By Byron Mutingwende Jane Matanda (36) lives with her family at a farm compound in Beatrice, nearly 60km from Harare. With four children who are all at school, Matanda says the wages she gets from working on the farm together with her husband are not sufficient to provide adequately for their children’s health and…
By Byron Mutingwende The Zimbabwe Schools Water and Agriculture Project is a self-sustainable water project that is set to positively impact learning institutions countrywide. The project is aimed at improving the lives of children for both rural and urban communities. It is a multi-pronged project that gives schools and communities access to clean water,…
By Byron Mutingwende The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has urged citizens to contribute in the national revenue by voluntarily complying to pay taxes. In his remarks during a media training workshop held at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare on Wednesday, Happias Kuzvinzwa, ZIMRA Acting Director-General said that it was important for citizens to…
By Byron Mutingwende The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) has applauded the recent appointment of the Chief Justice as a signal of compliance with constitutional democracy. Luke Malaba was the Deputy Chief Justice before his appointment as the new Chief Justice, taking over from Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku who retired in February 2017. …
By Byron Mutingwende Contrary to the notion that there is acrimony between the Zimbabwean government and the United Nations country office, the partnership is robust, a senior government official has said. This emerged at a press briefing on the sidelines of a high level meeting jointly convened today by the Government and the…
By Byron Mutingwende African countries have shown their interest and willingness to strive for science, technology, and innovation (STI)-led development, the Africa Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) has noted. This emerged during the launch of the 2017 Africa Capacity Report held at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) in the capital on Tuesday 28…
By Nevson Mpofu and Byron Mutingwende This year’s March 24 World TB Day celebrated in Shurugwi paved a new way for strategies to end the disease. Ending Tuberculosis could be achieved through testing and screening, it has emerged. The fact on ground is, in populations with high HIV prevalence, many people infected with HIV develop…
By Byron Mutingwende Children with disabilities have special needs that should be addressed for them to access education without hindrances or barriers. Speaking during a Worldwide Campaign for Education for Children with Disabilities held under the banner “Ring the Bell”, Faith Sithole, the Head of St. Giles Special School in Harare said that all…
By Byron Mutingwende Calls to implement the 2016 Political Declaration meant to fast track the HIV prevention response, along with treatment are gaining momentum. This emerged at a Stakeholders’ meeting on HIV Prevention Revitalisation held at the Monomotapa Legacy Hotel in Harare early this week. The meeting was meant to take stock of the…
By Byron Mutingwende Africa and Europe are collaborating in space science and technology in pursuit of addressing the growing needs of African countries to access and use Earth Observation (EO) data for the implementation of sustainable development policies on the continent through the integration and deployment of African requirements and needs. Rungano Karimanzira,…
By Byron Mutingwende Victims of trafficking often fall prey to false promises of better opportunities; a discussion at the United States Embassy ‘s Public Affairs Section in Harare revealed Tuesday. Speaking at a “Food for Thought” discussion forum organised by the US Embassy, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the…
By Byron Mutingwende The diplomats were assured of mutual cooperation, as Zimbabwe was replete with various potential sectors for beneficial convergence. This emerged on the awards ceremony of the sixth edition of the Annual Diplomats Awards held at Cresta Loge in Harare on Friday 10 March 2017. Speaking at the awards ceremony, Bishow…
By Byron Mutingwende Corruption at Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) reads like a script from a Hollywood movie yet that organisation is expected to promote accountability and good governance. There had been numerous reports of graft at that institution but no one ever had the opportunity to fully understand the goings on until I personally…
By Byron Mutingwende The empowerment and full participation of women as equal citizens in all spheres of life stimulates the development of societies. This was the general consensus among the Zimbabwe United Nations office, civil society organisations and development partners in their solidarity messages during the commemoration of the International Women’s Day on Wednesday…
By Byron Mutingwende Tag a Life International (TaLI) has taken bold steps aimed at empowering young women in leadership during an event slated for the International Women’s Day at the University of Zimbabwe. “This year, as is our tradition including the previous few years, TaLI is taking some #BeBoldForChange steps in partnership with…
By Byron Mutingwende A showcase market held in Harare revealed that women have improved their entrepreneurship skills and are determined to leave a mark in business. Organised by the Women’s Farming Syndicate (WFS), the Women’s Showcase Market from March 3 to 4, 2017 at Long Cheng Plaza in Harare, was a platform for women…
By Byron Mutingwende The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) has condemned in the strongest terms, escalating cases of violent attacks targeted at foreign nationals living in South Africa. In Pretoria and Johannesburg, a number of foreign nationals, including Zimbabweans, have suffered physical and psychological harm. CiZC said that xenophobia defeats the spirit and…
By Byron Mutingwende The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has been urged to consider concerns by stakeholders over the newly introduced curriculum. The new primary and secondary school curriculum has been met with considerable outcry; with many within the education sector pointing out that this policy lacked sufficient consultative processes to ensure that…
By Byron Mutingwende With a significant number of people in rural areas still practising open defecation and the climate vagaries ravaging Zimbabwe, a health time bomb is imminent. Statistics from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF to the effect that over 40 per cent of people in rural areas are still practising open…
By Byron Mutingwende As conflicts escalate globally, stakeholders in governance have been urged to consider recommendations from a meeting held by the Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) hosted by the Chairman Man Hee Lee at the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) Office in Cape Town. Four religious leaders from…
By Byron Mutingwende The empowerment of women is critical for development hence the need to promote social accountability and transparency in public finance management. The sentiment came to the fore during a media engagement exercise organised by the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), meant to connect journalists with the communities and…
By Byron Mutingwende Harare-based lawyer, Dumisani Mthombeni has stood out as a paragon of the anti-corruption drive in Zimbabwe, with his work attracting accolades both locally and globally. Mthombeni obtained his law degree at the University of Zimbabwe in 2008. Besides the practice of law Dumisani is a youth and anti-corruption activist. He…
By Byron Mutingwende Journalists have reiterated that the prevailing working conditions in the media are not safe for them to carry out their mandate safely amid calls for gender equity in the sector. This emerged at a two-day workshop organised by the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) to train media practitioners on Gender…
By Byron Mutingwende Multilingual education stands out as one way of promoting sustainable development and cultural diversity, it has emerged. Speaking at a discussion forum held at the United Nations Information Centre in Harare Wednesday, 22 February 2017, Professor Hubert Gijzen, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Regional Director of…
By Byron Mutingwende Radio still remains the most popular source of news and information in Zimbabwe, a senior United Nations official has said. Speaking during the commemoration of World Radio Day at Takashinga Cricket Club in Harare on Monday 13 February 2017, Bishow Parajuli, the United Nations Resident Corrinator for Zimbabwe said that…
The inclusive conservation of natural resources, including REDD+ Projects should be implemented in an inclusive and transparent manner, with respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities and with consideration for the protection of biodiversity, Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) has said “The lack of community engagement, inclusion and access to information is…
By Byron Mutingwende Makanaka Mukaranga (not her real name) pushes her wheelbarrow to Watsomba Business Centre in Mutasa District, awaiting the commencement of a food distribution exercise by one of the many organisations providing aid in the area. She is among hundreds of families that were identified to be in need of food…
By Byron Mutingwende Zimbabwe’s United Nations Resident Coordinator, Bishow Parajuli has said that it is important to mobilise the voices of the youths who should play an active role in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Parajuli made the remarks at Junior Chamber International’s (JCI) 2017 Go4Gold Opening Night Ceremony event held…
By Byron Mutingwende Results from the 2016 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) placed Zimbabwe among the countries that scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean), exposing the predominance of massive and pervasive public sector corruption. This year, Zimbabwe moved one step…
By Byron Mutingwende A vibrant health system characterised by proper nutrition, antenatal care and vaccination will decongest hospitals and stimulate economic growth, it has been established. David Okello, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Director for Zimbabwe made the remarks on the launch of the National Health Strategy held at Murewa District Hospital…
By Byron Mutingwende Civil society organisations (CSOs) have roundly condemned violence rearing its ugly head ahead of the Bikita West by-elections to replace jailed former Member of the House of Assembly for the area, Munyaradzi Kereke. The Election Resource Centre (ERC) Wednesday condemned the violent attacks on the opposition candidate for Bikita West…
Byron Mutingwende Harare City Council should direct energy on improving service delivery and address the major drivers of typhoid, the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has said. Despite the call to such action, CHRA has noted efforts by the Harare City Council to contain the typhoid outbreak, which has resulted in two deaths…
By Byron Mutingwende The generality of Zimbabweans have expressed dismay over the recent increase in mobile data tariffs put into effect by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ). In a statement Thursday, Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) said the increase by over 2 500% had all but confirmed that the Zimbabwean government…
By Byron Mutingwende The Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has reported that learning failed to kick-start Tuesday as teachers and learners were grappling with the challenges of implementing the new curriculum. Introduced by the minister of primary and secondary education, Lazarus Dokora, the new curriculum has a thrust on the teaching of…
By Byron Mutingwende The local girls were urged to take pride in the African identity at a colourful event organised by the Harare Junior Council on Friday 16 December 2016. “Dawn of African Beauty” was the theme this year for the Harare Junior Council’s Miss Harare Junior competitions. After figuring out that most African…
By Byron Mutingwende Women have described efforts towards the establishment of a gender sensitive fiscal policy measures espoused in the 2017 National Budget as piecemeal and have called a mechanism to legislate gender budgeting. Speaking at a dialogue meeting organised with stakeholders to discuss the extent to which government has embraced gender-responsive budgeting…
By Byron Mutingwende The 2017 National Budget comes against a background of limited employment and a tight fiscal space, a development that has a devastating impact on the wellbeing of the youths. Speaking during a half day meeting organized by the Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT) on Wednesday 14 December 2016 at…
By Byron Mutingwende Scores of people, particularly human rights activists, have welcomed the opening of the new headquarters of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) offices. Promise Mkwananzi, the Spokesperson of Tajamuka – a protest movement calling for transparency and accountability from the leaders of the country and the resignation of President…
By Byron Mutingwende Spiked Zimbabwe this week, as part of our coverage of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, caught up with Marygrace Namatai Chipunza, a 22-year-old aircraft and rocket engineering graduate who is a talk show host and a motivational speaker currently living in Johannesburg, South Africa. The 16…
By Byron Mutingwende Terry Taona sits under the cool shade of the mango tree at his parents’ house in the Westlea Suburb of Harare, reading newspapers just after his return from South Africa where he had been an economic refugee for more than eight years. “I left Harare to South Africa in January…
By Byron Mutingwende Corruption remains high in the informal sector despite spirited efforts by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) to address the vice. Cross-border traders said on Friday 2 December 2016 that there is rampant corruption at the borders, especially following the enactment of the Statutory Instrument (SI) 64 of 2016. One cross border asked…
By Byron Mutingwende Members of the clergy who represent inter-denominational leaders from churches in Zimbabwe have condemned child marriage. The religious leaders revealed that when they converged at Holiday Inn Hotel in Harare on 28 November 2016 for the Inter-denominational Dialogue on Child Marriages in Zimbabwe, facilitated by Plan International Zimbabwe. “As church leaders, we…
By Byron Mutingwende Members of the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) have said that there is still a long way to go for them in owning and controlling land in comparison to their male counterparts. The sentiments were revealed at a policy dialogue meeting organised by Women and Land in Zimbabwe (WLZ) held at Mandel…
By Byron Mutingwende Parliamentarians play a crucial role in curbing corruption through creating legislation that enhances access to justice and fair distribution of resources. The Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC), a unit of Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ) led by its Team Leader, Danai Mabuto engaged the Parliamentarians at a half day training workshop…
By Moses Chibaya and Byron Mutingwende The electoral body, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), should not regulate who is supposed to vote come 2018 when Zimbabwe hold the make or break election, regional poll watchdog has said. The think tank and advocacy institution on elections and democracy, Election Resource Centre (ERC), has dismissed ZEC’s claims that…
