BY PATRICIA SIBANDA

GOVERNMENT has been challenged to reverse its decision to re-introduce maternity fees if the country hopes to eliminate the current high maternal mortality rate.

Government announced that it was re-introducing maternity fees after they were scrapped following calls by women’s groups and politicians a few years ago.

Ante-natal and post-natal care in general wards at referral hospitals will now cost $200, central hospitals $160, provincial hospitals $120 and district hospital $80 per day.

Those referred for caesarian delivery at central hospitals will now pay $2 500, provincial hospitals $1 500 and district hospitals $1 000.

Before the maternity fees were scrapped, expecting mothers paid $50 at council clinics and $65 at public hospitals for babies delivered through caesarian procedure.

The bulk of the women who ended up at government hospitals were those who would have paid $25 to register at their respective council clinics, but experience complications which required them to go to the referral hospitals.

Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights treasurer Norman Matara said the major reason why government has re-introduced maternity fees is because hospitals have run out of resources to use.

“In some cases, I can safely say that it is a good thing …. because almost all hospitals had ran out of sundries and they were falling short of resources. However, it has its challenges because this will push people to end up resorting to traditional means of giving birth which is not 100% safe, hence leading to high maternal mortality rates,” he said.

Matara said the only problem was that the maternity fees to be paid now were unaffordable.

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health, Ruth Labode said government should reverse the decision of wanting to re-introduce maternity fees because it comes with a lot of challenges in the country.

“A lot of these women are not working, so are their husbands. Very few will afford and government is simply reversing the gains it had achieved on reducing mortality rate,” she said.

“This will also promote illegal abortions as women are also failing to access family planning materials due to the exorbitant prices.”

Worst hit by the exorbitant fees would be rural women who struggle to access life-saving maternal and child health care.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, a woman’s lifetime risk of dying of pregnancy complications stands at one in 42 and of every 1 000 live births, while 80 children die before reaching the age of five.

By SIMBARASHE SITHOLE

MVURWI residents have blasted their local authority for failing to act on an illegal tin shack that was allegedly erected by town secretary Sheri Nyakudya’s son in the town centre in December last year.

Residents association’s representative, Emmanuel Nkambala blasted the town secretary for nepotism because similar structures were previously destroyed by the same council.

“As Mvurwi residents, we are disgruntled by our town secretary, who is accused of authorising an illegal structure in the centre of the town. What raises eyebrows is that the same council destroyed similar structures previously, hence we cannot doubt that it’s her son’s structure,” Nkambala said.

The town secretary could neither confirm nor deny that she has been embroiled in a nepotism scam.

“The council has no authority on someone’s premises. That premise belongs to Peacock,” she said.

Quizzed on whether her son owned the structure and why they destroyed similar structures previously, she became evasive.

The ward councillor Fanuel Chigonero vowed to take action on the structure by calling for an official meeting.

“The structure is very disturbing considering that it is at the heart of the town. We are yet to sit down in an official meeting and condemn the structure,” he said.

BY DARLINGTON MWASHITA

A MASS exodus of students from expensive learning institutions due to astronomical fees and economic challenges has started rocking most schools with many parents transferring their children to day-government schools.

The receiving schools, according to teachers’ unions, are reportedly hit by overcrowding in a development which will result in many students failing to get places and teachers at those schools being overworked.

Since end of last year, many parents have been seeking places for their children at government day schools following reports of astronomical fees increases which were announced by private and government boarding schools.

However, teachers’ unions who spoke to NewsDay last week said the move would have a negative impact on learners as well as on government schools.

“Transferring of pupils to new schools affects their performances. Children will lose their teachers as they have to start afresh the syllabus with the new teacher. This is also a sign that parents can no longer afford fees for the children,” Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said.

“Good quality of education will be only available and accessed by the privileged children due to the economic challenges which are affecting the parents who can no longer afford quality education for the children,” he said.

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Raymond Majongwe said a number of children who were being transferred to new schools were in Form Three and Four, and that will affect their performance and concentration levels.

“This will result in overcrowding in government schools which will also affect the learning of pupils as government schools do not have enough learning materials such as text books will not be enough to sustain them as one class can have 60 to 90 children,” he said.

Majongwe said most government schools had inadequate health facilities and with the current situation of water rationing, pupils will be affected by several types of diseases.

INTERVIEW:Nunurai Jena

THE Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has refuted allegations that it was failing to effectively carry out its mandate, with citizens accusing the anti-graft body of catching and releasing corrupt bigwigs just to woodwink the nation into believing they were on a serious mission to weed out corrupt elements.
Towards the end of last year, the Zacc secretariat held countrywide meetings consulting on its proposed anti-corruption national strategy. NewsDay (ND) correspondent Nunurai Jena caught up with commissioner Gabriel Chaibva (GC) who said the “catch and release” tag now associated with Zacc was not part of their strategy and they need prosecuting powers to effectively discharge their duties without fear or favour. Hear him speak;

GC: This is one of many meetings we are doing in all provinces with stakeholders to formulate an anti-corruption national strategy to effectively use in order to combat rampant corruption bedevilling all our systems. We are meeting stakeholders to try to build a national strategy. We are asking stakeholders how corruption is being done and what Zacc can do to fight corruption. They are sharing with us the various forms of corruption in their areas that shall inform our investigations.

ND: But why the strategy now? Was this not what you should have first done the very day you got into office?

GC: It’s never too late. Remember we started work in July this year. It’s better late than never. We are just trying to put a better foundation.

ND: Is it not that you have blundered so much in a very short space of time with these “catch and release cases” that you thought of going back to the basics?

GC: Like what I have said, we made our mistakes and that realisation is the first step towards doing the right thing.

ND: Let’s come to this catch and release tag that you now have been given by citizens; are people justified?

GC: We are not a catch and release organisation like what other people want to call us. Most people don’t really know how we work. We investigate cases and hand them over to the prosecuting authority who in turn takes the accused person to court and I think that’s where the problem lies. We as Zacc should be given prosecuting powers because it’s problematic to investigate a case and then hand it over to another department to finish off.
Sometimes things will not be done according to the book. I’m not defending that because it gives an impression that we are a “catch and release organisation” but the thing is the law stipulates that everyone is innocent until proven guilty after being tried by the courts in an open trial.
The requirement of the burden of proof should be beyond any shadows of doubt should be relaxed as this is a loophole since most people are escaping through that as we are not allowed to use circumstantial evidence. Sometimes we come to situations whereby you can see that someone was heavily involved, but we fail to get nailing evidence despite substantial circumstantial evidence.

ND: What are some of the challenges you have faced?

GC: After investigating an issue and being satisfied that there is a prima facie case, we hand over the case to the prosecuting authority who, in turn, take the accused to court, but in most cases we are told that the accused has no case to answer and you don’t know how that would have happened. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

ND: What issues are dominating your meetings?

GC: Politically-induced corruption within the civil service and the issue of gifts have dominated our meetings. People have a feeling that gifts are being abused to cover up corruption in high offices.

ND: Are you satisfied with the government support?

GC: There is political will and we have been assured by His Excellency (President Emmerson Mnangagwa) and the Constitution that there are no sacred cows in this game. In terms of resources, government is doing all it can to fund us. Remember we were allocated $6 million in January and along the way around July we got $36 million and now in the recently announced budget we were allocated $72m; although it’s not enough, but the will is there.

ND: Any new plans for 2020?

GC: Yes, we intend to have regional offices and Zacc’s desire is to have offices in all the provinces, districts, wards and villages for speed conclusion of cases. We have realised that some cases are taking long to come to our attention because of distance.

ND: And what is the way forward?

GC: There is need for Zacc to be given prosecuting powers to effectively discharge its duties diligently. In neighbouring countries, such organisations like ours have prosecuting powers and handing over cases to another department can undo our good work. The law should be amended to cater for circumstantial evidence and there is need for speedy conclusion of cases.

BY RICHARD MUPONDE

GOVERNMENT has embarked on a programme to eliminate illegal dumpsites countrywide to help fight cholera and typhoid and other related diseases with Harare being the starting point.

Speaking at a national clean-up campaign by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Kuwadzana on Friday last week, Environment, Climate and Tourism minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu said the country has witnessed an influx of illegal dumpsites in residential areas and central business districts.

“Your Excellency, we want you to know that as a ministry we have embarked on a national programme to eradicate all illegal dumpsites in the country so that our nation becomes clean.

The programme will see all illegal dumpsites cleared and bins put at designated points so that we keep our towns and cities clean,” he said.

Ndlovu said the national clean-up campaigns would be devolved to provinces in a development that will see Mnangagwa embarking on a whirlwind tour of the country to launch the campaigns.
“The national clean-up campaigns were only being done in Harare since the proclamation of every first Friday of the every month to be a national clean-up day. As a ministry, we have decided that the national launch of the programme be devolved to provinces,” he said.

Harare Metropolitan Affairs minister Oliver Chidawu, who also attended the launch, said Harare would lead the nation in eliminating illegal dumpsites and restore its sunshine city status.

“Kuwadzana becomes the first suburb towards this goal. We want to clear off illegal dumpsites in the city so that we avert outbreak of diseases such as cholera and typhoid,” he said.

Mnangagwa last year proclaimed the first Friday of every month to be a national clean-up day in an effort to keep the country clean and attractive to visitors.

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

THE Women Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCOZ) has intensified its campaign for more women to participate in political processes.

This was revealed at a WCOZ public meeting in Mutare recently, which sought to raise awareness on section 56 of the Constitution and discuss the 50/50 agenda.

WCOZ Manicaland provincial vice-chairperson Caroline Mupota said they realised that most women shunned politics for fear of being labelled “prostitutes” and because of the culture of brute force and violence associated with the country’s politics.

“In 2020, we have programmes in which we will be encouraging women to take part in the 2023 elections. We are very aware that most women don’t like to take part in politics because they think they are not strong enough to match their male counterparts,” she said.

“So as an organisation, we will be teaching women how to match their male counterparts and the approach they use to get into politics. We are very aware that women fear to be labelled prostitutes in politics.”

Mupota urged women to pursue education and equip themselves for national leadership roles.

“As women, we should have qualifications. Let’s go to school and equip ourselves by reading… let’s read newspapers and know what is happening in our society,” she said.

Mutare MDC-Alliance councillor for ward 16, Sekai Mukodza said: “I was labelled a prostitute when I was campaigning in my ward. These are such things women fear because they want to protect their marriages.

“So I am happy with WCOZ for introducing workshops to raise awareness on challenges that can be faced by women in the country.”

In a separate interview, Zanu PF MP for Mutasa North Chido Madiwa said: “Government is putting a lot of efforts to empower women, but we are still behind, we still need a lot of women who will drive the country’s economy. We have few women accessing finances in as much as we have the Women’s Bank.

“Yes, women should also be in politics. There is nothing wrong with women going into politics. We are equal with men, so women should contribute in Parliament. We should take leadership roles in business.”

BY CHARLES LAITON

FORMER Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) board chairperson Stanley Kazhanje’s second trial over a US$10 000 bribe by businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s company, Intratek Zimbabwe, has been stayed by the High Court pending determination of his application for review.

The former power utility boss was in October last year slapped with a three-year jail term for deliberately concealing a business transaction with Intratek, but was later released on $1 000 bail pending appeal.

However, while still awaiting determination of his appeal, the Prosecutor-General’s Office preferred yet another bribery charge for which trial was supposed to commence at the Harare Magistrates Court in November 2019, but Kazhanje challenged the move prompting the recent judgment by Justice Clement Phiri.

In his chamber application, Kazhanje accused regional magistrate Obedience Maturure of having misdirected himself after throwing away his application for a trial postponement and a request for a court record of proceedings to enable him to properly defend himself against the new charge.

“The failure by the third respondent (Maturure) to order the furnishing of the applicant (Kazhanje) with necessary particulars/record for him to plead rendered the trial abortive and incapable of mustering the constitutional test for a free and fair trial,” Kazhanje said in his founding affidavit.

“The decision by the third respondent to dismiss the applicant’s application for postponement and request for a court record in ACC13/19 is highly irregular in that: In its judgment the court aquo prematurely pre-empted all of applicant’s exceptions and defences before the same had been raised and dismissed them. In so doing, the court aquo effectively denied applicant adequate time and facilities to prepare his defence as provided in section 70 (1) (c), and the attendant rights in section 70 (1) (k) and 70 (1) (m) of the Constitution.

“The court aquo erred in effectively dismissing an exception which had not yet been made. In so dismissing it consequently denied applicant the right and benefit of the law and the right to a fair, impartial and independently conducted trial as provided for in section 56 and 69 of the Constitution.”

When Justice Phiri heard the matter on December 10, 2019 he ordered a stay of the trial proceedings.

It is the State’s case that on January 16, 2016, Kazhanje allegedly received the money in order to favour payments for the controversial 100 megawatt Gwanda solar project which had been awarded to Chivayo’s company. The State alleges that Kazhanje received US$10 000 into his First Capital Bank personal account from Intratrek’s CBZ Bank account, but Kazhanje has since dismissed the allegations as unfounded.

BY JAIROS SAUNYAMA

Scores of Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) church worshippers in Marondera were yesterday left stranded after rival factions clashed over premise ownership, resulting in police being called to quell the violence.

When NewsDay arrived at Divine Truth Revival Centre (DTRC) assembly in Cherima high-density suburb, the two belligerent groups of congregants were singing different songs as they tried to outclass each other.

Police then called the leaders of the rival factions to make peace.

However, some of the congregants would have none of it and left the premises while others remained sitting inside.

By midday, there was no church service as police were involved in lengthy discussions with the two faction leaders.

This paper gathered that the Cosum Chiyangwa-led faction was holding a service when the Amon Madawo-linked group came and started disturbing proceedings in a move that irked the other faction, resulting in the chaos.

“The Chiyangwa faction is the one owning this church and we were surprised to see a group coming to disturb the proceedings. There was chaos after both factions sang different hymns. We had to call the police to quell the violence. This has affected the congregants during the 12-day fasting period by congregants,” one of the congregants said.

NewsDay gathered that the church premises falls under one Mashonaland East provincial overseer identified as Gwizo, who is reportedly a Chiyangwa sympathiser. However, most of the AFM assemblies in Marondera are now under the Madawo faction, hence the move to invade the Chiyangwa-linked church.

Efforts to get a comment from both faction leaders were fruitless because they refused to entertain the media.