden and apiculture projects so that they diversify and increase their income.

“I have also imparted the knowledge to my grandchildren and when they are on school holidays they help me with the project. Our hope is to see aquaculture expanding in the country,” she said.

With assistance from World Food Programme’s productive assets creation programme, the group got an opportunity to expand operations by renovating their pond and adding two more.

In 2014, the group was registered on the European Commission funded programme through World Vision.

Country director for Aquaculture Zimbabwe, Martin Dingwa said they have assisted the members by training them.

“In this project, we have assisted the members in training them from the start, how to set up the fish ponds, the designs and correct slopes. We also supported them with the material apart from the locally available. We train them on how to breed and they can now use their own fingerlings as well as supplying to other people,” he said.

Dingwa said the projects will go a long way in sustaining households taking part in the initiative.

Paul Mwera, chairman of the Zimbabwe Fish Producers Association, said the project shows that aquaculture has got a future in the country.

“I am quite impressed with the project. It shows that aquaculture will supply the protein content that is required in food security. It has improved the livelihoods of so many households,” he said.

“They (the fish co-operative) are benefitting the people, so that they are getting the protein, which is food security sustaining for their families. And also because they are selling the fish, they are getting enough money to support their children.”

Dingwa said the projects are capital intensive to set up and there is need for the government to facilitate easy access to water bodies and reduce the burden of what people should pay towards making that project.

“We are talking about removal of charges on the use of water. Another challenge is that, in some projects there is need for an expert, whom we do not have. The extension officers are good at crop farming and not aquaculture, which is another challenge, we have lack of technical support,” he said.

According to experts, developing of aquaculture can contribute to the alleviation of food insecurity, malnutrition and poverty through the provision of food of high nutritional value, income and employment generation, improved access to water, enhanced aquatic resource management and increased farm sustainability.

The project so far is implemented in eight districts Binga, Kariba, Insiza, Umzingwane, Masvingo Beitbridge, Mwenezi and Hwange.

Fish farming transforms livelihoods in rural communities : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

Today is Africa Day, that significant day when the sons and daughters of Africa celebrate the unparalleled gallantry that as citizens of Africa, we continue to exhibit in surmounting the huge challenges that fate continues to throw on our path.

By Morgan Tsvangirai

MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai

Africa Day is a day to celebrate this continent of heroes and heroines, who successfully fought colonialism and foreign domination; a continent that continues to fight repression wherever it manifests, even among ourselves.

Today, we must reflect on the vision of the founding fathers, who gathered to form the Organisation of African Unity in 1963, which we transformed into the African Union and has scored some successes and met with challenges in other areas.

Indeed, we have had an odd mixture of both proud and sorry moments, but today is a day to celebrate our achievements and the numerous challenges we have surmounted to become the continent of hope that we are today. As we celebrate this day, it is also a moment for sober reflection.

Firstly, given the continent’s vast mineral wealth and its wide base of natural resources, it is without any rationality and justification that we must continue to have such poverty among ourselves.

Notwithstanding the great strides we are making as a continent, it is true that our ruling elites have pillaged national resources, while many in our communities, particularly women and children, continue to live in abject poverty, surviving on less than $1 a day.

This is unforgivable, especially given the vast wealth our great continent possesses.

Africa’s wealth must benefit the simple and the ordinary, who continue to be hewers of wood and drawers of water while the ruling elites enjoy the fruits, nay the tree, of our vast wealth.

Indeed, the values of empathy and solidarity with which we supported each other during our various national struggles for independence must continue to flow amongst us as African nations.

It is in that spirit of African solidarity that it behoves upon me on this great day to appeal to the people and the leaders of Africa to keep Zimbabwe in their prayers and to feel obliged to continue to redirect us towards stability, inclusivity, growth and democracy.

As Zimbabwe braces for a watershed election next year, Africa must be in solidarity with the Zimbabwean people and not necessarily with the Zimbabwean leadership.

Given our history of violence and disputed elections, we pray for once that the rest of Africa will support all efforts for free and fair elections in Zimbabwe in the run-up to 2018.

Africa has done it before and we trust that they will be with us again next year to ensure that the people’s will is freely expressed, respected and guaranteed.

We have a leader in the sunset of his life; a national and continental hero, who played a huge part in the development of this country and the continent, but who has now turned into a villain through his misdirected leadership that has since started eroding his own legacy.

By dint of his age and his long stay in office, his leadership is now on an alarming stretch of diminishing returns, with the country now hanging precariously on the precipice of almost being a failed State.

My plea today is to plead with Africa to support a democratic transition in Zimbabwe for the sake of its people, particularly the young generation that faces a bleak and doomed future if we don’t start on an even keel next year.

The leadership and the people of Africa must support our domestic efforts for a truly free, fair, genuine and credible election so that the millions of our sons and daughters, who have fled the country, can come back home and serve their country.

Yes, Africa needs to support Zimbabwe’s quest for free and fair elections.

Only free, fair and credible elections will yield a credible leadership with uncontested legitimacy that can begin to transact the business of the people.

I am heartened by the fact that the theme for this year’s Africa Day celebrations is Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth.

Given the youth bulge on the continent, including in Zimbabwe, where even university graduates are on the street pavements eking out a living as vendors, we urgently need to invest in the future of our young people.

We certainly need to create opportunities for them so that they make a positive contribution to the country and the continent.

The youth are the future, but that future can only be ensured by our conscious decisions today to put in place policies and mechanisms that guarantee their active participation both in the politics and the economies of their countries.

That is why, in our country, I and the party I lead, are urging the young people, who constitute 60% of the population, to register to vote so that they can determine their own future through their direct participation in next year’s election.

The youth need our support and the continent certainly needs to harness that demographic dividend for growth and prosperity.

Happy Africa Day!

Morgan Tsvangirai is the leader of MDC-T. This is his Africa Day message.

Zimbabwe, let’s ensure our future through conscious decisions today : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

KAROI — It is around 5pm on Saturday when officials from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Zimbabwe National People Living with HIV and Aids and other stakeholders start pitching tents near popular night clubs within Karoi high density suburb of Chikangwe.

BY NHAU MANGIRAZI

Some women are busy visiting butcheries lined up near at least four night clubs scattered around the premises including grocery shops.

A woman volunteer’s voice, calling on everyone to get tested for HIVcompetes with the high volume of music from one of the night clubs. She is relentless and some people begin to pay attention to her calls.

“Come and get tested and know your HIV status. Your health is important,” she said.

Within a few minutes several people including teenage girls and boys, women as well as men queue up to be tested.
In less than an hour the long queue winds up past vegetable and later a braai stand.

People here are expressing their joy that at least the service is available at the opportune time near their homes.
Among them are commercial sex workers and imbibers.

For a moment, the voluntary and testing officers are overwhelmed by the response ignited through the moonlight HIV and Aids testing initiative in the small farming town situated about 204km northwest of Harare.

“We are getting many people compared to regular testing and counselling at the referral hospital and clinic around town.

“It is encouraging that many people are coming under the cover of darkness to be counselled and tested,” said one of the officials.

The programme launched by Hurungwe District Hospital with the assistance from National Aids Council and other stakeholders started on a high note providing night-time voluntary testing and counselling.

There were clinical officers and nurses on-site for patients to get HIV counselling.

Hurungwe district medical officer, Annamore Mutisi, confirmed that the initial results were encouraging for both health staff and the community at large.

“Although we are still to make comparisons of turnout, it is encouraging that it was impressive from the community response. This may be because of the stigma on new HIV infection rates, knowledge of HIV status are hampered by community commitment. The thrust and onus is for us to go where people are and let them come on their own when they are relaxed without pushing them to the wall,” she said.

Chikangwe had 229 people tested, while a site in central business district had 120 people tested.

“What is impressive is the fact that these numbers are high compared to what we normally go through at the hospital or clinics daily. The reasons are that as a referral hospital, our services are too broad and such services of testing and counselling may affect those who wish to come due other commitments,” Mutisi said.

Chikangwe site is where the majority of tobacco farmers spend most of their time when they fail to access cash due to cash the crisis affecting the nation.

They spend their time in pubs near the site.

A farmer who identified himself as Togara, whose village is under Chief Kazangarare, welcomed the move.

“We hardly get time to visit clinics to be tested when we are in town rushing to get cash at banks. However, this move is welcome. We hope they will visit more business centres around Hurungwe,” he said.

An official who was part of the team said more men were tested during the exercise.

“We used to say women are conscious about their health but this move has proven us wrong as almost 60% of those tested were men. Generally, men are shy to visit hospitals seeking medication, but during the exercise they are coming in droves,” he said.

Mutisi said plans are afoot to have similar moonlight testing centres around the district to meet global Sustainable Development Goal target to end the Aids epidemic by 2030.

This is likely to be achieved through 90-90-90 push where by 2020, at least 90% of people who are HIV infected will be diagnosed, 90% of people diagnosed will be on anti-retroviral treatment and 90% of those who receive anti-retrovirals will be virally suppressed.

The Zimbabwe Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (Zimphia) Aids related deaths declined by 77% countrywide in the last decade.

National Aids Council monitoring and evaluation director, Amen Mpofu, recently said Zimbabwe managed to prevent 1,7 million deaths, 55% of expected Aids-related deaths since 2001.

He added that three million new HIV infections were averted during the same period.

According to World Health Organisation, viral suppression is when a person’s viral load — or the amount of virus in an HIV-positive person’s blood — is reduced to an undetectable level.

Recent findings by CDC Division of Global HIV and Tuberculosis revealed that Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are progressing to reach the targets.

“Our global efforts are having a measurable impact in countries with some of the most severe HIV epidemics,” said CDC Global HIV and TB director Shannon Hader.

Hurungwe launches night-time HIV and Aids voluntary testing, counselling : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

THE once vibrant Marondera industrial site has become a shadow of its former self and has been transformed into a “ghetto” by desperate home seekers and street urchins.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

Strategically located along the Harare-Beira railway line, the industrial site has been allowed to collapse as the town’s agriculture-fed industry folded, following the violent seizure of white commercial farms at the turn of the Millennium.

Desperate home seekers have turned some of the company shells and abandoned buildings into homes.

NewsDay visited the area recently and it was evident that people were now renting the buildings for residential purposes, while the abandoned ones are being occupied illegally by those shying away from paying rentals in residential areas.

In the morning, school-going children are seen coming out through the big gates, while women are seen washing clothes and doing other “household” chores. It is now a common sight to see clothes hanging on washing lines right at the heart of the industrial area, while satellite dishes are also evident.

“I am paying rent to the owner of the building. Despite having shelter, I am also acting as a caretaker. There is nothing wrong with that,” said 30-year old Shyleen Mbetsa, who stays at one of the buildings with her two children.

Another dweller who refused to be named said rentals were often cheap in the area as compared to residential areas.

“Rentals are cheaper. Some are even staying for free. When I came here, there were few people around, but more people are trickling in. By end of year we will be many enough to constitute a cell or branch,” the dweller said.

This paper also observed that some of the buildings have been turned into unregistered learning institutions. Pupils clad in school uniforms are seen milling around the industrial area.

Over the last two decades, many Zimbabweans have lost their jobs as economic conditions worsened, resulting in massive de-industrialisation.

Former Marondera mayor and PDP’s local governance secretary Farai Nyandoro said the invasion of the industrial area by home seekers is a sign of a dysfunctional sector as well as council’s failure to provide affordable accommodation.

“It’s a sign of a dysfunctional industry and that there is no production at all. It’s also a sign of council’s failure to provide affordable accommodation in the form of residential stands to the people. The current scenario is also a sign of lawlessness and desperation by tenants,” he said.

With an estimated unemployment rate of 95%, Zimbabwe is one of the countries with the highest unemployment rate in the world. This was fuelled by the closing down of industry.

The government has, however, blamed the current economic status on the Western imposed economic sanctions.

Marondera businessperson, Dunmore Mutyambizi, said the demise of the industry is a result of a changing economic environment in the wake of the emotive land reform programme.

“Marondera is and should have been an agricultural service centre since it is a farmers’ town. The continuous changes in the economic environment after the land reform have redefined that established course for industry,” he said.

“The new farmers who would have fully supported this growth pattern have had a number of challenges, that is, limited access to value chain financing, training and experience. This has made it difficult for local manufacturing companies to remain relevant to the town’s needs as supported by immediately available production.”

Mutyambizi said the town has few companies with good business models, including Proton, Interfoods, Nhimbe Fresh Exports (previously known as Rollex or Mitchell & Mitchell) packaging fresh stone fruits, peas and beans for the European market.

“It’s important to note that the competitiveness of these local industries is being hampered by loss of the market share to foreign industries that have industrial efficiencies supported by their countries’ economies making their products less costly, but still better in quality. We need more affordable finance and incentives to this sector,” he said.

Notable companies that have since wound down include Mashco, CSC, Marondera Foundry, Farma-Rama and Marondera.

Residents have expressed concern that some of the abandoned buildings in the industrial area risk being used as havens of social vices like prostitution.

Industrial site now white elephant : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

FIVE-YEAR-OLD Alvin Dzamara was all over the place at Lot Business Centre in Mutoko, leaving his grandmother Winnet Dzamara (59) with no choice but to monitor closely his movements. So energetic and lively was the young boy, that one cannot believe he survived a fatal crash at the age of three.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

Mutoko accident survivor Alvin and his grandmother Winnet Dzamara

Alvin is one of the survivors of the infamous Zupco-Unifreight buses disaster that claimed 27 lives at Gejo RaRuby Farm along the Harare Nyamapanda highway on January 18, 2015.

On that day, widely referred to as Bloody Sunday, the Mutoko East-bound Zupco sideswiped a Unifreight/Pioneer bus heading in the opposite direction, resulting in 25 people dying on the spot, while several others were injured.
Most casualties were from the Zupco bus that had 58 passengers on board and its driver later died upon admission at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare.

Alvin was one of the passengers in the Zupco bus who escaped death, and interestingly, without even a scratch. The little boy was in the company of his grandfather, Thomas Dzamara, who unfortunately died a week later due to injuries sustained in the accident.

NewsDay recently tracked down Alvin and other survivors in Mutoko, where the little boy’s grandmother said despite the horror crash occurring at a time Alvin was only three years old, he still had memories of it and will take time for him to heal.

“The boy was traumatised since the day of the crash. It took long for him to get used to boarding a bus again as he would refuse and would cry. He would say buses are evil because they killed his grandfather. It is only this year that he is now accepting to travel by bus or any means of public transport,” Alvin’s grandmother said.

Winnet was also hurt by the loss of her husband, Thomas, but said she was grateful that her grandson, Alvin had survived. Her husband had travelled to Harare from Nyamakosa Village to fetch Alvin from his parents, only to meet his fate on their way back.

In anticipation of reuniting with her husband and receiving her grandson, she instead felt paralysed when she received news that the two had been involved in a fatal crash.

“Alvin was under my custody here. He was going to crèche at Nyamakosa. So he had gone to Greendale to visit his parents for the holidays. My children then called and said can you come and fetch Alvin since the holidays were over,” she recalled.

Then disaster struck.

After the accident, she said, the family could not immediately locate Alvin only to receive information that he was at Juru Police Station, at a time all thought that he was among those who perished in the disaster.

“After the accident, Alvin’s father searched for him, but he was nowhere to be found. He even searched among the bodies of the people who had died, but he was not there. We also searched at Parirenyatwa where my husband was admitted, but all in vain. However, with the help of nurses, we later got to know that there was a child in police custody at Juru. His father went there and found him with no scratch. God is faithful,” she said.

According to Winnet, Alvin was seated on his grandfather’s lap and was thrown out when the accident occurred. She said her grandson’s dramatic survival means he is someone special.

“If I had money, I would make sure that he gets whatever he wants in life for he is a precious soul,” she said tearfully.

Another survivor, Tasiyana Maguma (56), told NewsDay the memories of the horror crash will not go away, and the scars on his body were a constant reminder.

Tasiyana Maguma Mutoko accident survivor … the scars on his body are a constant reminder of the accident.

Maguma, who hails from Chasambiro in Mutoko East, said he spent three months at Parirenyatwa after he was badly injured. He never thought he would walk out of the hospital.

“It is unbelievable. Life is meaningless. One minute you are here, the next you are gone. I spent three months at Parirenyatwa. I had no hope that I will sit and relax with my family and friends. I was in pain. I cannot remember what transpired on the day, what I know is that I found myself in the intensive care unit. I had deep wounds on my stomach, back and neck. But I am happy that God healed me and gave me a second chance to live,” Maguma said.

Alvin and Maguma are some of the many survivors who are bearing the brunt of post-accident trauma. A number of accident victims are left dealing with scars which are mainly psychological. According to sociologists, horror crashes are permanently imprinted on survivors’ minds and such people need support in every aspect.

After the Zupco bus disaster, Mutoko East legislator Ricky Mawere whose constituency had the highest number of fatalities, pushed a motion in Parliament in which he urged the government to come up with a special fund meant for the accident victims. He argued that a special fund just like an Aids levy should be set aside as many people are perishing on the country’s roads.

His motion seemed to have been heard as government proposed a road accident fund that is anticipated to be fully operational by 2018 to give a new lease of life to road traffic accident victims, who have been receiving a raw deal from insurance companies.

“I am happy that people are now seeing the sense of having a special fund meant for accident victims or survivors.
My prayer is for the process to conclude soon so that victims are compensated as well as having money ready for medical expenses among other things,” he said.

Today, Alvin’s 25-year-old mother, Lucy, marvels at her son each time he leaves for Royal College where he is learning. At the age of three, Alvin survived one of the country’s most fatal accidents. About three years later, the young boy is still aware of how his grandfather died. His grandmother is happy that the boy is alive, but her joy is marred by Thomas’ grave which reminds her of how he failed to make it out of the horror crash on that day.

Survivors relive the fatal Mutoko bus disaster : NewsDay Zimbabwe.

KADOMA — IT is early in the morning at an Integrated Tuberculosis HIV Centre (ITHC) in Rimuka township. Men and women sit on opaque-coloured timber benches, talking animatedly.

BY STEPHEN TSOROTI

Dr Padmapriya Darsini (left) and International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Zimbabwe country director Christopher Zishiri

While the majority are from Rimuka, several others have come from other places around Kadoma to be tested for tuberculosis (TB) and for treatment reviews. Two hours later, the place is almost deserted.

The nurse-in-charge at the centre, Gift Scholtz, quickly explains that the acquisition of the Gene-Xpert machine to detect TB has contributed to the development.

“The centre has acquired state-of-the-art equipment to detect TB which has lessened time for consultation and diagnosis,” he says.

He further explains that Rimuka ITHC is one of many centres in Zimbabwe that are now using the Gene-Xpert, a fast and novel technology to diagnose TB, including the most difficult to diagnose, Drug Resistant TB (DR-TB).

“Decades ago in the hospital I used to work, TB was primarily diagnosed through X-ray screening and clinical examination, but it fell short of carrying out specific indicators of TB infection,” Scholtz says.

The Gene-Xpert is a small machine, about the size of a microwave oven. It can detect mycobacterium tuberculosis in a sample of sputum. A person presumed of having TB needs to give a sputum sample, which the healthcare worker then places in a small tube.

From the tube, the sample is fed into the machine, and then biochemical reactions are started to see if the sample contains the TB bacterium. The machine looks for the DNA specific to the TB bacterium. It can also detect the genetic mutations associated with resistance to the drug Rifampicin.

The main advantages of the test are, for diagnosis, reliability when compared to sputum microscopy and the speed of getting the result when compared with former methods.

To date, the country has relied much on the smear microscopy method with 225 laboratories scattered around the country. In existence since 1800s, sputum microscope works by using a microscope to look for TB bacterium in a patient’s sputum. While preferable to X-ray screening as a primary screening method, sputum microscopy requires trained laboratory staff and proper guidelines and takes days to produce results This simple method also does not identify drug resistant strains of TB. For that the patient’s sputum must be further tested, which can take months.

International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union) Zimbabwe country director Christopher Zishiri explains that the Gene-Xpert machine increases the chances of identifying or diagnosing TB in patients like those with TB-HIV co-infection, younger children, and those not producing enough sputum for use with other test methods such as microscopy.

He adds that, on the other hand, patients with TB that has not yet caused enough lung damage can be picked up by X-rays.

Having this kind of technology has several benefits explains Julie Nenon, USaid/Zimbabwe acting mission director.

“For patients who test negative, the speed of the diagnosis means medical professionals can rule out TB early on and move quickly to correctly diagnose the patient, allowing for earlier treatment for the correct disease. For those with TB, a quicker diagnosis means they are put on TB medicines earlier, reducing the chances of spreading the disease and improving the chances of being cured. In addition, patients with drug resistant TB [which is more expensive and takes longer to treat] also benefit since delays in treatment may accelerate the loss of lives,” she says.

USaid is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s National Tuberculosis Programme to make the technology readily available to all TB patients at all times through procuring Gene-Xpert machines for health facility laboratories in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is one of the eight countries in Africa belonging to all the top 30 high burden lists of TB, TB/HIV, and DR-TB in the world.

According to Charles Sandy, director of the TB Unit in the Ministry of Health And Child Care (MoHCC), HIV is driving TB and there is high rate of co-infection.

“The need for new technology for diagnosis cannot be over-emphasised,” Sandy says.

The number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) in the country is estimated to be 1,4 million, according to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey of 2011.

To date, USaid has procured 41 machines for several health facility laboratories in the country, which will increase the speed and accuracy of TB diagnosis, particularly drug-resistant TB. USaid has also provided technical support for the procurement, installation, monitoring, and maintenance for over 121 Gene-Xpert machines in the country.

USaid directly procured 41 machines and also provides support for the installation and use of the equipment.

Training health care workers to properly use the equipment. Monitoring the performance of the equipment installed at TB diagnostic sites.

“We could not have identified this growing trend of TB strain if was not through the aid of the new diagnosis tool we are using now,” Scholtz recalls.

He says locals are pleased with the proximity of the site reducing the distances to the tests sites and the sometimes uneasy struggle to get transport to the nearest health centre.

New technology efficiently deals with TB : NewsDay Zimbabwe.