BY Nokuthaba Dlamini

HWANGE district’s biggest referral health institution, Victoria Falls Hospital, is running without emergency facilities and basic medication, a development which is compromising service delivery in the event of a disaster in the country’s prime tourist resort.

Doctors at the institution said there was no functional intensive care unit (ICU) and related supplies such as oxygen synthesisers.

A government medical officer, Michael Jeans, recently told United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols that in cases of emergency, it takes about six hours for patients to be evacuated to the nearest health facility in South Africa.

He said the hospital needed facilities for trauma and life support, including oxygen synthesisers in the ICU.

“We also don’t have medication to stabilise patients affected by heat stroke nor injection for blood thinning and blood in emergency situations,” Jeans said.

“As a result, we alternate to anti-clotting pills like aspirin which is also not always available.
These injections are always in stock even in rural areas of South Africa, yet the prime tourism destination does not have.”

He added that due to electricity shortages, emergencies were difficult to attend to as the generator at times would not have adequate fuel to run.

Nichols said 60 000 Americans visited the country annually and safe healthcare was a necessity.

Acting district medical officer Fungai Musinami said they were working with US-based organisation, Matter, which recently donated maternity equipment.

Victoria Falls Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe chapter chairperson Farai Chimba said there was need for collaborative efforts to capacitate hospitals in order to promote smooth running of tourism.

“We had to take an injured tourist to hospital, but he died upon admission in South Africa, otherwise many prefer private hospitals,” he said.

Matabeleland North provincial medical director Purgie Chimbengwa said the Victoria Falls Hospital “is ideally not at a level of a provincial hospital, where one expects to find services such as ICU”.

In a bid to improve service delivery, he said they had deployed an obstetrician and gynaecologist to complement the government medical officers.

Community Working Group on Health executive director Itai Rusike said the deplorable state of the country’s health system required urgent attention, giving priority focus to revitalising the primary healthcare system and addressing the social determinants of health to achieve universal health coverage, thus enabling every Zimbabwean equitable access to essential quality health without facing financial hardships.

BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE

HARARE City Council has threatened to name and shame over 100 private companies owing $336 million in unpaid rates.

Speaking during a performance review meeting yesterday, council finance director Stanley Ndemera said the debtors’ honeymoon was now over, adding that besides naming and shaming, the local authority was ready to take legal action on all debtors.

“We are owed more than $900 million in total revenue fees and topping the list of debtors are private companies, with $336 million. Now we are taking a new direction and if they do not pay up, we will first name and shame them, then take the legal route,” he said.

Ndemera said government had cleared its debt with the council.

“We have categorised the high-value debtors and we put them in the following categories: government debt $22 222 445, which they have already cleared. Debt submitted to legal is
$58 691 896 and we have targeted 31 companies; dormitory towns $17 226 015 and other companies $255 913 325 to make it $336 827 666 debts owed to the council,” he said.

Council also disclosed that it had lost more than $10 million premises lease fees for the last five months due to a systems breakdown.

Editorial Comment

AS far as this country’s statutes are concerned, civil servants’ wages and benefits are not a secret to the extent that they should actually be published in the Government Gazette. It does not matter whose salary and benefits they are, from the President down to the lowest-paid public worker, their earnings should be publicly known.

It then comes as a huge surprise that government, through Treasury, appears to be clandestinely and unevenly awarding its workers. It appears it is favouring a few lucky one while the majority – who include doctors, nurses and teachers, are being left to stretch their meagre earnings beyond the impossible.

Revelations that the country’s magistrates have been awarded hefty salaries and allowances at a time the government is at odds with the bulk of its workforce over the same smacks of serious duplicity. And the chief magistrate’s attempts to conceal the deal and his disappointment that the information had leaked have exposed the government. The whole issue is an indictment on President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s promise to promote transparency and good governance. Many questions are now emerging. What else is happening behind the scenes along government corridors?

Why is government using divide and rule tactics on its workforce? Why has the government decided to be so brazenly dishonest? Is it now a case of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing?

What is also quite worrying about this issue is that in his letter to rebuke those who had leaked the secret salary award, the chief magistrate sounds as if what he and his principals have done is above board.

“I refer to my correspondence to all of you on Friday October 4, 2019. In that correspondence, I attached a schedule indicating the new structure of regional magistrates’ salaries and other allowances. I exhorted all of you to counsel colleagues to ensure that the information did not end up being distributed to persons who have nothing to do with it. Contrary to that exhortation and ethical conduct expected, I am advised that the information is awash on social media platforms.

Please, advise all regional magistrates that the Chief Justice and the secretary for Judicial Service Commission are both concerned about this lack of respect for the office of regional magistrate. I pray that this unreasonableness does not return to disadvantage magistrates in future remuneration discussions,” the chief magistrate is reported to have written.

So, what is ethical and just about this whole issue, if we may ask? We would have thought, being the custodians of the rule of law, the judiciary would not be swayed to accept under the table wage and allowance offers. We expect better conduct from our judiciary and we never thought they would stoop this low and accept to be secretly pampered at the expense of fellow civil servants.

BY SILAS NKALA

BINDURA magistrate Langton Ndokera has acquitted a local resident, Saymore Mashorokoto, who was on trial for blaming President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the country’s deteriorating political and economic situation.

Mashorokoto was arrested after publicly calling on Mnangagwa to hand over power to opposition MDC leader Nelson Chamisa.

During trial, the prosecution alleged that the 45-year-old Mashorokoto, who was charged with contravening section 41(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, had acted in a disorderly conduct.

They alleged that Mashokorokoto had used threatening, abusive, or insulting words intending to breach peace.

But Ndokera on Thursday acquitted Mashorokoto, who was represented by Tinomuda Shoko and Blessing Nyamaropa of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), after ruling that the evidence presented in court by the State did not warrant a conviction.

Ndokera also stated that before bringing such cases to court, police should seriously consider the impact they pose to the country.

Meanwhile, an MDC Alliance councillor in Bindura has denied charges of disorderly conduct after he allegedly stated that Mnangagwa had run down the economy and caused untold suffering to the citizens.

Brian Kembo denied the charge on Wednesday when he appeared before magistrate Maria Musika.

The prosecution alleged that Kembo (36), who is represented by Idirashe Chikomba of ZLHR, engaged in disorderly conduct when he allegedly stated that several people in Zimbabwe were stressed owing to Mnangagwa’s failure to fix the country’s economic crisis after winning the 2018 presidential election.

The prosecution claimed that Kembo boarded a commuter omnibus on October 24 last year, where during a conversation with another passenger, blamed Mnangagwa for failing to alleviate the current economic crisis, which has seen a spike in the cost of living.

According to a ZLHR report, two witnesses have testified against Kembo, who was remanded out of custody to October 24, when Musika is expected to make a ruling on his application for discharge.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

NEW chairperson of the African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC) Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga has called on governments to impose mandatory disclosure of assets laws on MPs and public officials to promote transparency and accountability.

Misihairabwi-Mushonga made the remarks during a Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust (SAPST) policy dialogue for MPs and journalists held in Harare on Thursday, where stakeholders were brainstorming on the implementation of recommendations made by parliamentary portfolio committees and the Auditor-General.

“Section 198 of the Constitution demands that Parliament must come up with a law to ensure public officers make regular disclosure of their assets because people are living beyond their means,” she said.

“Some MPs that came to Parliament from 2000 are divorcing — and the amounts of properties that they would have acquired are very frightening. You find a young MP who joined Parliament soon after college and they had no job, but they now own very expensive properties and vehicles.

“Parliamentary Standing Rules and Orders require disclosure of assets and, as APNAC, we have noted that some MPs have disclosed their assets while others have not. We are saying that disclosure of assets should be done in public and not in the Speaker of the National Assembly’s office to enhance accountability.”

Misihairabwi-Mushonga said APNAC would strengthen parliamentarians’ fight against corruption and even initiate private members’ Bills to ensure anti-corruption laws are tightened. For example, Misihairabwi-Mushonga said there is need for a Whistleblowers’ Act.

Budget and Finance Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chairperson Felix Mhona said while Parliament was working on the clock to expose corruption through its committees, the issue of executing the findings and recommendations was the prerogative of the Executive, while the Judiciary interpreted the laws in order to enforce prosecution.

Mhona said currently, the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Bill was before Parliament and public hearings would be held on it, adding that people must interrogate it during public hearings.

Member of the Public Accounts Committee and APNAC’s Willas Madzimure said the committee would have a no-nonsense attitude towards corrupt people, adding that its recent reports recommended firing of corrupt government officials.

BY PRECIOUS CHIDA

FORMER Miss Zimbabwe and RnB songstress Vanessa “Queen Vee” Sibanda could make waves as a fashionista as she is now complimenting her music artistry with fashion through the Queen Vee Couture line when off the stage.

Also referred to as Zimbabwe’s queen of bling, Queen Vee is known for living a lifestyle that could easily match some of Hollywood’s famous superstars.

The Mari hit-maker is set to cause a stir with her unusual outfit which she has been hinting on ahead of the launch of the video for her recently released single Vavengi, which also features the bad boy of local dancehall, Souljah Love.

Queen Vee posted on her Facebook page pictures from the video wearing a red shear dress, a hat like those worn in ancient times, Chinese spread wings and covers, complementing long gold nails.

Speaking to NewsDay Weekender Life & Style, Queen Vee, who is also a fashion designer, said she has been making the outfits for her video on her own in a bid to improve her talent in fashion designing.

“This is just Queen Vee stepping up her couture game. I love fashion and the outfit resembles the way I want to be remembered, as a fashion icon. The video has outfits that are out of this world and I am just trying to claim my throne as the queen,” she said.

The songstress added that the need to differentiate herself from other artistes made her to start making her own outfits which was then complimented by her fashion experience.

“The idea of staying different and bold led me to start creating my own stuff, my fashion background however always plays a big role when it comes to fashion. I don’t like normal things, I like to be different and daring when it comes to fashion and I like to set my own exclusive trends,” she said.

Queen Vee said she has been building her own fashion label which is, however, not yet ready for public consumption.

“I have a brand called the Queen Vee Couture that I have been building for some time now. However, it is not ready for the public yet, but for the time being I just want to make more stuff for myself, showcase the brand in my music and when the time is right I will take it to the world,” she said.

Since venturing into ymusic, Queen Vee has been breaking ground, especially with her videos which have been aired on international music channels like Channel O, MTV Base and Trace.

BY FARAI MATIASHE

Zimbabwe Gender Commission chief executive officer Virginia Muwanigwa has called on government to work hand-in-hand with civil society organisations (CSOs) to raise awareness and educate young girls about their constitutional rights.

She said this while speaking at the International Day of the Girl Child commemorations organised by Shamwari Yemwanasikana (SYS) and the Canadian embassy in Harare yesterday.

“To all stakeholders, including the government, churches, civil society groups and the media, I urge you to raise awareness about the Constitution to the girls. They need to know their rights. I have heard there are (moves towards) translating it. You should distribute copies,” she said.

“When young girls know their rights, they will be able to challenge and seek justice when their rights are violated, like the Constitution guarantees the right to education, health and so forth.
When a girl child knows that she is not supposed to be married off early and such happens to her, then she will be able to speak up.”

SYS director Ekenia Chifamba said they had brought in successful women to inspire young girls and to create opportunities for them.

“We have created a platform where these women can actually come through as mentors, as an inspiration to the young girls that whatever they have gone through, they can be successful,” she said.

SYS also launched a pad bank programme to mobilise sanitary ware for the young girls.

By Harriet Chikandiwa

FORMER Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) board vice-chair, Idah Mupamhanga, appeared in court yesterday facing criminal abuse of office charges.

Mupamhanga (62) appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Christopher Maturure, who granted her $100 bail.

It is alleged that on June 21, 2016, ZimParks, through its then commercial services director Tarisai Musonza, wrote to Mabalengwe Safaris, represented by Rodgers Madanhure, advising them not to renew their lease agreement for Matetsi Unit 1 — a hunting concession in Victoria falls — which was expiring at the end of that year.

The reason was that they had operated for a stipulated period of 10 years, according to section 37b of the Parks and Wildlife Act Chapter 20:14.

The court heard that Madanhure wrote back to ZimParks seeking an extension of the lease, but he was advised by Musonza that the concession would be auctioned to the public.

It is alleged that Mupamhanga, without a board resolution, unlawfully instructed the ZimParks legal department to prepare a memorandum of agreement of leasing Matetsi Unit 1 hunting concession.

It is alleged that Mupamhanga unlawfully received US$10 000 from Madanhure.

Upon receipt of the money, she allegedly concealed the transaction from the ZimParks board and transferred the money from her bank account into ZimParks account without disclosing to the board the nature of the transaction.

It is alleged that sometime in January 2017, Mupamhanga, without the knowledge of the board, entered into another memorandum of agreement to lease 19 Zambezi Lodges between ZimParks and Adage of Success (PVT) Ltd citing under-utilisation by ZimParks.

The court heard that in the same year, Mupamhanga called for a meeting which was attended by senior ecologist Roselyn Mandisodza and the then acting director-general Godfrey Matipano and told them that she wanted to venture into gold exploration inside protected areas to fund wildlife conservations.

Without the knowledge of the board, Mupamhanga allegedly instructed Mandisodza to look for a quotation for a metal detector and the ecologist obtained a quotation and proforma invoice of $11 000 from Excelight Investment.

The court heard that Mupamhanga instructed Mandisodza to advise the suppliers to split the amount and make two quotations.

Mandisodza was instructed to collect the metal detector for immediate use in detecting gold deposits in the ZimParks area.

It is alleged that Mupamhanga converted the gold detector to her own personal use.

The matter came to light after an audit was carried out and it was discovered that the purchase of the metal detector was not in line with the core business of ZimParks and it was also discovered that the proforma invoice was split into two to avoid going to tender.

THE Livestock and Meat Advisory Council (Lmac) has said the maximum bank lending limit of $50 million for each project is inadequate to finance cropping by major contracting companies for the new season due to escalating costs.

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

In its latest update, Lmac said inflationary pressures, predominately driven by exchange rate depreciation, continue to characterise the operating environment and as such, farmers would find it difficult to put more hectarage under crops this season.

“The principal concern for the forthcoming season is the tight liquidity on the market. Farmers estimate that in local currency terms, the nominal amount required to cover a fixed hectarage is 13 times higher than that needed a year ago,” read part of the update.

“This will severely constrain producers as the maximum bank lending limit of $50 million for each project is inadequate to finance cropping by major contracting companies for the new season,” it said.

Lmac said estimated maize stocks were currently at 400 000 tonnes and to date, intake of maize by the Grain Marketing Board amounted to 150 000 tonnes, while monthly draw-down is between 100 000 to 120 000 tonnes.

Framers have already painted a gloomy picture for the upcoming 2019/20 agricultural season due to the high cost of inputs and electricity shortages, among other challenges, raising fears of yet another poor harvest next year.

They said their preparations were being curtailed because of the high cost of inputs.
The council also revealed that the supply of raw materials, both for human consumption and the manufacture of stockfeed was constrained.

“The maize situation is dire and users of maize have reported that the Grain Marketing Board has rationalised the drawdown and authorities have prioritised drought vulnerable communities, then milling companies and lastly, stockfeed manufacturers,” it said.

“The local supply of soya-bean is already exhausted. Reportedly, Zambia and Malawi have excess stocks of soya-beans available for export for around US$500/tonne, landed in Harare. Maize and wheat bran are not available and the price of molasses ex-factory has also increased.”