Netone building

Takunda Maodza Assistant Editor —
STATE-owned NetOne paid over $1,7 million in rentals for base station sites it acquired but failed to develop, it has emerged.

According to a forensic report released recently on the state of affairs at NetOne during Mr Reward Kangai’s administration, the mobile phone operator had acquired 164 base station sites as at June 30, 2016.

It failed to put base stations on the sites but still continued paying rentals for them.

“From the discussions with NetOne technical team and our review of the schedule of base stations sites acquired in the period under review, we gathered that there were 164 undeveloped sites as at 30 June 2016. Mr Wenga (NetOne employee) availed us with a letter dated 30 May 2016 written by Mr Mukandatsama addressed to the acting chief executive officer. Mr Mukandatsama was requesting to surrender 138 of the undeveloped sites. The totals rentals incurred for the 138 sites as at 16 April 2016 was $1 220 236,45. The 164 sites had incurred rentals totaling $1 752 283,45,” reads the audit report.

The auditors said they sought clarification from Mr Kangai why NetOne acquired more base stations than they could develop.

“He stated the following reasons — a tender to construct 600 base station towers was awarded to Essar Holdings and Masimba Holdings. The tender required the companies to come up with financing proposals. Base station sites were thus acquired in anticipation of this project. However, the NetOne board of directors rejected all the financing proposals which were tabled before them. NetOne decided to finance the project using internal resources. However, due to cash challenges being faced by the company, the rate of developing the sites was slower than had been anticipated. As a result, not all base station sites acquired could be developed,” reads the audit report.

Initially, NetOne wanted to build 350 base station towers.

“The initial plan for the project was to construct 350 base station towers. The loan condition for the Chinese bank to finance the project was that there be lease agreements for all 350 sites. Mr Kangai therefore approved the acquisition of the sites in order to meet this condition. The number of base station towers was however later reduced to 175. This resulted in there being more base station sites than could be developed. Some of the sites were acquired for strategic reasons — to beat competition,” further states the audit report, prepared by Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Mr Kangai and his management were fired in October for alleged corporate malfeasance at the parastatal.

Mr Kangai is challenging his dismissal.

Cde Kasukuwere

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter —
Government will invoke the recently promulgated Local Government Act to bring sanity at Gweru City Council where mayor Hamutendi Kombayi and councillors are facing allegations of misconduct and abuse of funds.

This was said by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere in Parliament last week.

He was responding to a question from Mkoba MP Mr Amos Chibaya (MDC-T), who wanted to know why the councillors were not being reinstated after Minister Kasukuwere withdrew his appeal recently in the Supreme Court challenging a High Court decision to reinstate the 11 councillors.

“We have withdrawn our case,” said Minister Kasukuwere. “We will now proceed in terms of the Local Government Act. All those facing different allegations will go before a Tribunal in terms of the law.

“Those who are clean will come back to resume their duties.”

Minister Kasukuwere defended the decision to allow a commission led by Mr Tsungai Mhangami to continue running the city, saying the remaining councillors did not constitute a quorum.

Gweru Urban MP Mr Cecil Zvidzai (MDC-T) had alleged that the three councillors that came through a by-election should be allowed to run the affairs of the city.

“The quorum for Gweru is 11 and we have three councillors,” said Minister Kasukuwere.

He said he was happy with the commission running Gweru City Council and had received a report updating him on several developments happening in the city.

Minister Kasukuwere said several vehicles had been bought to enhance service delivery.

Meanwhile, legislators rapped the continued absence of Government ministers to field questions during question time, saying that impeded their oversight and representative role.

Mutare Central MP Mr Innocent Gonese (MDC-T) said it was prudent that presiding officers briefed both Houses on those ministers who had sought leave of the House.

Buhera South MP Cde Joseph Chinotimba (zanu-pf) said the continued failure by ministers to attend the question and answer sessions gave the MDC-T ammunition to attack Government.

“Vice President Mnangagwa should sit down with his ministers,” he said. Honourable Gonese will get international attention, yet he would be telling the truth.”

VP Mnangagwa, who is also Leader of Government Business, said he always reminded his colleagues during Cabinet sittings on the importance of attending question time in Parliament.

Crime Reporter —
FIVE more people have died in road accidents recorded countrywide on Boxing Day. This brings to 21, the number of people killed between Christmas and Boxing Day.

Most of those killed were pedestrians hit by cars. In a statement yesterday, police national spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi said during the same day last year, 10 people died in road traffic accidents.

“Speeding remains the main cause of the fatal road traffic accidents that were recorded (this year). Once again no major fatal road accidents were recorded on the country’s highways.

“The fatal road accidents involved four pedestrians, who were knocked down while trying to cross the road, and one in which a passenger perished. Most of the accidents occurred at night, between 2001 and 0001 hours,” he said.

Chief Supt Nyathi said statistics indicated that 63 road traffic accidents were recorded on Boxing Day as compared to 59 accidents last year.

Of the 59, nine of them were fatal.

“Thirteen people were injured on this year’s Boxing Day as compared to 42 last year. Police also arrested 6 370 motorists for various offences and impounded 101 defective or unroadworthy vehicles,” he said.

He said during the same period last year 5 838 motorists were arrested for various offences and police impounded 67 unroadworthy vehicles.

Chief Supt Nyathi urged motorists to continue exercising caution by avoiding speeding.

“As the holiday is still ongoing motorists are urged to avoid speeding and to be on the lookout for pedestrians as they travel either on highways or feeder roads. They should also avoid travelling at night as visibility is poor and observation is likely to be affected.

“Drivers should not drink and then drive under the influence of alcohol in the process causing accidents. Police will continue to monitor traffic movements on roads and criminal activities in residential, industrial and farming areas,” he said.

On Christmas Day, 16 people were killed while 45 others were injured in 106 road traffic accidents that were recorded, as compared to only four deaths last year, representing a 300 percent increase in the number of fatalities.

Although police could not readily release the total number of deaths from December 15 when the festive period officially started, the 16 deaths in one day this year compared to four last year were disturbing given that many motorists failed to travel due to liquidity constraints.

Indications so far are that speeding and overtaking errors were to blame for most of the accidents. According to statistics released by the police, 106 accidents were recorded on Christmas Day this year compared to 81 recorded in 2015.

Minister Dokora

Abigail Mawonde Herald Correspondent —
IN yet another boost for the country’s education, the Germany Government has extended a grant of $14 million to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for the schools feeding programmes and to assure supply of clean water to pupils.

The money would also be used to support the enhancement of teaching and learning materials for learners and facilitators in the new curriculum.

The grant comes barely a month after the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) approved $20,6 million grant for the sector as donors scramble to support the country’s education.

Zimbabwe has the highest literacy in Africa at 92 percent. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora announced the Germany education package last week.

“As we prepare to proceed into 2017 curriculum, we are aware that some months ago or is it beginning of this month, we announced that we had received support from the Global Partnership for Education to the value of $20,6 million. I wish to take this opportunity to indicate to stakeholders that the Germany Government has extended support to the ministry to the value of $14 million. Part of this money shall be used to underpin home-grown school feeding, assuring water supply to schools without access to clean sources of water and supporting the enhancement of teaching and learning materials for our learners and facilitators in the new curriculum,” said Dr Dokora.

He said the developments were worth celebrating.

“It is double cheer for the sector. The grant is new money coming into the sector. Our educators have continued to provide high standards of education that has led to high performance,” added Dr Dokora.

Early this month, the Global Partnership for Education announced a $20,6 million grant for primary and secondary education. The grant, which runs for four years, would also target improving the performance levels of learners, especially the more than one million orphans and other vulnerable groups.

Dr Dokora quoted remarks by GPE chief executive officer Ms Alice Albright, who applauded the developments registered so far by the country’s education sector.

Ms Albright said: “Zimbabwe has made encouraging progress in its education outcomes in recent years. With this grant, the Global Partnership for Education is pleased to continue to help Zimbabwe build on its growing commitment to give all its children the quality schooling they deserve.”

Dr Dokora said the grant would help the ministry in further strengthening the education system, promoting equity and improving learning outcomes.

He said the grant would specifically support learners with special needs, non-formal access to education, teacher professional development, production and distribution of learning materials for the most disadvantaged schools and introduction of assessment systems from early childhood development level to last year of secondary school.

Zimbabwe joined the GPE in 2013 and received a GPE grant of $23,6 million to support the implementation of its education sector plan for 2013 to 2016.

United Nations Children’s Fund is GPE’s “grant agent” in Zimbabwe and the UK Department of International Development are the GPE coordinating agency in the country.

Dr Dokora said the previous funding enabled Zimbabwe to boost learning outcomes in basic education by training more than 23 000 teachers in the use of early reading materials and more than 28 000 teachers in the use of the Performance Lag Address Programme.

He said the funding also enabled the country to capture teacher qualification data electronically — Teacher Development Information Systems — and train provincial and cluster supervisors in the use of teacher professional standards.

Mrs Mabhiza

Takunda Maodza Assistant News Editor —
Government is amending the Constitution on the appointment of the Chief Justice after finding itself in an unenviable position in which senior members of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) tasked with conducting the interviews ended up being the candidates.

Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mrs Virginia Mabhiza said in an interview last week that drafters of the supreme law, which came into effect in 2013, failed to recognise a situation whereby those expected to conduct the interviews would become aspirants.

This, she said, made the procedure for the interviewing of judges by the JSC inappropriate as junior members of the commission ended up being tasked with determining the suitability of their seniors to the post.

JSC members Deputy Chief Justice Luke Malaba and Judge President George Chiweshe and secretary Justice Rita Makarau forwarded their names as candidates for the post, which falls vacant next March.

Justice Paddington Garwe was the fourth candidate. Although he is not a JSC member, he is a senior member of the Judiciary.

Under normal circumstances, Justice Makarau, as JSC secretary, would have been responsible for administrative arrangements for the interviews, but she ended up surrendering the responsibility to her deputy.

It was felt that having juniors interviewing their seniors was a mission impossible. Mrs Mabhiza said the way forward was to suspend the process of appointing a successor to the Chief Justice pending an amendment to the Constitution to give the President the power to one.

Government gazetted the Constitutional Amendment Bill (Number 1) on Friday last week to effect the appointment of the Chief Justice by the President.

“Justification for an amendment to the Constitution is as follows – the drafters of the Constitution failed to specifically address the question of the appointment of the Chief Justice,” said Mrs Mabhiza.

“Aspiring judges are in terms of Section 180 subjected to a public interview by the JSC. The process of appointing a Chief Justice should not be the same as that of appointing other judges. This is because very senior members of the judiciary, including some who sit on the JSC as commissioners will inevitably be aspirants for the position.

“It is unrealistic to expect those remaining members to competently interview candidates who are their seniors and upon which their welfare and future prospects are dependent, the possible exclusion of a significant number of commissioners from the interviewing panel in line with the above would render the panel insufficiently constituted without a quorum.”

Mrs Mabhiza said it was noted that because some of the aspiring members of the position of Chief Justice were also members of the JSC, the capacity of the commission to conduct the interviews was now questionable.

It was further noted that no prejudice would be suffered by the judicial system as the deputy Chief Justice would act as Chief Justice for the period during which there would be no Chief Justice.

Mrs Mabhiza said that was why it was recommended that the President approves the suspension of the interviews for the new Chief Justice.

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who oversees the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, was authorised to start a process of amending the Constitution “to provide for the appointment of a Chief Justice by the President after consulting the JSC”.

Given the process involved, it will take approximately up to the end of March next year to amend the Constitution.

The new Chief Justice will replace Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, who is to retire in February next year after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 70.

DR PARIRENYATWA

Herald Reporters —
A suspected typhoid outbreak is feared to have hit Harare amid reports that one person has died so far, while nine others have been hospitalised. Thirty more people have been treated and discharged.

A 13-year-old girl died on Christmas Day in Mbare, Harare, following the suspected typhoid outbreak.

Harare City Council yesterday said apart from 40 recorded cases of those who presented themselves for treatment of typhoid symptoms, more were receiving treatment as a precautionary measure.

Council deployed heavily in Mbare yesterday to educate residents on the dangers of typhoid. The girl, Ivy Makwara, died at Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospitals on Sunday.

She was initially admitted at Harare Central Hospital from where she was transferred to Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospitals where she died on admission. Typhoid is an infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhimurium.

The bacterium lives in the intestines and bloodstream of humans. It is spread between individuals by direct contact with the faeces of an infected person.

No animals carry this disease, so transmission is always human to human. If untreated, around 1 in 4 cases of typhoid end in death. If treatment is given, less than 4 in 100 cases are fatal.

Typhoid is diagnosed by detecting the presence of S. typhi via blood, stool, urine, or bone marrow sample. Symptoms normally begin 6 to 30 days after exposure to the bacteria. The two major symptoms of typhoid are fever and rash. Typhoid fever is particularly high, gradually increasing over several days up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

The rash, which does not affect every patient, consists of rose-coloured spots, particularly on the neck and abdomen. Other symptoms can include weakness, abdominal pain, constipation, and headaches; rarely, symptoms might include confusion, diarrhoea, and vomiting (but not normally severe).

In serious, untreated cases, the bowel can become perforated. This Typhoid kills one, nine hospitalised can lead to peritonitis (an infection of the tissue that lines the inside of the abdomen), which can be very serious indeed.5

“Harare City Council is attending to suspected typhoid cases in Mbare following the death of a 13-year-old girl,” said council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme yesterday.

“She had been unwell for some time. Her siblings were also sick with similar symptoms.”

Mr Chideme said further investigations revealed that about 30 more people had similar symptoms and they were treated.

“On further investigations, about 30 people on 8th and 9th Street in Mbare were then treated for suspected typhoid. At the moment, nine people from the area are admitted in hospital and several others are receiving treatment as a precautionary measure.

“The city health department has deployed heavily in Mbare to mobilise and educate residents against behaviour that may lead to typhoid and other communicable diseases.”

Mr Chideme said council provisionally singled out a borehole in the area as the source of the problem. He encouraged people exhibiting suspected typhoid symptoms to quickly seek medical attention.

He said people should wash hands before and after eating food and after visiting the toilet.

“Residents are urged to consume and buy food from licensed and hygienic places,” he said. “Wash all fruits and to pre-treat with aqua tablets all water for domestic purposes.”

The symptoms of typhoid are fever, headache, general body weakness and abdominal discomfort with or without diarrhoea.

Ivy’s brother, Lincoln Makwara (21) is still admitted at Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital with similar symptoms. The two’s brother Mr Bernard Chihota yesterday confirmed Ivy died from typhoid.

“Ivy has since been buried today (yesterday) at Granville Cemetery, while Lincoln is still admitted and receiving treatment at Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospital,” he said.

Mr Chihota said they were saddened by Ivy’s death which came when she was due to proceed to Form One next month at Mandedza Secondary School in Dema after obtaining four units at Grade 7.

In October, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa issued a cholera and typhoid alert. He cited erratic water supplies in Harare and other cities, saying this posed a serious danger of an outbreak of water-borne diseases.

The National Microbiology Reference Laboratory has also confirmed three typhoid cases in Mutare and Masvingo. Harare City Council recently introduced a five-day water rationing schedule, forcing residents to turn to the bush, while some are digging shallow wells for water.

According to the Harare’s rationing schedule in October, middle and low-density suburbs were enduring up to five days a week without water. Supplies to Chitungwiza had also been reduced from 27 to 15 litres a day.

According to the council, rationing of water was subject to review this month. Water rationing was necessitated by reduced water levels at Lake Chivero and Harava and Seke dams, but the situation is expected to improve following some rains that have been hitting Harare in recent days.

Samantha Chigogo Herald Correspondent—

Zimbabwe has enough grain in stock to cater for thousands of vulnerable households, as Government remains committed to ensuring that no one starves until the next harvest.Addressing stakeholders at the fourth multi-stakeholder consultative meeting in Harare yesterday, Grain Task Force member Air Commodore Josphat Marangwanda said all vulnerable families would be catered for.

“As of November 2016, available grain stocks of 331 068 tonnes were enough to provide a nine month cover basing on the current monthly grain requirement of 36 492 tonnes,” he said.

“However, the same stocks would provide a seven months cover basing on the projected monthly grain requirement of 55 538 tonnes and a total of US$287,7 million was paid for maize purchases with US$99,6 million going towards local deliveries and US$187,7 million for imports.”

Air Commodore Marangwanda said between February and October this year, Government managed to distribute 245 928 tonnes of maize to vulnerable households across the country.

“The initial target was 284 079 tonnes, meaning the average success rate of Government’s grain distribution was at 96 percent,” he said.

“Failure to meet the monthly distribution target was largely attributed to inadequate transport, shortage of bags and lack of funding for internal grain distribution.”

Air Commodore Marangwanda said Government would continue subsiding grain distribution with public works initiatives.

“The public works programme is successfully ongoing in all provinces and to date there are 231 833 participants under the programme,” he said.

“Apart from the free grain being distributed to the labour constrained households, Government, through GMB, also introduced maize selling points where the populace is accessing subsidised maize at $15 per bag.”

Air Commodore Marangwanda said private partners have been complimenting Government efforts and indications are that they had enough grain, including rice, in stock.

He expressed concern over transportation of grain, which he said remained the main problem affecting grain distribution to poor families.

“Government was still mindful of the fact that as we drift away from the 2015-2016 maize harvesting season, food insecurity would increase as more and more people become vulnerable, thus necessitating constant updating of vulnerable registers,” Air Commodore Marangwanda said.

“This exercise is ongoing and shall continue until such a time that the Government is satisfied that the populace is no longer food insecure.”

The recent Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVac) assessment of the rural populace done in the second quarter of the year concluded that the number of food insecure households was 820 000, requiring 41 000 tonnes of grain per month between December 2016 and March 2017.

The urban assessment projected the number of urban vulnerable households as 290 750 from December 2016 to March 2017 and they would require 14 537 tonnes of grain per month.

Dr Parirenyatwa

Lloyd Gumbo and Innocent Ruwende—

Government says the typhoid outbreak that hit Mbare, Harare, in the last few days is now under control, but urged all residents to be vigilant as they remain under threat of contracting the water-borne disease.This follows the death of 13-year-old Ivy Makwara, who succumbed to suspected typhoid on Christmas Day.

In an interview yesterday after touring Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospitals in Harare where 20 typhoid patients are admitted, Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said poor water and sanitation were the major drivers of water-borne diseases like typhoid and cholera.

Also read:

• Typhoid kills one, nine hospitalised
• Teen’s mum speaks out

“As long as we don’t fix that, we will continue to have these diseases coming up and my biggest fear is a cholera outbreak because typhoid is manageable.

“One should not die of typhoid and we very much regret that we lost the 13-year- old.

“The procedure is that when one has typhoid, they must be quickly resuscitated even before transferring them.

“Our team is always ready to move in the moment one falls sick, but we don’t want to get there. As long as water and sanitation is in order, we won’t have these problems. What people should understand is that we will never win this war as long as water and sanitation is not in order.

Dr Parirenyatwa said it was important for local authorities, the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing and that of Environment, Water and Climate to ensure water and sanitation were beyond reproach.

He said it was gratifying that Harare City Council had immediately come on board to fix sewage pipes in Mbare.

“We found that there were 20 (typhoid) patients admitted at Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital, of which 18 of them are from Mbare.

“We are glad that Dr Prosper Chonzi (City’s Health Services director) went to the affected area in Mbare and that the City of Harare is now fixing sewage pipes there. We have also stopped the use of a borehole in Mbare that we suspect is contaminated.

“The City of Harare will also move into Glen View, Budiriro, Mabvuku, Tafara and Hopley, which are potential hotspots to drain and clean the sewage pipes,” said Minister Parirenyatwa.

He said Government together with development partners were already on high alert given that it was the rain season and there was a lot of movement of people.

“We have the Emergency Preparedness and Response Team always on standby in the event of such outbreaks. We also always convene the inter-agents coordinating committee that comprises our ministry, local authorities, the United Nations, World Health Organisation, Unicef, Oxfam and several other agencies to address these problems.

“The good thing is already we have two types of anti-biotics that we always administer to typhoid patients. So I can safely say we are prepared because typhoid is not much of a worry to us since it’s manageable. My major worry is cholera. So once again, we want water and sanitation to be sorted.

Meanwhile, Dr Chonzi said they were expecting results from the laboratory today to confirm the outbreak.

He said the city deployed several teams in Mbare and other western suburbs to disinfect sewer in a bid to avert spreading of suspected typhoid.

City workers were visible in most parts of Mbare where they were using a high velocity truck to open clogged sewer lines.

“The city is investigating a number of cases we suspect to be having typhoid. So far we have 30 suspected cases. This was as a result of the death of a 13-year old who was referred to Beatrice Road Infections Centre from Harare Hospital. They suspected the child to be suffering from typhoid.

“A follow up at her residence revealed that her siblings were also suffering from signs and symptoms of typhoid. We have not yet confirmed that it is typhoid but we are awaiting the laboratory results. We have done blood cultures and we are hoping to have the results later today (yesterday) or tomorrow,” he said.

Dr Chonzi said a lot of effort was being put towards addressing the environmental issues that drive typhoid, particularly in Mbare.

He said water and sanitation, waste management and personal hygiene were the major targets.

“Those are usually the key drivers of typhoid. The areas that we suspect will give us a lot of problems as they are between 8th Street and 9th street in Mbare. Here we have identified a number of challenges to do with sanitation particularly sewer. There is an area where sewerage is overflowing because of the rains.

“We hope that this will be addressed very soon. Our teams are already on the ground both from the Department of Water and Department of Sanitation and health promotion teams are also in the area educating people on personal hygiene and generally good eating practices so that people do not eat food from uninspected or unlicensed premises,” said Dr Chonzi.

Dr Chonzi urged residents to improve their personal hygiene by washing their hands after visiting the toilet and to avoid eating unwashed fruits.

“If people are to drink water from unprotected water sources, they should boil it first or use aqua tablets to treat the water so that they get rid of the bacteria that causes typhoid. We also encourage people to seek medication early,” he said.

He said diarrhoea and typhoid cases were treated for free.

Meanwhile, the city is redesigning the drainage system of the Harare Sunshine Holdings after flooding in areas in and surrounding Mbare.

Mrs Cecilia Alexander

Felex Share Senior Reporter—

GOVERNMENT is working on modalities to mobilise funds to pay 2016 bonuses for civil servants following the rejection of a proposal to substitute the 13th cheque with residential stands.Civil servants declined Government’s offer to give them residential stands in place of bonus, insisting on being paid in cash.

The Herald has it on good authority that civil servants’ representatives, who met Government negotiators last week, rejected the offer saying “it came too late when bonus was due”.

Read more:

• No salary cuts, bonuses to stay 
• Put it on paper, say civil servants
• MPs to lobby for civil servants bonuses
• Bonus meeting on cards
• Civil servants in Xmas plea
• Civil servants write to Govt over bonus
• Govt announces December pay dates

The workers said they would consider the stands proposal next year.

This has forced Government to go back to the drawing board, while the ministries of Finance and Economic Development and Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare are now working on ways to see how the bonuses will be paid.

A highly-placed Government source confirmed the development yesterday.

“We tabled that proposal during the National Joint Negotiating Council meeting held last week and the workers said for now they were expecting money in the bank, not residential stands,” said the source.

“They said they will only consider that proposal next year and we had no option but to take back the matter to the Finance Ministry.

“The ministry is now seized with the matter and is working in consultation with the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to ensure what was promised is fulfilled.”

Government recently introduced a residential scheme for civil servants as part of the employer’s non-monetary incentives to workers.

Over 121 000 civil servants have registered for the scheme, but the number is expected to balloon as Government is taking on board every worker.

The implementation of the project is expected to begin next month.

Apex Council chairperson Mrs Cecelia Alexander yesterday said they had rejected Government’s proposal to settle the 2016 bonuses with residential stands.

“After a national budget analysis, which indicated the heavy borrowing by Government, the Government negotiating team came and proposed that they pay the bonuses in kind that is through residential stands,” she said.

“The proposal came a bit late because bonus is now due and the stands have not yet been serviced.

“The proposal is good in future when stands are ready to be allocated. For now the workers have rejected that proposal and demanded that the bonuses be paid in cash.”

Government, which is yet to pay some civil servants their December salaries, has been facing challenges in mobilising money.

Sources said given the challenges, payment of the 2016 bonuses would be staggered as was the case last year.

Some workers got paid their 2015 bonuses mid this year.

President Mugabe has assured the workers that despite the low revenue inflows, Government would still pay bonuses as per tradition.

Government has been facing challenges in raising money to pay civil servants salaries and bonuses and proposals are being made to rationalise the workforce.

Elita Chikwati and Julia Mugadzaweta —
Zimbabwean firms, which have become part of the solutions to the country’s challenges, are behind funding for Command Agriculture, Acting President Mnangagwa said yesterday during a tour of some farms in Mashonaland Central Province.

The programme required $515 million to enable farmers to grow 400 000 hectares of maize and produce two million tonnes to ensure adequate food supply and replenish the Strategic Grain Reserves.

However, Government ended up receiving offers of nearly $1 billion. Briefing farmers on the progress made to date, Cde Mnangagwa said Command Agriculture was a success because of the support it received from both local input suppliers and local funders.

“After making plans for Command Agriculture, we realised we required $515 million. We had nowhere to get the money as we only had a plan. We had two options, to look for a loan from our friends outside the country and from within. Our first priority was to appeal to our people in Zimbabwe and we received an overwhelming response. We received offers of more than the required amount.

“The banking sector immediately offered $300 million, but wanted a 12 percent interest and National Social Security Authority brought $20 million and a good interest, Sakunda $264 million and good interest and others from within Zimbabwe brought forward their offers but with abnormal interest rates. We received nearly $1 billion wholly from within Zimbabwe only,” he said.

Acting President Mnangagwa said Government considered funders whose interest rates were low and viable for the agriculture sector.

“When we sat down, we first accepted Sakunda’s offer followed by NSSA. Those from the financial services sector split, with others clinging to high interest rates while others reduced them. We only accepted the banks whose interest charges were viable,” he said.

The Acting President applauded all stakeholders in the agriculture industry, including millers, seed houses, fertiliser companies, chemical suppliers, farmers unions and ministries for working together towards the successful implementation of Command Agriculture.

“We were not aware that all these companies; seed houses, fertiliser companies, banks and others were very cooperative. These stakeholders were willing to work with Government for the success of the programme.

“Seed and fertiliser companies agreed to give us the required amounts of inputs as they were guaranteed of getting their money. Now the companies are working 24 hours to ensure adequate supplies,” he said.

Acting President Mnangagwa said inputs suppliers used to demand cash upfront for them to release inputs but this time they agreed to supply despite the money they were owed by Government.

He said the support received from stakeholders saw the area being put under maize doubling and this explained the increase in demand for fertiliser.

“Millers have already indicated that they are willing to buy 800 000 tonnes from the two million tonnes projected under command farming.

“Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe has promised to buy the maize and pay timely using internal funds.

“All these things require dialogue and networking; our people want our nation to develop and be successful. Imi mukasada kusimuka nyika ichasimuka ichikusiyai. Kuti muibate munotozobhadhara, ” he said.

Julia Mugadzaweta Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE has been listed among the beneficiaries of the $20,8 million United Nations Children’s Fund drought mitigation package.

The donation is from the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development.

In a statement on Monday, Unicef said that the other beneficiaries were Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar.

The package is in response to the El-Nino induced drought.

United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for International Development, Mr Prit Patel urged other development partners to assist in the fight against hunger.

“As we enter 2017, over 37 million people across Africa are without food. Families face losing their homes and livelihoods as the effects of widespread drought worsen,” Mr Patel was quoted as saying.

“Tackling the global challenges of our time such as drought and disease, which fuel migration, insecurity and instability is the right thing to do and is firmly in Britain’s interest.”

The assistance will enable around 456 000 children to be screened for severe malnutrition.

Health care workers will receive critical care training, and over 65 000 children will be treated for diarrhoea, pneumonia or measles.

“As already vulnerable children and their families enter another lean season, these funds are critical for helping them to cope with the on-going impacts of this chronic emergency,” said Leila Gharagozloo-Pakkala, Unicef’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Director.

“We greatly appreciate — and applaud — DFID (Department for International Development) for leading the way in ensuring that communities are significantly supported to become further resilient to the recurrent climatic crises we are seeing across much of the region.”

The assistance would run until November 2017.

The grant also comes as Government has extended the state of disaster to enable it to mobilise resources.

The extension of the state of disaster was announced by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere.

“It is hereby notified that His Excellency, the President has, in terms of Section 27 of the Civil Protection Act (Chapter10:06) declared that as a result of the El Nino induced drought, a state of disaster exists in severely affected areas in communal and resettlement lands of Zimbabwe with effect from August 3, 2016,” read the notice published in a Government Gazette a fortnight ago.

President Mugabe

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
Zanu-PF legislators are fully behind the Constitutional amendment which seeks to empower the President to appoint the Chief Justice and at no point did they seek audience with President Mugabe over the matter.

The revolutionary party’s Chief Whip Cde Lovemore Matuke yesterday said the MPs were in support of the pending amendments and that it was not true that they had sought audience with the President.

Constitutional Amendment Number 1, which seeks to empower the President to appoint the Chief Justice instead of him or her being chosen by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) through public interviews, was gazetted last week by the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.

Also read:

• Chief Justice Bill gazetted
• New twist to CJ succession 
• Chief Justice interviews suspended
• Bill to amend Constitution on cards

The private media yesterday quoted faceless sources intimating that some Zanu-PF legislators were unhappy with the gazetted Bill.

To give credence to their story, they quoted Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, who insinuated on his Twitter account that there was no failure on the part of drafters of the new Constitution to realise that those mandated with handling the process of choosing a new Chief Justice might turn out to be candidates for the same post.

Prof Moyo went further to disparage Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs permanent secretary Mrs Virginia Mabhiza for explaining the background necessitating the amendment.

On his Twitter account, Prof Moyo said: “It’s sinister opinion to claim that a lawful JSC process must be suspended pending vague constitutional amendment! VP (Emmerson) Mnangagwa has made it clear on the record that a lawful JSC process is separate from constitutional amendment!” Prof Moyo claimed.

He described Mrs Mabhiza’s explanation as “disingenuous” or as someone pushing a political agenda.

But Cde Matuke said Zanu-PF legislators were fully behind the proposed amendment.

He said contrary to private media reports, they were not seeking audience with President Mugabe over the matter as they fully appreciated the oversight made by the drafters of the new constitution that senior judiciary members who should steer the process of choosing the Chief Justice might end up interested in the same post.

“We have not arranged that (meeting with President Mugabe). I think there was a problem on the issue of the appointment of the Chief Justice that the people who should conduct the interviews are the same people who applied for the same job and that was an error,” he said.

“It was an oversight on the part of the drafters and it is really a technical issue where as Parliament, we are saying you cannot interview yourself or even a subordinate cannot interview his or her superior.

“On the issue of seeking audience with the President, it’s not true. I have never heard of that. We absolutely have no problem with the proposed amendment to the Constitution and remember we are dealing with a new Constitution and when it is put into practice, you will note that there are a lot of loopholes that we have to correct like the appointment of Chief Justice.

“The President has to be given powers to appoint the Chief Justice because no one should interview himself or herself to get a job. We do not differ with the Ministry of Justice on that matter and remember the chief whip takes instructions from the party.

“The Minister of Justice is our leader of the House and we are his subordinates and he will give us the final direction of Zanu-PF on the matter.”

Government on December 23 gazetted Constitutional Amendment Bill (Number 1) which seeks to change the supreme law by providing that the President appoints the Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice and Judge President of the High Court.

The Bill followed weeks of debate on the provision in the Constitution, which took away the President’s powers to appoint people to the three crucial positions.

The Constitution provides that the President appoints the Chief Justice from a list given to him by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

The proposed law to be known as Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill (Number 1) is contained in an Extraordinary Government Gazette published on Friday last week.

The proposed amendments will substitute Section 180 of the Constitution, which provides for the appointment of judges.

Clause Six of the Bill amends Section 180 of the present Constitution by providing that the President’s choice of Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice and Judge President of the High Court be final, should there be differences of choices between his nominee and those recommended by JSC.

Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa (right), Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made (left) , Melfort Farm owner Dr Mariyawanda Nzuwah ,Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and other officials assess farms under Command Agriculture in Bindura yesterday. — (Picture by Innocent Makawa)

Elita Chikwati Senior Agriculture Reporter
FARMERS were yesterday reminded that Command Agriculture was not a vote-buying gimmick ahead of 2018 harmonised elections and that they will be made to account for everything they receive.

Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa said farming inputs availed to farmers were meant to ensure the country attained food self-sufficiency and that it would be unfortunate for anyone to think Government was playing politics.

He said farmers participating in the scheme would have to work hard to produce as they would be held accountable.

Read more:

• Farmers selling Presidential inputs
• Farmers selling Presidential Support Scheme inputs
• Jail for Command Agric abusers: ED
• VP warns Command Agric inputs abusers

Under Command Agriculture, the Government made available seed, fertiliser, chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides and fuel to farmers.

The Acting President also warned politicians, senior army officers and other highly-placed individuals to desist from collecting inputs from districts because these were meant for the disadvantaged and ordinary farmers.

He fired the warning shots yesterday during a visit to farms in Mashonaland Central Province to assess progress.

He was accompanied by Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made, Minister of State for Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs Advocate Martin Dinha, Deputy Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Mr Justin Mpamhanga, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, Agricultural and Rural Development Authority chairman Mr Basil Nyabadza and Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Lands, Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development chairman Cde Christopher Chitindi, among other senior officials.

The team toured Melfort Farm in Bindura, where it was welcomed by Zanu-PF national commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere, Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central acting provincial chairman Cde Dickson Mafios and the farm owner, Dr Mariyawanda Nzuwah, before touring Cregowner Farm in Glendale where it visited Mr Revesai Vavarirai’s small-scale farm.

The team wound its tour at Zanadu Farm in Mazowe belonging to Colonel Chriden Kanouruka.

Addressing farmers during the tours, Acting President Mnangagwa said farmers who participated in Command Agriculture would be required to deliver five tonnes per hectare to Government to cover the costs of inputs.

He said gone were the days when farmers would receive inputs for free as Command Agriculture was a different programme, which required farmers to follow the regulations.

“Command farming is a command,” said Acting President Mnangagwa. “You should follow instructions. For instance, army officials receive commands. If you are told to turn left you turn left and not right. If you do not follow the commands you will be dealt with.

“We used to give you inputs so you could vote for us, but this time you will vote for us and we will follow up on our inputs. Tanga tajaira kukupai zvinhu tisingateverere kuti mutivhotere. Iko zvino toti mutivhotere tichikuteverererayi.

“No one is going to be forced to join command farming. Once you join, you have to be accountable for the seed, fertilisers, fuel and other inputs. There is nothing for free.”

Acting President Mnangagwa said cotton farmers had been receiving free inputs under the Presidential inputs scheme for the past two seasons, but the system would change after the third season as the farmers would be required to pay for the input packages.

Cde Mnangagwa said Government would deal accordingly with farmers who sold command farming inputs.

“We have given farmers seed, fertiliser, extension services and we have given others tractors for tillage and obviously, they will not get less than five tonnes,” he said.

Acting President Mnangagwa said Government would also consider some technicalities, especially for farmers under dry land farming.

He said Government would consider the inputs given to the farmers and hard working farmers might be taken on board next season even if they failed to get the targeted five tonnes per hectare.

On senior officials collecting inputs from districts, Cde Mnangagwa said they should desist from such practices or face the wrath of Government.

“When people were applying for command farming, they were made to indicate if they had capacity to collect inputs from Harare or if they did not have,” he said. “Farmers who required huge tonnages of inputs were made to collect from Harare because they had indicated their capacity to do so.

“Now we are told some senior officials are now collecting inputs from districts at the expense of other small scale farmers and in some cases taking the whole lorry’s load. This is unacceptable and whoever has been doing so should stop that. Uyo anga achizviita ngaabva achera kakomba pasi apfire mate.”

Dr Made said there were problems with officials who abused their offices when it came to inputs and the issue was raised during the last Central Committee meeting.

“Some people are taking advantage of their positions to collect inputs. We strongly warn anyone doing so to desist from such behaviour,” he said.

“Chefs should respect other farmers. At the end of the day these farmers may be queuing for a few bags. It is better to let those with small quantities collect first. They should not be denied the inputs.”

Mashonaland Central Minister of State, Advocate Martin Dinha, said there had been an outcry from farmers over influential people who were collecting inputs from districts instead of Harare.

“Most of these culprits are officials from the army and politicians,” he said. “Some of these ordinary farmers would have spent days queuing for inputs only for a senior official to come and collect the whole load that would have been delivered.”

The Government is targeting to produce over two million tonnes of maize from 400 000 hectares to be tilled under Command Agriculture.

Reason Razao and Rejoice Makurira —
Residents have blamed council for the resurgence of typhoid in Harare, saying failure by the municipality to offer basic services like garbage collection and clean water provided a conducive environment for water borne diseases.

One person died in Mbare on Christmas Day from typhoid, while 30 other patients are admitted at Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospitals.

Harare Residents Trust director Mr Precious Shumba said service delivery had completely collapsed.

“Typhoid outbreaks in Harare are symptoms of a collapsing service delivery system,” he said.

“The policy making structures and implementation structures of the City of Harare have become totally disconnected from the ratepayers and from each other that no oversight is available to exert pressure on the other.”

Mr Shumba said refuse collection was erratic across Harare and sewerage blockages were the order of the day in high density areas.

“The reality of the situation is that council lacks the seriousness expected of a city striving for a world class city status by 2025 and there is poor resources allocation to prioritise health delivery and environmental conservation,” he said.

Mr Shumba accused the city council of failing to provide clean potable water. “On the other hand, the City Health Department is fighting disease outbreaks, yet at the same time the Harare Water Department is out in the communities disconnecting water to impoverished residents,” he said.

“Most councillors are figureheads, who are only serving the interests of the senior management in return for other monetary favours which accrue to them for overlooking management shortcomings.”

Mr Shumba said revenue collection was at its lowest.

“Revenue collection is at its lowest because the City of Harare has no legitimacy or moral fibre to demand payments from ratepayers when it is common cause that it is a haven for extravagance among senior councillors and senior council management.”

The Combined Harare Residents Trust director Mr Simba Moyo attributed the recent typhoid outbreak to failure by council to provide services.

“City council is failing to do their job properly,” he said.

“Raw sewage is flowing in places where there is no running water and council is failing to fix this problem as soon as it occurs.”

Harare City Council spokesperson Mr Michael Chideme declined to comment over the issues raised by the residents.

Dr Made

Elita Chikwati Senior Agriculture Reporter—

BUOYED by the success achieved to date by the food security initiative, Command Agriculture, Government has now expanded the crop portfolio to include wheat and soyabeans.

The move is expected to ensure total national food security.

Riding on positive gains scored so far, authorities are confident that Command Agriculture beneficiaries have potential to surpass the five tonnes per hectare in their contracts.

Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday — during a tour of farms under Command Agriculture in Mashonaland Central Province — said Government was already working on the total hectarage it requires for wheat production.

“We are already working on how many hectares we require for wheat. We are encouraging those with irrigation to produce wheat in the forthcoming winter season.

“We are also going to ensure every province has facilities to dry produce early, so we can have another crop. We want to boost wheat production and ensure national food security even under drought conditions,” he said.

Cde Mnangagwa said there was no excuse for farmers to fail to attain five tonnes per hectare, especially those under irrigation who received inputs on time.

“We will only take five tonnes per hectare to pay for the costs of inputs. Farmers were given all inputs, with others getting fuel while those who did not have tillage were given tractors. We may consider some technicalities on farmers producing under dryland,” he said.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made urged farmers to continue planting as the window was still open.

Some farmers expressed fear that time had gone and were contemplating planting short season varieties instead of long season varieties.

Dr Made said it was too early for farmers, especially in Mashonaland Central to switch varieties.

“Farmers should continue planting. We will make arrangements to ensure farmers have access to fertilisers especially top dressing, which is now required. We are going to take from the Presidential Inputs Scheme and we will give farmers urea from China for top dressing. Farmers should be cautious to avoid burning the crop,” he said.

Bindura farmer, Dr Mariyawanda Nzuwa of Melfort Farm said he was expecting at least eight tonnes per hectare from the 150 hectares of maize he planted under command farming.

“I am thankful to Government for the programme. Command agriculture should not be temporary. Government should continue improving the programme,” he said.

Concession farmer, Mr Richard Chirongwe of Sable Pick Farm who has planted 70 ha of maize under command farming said he expected more than 10 tonnes per hectare.

Mr Chirongwe said he was still planting and wanted to put a total of 100 ha under maize.

A farm manager at Kwayedza Farm, Mr Godwin Mawire, said he expected eight tonnes per hectare.

Kwayedza Farm has 150 ha of maize under Command Agriculture.

“We made a commitment to produce food for the nation. We could not leave our crop to lose out to nutritional deficiency when we could mobilise our own fertiliser. We later received the fertiliser and replaced ours,” he said.

Mr Mawire said the crop was once attacked by fall armyworm and they managed to control the pest early before it caused havoc.

Zanadu farmer, Colonel Chriden Kanouruka, who planted 40 ha of maize said he expected above eight tonnes per hectare.

“Command farming is a noble programme which will boost food production,’’ he said.

Acting President Manangagwa said when command farming started, Government was focused on food security.

He said production of crops in summer and winter was a sure way for the country to attain food self-sufficiency.

“We want to go back to our status of being the bread basket of Africa. We want to ensure in four seasons, we will be food-sufficient and bid farewell to hunger. Nzara ikakuona inofanira kutiza,” he said.

The Acting President applauded the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) for its contribution towards food security, after reviving some of its farms and estates.

“Last year, Arda delivered 11 000 tonnes of wheat, and this year they have produced 33 000 tonnes. In the fourth season we will get 25 percent of the wheat we require in Zimbabwe from Arda,” he said.

Lloyd Gumbo Senior Reporter—

EIGHT more Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) senior managers have been suspended after a forensic audit implicated them in shady dealings feared to have cost the national revenue collector millions of dollars.

The suspension of the senior managers, mainly from the Information Communication and Technology department, is with immediate effect and comes hard on the heels of the suspension of seven managers in May, including Commissioner General Gershem Pasi, over a litany of allegations, among them, the unprocedural luxury vehicle importation.

The Herald yesterday established that more senior managers could be facing the chop.

Zimra instituted yet another audit conducted by Deloitte and Touché chartered accountants, which primarily focused on the revenue collector’s ICT systems and procurement.

The report was presented to the Zimra board this month, hence the latest suspensions.

Those suspended include director of infrastructure and ICT development Mr Tjiyapo Velempini, head of ICT Mr Allen Saruchera, systems development manager Mr Can Goredema and two other officials from the loss control department, one of whom is Mr Benjamin Zenda whose employment was fraught with irregularities as he did not have the requisite qualifications.

Other suspended officials are Mr Moses Madongorere (case manager), Mr Peter Chaparadza (chief loss control officer), Mr Adrian Swarres (head, compliance and risk) and Mr Max Mugari (head, advisory services).

It is alleged that Mr Zenda was hand-picked by Comm-Gen Pasi.

“We are responding to the ICT audit, which picked a number of irregularities, so most of those who are affected are from ICT,” said a Zimra board member who declined to be named.

“The audit picked issues to do with procurement procedures and corporate governance that were fraught with irregularities, particularly those to do with upgrades of Asycuda World and SAP (Systems Applications Products) as well as the Tax Management System.

“The prices were too high especially for tax management systems through Inspur, with the prices up to three times normal prices.”

Zimra board chairperson Mrs Willia Bonyongwe was not reachable for comment.

An earlier forensic audit that was carried out by HLB Zimbabwe Chartered Accountants on the revenue collector’s operations resulted in the suspension of about seven managers, among them Mr Pasi, after it revealed endemic corruption, violation of Government laws and poor corporate governance.

The managers were suspended in May this year after it was discovered that they corruptly imported their vehicles.

It emerged that the revenue collector was losing millions of dollars to dealers who processed counterfeit undervalued import documents to smuggle vehicles and other products into the country.

The audit also showed that Mr Pasi and other members of the executive collectively pocketed about $15 million in salaries and allowances in the last three years.

Some of the benefits were unsanctioned.

Tax evasion by members of the executive are some of the ills reported by the auditors.

There are reports of ordinary people who are harassed and forced to pay exorbitant duty on small items, while some business executives, politicians and affluent people use their positions and influence to evade paying duty when importing luxurious goods, including state-of-the-art vehicles.

Walter Nyamukondiwa: Chinhoyi Bureau

The country’s roads are set for a major facelift with feeder and rural roads being progressively tarred following Government’s directive that a large chunk of zinara disbursements be used periodically for maintenance of road infrastructure.This involves regrading and resealing of roads, which have in most cases, lived beyond their designed lifespan of between 10 and 20 years.

Previous disbursements mostly targeted routine maintenance, which involved pothole patching, drain clearing and grading of roads that eventually developed more potholes.

zinara board chairman Mr Albert Mugabe recently confirmed the new arrangement saying it was in its early stages of implementation and needed to be reviewed to gauge its impact.

“It was a recommendation from Central Government, which we are in the process of implementing. We are in the process of reviewing how it impacts on each council to see whether making it a blanket requirement will be achievable and acceptable,” said Mr Mugabe.

Like everything new, he said difficulties arise as some councils argued the template did not dovetail into with their priorities hence the need for individual remedies.

He said the template would be reviewed and fine-tuned to ensure the best possible outcome for the well-being of the country’s roads.

Needing a cash injection of around $20 billion to bring the country’s roads into usable state, the framework which stipulates a 30:70 percent disbursement ratio, has emerged as a better solution in the short to medium term.

Under the programme, work is decentralised giving road authorities who are mostly councils, the autonomy to identify roads that need to be worked on, conduct adjudication of contractors and monitor the projects.

zinara will source materials, pay for labour and equipment hire after councils raise certificates of completion at stipulated stages.

This is done after councils enter into a contract with zinara and a contractor who will undertake the programme.

The identified priority roads are submitted for consideration in a calendar year and should fit within disbursements budgets for that particular authority.

However, local authorities can also complement the programme through channelling part of their budgets and equipment towards road maintenance.

This will significantly reduce the cost as some of them are absorbed internally. This means that councils will not handle funds directly thereby eliminating the need for acquittals which some councils were struggling with.

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development Cde Dexter Nduna welcomed the development saying it would have a “definitive” impact on the country’s roads.

“Because of its expanded nature and its elongated focus, it means that it will progressively address the shelf life of our roads, which has been neglected for sometime,” said Cde Nduna.

“This means that we will see resealing, rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads as prioritised by the councils which know the state of their roads.”

With zinara getting a peak projection of $200 million in revenue annually from toll-gates, vehicle licences and road user fees, it will take at least 10 years to fix the roads.

The target has not been met in recent years.

There have been calls for the active involvement of road users such as mines, farmers and conservancies to maintain roads in the areas they operate.

Said Cde Nduna: “There has been laxity in respect of maintenance and upgrading of roads by mining houses and other community businesses like conservancies to give back by tarring roads. This used to happen before.”

He said the companies should construct their conduits citing construction of the 80km Ngezi-Selous road by Zimplats as a positive example which should be replicated and expanded.

The decentralisation of adjudication process ties in with proposals contained in the Procurement Act Bill whose provisions call for decentralised procurement process to local authorities.

Chinhoyi Municipality, which was allocated around $320 000 for 2016, has already started work on reconstruction and resealing of at least six roads in the CBD which has brought relief to motorists.

About $220 000 of that amount is going towards routine maintenance, while the remainder will go towards resealing of roads such as Midway, Park, North and Zesa Connect streets.

Chinhoyi town clerk Mr Maxwell Kaitano hailed the new disbursement criteria as key in rapid improvement of roads in the town.

“We are happy because we are going to see a lot of impact in the shortest period which is good for motorists and the outlook of our town.

“This means that next year we move to other roads and eventually if its maintained all roads will be tarred,” said Mr Kaitano.

Already part of roads such as Plumtree-Tsholotsho, Bindura-Matepatepa and a road in Binga among others have been tar- red.

Cde Nduna described the programme as a bold move which will bring accountability and progress in road maintenance as some councils do not have qualified technocrats.

“In the long run we will not need to employ a lot of funds in road maintenance. It seems like a drop in the ocean but we will see more of our roads being tarred over time,” he said.

Dr Chonzi

Innocent Ruwende: Senior Reporter

More Harare City residents are at risk of contracting the deadly typhoid following the death of one more person in Mbare at the weekend, bringing to two the number of people who have succumbed to the disease.This comes as the Harare City Council yesterday started laying new water pipes in Mbare in an attempt to supply clean water and contain typhoid outbreak.

The latest death in Mbare comes as fears abound of an upsurge in new cases in the city. City authorities had confirmed seven typhoid cases as of yesterday, up from four reported last week as no solution to the challenge appears to be available.

Council has already moved into Glen View, Budiriro, Mabvuku, Tafara and Hopley, which are potential hotspots to drain and clean the sewage pipes. Ivy Makwara (13) was the first victim of typhoid in Harare after she died on Christmas Day. At least 19 people are now admitted with typhoid symptoms at city clinics.

Harare City Council Health Services director Dr Prosper Chonzi yesterday confirmed the death of a 33-year-old man whose residential address is still unknown.

“The man was confused when he presented himself to our officials at Beatrice Road Infectious Diseases Hospital (BRIDH). He had a fever and a headache. We still do not know his relatives because no one knew him at the address he provided in Mbare.”

“We expect to have an upsurge in the number of people visiting our institutions as typhoid has a 21-day incubation period. We are urging people to come in early for treatment because if they wait, the disease will become complicated to cure,” he said.

Dr Chonzi said more people were coming in from Mbare and they were being screened with some of them having contracted the disease more than a week ago.

He reiterated the need for residents to improve their personal hygiene by washing their hands after visiting the toilet and to avoid eating unwashed fruits. Handwashing even without soap is critical.

Dr Chonzi said if people were to drink water from unprotected water sources, they should boil it first or use aqua tablets to treat the water so that they get rid of the bacteria that causes typhoid.

Last week Harare City Council Health Services Department confirmed the presence of Salmonella typhi, a life-threatening bacterial infection that causes the disease in some of the samples from Mbare.

At least 2 160 suspected cases were reported countrywide this year with authorities confirming 77 cases and seven deaths as of December 18.

There are also fears that the outbreak that started in 2012 due to poor water, sanitation and hygiene could have claimed more lives that could have gone unreported because the disease is not easily diagnosed.

Typhoid usually occurs when water supplies serving large populations are contaminated by faecal matter. It is then spread by contaminated food and water or close contact with an infected person. The illness can last for several weeks and even months undetected leading to death.

The late Cde Peter Chanetsa

Felex Share and Walter Nyamukondiwa

Veteran politician and first black Government chief of protocol Cde Peter Chanetsa (pictured left) has died. He was 70.The former Mashonaland West Resident Minister and Governor succumbed to heart failure early yesterday morning at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.

Family spokesperson Mr Kenneth Chanetsa said his brother had been in and out of hospital for a long time. He described Cde Chanetsa as a “firm but generous family member”.

“We lost him just after midnight (yesterday) and the doctors have confirmed that his heart failed,” Mr Chanetsa said.

“As a family, we have lost a pillar of strength, father, brother and an unmatched advisor. Everyone looked up to him for advice and now that he is no more, we do not know how we will manage. He died loving and working for his political party, Zanu-PF. We will only know the burial arrangements later after consulting with the relevant offices.”

Cde Chanetsa — a former Member of Parliament in Hurungwe, was a Zanu-PF Central Committee member at the time of his death.

The Zanu-PF Mashonaland West provincial leadership yesterday said they were in the process of recommending that he be declared a national hero.

The revolutionary party’s provincial chairperson, Cde Ephraim Chengeta, said: “Considering his traceable work for the party and Government, we are looking forward to the highest honour (national hero status) but we have not yet sat as a province to come up with one voice with regards to the hero status. He was someone who worked and occupied senior positions in the party and government and we are still consulting with other senior members of the party in the province.”

Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Christopher Mushohwe, who visited Cde Chanetsa’s Borrowdale home yesterday, said he worked with former Chief of Protocol for a long time.

“I worked with him for long when he was Chief of Protocol while I was the principal director responsible for State residences,” he said.

“We worked closely and I found out that he was focused, hardworking and disciplined. He is the longest serving Chief of Protocol the President has ever had.”

He went on: “He is a cadre who worked for the party from Tanzania during the liberation struggle. To this day, he was a forthright party loyalist, somebody who has never deviated from the party line. He has been involved in different structures of the party and we will miss him as a country. We thank him for what he has done for the party and Government.”

Hurungwe West National Assembly member and Zanu-PF Mashonaland West deputy chairperson Cde Keith Guzah said the province had been robbed of “wise counsel”.

“He was a strong and resolute patriot,” he said. “He was a key figure in the current political discourse who will be sadly missed by the entire province and nation at large. We are currently in the process of discussing with our leadership with regards to a status that will be so befitting. He worked tirelessly from the time of the liberation struggle and worked closely with President Mugabe. As a province, we learnt a lot from him because he has always been imparting in us the need to always remain patriotic.”

Cde Chanetsa was the first black Chief of Protocol at independence before being appointed Mashonaland West Resident Minister and Governor in 1996.

During his tenure as Governor, Cde Chanetsa oversaw the crunch phase of the land reform programme in his province in the early 2000s. He retired from that post in 2003.

Family members said apart from being a politician and farmer, Cde Chanetsa had interests in the safari and fishing businesses. Born on July 15 1946 in Chinhoyi, Cde Chanetsa first had his education in that area before proceeding to Mabvuku in the then Salisbury.

He then went to Mwanza, Tanzania, where he later hooked up with other locals and received military training in that country. He came back at independence in 1980. He is survived by wife Beatrice and three children.

Mourners are gathered at No. 6 Iona Close, Borrowdale, while others are at his Biri Farm in Zvimba.

Farm workers inspect a healthy crop grown under the Command Agriculture initiative in Bindura last week

Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
Command Agriculture, a brainchild of the Government, has rescued thousands of farmers who would have failed to productively use their land this season owing to funding challenges.

Banks were hesitant to extend loans to farmers, while those that did so made borrowing expensive and demanded collateral security in the form of immovable property, prompting Government intervention.

The programme has turned vast tracts of land that used to lie derelict into greenbelts.

Also read:

• Govt-driven farming scheme pays off
• Govt expands Command Agric crop portfolio
• Command Agric locally funded — Mnangagwa

Farmers who received crop inputs under the scheme are confident of surpassing the targeted yield of five tonnes per hectare, given that the rains have not disappointed so far.

Recent visits by The Herald to beneficiaries showed that much of the maize crop was in good condition.

The beneficiaries commended the Government for springing to their rescue at a time when they needed assistance the most.

Mazowe farmer Mrs Tsitsi Gezi of Kwayedza Farm was full of praise for Government’s intervention.

She said most farmers were affected by the El Nino-induced drought and could not pay back loans, hence banks’ reluctance to continue funding them.

“Most farmers did not have money to fund themselves. Command Agriculture came to our rescue as Government provided seed, fertilisers and tillage for farmers,” she said.

Mr Jacob Mungate of Sachel Farm in Glendale shared similar sentiments.

“We know opponents of land reform want to see us fail so that they portray us as failures. We say to them, ‘you cannot win with our Government. It knows when and where to intervene and today, I am very happy that I have a thriving and flourishing maize crop, something I would not have achieved without command agriculture,’’’ said Mr Mungate.

Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union president Mr Wonder Chabikwa was equally happy.

Mr Chabikwa

He said in the absence of Command Agriculture, most farmers would have failed to produce anything.

“I cannot overemphasise the impact of Command Agriculture in boosting maize production. Command Agriculture has greatly empowered farmers and increased capacity utilisation of land.

“Command Agriculture happened according to prescription. Last season President Mugabe declared a state of disaster because of the severe drought.

“Coming out of such a scenario, many people will not be able to fund their operations. Command farming came in time to save the drought stricken farmers,” he said.

Mr Chabikwa said the rains the country was receiving were good for agriculture but could have been wasted had farmers not received adequate funding.

“The programme is a noble one. We wish those farmers who could not access compound D could be given ammonium nitrate early to save the crop.

“We are confident most farmers will surpass five tonnes per hectare. Five tonnes per hectare is achievable this season, ‘’ he said.

Another Mazowe farmer, Mr Osborne Chimwayi, said Command Agriculture was important as it was geared towards boosting national food security.

“It is so demeaning for a country such as Zimbabwe to import food when we have the land and hardworking farmers. Command farming is the way to go. We will soon be exporting food to other countries and retain our status as the bread basket of Africa,” he said.

Acting President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Command Agriculture came after the country recorded food deficit.

The programme is meant to produce two million tonnes of maize under 400 000 hectares of land.

Zimbabwe requires 1,5 million tonnes of maize for both human and livestock consumption.

The country should at any given time have at least 500 000 tonne of maize in the strategic grain reserve.

He said Command Agriculture was expanding to wheat and soyabeans this forthcoming farming season.

“In four seasons the country should be self sufficient. Industry should be running and we should not talk of hunger anymore,” he said.