By Brenna Matendere

THE Urban Councils Association of Zimbabwe (Ucaz) has reportedly struck a deal with government which would see councillors from the country’s 32 urban centres pocketing at least
$1 000 in monthly allowances.

The latest development is likely to trigger more demands for salary reviews by ordinary workers at city councils where councillors are policymakers.

The opposition MDC Alliance controls 28 out of 32 urban councils.

Ucaz president Josiah Makombe yesterday told NewsDay Weekender in a telephone interview from Germany, where he is on official business, that councillors starting last month were now entitled to a sitting allowance equivalent to 50% of Members of Parliament’s basic salary.

Councillors, according to the Urban Councils Act, are not entitled to salaries, but allowances only.

Before the latest adjustment, which will see them pocketing about $1 000, councillors were earning a measly monthly allowance of $300.

MPs get about $2 000 basic salary monthly before factoring in sitting allowances.

“As Ucaz, we have been negotiating with (Local Government) minister July Moyo to review the allowances of councillors. I am happy to say that we have been heard and we are grateful to minister Moyo for understanding us,” said Makombe, who is also Gweru mayor.

“We now have a formula or standard of allowances for councillors. Going forward, we will not negotiate for the review of the allowances, but simply stick to the formula where councillors will get 50% of what the MPs will be earning in salaries monthly.”

He said as for councillors with more responsibilities such as committee chairpersons, deputy mayors or mayors, there would be more money for them based on the discretion of their local authorities.

“This development has never happened since independence in 1980. I can, therefore, say this is one of my achievements as president of Ucaz. I have somehow brought dignity to the office of a councillor,” Makombe said.

Last year, councillors, led by the then Harare mayor and Ucaz president Bernard Manyenyeni, engaged Moyo to review their earnings to levels of MPs, saying “their demands were justified in expecting that those who come through democratic processes should be treated along identical principles perhaps varying in the quantum on the major conditions of service”.

Both Moyo and his deputy Marian Chombo could not be reached for comment yesterday.

THE MAN OF THE YEAR … Joel “Josta” Ngodzo

BY HENRY MHARA

CAPS United midfield maestro Joel Ngodzo finally laid his hands on the Soccer Star of the Year gong after he scooped the big award at a banquet held in Harare last night.

Ngodzo missed the title in 2010 when he was voted the second best to Charles Sibanda.

His form took a surprise nosedive after that, but while he has not hit the form that he showed at Highlanders, he has resurrected his career, and he finally scooped the big one.

He was rewarded for an outstanding season in leading his side, who are on the brink of winning the title.

On top of his midfield job, he has also weighed in with 10 goals.

Second runner-up position went to Triangle defensive midfield Ralph Kawondera, who has also led his team from the midfield position. He has also scored 10 goals for his club.

In third position was Highlanders’ striker Prince Dube, who was probably rewarded for his late upsurge of form, and scoring crucial goals for his club.

Dube’s teammate and goalkeeper, Ariel Sibanda, was named the Goalkeeper of the Year, to successfully defend the title he won last year, and also add to being included in the best 11 players of the season.

Sibanda played well for Highlanders, and kept 15 clean sheets for his club. But some critics would feel that there are other goalkeepers who played better than him.

Nelson Chadya of Ngezi Platinum Stars has kept 13 clean sheets in 26 matches and conceded just 16 goals in those matches.

In comparison, Sibanda has conceded 21 goals in 31 matches. FC Platinum has conceded just 15 goals the whole season, but their goalkeepers, Petros Mhari and Francis Tizayi, could not even make the best 11 players of the season.

Joey Antipas was another surprise winner after he was voted the Coach of the Year.

The Chicken Inn mentor, who is also the Warriors gaffer, beat competition from the likes of Lloyd Chitembwe, Norman Mapeza, Lizwe Sweswe and Darlington Dodo.

Many had expected the gong to go to either Chitembwe or Mapeza for building a foundation for which log leaders Caps United and second placed Fc Platinum, went on to use in their current title fight.

Mapeza left FC Platinum for South Africa, while Chitembwe crossed the floor to Harare City, but they both left their sides on health ground.

Some thought the two men’s predecessors in Dodo for the Caps United and Sweswe, who now coaches FC Platinum, would be recognised for what they have done to keep their clubs at the top.

Antipas’ team, which started the season well, ran out of steam midway. They are currently third on the log standings, and although it still has a good chance to win the title, it will need Caps United and FC Platinum to stumble in the last two rounds of matches to snatch the Premiership.

The Most Promising Player of the Year award deservedly went to Highlanders defender Andrew Mbeba for the outstanding season the young man has had with Bosso.

The 19-year-old has defied his young age to establish himself in the heart of the Bulawayo giants’ defence. He completed Highlanders’ dominance on the awards podium.

Soccer Star of the Year: Joel Ngodzo

First runner-up: Ralph Kawondera

Second runner-up: Prince Dube

Goalkeeper of the Year: Ariel Sibanda

Most Promising Player of the Year: Andrew Mbeba

Coach of the Year: Joey Antipas

Referee of the Year: Brighton Chimene

Referee of the Year first runner-up: Salam Ncube

Referee of the year second runner-up: Faith Muloyi

Eleven finalists: Joel Ngodzo, Phineas Bamusi, Ariel Sibanda, Prince Dube, Evans Katema, Ralph Kawondera, King Nadolo, Never Tigere, Clive Augusto, Ian Nekati, Wellington Taderera

BY FORTUNE MBELE

ZIMBABWE champions FC Platinum are banking on their past experience in the Caf Champions League as they brace for the Tunisian giants Etoile du Sahel in the Group B league phase of the competition at Barbourfields Stadium today.

FC Platinum lost their last game 2-1 last week to Al-Hilal in Sudan and they have to post a positive result against the Tunisians if they are to retain hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of the competition.

Coach Lizwe Sweswe yesterday said their experience in the past will play a major role in today’s game.

“The boys are prepared to fight especially with the experience we have now; taking into consideration that we were in the same competition last year and by now I think everyone in the team knows their roles and responsibilities,” Sweswe said.

Sweswe said they would go straight into attack mode today and stick to their type of play.

“I believe in attacking football and in dealing with how we play and not mind about their type of play. We have to stick to the way we play, our culture and strategy. I think that will carry the day for us tomorrow,” he said.

Sweswe, who took over from Norman Mapeza at FC Platinum, expects to pull a surprise against the highly rated Etoile du Sahel who won the competition in 2007 and have done well in subsequent competitions in which they have taken part.

“On paper they are highly rated but football is changing and becoming dynamic. What is important is that we are in the group stages which shows we are geared to play the so-called giants. I think we have learnt a lot in the previous games that we have played which helps us to have an idea of what to expect in the coming game tomorrow (today),” Sweswe said.

FC Platinum will be looking up to the likes of Never Tigere, Kelvin Madzongwe, Rodwell Chinyengetere (pictured), Gift Mbweti, Devon Chafa and Lameck Nhamo.

Etoile du Sahel coach Juan Carlos Garrido is confident but conceded that playing away from home was a challenge

“Tomorrow is an important match for us. The Champions League is the best competition in Africa with the best teams and the best players. For us we are a big club; top club in Africa and victory is the most important thing. We are playing to win and our supporters are always asking for victory. But we have total respect for the opponents because we know their quality, the players they have and that it is difficult to play in Africa especially away from home,” the Spaniard said.

Garrido’s team beat Al Ahly of Egypt 1-0 in their first game with Yassine Chikhaoui scoring the winner five minutes after the break in Tunisia.

When a patient is initiated on ARVs that becomes the first line treatment and these regimens, which have been recommended in low- and middle-income countries, have successfully treated over 15 million people globally

BY PHYLLIS MBANJE

LAST Sunday, Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Aids Day, which is always marked with much pomp and fanfare as well as passionate declarations and pledges for enhanced access to treatment.

This year was no different and a government convoy made its way to Mucheke Stadium in Masvingo, where presenters made glowing remarks about how the country has done well in combating the spread of HIV and Aids.

It was, however, noted that the HIV prevalence rate currently stands at 12,7% and is one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.

Challenges

However, away from the outstanding presentations, stakeholders, activists and those living with HIV are disgruntled and feel the day has lost its lustre in the face of many challenges bedevilling the health delivery system, which include perennial shortages of antiretroviral drugs.

The activists, who protested by laying prostate on the ground as Health minister Obadiah Moyo made his speech, shared the same sentiments. Their demands were simple: consistency in provision of medication and restoration of health facilities.

Besides the drug outages, there are growing concerns over the new HIV infections, especially among young people. And then there is the scarcity of data on key populations which are critical in the management of HIV and Aids.

Currently, over 1,3 million people are living with HIV in Zimbabwe, according to Avert Report for 2018, with 38 000 new infections.

The statistics indicate that the fight against the disease is far from over and authorities should not slacken in terms of programming and sourcing for additional funding.

Charles Kautare from the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV (ZNNP+) said they were still struggling to get ARVs, especially for second line treatment.

“Challenges still persist for those on second line. There is no abacavir and others are being switched back to zidovudine whose main side effect is bringing down red blood cells in our bodies,” he lamented.

Fungisayi Dube, of the Citizens Health Watch (CHW), proposed a more radical approach in view of the obtaining challenges.

“I think we should stop all these celebrations as there is nothing to celebrate. We have a collapsed (health) system that needs serious efforts to mend. Every cent should be channelled towards saving people who are dying due to lack of drugs,” she insisted.

Dube said anything that required money on travel and accommodation of ministers and staff should be stopped.

“Medical personnel have been on strike for more than three months. We have nothing to celebrate. We need to stop this pretence, this culture of living a lie. We need to start acting to save our people’s lives,” she said.

Senior doctors on Wednesday marched to Parliament where they delivered a petition demanding the axing of Moyo as Health minister, on allegations of running the healthcare system to the ground.

Foreign currency challenges

In September, NAC said it was facing foreign currency challenges to settle a US$6,9 million owed to suppliers, with NAC acting chief executive officer Albert Manenji said the debt was proving to be a challenge to the council.

Every year there is a shortage of ARVs, a situation which can potentially reverse the gains made so far.

This is despite the fact that treatment remains key in viral load suppression and according to WHO restores the immune response, halts disease progression, increases survival rates, and provides for a better quality of life.

New studies have confirmed that once the viral load becomes undetectable it is also untransmutable, making treatment a strong prevention strategy alongside other methods like condom use.

Early this year researchers from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reviewed clinical trials and studies validating the concept that people living with HIV who have achieved viral suppression cannot sexually transmit HIV.

But the perennial shortages of ARVs in Zimbabwe will result in some defaulting and not realising the full potential of the ARVs.

Government response

In a ministerial statement presented in the National Assembly recently, Moyo acknowledged that the shortages of second line drugs were posing a huge headache for the country.

“Second line medicines are a challenge because there is a global shortage on some of them. Efforts have been initiated to order from the suppliers that have the stock,” Moyo said, adding that for the first line treatment there was enough supply and that they were issuing three months supplies to each patient.

Solutions

Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) executive director Itai Rusike said while the country has battled the HIV and Aids pandemic and registered successes of reduction in both incidents and prevalence, that has not yet stopped Aids deaths.

Rusike said there was need to explore home-grown solutions as a country, which include expanding the Aids Levy to fully capacitate the National Aids Council (NAC) to carry its mandate effectively.

“We should find ways on taking everyone on board including those in the informal sector that are not currently contributing to the Aids Levy because without this inclusive approach NAC’s noble efforts would end up in vain,” he said.

The Aids Levy was introduced in 1999 and became effective in January 2000. Resources for the fund are collected through a Parliament special tax Act, which requires formal employers and their employees to contribute 3% of their monthly income.

Of concern also are the delays in appointing a substantive CEO for NAC which has a huge role of managing the Aids Levy as well as donor funds.

Rusike said NAC should not only become visible during the World Aids Day commemorations as its mandate was not only about organising public events, but to co-ordinate the national Aids response.

by KEVIN MAPASURE

AT the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, Zambia, you use an elevator to access the VVIP enclosure and the Press boxes from the ground flow.

The 49 000-seater facility built by the Chinese and opened in 2012 is a magnificent piece of architecture that got the residents of Ndola bragging and would leave Zimbabweans envious.

Lusaka is home to another giant multi-purpose sports facility which the authorities named National Heroes Stadium in honour of their national football team that perished in a plane crash in 1993.

With these facilities, Zambia has been touted as a potential host for the Africa Cup of Nations, but of course they will need more stadia of such standards if they are to win any bid.

Zambia bid for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations but the hosting rights were awarded to Cameroon, who later lost their rights after they fell behind schedule in preparations.

Egypt hosted this year’s edition while Cameroon will host the next edition.

After losing the 2019 bid, Zambia were given the Under-20 version as a consolation and having successfully hosted that. President Edgar Lungu stated that they would go for the big one once again.

Zambia are vying to host the 2025 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Zambia’s example paints the picture of how Zimbabwe has fallen behind other African countries in terms of sports facilities, particularly football stadia.

Since the National Sports Stadium was constructed with the aid of the Chinese, opening its doors in 1987, there has not been any other stadium worth mentioning that has been put up in the country.

Mimosa Mine improved Mandava Stadium while the Baobab Stadium in Mhondoro Ngezi got a facelift after Ngezi Platinum Stars won promotion to the Premier Soccer League and that’s about it.
Even after gobbling millions of dollars in refurbishments, Mandava Stadium has failed one Caf examination after another.

Harare City Council’s Rufaro Stadium, which is the second largest stadium in Zimbabwe, was closed after the end of the 2016 PSL season to allow for renovations that included the removal of the artificial turf to replace it with a grass surface as well as the refurbishment of changing rooms.

But when it was re-opened, very little had improved in the facility.

The changing rooms had barely been touched, with not even a coat of paint.

The council had promised bucket seats but only the VIP enclosure had been decorated with the more comfortable plastic seats.

Everywhere else in the stadium, it’s still concrete seating despite further pledges by the Harare City Council to improve the seating areas.

Rufaro’s problems are not confined to the seating area as even the grass itself often looks thirsty and teams have been complaining.

This has seen Caf banning both Rufaro and the National Sports Stadium until improvements are made on the playing surface, changing rooms that were described as substandard, media and medical rooms.

Only Barbourfields Stadium has been certified fit to host international matches with the threat of Zimbabwe’s national teams playing their home matches outside the country looming large, because the Bulawayo stadium has its own limitations.

The Harare City Council has got an ambitious plan to construct a 45 000-seater High Glen Stadium, whose design and drawing of the plan had been a promise for this year.

But the same council has been struggling with Rufaro Stadium while, Gwanzura Stadium, the third biggest in Harare has been closed for the last three years which has made it barely believable that the same council has the capacity to put up a 45 000-seater facility.

The same council is failing to construct toilets at Gwanzura Stadium.

The local authority is also struggling to provide basics such as clean water and refuse collection, making it the more unbelievable that it can fund the construction of a stadium that would cost no less than US$40 million.

Council’s housing director, Addmore Nhekairo said the local authority was still waiting for Caf’s inspection report on Rufaro Stadium, but bemoaned economic challenges which he said were derailing their programmes.

He said while they were on course in plans to erect a new stadium, refurbishments at Rufaro Stadium and Gwanzura had been stalled by budgetary constraints.

“We had planned on improving the playing surface at Rufaro but the main challenge has been water supply. We wanted to drill an additional borehole so that we can improve water supply and the other issue is the unevenness of the surface and we need to address that,” he said. “We had budgeted for these improvements but a lot changed over the course of the year. We know we need to revamp the changing rooms as well but we have not been able to realise our intentions due to economic challenges.”

He said the planning for High Glen Stadium had progressed smoothly and preliminary designs were already in place.

“On the High Glen Stadium we are spot on. The preliminary designs have been done and the proposals have go to the relevant committees. We have to sit down with the users of the facilities like Zifa and PSL to get their input on what they want to see at the stadium.”

With the government struggling with essentials such as paying doctors, equipping hospitals and the maintenance of roads among a plethora of challenges, its unthinkable that establishment of stadia will get onto their priority list.

After decades of bragging about having good stadia in the country, Zimbabwe faces the embarrassment of failing to host its own teams.

When the National Sports Stadium was put up three decades ago, it was a marvel at that time, but other African nations have since moved on to erect modern facilities.

Never mind South Africa who boast world class stadia all over their country, even Botswana have since overtaken Zimbabwe in terms of modern sports facilities.

The Botswana National Stadium had a facelift that saw the installation of bucket seats, improvements of changing rooms and a host of changes.

It’s now refreshed and modernised.

In Zimbabwe, corruption has hampered the development of sporting facilities over the years.

An audit report for the 2015 Region V Youth Games by Deloitte revealed that service providers were paid handsomely even after providing shoddy jobs.

Some companies were contracted to install heating in swimming pools, they took the money and never did the job they were paid for.

It was reported that the athletics track installed by one company needed to be ripped off as it is substandard.

The government has watched over the years as stadia and other sporting facilities degenerated into eye sores.

At the start of the Premier Soccer League this season, the league management struggled with fixtures after a host of stadia failed to pass local tests.

Maggot breeder Josphat Nyika at work

BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI

WHENEVER Josphat Nyika (34) told people what he did for a living, the revelation often elicited expressions of surprise and shock.

In the most extreme cases, his hearers thought the young man had lost his marbles. While it is normal for one to be passionate about farming and agriculture, what made Nyika’s line of farming a curiosity is his choice – aquaculture – in which he breeds flies and use their maggots to produce stockfeed.

Those who know him call him murimi wenhunzi (fly breeder), something he said often stoked the flames of curiosity in strangers, affording him the opportunity to preach his gospel of aquaculture to them.

“When I was just starting, some thought that I was no longer in my normal senses,” he quipped. “But now they can see that there is money in trash.”

Nyika received his first award from Gi Hub Phase 111 — under the auspices of SNV — of US$5 000 before becoming the second runner (start-up category) in this year’s edition of the CBZ Bank’s Youth Entrepreneurship Programme (YEP) which came with $10 000.

For many people, flies are a nuisance and they invest a lot in insecticides and such other chemicals to get rid of all manner of flies from their homes.

But Nyika has something to share with them: “I always say to them, the future is the fly and the future is now.”

For the up-and-coming entrepreneur, breeding flies has become big business just three months after venturing into the farming enterprise. This was after he imported the black soldier fly (BSF) from South Africa following the processing of the required documentation.

Described by the Forbes website as “superstar larvae”, the tiny creatures have been trending in the international aquaculture industry because of their high protein value as high quality but cheaper feed, which is sustainable on the market.

Nyika told NewsDay Weekender this week that he decided to breed the BSF — which is not associated with the transfer of disease like other species of flies — to help communal livestock farmers battling to access stockfeed.

“I was inspired by the zeal to find solutions to challenges faced by smallholder poultry, fish and pig farmers to access stockfeed due to its high cost,” he said.

In other countries such as the United States, the larvae of the BSF are harvested and sold as food for exotic pets such as lizards, birds, even hedgehogs and maggot farming has become part of a burgeoning industry.

Scientists have also established that the BSF larva has a rare ability to transform organic waste into high-quality protein.

According to Nyika, the BSF could also play a critical role in environmental conservation “as recycling of organic waste would reduce greenhouse gases emitted into the environment by decomposing organic waste”.

Nyika acknowledged that there was a huge market for stockfeeds produced from the maggots because every household in Zimbabwe and beyond with poultry needed them, adding that he had received enquiries from as far as Mozambique, Tanzania and Botswana.

The emerging entrepreneur established a business called Zim Maggot Producers (Pvt) Ltd, which currently employs five workers. He, however, said given the demand for his produce, his target was to grow the business to employ at least 15 people by July 2020 once the construction of his factory was completed.

He indicated that he used a small portion of his plot at Zvakwana Farm in Bindura for his business.

“I have a breeding section where the larva will be allowed to progress to the next stage and become adults. This process repeats continuously. I also have a section where the larva will be harvested and processed into stockfeed,” he said.

Nyika has used the innovative project to help improve standards of living for marginalised rural communities through training communal and small-scale farmers in Bulawayo, Chegutu, Harare, Masvingo and Gweru.

With a first class Bachelor of Education (Hon) Degree in Agriculture, Nyika said plans were underway to take the project to other parts of the country, with training workshops lined up for Bindura and Chinhoyi in January next year.

“I am training them on rearing of BSF and stockfeed formulation. As they will be able to raise more chickens, their income will be improved,” he said, adding that he would use the workshops to impart the knowledge he received during training in maggot farming in South Africa.

Nyika noted that although maggot farming was still at a very low scale in the country, it had found a significant number of takers — some of whom were actually using houseflies to produce maggots — but he had been supplying them with the BSF larva to do away with houseflies which are vectors of diseases.

After harvesting the maggots, Nyika said they could be fed as live larva to livestock or alternatively killed using steam, dried in solar dryers and processed into stockfeed “through three stages which is crushing, mixing and pelletising”.

He underscored that although he had always been experimental while growing up, he had never imagined himself in this type of farming.

“In this current situation, entrepreneurs will make a living. It is under this situation that farmers will be tempted to make trials with new innovations, when all is well, farmers will be having no reason to test new things as they will be affording their regular supplies. An entrepreneur is one who sees an opportunity out of a problem in the society,” he said.

Nyika — who has been working with the Youth ministry and the Zimbabwe Youth Council as well as the Agriculture ministry — urged the government to promote up-and-coming innovators through helping young people to access services from the government and consider tax cuts for such innovations.

He highlighted that participating in the CBZ YEP programme afforded him the opportunity to receive mentorship and coaching that would help him improve the way he had been running his project.

He said apart from producing stockfeed from maggots known as MaggFeeds, he also sold live larva to those who wanted to start a similar project.

Nyika said he was currently awaiting the issuance of a stockfeed manufacturing licence from the Agriculture ministry to scale up his business.

BY MOSES MATENGA

IN 2010, Zimbabwe joined more than 122 nations at the United Nations General Assembly in overwhelmingly adopting a resolution calling on member States and international organisations to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.

Concern was expressed over the failure by some States to provide the precious liquid to their citizens and that close to 884 million people were without access to safe drinking water.
According to the United Nations, the vote confirmed access to clean, potable water as a human right.

Close to a decade later, Zimbabwe is faced with a deeper crisis as millions across the country and at least two million people in Harare alone are faced with a serious water crisis and ultimately a potential health hazard reminiscent of the 2008 cholera outbreak that left about 5 000 people dead.

Citizens as a result of the crisis have resorted to shallow wells and unsafe boreholes, risking lives in the process.

Government and council have effectively failed to address the water crisis and their proposed solutions have proven a pie in the sky.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa this month revealed that government would avail funds to draw and treat water from Manyame Dam for Harare, dumping the contaminated Chivero Dam to reduce the cost of treating water as efforts to provide clean water remain on the radar.

But the process will take long, and in the meantime, the country’s largest city risks another cholera or typhoid outbreak.

Town clerk Hosea Chisango blamed ageing infrastructure for the water shortages.

Harare’s main water treatment plant Morton Jaffray was constructed in 1952 to cater for a population of 300 000, but the city’s population has now shot to over four million people.

Community Water Alliance director Hardlife Mudzingwa said the solutions to the water crisis were in three parts that stakeholders must explore.

“Firstly, the solution lies with rehabilitation of current infrastructure. This encompasses replacing obsolete infrastructure to ensure water that is produced is not lost through leakages. It also entails rehabilitation of sewage and water treatment plants. Sewage plants are currently polluting raw water,” he said.

His comments came days after the MDC shadow minister for local government, Elias Mudzuri, himself a former Harare mayor, led a delegation that included his deputy Clifford Hlatshwayo, current mayor Herbert Gomba and councillor Kudzai Kadzombe on a tour of the plant.

“The infrastructure has decayed. Council has put in place steps to replace and put new sewage pipes, but the project is half way through because of lack of foreign currency to import equipment. The contractor had targeted December 31, 2019, but the economic situation in the country has made them fail to meet the target,” Hlatshwayo said after the tour.

“There is need to build new water sources. Morton Jaffray and Prince Edward cannot meet the current daily demand of 1 200 megalitres per day,” Mudzingwa said.

Last year, there were reports that government had secured funding for the construction of the $680 million Kunzvi-Musami Dam and for its incorporation into Harare’s water supply system, but it remains a pipedream.

He also said there was need for good financial resources management to address loopholes highlighted by various audit reports commissioned by the city authorities.

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), in its message to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, highlighted that the water crisis was a form of “violence” against women, adding that government must immediately address it.

“CHRA is, however, concerned over the erratic water situation in Harare that has led to victimisation of women and girls. Due to their societal roles, women and girls bear the brunt of water shortages and quite often have to walk long distances, and sometimes during the night in search for water,” the residents association said.

“This has exposed them to physical as well as verbal abuse at water points such as boreholes where there is a sharp increase in water wars.”

The residents group said government must invest in restoring Harare’s water infrastructure as well as in the building of more water sources since Harare’s main water supply, Lake Chivero, has been overwhelmed.

“We take note of the government’s commitment to build the Kunzvi Dam, which is supposed to augment Harare’s water supply but we, however, would like to point out that the $259 million allocated for the project in the national budget is a paltry amount.”

“Dam building is a capital project that requires serious investment and commitment from duty bearers.”

“Government should declare the water crisis a national disaster and open up to humanitarian assistance. There is need for the prioritisation of construction of water sources for example Kunzvi and Musami dams,” the residents said.

On its part, government said: “In light of the water supply challenges affecting Harare and its satellite towns, it will be recalled that Mnangagwa recently visited Morton Jaffray to assess the situation obtaining thereat. Local Government and Public Works minister (July Moyo) reported that water supply capacity at Morton Jaffray is limited due to the poor quality of the raw water in Lake Chivero.

“An assessment of Manyame and Warren control pump stations revealed that pollution of water at Lake Chivero is worse compared to Manyame. Cabinet concurs that pumping water from Lake Manyame reduces the usage of aluminium sulphate by 26,8%. This will consequently reduce the cost of treating water as aluminium sulphate is the main chemical,” he said.

Government resolved to have Harare draw water from Lake Manyame and the Treasury availed US$9,3 million for urgent works at Manyame and Warren control pump stations, which are to be completed in two months.

In its $4,5 billion budget presentation this week, Treasury did not present a clear picture of its strategy to address water challenges and said the budget may be affected by the current hyperinflationary environment.

Council’s finance and development committee chairperson Luckson Mukunguma said the local authority had decided to raise water charges from $5,10 to $20 per five cubic litres, in a bid to improve water delivery.

The water crisis in Harare has been there for too long and proposed solutions have been given but the situation remains dire.

Gemma

BY FREEMAN MAKOPA

ACOUSTIC song writer and singer Gemma Griffiths — after years of charming some of society’s elitist music circles — sang her way into the limelight following her hit duet with dancehall chanter Winky D, Mugarden, and shot to stardom almost overnight.

Gemma, who is single, has continued to dominate the music arena after attracting a huge following, with people fascinated by her Shona lines on the duet. Some even thought she was just mimicking.

Shona fluency

Having studied Shona at school, Gemma believes she has mastered enough to pass as a fluent Shona speaker.

“I remember my Shona lessons clearly,” she said.

The constant correction by those who pick on her grammatical errors is a reminder that perhaps the songbird still needs to work on her language.

“I want to be fluent (in my head, I’m fluent) but when other people constantly correct my grammar, it’s a reminder that I’m not,” she said.

Sadza as a reminder of home

Gemma is a globetrotter, but nomatter where she goes, there is always a pull for home in Zimbabwe’s staple meal.

“I love sadza,” she told NewsDay Weekender Life & Style. “It just reminds me of home.”

But can she cook sadza?

“Yes, I do cook it but I love to go out to Gava’s (Restaurant) to eat it as a treat. I also go to a place right on my road, so it makes it quite easy. I eat Sadza maybe a few times a week; it depends on whether I am busy or have lots of time.”

“My favourite places? I love Victoria Falls. How can you not fall in love with that place? I also really love watching the sun set in Domboshava. I also love London.”

Wanderlust

Gemma said she was a traveller at heart —almost always on the road, making music.

“There’s no such thing as a normal day for me. I’ve been on the road making my album. It’s been such a wonderful experience and over the last few months, I’ve been to Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa and Kenya, just travelling, making music, connecting with people and also having life experience.”

Dealing with manager via WhatsApp

Gemma’s manager, Taponeswa, is based in London, but the two have found a way to work together effectively despite the distance.

“Taponeswa and I met a few years ago. She has just moved back to London from South Africa where she had been working for MTV, but pretty much we developed a relationship that built the framework for today,” Gemma said.

“We speak every morning, whether on WhatsApp or in voice, but it’s a really solid relationship. There are challenges with the distance but we make it work.”

BY HENRY MHARA

SECURITY forces could have helped themselves to huge sums of money meant for the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 5 Under-20 Youth Games that were hosted in Bulawayo in December 2014, a forensic audit has revealed.

As was first reported by NewsDay yesterday, the forensic audit by Deloitte on the games has unearthed massive financial impropriety involving over US$5 million, through poor financial management, excessive pricing, contract incompetency, non-delivery of goods and services, fraud, and other various corrupt activities.

The audit report is dated March 13, 2018.

Senior government officials and members of the games’ local organising committee (Loc) have been fingered in the embezzlement.

The audit noted that members of the security forces could also have been involved in the corrupt activities, as they allegedly collected over US$100 000 whose claim forms were not adequately completed.

The audit shows that US$105 899,50 was paid to the security forces and other security companies believed to have links with officers from the army and the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), in the period between November and December of 2014.

This was in addition to them receiving accommodation, food and subsistence allowances from the organisers for the duration of the games.

“We examined Loc payment vouchers and noted travel and subsistence payments to security forces (the army, police and OPC) personnel amounting to US$105 899,50 whose claim forms were not adequately completed. These allowances were claimed and collected by a representative of each of the groups. This made it difficult for us to verify the actual beneficiaries and the authenticity of the claims,” the report read.

According to the report, the OPC received US$36 105 which was collected on five different occasions by one M Machingura and P Chikadaya. Interestingly, there is a security company named P Chikadaya that also received payments on different occasions, for US$30 067. P Chikadaya signed for the money.

The Presidential Guard received US$14 790, while the Zimbabwe National Army was given US$7 395, which was signed for by a Major Zireva. Airforce security and Airforce VVIP security got US$2 379 and US$1 326, respectively.

Other security companies paid for rendering security services were listed as A Nyoni Security personnel (US$11 497), C Mabika Security (US$8 480) and L Mushamba Part T and S Security Team, which got US$1 000.

According to the document, some of these companies were given contracts to provide security without meeting minimum tender requirements.

The companies failed to provide details such as company profiles, qualifications and historical financial records.

Officials from the Defence ministry held key posts in Loc, the report shows. Loc chief accountant David Mubariki, procurement officer Phindile Mpofu and transport and logistics manager Regis Mangezi were all members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.

The audit report showed that the government, through Treasury, released US$17 733 566 for sport infrastructure refurbishment and other operational expenses for the games.

The hosting required refurbishment of facilities such as Barbourfields, Luveve, White City stadia, Bulawayo Athletics Club, Bulawayo Swimming Pool and the Games Village at Hillside Teachers College, as well as the procurement of ancillary equipment, goods and services.

The report says over US$3 million was paid to contractors and service providers who either completely failed to execute their given tasks, overstated claims or did substandard work.

Some government officials also allegedly diverted US$1 million from the budget to projects not related to the games, money which was never recovered.

Government in May 2016 ordered a forensic audit after smelling a rat in workmanship vis-a-vis the amounts paid and owing to contractors.