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2 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
Zanu PF’s police training
raises eyebrows
BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA
Zanu PF has launched a massive voter mobilisation
campaign within the police force through what is
termed-ideology training targeting the rank and file of
the law enforcement agency.
Police officers are currently going under an inter-
nal training dubbed civic education where Zanu PF
officials are educating the cops on the party's ideolo-
gies, including pleading with them to vote for the rul-
ing party.
Police sources told The Standard that they used to
have similar training under the late former President
Robert Mugabe's rule towards elections.
Documents seen by this publication show that po-
lice officers have been directed to attend the training
this week.
The training starts at 8am ending at 4:30pm at police
district headquarters across the country.
A high ranking police officer who spoke to The
Standard on condition of anonymity said senior police
officers from the Police Updating Centre were accom-
panying the Zanu PF officials for the training.
The “civic education” training has already been done
in Harare and Bulawayo police districts.
“We have received a radio (police internal commu-
nication) this morning (Friday) that every police officer
should attend what they call the civic education train-
ing,” the police officer said.
“The training has been done in Harare and Bula-
wayo, with ruling party officials facilitating them.
“According to the internal communication, the po-
lice officers will divide themselves into two groups
at each station in every district so that one group at-
tends the training while the other conducts the polic-
ing work. The radio emphasised that everyone should
attend."
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi confirmed that the cops were undergoing the
training but professed ignorance of Zanu PFs involve-
ment.
“I can confirm that the police are undergoing [civic
education] training,” Nyathi said.
“But as to the allegations [that Zanu PF is facilitat-
ing], I am not aware.”
This publication caught up with some officers who
attended the training, who said they were being or-
dered to “know where your bread is buttered”.
“During the training, there were police officers from
the PUC and some party officials who told us gener-
ally about the need for us to vote for Zanu PF,” the of-
ficer said.
“They were emphasising the need for us security of-
ficers to defend the vote.
“We were told that the ruling party, which forms the
government was thriving to improve our welfare and
we had to bear that in mind as we cast our votes this
year."
Police officers are among the least paid government
workers in the country.
Last year, the police officers threatened a protest
vote in this year's election following growing discon-
tent over poor earnings.
A report on the state of police that was presented in
Parliament in March last year revealed that morale was
very low in the police force due to poor conditions of
service, including low salaries.
Weather report
www.thestandard.co.zw
Zimbabwe weather forecast valid until the end of day
tomorrow.
Forecast for today:
Mostly cloudy conditions and isolated thunder-
storms are anticipated in the northern parts of the
country — Matabeleland North, northern parts of Mid-
lands, Harare Metropolitan, northern areas of Mani-
caland and all Mashonaland provinces. Warm by day
and mild overnight. Masvingo, southern parts of Man-
icaland and Matabeleland South provinces should be
windy, mild and cloudy with rain and drizzle in places.
Bulawayo Metropolitan and Midlands provinces are
forecast to be mostly sunny and warm though mild
both morning and night.
Temperatures for the main city centres (°c):
Minimum Maximum
Today Today into a no-go-area, with residents forced to
Harare 16 27 use alternative routes home.
Bulawayo 17 30 CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere con-
Gweru 15 28 firmed the incident.
Mutare 16 28 “Zanu PF knows they can never win a
Kwekwe 17 29 free and fair election in Zimbabwe,” Ma-
Kadoma 16 30 here said.
Masvingo 16 32
Chinhoyi 18 27
Lupane 18 32
Bindura 16 28
Marondera 14 26
Gwanda 17 32
—MSD
Local News
Zec fuels Zanu PF factional wars
BY KENNETH NYANGANI/EVANS MATHANDA
ZIMBABWE Electoral Commission’s
controversial preliminary delimitation
report has created serious divisions in
Zanu PF as one faction believes that
there are manoeuvres to sideline its
members, it has emerged.
The delimitation report tabled in Par-
liament on Friday has been criticised
by some shadowy groupings linked to
President Emmerson Mnangagwa and
parliamentarians, including the oppo-
sition and independent election watch-
dogs.
Those critical of the Zec report say
it is flawed and are accusing the com-
mission of gerrymandering by using
the wrong formula to calculate the min-
imum and maximum threshold of vot-
ers to determine the redrawing of elec-
toral boundaries ahead of the elections.
A Zanu PF activist Tonderai Chi-
dawa and member of a faction linked
to Mnangagwa claimed that state secu-
rity agents were after him after he chal-
lenged the delimitation report.
According to his lawyer Lovemore
Madhuku, Chidawa was subjected to
torture after his capture by suspected
state agents.
The Zimbabwe Democracy Institute
(ZDI), a leading local think-tank, in a
report released yesterday titled: ZEC
Delimitation Report - Electoral Rigma-
role and Elite Discohesion? said the de-
limitation exercise has exposed the al-
leged tussle for the control of the ruling
party between Mnangagwa and his dep-
uty Constantino Chiwenga.
ZDI said the fresh fights were a con-
tinuation of the battle for the control
of Zanu PF that started soon after the
coup that toppled long-time ruler Rob-
ert Mugabe in 2017.
It said factional wars also played out
in the run-up to Zanu PF’s congress last
year when Mnangagwa retained his po-
sition as party leader unchallenged.
“Fundamentally, the botched delim-
itation speaks to infighting within the
ruling party elites,” ZDI said.
Police crackdown on
CCC, leaders arrested
BY STAFF REPORTER
C
itizens Coalition for Change
(CCC) organising secretary
Amos Chibaya and Budiriro leg-
islator Costa Machingauta were
arrested in Harare yesterday
alongside 23 other party members while
attending an internal party meeting held
at the legislators’ residence.
Anti-riot officers besieged Machingu-
ta’s house, stopped a private internal par-
ty meeting and barricaded the road lead-
ing to his residence.
Machingauta, his wife, children and
other party members were beaten before
arrest.
By the time of going to print, there were
no charges laid against the arrested per-
sons who were taken to Budiriro 2 Police
Station and kept in cells.
Baton-wielding officers turned the zone
“This was a private, internal meeting.
The Maintenance of Order and Peace Act
does not apply.
“That law only applies to public meet-
ings in a public place. Zanu PF must stop
abusing the police to stifle competition.”
Mahere revealed that lawyer Kudzai
“It is a continuation of the post-coup
and post-2022 Zanu PF congress, our
view is that the delimitation report gen-
erally and overall benefits Zanu PF as
a political party, but disadvantages one
faction in the power matrix and config-
uration of the securocratic state.”
ZDI said the report also exposed the
unresolved Zanu PF leadership ques-
tion post-Mugabe.
“The fact that seven out of nine com-
missioners most of whom are recent ap-
pointees of President Mnangagwa have
written distancing themselves from the
preliminary report leaves Zec divided
between its chair (Priscila Chigumba)
and deputy chair (Rodney Kiwa) vis- a-
vis the rest,” the think-tank said.
The commissioners have reportedly
written to Mnangagwa expressing their
opposition to the delimitation report.
“The divisions within Zec when un-
derstood in the context of the court
challenge by Tonderai Chidawa, a re-
nowned ally of Mnangagwa during
the Zanu PF factional fights that led to
Mnangagwa’s ascendancy to power and
the fast rebuke by the Parliament ad-
hoc committee headed by Pupurai Toga-
repi [exposed the infighting],” ZDI said
“Togarepi’s constituency of Gutu
South in Masvingo was wiped out de-
spite having more registered voters, 186
453 compared to Gutu East 16 822 and
Gutu North 15 359.
“It is, therefore, not surprising that
the committee that he heads has dis-
missed the report.
“One can argue that key Mnangagwa
allies such as Togarepi were key vic-
tims of the delimitation report in the
grand power struggles in Zanu PF.”
It added: “In conclusion, the Zec pre-
liminary delimitation report confirms
assertions that have been averred by the
ZDI since 2012 that the independence of
Zec is compromised by its strong links
with the ruling party and the securo-
cratic state complex and incompetency
to handle democratic, free and fair elec-
tion in Zimbabwe.”
According to ZDI, the noise surround-
CCC organising secretary Amos Chibaya
Kadzere, who was rendering legal assis-
tance to the arrested CCC members, was
also arrested and was “badly” beaten.
She said the charges against Kadzere
were unclear.
Police confirmed the arrests of mem-
bers of the Citizens Coalition for Change,
Zimbabwe’s main opposition political par-
ty, and said a detailed statement would be
released following investigations.
“It was an unsanctioned gathering ac-
cording to the local authority, who is the
ing the delimitation document would
have been avoided if Zec had done
transparent, widespread consultations.
“If Zec had widely consulted key
stakeholders in Zimbabwe as stated in
section 37(A) of the Electoral Act, this
error could have been avoided,” ZDI
said.
“The lack of quality consultation was
deliberate in order to simultaneously
push and advance a factional position
in the Zanu PF elite power struggles
and disadvantage the opposition.”
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition
(CiCZ) said the Zec report showed that
Zimbabwe was not ready for elections.
CiCZ spokesperson Obert Masaraure
said the state involvement in electoral
processes was a threat to a free and fair
election.
“Zimbabwe is not ready for elections
because we cannot be discussing the de-
limitation report while Zec has totally
made it difficult for the people of Zim-
babwe to access the voters’ roll,” Masa-
raure said during a civil society and
political parties discussion and reflec-
tions on the delimitation report hosted
by the Election Resource Centre (ERC).
Political analyst Maxwell Saung-
weme said the furore over the report
may be a ploy by the ruling party to de-
lay or postpone this year's elections
"What is all happening is a question
of an unaccountable independent elec-
tion body which is the Zec and some po-
litical groups which are not hopeful to
win an election,” Saungweme said.
“The end game for Zanu PF is to delay
the election.”
Mnangagwa will be seeking a second
full term in office in this year’s elec-
tions.
Soon after the 2018 elections the
80-year-old ruler revealed that there
were some Zanu PF MPs plotting to im-
peach him before he could finish his
term.
This was after Mnangagwa perfo-
med badly in some constitutencies that
were won comfortably by Zanu PF can-
didates.
officer commanding Budiriro,” police
spokesperson Paul Nyathi said.
“I am receiving numerous reports that
people were beaten, we will release a full
statement in due course.”
Police allegedly fired teargas at the
gathering, and beat up several opposition
members before they were bundled into a
police truck, Mahere added.
Zimbabwean law requires political par-
ties to notify authorities two weeks before
holding a political meeting.
“Zanu PF must stop abusing the police
to stifle competition,” Mahere said.
She alleged that over 60 CCC meetings
had been unconstitutionally banned since
the formation of the party a year ago.
Mahere said this happened in areas that
include Gokwe Kabuyuni, Gutu, Chirum-
hanzu, Murewa, Seke, Birchenough, Insi-
za, Matobo, Binga, Hwedza, UMP, Ngun-
du, Marondera, Chipinge, Kariba, Chiho-
ta and Mahusekwa.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is
accused of using security forces such as
the police and the military as well as dra-
conian laws to close down the democrat-
ic space.
CCC, whose leader Nelson Chamisa,
is expected to challenge Mnangagwa in
this year’s elections has borne the brunt
of the clampdown while other opposition
parties are allowed to organise their pro-
grammes without interference from the
police.
* Additional reporting by Reuters
 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 3

Local News

Murewa CCC violence victims recount ordeal

BY VANESSA GONYE In separate interviews with Zeem TV, Morris Seremani said: “They broke my alarm over the rising cases of political vi-

E
lderly Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)
members who were assaulted by suspect-
ed Zanu PF activists for supporting the
opposition were forced to spend the night
in the mountains fearing for their lives, it
has emerged.
The violence occurred in Chirowa Village,
Murewa North in Mashonaland East and was ex-
posed through social media.
Morris Seremani (74), Susan Seremani (56),
Beauty Chikoti (52), Chipo Mutizwa (37), Nyaradzai
Chitauro (52), Sekuru Dongo (79) and Munyaradzi
Dongo (38) were left nursing injuries following the
assault.
Police have arrested suspects in connection with
the assault that has attracted widespread condem-
nation.
Chiwenga blocks NSSA
boss appointment
BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO
an online television station, the victims
described the attack as brutal and unpro-
voked.
“We were harassed and we fled and
slept in the mountains. It rained all night
and we had to endure the downpour,”
Chikoti
“By dawn we rushed home and had a
bath before rushing to Murewa police sta-
tion.
“It was a painful experience and if I
show you our scars you may realise the
magnitude of the torture.
“What's most painful is the fact that we
were beaten by children some the age of
our grandchildren.”
She added: “We are yet to meet our chil-
dren and grandchildren, but I know they
will not be happy to learn what we have
gone through.
“I encourage the youths to register to
vote and push for change so that things
will be better for us.”
phone, held me down while someone was
stamping on my head.”
Seremani said he is being excluded
from benefits in the area because of his
support for the opposition.
“I do not get any inputs. I always have
to wrestle for my own share. I am a vic-
tim because of my political affiliation,”
he said.
“I encourage the youths not to be used
for other people's political gains.
“I pray that CCC rises to the occasion
and wins this year's elections."
He said he was going to remain a
staunch CCC supporter and would never
desert his home because of politics.
Zanu PF has distanced themselves from
the assault with Mashonaland East pro-
vincial chairperson Daniel Garwe who
is also Housing minister saying he was
deeply pained by the reports.
Opposition parties, the clergy and hu-
man rights organisations have expressed
olence as the country heads for the 2023
elections.
Last week, the Zimbabwe Council of
Churches (ZCC) called on political parties
to respect the sanctity of life ahead of the
country's watershed elections amid fears
the plebiscite could turn violent.
ZCC said the church was concerned
with the inhumane treatment and se-
rious injury caused to the elderly CCC
members.
“This recent incident, while seemingly
isolated, signals the deepening and inten-
sification of systemic political violence
and intimidation as we approach the 2023
elections,” ZCC said in a statement.
"We call for the convening of an urgent
all stakeholders national peace confer-
ence where we take stock of the national
peace infrastructure, and all political par-
ties sign an election peace pact prepared
by the church working with Chapter 12
commissions.”

ACTING President Constantino Chiwenga has moved

in to stop the National Social Security Authority (Ns-
sa’s) rotational policy of filling the vacant post of gen-
eral manager by blocking the recent appointment of
Agnes Masiiwa.
NSSA general manager Arthur Manase was suspend-
ed in July 2022 and senior executives were supposed to
be appointed on rotational basis to fill the position in
an acting capacity.
According to reports, this was meant to pave the
way for a probe into the affairs of the statutory pension
fund.
NSSA director for occupational health Charles Shava
was the first to be appointed acting general manager
and he was supposed to pass the button to Masiiwa fol-
lowing his appointment by the Nssa board.
On December 29, Public Service, Labour and Social
Welfare minister Paul Mavima wrote to NSSA board
chairperson Percy Toriro recommending Masiiwa to re-
place Shava.
“I write to advise that it is time to rotate the acting
general manager at NSSA. Shava has served in that po-
sition for six months,” Mavima wrote.
“It’s therefore, prudent to find another senior execu-
tive to hold that position while the forensic audit is be-
ing implemented.
“Previously, Masiiwa had been recommended to-
gether with Shava. I therefore recommend her appoint-
ment at this time,” he said.
In a folow-up notice to stakeholders, Toriro indicat-
ed that Masiiwa would assume the position from Jan-
uary 1.
“I also wish Masiiwa well as she assumes the acting
general manager role for the coming period.”
“Her brief is to ensure smooth continuity of business
operations and provide leadership at various levels of
the organisation’s mandate execution at the same time
overseeing finalisation of the audit process already un-
derway. All stakeholders are advised accordingly.”
However, Chiwenga in a letter dated January 3, 2023
addressed to Mavima blocked Masiiwa’s appointment.
In the notice through deputy chief secretary for poli-
cy analysis, coordination and development planning in
the Office of the President, Willard Manungo, Chiwenga
argued that the appointment was a serious violation of
corporate governance rules.
“Pursuant to good corporate governance, the hon-
ourable acting president advises that nothing should
be done to remove the NSSA acting general manager
in the midst of the forensic audit processes currently
underway,” Manungo wrote.
But there is discontent over the move, according to
insiders at NSSA who suspected the hand of Manungo.
“While Manungo’s letter has also sparked debate
wherein individuals or parastatal executives cannot
surely be in an acting position for more than six months
and such as the case with Shava, Chiwenga’s explana-
tions or reasons might not hold water as there are prec-
edents at NSSA and wherein Manase’s prolonged stay
(after his initial secondment from the board) and Da-
vid Makwara’s six months-plus tenure were vigorously
challenged,” an insider said.
The insiders said there was no evidence that Chi-
wenga, who is quoted in the letter was even consult-
ed to veto Mavima’s proposal with the laws clear that
in the absence of a substantive chief executive any
other senior member can be appointed in an acting
capacity.
“This is exactly the reason, and premise on which
Mavima’s recommendation — and Toriro’s subsequent
newspaper announcements — were made, but the
prudent moves were thwarted or torpedoed by forces
opposed to Manase’s return,” said the insider.
4 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
Standard
PEOPLE
Ex-deputy minister’s
theft case in new twist
BY GARIKAI TUNHIRA
T
he state’s case against for-
mer Agriculture deputy minis-
ter Douglas Karoro on Thurs-
day seemed to crumble after the
prosecution's star witness exon-
erated him.
Karoro is accused of stealing 700 bags
of fertiliser from the Grain Marketing
Board (GMB) Mushumbi Pools depot un-
der the Presidential Inputs Scheme.
The farming inputs were supposed to
benefit farmers in Karoro's Mbire con-
stituency.
He then allegedly sold them in Harare.
The former deputy minister is jointly
charged with GMB Mushumbi Pools de-
pot manager Lovejoy Ngowe, Jeremy Phi-
ri, Mugove Chidamba and Dean Dzimun-
ya on a fraud charge.
The five denied the charges when their
trial opened last year before Harare re-
gional magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa.
Responding under cross-examination
by Karoro's lawyer Admire Rubaya, the
state's star witness Widdorn Chiodza
said he never interacted with Karoro
Potraz accelerates govt services digitilisation
BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA
The Postal and Telecommunication Regula-
tory Authority (Potraz) has said it is accelerat-
ing its national digitilisation programme to en-
hance decentralisation of government func-
tions through electronic means.
Potraz director-general Gift Machengete said
this while handing over 160 computers to the
Public Service and Social Welfare ministry on
Friday in Masvingo.
The computers were donated under the e-
government programme.
Machengete said the programme would be
extended to all government ministries to en-
sure that members of the public could access
government services electronically and decon-
gest cities.
"The world is changing at an astronomical
and alarming pace," Machengete said.
"Humanity is changing, technology is chang-
ing.
“We are seeing technological changes across
during the deal and neither could he pin-
point which role exactly the ex-minister
played.
He also said he never handed the mon-
ey directly to Karoro when he bought the
fertiliser.
Prosecutor George Manokore asked
Chiodza to outline the role played by each
person in the alleged deal.
“I have never communicated with ac-
cused 1 (Karoro) and I have never met
him before," he responded.
"I do not know the role he played as I
never interacted with him."
Chiodza told the court that Karoro
never demanded any money from him
and that not at any given time did he see
him talking to his accomplices over the
deal.
He said he handed the money to Phiri,
adding that he only came across Karoro's
name when it appeared on the dispatch
voucher, which he used to collect the fer-
tiliser at GMB Mushumbi Pools Depot.
The witness also said he saw Ngowe at
his workplace when he gave him the dis-
patch vouchers.
With regards to Chidamba, Chiodza
all spheres of life, across all sectors of the econ-
omy.
“Information and communication technol-
ogies (ICT) are at the centre of most of these
technological advancements and as a nation,
it is paramount that we change our systems in
line with the changing times.
“It is important that we keep up with the
transforming world.
“We should not be left behind lest we lag be-
hind economically and socially in the new world
order."
Potraz last year handed over computers and
Internet connectivity to the Zimbabwe Repub-
lic Police (ZRP) as part of the e-government pro-
gramme.
Machengete said the telecommunications
regulatory authority wanted to ensure that
members of the public had access to govern-
ment services through community informa-
tion centres.
"In the short- to long-term, we envision citi-
zens accessing government services from Com-
said he only met him when he came to
his place of residence in Kuwadzana, Ha-
rare, to recover the bags of fertiliser after
the deal had gone sour.
He said he initially entered into the
deal with Phiri with whom he had always
been in touch.
Chiodza told the court that Phiri left
him in the hands of Dzimunya, who went
with him on the trip to Mushumbi to col-
lect the fertliser.
In his testimony, Chiodza said he used
to envy Phiri after taking note of his en-
terprising business and hoped to follow
in his footsteps.
“I only discovered it today that I was
dealing with conmen, especially when
they are denying things that happened,”
he said.
Karoro has denied involvement in the
said deal, saying his arrest was instigat-
ed by his political rivals who are eyeing
his parliamentary seat in the forthcom-
ing general elections expected later this
year.
His alleged accomplices are also deny-
ing involvement in the alleged deal.
The handing over of computers to
the Public Service and Social Welfare
ministry in Masvingo on Friday
munity Information Centres (CICs)," he said.
"Our vision is to bring convenience to the
people while decongesting government offices.
“We would like to see people applying for
passports, birth and death certificates and oth-
er national documents from CICs.
“We would like people to apply for liquor li-
cences and register companies from CICs or
even from their mobile phones.
“For this to succeed, the whole of govern-
ment should be online and should have reliable
ICT systems to support this."
In 2022, Potraz connected 1117 schools to
the Internet under the schools connectivity pro-
gramme.
In the same year, Potraz equipped 186 com-
puter laboratories at various schools across the
country with a minimum of 30 computers each.
Potraz also disbursed 4280 computers to
schools throughout the year.
On Friday, ICT minister Jenfan Muswere com-
missioned 14 school computer laboratories in
Masvingo province.
BRIEFS
Zimpost defrauded of $13m
A 35-year-old man from Highfield allegedly defraud-
ed Zimpost of almost $13 million between May and Au-
gust 2022.
This was revealed at the Harare magistrates court on
Thursday when Givemore Dzuta appeared before mag-
istrate Evelyn Mashavakure facing theft charges.
Dzuta, a former clerk at Greendale Post Office, was
granted $50 000 bail and told to return to court on Feb-
ruary 17.
The complainant is Zimpost represented by its audit
manager Richard Chikuni.
According to court documents, between May 2022
and August 2022, Dzuta, acting in connivance with Ta-
tenda Ngara who is on remand, was entrusted to collect
vehicle and radio licence fees from clients.
It is alleged that Dzuta collected a total of $12 984
053 from various customers, but converted the money
to personal use. The offence was discovered when Zim-
post conducted an audit and nothing was recovered. —
NQOBIZWE THEBE
Copper cable thieves jailed 10 years
TWO Harare men who were part of a four-member gang
were on Wednesday sentenced to 10 years in jail each
for stealing Zesa copper cables.
The gang includes a 16-year-old.
There was a separation of trial after Richard Dzinzi
and Reward Sibanda pleaded guilty to the charge lead-
ing to their conviction and sentence.
“The following accused persons were arrested for
possession of 25 cut pieces of 3 core armoured cable
in Westgate area; Sibanda (53) of 93 Engineering High-
fields, Richard Dzinzi (35) of Turnleaf Farm Westgate,
Amos Dzinzi (16) of Turnleaf Farm and Tafadzwa Phi-
ri (27) of 497 Nehanda Ext RRB 5409688 Marlborough,"
reads the state outline.
Phiri and Amos Dzinzi pleaded not guilty and were re-
manded in custody to Tuesday for routine remand.
The accused persons had no legal representation.
Last year, the government proposed stiffer penalties
for people who vandalise electricity infrastructure.
—VANESSA GONYE
Man murders ex-wife for rejecting him
A Shurugwi man is suspected of having murdered
his ex-wife in cold blood after she refused to reconcile
with him.
Lubitsi Mubita (31) of Mutamba village under Chief
Nhema in Shurugwi, was found lying in a pool of blood
with stab wounds in her bedroom.
Midlands police provincial spokesperson Inspector
Emmanuel Mahoko said Mubita’s husband Rangarirai
Mukoko has been arrested in connection with her mur-
der.
“Mubita had multiple stab wounds on her body and
a blood-stained chisel, which is believed to be the mur-
der weapon, was recovered from the suspect, her ex-
husband,” Mahoko said.
In an unrelated case, Mahoko confirmed a suspected
suicide case in Gweru where a man, identified as Paul
Sigauke (27) of Chikanga Village, under Chief Mutema
in Chipinge, was found dead hanging from a tree near
Gweru River. —OBERT SIAMULANDU
Councillor’s daughter dies from snakebite
The daughter of a Zanu PF Rushinga councillor was
bitten by a snake while in a classroom and later died in
the evening.
The incident was confirmed by Rushinga legislator
Tendai Nyabani.
"I can confirm the death in Rushinga where a Form
Six girl Melody Chiputura (17) was bitten by a snake
yesterday afternoon after coming from sports," Nyab-
ani said.
“The deceased is Zanu PF councillor in Rushinga Jo-
seph Chiputura's daughter.
“We are still shocked as to where this snake came
from because students had used the classroom twice,”
Nyabani said.
“As Rushinga constituency, we are saddened by this
unfortunate incident." —SIMBARASHE SITHOLE
 The Standard January15 to 21 2023 5

Local News

Outrage as Zanu PF takes poll campaign to schools

BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA children must continue to have uninterrupted ac- have nothing to do with the education systems in- said.
cess to basic social services,” the UN said then. volving themselves with the day-to-day running “We instituted an investigation to establish why
SCHOOLS have become the latest hunting ground for votes Teacher unions pleaded with political parties of schools,” Majongwe said. he needs the names.
for Zanu PF after it emerged that ruling party fanatics are in- to desist from targeting education institutions in “We want to say to Zanu PF that this is uncalled “We have since gathered that (one) Mr Mugan-
vading learning institutions to force learners and teachers to their electioneering campaigns, saying education for. hu is being forced to submit such
attend their campaign meetings. will emerge as the biggest loser. “We have a report from Midlands, Masho- a list to the Zanu PF leader-
Schools opened for the first term on Monday, but Zanu PF Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) sec- naland East and other provinces of victim- ship in Gutu.
has reportedly hit the ground running; targeting them in an retary general Goodwill Taderera said some areas isation of teachers. “We urge all school
attempt to reach its target of having five million registered have become political minefields for teachers and “In some instances, Zanu PF officials heads to refuse to com-
voters when Zimbabwe goes for elections later this year. learners. are demanding lunch from school cof- ply with the illegal direc-
Addressing a press conference in Harare on Friday, Zanu “We call upon all state actors to protect the fers and using other school resources tive.
PF political commissar Mike Bimha said the party was gear- learners and teachers rather than making them which is uncalled for." “We are writing to
ing up for a robust voter mobilisation programme ahead of victims of their innuendos,” Taderera said. Amalgamated Rural Teachers PSC asking them to
this year's election. “Government should come clean on protecting Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) secre- urgently intervene
"I would also like to urge our supporters that we are now teachers and learners and also to ensure that there tary general Robson Chere said their to protect the lives of
gearing up for the various campaigns in all the provinces and is no interference with the education system.” members were being victimised in ar- teachers."
l am happy that all our structures are ready to drive the cam- He added: “Learners have already been affect- eas such as Gutu.
paign strategy,” Bimha said. ed by Covid-19 and other natural disasters, hence He called on the Public Service Com-
Under the Virgin Voters for ED campaign targeting high learning should not be disrupted any further mission (PSC) to intervene.
school pupils, Zanu PF activists have allegedly ‘deployed’ through political machinations." "We received news that the dis-
some officers to monitor activities at schools, mostly those in Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Ptuz) trict schools inspector of
rural areas, instilling fear among learners and teachers. secretary general Raymond Majongwe said disrupt- Gutu has request- Christopher
Last week, ruling party officials stormed some schools in ing lessons for political expediency was unacceptable. ed a list of all Artuz Mutsvangwa
Masvingo and forced their way into staff meetings and de- “We have always known of individuals who members,” Chere
manding minutes of meetings that would have been held in
their absence.
This publication is in possession of videos and audios of
teachers and pupils in Masvingo who were forced to attend a
Zanu PF meeting, chanting slogans and singing party songs.
In one of the videos, a Zanu PF official tells pupils to be
"guided" that the ruling party was a revolutionary party with
public support including that of school children.
In the same video, a school head pleads with the Zanu
PF officials to be excused from chanting a slogan as it was
against the dictates of the constitution.
"May I be excused from chanting the slogan, chairperson?,”
the school head said.
“I am a civil servant. The law does not permit me to take a
political side. I must not publicly declare my preferred politi-
cal party.”
However, the Zanu PF official declined to entertain his
plea.
District schools inspectors have reportedly been directed
to report teachers who refuse to comply with the party’s di-
rectives, according to information gathered by The Standard.
Primary and Secondary Education ministry spokesperson
Taungana Ndoro said there was no law that barred Zanu PF
members from visiting schools hunting for votes.
"What you must understand is that Zanu PF is the ruling
party, meaning it has the majority support," Ndoro said.
"It is not just an ordinary political party. It is not like those
fly-by-night political parties.
“It is the party upon which the government of the day is
built.
“It's their constitutional right to chant slogans wherever
they feel like.”
Ndoro claimed some opposition parties have also been
targeting schools for votes as seen by some learners singing
their slogans.
“If someone tries to stop a Zanu PF member from chant-
ing his or her party slogan, it is infringement of their right,”
Ndoro said.
“There is nothing amiss about Zanu PF chanting party slo-
gans in the presence of school pupils.
“We have seen several videos of children chanting slogans
of these fly-by-night political parties, but was it an issue?"
A video in which high school pupils, who are members of
the Virgin Voters for ED were mobilising supporters went vi-
ral on social media last week confirming fears that schools
have been turned into hunting grounds for votes.
School heads have complained that learning was being
disrupted by Zanu PF members as a result.
"We are under siege," reads one message from a WhatsApp
group of school heads seen by The Standard.
"We have a new master. Schools have been turned into po-
litical grounds. Zanu PF is now acting like it is the Primary and
Secondary Education ministry.”
Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa was not pick-
ing calls on Friday and yesterday to comment about the matter.
In 2018, Masvingo High Court Judge, Justice Joseph Mar-
tin Mafusire barred Zanu PF from abusing learners, teachers
and school property in pursuit of private political interests.
This followed an application by legislative watchdog Ver-
itas and the Association of Rural Teachers Unions of Zimba-
bwe (ARTUZ) challenging Zanu PF for forcing school author-
ities to provide transport and other services for its support-
ers to rallies as well as forcing schoolchildren to attend po-
litical rallies.
In some cases, children were asked by the party leadership
to provide labour in the form of carrying benches and chairs
from classes to places where rallies would be held.
In their application, they sought an order prohibiting the
use of school property for political purposes and the forced
attendance of schoolchildren at political rallies.
In his ruling, Mafusire barred Zanu PF from forcing school
children and teachers to attend rallies and wear party regalia,
causing the closure of schools for any of its rallies or activities
and holding rallies on school premises.
The United Nations welcomed the ruling saying it was in
line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child which
states ‘that the best interests of the child must be the para-
mount consideration in every situation, and at all times.’
“The UN emphasises schools must be havens of safety and
6 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
Local News
Mangudya: Zim’s de-dollarisation on course
The year 2022 was a period of
volatility starting with the Unit-
ed States dollar rate on the paral-
lel market flactuating significantly
and having a major impact on the
pricing of goods and services and
the purchasing power of the Zim-
babwe dollar.
This put a lot of salaried work-
ers out of pocket while consumers
had to face continually increasing
prices.
This was addressed by the Re-
serve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ),
which had to close banking for a
few days in order to arrest the sit-
uation.
Things have since stabilised
somewhat as the government
reined in errant suppliers who
were in fact they key drivers of in-
creasing US dollar rates while the
RBZ upped interest rates to 200%
to stem speculative borrowing.
The auction did meet demand for
productive foreign exchange cap-
ital but the build up of a backlog
indicated inadequate supply in the
formal banking system.
We also saw the launch of gold
coins and this certainly mopped up
excess RTGS funds and offered an
alternative asset class for the store
of value.
At the centre of all this is the
RBZ govenor John Mangud-
ya (JM) who spoke to economist
Vince Musewe (VM) regarding
his views on the state of the econ-
omy and prospects for 2023. Below
are excerpts from the interview.
VM: John, 2022 was quite
a year. What were your main
achievements as a central
bank?
JM: The year 2022 was a chal-
lenging one, not only for Zimba-
bwe, but globally as most central
banks experienced renewed infla-
tionary pressures caused by the
Russia-Ukraine conflict.
This conflict caused some un-
expected increases in energy and
food prices, leading to rising in-
flation across the globe. The crisis
saw many central banks across the
world increasing policy interest
rates to contain rising inflation.
Zimbabwe was not spared as
the rising oil and food prices fil-
tered into our domestic inflation,
especially between April and July
2022.
The Bank responded with sev-
eral bold measures to contain the
rising inflation which had seemed
to go out of hand.
The country’s major achieve-
ments in 2022 were as follows:
i. Reversing the upward infla-
tionary trajectory in the month-
on-month inflation from a peak of
30.7% in June 2022 to 3.2% in Octo-
ber and to levels below 3% in No-
vember and December 2022;
ii. Reducing the parallel mar-
ket exchange rate premium from
above 140% in May 2022 to current
levels of below 20%, which is con-
sistent with the levels observed in
most countries;
iii. Successfully rolling out gold
coins as retail open market oper-
ations instrument and an alter-
native investment product for the
store of value to the US dollar. The
contribution of this instrument
to the current stability cannot be
overemphasised;
iv. Liberalising the exchange
rate through the successful im-
plementation of the willing-buy-
er willing-seller (WBWS) foreign
currency trading mechanism as
a benchmark for the auction sys-
tem, which has continued to serve
the country as an efficient allot-
ment platform in a dual curren-
cy environment. The WBWS for-
eign currency trading platform
is working well as a price discov-
ery system, with the auction con-
tinuing to be a platform for gaug-
ing foreign currency demand and
an efficient foreign currency allo-
cation mechanism;
v. Clearing the foreign exchange
backlog and thus creating a plat-
form for building reserves and en-
hancing confidence in the foreign
exchange market;
vi. Sustaining the safety and
soundness of the banking system
as well as an efficient payment
system. Banking sector depos-
its also continued to increase for
both local currency and foreign
currency, indicating improved
confidence in the banking sector.
vii. Improving foreign curren-
cy generation in the economy as
shown by the increase in foreign
currency receipts to around US$12
billion by end of 2022, the high-
est ever, from averages of around
US$6 billion witnessed during the
dollarisation era;
viii. Gained milestones on Fin-
tech innovation as shown by the
increase in the number of Fintech
products on the market. The Fin-
tech regulatory sandbox has gone
a long way in promoting innova-
tion and avoiding major Fintech
risks by ensuring that the new
Fintech products undergo some
tests and checks before being in-
troduced onto the market;
ix. Achieving external sector
sustainability as evidenced by
sustained current account sur-
pluses and robust generation of
foreign currency receipts which
have assisted in supporting ex-
change rate stability; and
x. Created a strong platform for
robust economic growth of 7.2%
in 2021 and 4% in 2022, above the
sub-Saharan African average
growth rate of 3.6%.
VM: As a regulator what is
the current status of the bank-
ing sector?
JM: The banking sector is safe
and sound and continues to sup-
port the productive sectors of the
economy, in line with the National
Development Strategy 1. The sec-
tor is adequately capitalised with
average capital adequacy and tier
1 ratios of 35,45% and 23,97%, re-
spectively as at September 30,
2022. The sector is profitable and
asset quality has remained satis-
factory as reflected by a low aver-
age non-performing loans (NPLs)
to total loans ratio of 1,41% as at
September 30, 2022.
VM: Inflation has certainly
come down, do you think this
will be sustainable?
JM: The bank anticipates con-
taining the month-on-month in-
flation below 3% for the next six
months of 2022 and reducing it
further to historical month-on-
month averages of less than 2%
thereafter.
This trajectory will see annual
inflation falling below 40% at the
end of 2023 and to single-digit lev-
els by March 2024, thus giving us
a monetary policy or inflation tar-
get horizon of 12 months.
In this context, the bank is stay-
ing the course of the current tight
monetary policy stance to ensure
that the obtaining disinflationary
path is sustained.
VM: The US dollar rate has
certainly been less volatile, es-
pecially in the second half of
2022. Is that the new normal
going forward?
JM: The past drivers of signif-
icant exchange rate instability
have correctly been identified and
were mainly to do with forward
pricing behaviour by business, es-
pecially by the suppliers of goods
and services to government, mar-
ket indiscipline and cost of mon-
ey which was not consistent with
the desired inflation path.
In this context, the stability in
the US dollar rate is expected to
RBZ governor John Mangudya
continue under the current fiscal
and monetary stance, wherein the
government and the bank have
committed to staying the course
of a tight fiscal and monetary pol-
icy stance and continued insist-
ence on value for money in gov-
ernment procurement processes.
The moderate currency depreci-
ation being witnessed in the par-
allel market is mainly due to cur-
rency preference or value preser-
vation purposes, which responds
to the increase and decrease of
money in the market.
As such the focus going forward
will be on finding ways to sustain-
ably preserve the value of the lo-
cal currency to reduce appetite for
holding the US dollar for store-of-
value purposes.
The current efforts by the bank
to stabilise inflation are the pri-
mary focus of achieving this com-
plemented by value-preservative
instruments such as the gold coin
and interest-bearing instruments.
I can, therefore, confidently say
that the stability in the foreign ex-
change market currently obtain-
ing is the new normal going for-
ward. It is durable.
VM: The business sector and
others have been crying for
more exchange rate liberalisa-
tion, what is your position on
the matter?
JM: The adoption of the WBWS
foreign exchange market was a
bold step towards exchange rate
liberalisation.
Further liberalisation meas-
ures will be done in a gradual ap-
proach, which is more preferred
to a big bang approach given
where we are coming from.
As indicated in the bank’s Mon-
etary Policy Committee (MPC)
press statement of December 2,
22022, the bank will further liber-
alise the foreign exchange market
during this first quarter of 2023.
VM: You once mentioned a
10-year de-dollarisation plan.
Is it working?
JM: The suggestion for a phased
de-dollarisation process of at least
five years was out of the realisa-
tion that de-dollarisation is a pro-
cess, not an event as guided by em-
pirical evidence of countries that
have gone through a de-dollarisa-
tion process, such as Bolivia, Isra-
el, Chile and Cuba, among others.
At the moment, we believe that
the country has reached an opti-
mal mix of currencies in the mul-
ti-currency basket and this ar-
rangement is working well for the
country.
The focus going forward will
be to promote the use of local cur-
rency, necessary to foster export
competitiveness and increase pro-
duction and productivity across
the economy.
Of late, we have witnessed in-
creased demand for local curren-
cy, which is critical for moving
towards the de-dollarisation pro-
cess.
In addition, the deliberate poli-
cy stance by government that, cer-
tain transactions should be done
exclusively in local currency will
gradually assist in de-dollarising
the economy.
De-dollarisation is critically de-
pendent on price stability which
leads to indifference between
holding the local currency and the
US dollar.
VM: Has the auction backlog
been cleared now and if not,
what is your plan?
JM: The bank has cleared the
auction system backlog and there
is no risk of creating another for-
eign currency backlog as the tight
monetary and financial condi-
tions have curtailed the demand
for foreign currency in the auc-
tion system, particularly for spec-
ulative purposes.
Precisely, we have seen a signifi-
cant drop in auction bid amounts
from levels of around US$40 mil-
lion per week to current levels of
around US$15 million per week.
The savings from the auction
envelope will enable the bank to
support the sustained liberalisa-
tion of the WBWS foreign curren-
cy trading system through sales
of foreign currency to authorised
dealers as well as the building of
foreign exchange reserves.
VM: The (International Mon-
etary Fund) IMF in their lat-
est report on Zimbabwe has
recommended the phasing out
of gold coins. What are your
views on that?
JM: The IMF mission team to
Zimbabwe did not fully appreciate
the bank’s noble objective of in-
troducing gold coins into the do-
mestic economy.
They view the issuance of gold
coins as tantamount to interven-
ing in the foreign exchange mar-
ket, thus depleting the foreign ex-
change reserves.
The bank, however, views the
gold coins as an alternative prod-
uct or asset to foreign currency in
the economy’s dual currency sys-
tem, hence a retail open market
operations instrument for store
of value and for mopping excess
liquidity.
The use of gold coins for mop-
ping excess liquidity is particular-
ly important in the dual currency
environment where the public has
a choice of holding both the US
dollar and local currency.
In such an environment, when
the public prefers holding the US
dollar and have less appetite to
hold domestic currency-denomi-
nated assets, the use of gold as a
liquidity-mopping instrument is
more effective.
Thus, the bank views the gold
coins as a necessary open mar-
ket operations instrument if the
economy continues with a dual
currency environment and the
uncertainty of losing value on do-
mestic currency-denominated in-
vestments is perceived to be high.
Against this backdrop, the bank
has no plans to withdraw the gold
coins until such a time when there
is a high preference by the public
to hold domestic currency-denom-
inated assets that can also be used
as open market instruments for
mopping liquidity.
VM: There is continuous
mention of RBZ quasi-fiscal
activities is this still the case
and why?
JM: The mention of RBZ qua-
si-fiscal activities relates to lega-
cy debt that was contracted by the
bank in the past on behalf of gov-
ernment, which the government
has taken over through the Fi-
nance Act No 7 of 2021.
Currently, the bank has not
been conducting any quasi-fiscal
activities and there are no plans
to do so in the outlook period.
VM: Lending to the produc-
tive sector is key. What has
been the result of the various
credit lines to that sector?
JM: The bank has been support-
ing the productive sector through
the Medium-term Bank Accom-
modation (MBA) facility over and
above its use of moral suasion to
encourage banks to lend to the
productive sectors.
A cumulative $10,7 billion has
been disbursed under the MBA
facility to date at a lower inter-
est rate of 100% compared to the
Bank policy rate of 200%.
About 70% of bank lending is
mainly to the productive sectors
of the economy.
The credit support to the pri-
vate sector together with the pos-
itive contribution of the foreign
currency auction system towards
supporting industry has result-
ed in improved production across
the productive sectors.
Industry capacity utilisation,
for example, improved to close to
60% in 2022 compared to 47% in
2020.
Total export receipts have also
increased to a record high of
about US$6,5 billion by November
2022 compared to US$5,1 billion
same period in 2021.
The support to the manufactur-
ing sector has also seen domesti-
cally produced goods significant-
ly increasing and now account for
over 70% of domestic retail sales.
VM: Access to capital for
SMEs remains a challenge in
Zimbabwe. What should be
done?
JM: The bank has been sup-
porting initiatives to promote the
SMEs that are strategically im-
portant in contributing towards
the country’s GDP, exports, em-
ployment, and poverty reduction.
Given the importance of the
MSMEs sector, the bank launched
Financial Inclusion Strategy
Number 2 whose focus is to pro-
mote financial access and use by
all economic players, including
the previously marginalised play-
ers that include the youth, wom-
en, MSMEs and those in the rural
areas and agricultural sector.
The bank has been supporting
the productive sectors, inclusive
of primary agriculture, agro-pro-
cessing and small and medium
enterprises, through the medium-
term bank accommodation facil-
ity, which is accessed at conces-
sional interest rates. Since its in-
troduction, a total of $10.7 billion
had been disbursed by November
2022.
Most of the disbursements
went into the agriculture sector
to finance both winter and sum-
mer cropping seasons.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 7

Local News

Nurse recruitment bottlenecks handicap women

BY SILENCE MUGADZAWETA possible for a person not to make the right deci- everyone should be able to apply, those who the country as some people who are passion-

S
sion after completing secondary school, adding do not have internet should be allowed to hand ate about nursing have actually gone to study
he lay on the ground facing the sky, hoping for that the government cannot invest resources in post,” she said. outside the country and some have excelled to
a miracle to happen. someone who is likely to retire early. Human resources experts agree that there is the extent of occupying prominent positions in
Different hymns could be heard in her mind “The country cannot invest in somebody no relationship between age and performance hospitals in the diaspora.
and heart, as she tried to get answers on this who is already getting old. It doesn't work that when it comes to training and employment. “Age doesn't compromise performance. And
particular "curse." way. Nursing is free training done by the gov- Human resources consultant Memory Ngu- occupations that are driven by passion cannot
“Why do my dreams keep being shattered. An interi- ernment; you cannot take government money wi, however, said in some roles older people have an age limit on that. There is a need for the
or monologue was asking numerous questions, as she si- or public funds and fund somebody who retires can actually give value even after they are past age limit to be removed because the older you
lently shed tears, seeing a bleak future for her and her sib- quickly. What would be a person be doing from retirement age. are the more you are aware of what you really
lings who celebrated after she passed 'O’ Level Mathemat- 18 years until 35?." “There is no relation between job perfor- want. There is need for revision because a lot of
ics. Passing Mathematics is regarded as an achievement On online applications, she said the issue mance and age. Even for some roles even after Zimbabweans are leaving to study nursing out-
and a gate-pass to a better life. has been raised in Parliament and the govern- retirement people can continue to give value. side Zimbabwe, meaning the country is losing
Patricia Manji (33)* (not real name) has always wanted ment is looking into making changes for con- The reason why some people think they can get people who could have been employed locally
to be a nurse ever since her mum died due to the non- venience. an advantage out of the younger people is that and add value,” Zvada said.
availability of medical attention. “The issue of online applications is a legiti- they just want them to work more, if you invest In 2017, researchers, Magnus Carlsson and
“I have always wanted to help vulnerable people in un- mate complaint which was raised in Parliament in training in an older person, it means the re- Stefan Eriksson concluded: “The existence of
expected moments. Caregiving is a calling to me. My pas- and the ministry is looking into it,” she said. turn in terms of your training maybe received age discrimination in the labour market could
sion is driven by the fact that our health institutions are Women's Action Group executive director in a shorter period, that is normally why people have serious consequences for both society as
understaffed and this has led to unnecessary loss of lives. Edinah Masiyiwa said accepting online only ap- put age limit, it has nothing to do with job per- a whole and the individuals affected. Another
I want to inspire girls from my village,” said Manji. plications is a misnomer which needs redress- formance,” he said. consequence of discrimination could be lower
She was left to head the family at the age of 13, having ing. Another human capital and strategy consult- occupational mobility.”
dropped out of school more than four times because she “There is a discrepancy in the demand for ant, Emmanuel Zvada concurred with Nguwi *Not their real names
had to fend for her four siblings. online only application, there is inequality and adding that age gap creates a disadvantage for
Having sweated in menial jobs in the surrounding
farms just to afford a meal, she is grateful to their neigh-
bour, Advocate Martin Tsindi who “adopted” them.
It was not so long before the Good Samaritan suc-
cumbed to cancer, catapulting them back to square one.
After writing her 'O’ Levels twice, passing with flying
colours, her hope was to enrol at a nursing school. From
Chadereka village in Muzarabani, Mashonaland Central
Province, with no means to get information on the pro-
cesses, she had to beg a stranger who stayed 8km from
her village for the vacancies page after she saw him wav- PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS AND AUDITORS BOARD
ing a newspaper. Incorporated in terms of the Public Accountants and Auditors Act [Chapter 27:12]
Manji could not believe her eyes, gleaning on an ad-
vert she so wanted. But her fortunes suddenly changed PUBLIC NOTICE NO 1/2023
LIST OF FIRMS REGISTERED WITH THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS AND AUDITORS BOARD TO OFFER AUDITING AND/OR ACCOUNTING SERVICES IN
after reading the call for application for registered gener-
ZIMBABWE
al nurse training intake.
“Must be between the ages of 17 and 30 years on the The Public Accountants and Auditors Board is a body established under the Public Accountants and Auditors Act [Chapter 27:12], as an oversight and
date of commencement of training. Applications must be regulatory body for the accountancy profession in Zimbabwe. One of its major func ons is to maintain the register of prac oners.
submitted not later than 17 April 2022 using the MoHCC
Electronic Platform,” the advert read in part. Below is a list of firms that are registered with the Board, as of 12 January 2023, to offer auditing, accoun ng, taxa on services, as the case may be. The
“I feel like my dreams have been shattered because of registra on is valid through to 30 June 2023.
my age. I wish I was born in a better family, by now I could
A. FIRMS REGISTERED WITH THE BOARD TO OFFER AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING SERVICES AS AT 12 JANUARY 2023
have completed my nurse training. Poverty has denied
NAME OF FIRM FIRM NO NAME OF FIRM FIRM NO
me access to my passion and dreams. My wish is for this
1. KPMG Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe) Z10001 34. Cardinal Chartered Accountants Z10062
to be revised,” Manji said, mumbling incoherent things 2. Ernst & Young Chartered Accountants Z10002 35. Ralph Bomment.Greenacre & Reynolds Z10064
and choking on her sobs with bloodshot and puffy eyes. 3. Deloi e & Touche Z10003 36. MNK Chartered Accountants Z10066
Concern has been raised over age discrimination with 4. BDO Zimbabwe Chartered Accountants Z10004 37. Fairvalue Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe Z10067
most women from disadvantaged backgrounds saying 5. AMG Global Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe) Z10005 38. Kreston Chartered Accountants Z10068
they are being left out yet they are passionate about the 6. Grant Thornton Zimbabwe Z10006 39. Cooper & Company Chartered Accountants Z10069
nursing profession. 7. Baker Tilly Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe) Z10007 40. Marianhill Chartered Accountants Z10071
Statistics show that the female-to-male nurse ratio is al- 8. PKF Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe) Z10008 41. Beyond The Ledger Z10072
9. Crowe Chartered Accountants Z10009 42. Daniels & Richards Chartered Accountants Z10074
most 80% to 20%.
10. Global Village Z10012 43. TMC Chartered Accountants Z10075
Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD) di- 11. Nolands Harare Chartered Accountants Z10013 44. Parker Russell Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe) Z10076
rector, Glanis Changachirere says age cut off on training 12. Sahara Chartered Certified Accountants Z10017 45. IPR Chartered Accountants Z10077
of any nature is discriminatory, especially to women. She 13. PricewaterhouseCoopers Z10020 46. Chiro Public Accountants and Auditors Z10079
said evidence has shown that women progress slowly 14. LCA & Company Chartered Accountants Z10021 47. Kabo Chartered Accountants Z10080
compared to men in as far as training and employment 15. KLMCA Z10022 48. KFN International Z10082
opportunities are concerned. 16. HLB Zimbabwe Chartered Accountants Z10023 49. Novellus Consulting Chartered Accountants Z10086
Changachirere said through her experience working 17. Ballim Chartered Accountants Z10024 50. KUDOS LAM Chartered Accountants Z10088
18. Trust Chikohora and Company Z10025 51. AS Chartered Accountants Z10089
with women from marginalised backgrounds and com-
19. Action Accounting Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe) Z10026 52. KRES Chartered Accountants Z10090
munities in IYWD’s empowerment programmes, she has 20. MGI Chartered Accountants Z10027 53. Masterway Consul ng Z10091
discovered that a lot of women actually think of training 21. AP Joffe Chartered Accountant Z10028 54. Integra Chartered Accountants Z10092
and employment opportunities way after turning 30 be- 22. Ga star Chartered Cer fied Accountants Z10030 55. Sahel Chartered Cer fied Accountants Z10093
cause of various circumstances. 23. Chapman Chartered Accountants Z10033 56. Enterprise Accoun ng Services Chartered Acc Z10094
“Policies that put age cuts are policies that draw from 24. Jack and Fieldsand International Z10037 57. De Reflexion Consul ng Z10095
the capitalist discriminatory practice. We work with wom- 25. Clive and Associates Z10040 58. Royal Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe Z10096
en from marginalised communities and when we do em- 26. Schmulian & Sibanda Chartered Accountants Z10044 59. Rockstone Chartered Accountants Z10097
powerment programmes, most of them come to realise
27. A A Omar & Company Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe) Z10045 60. Deridon Chartered Accountants Zimbabwe Z10098
28. Mwaturura & Company Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe) Z10049 61. MO Chartered Accountants Z10099
they can go back to school and fulfil their dreams and 29. Pla num Accoun ng Services Z10052 62. GC Chartered Accountants & Auditors Z10100
be somebody else. Unfortunately, when they want to do 30. PNA Chartered Accountants Z10054 63. Belta Chartered Accountants Z10101
what they believe in, there is an age limit, creating double 31. Virgin Management Services Z10055 64. Invectus Interna onal Z10102
marginalisation,” she said. 32. Auditax Interna onal CA (Z) Z10057 65. FCM Consul ng Z10103
Added Changachirere: “Women usually go up the lad- 33. D Power (CA) Z Z10060 66. BCA Cer fied Forensic & Public Auditors Z10104
der at a later stage and the uptake of technology is min-
imal to rural people. Thus women suffer multiple forms B. FIRMS REGISTERED WITH THE BOARD TO OFFER ACCOUNTING SERVICES ONLY AS AT 12 JANUARY 2023
of discrimination when it comes to recruitment including NAME OF FIRM FIRM NO NAME OF FIRM FIRM NO
geographical, age, and digital. 1. Chiro Consultants T20006 6. AMG Global Advisory Services (Pvt) Ltd T20025
2. Gramfox Enterprises T20010 7. Crowe Advisory Services T20032
“Revising our laws and making sure that our laws are
3. July Twenty Eight (Pvt) Ltd T20014 8. Instinct Risk Advisory T20033
responsive to the needs of the population is imperative. 4. Stonehouse Consultants T20016 9. Pertonady Chartered Cer fied Accountants T20036
Application for training and opportunities should be cog- 5. Lesbri Accoun ng T20020 10. BCA Cer fied Accoun ng & Advisory Services T20037
nisant of different levels of access to technology, so that
people who are willing to apply are not denied access. A
hybrid form of application can be adopted.” C. FIRMS REGISTERED WITH THE BOARD TO OFFER GENERAL ACCOUNTING SERVICES ONLY AS AT 12 JANUARY 2023
Shamwari Yemwanasikana development manager Lisa NAME OF FIRM FIRM NO
1. Primergy Investments S10001
Bonongwe says in as much as age discrimination carries
disadvantages, it also avails opportunities and support
for young girls. All registered firms should display their CERTIFICATES OF REGISTRATION by PAAB at prominent places at their registered offices. Clients and potential
clients have the right to demand sight of the certificate of registra on from a registered firm.
“Putting an age limit to certain career opportunities
is the same as putting gender specifications because as VERIFICATION OF REGISTRATION
women we are already at a disadvantage, there is already To protect the public interest, the Board provides a registra on verifica on facility for the informa on of members of the public. Entities inviting the
inequity because of where you come from and a lot of submission of tenders for accounting and/or auditing services, including schools, local authorities and NGOs are encouraged to use the facility.
other things, and to add age to the factor that's some- For further informa on kindly contact the PAAB secretariat at: No 72 Harare Drive, Mount Pleasant, HARARE Telephone: (0242) 301063; 301095 or
thing hindering a lot of women who are already disadvan- 08644106548 Email: secretary@paab.org.zw.
taged. We are living in an era where youth participation is
encouraged and during that age there is a lot of focus giv- PAAB does not regulate unregistered firms and members of the public are advised to use the services of registered firms.
en to this age group. We are seeing a lot of girls getting By Order of the Board
the support system for them to move forward," she said. PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS AND AUDITORS BOARD (PAAB)
However, Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health 12 JANUARY 2023
and Child Care chairperson Ruth Labode said it was im-
 8 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023

Local News

Health delivery system decay, religious

news in depth
BY MARTHA LEBOHO

“He had mastered all the toddler
stages of sitting, crawling, walk-
ing and was able to communicate
quickly.
“As a mother, I could see a bright
future ahead for my boy only for
fate to take a cruel course.
“It’s like you planted a flower
and someone plucks it out.
“Losing a child is so dishearten-
ing, but as religious people we are
taught to believe that it is God’s
will.”
These were the words of Tendai
Hove (not real name) from Garai
village in Bikita, a staunch mem-
ber of the Johanne Marange Ap-
ostolic Church.
Fate, it seems, has been particu-
larly cruel to her.
Hove, at the tender age of 21,
lost her seventh born child in
2022.
The cause of death is unknown
since a post-mortem examination
was not done due to her religious
beliefs.
Hove remembers vividly how
her son died.
“He was only a year old,” she re-
counted.
“One day he was playing with
other children and I realised that
he was not okay although his tem-
perature appeared normal.
“At first I thought he had caught
a cold since there was an outbreak
of flue in the neighbourhood.
“He was very young and could
not explain what was wrong.
“I, however, remember that he
came home touching his neck and
said ‘mama agaja’ (mom it’s pain-
ful ).
“I woke up the following morn-
ing ready to go to church to get a
prayer so that he could be deliv-
ered from this sickness.
“Before I left my mother-in-
law asked to examine the baby’s
mouth. I then realised that he had
mouth ulcers.
“My mother-in-law made a
cooking oil and salt mixture and
brushed his mouth using a feath-
er.
“We then cooked some porridge,
but he only had two gulps.
“He couldn’t swallow the third
one and that was it. He died right
before my eyes.”
All her deliveries were done
with the assistance of church
midwives at home.
Hove is, however, a dogmatic
woman. She does not blame any-
one for the death, as she believes
it was God’s will.
She is, however, not in a club of
her own as the Zimbabwe Statisti-
cal Agency census report of 2022
indicated that death during the
first year constitutes the largest
proportion of the total deaths.
The level of mortality for this
age group is measured by infant
mortality rate, which is the num-
ber of children dying before they
celebrate their first birthday out
of 1 000 born alive.
The census also indicated that
the infant mortality rate was
higher in rural areas than in ur-
ban areas.
In Masvingo Province, rural ar-
eas recorded 63 deaths, but urban
areas recorded 56 deaths per 1000
live births.
Bikita had the highest infant
mortality rate of 67 deaths per 1
000 live births while Masvingo ur-
ban had the lowest with 54 deaths
per 1 000 live births.
Chiredzi recorded 67 deaths,
Chivi 65, Gutu 63, Masvingo 58,
Mwenezi 64, Zaka 58 and Chiredzi
Urban 57 deaths.
Many villagers in Bikita believe
religion has contributed to high
infant mortality rates in the dis-
trict.
Maximilan Chigumira, also
known as Headman Chirobho of
Chirobho village says most cases
of child deaths are from members
of the apostolic sects.
“We urge people to vaccinate
their children so that when child
killer diseases breakout your chil-
dren will be immunised,” Chigu-
mira said.
“We have the apostolic church-
es whose religion does not believe
in going to hospitals and most
Critical shortage of medical equipment at most public hospitals is a cause for concern in Masvingo province
cases of child deaths are coming
from that sect.
“We have, however, come up
with an initiative that If they do
not want to visit the hospital we
are going to have mobile patrols
of health personnel visiting them
at their churches.”
Around 43 million children be-
low the age of five could die be-
tween 2021 and 2030 globally if
government fails to urgently put
in place measures to child mor-
tality, United Nations Children's
Fund (Unicef) has said.
Though in 2020 child and youth
mortality was on a downward
trend compared to previous year
IMR is still high in rural areas.
There are many reasons for
this.
This includes negligence by
health personnel as well as low
morale.
Renia Mupiyo had to bear the
brunt of nurses and doctors’
strike at Ndanga Hospital in 2018.
“On October 24, 2018, I experi-
enced labour pains in the after-
noon and boarded a bus to hospi-
tal,” Mupiyo said.
“When I arrived, the nurses
were on strike. I got in the labor
ward ready to deliver but nobody
was there to help me,” she said.
“There was only one nurse on
duty. I would shout that the baby
is coming, but the nurse would tell
me I was not due to deliver.
“I had postpartum hemorrhage
(PPH), that is heavy bleeding after
giving birth, around 4am.
“When the doctor did his
rounds, he realised that I had been
due for a long time and the baby
had low heartbeat.
“That’s when I was helped to de-
liver my baby.
“I had blood transfusion and my
baby was put on oxygen, but she
died around 6am.”
She said she was pained by the
loss and believes her baby would
be alive if she had received time-
ly assistance.
Villagers in Bikita also revealed
that inadequate health facilities
were contributing to child deaths.
In some cases, villagers travel
up to 30km to access health facil-
ities.
Some expecting mothers face
complications on the way to
health centres while others have
delivered before arriving at hos-
pitals.
Silveira Mission for example of-
fers services to people from as far
as Gutu and Dewure.
Martha Zuva of Village 25 in
port challenges, you can only
board a commuter omnibus
around 2am and get to Silveira
Hospital at 8am,” she said.
“In my case, I had so much pain
that I started hallucinating be-
cause of failing to get to hospital
on time.
“When I got to the hospital, I
thought I was going to die and
cried while wishing that my par-
ents were still alive so that they
could take care of my child if I
died.
“I felt the baby coming force-
fully I didn’t even put any effort,
it was the most painful moment I
ever had in my life.
“I suddenly heard a baby cry
and knew that my baby was out. I
had 18 stitches.
“The whole night other babies
were crying and breastfeeding but
mine wasn’t.
“In the morning the babies had
BCG injections, my baby didn’t
cry that’s when I told the nurse
that my baby is not feeding or cry-
ing like other babies.
“They took him and started
feeding her with a pipe but the
food was coming back through the
nose, they tried to put her on oxy-
gen that’s when I was told to leave
the room, my baby had already
died.”

Preliminary delimitation report numbers Chinyika, Bikita, believes she lost

her baby in 2014 due to failure to
access medical facilities on time.
Zuva said transport is a prob-
Sheila Musavengana of Wane-
pi village in Bikita, who lost her
child in 2016, says there is need
for awareness since some deaths

on Mashonaland East don’t add up lem and had spent six hours trav-
elling to Silveira Mission.
“Where we live there are trans-
were caused by lack of informa-
tion.
“I went to Mutikizizi Clin-

facts&fiction
BY ZIMFACT
Zimbabwe’s social media is alive with a debate
on a preliminary delimitation report compiled by
the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) which
is currently under review in parliament, with ar-
guments focusing mainly on the calculation of
voter numbers and accusations of suspected ma-
nipulation of data by Zec in some provinces.
One of the claims is that the number of regis-
tered voters in Mashonaland East Province from
the figures provided does not add up.
In this case, is this true or false?
Verdict: True
The Zec figures in the preliminary report shows
that Mashonaland East Province had 641,668 reg-
istered voters as of May 30, 2022.
The commission says this figure is 17 038 voters
more than the 2007/8 total for the province, which
has 23 constituencies allocated to it during the last
2007/8 delimitation exercise.
However, using a breakdown of the figures pro-
vided by Zec in the same report, the total number
of registered voters in the province tallies at 644
256 and not the 641 668 that is carried in the pre-
liminary delimitation report.
There is a difference of 2 588 voters.
Commenting briefly on each constituency, the
total figure of registered voters in Marondera
East constituency given by the commission is 25
117, but a calculation of the voters from the in-
dividual wards tabulated as 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 19, 20,
21,22 and 23 of Marondera Rural District Council
leaves the number at 22 529 voters.
Conclusion:
There might be an error in the calculations
made by Zec in their preliminary delimitation re-
port as the figures of registered voters in Masho-
naland East province are not adding up.
Zec says the preliminary delimitation report is
subject to corrections and the commission will
consider feedback before producing the final doc-
ument.
Maximilan Chigumira, also known as Headman Chirobho
 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 9

Local News

beliefs fuel child deaths in Masvingo

ic to have a checkup, a lot of mothers were talk- mation about baby care and the benefits of breast-
ing about their babies kicking in the womb, as it feeding.”
was my first pregnancy, I didn’t know how a baby He said negligence by health personal is debat-
kicks,” Musavengana said. able but with the exodus of staff there is inade-
“I asked them how a baby kicks and they asked quate staff members.
if mine wasn’t kicking and I told them that I did “The issue of negligence by health personnel is
not even know how a baby kicks. still debatable. With this exodus of staff, you will
“I went back home but I started having a stom- realise that we are having inadequate staff mem-
ach ache. bers on the ground.
“When I went to the toilet, I then realised I was “The nurse-midwife ratio is not favourable such
bleeding and that really shook me. I then went to that there is delay in accessing some of these ser-
my aunt and told her. vices because of the ratios.
“I then started having labour pains so we walked “In some cases, it's one midwife attending 10
to hospital. women, so considering the time one will spend on
“It’s a mountainous area and we had to travel one woman before moving to the other woman, we
6km to Silveira Hospital. will actually have delays which actually bring in
“We could not reach Silveira Mission Hospital unfavourable results.”
as I had a delivered on the way. *This feature was written with support
“The baby was already dead and I believe she from the Voluntary Media Council under a
had died some time ago, because the environment project aimed at unravelling issues affecting
was smelly. minority groups. Tendai Hove
“The baby’s skin was peeling off. We continued
with our journey to the hospital where I had my
womb cleaned.”
Masvingo provincial medical director Amade-
us Shamhu says the state of health institutions
in Masvingo is good, but concurred that there is
need for more facilities, given distances between
institutions.
“At the moment the state of our health facilities
in Masvingo is good we are only having a chal-
lenge in some areas like Bikita District where we
have new settlements along the conservancy area,
which consists of Devule 1, 2, Odzi and Gava and it
covers about 85km with one facility,” Shamu said.
“It means one will have to travel a distance of
20km and for pregnant women this delays one in
seeking medical health.
“To curb high infant mortality rate in rural ar-
eas, government is rolling out highly trained per-
sonnel on health institutions, supplying of oxygen
and oxytocin for the babies and mothers respec-
tively, construction of pregnant mothers' shelter
and grid power supply at every institution with
back up.
“We have the Marange apostolic sect which is
not adherent to our medical services.
“They are a closed community and we have en-
couraged our health workers in the grassroots to
accomodate those who are coming forth but prefer
not to be disclosed as this helps us in saving life.”
But over the years, however, Masvingo health
institutions, including Masvingo Provincial Hos-
pital — the biggest referral health centre in the
province serving 1,7 million people, have been in
the news for operating without basics.
These include oxygen and surgical blades. This
has often led to delays in ceasarian operations,
leading to avoidable deaths.
A human rights defender Munyaradzi Venge-
sayi said government should take action to halt
the high infant mortality rate in the rural areas.
“In terms of section 29 (1) Constitution of Zim-
babwe Amendment No 20, the State must take all
practical measures to ensure the provision of
basic, accessible and adequate health services
throughout Zimbabwe,” Vengesayi said.
“The state should endeavor to build more hos-
pitals and clinics in rural areas for easy access of
health services during pregnancy, delivery and af-
ter delivery.
“Government should also carry out programs
and awareness campaigns in a bid to teach wom-
en in rural areas about their rights, complications
encountered during pregnancy and the impor-
tance of being checked up at local clinics.”
Zimbabwe Confederation of Midwives president
Obert Nyatsuro urged government to strengthen
some of its policies like the use of family planning
methods and fund health care system as a meas-
ure to reduce infant mortality rate in rural areas.
“Government should also fund health care sys-
tem so that they will be in a position to avail medi-
cation for the treatment of pre-existing conditions
as these conditions will expose women to pre-ma-
turity delivery or intra and ultra-growth restric-
tion, those conditions that will affect the fetus
whilst in the uterus such that when they are born
they are not born in a compromised state,” Nyat-
suro said.
“We are advocating for drills; we’re having mid-
wives in the field to be kept sensetised on obstet-
ric emergencies on the pre-natal care on how best
we can prepare women for consumption so as to
reduce infant mortality rate.
“We encourage the utilisation of family plan-
ning services and treatment of pre-existing con-
ditions like Hypertension, Anemia, HIV and Aids
and we encourage the vaccination of new borns at
the appropriate times and the provision of infor-
10 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
Comment & Opinion
Zim does not need
another disputed poll
T
he production of the preliminary wards and
constituencies delimitation report by the Zim-
babwe Electoral Commission (Zec) recently
marked the beginning of the election season and
indications are that this will not be an ordinary
poll.
Zec’s report, which is now before Parliament, has
generated a lot of controversy with accusations
that there was a lot of gerrymandering and breach-
es of the constitution during the delimitation exer-
cise mainly to benefit the ruling party.
A parliamentary ad-hoc committee led by Zanu
PF’s Pupurayi Togarepi on Friday tabled its find-
ings in the National Assembly where anomalies
were exposed.
Some of the concerns raised by the committee
were that there was insufficient information in the
description of wards; Zec used a highly complicat-
ed coordinate system, the report had unlabelled
wards, polling stations were not indicated on the
maps and that Zec might have misinterpreted mini-
mum and maximum thresholds for constituencies.
An activist believed to be aligned to one of the
Zanu PF factions has already signalled his inten-
tion to challenge the delimitation process in court
claiming that it was flawed.
It has also emerged that seven Zec commission-
ers refused to sign the report citing alleged devia-
tion from constitutional provisions that must guide
the process.
Parliament will debate the report this week be-
fore Zec is allowed to finalise it, but indications are
that the outcome may not be accepted by those as-
piring for office in elections set for later this year.
The controversy around the delimitation exer-
cise comes at a time when there are already con-
cerns about the pre-election environment where
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is
accused of making it difficult for his opponents –
especially the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)
– to campaign.
Police have, since last year, been banning CCC
rallies and meetings after giving outrageous rea-
sons. CCC activists are also routinely arrested for
mobilising support for their party while Zanu PF
and opposition parties that are sympathetic to it
are allowed to campaign without any hindrances.
There is also the spectre of political violence that
has blighted the pre-election period and these are
all ingredients of a disputed election.
Zimbabwe has a history of disputed elections
that stretches to the early years of independence
and there is need to break that vicious cycle.
There is still time for Zec to come up with a delim-
itation report that does not violate the constitution
and is fair to all the political parties.
The authorities also need to do more to create a
conducive environment for free and fair elections
by ensuring that all political parties are equal be-
fore the law and they should stamp out political vi-
olence.
Zimbabwe does not deserve another disputed
election.
Quote of the week
“The committee noted that in the spirit of promoting
and observing the principles of good governance
that encompass transparency, justice and fairness,
the report should have provided justifications for
collapsing constituencies and wards,” chairperson
of the parliamentary ad hoc committee Pupurai
Togarepi presenting their findings of the preliminary
delimitation report in parliament on Friday.
OPINION
Zec delimitation report: Electoral rigmarole and elite discohesion?
BY ZDI
T
he preliminary delimitation report done
by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission
(Zec) and the attendant politics have
highlighted three key issues peculiar to com-
petitive authoritarian regimes that need to be
identified and resolved ahead of 2023.
First is the capture of the electoral system
by the ruling elite to influence the electoral
outcome through gerrymandering, calculat-
ed to disorient the main opposition and ben-
efit the ruling party.
These include collapsing of constituencies
with more registered voters to beef-up con-
stituencies with less registered voters and
multiplying constituencies with Zanu PF ma-
jorities in Harare to list a few.
This paper gives an analysis of the Zec pre-
liminary delimitation report to underline evi-
dence of this.
Second is the elite discohesion within Zanu
PF, which is identified as a precursor for a pos-
sible authoritarian breakdown.
This is shown through a sudden discohe-
sion within Zec and between Zec and key al-
lies of Mnangagwa affected by the prelimi-
nary delimitation.
Thirdly, Zec’s incompetence has been
shown by failure to follow constitutional pro-
visions, failure to follow simple arithmetic
calculations to determine constituency and
ward delimitation and the lack of consulta-
tion of key stakeholders.
Fundamentally, the botched delimitation
report speaks to infighting within the ruling
party elites.
It is a continuation of the post-coup and
post-2022 Zanu PF congress – the unresolved
Zanu PF leadership question post-Mugabe.
Our view is that, the delimitation report
generally and overall benefits Zanu PF as a
political party but disadvantages one faction
in the power matrix and configuration of the
securocratic state.
The measure of the extent of democracy in
the electoral process is provided for in Article
17 of the African Charter on Democracy, Elec-
tions and Governance read together with
the Declaration on the Principles Governing
Democratic Elections in Africa particularly ar-
ticle 4(a,b,e) which stipulates that:
Democratic elections should be conduct-
ed: a) freely and fairly;
b) under democratic constitutions and
in compliance with supportive legal instru-
ments;
e) by impartial, all-inclusive competent ac-
countable electoral institutions staffed by
well-trained personnel and equipped with
adequate logistics;
The emphasis is placed on the need for Zec
to conduct its delimitation process in a man-
ner that is free, fair and in accordance with the
constitution and by ‘well-trained personnel’.
In the constitution of Zimbabwe the de-
limitation process is stipulated in section 160
and 161.
For this paper, particular attention is given
to section 161(6) which states that:
(6) In dividing Zimbabwe into wards and
constituencies, the Zimbabwe Electoral Com-
mission must, in respect of any area, give due
consideration to:
(a) its physical features;
(b) the means of communication within
the area;
(c) the geographical distribution of regis-
tered voters;
(d) any community of interest as between
registered voters;
(e) in the case of any delimitation after the
first delimitation, existing electoral bounda-
ries; and
(f) its population; and to give effect to
these considerations, the Commission may
depart from the requirement that constituen-
cies and wards must have equal numbers of
voters, but no constituency or ward of the lo-
cal authority concerned may have more than
20% more or fewer registered voters than the
other such constituencies or wards.
The law intended to balance two key prin-
ciples of democratic elections applicable
when doing delimitation.
First being to ensure numerical equality of
constituencies and wards in terms of regis-
tered voters (section 161(3- 4)).
The second being to prevent gerrymander-
ing or creation of constituencies with physical
and geographic settings that make it difficult
for voters to participate in a uniform manner
(section 161(6)).
Thus the criteria to balance these two prin-
ciples deduced from this section is that the
number of voters in each constituency or
ward can vary by up to 20% above or below
the average.
This section 161(6) has been criticised for
lack of clarity and explicit design of the for-
mula to be used to calculate constituency
and ward sizes.
In attempt to calculate the constituency
and ward sizes, Zec has erroneously come up
with constituencies that vary by up to 20%
above and 20% below the average as explic-
itly stated in the preliminary delimitation re-
port page 11 which states that: “In order to
determine the voter population thresholds
permissible in line with section 161(6) of the
constitution, the total number of registered
voters at the national level was divided by
210 constituencies resulting in a national av-
erage of 27 640 voters per constituency.
A 20% variance from the national average
was then determined resulting in a maximum
registered voter threshold of 33 169 and a
minimum threshold of 22 112 voters.
Thus, any such constituency delimited was
expected to fall within the minimum and
maximum thresholds.
”As argued by Veritas (2023), constituen-
cies that vary up to 20% above that average
(33169) and 20% below the average (22112)
have a difference of up to 40%, which contra-
venes section 161(6) of the constitution, and
the Declaration on the Principles Governing
Democratic Elections in Africa particularly Ar-
ticle 4(b).
To correct this error, the formula proposed
by Veritas makes lots of sense.
Zec should have allowed constituencies to
vary up-to 10% above the average (30 404)
and 10% below (24 876) and make sure all
constituencies range from 24876 to 30404
registered voters.
This will give them a 19% variation.
If Zec had widely consulted key stakehold-
ers in Zimbabwe as stated in section 37(A) of
the Electoral Act, this error could have been
avoided.
Zimbabwe has been described as an ‘elec-
toral authoritarian regime’ which holds reg-
ular and competitive multiparty elections
while the electoral process systematically vi-
olates the basic principles governing demo-
cratic elections.
The lack of quality consultation was delib-
erate in order to simultaneously push and ad-
vance a factional position in the Zanu PF elite
power struggles and disadvantage the oppo-
sition.
The report shows evidence of Zec’s gerry-
mandering done to benefit Zanu PF.
This is clearer when one looks at the con-
stituencies affected by the erroneous delimi-
tation.
Many constituencies delimited by Zec fall
outside the permissible limits.
Gerrymandering strategies identified so far
include: i) use of a wrong formula to calcu-
late minimum and maximum number of reg-
istered voters to determine size of each con-
stituency; and
ii) inconsistent application of criteria used
to determine the number of constituencies
per province.
Use of a wrong formula For example, Binga
North constituency has a total voter popula-
tion of 8 1 118, which could create three con-
stituencies with 27 039 voters, the registered
voters according to Zec are 31307 which is
above the maximum of 30404.
A logical explanation is that Binga North
would have resulted in additional two con-
stituencies created in an opposition strong-
hold.
Churu (33 001 voters), Harare South (32676)
and Harare East (33 103) are well above the
maximum (30 404).
What this error does is to under represent
the Harare population while over represent-
ing others.
It can be argued that Zec sought to use this
to avoid creation of additional constituen-
cies in areas prone to be won by the opposi-
tion and the net outcome is the protection of
Zanu PF majority in parliament.
In conclusion the Zec preliminary delimita-
tion report confirms assertion that have been
averred by the Zimbabwe Democracy Insti-
tute since 2012 that the independence of Zec
is compromised by its strong links with the
ruling party and the securocratic state com-
plex and incompetent to handle democratic,
free and fair election in Zimbabwe.
*This is an extract from a paper by the
Zimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI) titled:
Zec delimitation report: Electoral rigmarole
and elite discohesion?
 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 11

Letters to the Editor

Zim human rights situation deteriorated in 2022 ONLINE

T he human rights climate in Zimbabwe de-
teriorated in 2022 without the government
taking any meaningful steps to uphold
gramme estimates that between 30% and 38%
of the rural population is food insecure.
This is despite the minister of agriculture
FEEDBACK
rights and ensure justice for serious past abus- stating that Zimbabwe would attain food securi- The 2023 schools first term is now in
es primarily committed by state security forces. ty by 2022 through agricultural transformation. session and it has begun on a very
There has been little progress on investiga- Climate change — which has exacerbated tricky note. The term opens amid the
tions into abductions, torture, arbitrary ar- floods, cyclones, and droughts—the Covid-19 expectation of government deliver-
rests, and other abuses against opposition pol- pandemic, and the war in Ukraine have led to a ing on its promise of free education.
iticians and activists. food crisis in the country. climate change exac- Despite the high hopes, reality on
The government has yet to pass the Independ- erbating floods, cyclones, and droughts. the Cov- the ground says otherwise.
ent Complaints Commission Bill to establish an id-19 pandemic, as well as the ongoing war in Reports across our provincial
independent complaint mechanism — as pro- Ukraine have led to a food crisis in the country. boundaries indicate that student at-
vided by Zimbabwe’s constitution — to receive While the government has introduced sever- tendance was 71% for boarding stu-
and investigate public complaints against the al action plans to address the growing food in- dents in private schools and 60%
security services. security in the country, such as the National boarding students in government
Repression of civil society organizations and Nutrition Strategy and the National Policy on schools. In rural areas especially in
activists continued unabated in 2022. In No- Drought Management, there has been no effec- Masvingo there was low teacher
vember 2021 the government proposed a bill tive implementation of farming projects, alleg- and learner attendance because of
to amend the Private Voluntary Organisations edly due to corruption, poor policy implementa- the anticipated harsh weather con-
(PVO) Act to further restrict the operations of tion, and lack of coordination among the ruling ditions. In terms of preparedness,
nongovernmental organisations. and opposition political parties. schools are at zero because most
The government said the amendment is Many parts of Zimbabwe continue to face schools rely on BEAM funds which
aimed at curbing terrorism financing and mon- a water crisis, with some places in Harare go- were only disbursed for first term of
ey laundering to comply with the Financial Ac- ing without safe water for years, and residents 2022. Teacher preparedness is low
tion Taskforce recommendations. turning to potentially contaminated wells and due to incapacitation against a hy-
There are, however, concerns that its passage Tsitsi Dangarembga boreholes. perinflation environment.
would seriously threaten the right to freedom Human Rights Watch research shows that Teacher attendance also varied
of association in the country. Opposition party members — Cecilia neighbouring towns like Chitungwiza, Ruwa, between urban schools and rural
The Cyber and Data Protection Act of 2021 Chimbiri, Netsai Marova and an MP, Joanna Epworth, and Norton draw water from Hara- schools. In settings like Chitungwiza,
has further undermined the rights of Zimba- Mamombe — were in court 61 times between re’s water system, which is reportedly contam- attendance for both teachers and
bweans, including civil society groups and hu- January and May 2022, facing charges of faking inated with algae and toxic substances linked learners was high despite that learn-
man rights defenders. their own abduction. to incidents of water-borne diseases in those lo- ers were turned back home because
In February and March 2022, the authorities The authorities are prosecuting the three cations. of fees arrears which reduced pu-
slowed down the internet significantly with women for reporting that in May 2020 they were In 2022, according to media reports, water pils’ attendance. This also had an ef-
disruptions,during rallies and demonstrations abducted from police custody by suspected state supplies varied from erratic to non-existent in fect on the learning activity as most
by opposition parties and their supporters. security agents, assaulted and sexually abused, some parts of Harare, following a reduction teachers did not deliver lessons in
Section 73 of the Criminal Law (Codification then dumped in Bindura. in water production at Morton Jaffray Water the absence of the majority of stu-
and Reform) Amendment Act, 2006 (Criminal They were accused of taking part in a protest Treatment Waterworks. dents.
Law Code), which punishes consensual same- against the government during the Covid-19 The country’s second largest city, Bulawayo, The economic hardships and an-
sex conduct between men with up to one year lockdown. Failure to investigate these women’s has faced similar water shortages. ticipated harsh weather conditions
in prison, a fine or both, contributes to stigma reports of assault and sexual abuse violates the In March, Bulawayo authorities introduced have been major factors affecting ac-
and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexu- country’s obligation to ensure access to justice 20-hour day water rationing due to poor rain- cess to education in the first week of
al and transgender people. and effective remedies in cases of human rights fall. Access to safe water has also remained a 2023 term 1. The situation exposed
Authorities often arbitrarily arrested, har- violations under international and African re- challenge in rural areas with some areas being the lie in government’s promises of
assed, and prosecuted critics of the ruling par- gional human rights law. more affected than others due to a lack of relia- free education.
ty through lengthy detentions and trials. More than four years after the Motlanthe ble water sources, such as dams and boreholes. Most learners from vulnera-
Notable critic and author, Tsitsi Dangaremb- Commission of Inquiry’s into the 2018 post-elec- The government has taken some positive ble backgrounds depend on BEAM
ga and another protester, Julie Barnes, have tion violence, no steps have been taken to imple- steps to address the crisis, including setting funds. Government also claimed
faced a prolonged trial since their arrest in ment its recommendations. aside US$5.3 million for a critical Harare water to have rolled out free education
July 2020 during an anti-government protest This includes ensuring justice for the six treatment project. through provision of tuition grants.
on charges of public incitement to violence, people killed and 35 injured by government se- There are, however, delays in disbursing the But we can’t call that free education
breach of peace, and bigotry. curity forces. funds, exposing residents to further risks. because where there is free educa-
On September 29, the Harare magistrate The World Bank ranked Zimbabwe second The lingering water crisis has affected the tion learning for all without bracket-
court gave them a six-month suspended jail out of 177 countries for food price inflation be- rights of Zimbabweans under section 77 of the ed funding.
sentence and a fine for participating in a public tween April to July 2022, which has contributed 2013 constitution, which provides for the right Thence, at the beginning of term 1
gathering with the intent to incite violence and to deteriorating food security. to safe, clean, and potable water. in 2023 the government has been ex-
for breaking Covid-19 protocols. As of August 2022, the World Food Pro- Human Rights Watch posed for its failure to deliver free ed-
ucation and poor remuneration has
further made it hard for teachers in

The life and struggle of students at the University of Zimbabwe marginalised communities to attend
work or has also been a form of de-
motivation.

W
ARTUZ Information Desk
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12 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
Opinion
They’re now poisoning our children
letter to my people
BY DOCTOR STOP IT
M
y Dear People
It is election sea-
son again and I in-
tend to put my feet
up and watch the
circus act by Ngwena as he desper-
ately goes for another term in of-
fice after being catapulted into the
post by guns and tanks.
This was after he betrayed Baba
six years ago.
His latest act of desperation has
been to recruit schoolchildren un-
der the grouping Virgin Voters for
ED.
At first I thought it was someone
making a sick joke until his garru-
lous spokesman Nick actually con-
firmed it on Twitter with no sense
of embarrassment whatsoever.
It is one thing to have vendors,
teachers, pastors, driving instruc-
tors, miners, entrepreneurs and
even prostitutes for ED, but to take
schoolchildren and call them vir-
gin voters for ED not only smacks
of desperation, but is also abhor-
rent and a new low even for the
treacherous Ngwena.
Unopenga!!!
Frog marching schoolchildren
into politics for Ngwena’s selfish
political ends is apparently part of
the so-called new dispensation.
We all know that Ngwena is very
unpopular given that although
his party got two-thirds majori-
ty in parliament, he received just
over 50% in the presidential elec-
tion in 2018 which shows that not
BY IAN SCOONES
AT the end of last year, together
with colleagues at IDS, I spent quite
a bit of time making the case for a
more balanced view on livestock
and the environment.
We tried to raise the debate dur-
ing the two big COPs – first in No-
vember at COP27 on climate change
and then in December at COP15 on
biodiversity.
We produced a series of reports,
briefings and videos to help share
our (and many others’) research.
Why is this necessary? Unfortu-
nately, livestock have been cast as
the villains, contributors to envi-
ronmental destruction and a major
driver of climate change.
While some livestock systems are
obviously damaging, lumping all
systems into one argument makes
little sense.
The result is a confused policy
debate — including at the COPs
— that often points the finger of
blame in the wrong direction.
This results in major injustices
for those livestock keepers who are
guardians of nature and have limit-
ed climate impacts, as we argue in a
new article in the IDS Bulletin.
So through the PASTRES pro-
gramme, which I co-lead, and in al-
liance with a range of different or-
ganisations, we’ve been trying to
encourage a more sophisticated,
nuanced debate.
In places like Zimbabwe livestock
production is integral to mixed
farming systems and in the drier
areas, extensive grazing is vital for
people’s livelihoods. Meat and milk
production is vital for income earn-
ing for many – whether from cattle
or from goats and sheep.
And while animal-sourced foods
are not consumed in huge quanti-
all supporters of the party think
that he was a worthy replacement
for baba whose wisdom Ngwena
can only dream of matching. This
is not surprising given his lack of
probity which is why Baba, with
his telescopic foresight, had fired
him.
It is refreshing, however, to note
that not everyone wants to be asso-
ciated with these sham groupings.
Founder and senior pastor of
Celebration Ministries Interna-
tional Tom Deuschle did not mince
his words on what he thought
about the formation of the group-
ing known as Pastors4ED.
“We are seeing today pastors
being manipulated by the state to
support political ideologies that of-
ten speak and do things contrary
to the word of God.
“This pastors for ED is an abom-
ination I dare to say it out loud. It
is ridiculous.
“You cannot be a pastor for ED,”
he said. Hear hear!!!
However, the man of God must
watch his back after those utter-
ances because the Lacoste goons
might just find a reason to throw
him into Chikurubi for six months
without trial like they are doing
with Job.
Ngwena’s so-called new dispen-
sation is driven by sadists, who
will do anything to remain in pow-
er.
The levels of desperation by
Ngwena and his party is further
ties, except by a small consumption
elite, such products are essential for
people’s nutrition, health and well-
being.
For many readers of this blog it
may seem odd to have to make such
a basic argument about the impor-
tance of livestock.
But believe me if you read the
comment columns of many news-
papers, listen to activists’ proclama-
tions about the evil of livestock pro-
duction and hear how such views
get wrapped up in policy-making
and donor funding, then such ef-
forts – basic as they may seem – are
urgently needed.
A recent attempt at offering a
clear and simple statement about
the importance of extensive live-
stock keeping and links to the cli-
mate change debate and wider re-
source politics is a Primer we pro-
duced together with the Trans-
national Institute and the World
Alliance for Mobile Indigenous Peo-
ples and Pastoralists (WAMIP).
During the COPs, we made the
case that livestock can be good for
the environment.
The effect of livestock on the cli-
mate and biodiversity depends on
which livestock, where.
Pastoral systems can show neu-
tral or positive carbon balances, es-
pecially for mobile systems that dis-
tribute manure/urine and incorpo-
rate it, adding to carbon cycling.
For the climate COPs in 2021 and
2022, we produced a report called
“Are livestock always bad for the
planet? Rethinking the protein
transition and climate change de-
bate“. A short 2-min video explains
the basic argument, and a series of
briefings outline some of the key
findings
Mass tree planting schemes are
proposed as a way to combat deser-
evidenced by the callous attack
on elderly Citizens Coalition for
Change supporters in Murehwa.
The incident was exposed in a
video that has gone viral on social
media.
In the video, alleged Zanu PF
youth militia, with flog sticks are
seen questioning the elderly vil-
lagers why they were gathered to
support CCC at their old age be-
fore severely flogging them.
Zanu has distanced itself from
this incident and as usual implied
that the opposition stage-managed
the beatings, an explanation that
has very few takers.
This is all too familiar given
that even when those CCC female
party members, including Joana
Mamombe reported to the police
that they had been abducted, they
were the ones who were arrested!!
Only in a country led by Ngwe-
na can such madness reign su-
preme.
The Second Repubric has shown
that it is far worse than the first
Why livestock keeping can
be good for the environment
Regular fires are essential for ecosystem health in rangelands
tification, improve biodiversity and
address climate change through
‘carbon offset’ schemes.
Initiatives funded by internation-
al donors such as the AFR100 and
the ‘Great Green Wall’ are deeply
problematic, yet have targeted over
one billion hectares of rangelands
across the world.
Carefully managed grazing in ex-
tensive (especially in mobile) live-
stock systems is essential for biodi-
versity conservation in many eco-
systems across the world.
Mobile pastoral systems can cre-
ate bio-corridors through tran-
shumance routes, disperse seeds,
Constantino Chiwenga
Repubric as they have put in place
a law that will imprison health
workers for prolonged strikes for
a period of six months.
The provision, signed into law
by Ngwena stipulates that health
workers can strike for up to three
days because they are considered
an essential service.
Unopenga!!
The irony of this law on the
health sector is that it has been
passed at a time when the health
minister is none other than Con-
stantino who flies to China for
treatment abandoning the local
health institutions he superin-
tends which have become death
traps due to lack of basic medi-
cines such as painkillers.
Instead of addressing the crisis
in the sector, particularly the poor
working conditions health work-
ers are operating under, they have
decided instead to jail them if they
doth protest too much.
New dispensation, my foot!!
Ngwena should adequately ad-
create fertile hotspots or mitigate
against fires.
Regular fires are essential for
ecosystem health in rangelands. In
rangeland ecologies, fire is impor-
tant for conservation, but it must
be limited and controlled, and this
requires grazing.
In meeting the challenge of in-
creasing wildfires, supporting pas-
toral systems is likely to be much
more successful than just focusing
on fire suppression and more fire-
fighters.
What is ‘natural’ and what is
‘wild’ is deeply contested. Range-
lands are not simply degraded for-
dress the problems in the health
sector rather than donate ambu-
lances to African churches while
some health institutions in ru-
ral areas have no ambulances re-
sulting in patients being ferried
by scotch carts and wheelbarrows
from their homes for treatment.
It is no wonder why 4 000 health
workers have deserted the coun-
try for greener pastures where
requests for better working con-
ditions do not run the risk of im-
prisonment.
Ngwena has surely turned the
country into a banana republic.
Now the people can see why
baba once said that there was no
one who could successfully suc-
ceed him.
The land reform that was cham-
pioned by baba in 2000 has been
rendered chaotic since the advent
of the Second Reprubric.
The programme was meant to
empower disempowered black
Zimbabweans to get land from the
white farmers who owned vast
tracts of land.
Under Ngwena the land reform
has turned into a frenzy of dis-
order with blacks invading the
farms of other black farm owners
as shown by the clash last week
between police and 1000 Zanu PF
youths who had invaded a farm
in Goromonzi owned by Maxwell
Muziwi.
It is indeed a dispensation of
poverty and confusion. Then you
see people still supporting that
military-owned party, which has
now been reduced to a shell after
Gushungo’s overthrow.
Munopengaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Gushungo Chete Chete!
Chatunga Chete Chete!
Dr Amai Stop it! PhD (Fake)
ests, as some assume.
Plans for conservation must in-
clude pastoralists and other land
users who have created valuable
landscapes through use by people
and their animals over many years.
Pastoralists and other livestock
keepers are too often pitted against
conservationists.
Pastoralism is not compatible
with a style of conservation that
encloses and excludes, but exten-
sive livestock-keeping can be cen-
tral to more people-centred conser-
vation approaches.
– zimbabweland

Good Governance: Zimbabwe’s 2023 resolution
BY PAISON TAZVIVINGA
As the New Year begins, it is time
for reflection and looking forward.
It is time to say goodbye to the
things that did not go as planned
and to embrace new opportunities
that the year ahead may bring.
The new year offers a chance to
set goals and resolutions, not only
at a personal level but at institu-
tional and country levels too.
At country level, it is a time to
start afresh and make positive
changes in people’s lives.
The year 2022 has not been kind
to Zimbabwe and her people.
Despite the ongoing work and, in
some instances, completion of in-
frastructure projects, the general
standard of life of the masses con-
tinues to deteriorate.
The percentage of Zimbabweans
living in extreme poverty below the
international poverty datum line
(PPP $1.90/person/day) increased
from 43% in 2021 to 49% in 2022.
According to the World Bank,
macroeconomic volatility, high de-
pendence on low-productivity ag-
riculture, the lack of creation of
high-productivity jobs and inter-
mittent shocks — such as droughts
and the Covid-19 pandemic — have
all contributed to increasing vul-
nerability in both urban and rural
areas.
The World Bank went on to as-
certain that Zimbabwe’s economic
development continues to be ham-
pered by price and exchange rate
instability, the misallocation of pro-
ductive resources, low investment,
and limited structural transforma-
tion.
High inflation, multiple ex-
change rates, unsustainable debt
levels and the ineffective control of
public spending have increased the
cost of production, reduced incen-
tives for productivity-enhancing
investment, and encouraged infor-
mality.
The above factors point to poor
governance at the three major gov-
ernance levels in our country.
Most of the challenges bedevil-
ling us could easily be solved by
choosing to do things the right way.
Mostly the political will to imple-
ment good governance is the miss-
ing link in our efforts to lead better
lives.
Open letter to RBZ governor John Mangudya
My dear brother,
As a passionate protagonist of the gold
coins, I stay astutely alert to everything
happening around them.
Nevertheless, readers of this column
accosted me and dragged me from my
resting place demanding a response to
an International Monetary Fund (IMF)
prescription for the country’s economic
woes.
I want to thank and congratulate you
and your boss the Finance minister Mthu-
li Ncube for defending the use of the gold
coins during the visit by the IMF team
headed by one Dhaneshwar Gura which
was under our hospitality from Decem-
ber 1 to December 15, 2022.
Gura, whose name in Shona means “
to break,” certainly wants to break your
resolve to heed the Turkish proverb:
“No maer how far you have gone down
the wrong road turn back ” which I pro-
pounded to you in previous articles.
He wants you back on the wrong road.
In their prescription for our econom-
ic situation, they listed a host of things
which you are already doing and then ad-
vised you to “conclude” the issue of gold
Pfumvudza has taken over from the productive commercial farms
At its most basic, good govern-
ance refers to the effective and re-
sponsible management of a coun-
try, organisation, or group.
It encompasses a wide range of
issues, including transparency, ac-
countability, rule of law and partic-
ipation.
When good governance is pre-
sent, there is a strong likelihood
that a country or organisation will
be well-managed, efficient, and able
to effectively address the needs and
concerns of its citizens or mem-
bers.
One key aspect of good govern-
ance is transparency.
This means that there is open-
ness and honesty in the decision-
making process, and that informa-
tion is readily available to those
who need it.
This can be achieved through the
use of freedom of information laws,
open meetings, and other measures
that allow the public to have access
to information about how decisions
are being made and how public re-
sources are being used.
Accountability is another impor-
tant aspect of good governance.
This means that those in posi-
tions of power are held accountable
for their actions and decisions.
This can be achieved through the
use of checks and balances such as
an independent judiciary and a free
coins.
“Fund staff recommended accelerat-
ing the liberalisation of the foreign ex-
change market, including through the
removal of restrictions on the exchange
rate at which banks, authorised dealers
and businesses transact; addressing the
RBZ’s quasi-fiscal operations to mitigate
liquidity pressures; maintaining an ap-
propriately tight monetary policy stance
to durably restore macroeconomic sta-
bility and ensure social stability; restor-
ing the effectiveness of monetary policy,
including through the use of appropri-
ate interest bearing instruments to mop
up liquidity and winding down the use of
gold coins: and maintaining a prudential
fiscal policy.”
This rumbling prescription is a “copy
and paste” job no doubt given to many
unsuspecting client-states of the Breton-
Woods institution.
The foreign exchange regime in Zim-
babwe is by a country mile more liberal-
ized than those in regional peers South
Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozam-
bique.
There would be no benefit to Zimba-
press, which can help to ensure that
those in power are not able to abuse
their positions.
It also means that there are mech-
anisms in place for holding individ-
uals accountable for their actions
such as through elections or other
forms of accountability.
The rule of law is also critical for
good governance.
This means that there are clear
laws and regulations in place that
are consistently and fairly enforced.
This helps to ensure that every-
one is treated equally under the law
and that there is predictability and
fairness in the legal system.
This also helps to attract invest-
ment in key economic sectors.
Capital does not favour markets
where the legislative field and the
economic outlook are unstable and
cannot be predicted for the next 20
years – let alone the next 12 months
as has been our case.
Participation is another impor-
tant aspect of good governance.
This means that people have the
opportunity to have a say in the
decisions that affect their lives,
whether through elections, public
consultation, or other forms of par-
ticipation.
When people have a stake in the
decision-making process, they are
more likely to feel a sense of owner-
ship and responsibility for the out-
bwe of accelerating liberalisation any
faster.
All the other recommendations in the
statement have already been done as far
back as the days of the previous governor
Gideon Gono but to no avail.
This is well-known Keynesian textbook
theory, which has repeatedly failed in
Zimbabwe and has previously made you
see demons.
The only problem needing urgent at-
tention by the RBZ is the volatile ex-
change rate which has for many years
been the target of speculators and agent
provocateurs.
The real message hidden in the tail of
the statement by Gura’s IMF team is that
the country should abandon use of the
gold coins.
This is tantamount to free advice from
the devil in the company of false proph-
ets.
Those who follow the work of the IMF
around the world (remember the ESAP I
and II programs which made the coun-
try suffer and yet yielded no result?) will
know that the organisation has never
succeeded in helping any developing
The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 13
comes of those decisions.
This goes hand in glove with the
understanding that when people
raise their voices, they are not call-
ing for the illegal removal of the sit-
ting government but they are call-
ing for better service delivery and
accountability from the powers
that be.
The current governance system
seems to fall short of the above-nar-
rated good governance principles.
In earnest, the governance sys-
tem seems to be taking us back-
wards.
One can easily pick a few point-
ers to the bleakness that now sur-
rounds us.
First, the productive commercial
farms are now a thing of the past as
pfumvudza has taken over.
Secondly, the successful large
gold mines have been replaced
by informal gold miners dotted
around the country leaving an eye-
sore of open pits.
Thirdly, solar units, boreholes
and septic tanks have replaced the
electricity system, tap water and
sewer reticulation system, respec-
tively.
The masses have been treated to
isolated cases of prosperous indi-
vidual farmers and informal min-
ers.
Whilst the stories are great, it
is an indictment on the economy
that people are resorting to prima-
ry occupations like agriculture and
small-scale mining because higher-
level activities are simply not via-
ble.
All professionals now find them-
selves taking the agriculture or in-
formal mining route because ply-
ing their professional trades surely
leads to poverty.
This is the unfortunate situation
that we find ourselves in.
Our jewel is now a sad case of
each man for himself where lead-
ers appeal more to self-interest at
the expense of the greater good of
the masses.
The fact that people started to
benchmark the current economic
trajectory to Smith’s days is an in-
dictment of the post-independent
leadership.
Whether the benchmark is right
or wrong, is a story for another day
but the fact that it is happening,
speaks volumes.
country to solve its economic woes.
It is clear that the real work of the or-
ganisation is to keep the developing
world - Zimbabwe in particular subservi-
ent to western hegemony and pressure
to maintain the flow of cheap raw mate-
rials to the west as you grapple with eco-
nomic solutions which do not work. Lat-
er on they will blame you for the failure
of their prescriptions citing weak imple-
mentation on your part.
The IMF team is fully aware that the
gold coins are the only solution to the sta-
bility of our currency which will spill over
to all other areas. This is our unique chal-
lenge.
And they are not amused by the fact
that it is a home grown solution which
did not come from them.
The success of the gold coins as a fiscal
and treasury tool will no doubt be repli-
cated all across Africa and will free the
continent from the yoke of these later-
day imperial foot soldiers unleashed by
the globalists.
The use of African resources to li the Af-
rican economy is anathema to the west-
ern world and must therefore be discour-
New perspectives
It simply means the post-inde-
pendence leadership has not deliv-
ered to the masses’ expectations.
High-level recommendations
As the country enters into an-
other year of harmonised elec-
tions, there could not be a better
new year’s resolution than to wish
for better governance from whoev-
er wins the forthcoming elections.
There are many ways in which
good governance can be promoted
and strengthened.
One key way is through the use
of international assistance and
support.
This can take the form of finan-
cial assistance, technical assis-
tance, and capacity building to help
our country build the institutions
and systems that are necessary for
effective and responsible govern-
ance.
Another way to promote good
governance is through the use of
civic education and awareness-rais-
ing efforts.
This can help to build a culture
of accountability and responsibili-
ty among citizens, as well as a great-
er understanding of the impor-
tance of good governance.
In addition, civil society organ-
isations can play a critical role in
promoting good governance.
These groups can act as a check
on those in power, bringing issues
to light and holding individuals ac-
countable for their actions.
They can also serve as a voice for
those who may not otherwise have
a say in the decision-making pro-
cess.
May the new year bring better
governance to the country that the
late Tanzanian president Julius
Mwalimu Nyerere once dubbed,
‘the jewel of Africa’.
*Paison Tazvivinga is a devel-
opment economist based in Pre-
toria, South Africa
These weekly articles are
coordinated by Lovemore
Kadenge, an independent con-
sultant, managing consultant
of Zawale Consultants (Private)
Limited, past president of the
Zimbabwe Economics Society
and past president of the Char-
tered Governance & Accountan-
cy Institute in Zimbabwe. Email-
kadenge.zes@gmail.com and
Mobile No. +263 772 382 852
aged at the infant stage hence the poi-
sonous advice of Gura ’s team.
To you my brothers I say, hold on to
your gold coins! You worked too hard to
get to this point.
I would go on to advise continued and
unlimited use of the gold coins, for as
long as it takes, not only to achieve infla-
tion reduction but to seize control of the
exchange rate through special adapta-
tions coupled with a gradual phasing out
of the Casino Royale.
This is the solution needed to achieve
stability. Everything else will fall into place
after this.
As for the Casino Royale, its only func-
tion has been to provide a platform for
the head-on collision between the US
dollar and the local unit, a collision analo-
gous to one between a loaded 30-tonne
truck and a Mushikashika taxi.
After only a few months of use of the
coins these are your own words: “In our
books, the effect was very impactful.”
This is certainly something you never
thought you would see.
Stay on the gold coin course and you
will see much greater things.
I can never part without whispering a
saying in your ears: “Wisdom is judged by
its children" – Jesus Christ. Luke 7:35
n Bart Star-James
WhatsApp feedback +263774447309
14 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
Opinion
Murewa beatings: The absence of moral courage
Letter from America
WITH KENNETH MUFUKA
ON March 3, 1991, a private citi-
zen, using his cell phone, videoed
the beating of Rodney King, a black
man by 13 Los Angeles policemen.
Apart from its sickening ef-
fect was the lack of moral cour-
age among the 13 policemen. None
among them, even the sergeant, at-
tempted to stop the beating.
The beating up of elderly people
in Murewa by Zanu PF thugs was
broadcast through YouTube vide-
os all over the world. The beating
of VaKarahwa, with seven-foot two-
inch thick Mitambara was watched
by more than 10 people.
The female Philistine who led the
trial by torture of VaKarahwa for-
got the sanctity of old age. None of
the witnesses, as in Rodney King’s
story had the moral courage to chal-
lenge the evil deed.
The Philistine self-videoed her
activities, hoping for a medal.
Apparently, according to Zimba-
bwean Amanda Hammar, this vi-
olence is part of larger pattern of
“mass physical removals in both
urban and rural areas, and broader
dislocating effects of structural vio-
lence, formal and informal” fulfill-
ing the overall policy of maintain-
ing political power. (p 79)
In the Philistine world virtue is
a dirty word. Experience does not
wizen today’s steps. What South Af-
rican leader Thabo Mbeki was say-
ing in his “I am an African” speech
is that the blood of these primitive
Murewa VaKarahwa runs in our
veins. To disrespect them is to re-
veal deep self-hatred.
Exposure
Time to end Zimbabwe’s vicious cycle of political violence
Village Rhapsody
WITH EVANS MATHANDA
FORMER United States pres-
ident Barrack Obama once
opined: “We know we can't stop
every act of violence, every act
of evil in the world, but maybe
we could try to stop one act of
evil, one act of violence.”
Those wise words will find rel-
evance in today’s Zimbabwe for
many reasons.
Beautiful as it is, Zimbabwe
has a reputation for politically
motivated violence, especially
during the election season.
The deliberate use of pow-
er and force to achieve politi-
cal goals dates back to the days
of early independence, which
were stained by the Gukurahun-
di atrocities in Matabeleland and
Midlands.
In 2002, political violence
claimed 16 lives according to a
report by a human rights um-
brella group.
In 2008, the government at
the national and local levels ac-
tively, methodically, and deliber-
ately targeted the Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) ac-
tivists and perceived opposition
supporters in an effort to crush
the MDC and ensure that the late
former president Robert Mugabe
The advent of the cellphone, You-
Tube and the email means that gov-
ernments have no privacy anymore.
There is a difference between
hearing about Zanu PF beatings
and seeing them on YouTube. This
exposes the government to mor-
al hazards. Government spokes-
person Nick Mangwana may deny
that the Murewa malefactors are af-
filiated to Zanu PF but an answer
by citizens who saw a video of Au-
gust Gutu Zanu PF youth march-
ing through the streets shirtless and
beating whoever crossed their path
will keep his wisdom to himself.
The London Guardian (January 5)
broadcasts the fact that opposition
member Job Sikhala has been re-
fused bail for the 15th time.
A sense of double standards can-
not escape the reader’s sense of fair
play.
Judge Marehwanazvo Gofa wisely
refused a televised trial because the
government would be placed at a se-
rious disadvantage. Gofa could have
refused the request without giving a
reason. By arguing that Sikhala, a
legislator, who has served 240 days
in a “stupid jailhouse” (black Eng-
lish) before a judge has pronounced
him guilty of anything, exposes the
learned judge to the accusation of
political bias.
Worse the judge can be accused of
lack of moral courage, a cruel sug-
gestion because moral courage lies
at the heart of a judgeship.
On October 20, 2020, Henrietta
Rushwaya was apprehended at Ha-
rare Airport with six kilograms of
gold on her way to Dubai.
was re-elected in the run-off elec-
tions on June 27, 2008.
This campaign of violence and
repression resulted in thousands
of deaths.
Some political parties in Zim-
babwe have developed patterns
or routines that have not served
us well in our pursuit of sus-
tained growth or prosperity.
Although these habits have
prevented us from reaching our
objectives, some people find it
difficult to break free from them.
These harmful habits can be-
come so habitual that people per-
form them without thinking.
However, unhealthy habits are
destined to become barriers with
time, weighing us down and com-
pelling us to admit that they are
not beneficial for us.
Political violence might work
to intimidate people to vote for
the ruling Zanu PF party, but
that will not fix struggling Zim-
babwe’s economy.
This quote from Warren Buf-
fett not only applies to the broad
scope of society and culture, but
it applies to the needs of our in-
dividual selves. Buffett’s quote
summed this up quite well by
saying:
The elderly people in Murewa who were beaten up by suspected Zanu PF thugs
Henrietta is free, two years after
the event and no court has yet final-
ised her infraction.
The case of two white sugar farm-
ers, Shane and Denise Warth brings
a different dimension to the issue
of what Amanda, above, referred
to as displacements. Zanu PF activ-
ist Brother Emmanuel Chiguba was
harvesting the sugar crop with per-
mission from a judge.
This story is on Voice of Ameri-
ca (January 6). Zimbabwe wants US
President Joe Biden to lift sanctions.
In any case, not all white people are
evil minded. There is plenty of vir-
gin land open in the Triangle area.
Verily, I say to you, we are ruled by
imbeciles who regard moral cour-
age as a curse.
In defense of bandit business-
men
As we speak, three haulage trucks
belonging to Bernard Tafadzwa
Mnangagwa (December 31) carry-
ing raw lithium were intercepted at
Beitbridge Border Post. At the time
of going to press, Brother Bernard
remained a free man as it should be
until a judge pronounces him guilty.
A reading of Adam Smith’s
Most people lost their homes during the 2002 political violence
“Chains of habit are too light
to be felt until they are too heavy
to be broken.”
Our politicians will not drive
the shift. Only an involved citi-
zenry has the power to alter our
political system.
The disturbing video that cir-
culated last week on social me-
dia platforms of elderly Citizens
Coalition for Change (CCC) sup-
porters being attacked by sus-
pected Zanu PF youths in Mure-
hwa shows that we are on the
Wealth of Nations gives us an ex-
planation. Zimbabwe businessmen,
including bandit businessmen, are
faced with dealing in two curren-
cies, a fake Zee dollar printed by
John Mangudya in the basement of
the Reserve Bank.
The other is the US dollar, which
is as good as gold.
Even the Makorokoza (independ-
ent gold digger) would rather sell his
product to Mustafa (an Asian king
pin) who pays him in US dollars
rather than to the Zimbabwe Miner-
als Board. It is also a law of nature
that monies accumulated in such
ways cannot be banked.
Why is this so difficult to under-
stand, you sluggard?
New York’s Bloomberg News (Jan-
uary 9) reports that Zimbabwe’s
treasury officials are begging con-
tractors whom they have paid with
stupid Zee dollars not to part with
them. Bloomberg adds (para 3) that
the Zee dollar has lost almost one
tenth of its value in one week.
But this must be the mother of
all jokes. I am reliably informed by
a member of a parliamentary com-
mittee that at the end of the moth,
verge of a 2008 situation if the
crisis is not addressed immedi-
ately.
It is heart breaking to see el-
derly men and women being
abused and interrogated for at-
tending a political meeting and
being called sell-outs.
Our politics has extinguished
the spirit of Ubuntu.
The inclusive nature of the
principle of Ubuntu holds those
who are embraced by it accounta-
ble on moral and ethical grounds
the treasury officials do not take
home the Zee dollar.
Let the reader be the judge. Veri-
ly, I say moral courage has fled from
the hearts of our leaders.
The problems at the Grain Mar-
keting Board and at the Cotton
Board shows how public policy
since independence was intended
to create a bandit economy.
David Muzorori’s book, Zimba-
bwe’s Grain Marketing Board says
that its aim and practice was to get
the highest price for its farmers. If
the Board sold its product at a high-
er price on the world market, it
would make a supplementary pay-
ment to the farmers in January.
Professor David Blackie con-
curs in his 1980 report on the Cot-
ton Board. Blackie says that these
boards were the envy of the world.
The brothers turned the boards
around, creating a haven for ban-
dits whose aim is to scheme the dif-
ference between the offering price
(government price) and the world
price.
 Ken Mufuka is a Zimbabwe-
an patriot. He writes from the
US.
and its importance to politics.
This is especially true of the
politics of rationality and psy-
chological recovery during elec-
tion season.
Zimbabwe experiences the
worst political violence during
election periods.
There is a need for a change
that can help us think different-
ly and there is no replacement
for opposing unfair practices
like what occurred in Murehwa
when it comes to social transfor-
mation.
Individual and interpersonal
activities alone do not result in
profound social transformation.
Political and social change is
usually incremental. We seem
to take two steps ahead, one step
back when it comes to dealing
with political violence.
Organisations and institutions
that make a significant differ-
ence should exist.
The first step in saving our
country is to realize how much
we have already lost through
politically motivated violence
traced from 2000 and how we lost
it, and how we will continue to
lose lives unless fundamental po-
litical changes occur.
*Evans Mathanda is a jour-
nalist and development prac-
titioner who writes in his ca-
pacity. For feedback email:
evanngoe@gmail.com or call
0719770038 and Twitter @Ev-
ansMathanda19
 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 15

Standard

EDUCATION
Popping the question
However, adding more pressure is not
going to produce the pop in the chil-
dren’s lives.
Does it really matter when they pop?
Let them pop when they are ready.
Popcorn will make many lousy school
careers worth sitting through. Chew on
that for a while – quietly.
 Tim Middleton is the executive
BY TIM MIDDLETON and purposeful. Do we allow our chil- they need the pressure that comes from director of the Association of Trust
dren to be the flavour that they (not we) the heat. Schools [ATS]. The views expressed
“POPCORN has made many lousy movies worth wish to be in their life? In a similar way, children often need in this article, however, are solely
sitting through.” So said Orville Redenbacher, One final question about popcorn is to have some degree of pressure in or- those of the author in his private ca-
the person accredited with making popcorn a relevant. What causes popcorn to pop? der for them to pop. pacity and do not necessarily repre-
popular snack. Popcorn needs heat to come alive, to They need deadlines, tests, exams, sent the views of the ATS.
Indeed, popcorn is popularly associated now spring into life, to pop. competition to put them under pres- email: ceo@atschisz.co.zw
with cinemas, but also with television, fairs, The seeds do not sprout on their own; sure. website: www.atschisz
parties and sports events.
It seems to go with entertainment. It has been
pointed out, however, that some people will eat
popcorn at cinemas, not because they like it but
because they cannot stand hearing other people
eating it.
What do we know of popcorn? Popcorn is said
to be over 5000 years old while the first commer-
cial popcorn machine was invented in 1885.
In the 1800s, popcorn was often eaten as a ce-
real with milk and sugar.
Popcorn is a healthy GMO-free and gluten-
free snack.
Popcorn can reach up to three-feet in distance
when popping. Not exactly life-changing infor-
mation, but interesting perhaps.
By this stage, an astute reader may be asking
the question: What has all this to do with edu-
cation?
The more interesting or, more importantly,
relevant fact (than those above) might be that
popcorn teaches us a great deal about educa-
tion.
Let us just pause a moment and think of pop-
corn. What is required to produce the pop? An-
yone who has cooked popcorn, or watched it be-
ing made, will know that heat is required to trig-
ger the pop. Once again, we may say: So what?
We know that all those seed pieces are cooked
in the same pot, at the same heat, in the same
conditions, but they pop at different times.
They are not all cooked at the same time.
That moment of popping can come any time. So
what?
In a similar way, children flourish and come
alive at different times in their lives. Not all
will pop while at school. Some will pop much
earlier than others.
Some children are early developers, but oth-
ers develop later. As children grow physically
at different rates, so too do others grow mental-
ly, emotionally, intellectually at different rates.
Indeed, some of us are taller than others, un-
derlining that some of us are more academic
than others.
The bottom line is this: contrary to most par-
ents’ thinking, not every child has to succeed
at school.
There are numerous famous examples of
this. Many sportsmen have come to the fore lat-
er in their careers.
Michael Hussey was first capped for Austral-
ia at the age of 30 and went on to play 79 Tests.
Norman Gifford made his One-Day Interna-
tional debut for England six days short of his
44th birthday.
In rugby, Andy Farrell first played for Eng-
land aged 31 while Caderyn Neville last year
made his debut for the Australian side four
months short of his 34th birthday.
In literature, Richard Adams had his classic
novel ‘Watership Down’ published when he was
52; Frank McCourt published his first book,
‘Angela’s Ashes’, aged 60 while the oldest debut
novelist is said to be Lorna Page who published
her book ‘A Dangerous Weakness’ at the ripe old
age of 93.
One study has found that the average age of
authors making their debut publications is 36.
In music, Mozart may have been a child prod-
igy, but there were plenty of other composers
who flourished when older.
What else can we learn from popcorn? Pop-
corn will pop to different heights (if we do not
put a lid on the pan).
In the same way, some children will ‘pop’
higher, will go further (if we do not put a lid
on them).
16 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
The world is entering a new age of
clean technology manufacturing
ENERGY Technology Perspectives 2023 high-
lights major market and employment opportu-
nities, as well as the emerging risks, for countries
racing to lead the clean energy industries of to-
RENEWABLE
ENERGY
day and tomorrow
The energy world is at the dawn of a new indus-
trial age – the age of clean energy technology man-
ufacturing – that is creating major new markets and
millions of jobs, but also raising new risks, prompt-
ing countries across the globe to devise industrial
strategies to secure their place in the new global en-
ergy economy, according to a major new IEA report.
www.renewable.amh.co.zw
events@alphamedia.co.zw
+263773277599 / +263773417271
+263783917708 / +263733264915
Energy Technology Perspectives 2023, the latest instalment
in one of the IEA’s flagship series, serves as the world’s first glob-
al guidebook for the clean technology industries of the future.
It provides a comprehensive analysis of global manufactur-
ing of clean energy technologies today – such as solar panels,
wind turbines, EV batteries, electrolysers for hydrogen and heat
pumps – and their supply chains around the world, as well as
mapping out how they are likely to evolve as the clean energy
transition advances in the years ahead.
The analysis shows the global market for key mass-manu-
factured clean energy technologies will be worth around USD
650 billion a year by 2030 – more than three times today’s level
– if countries worldwide fully implement their announced en-
ergy and climate pledges. The related clean energy manufac-
turing jobs would more than double from 6 million today to
nearly 14 million by 2030 – and further rapid industrial and em-
ployment growth is expected in the following decades as tran-
sitions progress.
At the same time, the current supply chains of clean ener-
gy technologies present risks in the form of high geographic
concentrations of resource mining and processing as well as
technology manufacturing. For technologies like solar pan-
els, wind, EV batteries, electrolysers and heat pumps, the three
largest producer countries account for at least 70% of manu-
facturing capacity for each technology – with China dominant
in all of them. Meanwhile, a great deal of the mining for critical
minerals is concentrated in a small number of countries. For ex-
ample, the Democratic Republic of Congo produces over 70%
of the world’s cobalt, and just three countries – Australia, Chile
and China – account for more than 90% of global lithium pro-
duction.
The world is already seeing the risks of tight supply chains,
which have pushed up clean energy technology prices in re-
cent years, making countries’ clean energy transitions more dif-
ficult and costly. Increasing prices for cobalt, lithium and nickel
led to the first ever rise in EV battery prices, which jumped by
nearly 10% globally in 2022. The cost of wind turbines outside
China has also been rising after years of declines, and similar
trends can be seen in solar PV.
“The IEA highlighted almost two years ago that a new global
energy economy was emerging rapidly. Today, it has become a
central pillar of economic strategy and every country needs to
identify how it can benefit from the opportunities and navigate
the challenges. We’re talking about new clean energy technol-
ogy markets worth hundreds of billions of dollars as well as mil-
lions of new jobs,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. “The
encouraging news is the global project pipeline for clean en-
ergy technology manufacturing is large and growing. If every-
thing announced as of today gets built, the investment flowing
into manufacturing clean energy technologies would provide
two-thirds of what is needed in a pathway to net zero emis-
sions. The current momentum is moving us closer to meeting
our international energy and climate goals – and there is al-
most certainly more to come.”
“At the same time, the world would benefit from more di-
versified clean technology supply chains,” Dr Birol added. “As
we have seen with Europe’s reliance on Russian gas, when you
depend too much on one company, one country or one trade
route – you risk paying a heavy price if there is disruption. So,
I’m pleased to see many economies around the world compet-
ing today to be leaders in the new energy economy and drive
an expansion of clean technology manufacturing in the race
to net zero. It’s important, though, that this competition is fair
– and that there is a healthy degree of international collabora-
tion, since no country is an energy island and energy transitions
will be more costly and slow if countries do not work together.”
The report notes that major economies are acting to com-
bine their climate, energy security and industrial policies into
broader strategies for their economies. The Inflation Reduction
Act in the United States is a clear example of this, but there is
also the Fit for 55 package and REPowerEU plan in the Europe-
an Union, Japan’s Green Transformation programme, and the
Production Linked Incentive scheme in India that encourages
manufacturing of solar PV and batteries – and China is working
to meet and even exceed the goals of its latest Five-Year Plan.
Meanwhile, clean energy project developers and investors
are watching closely for the policies that can give them a com-
petitive edge. Relatively short lead times of around 1-3 years
on average to bring manufacturing facilities online mean that
the project pipeline can expand rapidly in an environment that
is conducive to investment. Only 25% of the announced man-
ufacturing projects globally for solar PV are under construction
or beginning construction imminently, according to the report.
The number is around 35% for EV batteries and less than 10%
for electrolysers. Government policies and market develop-
ments can have a significant effect on where the rest of these
projects end up.
Amid the regional ambitions for scaling up manufactur-
ing, ETP-2023 underscores the important role of international
trade in clean energy technology supply chains. It shows that
nearly 60% of solar PV modules produced worldwide are trad-
ed across borders. Trade is also important for EV batteries and
wind turbine components, despite their bulkiness, with China
the main net exporter today.
— International Energy Agency (IEA)

Standard
RELIGION
Our Christianity
contaminated
with paganism
sundayword
BY PROSPER TINGINI
CHRISTIANITY is being in fellowship
with Christ, as a follower of Christ.
The first thing in our religion
should be to know and understand
Jesus Christ. Who is he? He asked
that very question to his disciples.
In Mathew 16:13-20, it reads: Now
when Jesus Christ came into the dis-
trict of Ceasare’a Phillipi, he asked his
disciples, “Who do men say that the
Son of man is?” And they said, “Some
say John the Baptist, others say Elijah,
and others say Jeremiah or one of the
prophets.” He said to them, “But who
do you say that I am?” Simon Peter re-
plied, “You are the Christ, the son of the
living God”.
And Jesus answered him, “Bless-
ed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh
and blood has not revealed this to you,
but my Father who is in heaven. And I
tell you, you are Peter and on this rock,
I will build my church, and the power
of death shall not prevail against it. I
will give you the keys of the Kingdom
How to walk in dominion
MAN was given dominion over
three areas of life. He was giv-
en dominion over fish of the sea,
over the fowl of the air and over
every living thing that moves on
the earth.
These were areas God deter-
mined if man had dominion in
them, he could live a fulfilled and
blessed life.
But looking at these areas nat-
urally without seeking the mys-
tery behind them, one may not
find the essence and importance
of having dominion over them.
Being in the 21st century, why
would I need to have dominion
over the fish of the sea or even
the fowl of the air and the creep-
ers upon the earth, one may ask.
There is more to having do-
minion over the fish of the sea
than what men understand.
When you look at the Wright
brothers, even at how Wilbur got
of heaven and whatever you bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth shall be
loosed in heaven”. Then he strictly
charged the disciples to tell no one
that he was the Christ.
Paganism is the hallowed belief
in other revered objects or worship
of personalities as gods besides the
Creator, the Almighty God. It also en-
compasses the worship of multiple
gods, each of them denoting a par-
ticular significance to the worship-
per.
In our Christianity we thus also
have a clique of worshippers who
have exalted “the son of the liv-
ing God” to be the ‘God of creation’.
I know this particular section of our
Christianity will try to castigate me
for trying to downplay their view of
Christ, but the simple truth is that the
Lord our God is one.
The most common theory is that
because Christ was born of God, he is
divineinsight
BY HUMPHREY MTANDWA
inspiration by his observation of
birds.
That allowed him and his broth-
er to be recorded as the first men
to build a motor-operated flying
machine.
These men were able to fly be-
cause they gained dominion over
the fowl of the air. When one rules
a domain, he has an understand-
ing of his domain.
The Bible in Proverbs says: “It
is the glory of God to conceal a
thing: but the honour of kings is to
search out a matter.”
The best treasures are hidden
and it takes those that are willing
thus God. They twist some verses of
the Bible to vehemently support this
theory.
Jesus Christ himself emphasized
on the oneness of God, the Father. In
Mark 12:29, he taught; “Hear, O Isra-
el: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”.
He was aligning himself with the Al-
mighty God who spoke as written in
the fifth book of Moses. In Deuteron-
omy 6:4, Moses taught the people as
spoken by the Lord; “Hear O Israel: The
Lord our God is one Lord…” God also
spoke to his humble servant, Isaiah,
to teach the people of this fact.
In Isaiah 43:10, He spoke to Isaiah;
“You are my witness, my servant whom
I have chosen, that you may know and
believe me and understand that I am
He. Before me no god was formed, nor
shall there be any after me”. I pray that
my fellow Christians who subscribe
to the notion that Christ is also God
would take heed of these words.
Then came Roman Emperor Con-
stantine, who initiated the worship
of Jesus Christ as God. He is the origi-
nal author of the Doctrine of the Holy
Trinity which brought in the as 3-in-1
Godhead, i.e. God the Father, God the
Son, God the Holy Spirit. This doc-
trine has its roots rooted in the Ro-
to seek out and dig deep to acquire
them. Imagine what it took for the
Wright brothers to build that ma-
chine, even the years they worked
on it.
For one to be asked to dominate
something means there is some
form of resistance.
These men were willing to sac-
rifice so much for them to have do-
minion over the fowl of the air. By
their sacrifice they unlocked secrets
that allowed men to fly like the fowl
of the air.
When you look at the airplane
and how it has advanced, you will
be surprised how engineers still fol-
The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 17
man pagan worship of multiple gods.
Anything they deemed important in
their lives was upgraded to a god, or
the thing of importance was allocat-
ed a god of its own.
Let us remember that they gave
themselves gods of many back-
grounds to honour the many things
they cherished; like the sun, the
moon, the planets etc. Let us also not
forget that the days of the weeks and
months that we treat with affection
today were all named after some of
the pagan gods.
Thus, when Emperor Constantine
was converted to Christianity, his first
act was to outlaw the Lumi-Solar cal-
endar used for generations by follow-
ers of God, marrying some aspects
of Christianity with pagan festivals
and renaming the days and months
of His new Julian calendar in honour
of some of the Roman pagan gods. In
321AD, at the Council of Nicaca, he
decreed a law that made it illegal to
use the Biblical Lumi-Solar calendar.
This is the backbone of the calendar
we Christians also use today.
As a consequence of the change
to the pagan calendar, a ‘war of the
Sabbath’ has erupted amongst some
of our Christian denominations as to
which of the days should be treat-
ed as being the Sabbath. If we go
back to our scriptures, we will find
that God did not name the Sabbath
by the names of the days of any par-
ticular calendar, but named the Sab-
bath by the number of days worked
from the first work day. Some nations
of our world have different work pat-
terns and different calendars.
The Sabbath day should be meas-
ured by the days worked from day
one and not by the seventh day of
any particular calendar week. Doing
so would be a miscarriage to the spe-
cifics of our Bible. God worked for six
days straight and rested on the sev-
enth day. That should still be the for-
mula for working out our Sabbath
day, as a measure. Anything aside
from that is of our own creation.
low some of the concepts that were
left by the Wright brothers because
what these two did was not just
build this machine, but they tapped
into the dominion God mentioned.
And for men in our time to come
up with even new developments
from the ones left by the Wright
brothers, they also have to have do-
minion over the fowl of the air.
The sea also has so many secrets
it has not yet revealed to man. We
can say men have not yet dominated
the fish of the sea.
Men assume that when God said
have dominion, it was limited to
them having authority over wild an-
imals.
But our dominion over the fish of
the sea is beyond just training fish
to follow men’s commands.
There are attributes about the
sea man has yet to master. If men
can have dominion over the sea, it
means he gains knowledge of space
Jesus Christ should symbolise the
sacrificial lamb for us Christians in
the sense that he died for the atone-
ment of our sins. In other words, he
is the Redeemer who saved us from
the consequences of human sins.
The Passover was instituted by God
in remembrance to when He in-
structed the people of Israel to sac-
rifice a lamb in every household on
the night prior to their freedom from
Egyptian bondage, representing the
freedom from the consequences of
the sins of their forefathers.
Our Christianity now prefers to
honour pagan-instituted festivals
like Easter, in reference to a pagan
Roman goddess named Esther. The
same goes for the Christmas festives
which also has pagan origins. Can’t
we find scripture-related festives in
line with the Lord our God’s-given
instructions? Some of these are in-
scribed in the Bible.
Among many others is our viola-
tions of the second commandment
which reads (Exodus 20:4-6); “You
shall not make for yourself a graven
image, or any likeness of anything
that is in heaven above, or that is in
the earth beneath, or that is in the
water under the earth.
You shall not bow to them or serve
them…” Is it proper to make ‘graven’
images of the cross or of Jesus Christ
nailed to the cross and then to bow
down to worship such items in hon-
our of Christ?
We also have molten or graven
images of Mother Mary amongst
our mindset, which we likewise
bow down to worship or carry such
around our necks. Are we not in total
violation of the second command-
ment in perpetuation of some pagan
religions that practiced such a kind
of idol worship?
 Prosper Tingini is the Scribe of
the Children of God Missionary As-
sembly — God’s messengers. Con-
tact details: Mobile and whatsapp:
0771 260 195. Email address: pt-
ingini@gmail.com
and how to build in space because
both environments are almost sim-
ilar.
We can have dominion over these
three areas for the third area man
has dominated, but in his domain
he has destroyed and failed to take
care of it.
But I believe there is so much even
on the land we live in that we have
not fully taped into.
A great man of God once said God
can give you wisdom to extract fuel
even from sand.
That is to show there is more even
in this domain that man has not yet
mastered. It’s time we unlock the
mystery behind God's instruction to
have dominion over these amazing
areas. God bless you.
 Humphrey Mtandwa is an
Apostolic teacher of the Word
of God and founder of Believ-
ers Voice of Triumph Ministries.
He has authored many books, in-
cluding The Enoch Generation,
Truthfulness, Night Parables and
Theophany. If you want to con-
nect with him or have any ques-
tions, get in touch on www.apos-
tlehumphrey.com
18 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
Be careful you may be on a
hunger strike instead of real fast!
gracetidings
WITH DR DOUG MAMVURA
LET me start by warning the reader that
this article is not for those with a nervous
disposition.
God is not impressed by our “hunger
strike-” type of fasting (Isaiah 58:3-5).
I am likely to lose many friends after
this article. However, my objective is not
to make friends at the expense of the
Gospel truth. It is very important that we
don’t compromise the truth because we
want to please each other.
We should learn from Jesus who nev-
er compromised to please the crowds. I
recall an incident when He told a gath-
ering that “Most assuredly, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink His blood you have no life in you”
(John 6:53).
Most of His disciples when they heard
this said, ‘This is hard saying who can un-
derstand this?”
The Bible says “From that time many of
His disciples went back and walked with
Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve,
“Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67).
Jesus had just seen many of His would-
be disciples leave Him. Yet, instead of try-
ing to get them back or grieving over
His loss, He turned to His twelve disci-
ples and offered them the opportuni-
ty to leave too. What security! Most of
us would evaluate success by the size of
the crowds. But Jesus was different. Re-
HAPPY New Year! Or is it? For Jews, Jan-
uary 1 can pose a conundrum: most of
us live by the modern secular calendar
in which January 1 is New Year’s Day. But
according to the Jewish calendar, Rosh
Hashanah ushers in the New Year. Jewish
tensions around celebrating January 1 go
back for generations.
Here are five little-known facts about
the January 1 “New Year” holiday, and its
meaning for Jews.
Recent invention
While many of us think of January 1 as
having been “New Year” forever, the hol-
iday is relatively recent and has under-
gone many changes through the years.
For much of European history, New Year
occurred in March, when Spring began to
make flowers and other fauna grew again.
According to the Roman historian Livy,
it was the Roman King Numa Pompil-
ius (715-673 BCE) who first introduced a
twelve-month calendar with January as its
first month. (January was named after the
Roman god Janus, which had two faces,
making it appropriate for the start of the
new year, when the month could symbol-
ically look into the past and forwards into
the future.)
Despite the fact that January was the
first month, the Roman New Year was
March 15 for hundreds of years.
This changed in 153 BCE when it was
switched to January 1. Years later, in 45
BCE, a more comprehensive calendar was
adopted by the Roman priest-turned-rul-
er Julius Caesar. His “Julian” calendar kept
January 1 as the New Year, but the holiday
didn’t last in many of the Roman Empire’s
territories. With the fall of the Roman Em-
pire, European nations began to revert to
their old New Year days. Some celebrated
the New Year on March 25; other Europe-
an groups celebrated December 25 as the
New Year instead.
By the 1500s it became clear that the
Julian calendar had serious shortcomings:
leap years were miscalculated, and as a re-
sult the Christian festivals were changing
days, migrating through the calendar. In
1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new
sponse to His message wasn’t what was
important to Him. The thing that drove
Him was the acceptance of His Father,
not the crowds.
This is a very good lesson to those of
us who minister the Word of God that the
goal is not to please the crowds but to
please the Father. I would rather the lose
the crowds but have the support of the
Father.
Having explained my position, I would
like to now discuss a very controversial
subject. This has to do with “Crossovers,
prayer and fasting" by most of us believ-
ers at the beginning of every year.
Please note that I am not against
prayer and fasting. In my Christian walk,
I have participated in many prayer and
fasting sessions at the beginning of the
past years. I still pray and fast, however,
with a different understanding than be-
fore.
I used to drive from Harare to a very
popular mountain in Mashonaland Cen-
tral Province for prayer. I would spend the
whole weekend praying there.
During this time of the year most of
us believers, believe it is the time for tak-
ing over and possessing our Promised
Land. Most of us Ministers of the Gospel
come up with some themes for the year.
The year of Supernatural Abundance,
The Year of Fruitfulness, The Year of Ex-
January 1 “New Year” holiday,
and its meaning for Jews
hebrewscriptures
WITH BEN LEON
calendar: this Gregorian Calendar is still in
use today. Among its many innovations,
it restored January 1 as New Year’s Day in
Christian lands.
Not all European countries made the
switch. Protestant and Eastern Orthodox
nations were slow to make the change. In
Great Britain and the American Colonies,
New Year’s Day continued to be March 25.
It was only in 1752, when an Act of Parlia-
ment mandated January 1 as New Years,
that English speaking lands adopted Jan-
uary 1 as their New Year’s Day.
Why January 1?
The Romans had a unique numbering
system for the days of the month: the first
day of each month was called a “Kalend”
(we get our word calendar from this); the
seventh day of each month was called
“Nones” ;and the 15th day of each month
was known as the “Ides”. Other days were
counted only by how close they were to
these three significant days.
The Talmud notes that Kalend days
were celebrated as festivals of idolatry in
ancient Rome and cautioned Jews not to
do business with Romans on those days in
order to avoid taking any part in activities
that could be construed as idol worship
(Mishnah Avodah Zarah 1:1-5).
In ancient times, the Kalends of January
(January 1) in particular was a riotous af-
fair, capping a two-week period that be-
gan with the Romans’ mid-December Sat-
urnalia festival. This was a period when
cellence, The Year Divine Power. Nothing
really wrong with that in my opinion al-
though I have a different view.
It is important to note that things
don’t change simply because dates have
changed. In fact, God lives outside time
and so is the spirit realm.
As a man thinks in his heart so is he
(Proverbs 23:7). Your life goes the way you
think regardless of dates and time. What
dominates your heart will stubbornly
and resolutely dictate the pattern of your
life hence the need to renew your mind.
This renewal comes only through feed-
ing on God’s Word not prayer or fasting
important as both of them are.
We usually announce prayer and fast-
ing days in our churches which can range
from ten to forty days beginning of the
year. Some of us don’t fully understand
why we fast. I was a very good exam-
ple of that. I did it because it was part of
the church tradition and I also felt it was
a way of pleasing God and showing Him
how committed I was to Him. I couldn’t
have been more lost.
Unless our prayer and fasting is aimed
at opening our eyes of understanding
(revelation knowledge) to see what we
already have in Christ Jesus, we are on a
hunger strike. True transformation comes
through the renewal of our minds by
reading and meditating on God’s Word
not the change of dates or having a
church theme.
I remember I used fast so that God
would grant me favour, success, prosper-
ity and divine health during the year. Lit-
tle did I know that the things I was fast-
ing for had already been granted as part
of the finished work of Christ. I was actu-
normal rules of behavior and mores were
suspended: a slave was chosen to be ele-
vated to a position of temporary king, and
he ruled over a period of dissolution and
wild parties. Homes were decorated with
greenery and lights, and gifts were given
to children. According to some accounts,
at the end of this festive period, the slave
who’d been named as master of ceremo-
nies was then killed. This violence and pe-
riod of moral lapses led Jews to avoid tak-
ing part in the mid-December and Janu-
ary 1 Roman holidays.
Celebrating a Bris?
As Christianity spread and developed,
Christian celebrations incorporated ear-
lier holiday customs. The Christian Bible
doesn’t specify the date of Jesus’ birth, and
it seems that in the early years of Christian-
ity it was not celebrated in December, as it
is today. The first record of December 25
being celebrated as a holiday commemo-
rating Jesus’ birthday dates from a Roman
calendar in the year 336 CE; some of the
customs surrounding this holiday seem to
have been borrowed from the ancient Ro-
man festivals of Saturnalia and Kalends.
The day of January 1 - the old Roman
Kalends holiday - became associated with
a feast day called the Feast of the Circum-
cision in some denominations (including
Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, and Angli-
can traditions). Count the days: January 1
is eight days after December 25, the day
that a Jewish baby boy would have had
ally on a hunger strike when I thought I
was fasting.
The Bible makes it very clear that al-
though He was rich yet for our sake, He
became poor so that you and I would
become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Apos-
tle John then tells us in his third epistle
that he prays that we may “prosper in all
things and be in good health even as our
souls prosper. My prosperity, health, de-
liverance and success, is a done deal.
This means that I was fasting for the
things that God had already made avail-
able more than two thousand years ago.
All I needed to do was to appropriate
those things through faith. Apostle Pe-
ter also tells us that God has given us “All
things that pertain to life and godliness”
and this is “according to our knowledge
of Him” (2 Peter1:3).
Peter was saying everything we need
comes through knowledge. This is be-
cause Jesus has already given us every-
thing we could ever need when we be-
came born again. We don’t need to get
something new. We just need a revela-
tion of what we already have in Christ.
My biggest problem was ignorance
and unbelief. Most of us believers have
this problem of ignorance. We have be-
come so used to tradition and religion
and this put the Word of God to no (Mark
7:13). It has become church tradition that
we fast beginning of every year. Most of
us believe that this act will put us in right
standing with God. God will be so happy
to see us fasting for forty days or whatev-
er period.
While there is nothing wrong with
fasting, let me humbly advise you that no
amount of fasting will replace your igno-
his brit milah (circumcision) in the Jewish
faith.
Dark Day in Jewish History
January 1 has seen harsh anti-Jewish
decrees. On January 1, 1791, Russian rul-
er Catherine the Great established the
Pale of Settlement, an area in the western
part of her empire which became the only
district in Russia’s vast empire where Jews
were permitted to live. The terms of the
Pale of Settlement varied over the years:
its borders were adjusted and rules allow-
ing Jews exemptions to live in other parts
of Russia were introduced. Yet the Pale
of Settlement affected a huge portion of
the world’s Jews. At its peak, it’s estimated
that fully 40% of the world’s Jews (about
five million Jews) lived in the Pale of Set-
tlement. This law lasted until the Russian
Revolution of 1917, when Russian Jews
were finally allowed to live outside the
Pale.
Starting on January 1, 1798, all Hebrew
language books began to be censored in
Russia. A decade later, on January 1, 1807,
Russia’s Czar Alexander I introduced wide-
ranging new laws governing what Jews
could do and how they could be educated
and earn their livings. The draconian new
law put restrictions on Jews’ ability to pur-
chase property and restricted the trades
to which Jews could belong. The law also
forbade Jewish children from speaking
Yiddish in schools. Jews were not allowed
to hold office and even were banned from
working as rabbis and other community
officials if Yiddish was their sole language.
In Nazi Germany, January 1 saw more
harsh measures. On January 1, 1939, all
Jews had to add the names Sarah (for
women) and Israel (for men) to their
names. They also had to start carrying
identity cards with them at all times. (I still
Religion
rance about God’s Word and your privi-
leges as a believer.
Ignorance can not be cured by prayer
or fasting or deliverance. Ignorance is
cured by the knowledge of the truth
which is Christ.
One of the most popular scriptures
during this time of the year is Isaiah 43:18
-19:
“Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old. Behold I will
do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth,
Shall you not know it? I will even make a
road in the wilderness and rivers in the de-
sert”.
Most of us ministers of the Gospel like
to reinforce this scripture from our pul-
pits and use it to form the basis of our
prayer and fasting in the new year. What
we don’t know is that this scripture pri-
marily refers to the death, burial and res-
urrection of Christ. This is the new thing
that Prophet Isaiah prophesied. It has al-
ready happened. What is new is for us to
understand this reality and tap into the
glorious benefits that Apostle Peter re-
fers to in his epistle in 2 Peter 1:3 which
we have already highlighted above.
Personally, I believe my crossover hap-
pened only once when God moved me
from the kingdom of darkness into the
kingdom of His dear Son Jesus Christ. I
don’t see how I can keep crossing over
every year. Where will I be crossing over
from? I have already stated that as far
as God is concerned, He leaves outside
time. Jesus announced the Year of the
Lord’s favour more than two thousand
years ago, and as far as I am concerned
this is the year in which I continue to live
under. While there is nothing wrong with
church themes because they help us fo-
cus on the objectives for that year, I only
have one theme which is the Year of the
Lord’s favour and I will continue to ob-
serve that theme until I go to be with my
Father in heaven. I know such teaching is
as rare as hen’s teeth and so I wouldn’t be
surprised if I have ruffled feathers.
 Dr Doug Mamvura is a graduate
of Charis Bible School. Feedback: dr-
doug@corporatemomentum.biz or
Twitter @dougmamvura
possess my great grandmother’s pass-
port to leave Nazi Germany later that year:
even though her name was Kamilla, her
name is listed as Sarah on her passport.) A
decree also took effect on that day, clos-
ing all Jewish-owned businesses. The fol-
lowing year, on January 1, 1940, Jews were
forbidden from gathering for prayer, ei-
ther in synagogues or in private homes, in
Nazi-controlled lands.
New Year’s Celebrations
Some New Year’s customs have surpris-
ing Jewish links. In the American south it’s
customary to eat black eyed peas on New
Year’s as a symbol of good luck. This ech-
oes Sephardi Jewish traditions of eating
beans on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New
Year, as a symbol of good fortune; some
historians have speculated that the cus-
tom was brought to the United States by
Sephardi Jews.
Each year millions of people around the
world watch the ball drop in Times Square
in New York to mark the start of the New
Year. Few realize that this annual stunt was
the brainchild of a Jewish businessman in
the 1800s. Adolph S. Ochs was the child of
Jewish immigrants from Germany; he en-
tered the newspaper business when he
was eleven years old working as an office
boy for the Knoxville Chronicle. In 1896
he bought the New York Times and an-
nounced an ambitious plan to make it a
high-quality newspaper. To increase pub-
licity for the paper, Ochs started holding
a fireworks show in front of the offices on
New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31.
In 1907 the city refused to grant him a
permit for the fireworks show and Ochs
instead commissioned an enormous ball
covered with light bulbs to lower at mid-
night. (It was customary at the time for
merchant seamen to mark the hour by
lowering an enormous ball that could be
seen far out at sea; Och’s ball was simply a
larger and more festive twist on this mar-
itime tradition.) Och’s tradition has con-
tinued; the ball used today is now nearly
12,000 pounds and twelve feet in diame-
ter.
 Five Star Car
Standard

BUSINESS
Rental expands
to Victoria Falls

The Standard January 15 to 21 2023

ZSE suspends Lafarge trading of shares

BY MELODY CHIKONO trading in its shares by the Secu-

T
he Zimbabwe Stock Ex-
change (ZSE) has sus-
pended the trading of
shares of Lafarge Ce-
ment Zimbabwe Limited
(Lafarge) on a voluntary basis to
allow it to deal with the challeng-
es facing the business.
This follows the execution of a
sale and purchase agreement be-
tween Associated International
Cement Limited and Fossil Mines
(Private) Limited for a 76.45%
shareholding in Lafarge.
In a statement, ZSE said it had
requested Lafarge to provide a
roadmap on how it aims to resolve
the challenges the business is fac-
ing.
“The Zimbabwe Stock Ex-
change Limited (ZSE) hereby no-
tifies the investing public of the
voluntary suspension from trad-
ing in shares of Lafarge Cement
Zimbabwe Limited (Lafarge) with
effect from 13 January 2023,” the
bourse said.
“The suspension is for a period
of three months to allow Lafarge
to attend to material develop-
ments within its operations post
the execution of a sale and pur-
chase agreement between Associ-
ated International Cement Limit-
ed and Fossil Mines (Private) Lim-
ited for a 76.45% shareholding in
Lafarge.”
The bourse added that at La-
farge's request, it sought and was
granted permission to suspend
rities and Exchange Commission
of Zimbabwe pursuant to the pro-
visions of Section 64(a) (ii) of the
Securities and Exchange Act [Cap
24:25].
In terms of Section 9 of the ZSE
Listings Requirements, the com-
pany should continue to discharge
its obligations to the sharehold-
ers and the Zimbabwe Stock Ex-
change during the suspension.
ZSE said investors will not be
able to buy or sell Lafarge shares
during the suspension period.
The purchase of Lafarge by
Fossil Mines has been frustrat-
ed by sanctions imposed on Fos-
sil Mines under the Zimbabwe De-
mocracy and Economic Recovery
Act.
Last month, Fossil Agro, Fossil
Contracting and the group’s chief
executive officer Obey Chimuka
were added to the United States’
sanctions list due to alleged links
with a previously sanctioned busi-
ness tycoon, Kudakwashe Tag-
wirei, and his company, Sakunda
Holdings.
Meanwhile, Lafarge on Friday
advised that it was changing its
name.
“The board of directors of
La“farge Cement Zimbabwe Lim- Lafarge has been asked to provide a roadmap on how it aims to resolve the challenges the business is facing
ited (the company) would like to
inform shareholders and valued pending finalisation of the regis- tion of the board of directors as “The public is advised that
stakeholders that following the tration of the trade name by the well as the necessary board com- these processes will have no mate-
exit of Associated Internation- registrar of companies,” Lafarge mittees. rial effect on either the quality or
al Cement Limited from the busi- said “In this latter regard, the an- availability of any of the compa-
ness, the company will now be “The company added that it was nouncement of the relevant ap- ny’s range of products as well as
trading as (t/a) Khayah Cement also reconstituting the composi- pointments will be made shortly. its overall operations.”

Caledonia to spend US$21,4m capex in 2023

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI
THE Caledonia Mining Corpora-
tion, which is traded on the Vic-
toria Falls Stock Exchange, plans
to invest about US$21,4 million in
capital projects this year.
The mining company stated in
its 2023 guidance that capital ex-
penditure at Blanket Mine, its
flagship operation, will total ap-
proximately US$9,6 million for a
new tailings facility and an addi-
tional US$9,8 million for deep-lev-
el capital development to ensure
operations can be maintained in
coming years.
It is anticipated that over US$2
million would be spent once more
in 2023 on the revision of the fea-
sibility study for the bigger sul-
phide project at Bilboes.
It is estimated that operating
cash flows and domestic borrow-
ings will cover the cost of the
group's projected capital expend-
iture.
Caledonia CEO Mark Lear-
month stated that excluding the
expenses of the Bilboes oxides
project, cost guidance at Blanket
and Caledonia was similar with
the costs they had traditionally
incurred.
“We anticipate that the infla-
tionary pressures currently be-
ing experienced by most mining
companies will be offset by effi-
ciencies resulting from the suc-
cessful implementation of Cen-
tral Shaft,” he said.
“At the consolidated level, the
all-in sustaining cost per ounce is
also expected to benefit from the
lower cost of electricity due to the
recently installed solar plant.
“The on-mine cost of the small
oxides project at Bilboes reflects
the low grade of the oxide mate-
rial."
Learmonth revealed that in
terms of grade, output volumes,
or cost profile, the oxides project
is not anticipated to be compara-
ble to the considerably larger sul-
phide project at Bilboes.
“Nevertheless, the oxides pro-
ject is expected to contribute
to the group’s cash generation
whilst at the same time allowing
us to pre-strip to the deeper sul-
phide material,” he said.
Learmonth said the company
had acquired Bilboes, Motapa,
and Maligreen during the past
18 months, resulting in the crea-
tion of an appealing portfolio of
assets.
“Blanket will continue to serve
as a solid foundation for this
growth as we look to progress our
assets with our long-term goal of
becoming a multi-asset gold pro-
ducer,” he said.
Learmonth said production
guidance for 2023 assumes that
Blanket will broadly maintain
the production rate achieved in
2022.
“In 2014, Caledonia announced
a plan to sink a new shaft (Cen-
tral Shaft) to 1 200 metres from
the surface, all funded through
internal cash flow, with a long-
term target of achieving an annu-
al production rate of 80 000 ounc-
es,” he said.
“I am delighted to announce to-
day that we have now achieved
this target, with 2022 annual pro-
duction of 80 775 ounces — just
over the top end of our guidance.
“This achievement is a huge
milestone for the company; it
has been a tremendous team ef-
fort and I would like to thank all
of our employees for their contin-
ued hard work.”
Estimated production from the
minor oxides project at Bilboes,
where mining activity is antici-
pated to begin in February is also
included in the production pro-
jection. Caledonia CEO Mark Learmonth
In March, the business antic-
ipates removing gold from the cessed on-site using an existing oxide material, Learmonth said,
heap leach process. heap leach facility that has been will be deducted as they are in-
The Bilboes Oxides Project is in use for the majority of the past curred.
a small, two to three-year project 10 years. He added that these expens-
that involves removing overbur- The project needed about es would have been incurred be-
den to a depth of about 40 meters US$540 000 in initial capital, cause the larger sulphide project
in order to expose the oxidised which was spent in 2022. would have eventually needed the
material. The operating expenses for re- removal of the overburden.
This material will then be pro- moving the overburden and the
20 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
BRIEFS
We’re doing something
about load shedding,
says Ramaphosa
JOHANNESBURG — South African presidential
spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says president Cyr-
il Ramaphosa deeply regrets the current energy situa-
tion, which has plunged the country into stage 6 load
shedding.
Magwenya was updating the public on the presi-
dent’s public programme and topical issues of public
and media interest.
“The president acknowledges the frustration of
households, parents and learners who have com-
menced the school calendar year facing power short-
ages. The devastation to small businesses and the ad-
verse impact to the economy remains severe for South
Africa’s recovering economy,” Magwenya said during a
hybrid media briefing on Thursday.
Giving an update on the National Energy Plan, Mag-
wenya said that president Ramaphosa convened a Na-
tional Energy Crisis Committee comprising ministers
and various technical work stream leaders on 15 De-
cember.
While the president acknowledged some of the pro-
gress made in the executing elements of the National
Energy Plan, he further demanded more urgency and
speed in the implementation of all priority areas and
actions laid out in the plan.
—Business Tech
Apple boss Tim Cook to
have pay cut by over
40% this year
California — American multinational technolo-
gy company Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook will see
his annual pay package slashed by more than 40% this
year.
The technology giant says Cook requested the cut
after criticism from shareholders.
Apple’s compensation committee awarded him a to-
tal “target compensation” of $49m (£45,1m) for 2023.
Last year the iPhone maker’s shares fell sharply in the
face of supply chain issues and a global economic slow-
down.
“The Compensation Committee balanced share-
holder feedback, Apple’s exceptional performance, and
a recommendation from Mr Cook to adjust his com-
pensation in light of the feedback received,” Apple said
in a filing with a US financial watchdog.
The move will see Cook’s annual basic salary un-
changed at $3m, as well as a bonus of up to $6m.
The biggest difference to his pay package is how he
will be awarded shares in the firm. —BBC
Cost of living: Argentina
sees prices almost
doubling last year
Buenos Aires — Argentina saw prices almost dou-
ble last year as the country's annual inflation rate hit its
highest level in more than 30 years.
Official figures show consumer prices jumped by
94,8% in the 12 months to the end of December.
It marks the South American country's fastest pace of
inflation since 1991.
Last year Argentina's central bank raised its main rate
of interest to 75% as it tries to rein in the soaring cost
of living.
On a monthly basis, Argentina's monthly inflation
rate stood at 5.1% in December.
The monthly figure marks a small victory for the gov-
ernment of President Alberto Fernandez as the coun-
try's official inflation rate remains below the peak of
7.4% in July.
Policy makers and politicians may also take some
comfort from the annual rate not hitting three figures
for 2022.
Price rises in December were led by cost increasing in
areas including restaurants, hotels, alcoholic drinks and
tobacco, which were up by more than 7%.
Like most countries around the world, Argentina has
seen prices rise sharply as the cost of commodities in-
cluding energy has gone up.
Soaring prices have largely been attributed to a bout
of central bank money-printing, as well as the war in
Ukraine.
In December the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
approved another $6bn (£4.9bn) of bailout money for
South America's second largest economy. —BBC
Mangudya: Zim’s de-dollarisation on course
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
This facility has largely benefited the
agriculture sector, especially summer
and winter cropping.
In addition, the bank continues to sup-
port MSMEs through concessionary in-
terest rates to sustain their production.
In addition, the Bank continues to ca-
ter for the foreign currency needs of the
MSMEs through the auction system for
SMEs.
VM: The collateral registry has now
been operationalised, do you think it
will have any impact?
JM: The collateral registry system was
successfully launched on November 18,
2022.
The operationalisation of the collateral
registry will enable members of the pub-
lic to leverage on movable assets, which
were considered as “dead capital” to ac-
cess funding from financial institutions.
As such it will go a long way in enhanc-
ing access to finance especially by MS-
MEs which have traditionally failed to
access loans from the banking sector due
to lack of acceptable collateral.
VM: 2023 is an election year and
there is always the fear of increased
money supply. How do you intend to
reign in the potential inflationary
pressures which can emerge?
JM: The bank does not anticipate any
abrupt shocks to the money supply em-
anating from unanticipated expenditure
unless something extraordinary hap-
pens.
The bank and government will contin-
ue with the current liquidity manage-
ment measures to ensure that the obtain-
ing inflation and exchange rate stability
are sustained through the election peri-
od.
The year 2023 is a year of stability and
growth of the national economy.
VM: On the international develop-
ment front, what has been the impact
of Russia Ukraine war on the bank-
ing sector?
JM: The impact of the Russia-Ukraine
conflict was minimal on the domes-
tic banking sector as a result of limited
trade and capital flows and financial link-
ages between Zimbabwe and Russia.
The conflict, however, contributed to
inflationary pressures during the first
half of 2022 which negatively impacted
the import prices of raw materials, food
Tesla cuts prices by up to a fifth to boost demand
LONDON — Tesla has cut the price of some of
its most popular electric cars by thousands of
pounds in Europe and the US, in a bid to boost
customer demand.
The firm faces a difficult global economic out-
look and increased competition from other car-
makers.
The price cuts are in the range of 10% to 13%
in the UK, but run as high as 20% on some US
models.
New UK buyers will save £5 500 on an entry-
level Model 3 and £7 000 on the cheapest Mod-
el Y.
However, more than 16 000 customers
bought those best-selling models last year, and
some were angry that they had paid more.
One posted on a Facebook group for Tesla
owners: “I just picked up the car yesterday. What
should I do? Go to Tesla and give back the car? I
can't believe after a few hours from picking up
the car I lost £5k.”
Tesla had a similar response from customers in
China, where it announced price cuts last week.
At the weekend disgruntled owners dem-
onstrated outside Tesla distribution centres in
Shanghai and other cities, calling for compen-
sation.
Tesla has reduced prices twice in China in the
last six months and they are now 13% to 24% be-
low September levels.
To try to avoid similar objections in the US
and Europe, Tesla said customers who had or-
dered, but not yet received, their vehicle would
be charged the new lower price.
Ginny Buckley, from the electric vehicle mar-
ketplace, Electrifying.com, said the price cuts
were still controversial and bound to “send
shockwaves” through the industry, because Te-
sla was making a shift from a premium to a more
mainstream product.
and liquid fuels.
The impact on the banking sector was,
therefore, indirect through domestic
macro-financial linkages.
VM: What is the status of historical
RBZ debt assumption?
JM: Government has put in place nec-
essary legal instruments to assume all
the blocked funds and the legacy debt
that was contracted by the bank on its be-
half.
VM: ZAMCO was a great success in
managing NPLs. Should it not contin-
ue?
JM: ZAMCO (Zimbabwe Asset Man-
agement Company) was set up as a spe-
cial purpose vehicle (SPV), with the sole
mandate of taking over non-performing
loans in the banking sector. The SPV was
established to operate for a maximum of
ten years, from 2014 to 2024. Having ful-
filled its mandate ahead of time, ZAM-
CO is in the process of winding down. As
such, the Bank has no appetite for creat-
ing another ZAMCO. We will do every-
thing it takes to ensure that asset qual-
ity remains sound. We are happy that
the level of non-performing loans in the
banking sector has been below the in-
ternational benchmark of 5% for over 4
years and the objective is to sustain this
trajectory.
VM: On currency management,
what are your plans going forward?
JM: The current focus of the Bank is
to sustain the optimal mix of the curren-
cy basket which is at 60:40 for USD and
ZWL and which is serving the country
very well.
Going forward, the focus will be on en-
suring value preservation for the local
currency and promoting its use to in-
crease its proportion in the dual curren-
cy basket.
VM: What are your priority areas
for 2023?
JM: The bank’s priority areas for 2023
include sustaining the current price and
exchange rate stability to foster economic
growth. The Bank will seek to start build-
ing foreign currency reserves needed to
back up the local currency taking advan-
tage of Statutory Instrument (SI) 189 of
2022 and the reduced demand for foreign
currency on the auction, which has fall-
en from more than US$40 million per auc-
tion in the past to the current amounts of
less than US$15 million. The building of
Tesla has also reduced prices twice in China in the last six months
Paul Hollick, chair, Association of Fleet Profes-
sionals welcomed the price cuts, saying it would
make electric vehicles more affordable to his
members. However the “disorderly marketing”
was not good news, he said.
“A move of this kind does unavoidably create
ill-feeling. The company would do well to intro-
duce some kind of redress," he said.
The electric carmaker has been growing rap-
idly in recent years, as it moves from being a
niche premium brand to a mass market manu-
facturer.
But there are challenges.
Slowing global growth and higher interest
rates, not to mention increasing competition
from more established carmakers and from Chi-
Business
foreign currency reserves for the country
will be based on export promotion and
import substitution to ensure continued
external sustainability.
The bank also plans to institute further
measures to liberalise the foreign curren-
cy market in order to eliminate arbitrage
and speculative opportunities in the mar-
ket. The bank will seek to ensure an ef-
ficient foreign exchange market system
that will promote seamless financing of
critical imports.
The bank will also continue to ensure
a smooth and efficient payment system
as well as promote financial deepening to
encourage savings through value preser-
vation instruments in 2023. In addition,
the bank will seek to continue promoting
financial innovation through FINTECH
initiatives and accelerating research to-
ward digital currencies, particularly the
adoption of a central bank digital curren-
cy.
Lastly, the bank will seek to continue
implementing measures and policies for
sustaining the use of the domestic cur-
rency; boost confidence in its use as part
of the de-dollarisation process.
VM: What is your parting message
to Zimbabweans?
JM: Price and financial system sta-
bility is the best contribution that the
bank can offer to economic growth and
the general well-being of the nation and
hence at the center of the bank’s primary
objectives. Sustaining the current price
stability will go a long way in the preser-
vation of wealth and increasing the coun-
try’s happiness index. Against this back-
drop, the bank will do whatever it takes to
safeguard price and financial system sta-
bility using all the policy levers under its
purview.
I also want to assure the public that eco-
nomic activity is robust and that the in-
flation outlook is positive. With the inter-
ventions that we have undertaken so far,
we expect inflation to continue a down-
ward path to below 40% by end of 2023.
The bank encourages the private sector
to refrain from malpractices and specula-
tive behaviour and adhere to responsible
pricing. The support of the policies of
government and the bank by the private
sector is critical in achieving and sus-
taining the current stability in the econ-
omy.
nese brands, all threaten its expansion.
When demand for Tesla cars far exceeded sup-
ply, it could maintain prices at what Elon Musk
himself described as “embarrassing levels”.
But in a world where more electric car brands
will be competing for a diminishing pool of po-
tential buyers, it can no longer afford to do so —
if it wants to keep on growing.
James Baggot, editor in chief of Car Dealer
Magazine, said the move would have a big im-
pact on used Tesla prices, which he said had al-
ready fallen by more than a fifth last year.
The lowest priced new Tesla Model 3 in the UK
is now priced at £42 990. Model Y vehicles start
at £44 990.
—BBC

We are in deep trouble in
our challenging workplace
re-imagining
the workplace
WITH BHEKILIZWE BERNARD NDLOVU
This column sets out to take its
readers through a journey that
should put us in a position of un-
derstanding the criticality of the
human resource.
This is both for the leader and
the led. It is good for the leader to
understand this for purposes of
working with the human resource
in such a manner that they thrive
and the best is gotten out of them.
This is based on the premise
that one cannot use any resource
to its fullest if they do not under-
stand its potential. It is good for
the led because self-awareness is
the basis for self-improvement.
No one can be assisted by even
another person to get directions
if it is not known where they are.
When one knows where they
are, they can be assisted in differ-
ent ways to get directions. Clear-
ly that is where we should start,
where we are, what we are, and
who we are, so that we may begin
to move forward.
I have tried at length to estab-
lish, based on scientific research,
that there is a serious relation-
ship between happiness and per-
formance in all areas of perfor-
mance.
This has been a tall order and
mammoth task because happi-
ness is considered a nice-to-have
In our inaugural PEOPLE model we
talked about the legal compliance as a
critical cog of running a successful SME.
Here we narrow down to branding
laws as originated in the field of business
and marketing management (every phi-
losophy/discipline has its own laws). In-
deed theories must be turned into prac-
tice for real-life validation.
The existence of our entrepreneuri-
al brands needs to be safeguarded by
some sort of prescriptions made for us
and by us. Especially now we have seen
that we are equally excellent in perfor-
mance to share markets, shelf displays,
partnerships, business discussions and
exhibitions with the so called global big
brands. It is a sign that we can even do
much better and dominate the world
likewise.
Of course there are many, if not un-
countable laws of branding, that have
been shared in various domains. Here we
apply a specific entrepreneurial check-
list to focus and customise those brand-
ing laws for entrepreneurial take-off and
longevity. In this edition we therefore
discuss the laws of branding that relates
to our SME growth and success.
To start with is the law of brand quality
where we move away from mere defini-
tions and explanations to live the prom-
ise. A real brand should talk quality in its
delivery, performance of the represented
offerings and pricing.
Now we know what our markets ex-
pect from us through this enterpris-
ing journey we have taken so far it is
high time to showcase real brand qual-
ity through business re-engineering pro-
cesses. Where we introspect, test, adjust,
match and evaluate. View yourself as cus-
tomer of the same products/service you
are marketing and selling. What would
be the best price you will pay for against
the anticipated satisfaction (brand quali-
ty =brand value).
Many of the times our SMEs take
short-cuts and give less in quality (be-
thing because in the workplace
it’s not important whether we
are happy or not because what we
want to achieve can be achieved
without happiness.
We risk being labelled softies,
cry-babies and sissies if we want
happiness and claim that it is im-
portant that we are happy for us
to perform and give out our best.
The courage is still there
though, to unpack this important
life phenomenon and make it un-
derstandable by all and sundry
because we all do need to under-
stand it.
We are unhappy and underper-
forming, sadly, but because we
are achieving ‘enough’ on the sur-
face, we do not feel the need to do
anything more regarding doing
better and even reaching the sub-
lime.
We are content with average
and sometimes even below aver-
age and mediocre because the hu-
man resource and the functioning
of same is considered a given and
so we do not do much to achieve
the zenith.
Our commitment as people
management and development
enthusiasts is to then show the
relationship between happiness
and performance scientifically.
Shirzad Chamine, the author of
Laws for entrepreneurial branding
businessopinion
with DR FARAI CHIGORA
cause they don’t pre-test) but at the
same time expect best returns.
A reminder that the market is also
ahead in evaluation of the product/ser-
vice, pricing and brand promise(s). The
same goes with matching your brand
elements like packaging and projected
brand personality with the expectations
of the segment(s) being served.
As we all know that quality lies in the
eyes of the beholder. We have different
types of markets/customers with diverse
needs for satisfaction ranging from the
lower to higher end of social classes. In
this perspective various groups have dif-
ferent views/opinions on what they call
quality in relation to an SME brand. It is
therefore imperative to know that qual-
ity is not about being expensive and hav-
ing brand elegance but providing what
your segment see as satisfying for their
particular need(s) (a proper market re-
search should lead in this achievement).
That is why those in the school of eco-
nomics have appreciated two extremes
of every market that is for inferior and
for normal/superior goods. Here quality
is defined differently in both ends. Thus
know what your brand quality stands for
in the markets you serve as an aspiring
entrepreneur.
This is then followed by another spe-
cial entrepreneurial brand law of brand
contraction. The law is a very interesting
in the sense that it re-defines the growth
the New York Times bestselling
book Positive Intelligence where
Positive Intelligence (PQ) is a
measure of Mental Fitness, indi-
cating how quickly you recover
from negative to positive respons-
es to challenges.
This leads to happiness and
based on his research, this happi-
ness increases performance lev-
els. Our task is to show how and
this is where we get to under-
stand that we are psychosomat-
ic beings who have a lot happen-
ing that we are not conscious of
and that determines our state of
mind, body and the quality of our
thoughts and decision.
There is a state of mind that
promotes high levels of perfor-
mance and without self-aware-
ness and hence self-direction, a
lot happens compulsively and we
lose a lot in the process.
The worst is that we then per-
form mediocre and not know that
we are doing badly and compul-
sively, holding the illusion that
we are successful and doing well.
There is the wellness side to
it, which is a subject for anoth-
er day, but it’s important that we
refer to it here. The body takes a
big knock from this compulsive
thinking scourge that results in
biochemical activities in the body
and unwellness.
This further complicates sim-
ple performance and can lead to
the body not being able to per-
form its duties and very impor-
tant destinies and assignments
get aborted before they see the
light of day.
of SMEs which has been on our main
agenda from the onset. We previously
talked about managing diversity and ex-
pansion of our businesses. Surely we dis-
covered that some promising enterprises
experienced a pre-mature death just be-
cause they tried to grow too much than
they could handle/manage (concept of
diseconomies to scale).
The same applies when we expand
our brand(s) and use it on everything
that comes in our lines of operation/en-
gagement. We dilute its power in the
sense that the brand becomes mean-
ingless on a broader market. A brand
should have a concentrated focus and
direct its effort to sell with a positive im-
age and wide awareness in particular/
specific markets. I have seen most of our
SMEs milking from their successful brand
by attaching it to everything that comes
along their way from pharmaceuticals
to agriculture, retail, furniture and bank-
ing. Yes it is good to ride on a success-
ful brand and benefit from its equity but
that will not last in the long-run. Through
contraction and narrowed brand fo-
cus visibility will grow to be intense and
memorable.
The same goes with the law of brand
category which equally relates to the
aforementioned. A successful brand
should create its own category. Rather
than joining a bandwagon which weak-
ens your competitiveness/bargaining
The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 21
When the opposite happens and
we take control of the function-
ing of our minds, bodies, emo-
tions and energies, things shift
and there is light from the in-
side and this light opens new neu-
ropathways that have never been
activated. We feel like we have
received a new lease of life. The
performer awakes and sees flow-
ers where they used to see thorns
and thistles only.
Outside that awareness, the hu-
man resources are living at some
level of trauma and never see the
flowers. It makes sense that out-
side awareness, we all live at a
certain level of trauma.
I am aware that it is difficult
to embrace this compelling re-
search finding, but the idea is to
provoke desire to decide to start
the journey of awareness, happi-
ness and performance. We cannot
afford to live and perform at that
level forever because this is tanta-
mount to self-robbery.
The workplace in Zimbabwe
and the world over is robbing its
contemporary society and pos-
terity by not tapping into the real
deal which is to indeed do those
ambitious business plans and
then invest in capacitating the
human resource and making it
happy to perform to its highest.
In most organisations we do our
plans and slave drive the human
resource, getting close to nothing
out of this important resource.
The Zimbabwean workplace
presents some of the best chal-
lenges for any trailblazing think-
er who wants to break free from
the tentacles of fate and the be-
lief that when things are diffi-
cult, there is nothing we can do
about it.
Nature has great examples
of the good, the beauty and the
sweet being hidden behind some-
thing that looks ugly.
Mineral resources are found
in the belly of the earth under
very dark conditions and honey,
the sweetest and healthy liquid is
produced by one ugly insect that
stings human beings, the bee.
power from the inception. It is critical for
a brand to break its own ground and cre-
ate dominance through being the first
to develop and lead the promise(s) in
one way or another. That is why it is im-
portant to patent and have own Intel-
lectual Property Rights, Copy Rights and
Trademarks. A brand should enjoy its
own space as a pace-setter/ inventor/
innovator in a particular area of provi-
sion/category. Also supporting the need
to strengthen uniqueness that is need-
ed from brand craftsmanship to its life-
long market expression. We all know
that when shopping for some products/
services in any category there is always
one that standout to be the leader and
first choice. It is important to maintain
the same forever through continued up-
dates, innovation and new product/ser-
vice development. As represented by
a progressive/innovative brand and in
some cases even go on re-branding in
the same category.
In some editions we also announced
the law of brand fellowship. Which ex-
tends from the above that for a brand
to strengthen its existence/performance
in a certain category it should embrace/
encourage fellowship. That is welcom-
ing other brands in its space/markets.
Though it is important to be cautious
and know when to invite others as com-
petition might overtake your brand vi-
sioning. In fact you should be well pre-
pared for fellowship. On the positive side
if there is more competition (through ac-
cepted brand fellowship) there will be
more noise in that industry/category
which then leads to higher good publici-
ty and increased sales for those excellent
players in the fellowship. So fellowship
can really benefit a brand as one single
Business
One would have thought that hon-
ey would come out of our moth-
ers’ titties but alas it’s from these
insects.
Flowers, a natural beauty that
is beautiful for itself, grow out of
dirty soil and thrive even. Why
then do we refuse our bad, ma-
nure situation in the Zimbabwe-
an workplace and other places?
We should get excited about
the idea of digging deep into
this dirt and coming out with the
best. When we come out alive and
thriving, the world will look at us
as a collective success and celeb-
rity.
We, therefore cannot afford to
just speculate or maintain the
business-as-usual attitude. Ours
should be the business as unusual
attitude because we are going for
the jugular vein in the workplace
and taking no prisoners. Comfort
is not favourable for this kind of
attitude and execution.
We have created subtle comfort
zones around ourselves because
comfort zones do not care that it
is under difficult conditions. We
can be in deep problems and have
comfort zones.
These comfort zones are zones
that are not comfortable and if we
knew it, we would work our way
out of them.
n Bhekilizwe Bernard Ndlo-
vu’s training is in human re-
sources training, development
and transformation, behav-
ioural change, applied drama,
personal mastery and mental
fitness. He works for a Zim-
babwean company as head of
human capital, while also do-
ing a PhD with Wits Univer-
sity where he looks at vio-
lent strikes in the South Afri-
can workplace as a research-
er. Ndlovu worked as a human
resources manager for several
blue-chip companies in Zimba-
bwe and still takes keen inter-
est in the affairs of people and
performance management. He
can be contacted on bhekili-
zweb.bn@gmail.com
SME might fail to raise that higher noise
in a certain category than what will hap-
pen when they are many other players
shouting for an equal attraction. Like the
adage goes “There is power in numbers.”
These markets/customers we serve en-
joy competition because they will have
a wide base to choose the best prod-
uct/services as represented by the best
brand. Our SMEs should now realise that
there is power in fellowshipping rather
than being a silo in a certain category.
Lastly, we go back to brand founda-
tion through appreciating the law of a
brand name. A brand needs to be rep-
resented by a strong/unique name for it
to sail through into the long-run. That’s
what has made renowned brands like
Nike and Coca-Cola live longer on the
global market. Even with likely imitations
these brands have managed defend
their space and still dominate to be the
leaders in their category. A brand name
should not only have a meaning but not
easily copied like a biometric finger print
(a story for another day). Today I rest my
case as we lawfully support the existence
of our home-grown brands.
n Dr Farai Chigora is a business-
man and academic. He is the head of
business science at the Africa Univer-
sity’s College of Business, Peace, Lead-
ership and Governance. His Doctoral
Research focused on business admin-
istration (destination marketing and
branding major, Ukzn, SA). He is into
agribusiness and consults for many
companies in Zimbabwe and Africa.
He writes in his personal capacity and
can be contacted for feedback and
business at fariechigora@gmail.com,
WhatsApp mobile: +263772886871.
22 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
Business
Five Star expands to Victoria Falls
BY STAFF REPORTER
A
local car rental company Five Star
Car Rental will in April launch a new
branch in Victoria Falls.
The company founder and CEO Ta-
Part of the fleet at Five wanda Marwizi confirmed the develop-
Star Car Rental ments to Standardbusiness saying the opening of
the new branch was part of their efforts to pro-
vide car rental services across the country.
Marwizi said Five Star Car Rental, just like any
small and medium enterprise, is strategically po-
sitioning itself so that it contributes to the eco-
nomic development of the country through em-
ployment creation, gross domestic product (GDP),
poverty reduction and supporting the tourism in-
dustry.
Over the years travel and tourism have contrib-
uted immensely to the country’s GDP.
According to the National Tourism Satellite Ac-
count, tourism accounted for 4,25% of the GDP
with a value of US$1,03 billion in 2018.
In 2019 the sector accounted for 6,3% of GDP
with a value of US$1,23 billion. At the same time,
the data also shows that tourism accounted for
1,56% of national employment levels in 2018, with
around 100 000 jobs supported and created.
Marwizi said the opening of a Five Star Car
Rental branch in Victoria Falls was part of efforts
to support the recovery of the tourism sector after
the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are happy to launch the Victoria Falls
branch and this is part of our efforts to reach out
to many Zimbabweans and support the country’s
tourism industry,” he said.
“We are part of the team that is rebuilding the
tourism sector after the negative impact caused
by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The young award-winning businessman said
they have at their disposal top-of-the-range cars,
mini SUVs and light vehicles for all sorts of activ-
ities in the resort town.
“We know what it means to be a service provid-
er in towns like Victoria Falls and other tourist
spots such that we have the suitable vehicles for
all sorts of activities in Victoria Falls,” Marwizi
said.
“We are happy that everything else is now in
place.”
Marwizi said the Harare branch, which is the
company’s headquarters, has been receiving over-
whelming support from clients in and outside the
country.
“We are growing and I am happy that in Harare
our clients are happy,” he said.
“We want to continue with excellence.”
Last year Marwizi was named among young, in-
novative CEOs by the Zimbabwe CEO’s Network.
Five Star Car Rental is also working with local
artistes among other initiatives that include cor-
porate responsibility programmes.
“Late last year we joined other SMEs under the
banner The Brand that Cares where we donat-
ed groceries and other necessities to a children’s
home in Harare,” Marwizi.
“We hope to build from where we left under our
corporate social responsibility programmes.”
Five Star Car Rental CEO Tawanda Marwizi
 JANUARY 15 TO 21 2023

SITA PLEADS
FOR MBARE
RUGBY
ACADEMY
SUPPORT

FANS COME
TO BULAWAYO
CHIEFS’ RESCUE
SH24 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023

Sport

Sita pleads for Mbare Rugby Academy support

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO

H
E rose from humble begin-
nings in Mbare to become one
of the finest rugby players in
the land, with some spellbinding per-
formances for the Zimbabwe rugby
sevens team before also representing
Germany with distinction towards the
latter stages of his career.
Ex-Zimbabwe international Mana-
sah Sita might have since hung up
his rugby boots, with his focus now
on running his successful fitness gym
in Heidelberg, Germany, but he re-
tains a very special connection with
his roots.
The 36-year-old, who was recently
in the country on holiday, made sure
to take some time off to check on his
old mentor Victor Pekani, the found-
er and head coach of Mbare Rugby
Academy, where his rugby journey
began.
“Without this guy, I wouldn’t be
where I am today and I’m so grateful
and thankful that Victor Pekani took
me under his arms back then when I
really needed him,” Sita said in an in-
terview with The Sports Hub last week.
“He showed me how to play rug-
by, how to be a man. His methods
of coaching rugby made me who
I am today. So just going back and
chatting to the boys and seeing that
Mbare Academy is still there and Vic-
tor is still drilling these guys the same
way he used to do to us is just amaz- Mbare Rugby Academy coach Victor Pekani (second from left) with some of his products
ing.”
Sita says he regards Pekani, who
now also doubles as head coach
of the Marondera-based Wise Owl
High School, as one of the top rugby
coaches in the country and pleaded
for local rugby stakeholders to give
him the recognition he deserves.
“Victor Pekani for me is just one of
the best coaches in Zimbabwe and
it’s a shame that people haven’t ac-
knowledged that but as a country we
need these kind of coaches. He is one
of my mentors, I’m so glad and hap-
py that he is one of those guys who
started the journey and just seeing
him and talking to him was one of the
best things. Unfortunately, I can only
help him in a way but if the Zimbabwe
rugby community can actually recog-
nise him as one of the best coaches in
the country, I believe so many people
will benefit from his skills and meth-
ods of coaching and from his passion
for rugby,” he said.
Growing up in Waterfalls, Sita con-
sidered himself a sprinter before Pe-
kani encouraged him to try rugby. Lit-
tle did he know that it would be a life-
changing experience.
Following a sublime season with
the then Mashonaland Country Dis-
tricts club (now Old Georgians RFC),
he scaled heights beyond measure
and became the best rugby player in
the country in 2008.
The utility back Sita went on to be-
come a key member of the Zimba- Manasah Sita celebrates after winning the World Rugby Challenger Series event with Germany two years ago
bwe Sevens rugby side as well as sev-
eral clubs in Germany, where he also the institution. “I have been doing my best here “I officially stopped playing rugby coaching rugby, although he has
featured for the European nation and He however appealed to local cor- in Germany to help these guys but I last year, I was at a point where rug- been providing some fitness pro-
won the World Rugby Challenger Se- porates and well-wishers to come on can’t do everything alone and I hope by and work were colliding and my grammes for the Zimbabwe Un-
ries two years ago. board and support the Mbare Rugby the Zimbabwe rugby stakeholders do coaches told me that it’s either you der-20 rugby side.
Sita is one of the several former and Academy project. something to help the players. It will are playing or not,” Sita revealed. “I really don’t see myself getting
current household names in Zimba- “Zimbabwe needs to start looking definitely change the image of Zim “I’m an entrepreneur now, I have into rugby coaching, my focus at the
bwean rugby who came through the at these so-called little clubs and help rugby and ultimately the country will this big gym that I own now here in moment is on my gym and definite-
ranks of Mbare Rugby Academy be- them because that’s where all the tal- benefit from this because there are Germany so doubling the two was ly making sure that this brand grows
fore going on to enjoy very success- ent is coming from. The coaching that so many players coming out of Mbare too much for me and I felt like I was and maybe one day when I come
ful careers. they are getting there I’m telling you Rugby Academy. My appeal to all not in a position to do both. I stopped back home I’ll be helping people
They include France-based Bar- is of the highest quality but the most the sponsors is please just try to give playing rugby last year and it’s now with the fitness training that I have
thes Under-20 Trophy-winning star- amazing thing is they do all this with- Mbare Rugby Academy a chance,” Sita all about business. The same men- been doing here. I don’t see myself
lets Tavonga Ablant and Panashe out any of the fancy equipment but said. tality I had in rugby I have just shift- as a rugby coach but more on the nu-
Zuze Pride Nyameni, Stephan Hun- still as a player when you come out After hanging up his boots last year ed into business and I’m so happy to trition and strength side and helping
duza who captained the Cheetahs of the academy you know that you due to pressing working commit- be where I am at the moment, I have people to lose weight here in Germa-
and South Africa-based loose forward can compete with anyone. I hope the ments, Manasah has immersed him- three guys that are working for me ny.
Njabulo Ncube just to mention a few. Zimbabwe rugby community in col- self in the world of business in Ger- now and the mission is big, to grow “The Junior Sables head coach
Sita, who has maintained a close laboration with the local corporate many. Manasahfitness to a big brand here Shaun de Souza asked me for a pro-
connection with several clubs that he world can come together and give While he is no longer involved in in Germany and probably back home gramme and I was willing to do that
featured for in Germany said he will back to the Mbare Rugby Academy, rugby, Sita says he has been using the when the time comes.” to help him because Zimbabwe is my
continue to look for ways to support especially the coaches. It will be one mentality he used as a rugby player Sita, who also earned a few caps nation and if I’m able to assist in any
Mbare Rugby Academy and the cur- of the best investments they can ever in his business venture as owner of a with the national XVs rugby side, way I’m always willing to give a help-
rent generation of young players at make. thriving fitness gym in Heidelberg. the Sables, ruled out venturing into ing hand,” Sita added.
 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 SH25

Sport

Fans come to
Bulawayo
Chiefs’ rescue
BY FORTUNE MBELE

B
ULAWAYO Chiefs’ fans have taken it upon them-
selves to spruce up the club’s new stadium, Ama-
Zulu Sports Club as the team last year secured a
five-year lease from Bulawayo City Council.
Work at the facility, which has been lying idle for a
very long time following the demise of AmaZulu Foot-
ball Club, started last year and Bulawayo Chiefs’ women
club and the men’s developmental side have been us-
ing the facility.
The reigning Chibuku Super Cup champions had Members of the Bulawayo Chiefs supporters chapter at work at the facility during the week
halted the refurbishments at Amazulu Sports Club dur-
ing the Christmas and New Year holidays due to finan-
cial problems.
The financially troubled club last year failed to pay its
players for the better part of the second half of the sea-
son and they are due to lose a number of senior play-
ers this year with defender Elvis Moyo already in Dyna-
mos’ books.
Elvis and his twin brother Kevin had their contracts
with the Ninjas expire at the end of the year with the lat-
ter also reported to be on his way to the Glamour Boys.
Other senior players Kelvin Madzongwe, David Bi-
zabani, Malvin Mkolo, Arthur “Diego” Musiyiwa, Obri-
el Chirinda and Perfect Chikwende could be on their
way out with the club having told the players that if
there are any clubs that wish sign them, they should ap-
proach the Ninjas for transfers to be done procedurally.
Sources said the club has started paying players what
they owe in salaries that date back to September.
The spokesperson of the Bulawayo chapter of the
club supporters, Prosper Phiri and other fans joined
hands during the week and were part of a crew that is
working at the AmaZulu Sports Club for the Ninjas to
start their pre-season training at the facility under new
gaffer, Farai Tawachera, formerly with relegated Bula-
wayo Chiefs.
“As a chapter, we appreciate the efforts that the club
has done for our football in Bulawayo and it will be un-
fair to just criticize issues as is being done; maybe it’s
time we need to show action. As a chapter we are put-
ting together a financial plan to assist the club and en-
tice members to join the chapter and that money for
joining fees will be channelled towards activities of the
club,” Phiri said.
He said the persistent rains that have pounded the
city and sewage flowing onto the pitch had stalled pro-
gress at the facility.
“The sewage problem and the persistent rains made
it difficult for the grass to be maintained since the sew-
age was flowing non-stop for almost a month spilling
into the pitch. The chapter played a part in getting the
sewage problem stopped, but then rains came and the
grass kept growing,” Phiri said.
An inside source said a construction company and
another dealing in paints, who are eager to see through
the Bulawayo Chiefs’ project have come on board to
help the club.
“We have been given help by a local construction
company and a paint company who have strong de-
sires to see Bulawayo youths getting proper facilities to
train; people that believe in the Bulawayo Chiefs pro-
ject,” the source said.
A businessman in the City of Kings and Queens is also
said to be coming on board to ensure Bul- awayo
Chiefs get back to its feet.
At the time of acquiring the sta-
dium, when work started at the
facility, club executive secretary
Dumisani Mantula-Sibanda said:
“One major setback in sports de-
velopment in the country is the
unavailability of facilities and
this being a facility for us as a
club, we think we are in the right
direction. All we need to do is to
have enough resources to put in
place what we require that
is going to make our pro-
ject work. As a club,
we hope that Bula-
wayo Chiefs will one
day run a success-
ful academy and for
that project to be
successful we
need facilities.”
Bulawayo Chiefs supporters chapter
spokesperson Prosper Phiri
SH26 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
The Soccer Whiz
with ZAK HAWA
T
HE major leagues didn’t waste
time in getting back to busi-
ness after the break this year
for the Qatar World Cup.
With the exception of the best
run Bundesliga, who have taken
their traditional month-long winter
break, the other leagues decided
that they couldn’t afford any further
delays to the domestic season, and
rushed headlong back into action.
I personally wish that there had
been a universal decision to delay
the start of the resumption of the
domestic leagues.
It would just be proper and fit-
ting to salute the World Cup win-
ners, soak and digest the magnif-
icence of what has taken place in
Qatar and furthermore, give the
players a chance to recuperate and
repair themselves both physically
and mentally.
The impression I have is that the
big European leagues viewed this
winter World Cup as an aberration,
an abomination, an absurdity and
something that they could’ve done
without.
My view is somewhat differ-
ent and I wish that all could have
come on board and unanimously
fully embraced the idea of a winter
World Cup.
It’s a pity because on close intro-
spection, this has hands down been
the greatest World Cup ever.
I have always felt that a World Cup
in the middle of a season is the best
opportunity at getting the majority
of players in prime physical condi-
tion for football’s biggest prize and
Qatar 2022 proved it.
That second winter World Cup
may remarkably happen sooner
rather than later.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in Sau-
di Arabia might help transform the
desert nation into the new football-
ing oasis of the world.
Should his presence succeed in
bolstering the image of the Saudi
League in attracting other stars and
ultimately securing them the vote
for the World Cup in 2030, it will
grant him the ultimate camel sta-
tus and freedom of the entire Mid-
dle East!
While CR7 gets his new career off
the ground at Al Nasr, it’s back to
business in the EPL.
For Liverpool that means the con-
tinuation of the run of pathetically
Football Fixtures
Premier League
Today: Chelsea v Crystal Palace
(1600), Newcastle v Fulham (1600),
Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal
(1830)
Wednesday: Crystal Palace v
Manchester United (2200)
Spanish LaLiga
Today: Getafe v Espanyol (1500),
Almería v Atlético Madrid (1715)
Monday: Cadiz v Elche (2200)
poor performances that beset them
before the World Cup break.
The team seems jaded and lacks
sparkle while manager Jurgen
Klopp himself for the very first time
since he arrived at Anfield, appears
frustrated, lacklustre and lost and
as if he’d rather be elsewhere.
I believe that Klopp has been
spared the winter glare only be-
cause over at Chelsea, Potter is in
an even bigger mess.
This is a man who after I applaud-
ed him for his understated but ef-
fective early successful start to his
Chelsea reign, now has the side in
total disarray.
Chelsea fans are scratching their
heads in disbelief as they watch the
team that just a couple of seasons
ago were proud conquerors of Eu-
rope now looking disheveled, dis-
jointed and an utter disgrace.  self the requisite, required unhin-
Over at Manchester United,
there’s finally peace and calm as
Erik ten Hag’s reign takes shape.
He’s instilled order and discipline
and it’s amazing how these two in-
gredients can positively impact a
dressing room, a team’s morale and
confidence.
With CR7 consigned to the oil
heap, only Maguire is nervously
regularly look- ing over
his shoulder these
days.
He
needn’t
worry
though be-
cause Erik
ten Hag will,
contrary to
the unneces-
sary commentary
coming from
Rio Ferdi-
nand, give
him reg-
ular play-
ing time
when
he de-
serves
it.
Per-
sonally
I only
French Ligue 1
Today: LOSC Lille v Troyes (1400),
Stade de Reims v Nice (1600), An-
gers v Clermont (1600), Montpel-
lier v Nantes (1600), Toulouse v
Brest (1600), Monaco v Ajaccio
(1805), Rennes v Paris Saint-Ger-
main (2145)
Italy Serie A
Today: Sassuolo v SS Lazio
(1330), Udinese v Bologna (1600),
Torino v Spezia (1600), Atalanta
EPL MANAGERIAL UPHEAVAL
know of one football club and that
is Manchester United where all the
former players believe that a career
at the club entitles them to a per-
manent voice in the way the club is
run.
For goodness sake Rio, call it
quits.
You have had a long distin-
guished career at the club but for
crying out loud, give the boss and
the players a chance without the
constant interference and harass-
ment yourself, the Nevilles and Roy
Keane continuously exert on the
club.
I am submitting this article be-
fore the big mouthwatering Man-
chester match up and have a hunch
that Erik’s boys are going to give a
statement standout performance.
If indeed they do get a positive
result, Erik ten Hag will garner him-
dered, untroubled management of
the football club until the end of
the season.
He may also be able to convince
the club to part with some cash for
a desperately required striker. New
Dutch arrival Weghorst please note,
much like a dental
filling, is only
a temporary
answer and
cannot be
viewed as a
long term
solution.)
Right now
they are a
v Salernitana (1900), AS Roma v
Fiorentina (2145)
Monday: Empoli v Sampdoria
(2145)
South African Premiership
Today: Swallows v TS Galaxy
(1530), Maritzburg Utd v Royal AM
(1730)
Monday: Mamelodi Sundowns v
SuperSport Utd (1800)
Rugby Union Fixtures
Heineken Champions Cup
Rashford injury away from a goal
drought.
The margins are wafer thin but if
Rashford had not stepped up when
it mattered this season, then Erik
ten Hag might already have been a
managerial casualty.
Paradoxically he now stands on
the verge of being the next great
Manchester United manager.
As one Manchester club ascends
to the summit, are we witnessing
another plummet downwards?
A chastening comprehensive 2-0
defeat in the Carabao cup at the
hands of the lowest ranked EPL
club Southampton on Wednesday
is followed by a run of challenging
matches up ahead with the Man-
chester derby followed by a tricky
Spurs assignment.
It’s possible that by this time next
week, City could realistically be out
of the title race and staring down
the barrel of a trophy less season.
I’m not saying it’s an absolute cer-
tainty that City will drop points in
this period but one thing I assure
you is that Pep is under the kind of
job security pressure that he alone
in this universe of football manag-
ers has never had to face previous-
ly.
Guardiola was brought
in to win trophies
and of course,
aespecially the
Champions
League.
That par-
ticular cup
has proved
extremely elu-
sive and perhaps
even Guardiola is
Today: Castres Olympique v Ed-
inburgh (1500)
London Irish v Stormers (1500)
EPCR Challenge Cup
Today: Cardiff Rugby v Newcas-
tle Falcons (1500)
International Cricket
ICC Women's U19 T20 World
Cup 2023
Today: Pakistan Under 19s Wom-
en v Rwanda Under 19s Wom-
en (1000), West Indies Under 19s
Fans come
to Bulawayo
Chiefs’
rescue Pg 25
starting to believe that maybe it’s
not destined for him again.
He was successful with mega star
studded Barcelona in their Mes-
si prime, winning the Champions
League in 2009 and 2011.
However Pep has since failed
to win the Champions League at
both Bayern and Manchester City
with arguably the greatest assem-
bly of talent available to him during
the spells he has been in charge of
these clubs.
If Pep fails in the Champions
League as I expect him to do so
again this season and if addition-
ally he fails to win a domestic tro-
phy, I have a hunch that Manches-
ter City are going to seriously weigh
up their managerial options.
This of course comes in the wake
of their signing of the most prolific
striker to arrive on English shores in
Erling Haaland.
While the Norwegian will ulti-
mately break goal-scoring records
this season, it will be rendered
meaningless if he does so in a sea-
son without team success. 
Till the next time folks I leave you
with this…..let’s consider the genu-
ine possibility of Guardiola’s City re-
linquishing their EPL crown.
Throw in the mix,a further failure
in the Champions League.
Under such circumstances, I be-
lieve that Pep Guardiola may be
asked to leave a managerial posi-
tion for the very first time in his ca-
reer.
He will of course have no short-
age of suitors and may, like his old
adversary Jose Mourinho, decide to
explore Italy.
Mind you, he may decide against
such a move as perhaps that may
trigger negative memories of his
time at Brescia as a player where he
was found guilty of doping.
He subsequently years later after
retiring, managed to clear his name
although isn’t it amazing how foot-
ball’s greatest active manager has
conveniently had that chunk of his
life almost mysteriously disappear
from any mention anywhere by the
media as if it never happened.
Meanwhile Diego Maradona is
still being hounded and per-
secuted in his grave! Pep, I re-
spect you and truly admire
you, but I’m just saying…..
Feedback: @thesoccerwhiz
Women v Ireland Under 19s Wom-
en (1000), England Under 19s
Women v Zimbabwe Under 19s
Women (1345), New Zealand Un-
der 19s Women v Indonesia Under
19s Women (1345)
India tour of Sri Lanka 2023
Today: Sri Lanka v India (3rd ODI,
1000)
Ireland tour of Zimbabwe 2023
Today: Zimbabwe v Ireland (3rd
T20I, 1300)
The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
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28 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
Sport
Gauff warns 'best yet to come'
MELBOURNE - Rising teenage star Coco Gauff
warned Saturday at the Australian Open that
her "best is yet to come" as she goes in search
of a maiden Grand Slam crown.
The 18-year-old American has the honour
of playing in Monday's opening match on
the showpiece Rod Laver Arena against the
Czech Republic's world number 48 Katerina
Siniakova.
Seventh-ranked Gauff heads into the first
Grand Slam of the year on a high after win-
ning her third WTA title at the Auckland Clas-
sic earlier this month.
She is riding at her highest career ranking
after breaking into the top 10 last year and
reaching a Grand Slam final for the first time,
Kohli, Rohit out of India squad
for New Zealand T20s
NEW DELHI – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
have been left out of India's T20 squad for
the home series against New Zealand as se-
lectors ponder major long-term changes.
November's World Cup semi-final drub-
bing to England prompted soul-searching
in India and talk among the cricket board of
easing out senior players.
Both men remain in the one-day squad
for the visit of the Black Caps. Kohli ham-
mered 113 off 87 balls to drive a big win over
Sri Lanka in an ODI at Guwahati on Tuesday.
Skipper Rohit made 83.
Batsman KL Rahul and all-rounder Axar
Patel will sit out the ODI and T20 matches
against New Zealand because of family com-
mitments, the Board of Control for Cricket in
India said.
It did not give reasons however for the T20
omissions of Kohli and regular all-format cap-
tain Rohit.
Hardik Pandya will continue to skipper the
T20 side, having done so
against Sri Lanka earli-
er this month.
The three-match
ODI series against
New Zealand begins
on Wednesday in Hy-
derabad while the
first of three
T20 matches
takes place
at Ranchi on
January 27.
India
will then
go into
a home
Test se-
ries
against
Aus-
tralia
losing to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros.
"As much as I would like to think this might
be the best I'll be, I don't believe it because I
feel like most of the tennis players, at least on
tour now, are peaking in their career around
22 to 26," said Gauff.
Gauff first won hearts as a 15-year-old in
2019 at Wimbledon when she arrived as a
qualifier and reached the last 16, beating
five-time champion Venus Williams along the
way.
"From 15 when I started to now, I realise
physically I'm at a much different level than
I was at 15. I think I'm just continuing to get
stronger," said Gauff.
"There's a joke that my mum has. She is like,
on February 9.
ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman
Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Shreyas
Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk),
Hardik Pandya , Washington Sundar, Shahbaz
Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal,
Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Moham-
med Siraj, Umran Malik.
T20 squad: Hardik Pandya (capt), Suryaku-
mar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaik-
wad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tri-
pathi, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sund-
ar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ar-
shdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi,
Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar.
Test squad against Australia: Rohit
Sharma (capt), KL Rahul, Shubman Gill,
Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas
Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk),
Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep
Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Sha-
mi, Mohammed Shami Siraj, Umesh
Yadav, Jaydev
Unadkat,
Suryakumar
Yadav. — going into the final week of competi-
AFP
'You don't have that grown woman strength
yet. You'll know when you get it.'
"I can't put a percent on it, but I know the
best is yet to come for me."
Gauff would become the youngest Austral-
ian Open champion since a 16-year-old Mar-
tina Hingis in 1997 if she goes on to lift the
winner's Daphne Akhurst Cup, but she said
she almost feels like a veteran.
"I think I've been on tour for four years now.
I don't know how I feel. I definitely feel more
experienced and like I belong," said Gauff,
who won her first WTA Tour title in 2019.
"I don't feel like the new kid, but I don't
think I feel quite a vet. I feel like I'm in the
middle of the pack." —AFP
Loeb's six appeal makes Dakar history
as Al-Attiyah heads for victory
RIYADH - French driver Sebastien Loeb won a
record sixth successive stage in the Dakar Rally
on Saturday although barring a disaster Qatar's
Nasser Al-Attiyah looks set for a fifth title.
Loeb, a record nine-time world rally champi-
on, won the 13th and penultimate stage, a 154
kilometres special from Shaybah to Al-Hofuf, to
break Finnish driver Ari Vatanen's mark of five
consecutive victories in 1989.
The 48-year-old Prodrive star is in second spot
overall – the same position as he filled last year –
1 hour and 21 minutes behind Al-Attiyah.
"It's great, even though the record was not
necessarily my goal," said Loeb.
"I especially wanted to cement my second
place.
"The gap was small and I eased into my pace
from the start of the dunes, so I wasn't going to
change everything.
"I feel good on sand, I can set a strong pace, I'm
confident, I can drive aggressively while watch-
ing out for broken dunes. It's cool."
In contrast to Loeb setting the Saudi dunes
ablaze, Al-Attiyah has settled for a safety first
strategy having established a commanding lead
tion.
The 52-year-old lost just 5min
38sec to Loeb in Saturday's stage.
"What is really important to me is
winning the Dakar," said Al-Attiyah.
"The race was great for us, we just
have to bring the title home now."
Al-Attiyah's Toyota teammate, Bra-
zilian Lucas Moraes fills out the podi-
um. He holds a comfortable advantage
of over an hour from another
Toyota driver South Af-
rican Giniel de Villiers.
The car crown may
appear done and
dusted but it is far
from the case in
the motorbike
Investigation launched
into Bolt's 'missing
millions'
KINGSTON - A company which looks after Usain Bolt's
investments is under investigation after reports he
may have lost millions of dollars to fraud.
Jamaica's Financial Services Commission (FSC) has
placed the firm, Stocks and Securities Limited (SSL), in
"enhanced oversight" following the allegations.
The 36-year-old retired sprinter had investments
with SSL for over a decade.
Bolt's manager Nugent Walker told the Jamaica
Gleaner the eight-time Olympic champion had no-
ticed "discrepancies".
The Gleaner report alleged millions of dollars were
missing from the account.
The FSC said it was "aware of reports of allegations
of fraud" and that the oversight process would allow it
to see the movement of funds and securities into and
out of SSL.
"The FSC will simultaneously continue its investiga-
tions into matters related to SSL," it added.
SSL said its own internal investigations suggest a
former employee was behind the alleged fraud and
added it had "referred the matter to the relevant law
enforcement authorities".
Bolt retired from athletics in 2017 after winning 11
World Championship gold medals and eight Olympic
gold medals.
During the 2008 Beijing Olympics Bolt set new
world records for the 100m and 200m sprint.
His 100m time of 9.572 seconds remains the world
record. — BBC Sport
category.
Australia's two-time motorbike champion
Toby Price holds a wafer thin advantage follow-
ing closest rival Kevin Benavides's victory in Sat-
urday's stage.
The 35-year-old KTM rider holds a lead of just
12 seconds over the Argentinian.
Price maintained first spot despite a fall and a
navigation error in the stage.
"I made one little mistake around 130," he said.
"We went too far right and I took a fall while
looking at the top of a dune.
"At this stage here, you need to push to keep
the lead.
"I'm happy, I've put a 100 per cent in every
day."
American Skyler Howes lies in third spot 1min
31secs adrift of 2016 and 2019 champion Price.
Benavides, who won the title in 2021, was
awarded the stage win after having more than
23 minutes restored to him.
This was the time he took to aid a stricken ri-
val Matthias Walkner at the outset of the stage.
The late revision dashed the cup of victory
from South African amateur and debutant Mi-
chael Docherty, who had been hoisted to
the top of the stage standings after Bena-
vides's younger brother Luciano was pe-
nalised a minute for speeding.
Howes's compatriot Mason Klein's
rollercoaster race – mixing impressive
performances with several tumbles –
came to a premature end.
The KTM rider was unable to start the
stage due to medical reasons according
to race organisers Amaury Sport Organi-
sation (ASO).
Sunday's final stage is a 417km
run – including a 136km
special – to Dammam
bringing to a close
two weeks of com-
bat conducted over 8
000km. — Reuters 

We’re all feeling the pain
insidesport
with MICHAEL KARIATI
W
E might try to hide it
but the truth is that
everyone associat-
ed with football in Zimbabwe
is feeling the pinch of Zimba-
bwe’s isolation from interna-
tional football.
Even those who do not follow
football have been affected be-
cause those close to them are
school of sport
with TIM MIDDLETON
MANY a parent has taken mas-
sive pride in their child’s sport-
ing achievement at junior school
where the child has thrived and
won trophies and awards galore.
Their names are up on Honours
boards around the school Hall;
they are constantly up on the
stage receiving recognition for
their successes. This pride per-
haps encourages the parent to
send their child to a senior school
which regularly wins match-
es and has many players select-
ed for provincial and nation-
al teams. They proudly advise
the senior school of their child’s
amazing talent and the senior
school does indeed welcome the
child into their fold. Once at sen-
ior school, however, the parents
are distraught to discover the
child is not selected for the A or
even the B team but only the C
team – a real life situation. What
went wrong?
The simple fact is that every
contest needs context. The suc-
not acting as usual because
of the Warriors’ absence from
the National Sports Stadium.
Football agent and player-
manager George Deda says it
is becoming difficult to find
foreign clubs for Zimbabwean
players because of the situa-
tion back home.
FC Platinum coach Norman
cesses of a child in competition
at one place needs to be taken in
context. The child who did well
in junior school may have done
so because there were few chil-
dren at the school while at the
senior school numerous children
who also did well in their junior
schools are also in competition
for places. We need firstly to see
the contest for what it is and then
see that contest in context.
A contest has variously been
defined as “an event in which
people compete for supremacy in
a sport or other activity, or in a
quality”; it is “a struggle for supe-
riority or victory”; it is “a compe-
tition to do better than other peo-
ple, especially one in which peo-
ple’s skill in a particular activity
or sport is tested”. Those will all
well explain the concept of con-
test and of competition in school
sport. It is, in short, as the name
suggests, a test. But such defi-
nitions are in fact limited. Yes,
competitive fixtures are a test
Mapeza refused to comment on
their failure to take part in the
Caf Champions League saying
this was beyond his reach but
he too obviously feels betrayed
by the status quo.
The question is: How and
what should Zimbabwe do to
resolve the crisis that from the
outset looks too difficult to re-
solve?
Should Zimbabwe follow the
Kenyan example and bring
back Felton Kamambo as de-
manded by Fifa for Zimba-
bwe’s return to the Fifa club
or that Zimbabwe should con-
tinue on the slow and unsure
CONTEST NEEDS CONTEXT
of superiority over others but in
fact, they are more about a test
of our own ability and attitude.
It is not so much the opposition
we have to overcome; we have to
overcome our own doubts, fears,
inadequacies. The real value of
competition is to test ourselves
against ourselves.
We must see any contest
against others within the cor-
rect context in different areas.
We need to see contests in the
context of time. Our current
achievements may set us well
above others in the past (records
being broken) but these in turn
will be below others in future. We
need to see contest in the context
of age and development appro-
priateness. Children develop at
different rates so a child in jun-
ior school may flourish because
they have developed physically
sooner. Success at junior school
is no guarantee of success at sen-
ior school.
We also need to see contest in
the context of place. We may be
thrilled that our child plays for
The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
path it has taken?
Ironically, Zifa is on a purge
to weed out coaches in the PSL
who do not have a Caf A badge
when at the same time Zim-
babwe is barred from hosting
such courses.
Where does Zifa expect
coaches to get that Caf A
badge when Caf coach in-
structors are not allowed by
Caf and Fifa to have their feet
in Zimbabwe?
If Zimbabwe is not in Caf or
Fifa right now, why should the
country force itself to enforce
Caf or Fifa laws when they
themselves are refusing to ac-
Zimbabwe in a sport, but when
few players play that sport it is
perhaps not such a big achieve-
ment as someone who is selected
in a sport that has thousands of
people playing. Indeed, one child
may play for his country which
is very weak in that sport inter-
nationally while another more
talented child may not be play-
ing that sport in a country where
thousands more people are play-
ing.
We need to see contests in the
context of the game. Our team
may have won a match but it may
well have been on account of the
other team having numerous in-
juries or absentees or illness-
es; it may have been on account
of lucky breaks or helpful deci-
sions. The conquest is not every-
thing.
Furthermore, we need to see
sporting contests in the context
of life. A recent news item shared
how Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a
British citizen who had been in
jail in Iran for six years, survived
the experience through an ex-
29
Sport
cept Fifa demands?
Doesn’t it smack of double
standards that Zifa are pun-
ishing coaches yet on the oth-
er hand they are also breaking
the rules by distributing Fifa
equipment to their preferred
recipients?
The Zimbabwe Soccer
Coaches Association is right
in fighting such injustice
against its members who have
been caught up in a situation
which is not of their own mak-
ing.
Why can’t interim Zifa boss
Gift Banda and his illegiti-
mate board in the meantime
allow those employed coaches
to continue with their duties
until such a time that Zimba-
bwe is allowed back into Caf
and Fifa?
The fact that clubs employed
those coaches means that they
have utmost faith in their abil-
ities and as such should be al-
lowed to have their day.
What is disturbing is that
big decisions are being made
by individuals from their
homes when the whole Zimba-
bwean football family is sup-
posed to sit down and make a
mark on such issues.
When last did the Zifa As-
sembly meet to discuss mat-
ters affecting Zimbabwean
football, apart from the day,
they met to throw Kamambo
under the bus?
Matters involving coaches,
referees and the way back to
the Fifa family should be re-
solved by the Zifa Assembly
and not the Zifa board or one
or two members of Zifa.
We are told that the Zifa Re-
structuring Committee has
finished the job it was tasked
to do and we wait to hear what
exactly they came up with.
We only hope that their rec-
ommendations are not to im-
press those who appointed
them but to foster a good fu-
ture for Zimbabwean football.
For your comments, views
and suggestions mkariati@
gmail.com or WhatsApp on
0773 266 779.
traordinary contrast; in her sol-
itary confinement she watched
Andy Murray win his first Wim-
bledon title. Nine months after
her release last year she eventu-
ally met with Murray but it was
he who gained the most from the
meeting for he shared how listen-
ing to her experience had “put is-
sues in his own life — like back
and knee pain - into context”.
When it comes to definitions
of a word, we may well present
a synonym for the word but also
an antonym, to put it in context,
in contrast. So our responsibility
as coaches and parents is to en-
sure we keep contest in context.
A win (or undefeated record) for
the coach does not necessarily
make him a great coach; he may
have been given quality players
or the opposition that year was
much weaker. Parents need to
understand that the child’s na-
tional selection does not neces-
sarily mean she will go on to fur-
ther achievements. A contest
may lead to conquest but it must
be taken in context.
30 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023

Sport

Real Madrid still hungry for success – Ancelotti BRIEFS

MADRID - Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelot-
ti said his team are still hungry for success
ahead of their Spanish Super Cup final show-
down against rivals Barcelona today.
The Catalans failed to win a trophy last sea-
son and are looking for their first since coach
Xavi arrived in November 2021, while Real
Madrid won a Champions League and LaLi-
ga double.
The sides meet in a Clasico at the King Fahd
International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Ara-
Arsenal primed for test of title mettle at Spurs
LONDON – Mikel Arteta (pictured) has urged Ar-
senal to prove they have learned the lessons
of last season's disastrous defeat at Tottenham
when the Premier League leaders visit their
north London rivals on Sunday.
Although Arsenal powered to a 3-1 victory in
the derby in October — making it three wins in
the last four meetings — it is the painful mem-
ory of their most recent trip to Tottenham that
remains etched in the minds of Arteta's players.
With just three games remaining last season,
Arsenal would have been guaranteed to
qualify for the Champions League if
they won at fellow top four contend-
ers Tottenham in May.
Instead, they crumbled to a woeful
3-0 defeat, then lost the next match
at Newcastle to allow Tottenham to pip
them to fourth place in a collapse
that sparked furious criticism of
Arteta from frustrated fans.
It was a debacle that could
have proved fatal to Arte-
ta's Arsenal project, but the
Spaniard has impressively made
amends with his astute leadership
during a campaign that has ex-
ceeded all expectations.
Arteta believes the bitter taste
from last season's surrender at
Tottenham has played a signifi-
cant role in fuelling Arsenal's title
push.
"That was the result and the
bia, and Ancelotti thinks his players will be
equally motivated, despite their success.
"We are talking about players that start-
ed winning in 2013, have kept winning and
have never filled their stomachs and they
never will fill them," Ancelotti told reporters
Saturday.
"We are at a very demanding club that
doesn't allow you to think your stomach is
full."
Madrid are the record 14 time-Champions
performance. There was a lot of things to learn
and take from it," Arteta said.
"We are in a different place now and we have
to show we can play the way we want."
Unbeaten in their last 11 league games, the
Gunners find themselves with a golden oppor-
tunity to win the title for the first time since
Arsene Wenger's Invincibles reigned supreme
in 2004.
With champions Manchester City look-
ing more vulnerable than usual and Liverpool
struggling to shake off a season-long funk, Ar-
senal have seized the initiative in the title
race with a remarkable 14 wins from their 17
games.
Arteta's side are five points
clear of second placed City, who
can expect a stern test from in-
form Manchester United on Sat-
urday.
A City slip at Old Trafford
would open the door for Ar-
senal to increase their lead
over Pep Guardiola's men.
'Emotional fixture'
The next fortnight is shap-
ing up to be a defining period for Ar-
senal, with the Tottenham clash fol-
lowed by a January 22 visit from
Manchester United, who are the
only team to beat the Gunners in
the league this season.
If Arteta's team can emerge with
victories from those key fixtures,
League winners, with five of those trophies
arriving from 2014 onwards.
"All titles are important for this club, titles
give motivation, confidence, there's a lot at
stake in this game," continued Ancelotti.
"We fight each day for this, to get to a final.
The team is motivated and comfortable too,
because we are used to playing under this
type of pressure, that's why we have a lot of
confidence." — AFP
they will be in pole position to hold off the chal-
lenge from City, who still have to play Arsenal
twice in the league.
Tottenham are 11 points behind Arsenal, but
their plush new stadium has been a house of
horrors for the Gunners, who have lost all three
games there since it opened in 2019.
"It's an emotional fixture, you feel the tension
and the atmosphere," Arteta said of the hostile
reception awaiting his team.
"It's one of the biggest games of our season.
We have not won there yet and that's the chal-
lenge."
Fifth-placed Tottenham, who haven't lost at
home to Arsenal since 2015, are desperate for a
win themselves as they chase a top-four finish.
Antonio Conte's side have the added threat
of Harry Kane looking for the goal that would
move him level with Jimmy Greaves' Tottenham
record of 266.
With a north London derby record of 14 goals
in 18 appearances against Arsenal, it would be
little surprise if Sunday's showdown proves a
milestone moment for Kane, who is also two
short of reaching 200 Premier League goals.
"We are talking about a world-class striker
and for sure he is going to beat every record.
He is doing something incredible," Conte said.
Well aware of the high stakes in the latest
battle between these eternal rivals, Conte add-
ed: "We know very well the importance of this
game. I remember last season a fantastic at-
mosphere in this game and I expect the same
again." — AFP
Kenya suspends 16 players,
coaches for match-fixing
NAIROBI - Football Kenya Federation
(FKF) has suspended 14 players and two
coaches for match-fixing after receiving
a tip-off about cheating in the national
league.
Among those suspended Friday were six
players from Zoo Kericho FC, which was
found guilty of match-fixing by Fifa's in-
tegrity unit in 2021 and expelled from the
Kenyan Premier League.
The federation said it had suspended
those accused, including one player from
reigning Kenyan premiership side Tusker,
until the matter was formally investigated.
"Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has
received confidential reports alleging the
involvement of various players and offi-
cials in match fixing activities," it said in
a statement.
"In an effort to protect the integrity of
the league... the federation has with imme-
diate effect provisionally suspended these
individuals pending the investigations of
the matter by the Fifa and FKF integrity
department."
In February 2020, Fifa banned four Ken-
yan players – one for life – for taking place
in an "international conspiracy" to fix
league matches.
Five Kenyan referees were later suspend-
ed over the same scandal.
Kenya only returned to international
football in November after being suspend-
ed by Fifa in February 2022 because of gov-
ernment interference in the sport. — AFP
Djokovic 'likes his chances' of
10th Australian Open crown
MELBOURNE – Novak Djokovic declared on Saturday
that he "likes his chances" of winning a record-extend-
ing 10th Australian Open crown, despite lingering inju-
ry worries.
After missing last year's tournament when he was de-
ported over his Covid vaccination stance, the Serbian
star is back at Melbourne Park and in sizzling form.
He ended the 2022 season by winning the ATP Finals
and began the new year with his 92nd career title at the
Adelaide International.
He tweaked a hamstring in Adelaide and is still get-
ting treatment, but insisted he was ready for another
two-week campaign to potentially win a record-equal-
ling 22nd Grand Slam.
Seeded four, the 35-year-old faces Spain's Roberto
Carballes Baena in round one and said that despite the
injury niggle "I like my chances".
"I always like my chances. I train as hard as really any-
body out there," he added.
"There's a lot of youngsters now that are very hungry,
that want to win. They want to take a scalp off you on
the big stadium. I know that.
"But experience of being in these kind of particular
circumstances helps I think to have the right approach
and do things in a proper way.
"Because I know when I'm healthy and playing my
best, on this court (Rod Laver Arena) I have chances re-
ally against anybody." — AFP
FIFA launch investigation into
Martinez after World Cup final
LONDON - FIFA have confirmed they are opening an in-
vestigation into the Argentina football association in re-
lation to the actions of their players and staff around the
World Cup final.
Argentina beat France on penalties after a dramatic

No Saudi Arabian offer for Messi

PARIS - Paris St-Germain forward Li-
onel Messi has not been approached
by Al Hilal and would not consider a
move to Saudi Arabia, Spanish football
expert Guillem Balague says.
Recent reports suggest the Argenti-
na international, 35, has been offered
£245m to move to the Middle East.
Messi's contract expires in the sum-
mer but, according to Balague, he is
close to finalising a deal to remain at
PSG.
"There hasn't been an offer [from Al
Hilal]," says Balague.
"PSG and Messi are organising a
meeting in the next few weeks to final-
ise the deal that will keep him in Paris."
Messi helped Argentina win the
World Cup for the first time since 1986
in Qatar last month.
He said after the tournament that
he planned to keep on playing for his
country, while Balague says he is also
determined to win more things in Eu-
rope.
"Right now, his motivation is to stay
in Europe," Balague added.
"He is favourite to win the Bal-
lon d'Or, he is still in the Champions
League, he has big targets after win-
ning the World Cup.
"Not only does
3-3 draw at Lusail Stadium in Qatar in December. Goal-
keeper Emiliano Martinez saved a penalty from Kings-
ley Coman in the shoot-out, while Aurelien Tchouameni
was also off-target after being distracted by the Aston
it make no sense to ap- Villa stopper.
proach him with that of- The tense game had a number of flashpoints both be-
fer, it hasn't existed." fore and after the penalties, with Martinez also attract-
Messi joined PSG ing criticism for his antics after the victory. Now, nearly a
from Barcelona in 2021 month on from Argentina's victory, further punishment
and has made 54 ap- could be on the way.
pearances for the "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened pro-
Ligue 1 side, ceedings against the Argentinian Football Association
scoring 24 due to potential breaches of articles 11 (Offensive be-
goals. — haviour and violations of the principles of fair play) and
BBC Sport 12 (Misconduct of players and officials) of the FIFA Dis-
ciplinary Code, as well as of Article 44 of the FIFA World
Cup Qatar 2022™ Regulations in conjunction with the
Media and Marketing Regulations for the FIFA World
Cup Qatar 2022™, during the Argentina v. France FIFA
World Cup™ final," a statement from FIFA reads. — Mirror
 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 31

Sport

Chevrons fail to set up series decider

BY DANIEL NHAKANISO ished with two wickets for 22
runs.

Z
IMBABWE were left ru-
ing their batting frailties
once again as they blew
a chance to seal a series victo-
ry against Ireland with a match
to spare after losing the second
T20I by five wickets at Harare
Sports Club yesterday.
After being bowled out for a
modest 144 in their allotted 20
overs, Zimbabwe’s bowlers were
unable to take wickets at regu-
lar intervals as Ireland sealed a
comfortable win despite a spir-
ited late fightback by the hosts,
who were cheered on by a big
home crowd.
Yesterday’s result which
leaves the two teams deadlocked
at one match apiece sets up a po-
tentially explosive deciding en-
counter at the same venue today.
Zimbabwe will need to put on
a much better display with the
bat after yet another unconvinc-
ing show yesterday ultimately
cost them what would have been
a morale-boosting victory.
Earlier, Chevrons captain
Craig Ervine had top-scored
with 42 off 40 balls and it was
the only notable contribution
for the hosts after Ireland won
the toss and elected to bowl first
in overcast conditions.
South Africa-born seamer
Ireland players celebrate the wicket of Sean Williams during the second T20I at Harare Sports Club yesterday. Picture
Wonder Mashura
Graham Hume, who was mak-
ing his first appearance in the
series after replacing Barry Mc-
Carthy in the Irish team repaid
the faith shown in him by the
selectors after finishing with
impressive bowling figures of
three for 17 in his four overs.
Offspinner Harry Tector, who
had earlier set the tone by claim-
ing the wicket of Tadiwanashe
Marumani in the first over fin-
Despite the loss of Marumani
in the opening over, Zimbabwe
got off to a solid start as they
raced to 54 runs inside the first
six overs.
The loss of Innocent Kaia,
who was run out while on 25
runs off 14 deliveries and Wess-
ly Madhevere for just one run
pegged the hosts back.
Zimbabwe’s hopes of a big
total were extinguished when
Sean Williams (19 off 15) and Er-
vine were dismissed in quick
succession as the hosts slumped
from 54 for one after five overs to
144 all out.
In reply, Ireland rose on a bril-
liant half-century by opening
batter Ross Adair, who recent-
ly switched to cricket after an-
other sporting career in rugby
where he played for top Irish
side Ulster.
The 28-year-old all-rounder,
brother of paceman Mark Adair,
top-scored with 65 runs off 47
balls as Ireland finished on 150
for four in 19.4 to win with two
balls to spare.
After his match-winning dis-
play in the first game, leg spin-
ner Ryan Burl was yet again
Zimbabwe’s most successful
bowler after claiming two wick-
ets for 26 runs.

Central Region Soccer League gets massive sponsorship boost Katsande takes swipe at
BY TERRY MADYAUTA

THE ZIFA Central Region Soccer League

has received a timely boost ahead of
the 2023 season after receiving a
US$25 000 sponsorship package
from funeral services company
Ruvimbo Funeral Assurance.
The sponsorship is set to be
unveiled today during their
annual general meeting [AGM]
in Gweru.
Last time out, the league op-
erated without a sponsor, how-
ever, the US$25 000 windfall
from Ruvimbo Funeral Assur-
ance looks set to turn around com-
petition levels.
Central Region acting vice chairman
Thomas Marambanyika said: "We are really
excited with this partnership with Ruvimbo
Zimbabwe football
Funeral Assurance because it sets the tone
for the things that we want to achieve as a
region from this season going forward.
authorities
"We have some of the best teams
in the country and this must also
be evident with competition
on the field of play. And this
competition can be en-
hanced with such sponsor-
ship.
"We are actually look-
ing forward to having more
partners coming on board
so that we have more match-
es and competition within the
league this year.
"I want to take this opportu-
nity to thank Ruvimbo Funeral As-
surance for partnering with us and
I want to assure them that we are going to
give them value for their sponsorship and will
help them enhance their brand."
Ruvimbo Funeral Assurance chief executive
Edward Gomba also explained why his organ-
isation settled to sponsor the Central Region.
"We settled for the Central Region Soccer
League for a reason. The region falls at the
heart of the country and it's a good launch-
pad for us to reach out to all the parts of the
country," Gomba said.
"We are a company that is looking at
spreading our tentacles across the country
and the Central Region Soccer League affords
us that stepping stone.
"We greatly value sports development in
the country and we also want our name to be
mentioned among the companies that con-
tribute towards developing football talent in
the country.
"We are also looking ahead towards spon-
soring other sporting codes besides football."
FORMER Warriors captain Willard Katsande has
launched a scathing attack on local football au-
thorities, whom he blames for killing the game
by failing to sufficiently support junior struc-
tures.
The retired footballer said Zimbabwe’s football
standards and the level of investment will remain
behind South Africa if junior football is not tak-
en seriously.
Being of the few Zimbabwean players that are
thriving well after retirement, Katsande is wor-
ried the country’s readily available talent is all
but going to waste.
“We don’t take junior football seriously, but
we want results at national level. How can the

Rashford earns Man Utd derby triumph over Man City

Manchester –  Marcus Rashford (pictured)
scored the winner as Manchester United came
from behind to beat Manchester City 2-1 and
go third in the Premier League in a thrilling fi-
nale at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Both United goals came in the final 12 min-
utes as Erik ten Hag's side moved to
within one point of their local rivals
in the table after inflicting a damag-
ing blow to City's hopes of retain-
ing the title.
Pep Guardiola's men looked to be
heading to victory when Jack Gre-
alish came off the bench to head
the visitors into the lead.
But Bruno Fernandes' con-
troversial equaliser turned the
game and four minutes lat-
er Rashford netted for the ninth
consecutive match at Old Traf-
ford.
City could now fall eight points
off the top of the table should Arse-
nal beat Tottenham in the north Lon-
don derby on Sunday.
The victory for United was sweet re-
venge after being destroyed 6-3 when
the sides met in October.
The scoreline even flattered Unit-
ed at the Etihad thanks to two late
goals from Anthony Martial.
However, Ten Hag's men have now lost just
once in 19 games since in a stunning turn-
around in the Dutch coach's first season in
charge.
The introduction of Casemiro has trans-
formed United's midfield since the last Man-
chester derby and Ten Hag's decision to play
Fred alongside his Brazilian international team-
mate cut City's supply line to Erling Haaland.
United's turnaround is reflected in Rash-
ford's revival. The England international has
now scored 16 times this season.
Rashford threatens
Rashford's pace in behind was the biggest
threat posed by either side in the first half and
he should have done better after rounding
Ederson than allowing Kyle Walker to com-
fortably clear off the line.
Another Rashford burst then took him
beyond Rodri, but again the finish was
lacking as Ederson hurried off his line to
smother.
United's new loan signing Wout
Weghorst was watching on from
the stands and Martial's
lacklustre perfor-
mance before
being re-
placed at
half-time
by Antony
underlined Ten Hag's need for more forward
options.
By contrast, City are blessed with an abun-
dance of talent in the final third and Guardiola's
ability to make game-changing substitutions
looked to have swung the game in their favour.
Grealish had only been on the field three
minutes before netting the biggest goal of his
City career to date as he nodded in Kevin De
Bruyne's cross on the hour mark.
But City have struggled this season to match
the consistency that has won them four Premier
League titles in the past five years and were un-
done by a hugely controversial equaliser.
Rashford was clearly offside as he raced to-
wards Casemiro's pass, but crucially did not touch
the ball and left it for Fernandes to sweep home.
The assistant referee initially flagged for off-
side and City were livid at the decision to allow
the goal to stand.
City were still rocking when they conceded
again as Alejandro Garnacho sprinted down the
left and crossed for Rashford to prod home from
close range.
There was still time for City to feel further ag-
grieved at referee Stuart Attwell as Haaland saw a
penalty appeal waved away.
But the champions now have a huge job on
their hands if they are to maintain their domi-
nance of English football in the Guardiola era. —
AFP
Warriors [Zimbabwe] win the Africa Cup of Na-
tions (AFCON) trophy when there is no support
at grassroot level,” Katsande said during an inter-
view with a local radio station on Friday.
“Development and success are built from the
bottom. What is happening right now is killing
so many careers. Someone has to stop being
greedy. Football helped us take care of our fami-
lies, but right now, it’s the other way round.
Katsande was livid in his remarks, especially
since Zimbabwe has been under FIFA suspension
since February 2022 over government interfer-
ence in the countries’ football association [ZIFA].
Consequently, players in the Southern African
nation has been deprived of showcasing their
talent at continental and regional level.
This includes the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations,
the Chan tournament that kicks off this Friday in
Morocco, among other key tournaments.
Clubs have also missed out on participating in
the coveted CAF Champions League and the CAF
Confederations Cup.
And with no solution in sight, FC Platinum and
Bulawayo Chiefs, who won the tickets to com-
pete in the two club competitions, will miss out.
Moreso, players have also had restricted move-
ment, especially going beyond Zimbabwe. This
season no player has managed to join the DStv
Premiership from the Castle Lager Premier Soc-
cer League.
Only ten Zimbabwean players have retained
their places in the DStv Premiership, with Kudak-
washe Mahachi likely to be the eleventh player if
his move back to the league materialises. — FAR-
Post
32 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023

Investigation launched into

Standard Bolt's 'missing millions'

SPORT www.thestandard.co.zw
A COMPANY which looks after Usain Bolt's in-
vestments is under investigation after reports
he may have lost millions of dollars to fraud.
Jamaica's Financial Services Commission
(FSC) has placed the firm, Stocks and Se-
curities Limited (SSL), in "enhanced over-
sight" following the allegations. Page 28

Fifa ban haunts

DeMbare
…Harare giants barred from Malawi pre-season tourney

BY MUNYARADZI MADZOKERE petition. "We cannot grant Bullets the license charges, including abuse of funds.
Dynamos are currently trying to because of the inclusion of Zimba- The Fifa suspension prohibits na-

T
HE Football Association of Ma-
lawi (FAM) has barred Harare
giants Dynamos from participat-
ing in the four-team pre-season tour-
nament, which was scheduled to take
place in March due to the country's
suspension from the Fifa football fam-
ily.
Nyasa Big Bullets had wanted the
Glamour Boys, UD Songo from Mozam-
bique and local rivals Mighty Mukuru
Wanderers for the event.
But FAM turned down Bullets’ re-
quest to include the former Zimbabwe-
an champions for the invitational com-
build a team that can compete for the
title after parting ways with coach
Tonderai Ndiraya, who guided the
club to a third-place finish last season.
Herbert Maruwa replaced Ndiraya
as the new gaffer and has the respon-
sibility to lead the club to success af-
ter bringing in a number of new faces
into the team.
It was expected that the pre-season
trip to Malawi would help the team
prepare for the upcoming season.
But the country's status on the inter-
national scene has come back to haunt
Dembare
bwe team Dynamos. The Fifa ban ap-
plies to all national teams and local
clubs. It even applies to school teams,"
FAM competitions director Gomezga-
ni Zakazaka told Malawian newspa-
per The Nation.
"That is why Zimbabwe teams can-
not participate in club competitions."
Zimbabwe was suspended from Fifa
for third-party influence in the run-
ning of football matters in the country.
This was after the Sports and Rec-
reation Commission (SRC) suspended
the Zifa board led by Felton Kamam-
bo in November 2021 over a litany of
tional teams and clubs from partici-
pating in international football com-
petitions.
Champions FC Platinum and
Chibuku Super Cup winners Bula-
wayo Chiefs will not be taking part in
the Caf Champions League and the
Caf Confederation Cup respectively.
Indications show that efforts to en-
sure Zimbabwe returns to internation-
al football are going to intensify this
year following the completion of the
forensic audit and submission of the
Zifa Restructuring Committee report
late last year.
 Standard

MY STYLE OF
DRESSING IS
UNIQUE: PRETTY

January 15 to 21 2023 SINDY

MINISTER
DEFENDS
WINKY D
VUSA BLAQS FINDS
NEW LOVE?

XYZ CAME AS A SURPRISE

TO ME: QOUNFUZED
S2 Standard Style | January 15 to 21 2023

Arts

Minister defends Winky D

BY SINDISO DUBE lic to desist from fighting Winky D.
“All I am saying is let us not fight artistes (Winky

A
RTS, Youths and Sports deputy
minister Tino Machakaire has
defended singer Winky D after
an onslaught of attacks on social me-
dia by Zanu PF affiliated groups and
individuals.
After the release of his political-
ly charged and social commentary
album, Eureka, Winky D was ac-
cused of “using” young artistes to
advance a regime change agenda.
Holy Ten sensationally “regret-
ted” working with Winky D claim-
ing their song Ibotso was now be-
ing dragged into partisan politics.
Zanu PF director for Information
and Publicity Tafadzwa Mugwa-
di came out guns blazing accusing
Winky D of being sponsored by the
American embassy to produce an al-
bum that speaks of social and eco-
nomic decay.
A Zanu PF-affiliated
group, led by Mike Chi-
mombe went a step fur-
ther to hold a press con-
ference calling for the ban
of Winky D's music on radio
stations and from all perfor-
mances claiming his music caus-
es alarm and despondency
within the 'peaceful' Zim-
babwean youths.
In a statement,
Machakaire, who is also
Wedza South MP
urged political
groups and
the pub-
D), let us respect their art and respect their opin-
ions so long as it’s within their constitutional
rights,” Machakaire said.
“President ED Mnangagwa is saying no to vio-
lence, yes to peace.
“We are advocating for political groups and the
public in general to stop fighting Winky D, we do
not fight with people, but relate with people, we are
saying that our doors are always open for artistes
or young people who have grievances. We are one
people.”
Winky D has not responded to any of the attacks.
However, he thanked all contributing artistes
and fans for a warm reception of the album.
“The Eureka music ship has now reached its des-
tination,” he posted on social media.
“We will never take for granted diligent musical
efforts by all the artistes who featured on the al-
bum, we indeed learnt a lot from each other's vibes.
“Heartfelt appreciation is due to the instrumen-
talists, producers and engineers of the album who
continued to offer a dependable work culture, their
attention and dedication were such a blessing.
“And to you, the music community, whose
hearts, minds and souls were the destina-
tion; your response to the music continues to
show that you truly are a music community
of the highest order and pedigree.
“I hope that Eureka Eureka touched your
hearts and souls on the purest spiritual,
emotional and physical heights and
depths.”
Songs that have political and
social undertones are Vafarisi,
Ibotso and Kutonhodzwa kwa
Chauruka.

Vusa Blaqs finds new love? XYZ came as a surprise to me: Qounfuzed
BY SINDISO DUBE sampled the song XYZ when he performed live.
BY STYLE REPORTER and ExQ's video for Bhachura before Many would have thought the song was done
he went on to direct award-winning AFTER giving up on Winky D following years of already.
BARELY two years after a glamour- videos for Jah Prayzah, Takura and seeking for a collaboration, United Kingdom- “So, I just had to wait till around Novem-
ous and much publicised traditional many other artistes. based singer and songwriter Qounfuzed said he ber and that's when I was given the XYZ demo,”
wedding, videographer Vusa “Blaqs” Recently, he joined hands with Syd- was surprised when the Zimdancehall king final- Qounfuzed said.
Hlatshwayo seems to have moved on ney Taivashe for a short film titled ly agreed to collaborate with him on a song off “I was shocked as I already knew the song ex-
and found new love if images on so- Konflict, the yet-to-be-launched film his album Eureka Eureka. isted and was to be released soon as he was hint-
cial media are anything to go by. follows the story of Kundai, a young The duo worked together on a song dubbed ing at people and sampling it during live perfor-
Blaqs wedded his then sweetheart, girl who dreams of being a game XYZ, which has proved to be one of the fans' fa- mances.
Rux Rukobo in 2021. Their marriage ranger protecting wildlife. vourites. “I just couldn't believe the news because I al-
turned nasty five months later when She lives in a village that is adja- "XYZ is something I never expected; I was sur- ready knew it was a good song.
Blaqs was accused of domestic vio- cent to a game park and the commu- prised when I got the information that I was go- “I didn't have any idea of what I was going to
lence after allegedly assaulting his nity is in constant conflict with wild- ing to be collaborating with Winky D,” he said. write on the verses since I already had a slight-
wife. life. “I guess it's all about God’s timing and I think ly similar unreleased song concept called Now
The allegations against The film seeks to advocate for co- it's true what they say about patience. I remem- And Then, which I had also been sampling at my
Blaqs came after the image existence between humans and ber I once stopped my management team from shows and my social media pages although this
of his wife’s battered face wildlife to save life from con- asking for a Winky D collaboration to avoid em- particular song is quite different as it speaks of
was leaked on social me- flict. barrassing myself and my brand as I thought lost friendship and this one speaks of exes.
dia. Rukobo alleged that that was a no-go area. “I kind of felt stuck and felt like I had exhaust-
she was a victim of do- “Well for some years I have been working with ed my thoughts already on that particular theme
mestic violence. Layaan Souljah, the younger brother to Winky and topic.”
Images of Blaqs on so- D, and it was only last year when I did highlight The Shisha hit maker described working
cial media show the video to him that I was thinking of doing a project with Winky D as a learning experience.
director on holiday in Vic- with ‘Rasta’ as we call him. "Working with Winky D means se-
toria Falls, looking cosy with “So I sent my demos and they said they rious business and it's a different ex-
a white lady identified as would listen to them, but in my head I perience altogether,” Qounfuzed
Stephanie Schumann. was just thinking whatever hap- said.
Schumann is well- pens, happens. “He is a perfectionist and so am I
known for her con- “I did not want to pressure but sometimes it all comes to under-
tributions in the them as I knew both our standing each other and letting each
arts sector and schedules are always other express our art and creativity.
promotion of Af- busy so I respect- “Then for me it was a learning expe-
rican bands in ed that and gave it rience too as I have so much respect
the Diaspora. time, Layaan and for him.”
She has close- I would do other The previous year saw Qounfuzed
ly worked with projects as I wait- dropping club bangers such as
local group ed for a response Shisha, Kamunamato kemubhawa,
Mookomba, and feedback, but Mudhudhudhu and others.
which is one of the last response "The year 2022 was a good
the most tour- I got was that may- year for me as I had at least a
ing musical be the next demo was total of five club bangers rock-
groups in the going to come from ing parties and events then
country. their end instead and up to nine songs doing cir-
Blaqs got on I was cool with that culations across the globe
the limelight after idea too.” on radio, social media and
directing Am- Winky D has for the the streets,” he said.
mara Brown greater part of 2022
 Standard Style | January 15 to 21 2023 S3

Arts

Tuku’s protégé
Betera claims his
talent is spiritual
BY BRIDGET WADZANAI MAVHIMIRA
this is the only voice I use and I have

A
FRO-JAZZ artiste Bernard Buki-
ra Betera says he is not perturbed
by people who label him an Oliver
Mtukudzi copycat, saying his talent
was spiritual.
Betera, a protégé of the Pakare Paye Arts
Centre has of late gained fame by singing
covers of the late music legend although he
has faced a lot of difficulties in trying to set
himself up as a musician.
Some fans claim that singing like Tuku
shows lack of creativity, but Betera thinks
otherwise.
“Most people are happy and are in support
of my music, especially because I sound like
Dr Tuku which makes me happy,” Betera
said.
“However some are not happy, which is
most expected in the arts industry where you
are bound to get criticism.”
Through Diamond Studios, Betera has ris-
en in popularity as he is getting endorse-
ments from the local showbiz scene.
He will this year release his album titled
Chidenha.
“I chose the name Chidenha because it sim-
ply means someone who has power, but peo-
ple have underrated him for long and now is
showing what he really has,” Betera said.
“I will finally be showing that I can do more
than just cover songs.
“My music is going to be a little different
from Dr Tuku’s, but not the voice because
when singing.”
Betera, who has been labelled a
Mtukudzi reincarnate, says the sig-
nificance the late legend holds in his
music career was very spiritual.
“When Baba was still alive, some
would call me young Tuku not be-
cause I am his son by blood, but
because of the talent I possess,”
he said.
“Why I say my gift is more
spiritual is because it all start-
ed in my dreams as I would see
myself walking with the late
Dr Tuku and this was before he
left us.
“I would always see myself
travelling with him and he
would sit down and start to
teach me and this all happened
in my dreams as I did not know
where he stayed nor had I met
him face-to-face.”
Apart from blending the Katek-
we beat and acoustic, Betera also
dresses like the late legendary
musician.
“Dressing carries on the type
of music just like hip-hop and
dancehall, before someone tells
you which genre they are in you
should be able to tell because of
the dressing,” he said.

Local music diva signs under new American record label
BY KUDZAI CHITSATSO
ZIMBABWEAN musician Tadiwanashe Dh-
liwayo, popularly known as Tinky, says
she has what it takes to earn global fame,
thanks to her recent signing under United
States-based record label Irosha Enter-
tainment.
Dhliwayo told Standard Stlye
that she was looking forward to
producing hits under the record
label.
“l have a contract with Irosha
Entertainment, which l signed
in November last year and l will
be releasing new songs monthly
this year,” she said.
“l am looking forward to
producing many hits and do-
ing a lot of collaborations with
big artistes, both local and in-
ternational.”
The youthful artiste said as
someone who is versatile she
will not confine herself to one
genre.
“I want diversity when it
comes to the genre since I
want people from different
backgrounds to listen to my
music,” she said.
Dhliwayo said fans
should look forward to
her new projects where
she features Irosha
owners Prissy Pink-
stone and Iroko on
the song
titled DJ Anthem as well as anoth-
er solo effort titled Chi Queen Che
bling.
Irosha Entertainment is owned
by California-based Pinkstone and
Iroko who is based in Nigeria.
Dhliwayo discovered her talent
when she was in high school
before she started writing
her own music in 2021.
“I realised that I had
a passion for music and
l knew that one day l
would be in the studio
recording my own music,”
she said.
“So l started by praising
God singing in the church
choir and the school band.
"As l grew older, I discov-
ered that I had a gift not only
for singing, but song writing as
well and in 2021 I started writ-
ing my own music, but l was
unable to finance my dream.”
Sinbad 90 sings of ghetto decay in Westside
BY SINDISO DUBE ations that we encounter on a daily basis in
our province and I am sure that other areas
RAPPER Sinbad 90, born Innocent Stambuli, in Zimbabwe are also encountering such and
has tackled the impoverishment, high unem- more issues,” he added.
ployment rate and drug abuse in the ghettos Sinbad 90 is the founder of Dollasign Music
in a song titled Westside. Africa, he also has songs such as Boyz Remu-
The song which features Grizle is a follow kute, They Know and Chiguruguru.
up to his recent release Magheva Iyaya, which The rapper is currently working on an al-
features veteran Jnr Brown. bum dubbed Bhundu lifestyle which speaks
“Westside is all about real life issues and of his daily hustle between Zimbabwe and
depicting what the youths are facing in the Zambia where he works at the Chirundu bor-
ghetto,” he said. der post.
“We face a lot of straining issues “Bhundu also means jungle and it
on a daily basis; youths are unem- will portray the real life of Sinbad
ployed and the few who are em- 90 as well as Innocent Stambuli.
ployed are getting peanuts; There are motivational tracks
close to nothing. that push the youths to work
“Those who are unem- hard in any way,” he said.
ployed are getting into drugs “There are tracks that also
and criminal activities and talk of the hustles associ-
young ladies are being forced ated with gold panners
into prostitution by poverty. where I come from in
“We have many situations Kadoma.”
where young women have
been forced into early marriages
and have been exposed to HIV and
AIDS and teen pregnancies.”
The rapper, who hails from
Kadoma, Mashonaland
West used West-
side to namedrop
where he comes
from.
“Westside
Westside
represents
my province
Mashonal-
and West, we
are talking
about situ-
S4 Standard Style | January 15 to 21 2023

Chics’ Galaxy

My style of dressing is
unique: Pretty Sindy
BY BRIDGET WADZANAI MAVHIMIRA

O
NE of Zimbabwe's runway queens Sindiso Ndlovu, affectionately known as Pretty
Sindy has boasted of her unique dressing style which makes her stand out in a
crowd.
Pretty Sindy has competed at many international pageants that include
Miss Multinational in India where she made it to the top nine, Miss In-
ter Global in Malaysia landing in the top five and Miss Tourism Glob-
al in China, where she was crowned queen. Her fourth and last pag-
eant was Miss Africa Golden 2021 in Lagos Nigeria, where she was
crowned queen.
The pageant queen has appeared in many red-carpet
events, runways, TV programmes and even in day-to-day
life she seems to be always looking on point. She attrib-
utes her looks to knowing what looks good on her.
“In selecting what to wear I choose what looks
exquisite on me and when choosing my design-
er, I look for one who normally makes clothes
that are my style type,” said Sindy.
“I already feel my style of dressing is unique,
so whatever I decide to wear will most likely stand out as I like
to look and feel extra at events especially red-carpets.”
Ndlovu advises ladies on how to get a perfect dress for the car-
pet as she shares her process which includes sending the design
one wants to the designer on time.
“To find a dress for the red carpet I first find out the theme or
color scheme for the event and after that I assign a designer to
do a dress for me and normally I send the design I want a week
earlier to avoid unnecessary inconveniences,” she said.
Apart from being a pageant queen, Ndlovu is an entrepreneur
and yoga fanatic. She owns a cosmetic line called Pretty by Sindy
and a car rental service.
She graduated with a double degree in Biochemistry and Statis-
tics from the University of Fort Hare in South Africa.

Sky is the limit for Kadoma art prodigy
BY MELINDA KUSEMACHIBI
A
RTISTRY is one of the most un-
derrated talents in some Zim-
babwean communities, start-
ing from how people fail to see the
value of drawing or painting to how
they greatly discourage mostly chil-
dren from doing it.
As people are modernizing, many
youths are now focusing on what they
know best and prefer doing than what
the society thinks is best for them.
Twenty-four-year- old Terence
Manado, a full time professional vis-
ual pencil artist running under the
trademark StrongHold, is one such
person who is looking into fully ex-
ploiting his talent as a pencil artist,
even though drawing is mocked by
the ill-informed who are under the
mistaken impression that it is a waste
of time.
“I started drawing since the day l
knew how to use a pencil, then l pur-
sued art as a career in 2017.” Mana-
do said.
“I feel it in my veins that this is my
thing. When l finished high school,
life was not that favourable to me.
“Realising that l have the potential
to maximize my art skills helped me
breathe, art comes as a therapy ses-
sion that helped me acknowledge my
pathway in life.”
Manado told Standard Style that he
has developed a name by sketching
human portraits and wildlife and he
dreams of showcasing his artworks
in local and international galleries.
“I can sketch anything that l can
SVG plots fashion scene takeover
BY BRIDGET WADZANAI MAVHIMIRA
WITH clothing brands such as Nike, Louis Vuit-
ton, Gucci and Adidas taking over the interna-
tional market, two brothers Nkosinathi and
Ntandoyenkosi Phiri who are 24 and 19 years
old respectively, popularly known as ‘The Ray
Studios Brothers’ have introduced a fast-grow-
ing fashion brand named SVG which stands for
SAVAGE.
Just like international artistes such as Jus-
tin Timberlake, Kendrick Lamar, Davido, Emtee
wear labels such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton dur-
ing live performances, SVG label has been prov-
ing to be quite dominant among local artistes as
they wear and endorse it during their live per-
formances.
Local music stars Takura, Holy Ten and DJ Ma-
deHerbelieve have in recent shows performed
clad in SGV gear especially the armoured vest.
Nkosilathi Phiri said the fashion label is for the
powerful and dreamers.
“We have created a brand of dreamers, peo-
ple who take pride in being different and are in
a relentless pursuit to attain greatness.
“SAVAGE is not just a clothing line but a cul-
ture of powerful people. We are trying to cre-
ate a culture of dominant people because when
someone is wearing something from SVG, one
should be able to tell that this person is bold
enough to pursue their ambition.
“Being able to show power in this case does
not imply having money, it simply means show-
ing your inner greatness on the outside. We try
to represent who you are on the inside, for ex-
ample our bullet-proof vest does not necessarily
mean when someone literally shoots at you, you
will be protected rather it means one is showing
how confident they are as confidence on its own
is bullet proof,” he said.
Phiri added that one of the biggest draw-
backs in the Zimbabwean fashion industry is its
dependency on imports.
“The problem with the Zimbabwean fashion
industry is that a lot of people are dependent on
imports. You notice that the majority of what is
happening in the local fashion grounds is com-
ing from outside and people would rather buy
a fake Gucci T-shirt than an original local brand
which is a major setback in terms of promoting
see and anything that comes to my
mind,” he said.
“I do landscapes, wildlife, human,
pets anything, you just name and l
can do it for you. I am adept in creat-
ing architectural 3D models.”
Manado said he was striving hard
to develop his skills to market his art-
the local.
“There have been movements such as Sup-
port Local which are trying to create some sort
of local sufficiency and so far it is very promis-
ing and people are taking it very well as the year
2022 SVG had very good record sales ever
since we started,” he said.
SVG started in 2017 as skits on YouTube chan-
nel for the two brothers Nkosilathi and Ntandoy-
enkosi Phiri where they would call their follow-
ers ‘the savage’. The brothers were then moti-
vated to begin their own clothing line through
marketing other brands and in 2019 one of Zim-
babwe’s fastest growing fashion brands was
birthed.
“When we started we encountered a lot of
people whom we gave clothing items for free
as they would promise to market our brand for
us and we were running on negative. This is still
happening even now where we get more than
five people a day in our shop asking to wear our
clothes for free because they want to market but
as we have grown we stopped tolerating such.
“The mentality that getting exposure is every-
thing has been pushing a lot of artists and busi-
nesses back and it’s good to avoid getting stuck
in such situations unless it is really beneficial on
both ends as I believe in value exchange as a
business principle,” said Nkosilathi.
The official brand ambassadors for SVG are
Takura, Holy Ten, Robert Mugabe Junior and DJ
MadeHerbelieve, the brand endorsers are DJ
Towers, KVG, Itai Daisy and Siphosethu Mtembo.
As one of its 2023 resolutions, the brand is
looking forward to working with Nasty C a South
African rapper, Rema a Nigerian singer and rap-
per and some Zimbabwean singers they say will
be unveiled as brand ambassadors.
“The future for SVG is dominance and the first
stop for us is Africa because there is no African
GUCCI hence SVG is going to penetrate that
market,” said Nkosilathi.
The Phiri brothers said this year, they are aim-
ing to make the clothing line accessible and
plan to open two new shops at Belgravia and
Arundel Village. At the same time, SVG will be
releasing a new collection with variety as they
are looking into accessories such as head bands,
wind breakers and jewellery.
work both directly and online so as to
reach a wider audience.
“Both direct and online marketing
are the best as they help an artist to
grow rapidly and be able to reach out
to wider audiences,” he said.
When art carries a message and is
understood by an audience, it natu-
King Kay storms into UK song-writing award finals
BY SINDISO DUBE
JOURNALIST, author, musician and song-
writer Admire Kudita, affectionately known
as King Kay has reached the finals in the UK
song-writing contest.
King Kay is in the finals after the submis-
sion of his project Breakthrough in the RnB/
Soul category in June, last year.
The UK Song-writing contest is one of
the world's longest running and most well-
known and successful international song-
writing events. It was launched in London
in 2002 in association with prestigious mu-
sic bodies including The BRIT Trust, The BRIT
Studio, The BRIT School (Adele and Amy
Winehouse are graduates), Music Aid Inter-
national, The GISC, Roland UK and top Brit-
ish producers and industry professionals "to
discover and encourage new song writing
talent and promote the craft of song writ-
ing".
It has been supported by BBC Radio since
the very beginning with radio plays of
song entries across the UK, and many fi-
nalists and winners have also been fea-
tured on BBC TVTV. It has grown into an
international event with entries from
over 80 countries, with UKSC winners
and finalists appearing on major TV
shows worldwide.
King Kay has entered the com-
petition before and had
two of his songs, Stand
Up for Love and
Strength-
en My
Standard Style | January 15 to 21 2023 S5
Arts
Yolanda Ngwenya
rally becomes valuable.
Carrying a message equals claim-
ing relevance in an increasingly com-
petitive and creative sphere.
An art student, therefore, must not
simply strive to improve drawing
technique and style, he must identify
the types of messages that their prod-
ucts can carry because art for art’s
sake worked in centuries gone past.
Today’s life requires innovation
and originality.
Hands making the finals in 2005 and 2011
respectively.
"I am thrilled to have made the finals, but
this competition thing is honestly some-
thing that I could have done years ago to
check myself against world standards. Now
making the finals and getting the five-star
rating from Grammy-affiliated judges is just
perfect and huge and I hope to win top
honours.
“Another thing worth mentioning is that
although I wrote and arranged it, the first
recording of it was co-produced with Just
Percy, a very talented musician and produc-
er. He is like a nephew to me and one per-
son able to read my musical vision and in-
terpret it so well. So music is a very collabo-
rative venture and we are going to be doing
more projects together. My forte is compo-
sition and arrangement, in short my core
gift is writing," he said.
To date King Kay has written and pro-
duced four albums — Victory, The
Emancipation Project, Soul
Revival and The Black Love
Project Vol. 1.
"I do inspirational mu-
sic, whether it's a song
about love or mak-
ing it, it’s got to have
a life-affirming qual-
ity. For example , one
of my original songs
'Stand Up For Love' on
which I featured Idols
East And Southern
2008 Winner Eric Moyo
was written against the
backdrop of the Xen-
ophobic and ethnic
violence in South
Africa and Ken-
ya. There is always
something we
can do about the
state of the world
as writers. Chas-
ing fame is vacu-
ous and vain,” he
said.
S6 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023
Arts
Is Holy Ten a coward?
in the groove
with Fred Zindi
WHY am I writing about events
which took place almost a fortnight
ago?
It’s because I am still amazed at
some of them.
New Year’s Eve at the Hara-
re International Conference Cen-
tre (HICC) where the Ninja Presi-
dent superstar Winky D launched
his Eureka album and performed
in front of over 5 000 fans was ex-
plosive.
The highlights of the night came
when he performed familiar tunes
such as XYZ and Ijipita where the
crowd in the audience sang along to
every word. He then went on to sing
songs from the new album.
So far, only four tracks from the
album have been released with
songs Dzimba Dzemabwe and Ibot-
so being the most popular.
Winky D collaborated with vari-
ous artistes who included Tocky Vy-
bes, Enzo Ishall. Killer T and Nutty
O to make the Eureka album.
However, when he introduced a
new song from his Eureka album,
which was a collaboration with Zim
hip-hop artiste, deep voiced Holy
Ten, titled Ibotso, the crowd seemed
to have known the lyrics before-
hand as they sang along:
“Vanotora zvevapfupi nekureba
Ini ndiri muimbi chete
Handina pfumo ndine bakatwa
Saka musandikakata. Ibasa
Ndodapekugara, Ndoda roof
Ndoda chekudya mumba mune
hupfu
Pa ghetto tiri kuchema kunge rufu
Vamwe vari kukwata vari
kuchemera muvhu
Vauya netsvimbo hanzi ndiani ari
kuti bufu
Vatengesa tengesa vopuhwa mafu-
fu
Torwisana tega ma Hutu nema
Tutsi
Aiwa hauzombozvida futi..
In my opinion, this song seems to
have raised Holy Ten to a higher lev-
el as an artiste when he sang Vanon-
yepa, Vano Zeza, Vano Spender etc.
It has received massive airplay
on many radio stations including
Zi-FM.
However, Holy Ten seems to have
grown cold feet after the release of
this song as he took to social media
to express his regret at being part of
Zimbili urges musicians to rediscover themselves
BY BURZIL DUBE
UPCOMING musician, Augus-
tine Zimbili has appealed to mu-
sicians to not only focus on enter-
tainment through ‘dirty’ dancing
but seek to shape communities
and societies at large.
In an interview with Standard
Style, Zimbili whose hit Mbuva
Yangu has taken the country by
storm, urged artistes to ensure
that messages in their music is
well-thought out in terms of mes-
sage and other related issues.
“Musicians should be con-
scious of the fact that their
works are very influential on ei-
ther building or destroying the
nation. I personally think enter-
taining with dirty or suggestive
dancing is somehow uncalled for
as it defeats the whole purpose,”
he said in a recent interview.
He went on to state that artistes
must strive by all means not to
the project.
“Do not politicise a project that
I’ve considered a mere honour to be
a part of. I regret being a part of it
now, honestly!” Holy Ten said.
This controversy of publicly re-
gretting working with Winky D
who has a higher profile than his
makes me wonder if the Ninja Pres-
ident will give Holy Ten another op-
portunity to collaborate with him.
Pro-Zanu PF outfit, Economic
Empowerment Group (EEG) (spon-
sored by Mike Chimombe) has
claimed credit for Holy Ten’s state-
ment of regret following his collab-
oration with Winky D.
This comes as the ruling par-
ty has over the years been accused
of harassing musicians who pro-
duced songs viewed as politically
incorrect. Exiled Chimurenga star,
Thomas Mapfumo, falls in this cat-
egory.
Controversial businessman and
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s
ally Chimombe, has demanded that
Winky D’s music be banned in the
country for allegedly criticising the
government. Chimombe, who was
recently arrested for fraud before
being acquitted by the courts also
denounced the new album.
Holy Ten, born Mukudzei Chitsa-
ma, cites the sensationalisation of
the song by commentators, journal-
ists and activists which has fuelled
political undertones within some
sections.
The song, Ibotso, has been viewed
by some as depicting Zimbabwe as
a long-decayed society in which the
residents naively hope things will
miraculously change for the better.
Zanu PF director for Information
and Publicity Tafadzwa Mugwadi
immediately lurched onto the tweet
after Holy Ten’s regret, and wrote
as if he was also in the recording
studio:
“Artistes are no fools. You can
never abuse them to resurrect col-
lapsed irrelevant opposition agen-
das. Holy Ten’s music has clarified
that. They were made to drop their
lyrics before Winky D brought his
own twisted version having signed
a contract with the US Embassy in
Zimbabwe which I am in possession
of,” Mugwadi tweeted.
Addressing a hastily arranged
be agents of negative change as
their music is usually judged by
what they would have produced.
“It is a known fact within the
music fraternity that musicians
are identified by the products
being churned out that are a to-
tal sum of artistic factors which
also brings out a comprehensive
description of who we are in this
type of industry,” he said.
Zimbili, who is a serving sen-
ior police officer said being an
artiste was a calling just like any
other profession even though
originality is the catchword to
stardom while also captalising
on uniqueness.
“I would like to urge upcom-
ing musicians to fully rediscov-
er themselves and ride on their
uniqueness to bring about a dif-
ferent taste in music.
“My natural approach to poetic
music seems to have been well re-
ceived as I have created my own
press conference in Harare on
Wednesday before New Year’s Eve.,
EEG called on authorities to ban
the entire album from the national
broadcaster, Zimbabwe Broadcast-
ing Corporation.
“We note with great concern the
lyrics in Winky D’s album. Musi-
cians should sing songs that are
progressive. Most of the contents
are meant to sour seeds of discon-
tent and destruction. He is leading
the youth down the garden path,”
said EEG Secretary-General Clif-
ford Hlupeko.
“He should be clear if he has trad-
ed his musical jacket for politics. If
he is now into politics we need to
know.”
“Music should unite and in this
instance, its clear. The responsible
authority which includes Nation-
al Censorship Board should check
these songs before they go public.’’
“It’s not the first time he has writ-
ten songs of this nature denigrating
the country and I believe there is a
new law that speaks to this.’’
“He infers the Tutsi and Hutu
(conflict). He is trying to cause an-
archy. He says he represents the
ghetto youth yet he charges min-
imum $20 for entry at his shows.
Where do the ghetto youths get that
money? And the timing of his al-
bum going into elections – he wants
regime change.”
Mixed reactions were expressed
by the public over this song Ibotso
which Holy Ten now regrets to have
collaborated on with Winky D.
A commentator known as Sir-
uru 97 (referring to Holy Ten) re-
marked:
“Thanks for your music Mujaya.
Your music is a medicine for the
depressed, vane nzara. You give
us hope as the youths. Your music
might be politicised, it's part of the
game, it means you’re big and rele-
vant to the society. Thanks for lead-
ing the youths. Hoyooo!!!! ”
Another comment from Tanaka
reads: “So Winky D gives a collab-
oration on his newest project and
he happens to be one of the greatest
artistes in Zimbabwe, and then you
tweet that you regret it? Hectic!”
A lady, simply known as Let-
ty had this to say: “Haa mupfana
wangu ka pafeya chaipo song iyi iri-
kufaya zvakanyanya kunge Wi-Fi,
don’t even regret anything. It is a
good project that will take you plac-
es.”
However, opinions differ. This is
what makes democracy work. Not
all comments were positive as evi-
identity and in the process with-
out confusing it with other fellow
musicians.
“The same also applies to vide-
os, as the script should be consist-
ent with the message and not to
waste viewers' precious moments
where dancing styles are diamet-
rical opposite to the message.”
Zimbili, whose stage name is
“The Philosopher”, encouraged
those within the arts industry
to use their talents to market the
country to the entire world.
“Let us strive to rest a frac-
tion of humanity that is restless
through music, hence my intro-
duction Rest Human Music gen-
re which seeks to restore lost hu-
manity,” he said.
Some of the singles that Zim-
bili has produced include Rufu
Rwangu, Mbuva Yangu, Tazvida
Ndakuda, Tsitsi We Rudo Rwan-
gu and Muroora Akanaka.
He recently released an inter-
denced by the following: Paul MacCartney of the Beatles
A retired policeman had this to
say: “I regret it now. Honestly?” apa
ndopawatozorasika worse young
man. Your investment in emotion-
al intelligence is key to both per-
sonal and professional success. Be
fame) as part of his HICC concert.
Shingai made bold moves in the
headline track on the Eureka al-
bum, Dzimba Dzemabwe, Too Bold
and she does not regret it. The song
was the last on the high octane set
reserved and keep your Emotional
Quotient high wangu, mukawanza
zvirehwa rehwa munodhirika semu-
and on social media. It immediate-
ly broke the internet as it provoked
the most conversation. It was also
godhi wemakorokoza.”
Yet another commentator Mud-
released with the album’s first mu-
sic video.
yapasi from Borrowdale Brooke In my opinion, Winky D has el-
says: “ Winky D’s music is rubbish. evated his strong position in musi-
It tries to divide the nation. Holy cal circles with the release of Eu-
Ten was stupid to have collaborated reka as is has renewed his musi-
with him.” cal legacy. Banning his music from
In the early 1980’s when I was ZBC in this day and age of social
heavily involved in music, we used media has little impact as it will go
to pay hundreds of dollars to prom- on other platforms such as Tik Tok,
inent artistes to include us as their I-Tunes, Spotify, You Tube, Pandora
supporting acts in front of their and of course Facebook which ZBC
crowds. That worked and we had has no control of.
no regrets because we knew that I asked Mr Jonathan Ban-
the opportunity gave us a chance to da, Winky D’s manager for
also raise our profiles higher. his comment on Holy
This is how Rozalla Miller be- Ten’s regret statement,
came a well-known artiste when and this is what he had
she performed as supporting act to say:
for Michael Jackson. The Bhundu “We have never
Boys reached the height of their planned to be
success when they acted as the politicians.
supporting act for Madonna at We just sing
Wembley Stadium in London about what
for three nights in front of is relevant
250,000 people. From then on- and happen-
wards, the Bhundu Boys be- ing in socie-
came their own crowd pull- ty, the hard-
ers as evidenced by their ships people
Brixton Academy perfor- experience
mance where Mark Knop- and the diffi-
fler of the Dire Straits and culties socie-
Hugh Masekela were their sup- ty faces. We have
porting acts in 1987. a personal rela-
In my opinion, Holy Ten tionship with
should not have been intim- Holy Ten. He
idated by the EEG if he be- never expressed
lieved he was doing the right to us how he
thing. Musicians are the voic- felt about do-
es of the voiceless. He should ing a collabora-
have no regrets. He was fortu- tion with Winky
nate enough to be granted a D. Even after the
platform by one of Zimbabwe’s show, we departed
biggest and greatest artistes. on a good note. To
He should have stayed strong our surprise, we saw
instead of regretting it. That that the social me-
collaboration with Winky D on dia was awash with
Ibotso is/was likely to increase his regrets about
his profile. If he thinks he is big collaborating with
in his own right, he should try Winky D on the
and fill up the HICC on his own song Ibotso, but he
like Winky D did. This is where never reached out
some of our young musicians go to us about that.
astray. I think it was the
Towards the end of the HICC circumstances
concert, Winky D was even able that he found him-
to attract a well-known U.K. self in that led him
— born Zimbabwean artiste, to make those cow-
Shingai Shonhiwa (daugh- ardly statements.”
ter of Leoba Kureya.) And the beat
Shingai is an ex- goes on!
member of the U.K. pop  Feedback:
group, the Noissettes who has pre- frezindi@
viously worked with Adele and gmail.com;
Augustine Zimbili
active pioneer video of the song who are all based in Kadoma.
Tsitsi We Rudo Rwangu featuring All his songs were directed
his wife Tsitsi, Samantha Shoko, and produced by Mambo Hermas
Barbara Masuku among others whose studio is based in Chegutu.
 Standard Style | January 15 to 21 2023 S7

Arts

Screen writers bemoan lack of recognition

BY BRIDGET WADZANAI MAVHIMIRA are bent on reshaping the African nar- we should be able to tell our stories free online hacks on how to do just about an-
rative and destroying the singular story without needing to sensationalize ything they are passionate about and most do

S
CREEN writers are crucial and are most of told on the continent’s behalf. everything. We are more than not bother to go further into formal training
the times the foundation of the project. Wabvuta added that as writers in our struggles and we enjoy life which Wabvuta highlights as a problem.
They develop a script from start to fin- Zimbabwe, they have managed to re- through the mess,” said Wab- “I think the biggest problem is training. We
ish by working with producers and directors to claim the African narrative, however vuta. have a shortage of formal training as a lot of
ensure that the story is told effectively. Howev- they are now tasked with the responsibil- With the coming in of us are running on talent, but formal training
er they are not getting recognition at prestig- ity of getting the newer generation to un- new media, peo- would enhance that.
ious national awards. derstand what African stories are all ple are ex- “There is a need for writer communities that
International awards such as the Oscars rec- about. posed to allow writers to share their work if the indus-
ognize screen writers, but in Zimbabwe annu- “We need to completely try is to succeed. We need good writers and we
al ceremonies such as the National Arts Merit destroy the singular story do have some, but we need a lot more than we
Awards which aim to recognise the work done told about Africa where have at the moment,” he said.
by individuals in promoting arts and culture, a our stories are about The world is witnessing the birth of new tel-
whole section of the entertainment sector has poverty, guns, war and evision and film with new stations being li-
been rendered invisible through lack of recog- a desire for all things censed as well as the new media that is tak-
nition for the writer. western, and that can ing up spaces which is an opportunity to cre-
Gideon Jeph Wabvuta (pictured) is one writ- be achieved through ate stories that speak to the people and go be-
er who has been vocal on the case of lack of the power of pen and yond stereotypes.
recognition for writers. paper as well as our
He has worked with Almasi since its first screens.
staged reading, A Raisin in the Sun, followed “As Africans we
by another staged reading of The Convert di- love, cry, laugh and
rected by Danai Gurira. He directed his first
staged reading which was Nongogo by Athol
Fugard, he developed and performed his one-
man show titled ‘Mbare Dreams with him’ at
the Ojai Playwrights Conference by Robert
Egan.
“The silence on awards is a little annoying as
writers mostly form the foundation of a project
which is why a lot of theatre writers in Zimba-
bwe have resorted to directing their own work
as it is the only way to get recognition.
“National Award matters and writers in film,
television and theatre deserve a space there
as it is a whole active section in the sector,” he
said.
In the pursuit of building a viable film and
theatre industry, most writers and directors

Odyssey promises
fireworks, hosts Koffi
Olomide
BY MELINDA KUSEMACHIBI

KADOMA hub of entertainment Odyssey Lodge

is set to offer revellers value for their money
when they host Congolese rhumba music icon
Koffi Olomide in April this year.
The scheduled visit of the celebrated Self-
ie hit maker artiste at Odyssey follows another
show to remember by South African musician
Makhadzi alongside Zimbabwean Jah Prayzah Presentation & Plenary Session
in October last year.
The popular spot’s events manager Kudzai
Chipengo promised revellers in Kadoma and Share your expertise on one of the
surrounding areas fireworks, come April. following discussions
“We hosted Makhadzi and Jah Prayzah last
year in October, which was the beginning of
Ÿ Financing Ÿ Battery Storage,
summer and we want to close summer with Ÿ HydroPower, Ÿ Energy Efciency
Koffi Olomide in April with two other big head- Ÿ Wind, Ÿ Technologies in
line acts set to be announced soon. Ÿ Solar, R e n e w a b l e
“We love being diverse through change of Ÿ Hydrogen, Energy
genres so that everyone can find something to Ÿ Biogas, Ÿ Marketing Energy
enjoy about at Odyssey. Koffi is a legend in this Ÿ Emobility, Transmission as a
field, so definitely it will be a show to remem- Ÿ Geothermal way of increasing
ber,” said Chipengo. Ÿ Net Metering trade
Ÿ
She also said Kadoma musical festival set for
this year on October 14 where several interna- These should be curated to
tional artistes will perform is another activity comprehensively cover the sustainability
lined up for music lovers.
agenda. Presentations should be 15-20
“In terms of other international artistes that
we will host, this year’s Kadoma music festival minutes long.
will return on October 14 and will be headlined
by international artistes like it was last year with
Makhadzi and Jah Prayzah,” she added. Green Innovation Stage
The show comes two years after the rhum-
ba maestro collaborated with Zimbabwean star
Roki on the song Patati Patata featuring Tanza- Join us on the Green Innovation Stage and
nia’s Rayvanny. showcase your innovative green product,
Tickets for the April show have already begun 0773277599 / 0773417271 / 0772327981 / +263242773930-8
service or initiative that is helping us
selling at Oddysey lodge in Kadoma and several January 31, 2023 events@alphamedia.co.zw www.renewable.amh.co.zw achieve a net zero future.
Eat 'n' Lick branches dotted around the country.
For those willing to purchase tickets earli-
er, the prices have been set as follows: Janu-
ary US$10 for general ticket while the VIP is go-
ing for US$20 while for February it is US$15 and
US$30 for general and VIP respectively.
As for March the tickets will be selling at
US$20 and US$40 respectively for general and
VIP slots.
S8 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023

NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE

FINANCIAL RESULTS 2021
NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE

NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE

NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL
ABRIDGED STATEMENT OF POSITION
OF FINANCIAL ZIMBABWE NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE
ABRIDGED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN RESERVES
ABRIDGED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION ABRIDGED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN RESERVES
AS
AS AT DECEMBER,
AT DECEMBER , 20212021 FOR
FORTHE
THEYEAR
YEAR ENDED DECEMBER
ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021
31, 2021

INFLATION ADJUSTED
INFLATION ADJUSTED HISTORICAL
Non-
Notes 31-Dec-21 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-21 31-Dec-20 Accumulated distributable Revaluation
ZWL $ ZWL $ ZWL $ ZWL $ fund reserve reserve Total
ZWL $ ZWL $ ZWL $ ZWL $
ASSETS
Non current assets 375 253 837 167 725 094 281 713 943 51 007 189 Balance as at January 01, 2020 87 832 576 5 156 538 292 794 93 281 908

Effects of IAS 29 5 449 332 ( 5 156 538) ( 292 794)

Current assets 4 335 523 839 2 162 650 224 4 335 523 839 1 343 261 008
Accounts Receivables 1 443 533 558 1 161 097 100 1 443 533 558 721 178 322 Surplus for the year 1 158 972 045 - - 1 158 972 045
Cash and cash equivalents 3 2 891 990 281 1 001 553 124 2 891 990 281 622 082 686
Monetary loss 55 360 370 - - 55 360 370
Total assets 4 710 777 676 2 330 375 318 4 617 237 782 1 394 268 197
Balance as at December 31, 2020 1 307 614 323 - - 1 307 614 323
RESERVES AND LIABILITIES
Balance as at January 01, 2021 1 307 614 323 - - 1 307 614 323
Reserves 4 395 201 942 1 307 614 323 4 301 662 048 759 012 920
Surplus for the year 4 704 458 939 - - 4 704 458 939

Current liabilities 315 575 734 1 022 760 995 315 575 734 635 255 277
Monetary Loss ( 1 616 871 320) - - ( 1 616 871 320)
Accounts Payables 315 575 734 1 022 760 995 315 575 734 635 255 277
Balance as at December 31, 2021 4 395 201 942 - - 4 395 201 942
Total reserves and liabilities 4 710 777 676 2 330 375 318 4 617 237 782 1 394 268 197

HISTORICAL COST
,2022. Non-
distributable Revaluation
Albert Manenji, (ICSA, MBA, RPA)
Accumulated fund reserve reserve Total
(FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
DIRECTOR)
Balance as at January 01, 2020 57 784 590 5 156 538 292 794 63 233 921

Surplus for the year 695 778 998 - - 695 778 998
,2022.
Balance as at December 31, 2020 753 563 588 5 156 538 292 794 759 012 920
Dr Bernard Madzima
(CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER) Balance as at January 01, 2021 753 563 588 5 156 538 292 794 759 012 920

Surplus for the year 3 542 649 128 - - 3 542 649 128
,2022.
Mrs Margret Mehlomakulu Balance as at December 31, 2021 4 296 212 716 5 156 538 292 794 4 301 662 048
(CHAIRPERSON)

NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE

NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE
NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE ABRIDGED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
ABRIDGED STATEMENT OF PROFIT AND OTHER
ABRIDGED STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THENATIONAL
PERIOD ENDED
AIDS COUNCILDECEMBER
OF ZIMBABWE 31, 2021

COMPREHENSIVE INCOME ABRIDGED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS

FOR THE
FORYEAR ENDED
THE YEAR DECEMBER
ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021
31, 2021.
FOR THE PERIOD ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021.

Notes INFLATION ADJUSTED HISTORICAL

31-Dec-21 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-21 31-Dec-20

Notes INFLATION ADJUSTED HISTORICAL COST ZWL$ ZWL$ ZWL$ ZWL$

31-Dec-21 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-21 31-Dec-20

ZWL$ ZWL$ Cash flow from operating activities 1 990 532 999 1 061 856 377 2 409 916 588 601 269 549
ZWL$ ZWL$
INCOME 7 940 031 356 4 668 188 559 6 279 710 726 2 302 762 008 Surplus for the year 4 704 458 939 1 158 972 045 3 542 649 128 695 778 998
AIDS levy 6 366 481 500 3 811 900 638 5 235 066 799 1 937 417 764
Adjusted for: ( 1 712 209 257) 71 711 965 ( 69 301 471) 10 352 435
Revenue grant 671 570 995 840 238 365 535 310 480 358 748 688
Non cashflow items ( 95 337 937) 16 351 595 ( 69 301 471) 10 352 435
Other income 901 978 861 16 049 556 509 333 447 6 595 557
Net monetary Loss ( 1 616 871 320) 55 360 370 - -

EXPENDITURE 3 235 572 417 3 509 216 514 2 737 061 598 1 606 983 009 Operating loss/profit before changes in
working capital 2 992 249 682 1 230 684 010 3 473 347 657 706 131 433
HIV/AIDS Programmes/Interventions 4 1 980 268 780 1 943 651 267 1 721 800 635 865 193 946
Working capital changes ( 1 001 716 683) ( 168 827 633) ( 1 063 431 069) ( 104 749 046)
Program Management and Coordination 160 403 819 81 259 749 134 497 342 38 092 860
Cash flow from investing activities ( 190 848 534) ( 129 663 138) ( 140 008 993) ( 39 178 770)
Administration expenses 295 387 280 1 141 914 435 257 144 196 550 962 211
Employment costs 799 512 538 342 391 063 623 619 425 152 733 992
Net Increase in cash and cash equivalents 1 799 684 465 932 193 239 2 269 907 595 562 090 779

Surplus for the year 4 704 458 939 1 158 972 045 3 542 649 128 695 778 999 Cash and cash equivalents at the
beginnning of the year 1 001 553 124 96 586 970 622 082 686 59 991 907

Net Monetary (Loss)/gain ( 1 616 871 320) 55 360 369 - - Effects of changes in Inflation 90 752 692 ( 27 227 085) -
3
Cash and cash equivalents at the end of
Total comprehensive income for the year 3 087 587 619 1 214 332 414 3 542 649 128 695 778 999 the year 2 891 990 281 1 001 553 124 2 891 990 281 622 082 686

WORLD AIDS CAMPAIGN 2022-2023 | EQUALISE

 The Standard January 15 to 21 2023 S9

NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE

FINANCIAL RESULTS 2021

NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE

NATIONAL AIDS COUNCIL OF ZIMBABWE
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD
ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2021
NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD
ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2021

1 NATURE OF BUSINESS 5. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The main business of the National AIDS Council of Zimbabwe
(NAC) as set out by the National AIDS Council Act [Chapter 15:14]
of 1999 is that of coordinating, stimulating, monitoring and mitigating
an expanded epidemic, taking into account the comparative
advantages of the different actors.
2 BASIS OF PREPARATION
Compensation to the board of directors and key management personnel
Remuneration of executive management and key management staff of the Council
comprise of an annual basic salary, Allowances, medical aid contribution and
other benefits.
The remuneration of Board of Directors and members of key management
during the year was as follows:

2.1 Statement of compliance INFLATION ADJUSTED HISTORICAL

The Council’s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 31-Dec-21 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-21 31-Dec-20
2021 have been prepared in accordance with the International ZWL$ ZWL$ ZWL$ ZWL$
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) as issued by the International 5.1 Board of directors aggregate emoluments
Accounting Standard Board (IASB).
5.1.1 Board fees and allowances 770 379 1 139 003 968 262 707 455
Board chairman 98 299 163 737 123 548 101 700
The Council endeavored to comply with the Public Finance
Vice board chairman 116 660 149 347 146 626 92 762
Management Act [Chapter 22:19], an Act which ensures
Board members 555 420 825 919 698 088 512 993
transparency, accountability and sound management of revenue,
expenditure, asset and liabilities of the country’s public entities. 5.1.2 Other board expenses 3 940 865 5 521 512 7 347 849 3 429 510

Operations of the Council were also guided by the National AIDS 5.2 Key management personnel
Council Act [Chapter 15:14]. 5.2.1 Total employment Cost 51 099 689 23 428 942 39 581 737 14 552 138

2.2 Functional and presentation currency 5.2.2 Loan balances to directors 8 260 673 113 106 8 260 673 70 252

These financial statements are presented in Zimbabwe Dollar (ZWL)

currency. Most of the Council’s transactions are in this currency and
the same is used for financial reporting. Foreign currency transactions
are translated into the Zimbabwe Dollar using the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe (RBZ) exchange rate.
The adopted functional currency was declared hyperinflationary for
all financial years from 1 July 2019 by the Public Accountants and
Auditors Board.

2.3 Basis of Measurement

The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost basis
and are restated in accordance with International Accounting
standards (IAS) 29 (Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary
Economies). Accordingly, the financial statements have been restated
to take account of the changes in general purchasing power of the
Zimbabwe dollar and as a result are stated in terms of the measuring
unit current at 31 December 2021.

The restatement is based on conversion factors derived from the

Zimbabwe Consumer Price Index (CPI) compiled by the Central
Statistical Office of Zimbabwe.

INFLATION ADJUSTED HISTORICAL

31-Dec-21 31-Dec-20 31-Dec-21 31-Dec-20
ZWL$ ZWL$ ZWL$ ZWL$
3 CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

Cash at bank 1 011 912 583 896 924 806 1 011 912 583 557 096 153

Cash on hand 22 226 4 225 22 226 2 624

Funds on placement 1 880 055 472 104 624 093 1 880 055 472 64 983 909

2 891 990 281 1 001 553 124 2 891 990 281 622 082 686

4 HIV/AIDS PROGRAMMES/INTERVENTIONS 1 980 268 780 1 943 651 267 1 721 800 635 865 193 946

Prevention programmes 1 437 726 518 1 056 683 508 1 248 945 675 541 906 510

Treatment, care and support 381 884 027 826 511 308 326 041 552 293 362 997

Enabling environment 160 658 235 60 456 451 146 813 408 29 924 439

WORLD AIDS CAMPAIGN 2022-2023 | EQUALIZE

S10 Standard Style | January 15 to 21 2023
Edutainment
Artistes in strengthening drug abuse awareness
edutainment mix
with Raymond Millagre Langa
THE subject of addiction and
drug abuse is something which is
very topical. We are living in a so-
ciety which is volatile and high-
ly drugged up with a number of
youth being the predominant vic-
tims to the scourge of drug abuse.
Our streets in the context of
Zimbabwe are flooded by all sorts
of drugs like crystal meth or guka,
cocaine, Nyaope, cough mixture
and Njengu or Mutoriro which are
brands of homemade alcohol that
have an effect on health.
As we begin the year, it is of
importance that artistes become
the voice that brings to light the
scourge of drug abuse which is
killing the youth as the future of
the nation. Among the artistes too,
drug abuse remains something
which is rampant and has de-
stroyed the careers of many.
A drug is any chemical that al-
ters the physical or mental func-
tioning of an individual. When
drugs are used to cure illnesses,
prevent diseases or improve health
condition it is known as drug use.
When drugs are used without
any medical basis, in an amount,
frequency and manner which
damages the physical and mental
functioning of an individual, it is
known as drug abuse.
Drug abuse leads to the devel-
opment of tolerance and depend-
ence. That is, in short, it leads to
addiction. Tolerance is the con-
dition whereby the user requires
more and more of the drug to
achieve the same effect. Small-
er quantities of the drug which
were sufficient earlier are no long-
er enough and the user has to in-
Potholes war: Insurers must join the fray
THE rains are upon us in what
promises to be a productive
farming season as heavens have
opened up bringing some relief
to drought-prone areas.
Water shedding was now the or-
der of the day in some urban cen-
tres as most supply dams desig-
nated as reservoirs were either de-
commissioned or in dire need of
rehabilitation.
Most local authorities were
caught napping following flash
floods that recently hit the coun-
try due to non-clearance and
cleaning of storm water drainage
systems.
Recent media reports indicate
that flooding in the majority of
urban centres has been caused by
lack of servicing of flooding clear-
ance mechanisms.
Residents have “rightfully”
been accused of contributing to
systematic drainage clogging
through illegal dumping of gar-
bage and other obstructing mate-
rials into storm water drains.
However, routine maintenance
of such workstations is of para-
mount importance if lives and in-
frastructure among other things
are to be saved.
The same also applies to the
country’s road network system,
which is in dire need of a com-
plete overhaul due to pothole prev-
alence, with some of them prov-
ing to be a hazard to the travelling
public.
And this is an undisputed pro-
crease the amount.
Dependence can be both psycho-
logical and physical. With psycho-
logical dependence the user is pre-
occupied with the drug and experi-
ences a constant craving for it.
With physical dependence the
user's body becomes fully depend-
ent on the drug. As a result of
this, the person can function nor-
mally only if the drug is present
in the body. If drug use is abrupt-
ly stopped, withdrawal symptoms
occur. These withdrawal symp-
toms vary, depending on the type,
amount and duration of drug
abuse.
Artistes also have to be aware of
the different types of drugs that
are abused by individuals with-
in the society. They are classified
into different types and this can be
of use in the process of interven-
tion so as to curb the use of drugs.
In as much an important aspect of
being an edutainer is to also show
knowledge of how these different
drugs are classified and their spe-
cific effects which can also be of
help in the fight against the preva-
lence of drug abuse.
Narcotics are drugs which share
the common property of having
pain-relieving characteristics.
Their common effects are short-
lived state of euphoria, drowsi-
ness, apathy, reduced heart rate
and blood pressure, constipation
and impairment or mental pro-
cesses.
Long-term effects include se-
vere constipation, moodiness, con-
tracted pupils, lung problems, liv-
er damage and pus formation.
Stimulants are drugs which
travelling & touring
with Burzil Dube
verbial fact.
A lot has been reported in this
column about the poor status of
most roads, especially those lead-
ing to tourist attraction places
and that is having a negative im-
pact on the world of travelling and
touring.
However, thanks to information
gleaned from the worldwide web,
Yours Truly will this week seek to
analyse how some neighbouring
countries are trying to curb the
potholes scourge and other relat-
ed issues.
According to last year media re-
ports, there was an average of 25
million potholes in neighbouring
South Africa compared to the pre-
vious five years when the figure
was pegged at around 15 million
potholes.
The continued spike has been
attributed to inadequate road
maintenance.
The authorities came up with
an average estimation figure of
R2000 and R3000 per square metre
that was needed to fix a single pot-
hole.
These jaw breaking figures
were revealed by the South Afri-
can Roads Federation whose num-
bers were tally with those from
speed up the Central Nervous Sys-
tem (CNS). Common effects are
euphoria, increased self-confi-
dence, feeling of abundant ener-
gy, increase in motor activity and
speech, and decreased appetite,
dryness of mouth and papillary di-
lation.
Long-term effects include sleep
problems, mood swings, poor ap-
petite, and sexual problems such
as impotence. Chronic users may
develop amphetamine psychosis
with hallucinations and paranoid
thoughts. Common stimulants in-
clude cocaine and amphetamines.
Hallucinogens are drugs which
alter emotions, perceptions and
mental processes. Their use gener-
ally produces hallucinations.
Common main effects are mood
alterations, distorted sense of
time, intense vision, melding of
two senses (e.g. hearing colours),
ideas which seem silly to normal
people, attention fluctuations. Self-
destructive behaviour is common
among people who take hallucino-
gens.
While looking at alcoholism, one
needs to distinguish between a so-
cial drinker and an alcoholic and
understand the difference between
the two.
This is so because as artistes
we perform at bars and weddings
were people drink. But in essence
it is also importance that artistes
and everyone is able to distinguish
between the different types of
drinkers.
A social drinker is one who
drinks the way his social group
permits. He never oversteps the
unwritten, unspoken boundaries;
but he clearly understands these
boundaries. Thus his ingestion of
alcohol does not cause any prob-
lems in his life.
An alcoholic is one who contin-
ues to drink, despite continuing
problems in one or many areas of
South African National Road
Agency (Sanral).
The amounts were discussed
during the Regional Conference
For Africa which was held in Cape
Town, South Africa.
This particular conference held
in October last year was attended
by various leading road experts
and decision-makers from across
the entire African continent.
A mobile app to report potholes
across South Africa was also
launched last year where Sanral
was tasked to be the implement-
ing agency.
Some of the country’s leading
insurers partnered with local au-
thorities on repairing potholes
as they would be marked or high-
lighted indicating which company
(insurer) that would have fixed the
pothole.
Yours Truly is of the opinion
that it is now high time for such a
feat to be copied by insurers and
private companies in our beloved
motherland. This would be part
of corporate social responsibility
programmes or any other form of
assistance.
One Malawi-based scribe last
year remarked in jest that the
largest pothole in Blantyre city
his life. He is unable to take stock
of his problems and stop drinking
totally.
He tries, but never succeeds on a
long term basis. This dependence
on alcohol can be both physical
and psychological.
In physical dependence, the
body has so adopted itself to the
presence of alcohol that withdraw-
al symptoms occur when use is
stopped. Symptoms can vary from
nervousness, sleep disturbances
or disorientation and sometimes
to death.
In psychological dependence, al-
cohol becomes central to the per-
sons thoughts and emotions and
this is manifested in a chronic
craving or compulsion to drink al-
cohol.
These are some of the chronic
effects we see among different peo-
ple within our community.
The artiste thus has to be able
interrogate the root cause of the
issues that surround the increase
in the use and the abuse of drugs.
An issue of concern is of how
unemployment, idleness coupled
with depression are aggravators
of drug abuse. Another challenge
is with regard to the influence of
movies and music videos where
drugs are glorified and seen as
the in thing to do which leads to
youths and even young kids being
addicted to drugs.
What has to be done is the ac-
tive involvement of artistes as crit-
ical stakeholders in drug abuse ad-
vocacy. The message of anti-drug
abuse advocacy has to actually go
viral and bee made an everyday
topic.
An important matter of note is
with regard for the need for the
enforcement of drug suppression
laws which can be of use in reduc-
ing the precedence of drug abuse.
In the light of this artistes have
to use the power of music and po-
Flooding in majority of urban centres has been caused by lack of service
was found in Makata, which is the
country’s largest industrial site.
He added that the pothole was
so deep that one could see both
heaven and earth on a single gaze!
However, such issues are not
peculiar to Malawi or Zimbabwe,
but are even also prevalent in de-
veloped countries. This calls for
a concerted effort to curb this
scourge.
Yours Truly is once again ap-
pealing to insurers, including fu-
neral assurance companies to as-
sist by playing a pivotal role on
rehabilitation of our major high-
ways.
Potholes are an eyesore and an
etry as the tools that can bring
awareness on the dangers and the
negatives of drug abuse.
In line with this, short films can
also be produced to bring attention
to this issue of drug use and abuse
and how it impacts on the family
and the community.
This can be done in partnership
with different organisations that
seek to advocate for more aware-
ness on issues that orient to drug
abuse as multi-stakeholder in-
volved remains something of im-
portance.
On a parting shot, addiction af-
fects the entire individual physi-
cally, emotionally and psycholog-
ically. Hence any intervention or
treatment should be aimed at all
these areas. The immediate goal
should be to help the user to ab-
stain while simultaneously im-
proving his functioning in other
areas.
The family may very often ex-
pect the addict to stop immediate-
ly. This may not always be possi-
ble. As already mentioned, sub-
stance abuse also adversely affects
the whole family system. The aim
of intervention should also be the
recognition of family symptoms
and effective resolution of these
symptoms.
It is our mandate to fight against
the prevalence of drug abuse and
the voice of the artists has to am-
plify the message of advocating
against drug abuse.
 Raymond Millagre Lan-
ga is musician, poet, orator,
independent researcher and
founder of Indebo edutain-
ment Trust. You can follow on
Face book @Millagre Ray Lan-
ga, on Twitter you can follow
on #Millagre Langa, email. mil-
lagrepapito@gmail.com or inde-
botrust@gmail.com.
embarrassment to all and sundry.
More countries would have
been added in this column for
comparison purposes, but are left
for another day.
It is pleasing to note that reha-
bilitation of Bulawayo-Victoria
Falls Road is bound to start in ear-
nest and this is a positive develop-
ment in terms of travelling and
touring.
Together we can make Zimba-
bwe a pothole-free nation.
Till we meet again in the next
column.
 Comments always welcome
on: dubebasill@gmail.com

When age limit shutters girl child’s dream
BY SILENCE MUGADZAWETA
S
he lay on the ground facing the
sky, hoping for a miracle to hap-
pen.
Different hymns could be
heard in her mind and heart, as
she tried to get answers on this particular
"curse."
“Why do my dreams keep being shat-
tered? An interior monologue was asking
numerous questions, as she silently shed
tears, seeing a bleak future for her and her
siblings who celebrated after she passed
'O’ Level Mathematics. Passing Mathemat-
ics is regarded as an achievement and a
gate-pass to a better life.
Patricia Manji (33) (not real name) has
always wanted to be a nurse ever since
her mum died due to the non-availability
of medical attention.
“I have always wanted to help vulnera-
ble people in unexpected moments. Car-
egiving is a calling to me. My passion is
driven by the fact that our health institu-
tions are understaffed and this has led to
unnecessary loss of lives. I want to inspire
girls from my village,” said Manji.
She was left to head the family at the
age of 13, having dropped out of school
more than four times because she had to
fend for her four siblings.
Having sweated in menial jobs in the
surrounding farms just to afford a meal,
she is grateful to their neighbour, Advo-
cate Martin Tsindi who “adopted” them.
It was not so long before the Good Sa-
maritan succumbed to cancer, catapult-
ing them back to square one.
After writing her 'O’ Levels twice, pass-
ing with flying colours, her hope was to
enrol at a nursing school. From Chadereka
village in Muzarabani, Mashonaland Cen-
tral Province, with no means to get infor-
mation on the processes, she had to beg a
stranger who stayed 8km from her village
for the vacancies page after she saw him
waving a newspaper.
Manji could not believe her eyes, glean-
ing on an advert she so wanted. But her
fortunes suddenly changed after reading
the call for application for registered gen-
Artificial intelligence: How technology is transforming PR
public relations
with Lenox Lizwi Mhlanga
IF you have not heard about ChatGPT,
then you must be living under a rock.
The game-changing artificial intelli-
gence (AI) technology has the potential
to be a disruptor of industries, includ-
ing the public relations (PR) profession.
It is not a surprise that technology giant
Microsoft is in talks to invest US$10 bil-
lion in OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT.
The question we ask is whether AI
tools such as ChatGPT are an asset or a
threat to the PR profession. We accept it
is transforming the way PR profession-
als create, distribute and measure pub-
lic relations content, streamlining pro-
cesses and opening up new opportu-
nities.
It’s not as if we have not used AI tools
before. The technology has been grow-
ing in influence and impact in the areas
of media monitoring, analyses and re-
porting.
What is artificial intelligence? IBM
says that it is a technology that lev-
erages computers and machines to
mimic the problem-solving and deci-
sion-making capabilities of the human
mind. Specific applications of AI in-
clude expert systems, natural language
processing (NLP), speech recognition
and machine vision.
By zeroing in on the application of
AI by PR professionals, it gives them the
ability to gain unprecedented insights
into stakeholder sentiment and be-
eral nurse training intake.
“Must be between the ages of 17 and
30 years on the date of commencement
of training. Applications must be submit-
ted not later than 17 April 2022 using the
MoHCC Electronic Platform,” the advert
read in part.
“I feel like my dreams have been shat-
tered because of my age. I wish I was born
in a better family, by now I could have
completed my nurse training. Poverty
has denied me access to my passion and
dreams. My wish is for this to be revised,”
Manji said, mumbling incoherent things
and choking on her sobs with bloodshot
and puffy eyes.
Concern has been raised over age dis-
crimination with most women from dis-
advantaged backgrounds saying they
are being left out yet they are passionate
about the nursing profession.
Statistics show that the female-to-male
nurse ratio is almost 80% to 20%.
Institute for Young Women Develop-
ment (IYWD) director, Glanis Changachir-
ere says age cut off on training of any na-
ture is discriminatory, especially to wom-
en. She said evidence has shown that
women progress slowly compared to
men in as far as training and employment
opportunities are concerned.
Changachirere said through her experi-
ence working with women from margin-
alised backgrounds and communities in
IYWD’s empowerment programmes, she
has discovered that a lot of women actu-
ally think of training and employment op-
portunities way after turning 30 because
of various circumstances.
“Policies that put age cuts are policies
that draw from the capitalist discrimina-
tory practice. We work with women from
marginalised communities and when we
do empowerment programmes, most of
them come to realise they can go back
to school and fulfil their dreams and be
somebody else. Unfortunately, when they
want to do what they believe in, there is
an age limit, creating double marginalisa-
tion,” she said.
Added Changachirere: “Women usu-
ally go up the ladder at a later stage and
haviour. Significantly, AI enables them
to automate mundane tasks that used
to take up valuable time and resourc-
es like research, outreach, and content
creation.
For example, AI can scan hundreds of
articles or conversations on social me-
dia channels within minutes and pro-
vide insightful data that helps profes-
sionals assess how the public perceives
their organisation or products.
With the emergence of AI-powered
PR solutions, organisations have been
able to create smarter and more effec-
tive ways of reaching their audienc-
es with an enhanced ability to identi-
fy and understand public sentiment
about their brand or message.
According to experts, PR profes-
sionals can now analyse millions of
data points about audiences’ prefer-
ences, enabling them to personalise
messages for specific target audienc-
es and engage with them on an indi-
vidual level.
A consultant with a major communi-
cations firm says AI will equip organisa-
tions with greater precision when craft-
ing messaging strategies and faster re-
sults when measuring performance -
ultimately giving practitioners more
opportunities for success. This includes
having the ability to automate collect-
ing information from news sources and
social media, freeing up time for other
the uptake of technology is minimal to ru-
ral people. Thus women suffer multiple
forms of discrimination when it comes to
recruitment including geographical, age,
and digital.
“Revising our laws and making sure
that our laws are responsive to the needs
of the population is imperative. Applica-
tion for training and opportunities should
be cognisant of different levels of access
to technology, so that people who are
willing to apply are not denied access. A
hybrid form of application can be adopt-
ed.”
Shamwari Yemwanasikana develop-
ment manager Lisa Bonongwe says in as
much as age discrimination carries disad-
vantages, it also avails opportunities and
support for young girls.
“Putting an age limit to certain ca-
reer opportunities is the same as put-
ting gender specifications because as
women we are already at a disadvan-
tage, there is already inequity because
of where you come from and a lot of
other things, and to add age to the fac-
tor that's something hindering a lot of
women who are already disadvantaged.
We are living in an era where youth par-
ticipation is encouraged and during that
age there is a lot of focus given to this
age group. We are seeing a lot of girls
getting the support system for them to
move forward," she said.
However, Parliamentary Portfolio Com-
mittee on Health and Child Care chair-
person Ruth Labode said it was impossi-
ble for a person not to make the right de-
cision after completing secondary school,
adding that the government cannot in-
vest resources in someone who is likely to
retire early.
“The country cannot invest in some-
body who is already getting old. It doesn't
work that way. Nursing is free training
done by the government; you cannot take
government money or public funds and
fund somebody who retires quickly. What
would be a person be doing from 18 years
until 35?,” Labode said.
On online applications, she said the is-
sue has been raised in Parliament and
activities.
Automation of these types of tasks
enables PR professionals to focus on
more strategic work such as identify-
ing key trends or positioning the com-
pany in a favourable light. It also allows
them to respond to customer inquiries
more quickly.
Target messaging has always pre-
sented challenges to professionals, giv-
en the overwhelming demographics
one has to consider. AI allows PR prac-
titioners to identify trends that can
guide messaging strategies. By quick-
ly recognising emerging trends before
they become widely known, they can
craft their message in such a way that
it reaches the right audience at just the
right time. This gives them an edge in
capturing attention and increasing visi-
bility among potential customers.
AI makes it possible to create target-
ed messages that address individual
customer needs at scales — instead of
broadcasting a single messsage across
all platforms, marketers can craft tai-
lored messages based on preferences
identified by AI. This hyper-personalisa-
tion increases engagement levels sig-
nificantly.
One of the most exciting areas where
AI has impacted public relations is pre-
dictive analytics. Predictive analyt-
ics use past data to determine future
trends that can help organizations bet-
ter target their messages to different
demographics or audiences.
AI systems are also used to ana-
lyse conversations from various sourc-
es, such as social media, websites and
forums as well as even comment sec-
tions, in order to provide insights into
Standard Style | January 15 to 21 2023 S11
Age discrimination takes a heavy toll more on women than men
the government is looking into making
changes for convenience.
“The issue of online applications is a le-
gitimate complaint which was raised in
Parliament and the ministry is looking into
it,” she said.
Women's Action Group executive di-
rector Edinah Masiyiwa said accepting on-
line only applications is a misnomer which
needs redressing.
“There is a discrepancy in the demand
for online only application, there is ine-
quality and everyone should be able to
apply, those who do not have internet
should be allowed to hand post,” she said.
Human resources experts agree that
there is no relationship between age and
performance when it comes to training
and employment.
Human resources consultant Memory
Nguwi, however, said in some roles older
people can actually give value even after
they are past retirement age.
“There is no relation between job per-
formance and age. Even for some roles
even after retirement people can contin-
ue to give value. The reason why some
people think they can get an advantage
out of the younger people is that they just
want them to work more, if you invest in
training in an older person, it means the
return in terms of your training maybe re-
ceived in a shorter period, that is normally
what people are saying about the com-
pany or product being promoted. This
allows companies to respond quickly
and appropriately in a timely manner
while engaging their audiences in real-
time conversations.
AI technology is also transforming
the way companies measure their PR
campaigns. Using advanced data anal-
ysis techniques, businesses can now
identify what types of messages or
campaigns were most successful and
how they drove positive changes in
consumer behaviour.
This helps companies better opti-
mise their PR efforts by understand-
ing what messages are resonating with
their audiences. AI is generating re-
ports based on previous PR activities
for future planning.
In measuring the effectiveness of PR
campaigns, the technology can detect
insights such as user sentiment and in-
terest levels on different topics, which
helps track progress over time and de-
termine whether certain campaigns
need tweaking or re-tooling. This en-
sures that organisations are always
reaching their desired goals and max-
imising ROI.
We can enhance PR automation plat-
forms which enable users to reach out
to relevant contacts based on their in-
terests or preferences with AI technol-
ogy. By taking advantage of automat-
ed tools such as these, PR profession-
als can increase the efficiency of their
workflows.
The combination of automated
tools and data-driven insights helps PR
teams stay one step ahead in consumer
sentiment and industry trends — help-
Communities/PR
why people put age limit, it has nothing to
do with job performance,” he said.
Another human capital and strategy
consultant, Emmanuel Zvada concurred
with Nguwi adding that age gap creates
a disadvantage for the country as some
people who are passionate about nursing
have actually gone to study outside the
country and some have excelled to the
extent of occupying prominent positions
in hospitals in the diaspora.
“Age doesn't compromise perfor-
mance. And occupations that are driv-
en by passion cannot have an age limit
on that. There is a need for the age limit
to be removed because the older you are
the more you are aware of what you real-
ly want. There is need for revision because
a lot of Zimbabweans are leaving to study
nursing outside Zimbabwe, meaning the
country is losing people who could have
been employed locally and add value,”
Zvada said.
In 2017, researchers, Magnus Carlsson
and Stefan Eriksson concluded: “The ex-
istence of age discrimination in the labour
market could have serious consequences
for both society as a whole and the indi-
viduals affected. Another consequence
of discrimination could be lower occupa-
tional mobility.”
ing them build relationships with cus-
tomers in new and innovative ways.
Overall, artificial intelligence has
had a growing impact on the public
relations profession, allowing PR pro-
fessionals to save time on mundane
tasks and focus on higher-value activ-
ities.
Artificial intelligence is revolutionis-
ing the world of PR and providing or-
ganisations with unprecedented op-
portunities for leveraging data for cre-
ating personalised campaigns that res-
onate with targeted audiences. The
technology also does this by providing
automation for repetitive tasks, better
insights through advanced analytics, in-
creased precision in campaign planning
and heightened customer engagement
rates.
In order for public relations prac-
titioners to remain competitive and
achieve long-term success in today’s
landscape, it is essential that they be-
come familiar with these powerful
tools. As more technologies continue to
emerge and become integrated into PR
practice, it is wise that professionals ride
the AI revolution and not resist it.
 Lenox Mhlanga is a consult-
ant communications specialist and
thought leader with over 22 years of
experience in the field. He has worked
with The World Bank and blue chip
companies, as well as civic institutions
in Zimbabwe and the region. Contact
him for counsel and training in pub-
lic relations and corporate communi-
cations strategy on mobile: +263 772
400 656 and email: lenoxmhlanga@
gmail.com
S12 Standard Style | January 15 to 21 2023
Health
Health licence fees deterrent to affordable health service
health talk
with Dr Johannes Marisa
THE last 18 months saw more than 4000
health personnel leaving the coun-
try for greener pastures leaving many
health institutions understaffed thus
further strangulating the health deliv-
ery system. Life continues to tighten for
many citizens as they cannot afford out-
of-pocket payments because of restrict-
ed liquidity.
There are many issues which I think
the ministry of Health and Child Care
should consider in its endeavour to de-
liver health, if we are to archieve uni-
versal health coverage. The viability of
health delivery service depends on the
2007 World Health Organisation’s build-
ing blocks which include health work-
force, financing, medicines, govern-
ance, service delivery and information
systems.
The public health delivery system is
facing insurmountable problems, ma-
jority of which are circulating around
the issues of human resources and med-
Are restrictive abortion laws good for
women’s reproductive health? (Part 2)
KAMURAI MUDZINGWA
IN the first part of this two-part article,
it was noted that the legislation gov-
erning abortion in Zimbabwe is pro-
life hence its restrictive nature. An esti-
mated 60 000 to 70 000 illegal or back-
yard abortions are recorded every year
in Zimbabwe.
In order to have some understanding
of what women think and feel about the
restrictive abortion legislation in Zim-
babwe and its impact on illegal abor-
tions that jeopardise women’s health, I
solicited responses from women aged
between 19 and 45 years. Six categories
of factors that influenced respondents’
perception of the legislation emerged
— morality factors; health factors; reli-
gious factors; social factors; economic
factors and human rights factors.
Morality
Pro-life respondents in a group dis-
cussion argued that it was the duty of
the law to preserve morals in a world
where morality is low.
“If the law is relaxed we would be
in moral wilderness with women, es-
pecially girls, getting pregnant all the
time knowing that they can terminate
the pregnancy any time. It is not a ques-
tion of the law being fair or unfair; it is
a question about what is morally right,”
said one pro-life woman. Her senti-
ments were echoed by all those who
were pro-life. They felt it was the busi-
ness of the law to preserve morals and
Zimbabwe’s restrictive legislation on
the termination of pregnancies was su-
perb.
Health
There was consensus among all
women, both pro-choice and pro-life
that abortion should be regarded seri-
ously as part of women’s reproductive
health. It was agreed, even by those
who were pro-life, that the law should
consider abortion when the pregnan-
cy threatened the life of the wom-
an. However, the pro-choice propo-
nents argued that a woman’s reproduc-
tive health should include her mental
and emotional preparedness to carry
the pregnancy to term. They said the
law did not take seriously the wom-
an’s preparedness as part of reproduc-
tive health because if the woman is not
mentally prepared, nothing would stop
her from terminating the pregnancy by
any means thereby endangering her
life.
icines. As long as the human resource is-
sue is not solved, the Health Service
Commission should not boast that it is
doing something yet there is rampant
brain drain.
Zimbabwe is losing experienced
health personnel to countries such as
Scotland, England, Australia, New Zea-
land and this is where the regulator is
supposed to show its mettle. Occupy-
ing high offices and taking frequent
cups of coffee yet the public health sys-
tem is in shambles is embarrassing to
say the least. Is the President of Zim-
babwe told there are very few nurses
manning wards at central hospitals like
Parirenyatwa or Sally Mugabe Hospital?
Is His Excellency briefed that there are
shortages of basic drugs and sundries at
many public health institutions?
If such information is not relayed to
him, then there is both disinformation
and misinformation.
Worker demotivation is very topical
The women (pro-choice) perceived
the law as contributing to serious re-
productive health hazards because by
unintentionally encouraging illegal
abortions, it exposed women to seri-
ous health consequences. They said
backyard abortion procedures includ-
ed dangerous concoctions and the in-
sertion of sharp objects into the womb.
“My cousin died a painful death with
her intestines protruding after she took
a concoction given to her by a herbal-
ist to terminate her pregnancy. No one
dared to take her to hospital after the
procedure went wrong for fear of being
arrested. If it was not for fear of the law,
my cousin would simply have gone to
a medical doctor to have her pregnan-
cy safely terminated,” said one woman
in an interview.
Some of the women argued that it is
only the woman who knows what she
is carrying and how she feels in terms
of health.
“At our marketplace there is a wom-
an who bears strange children with
skins that look as if they were scalded
with hot water or hot oil and their eyes
evoke pity. People always stop to gape
at these children. When she fell preg-
nant for the third time her husband left
her saying he knew she was going to
give birth to another “goblin”. She said
she also did not want a repeat of the
first two experiences and resultantly,
she went for backstreet abortion that
nearly claimed her life,” said one inter-
viewee who was a vendor. Hence, the
women perceived the law as so harsh
that it did not even bother to take such
genuine issues into consideration.
Religion
The majority of women argued that
religion and the law contributed im-
mensely to backyard abortions. How-
ever, the pro-life respondents quot-
ed the Bible with one citing the com-
mandment “Thou shalt not kill”. They
perceived the law as right claiming that
children were a gift from God.
One woman said: “Even those that
are raped should not kill the child in the
womb. All children are a gift from God.
The moment one conceives, one is al-
ready carrying a human being. Killing
that foetus is murder. In fact the law
should be made tighter to regard abor-
tion as murder.”
On the other hand, the larger num-
ber of the respondents said religion,
particularly Christianity was a push fac-
today in many of the public institutions.
Many health practitioners pleaded with
parliamentarians to amend the Health
Services Bill especially on the clauses
that prohibit health workers to go on
strike.
With the Health Services Bill now an
act, I see it as another serious source of
frustration and demotivation which has
potential to fuel further worker migra-
tion. What is needed at this juncture is
a friendly piece of legislation that is at-
tractive to even diasporans to return to
Zimbabwe.
I believe the Health Ministry has an
obligation to protect its workers as the
mother ministry. The Ministry of Health
and Child Care has pegged exorbitant
fees for new medical aid societies ap-
plicants with application fees sitting at
US$500 while registration fees are now
US$15000. This amount is a natural de-
terrent for local starters and is only there
to usurp all the energy from prospec-
tive participants. It is my plea that such
amounts are reviewed downwards.
We have many players who appear in
the medical field and start to demand
very big pieces of cakes which I think
is not fair considering that health ser-
vice delivery should be affordable at the
tor for backyard abortion. They cited re-
ligious hypocrisy as a danger.
“There is a lot of hypocrisy in the
church. In our church people get ranks
such as elder, senior etc according to
your guild. If your unmarried daugh-
ter is impregnated and the man re-
sponsible denies paternity then your
rank might be lowered because you
are blamed for not instilling morals into
your child. I know of parents who re-
sorted to backyard abortions for their
daughters in order to keep their sta-
tuses in church,” said one woman in a
group discussion.
Some participants said they knew of
pastors who had taken their pregnant
daughters or church members they
would have made pregnant for back-
yard abortions.
One respondent said: “If the law was
permissive, such people would take
their daughters or secret lovers for
medically supervised abortion proce-
dures even if this was done in secret
and the women would face minimum
health risk.”
Social factors
Some women interviewed felt that
the law played a huge part in forcing
young women into early marriages.
One respondent’s sentiments sums
up this view: “I was pregnant at 16 due
to peer pressure. I wanted to continue
with my education, but the pregnancy
became a hindrance. I was forced to get
married because of that. I had nowhere
to go. If I was in a country like South
Africa where termination of pregnan-
cy is legal, I would have gone for abor-
tion and continued with my education.
I did not do that because I was afraid
of being caught. That was the end of
my schooling, look at what I am today;
a mere nurse aid with three children
though I was very intelligent at school.”
A student at a local university said:
“I think the law is archaic, it does not
take care of the needs of the modern
woman who has various soci-econom-
ic needs that may exclude children. At
a particular point for instance, I might
have pressing needs and children
might not be one of them. I must de-
cide whether to terminate the pregnan-
cy or not. The law must facilitate that I
do this safely and cheaply.
Economic factors
Some respondents said the law does
not take into perspective what the pro-
fessional woman goes through.
end. Many private practitioners have
been hounded out of business in our
country because of unfair practices.
Medical aid societies are pushing
many practitioners out of business by
merely failing to pay their dues. The
same Ministry of Health is the regula-
tor and licences are generated from the
head office. It is now a perennial prob-
lem of non-payment but the same Med-
ical Aid Societies are given their operat-
ing licences despite their incessant fail-
ures.
How do we expect health service to
lower health service charges when the
service providers are not paid for servic-
es that they rendered? Does the Minis-
ter of Health know that civil servants are
struggling to get medical attention be-
cause Premier Service Medical Aid Soci-
ety has not been honouring claims for a
long time?
Radiographers and radiologists were
recently crying about the exorbitant li-
censing fees from the Radiation Protec-
tion Authority of Zimbabwe. How on
earth could regulation fees for Com-
puted Tomography, Magnetic Reso-
nance Imaging and X-rays be close to
US$4000? A general practitioner who
runs an X-ray and Ultrasound Scan is ex-
Women, both pro-choice and pro-life, believe that abortion should be regarded
seriously as part of women’s reproductive health
“Although the national gender policy
states that there should be no discrim-
ination against women in its pursuit of
gender equality at the workplace, the
situation on the ground is different.
For instance, I can not go for a job in-
terview carrying a visible pregnancy.
If I do that my chances of getting em-
ployed are zero. I might decide to ter-
minate the pregnancy and that auto-
matically means a backyard abortion of
some sorts,” said a woman from a local
industry.
In a group discussion, respondents
also brought up the issue of class. One
vendor’s sentiments summarises this:
“I, for instance cannot pay for a se-
cret, medically supervised abortion al-
though we know doctors and organi-
sations that perform them. The doctors
charge $200 and above because of the
risk involved and poor women like my-
self cannot afford so we resort to back-
yard abortion which is dangerous.”
The women said women in the up-
per class can afford such fees or they
can simply travel to countries like South
Africa where abortion is legal and have
their pregnancies terminated. They also
said women of the upper class who
have no material problems hardly think
of terminating pregnancies and such
women are usually adamant that the
law is fair because they do not have the
same experiences as poor women.
“They team up with men to protect
such laws that are not good for poor
women. It is the poor women who have
to suffer unsafe abortions,” said anoth-
er vendor.
Human rights factors
Those who were pro-choice said the
law was a gross violation of women’s
rights.
“The law does not consider the wom-
an’s right to do what she wants with her
body. The body belongs to me not to
the unborn foetus. If I die carrying that
pected to pay US$1200 as licencing fees
by the same Radiation Protection Au-
thority of Zimbabwe.
How can the prices of basic medi-
cal investigations go down when such
amounts are required by officials who
are merely sitting in their offices? The
end result is high cost of medical care
and it will be a mountain to climb if we
are to archieve universal health cover-
age.
Does government know that these
are the amounts being charged in our
countries? Medical practitioners have
not seen peace in the medical industry
as councils are on their doors with exor-
bitant charges that are not warranted.
One wonders who is behind all these
measures that are there to strangulate
the few remaining and patriotic health
workers in the country. It is my hope
that all such contentious issues be ad-
dressed by the central government
through the Ministry of Health and
Child Care.
Central government should consid-
er the plight of its workers and all those
who are in the health sector. Censoring
health regulatory bodies is one step to
correct the mess that is prevailing today.
No to corruption!
pregnancy people mourn me not the
foetus. Why give something that I car-
ry inside me more rights than me?” said
a woman from a human rights organi-
sation.
The women perceived the law as the
impetus of what would eventually be-
come murder.
“If the law allowed for on-demand
abortion, pregnancies would be ter-
minated at say, two months when the
foetus is just tissue and blood, but be-
cause of its restrictive nature this does
not normally happen. Women go for
backyard abortion and most people
who perform backyard abortions say
they can only terminate the pregnan-
cy when it is six moths old and above
so what they do is to induce stillbirth.
What is more of murder here, allow-
ing someone to remove tissue or an
already formed baby?” said a woman
who said she nearly died because of a
backyard abortion procedure.
The majority of women agreed that
the issue of abortion should be under-
stood within the larger context of gen-
der issues in patriarchal societies where
the violation of women’s rights, includ-
ing their reproductive rights, are en-
forced through legislation. They said
the abortion issue is patriarchal that is
why the law punishes the woman and
not the man responsible. One wom-
an said her friend and her husband de-
cided to terminate an unwanted preg-
nancy, but when the procedure went
wrong and they were caught it was her
friend (the woman) who went to jail.
One woman, a lawyer, summed it up:
“International statutes on human rights
recognize the rights of women and not
those of fetuses. There is no mention
of the rights of feotuses even in our
constitution, but the rights of women.
The law should be amended so that it
protects the rights of women, not the
rights of feotuses.”
 Standard Style | January 15 to 21 2023 S13

How to write an application for promotion

K
nowing how to write a clear, concise, to the facts presented on your resume. statement of intention. The statement of “I am writing to apply for a promo-
and convincing application for a promo- They allow you to tell your story your intention will clearly explain the intent tion from Assistant Manager to General
tion will greatly enhance your chances way and explain away any concerns your of your letter. Often times, statements of Manager of Sports X.”
of getting promoted to the next level of superiors might have about your qualifi- intention should state your interest in Your exact wording can and may
seniority in your company. cations or history. a promotion followed by a statement of vary, depending on the specifics of the
Writing an application for a promotion involves Most companies use standard appli- where you heard about the position. Con- position.
using the correct format and materials, opening cation forms for in-house promotions, so sider: Identify yourself and note you are
with an introduction in which you state your in- the cover letter is crucial to making your “Please accept this as my letter of ap- a current employee: The next step in
terest in a promotion, where you heard about the application stand out. plication for the position of general man- writing your letter of application for pro-
position, and a brief overview of your accom- Present your intention: Perhaps the ager of Sports X advertised on the Sports motion is to identify yourself.
plishments for the company, and an explanation first line in your letter should be your X website.” —wikihow
why you think you'd be the right person for this
position.
Luckily, with a little bit of work and some
knowledge, you’ll be able to write the letter you
need to get the job.
Identifying your audience
Evaluate your qualifications: Before apply-
ing for a promotion, you need to be sure that you
qualify for the position. If you don't meet the min-
imum requirements, it is unlikely that a glowing
recommendation or otherwise impressive resume
will get you the job. Applying for a position with-
out meeting these requirements makes the appli-
cant look foolish and overly ambitious.
Identify the requirements of the new posi-
tion: Perhaps the most important thing you need
to do is go over the requirements and desired ex-
perience of the new position. At the same time,
you need to identify what qualities your potential
new supervisor is looking for in the ideal candi-
date. Knowing this will help you gear your letter
specifically toward the demands of the position.
If there is one, read the job listing of the po-
sition very carefully. Note every qualification de-
sired and experience required.
If you know someone in a similar position,
ask them exactly what the new position entails.
If you know someone who already works un-
der your potential new supervisor, ask them what
kind of attributes their boss likes as well as any
other information that might benefit you when
writing the application.
Confirm your current supervisor’s support:
Applying for a promotion is not a confidential pro-
cess and will involve discussion with and/or a rec-
ommendation from your current supervisor. It is
best to know their feelings about your move be-
fore you proceed blindly down the path. Speak to
them to explain why you want to make the move
and to earn their support.
Identify the decision-maker: Although you
might be applying for a promotion within an or-
ganization you work for or are familiar with, you
might not be familiar with the specific individu-
al, branch, or program within that organization.
Since you might be applying for a promotion to a
new division, you need to spend time investigat-
ing whoever will be reading your application for
promotion. Consider:
Read up on your new potential boss and find
out what they are like, what their education and
experience is, and what their employment re-
cord is like. Even if they don't make the hiring de-
cision, your research will give you a better idea
about who they are.
The new supervisor may not always deter-
mine the promotion. In this case, identify who
will be making the decision, how the process will
work, and key factors that will determine the de-
cision.
Approach your current or new potential su-
pervisor and let them know your interest. Ask
them about the position and tell them about your
qualifications. Be confident and energetic. Odds
are they are at least involved in the hiring process
for the position.
Writing your cover letter
Understand the purpose of your cover letter.
Your application for promotion is intended to se-
cure a promotion for yourself. Fundamentally,
your application for promotion should sell your-
self as a competent, successful, trustworthy, and
extremely capable person.
After reading your letter for promotion, your
boss should have no question in his or her mind
about your merits and your ability to succeed af-
ter being promoted.
Use a cover letter: Your cover letter is a chance
for you to show your personality and add “colour”
S14 Standard Style | January 15 to 21 2023
Perimeter alarms and motion-detection systems can alert
you to intruders on your property so you can take action
How to protect your land rights
P
rivate property and land rights are consid-
ered essential to a free society and our way
of life. If you own property, you have exclu-
sive rights to determine how it is used and
who may use it.
However, if you don’t protect your land rights oth-
ers may be able to chip away at them over time. To
protect and preserve your land, you must actively
keep intruders out, maintain your legal boundaries,
and stop any use of your land without your consent.
Keeping intruders out
Build walls and fences: A wall or fence along the
border of your property is one of the simplest ways
to keep other people out as well as putting would-
be intruders on notice that the land within is pri-
vate property.
If you live in a suburban community, make sure
the type of fence you want to build is allowed before
you begin construction.
You also may want to have a survey done to es-
tablish the exact boundaries of your property as set
forth in your deed.
Talk to any adjoining property owners before
you construct a fence or a wall. Many state laws and
local ordinances require neighbors to share the re-
sponsibilities of maintaining a fence between prop-
erties.
If your property sits next to a road or other
property, you also should check state laws and ordi-
nances to determine what set-off is required.
Post signs: Although warning signs won't keep
anyone off your property in and of themselves,
they can serve as a deterrent and put people on no-
tice as to the consequences if they trespass on your
property.
Security company signs or window stickers can
serve as a deterrent even if you don't have an alarm
system installed. Theft often is a crime of opportu-
nity and these notices send the message that your
property is not an easy target.
You also can get signs that say “Beware of Dog”
or similar at most home improvement stores. Oth-
er gadgets can be used to simulate the presence of a
guard dog or security guard on the premises.
Install an alarm system: Even if you live on
the property, you can’t personally monitor it all the
time. Perimeter alarms and motion-detection sys-
tems can alert you to intruders on your property so
you can take action. Many alarm systems also auto-
matically contact authorities.
Get terms and estimates from several alarm
companies before you choose which one you want
to buy.
Read the contract carefully and make sure you
understand what is covered and what isn’t. Pay par-
ticular attention to early-termination clauses, so
you know what you'll have to pay if you decide to
cancel your service for some reason.
You might also consider exterior lights with
motion sensors, which can help defend your prop-
erty from intruders as well as provide well-lit path-
ways if you’re walking the property at night.
Review and update your security regularly. As
soon as new security technology is released, there
will be intruders who figure out how to get around
it. Stay ahead of the curve by updating your system
when you learn of potential vulnerabilities.
Run tests to check for weaknesses, such as at-
tempting to enter the property with all security in
place. If you have an alarm system, let your alarm
company know ahead of time that you're conduct-
ing a test so they don't send a false alarm to the po-
lice.
Police precincts often do home inspections as a
service to local residents. A law enforcement officer
will walk your property with you and identify weak
points in your security.
If you have a fence, check it regularly for holes
or other damage. You also should check any locks
on gates or doors and make sure they function prop-
erly.
Keep up to date on state law: Each state has its
own laws regarding the use of force to protect your
home or private property. Typically these laws re-
quire an evaluation of all the circumstances of the
situation to determine whether the amount of force
used was reasonable.
State law is particularly important if you've
hired a security guard to patrol a large parcel of
land. Use of force may differ depending on wheth-
er there is a home or the property is undeveloped.
Each state has laws that fall under the legal the-
ory known as the “castle doctrine” (following the
adage that a man’s home is his castle), which per-
mits use of deadly force to defend your home and
property.
However, castle doctrine laws typically don’t ap-
ply to undeveloped land, or to a significant expanse
of property far removed from your home.
In most cases, you must be able to prove the
force used was immediately necessary to stop or
prevent illegal actions. Deadly force typically is
only justified if immediately necessary to protect a
life – not to protect property alone. —wikihow

Southern
Eye
BRIEFS
Man killed in
Bots prison fight
A ZIMBABWEAN prisoner was killed by his Motswa-
na cellmate after a brawl ensued between the two
in the dead of night on Sunday at a prison in Maun,
Botswana.
The Zimbabwean has since been identified as
Michael Phuti (31) whose known address in Bot-
swana is Magapatona Ward in Tutume Village,
which is about 50km from the Zimbabwe border.
Botswana Prison Service (BPS) spokesperson
Senior Superintendent Oagile Kojane said the two
inmates fought at around 2300 hours and Phuti
was rushed to hospital where he succumbed due
to injuries.
"The incident resulted in one inmate being seri-
ously injured and (he) was immediately rushed to
the Letsholathebe Memorial Hospital, where he,
unfortunately, succumbed to the injuries," he add-
ed.
The suspect has been identified as Osego Mo-
setlhane (36) of Kgaphamadi Wadi in Gantsi..
– News24
Man impregnates
teenager, helps her abort
A 25-year-old Victoria Falls man has been arrested
after he allegedly impregnated a teenage girl and
helped her to abort.
This is yet another case of sexual abuse of mi-
nor girls with such cases on the rise in the country.
Given Nsingo of Mkhosana was reportedly in a
love affair with the girl aged 17.
The girl recently discovered that she was preg-
nant and Nsingo allegedly gave her an abortion
pill.
It is alleged that the girl was assisted by her
mother to bury the three-month foetus.
Nsingo and the girl are jointly charged with un-
lawful termination of pregnancy.
Victoria Falls magistrate Godswill Mavenge on
Wednesday remanded them out of custody to
February 20.
The girl was referred to hospital for medical at-
tention after the abortion. — CITE
Vendors attack council police
BULAWAYO City Council chamber secretary
Sikhangele Zhou says the local authority has been
forced to upgrade municipal security uniforms to
include helmets.
According to Zhou, the decision was made af-
ter one of the municipal security guards had to be
taken to a neurosurgeon for treatment after a fight
with vendors.
Helmets will be added to the security uniform
to prevent such injuries, Zhou said during a re-
cent consultative meeting with political parties on
cleaning and maintaining order in Bulawayo.
“In our last operation, our security guards were
beaten up, so we have citizens who don’t respect
the law,” Zhou said.
“They threw stones at them and while my uni-
form does not include a helmet for security guards,
I have since introduced the helmet because last
time I took one of the guards to a neurosurgeon
because they were hit in the head.”
She stated that consultation with political par-
ties was critical because the illegal vendors were
members of various political formations.
-CITE
BY NIZBERT MOYO
A
government investigation
into reports of maladminis-
tration at the Victoria Falls
municipality has implicated
town clerk Ronnie Dube in
alleged acts of corruption involving the il-
legal sale of housing stands in the resort
town, it has emerged.
A team set up by Local Government min-
ister July Moyo to conduct the probe pre-
sented its findings to the council last week.
Moyo set up the probe team after mayor
Somvelo Dlamini and a residents associa-
tion accused Dube of corruption.
Dlamini and Dube accuse each other of
corruption.
Dube was once arrested more than two
years ago on corruption allegations, but
was acquitted by the courts.
Dlamini is currently on bail pending tri-
al following his arrest last October.
Moyo told Sunday Southern Eye that pre-
liminary findings raised serious allega-
tions of corruption against the town clerk.
“There are serious allegations that are
being investigated against the town clerk
after residents raised complaints over
a number of issues. Residents are not
amused,” Moyo said.
“A team led by the deputy minister
of Local Government and Public Works
(Marrian Chombo) went to (Victoria Falls)
present an investigation report.
“The accused should get an opportunity
to respond and if found guilty action will
be taken to return the town to normalcy.”
An investigation report dated December
20, 2022 and signed by Moyo and addressed
to the mayor reads as follows:
“As you are aware, I deployed an investi-
gation team to look into allegations raised
against your town clerk, Ronnie Dube.
“You lodged a complaint together with
the Victoria Falls Combined Residents As-
sociation accusing the town clerk of ille-
gally allocating stands.
“Accordingly, the investigation team un-
earthed several issues related to the un-
procedural allocation of stands as well as
Push for return of Zapu
properties intensifies
BY NIZBERT MOYO
ZAPU and Zipra veterans are set to meet on
January 28 to elect a substantive committee
to spearhead engagement with government
and other processes towards the return of
their seized properties.
The meeting has been set for McDonald
Hall in Makokoba, according to Zipra inter-
im steering committee chairperson Volta
Moyo.
The meeting is allegedly being coordinat-
ed by outspoken war veteran Tshinga Dube.
A meeting involving Zapu and Zipra ex-
combatants was held in Entumbane suburb
in Bulawayo in November where the steer-
ing committee was set up to co-ordinate pro-
The Standard
RELEVANT, CREDIBLE NEWS
Southern Eye on Sunday | January 15 to 21 2023 S15
Council boss in
trouble over graft
Ronnie Dube
poor corporate governance in your coun-
cil.”
According to the report, Moyo said the
town clerk must be held accountable.
“The town clerk must be held accountable
and culpable for writing to Jackelberry in-
cesses leading to the election of a substan-
tive committee.
“'The aim of the meeting is to choose a
substantive Zipra properties committee,”
Moyo said.
“All those who trained under Zipra are in-
vited to attend.”
Zapu and Zipra ex-combatants last year
agreed to work together to push for the re-
turn of their properties seized by the Zanu
PF government soon after independence.
Government seized the properties un-
der the Unlawful Organisations Act (Caveat
Number 15 of 82) in the 1980s alleging that it
had discovered arms caches on farms owned
by Zapu and Zipra, precipitating Gukura-
hundi massacres.
forming them that they had a 15-year lease,
which was being processed by council when
in fact no allocation and resolution had been
passed by council,” the report reads.
“The town clerk must be held culpable
and accountable for allocating the Chino-
timba Brewery to Jackelberry Investments
without a council resolution and authority.
“The town clerk must pay the loan in full
as the council was prejudiced of US$20 075
00.
“The town clerk must be held culpable
and accountable for failing to have policies
in place and for following his own practic-
es in the allocations of council properties,
which is not guided by any document from
council.”
In 2021, Dube, a former chief executive of-
ficer of the Tsholotsho Rural District Coun-
cil, was suspended a month after the local
authority renewed his contract by another
five years after receiving praise on his work-
manship.
Under Dube, Victoria Falls was granted
city status in December 2020 to become the
first city in Matabeleland North and the sec-
ond after Bulawayo in the whole southern
region.
Dube is not new to the Victoria Falls Mu-
nicipality having served as the town’s first
chamber secretary between 2002 and 2005.
He joined the local authority on Decem-
ber 1, 2016 replacing Christopher Dube, the
current Bulawayo town clerk.
Dube, who also served as the Gwanda mu-
nicipality chamber secretary, left Tsholot-
sho under a cloud following reports of cor-
ruption levelled against him.
According to a Zapu inventory, seized party
properties include farms and hotels, among
them Magnet House, which now houses the
Central Intelligence Organisation offices in
Bulawayo, Castle Arms in Bulawayo, Green
Haven — a huge entertainment facility along
the Victoria Falls-Bulawayo Highway, and
several residential properties.
The veterans had contributed $50 each
from their demobilisation payouts after in-
dependence to purchase properties through
their investment vehicle, Nitram Invest-
ments Private Limited.
The late president Robert Mugabe frus-
trated any engagements towards the return
of the properties.
Mugabe spearheaded the seizure of Zapu
properties at the start of the deadly mili-
tary campaign in Matabeleland and Mid-
lands known as Gukurahundi, which left
over 20 000 supporters of the Joshua Nkomo
led opposition party dead and thousands dis-
placed.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has
opened lines of engagement, but the process
has been moving at a snail's pace with critics
doubting his sincerity.

By Lungelo Ndhlovu
As lingering droughts hit south-
ern Africa's hydropower dams,
Zimbabwe faces growing elec-
tricity shortages, but connecting
individuals and businesses that
have installed private solar pan-
els to the national grid could help
fill some of the gap.
Farmer Kalani Ndlovu, for in-
stance, wants to expand his 13
kilowatt (KW) solar mini-grid —
used to pump well water to fill a
farm reservoir — and sell the ex-
cess power to the state.
But Ndlovu, who has a farm in
Umguza, in Matabeleland North
Province, worries about the cost
of the device he needs to connect
his mini-grid to the Zimbabwe
Electricity Transmission and
Distribution Company (ZETDC),
the state-owned distributor.
The grid-tied inverter would
cost him at least US$2 000, a sig-
nificant outlay on top of the about
US$5 000 the commercial farmer
spent on his solar power system
back in 2019.
“Money to invest in solar equip-
ment is lacking,” he said in a tele-
phone interview from his 840-hec-
tare (2,000-acre) Mjayeli Farm,
where he grows maize and where
he also rears cattle.
“But I want to tap into the net
metering project and supply the
grid,” he added.
Zimbabwe's net metering sys-
tem, launched in 2020, allows peo-
ple who produce private renewa-
ble energy to transfer their excess
generation to the national grid in
return for electricity credits they
can use when they do not have
sufficient renewable supply.
The southern African coun-
try is suffering a prolonged pow-
er shortage, especially after its
main Kariba hydropower plant
last month cut electricity genera-
tion due to low water levels.
Today the plant is generating
only about a third of its installed
capacity of 2,0000 megawatts
(MW).
As climate change-fuelled
droughts lead to water shortag-
es at Kariba, the country's age-
ing coal plants also are frequently
breaking down.
Blackouts of up to 20 hours a
day are now common.
In response, the government
has announced a variety of meas-
ures to boost power supplies -
from harnessing more electricity
from independent power produc-
ers (IPPs) to importing more en-
ergy from neighbouring nations.
The country has said it also
wants more individuals like Ndlo-
vu, as well as companies, IPPs,
and even schools, to sell the ex-
Council says outsiders causing chaos on streets
BY PATRICIA SIBANDA
A Bulawayo City Council top offi-
cial has claimed that illegal ven-
dors crowding the city’s streets,
blocking pavements and other
roads are not originally from the
city.
Town clerk Christopher Dube
said the city has a total of about 10
000 vacant vending stalls in resi-
dential areas, but informal traders
were not interested.
According to Dube, the ‘out-
siders’ preferred to play cat and
mouse with municipal police in
the central business district (CBD)
in confrontations that have some-
times turned violent.
The local authority has been in-
volved in running battles with il-
Zimbabwe looks to public to provide
solar power amid energy crisis
Load-shedding has driven a lot of people to install solar systems to power their homes as back-up when there is no electricity
cess power they generate via net
metering.
However, Sosten Ziuku, direc-
tor of renewable energy in the
Ministry of Energy and Power
Development, acknowledged the
high equipment costs for net me-
tering users, especially individu-
als rather than IPPs that tend to
operate on a larger scale.
"So we are looking at a situa-
tion where we can do bulk pro-
curement of those meters to re-
duce cost," he said, referring to
solar smart meters that measure
the flow of energy in both direc-
tions.
But some analysts and lawmak-
ers have questioned whether the
net metering system — with 117
active users and a total power ca-
pacity of 4.9MW at present - can
be relied upon or scaled up suffi-
ciently to genuinely address the
worsening energy crisis.
"You can put as many meters as
you want but if the power is not
there it's a waste of time," Tend-
ai Biti, a politician and former Fi-
nance minister, said in an inter-
view.
"The primary challenge is gen-
eration and Zimbabwe needs to
create urgently 2,000MW of fresh
power," he added.
legal vendors who were allocated
vending bays by Zanu PF officials
along 5th Avenue in July this year,
blocking the road.
At the launch of the shadowy
group Vendors 4ED recently, its
chairperson Samora Chisvo vowed
that they will confront the local au-
thority for allegedly victimising
Zanu PF members occupying 5th
Avenue.
The council has also been hav-
ing challenges in trying to remove
informal traders illegally operat-
ing from street pavements.
Last week, council held a consul-
tative meeting with different polit-
ical parties and other stakeholders
on the matter and it was revealed
that 10 000 vending bays in residen-
tial areas are vacant.
Under the country's net meter-
ing regulations, first laid out in
2018, domestic users were to re-
ceive an electricity credit of 0.9
kilowatt-hour (kWh) for each
kWh of power they exported to
the national grid.
But the regulations were updat-
ed last year, and the value of the
credit was reduced to 0.8 kWh.
Some solar sector players have
criticised both slow progress in
expanding net metering and how
the system functions.
Taona Jakachira, chief techni-
cal officer at Distributed Power
Africa, a renewable energy firm,
said net metering was "not ful-
ly functional" due to issues with
the billing technology that deter-
mines how many power units sup-
pliers should receive.
Still, the system "will go a long
way in complementing the gov-
ernment's effort to provide power
to its people", he added. But high
costs remain a major stumbling
block.
Mihlayifani Ncube, a techni-
cian at the firm Solar Village Re-
newable Energy Solutions, said
it was pricey for individuals to
even install solar grid systems, let
alone afford the additional equip-
ment required to connect to the
“Vending stalls are lying idle in
suburban areas, people move from
wherever they live to come to sell
in town,” Dube said.
“The city is congested with ille-
gal vendors selling their products
on shop corridors, which is now af-
fecting shop owners who are pay-
ing rent.”
He said illegal vendors should go
to the municipal offices to get reg-
istered to become legal.
“The illegal vendors roaming
around our streets are not from
here because Bulawayo people re-
spect their city which is why from
long back it was rated the most
clean in the whole country,” Dube
said.
“Now I am confused as to what
has gotten into people because the
Southern Eye on Sunday | January 15 to 21 2023 S16
national grid.
"Load-shedding (power cuts)
has driven a lot of people ... to in-
stall solar systems to power their
homes as back-up systems to use
when there is no electricity, but
not to supply the grid because
of costly inverters and solar me-
ters," Ncube said.
Zimbabwe last month launched
a $30 million renewable energy
fund as part of a United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals
(SDG) initiative. The government
said it would provide support to
regular small and medium-sized
firms for renewable projects.
Ziuku said the money was ear-
marked for loans for "private sec-
tor players ... (to) come into re-
newable energy" and would sup-
port government efforts to in-
crease national power supply.
In a separate development, Zim-
babwe last month announced in-
centives to support US$1 billion
worth of privately-owned solar
energy projects by IPPs, covering
27 projects with a cumulative ca-
pacity of about 1,000 MW.
Zimbabwe has a target of gen-
erating 1,100MW of clean energy
by 2025, and 2,100 MW by 2030, but
this has been hindered by a lack
of investment by IPPs with the
city is filthy.
“ I am even afraid to say l run the
city because this is not the city l
grew up knowing.
“Therefore this is the reason
why we have been engaging all
these groups so that they may as-
sist us because we cannot sin-
gle handedly deal with the fight
against illegal bus terminals , ille-
gal vending.”
Dube said vending stands in the
CBD are only meant for registered
people who dwell in ward 1.
“The vending issue is supposed
to be ward-based because it is
meant to decongest the CBD,” he
said.
“People should sell from wherev-
er they live to reduce congestion in
town.”
News
nation's economy reeling.
Zimbabwe has in recent years
sought to boost take-up of renew-
able energy through measures
such as removing import duties
on solar-energy-related products,
requiring all new construction to
include solar systems, and intro-
ducing net metering.
Biti, the politician, has been
lobbying the government to re-
move all import taxes on equip-
ment or components used for re-
newable energy, including the
15% value-added tax (VAT) rate.
But Abe Cambridge, chief ex-
ecutive of Sun Exchange, a South
African renewables start-up that
works in the region, said regula-
tion was also a barrier to raising
the nation's solar capacity.
There are challenges and costs
associated with connecting to
different municipal and network
operators, Cambridge said.
He said solar system owners
should be rewarded for providing
"much-needed support to the grid
at times of constraint", whether
this was through electricity cred-
its or money instead.
Potentially, the right incen-
tives could pull in even smaller
solar panel owners to help Zim-
babwe's ailing grid, experts say.
In the southern city of Bula-
wayo, Buhle Siwela, whose hus-
band has a business selling solar
equipment, said their family had
bought a system to power their
home through blackouts.
"On a monthly basis I only
use $15 worth of (grid) electrici-
ty for my home because I have a
solar back-up system. You won't
tell the difference when there is
blackout at my house," she said.
Siwela said she was think-
ing about upgrading the system,
bought in 2016 at a total cost of
about $1,600, to become a net me-
tering user and supply excess en-
ergy to the grid.
"I'm considering adding two
more batteries and some solar
panels to one day feed into the
power grid system. Solar energy
has shown to be a dependable re-
newable energy source for me".
— Thomson Reuters Foundation
Last week, the council had
planned a Murambatsvina type
crackdown against illegal vendors,
but the exercise was suspended at
the last minute after police said
they were not ready.
Bulawayo chamber secretary,
Sikhangele Zhou said police ad-
vised council to wait for the out-
come of a security meeting that
was to be held at the office of the
Provincial and Devolution Affairs
minister Judith Ncube.
Operation Murambatsvina, also
officially known as Operation Re-
store Order, was a large-scale Zim-
babwean government campaign
in 2005 to forcibly clear slum areas
across the country.