News

By Constentine Mpofu

Concerns have been raised over the poor household waste in J Mafuyana township as residents are not disposing their waste to Matobo Rural District Council garbage collectors.

This was raised during a meeting of residents organized by the Maphisa Residents Association where people were raising their concerns on different issues affecting them.

The Chairperson of the committee, Mr Khulekani Tshuma, said there are illegal dumpsite that they had cleared during a clean-up campaign.

“We cleared all dumpsites during the ‘Keep Maphisa Clean’ Campaign, but we are back where we started because people just throw their waste in undesignated areas,” Tshuma said.

The campaign was also meant to compliment and take part in the National Clean Up Day that is conducted on the first Friday of every month.

One of the residents said there is a need to promote awareness and educate the people as well as engage them to take part in the clean-up campaigns.

Other concerns raised by residents was the call for the construction of water drainages in J Mafuyana township as some houses become inundated in water during the rainy season.

Matobo RDC constructed drainages in parts of the township, however, there are areas that are still being affected by poor drainage of rainwater.

The residents also suggested that there should be a borehole committee that will ensure that it is responsibly managed and kept clean since it is situated in a playground it was prone to be abused by kids.

Residents also requested the installation of streetlights in J Mafuyane township, as it is still in darkness since its commissioning, the residents also highlighted the need for electricity in the small town.

During the formulation of the Matobo RDC strategic plan, these issues were highlighted by stakeholders, and the local authority said their plan was to install tower lights in J Mafuyana which would cover a wider area.

Concern was also raised on the issue of mining companies whose gold processing activities were risking the lives of people using the Antelope Dam. The residents committee said they sent a petition to relevant authorities and are waiting for feedback.

Lingwe villagers of Matobo ward 8 recently celebrated the commissioning of the Lingwe piped water scheme that will help resolve the water challenges faced in the area.

The water will benefit over 1 300 people in the ward, that is over 135 households including some from neighbouring wards.

“We have incorporated a school with 230 pupils, a garden with 50 farmers and a dip tank with 201 farmers, whose cattle amount to 1 398. The residents who will benefit are from wards 8,9, 10 as well as villagers from Lingwe village under Chief Bidi,” said a local representative of the scheme, Evis Ndlovu.

The village has gone for 24 years without clean drinking water as attempts to drill a borehole have proved futile.

“We stayed for 24 years drinking dirty water, water with human waste. The efforts made to survey the area for purposes of drilling a borehole would only result in dry waves” said Evis Ndlovu.

Ward 8 is in one of the 10 dry wards of Matobo district, and this has led to most borehole surveys yielding negative results.

“The district falls into region 4 and 5 which is characterized by poor rainfall patterns, in this regard it is imperative to note that, the southern part of this district comprising of ward 1 to 10 has very little chances of success in terms of drilling boreholes due to a low water table,” highlighted CEO of Matobo Rural District Council, Mr Elvis Sibanda.

Lingwe once had a pipeline system that was operational from 1991 to 1998 running on diesel, the scheme stopped working due to various challenges faced by the elders in the community.

The commissioned scheme was built on this old pipeline, transforming the old diesel engine to a solar powered engine.

The piped water scheme will ensure that community members consume treated water.

By Correspondent

UProvincial environmental officer we Environmental Management Authority (EMA) kwele- Matabeleland South umnumzana Descent Ndlovu ukhuthaze abantu ukuthi baqine ngokubutha lokuqoqa izibi ukuze baziguqule zibanikeze imali.

Ukhulume lokhu embuthanweni wokubutha izibi eMaphisa ngolwesihlanu lokuqala enyangeni kaMbimbitho.
Wazise abantu ukuthi ingcekeza ingabuthwa iqoqwe bese ithengiswa , ingakwanisa ukubanikeza imali.

“Okukhona yikuthi ingcekeza leyi yimali ngoba ingathathwa iguqulwe ikwazi ukunikeza abantu imali, ithengiswe ingcekeza abantu bathole imali. Okutsho ukuthi asibekeni indawo lapho esizaqoqa khona ingcekeza, siyehlukanise ngoluhlu lwengcekeza ukwenzela ukuthi sithathe lokhu okubolayo siyefaka ezingadini kubengumquba,” kutsho umnumzana Ndlovu.

Ubuye waxwayisa abantu ukuthi ukulahlwa kwengcekeza butshapha kubangela imikhuhlane etshiyeneyo esigabeni, ngoba ingcekeza le ingacina isemanzini esiwanathayo.

Kumele siqakathekise ukugcina imvelo yethu ihlanzekile, singekela okwenzakalayo iyahamba emanzini esiwanathayo isibangele imikhuhlane,” kuxwayisa uNdlovu.

Wazise labo abaphathekileyo kuhlelo lokuhlanza iMaphisa ukuthi kulicala ukulahla izibi endaweni yonke.

“Umthetho wona ngokwawo uthi lo olahla ingcekeza ulakho ukuhlawuliswa imali, imali ongasoze wenelise ukuyibhadala encane yakhona yi $20 USD kukhwela kusiyaphezulu. Ungekela ukuthi uyibhadale uyavalelwa esitokisini usukalapho siyakuhambisa ecourt bakugwebe,” kutsho umnumzana uDescent.

Unxuse nxalo abatshayeli bezimota abathwala abantu eRank ukuthi babumbe ikomiti ezakhangela ngokuhlanzeka kwalapho abasebenzela khona.

Ugcizelele kakhulu ukuqakatheka kwelanga elabekwa ngumongameli welizwe laseZimbabwe umnumzana Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa ngomnyaka ka2018 mhlaka 5 Mpalakazi, yona kuyindlela yokukhuthaza abantu ukuthi bahlanze indawo abahlala kizo.

Drug and substance abusers strain the already little resources availed to the ministry of health, the Matobo District Medical Officer highlighted at the recently held anti-drug campaign.

Matobo District Medical Officer (DMO) Dr Mthunzi said that much needed resources at the district hospital must be redirected to drug and substance abusers.

“The health system is already strained, when we add people who are mentally disturbed as a result of drug abuse, transporting them to hospitals such as Mpilo as we have heard from the psychiatrist that psychiatric units are insufficient in the country. We will be wasting resources that could have been used to attend to naturals causes that we encounter,” said Dr Mthunzi.

Dr Mthunzi added that drug and substance abuse has increased the number of health cases that their night shift staff have to attend to.

“Maphisa has a lot of assault cases and most of them are related to substance abuse. At night we will be hoping to only attend to delivering mothers, however, we find ourselves attending to cases of injured individuals,”

He added that drugs are destroying the future of the youth, as those who would have loved to assume different leadership positions will be addicts.

“We expect them to be doctors, ministers, lawyers of tomorrow and people who will lead us tomorrow,” added DMO.

These sentiments were shared at the recently held campaign against drug and substance abuse in Maphisa, under the theme; Say NO to drugs and substance abuse: Lets protect our future.

The event which was organised by the Seventh Day Adventist Church together with government stakeholders and non-governmental organisations in Matobo district sought to highlight the implications of drug and substance abuse on an individual and the community at large.

UWard 4 eMatabo useqale uhlelo lokwakhela abaswelayo abangamatshumi amabili lambili izindlu zokuhlala.

Uhlelo lolu soluncedise lentsha ukuthi ikwazi ukuthola imfundiso yemisebenzi yezandla.

Ukhansila kaward 4, uMxolisi Ncube, uthi basebenza labobhilida abawaziyo umsebenzi, laba abakhayo kukhangelelwe ukuthi bazatshiya befundise intsha ehlala emakhaya lumsebenzi ukuze bakwazi ukuzithuthukisa.

“Obhilida basebenza lentsha ukuze bayifundise lumsebenzi ngoba silentsha ehleliyo engenzilutho, ngakho loluhlelo lungabe lusiza abaswelayo njalo luyasiza nxa sikhangele ukufundiswa kwentsha imisebenzi yezandla,” kutsho uKhansila Ncube.

Loluhlelo lukhangelelwe ukuthi luzasiza abantu abangamatshumi amabili lambili kuward 4, abakhethiweyo bahlanganisela ogogo, kubelemuli eziphethwe ngabantwana besekusiba labantu abakhubazekileyo.

“Sathi sisenza iward development plan, loluhlelo belungolunye lwendingeko ezakhulunywa yizakhamizi lapho esasibonisana ngokumele kwenziwe kuWard,” kubika uKhansila.

Umsebenzi lo uqaliswe ekuqaleni kukambimbitho kumnyaka ka2024, sekuqale ukwakhiwa izindlu ezintathu, lezambuzi ezimbili ezigabeni ezehlukeneyo kuward 4.

Abanye abaphathekileyo kuloluhlelo ngabahlala ngaphandle kwelizwe (diaspora community) osomabhizimisi, labagebha igolide kuleyo indawo.

Lolu ngolunye lwezinhlelo ezikhangele ezezakhiwo, amanzi lokuhlanzeka endaweni kaward 4 eMatobo.

Matobo stakeholders have called for the masterplan being drafted for Matobo District to ensure that the natural resources in the area benefits the locals.

Speaking at a meeting recently held in Maphisa, land governance specialist Dr Kudzai Chatiza highlighted that the masterplan covers the whole district excluding parks and went on to explain what a masterplan is.

“It is a vision of how we want to use our land, what uses we want to put it to and the services that we need so that we can make the best use of our land” he said.

The participants expressed the desire to see the people benefitting from the minerals extracted in the district.

“We looked at Maphisa as a mining site as well as other areas, that Matobo is producing gold but the district is not benefiting much on all the resources being extracted, so we would want mining to be legally enforced so that everyone can benefit,” highlighted one of the participants.

Mining is one of the economic activities in the district, with gold being the main mineral extracted by both registered mining companies and artisanal miners.

The major mining companies operational in the area are Inyamazane Gold and Navada 24 CIP plants as documented by Matobo Rural District Council.

The council has also highlighted that there are challenges in the sector, such as the lack of equipment for small scale miners to increase production and develop their mines.

Poor road networks also make the transportation of the ore difficult and these are believed to have contributed to poor “turnout by miners in honouring their legal obligation towards the local authority”

The Planning technician for Matobo District, Mr Brighton Sibanda added that the masterplan document compilation was to be completed in the first 6 months of 2024.

By Correspondent

UMinister of State for provincial affairs and devolution esabelweni seMatabeleland South uDr Evelyn Ndlovu unxuse abantwana besikolo ukuthi bancedise ukulwisa izidakamizwa ngokuxwayisa abazali ngobubi bokunatha izidakamizwa ezifana lenjengu.

Lokhu ukuphawule ngoLwesihlanu lwakuqala enyangeni kaMbimbitho lapho ahlanganyele labavela kungatsha zikahulumende ezehlukeneyo, lalabo abasebenzela ngaphandle kukahulumnende (NGOs, CBOs) labanye abavela kumabhizimusi atshiyeneyo eMatobo District ukuze badobhe amaphepha khona kuyindlela yokuhlanza indawo.

Lapho ekhuluma labantu abekade bebuthanele lumsebenzi uveze ukuthi unanzelele ukugcwala kwezivalo zesidakamizwa esesihluphile elizweni laseZimbabwe.

“Ngibone lapha kugcwele izivalo zenjengu, lamambodlela enjengu. Injengu iyabulala! Ungabona umzali wakho ethwele injengu umtshele ukuthi Daddy injengu iyabulala, uzangitshiya ngibhadalelwe ngubani imali yesikolo?” kutsho uMinister.
Ugcizelele njalo ukuthi idrug abuse ayifuneki ezikolo, ezindlini, eMatabeleland South Province njalo laselizweni lonke.

UDr Ndlovu ugcizelele wathi, “sifuna abantu abaphilayo, asifuni izibotho, ngoba umuntu onatha injengu ucina eyisibotho.”

Uxwayise abazali ukuthi bangathathi loba ukutholakala bedakiwe phambili kwabantwana ngoba kuyi “nhlamba” ebantwaneni. Uqhubeke wathi lesisenzo senza abantwana bangalaleli loba ukuhlonipha abazali.

Ubuye njalo uminister wanxusa ikhansili yaseMatobo ukuthi ifake ucingo eTerminus eseMaphisa.

“Ngithe ikhansili ithenge ucingo, ibiye lindawo, ibelepholisa elilinda egedini (guard), wonke opaka imota yakhe lapha kumele abhadale imali ekhitshwa nyangazonke, yona ezasetsenziswa ukuhlanza lindawo. Wonke olemota engena lapha kungakhethelekile ukuthi yibhasi loba yiyiphi imota, nxa ezethwala abantu kumele ibhadale lemali,” kuphawule umhlonitshwa.

By correspondent
Kuvamile ukuthi njengabantu abagqugquzela ikakhulu intsha sikhale ngokuthi umphakathi awuphatheki kunhlelo ezidinga ukubathuthukisa loba ukuphatheka enhlelweni zokwakha ilizwe lapho okudingeka ukuthi labo bafake imibono yabo.

Imibono yabo le iyabe ingasiza ekwakheni amadolobho amahle loba ukuthi bathole ukusetshenzelwa yikhansili kangcono kulandelwa lokho abakuphawulileyo.

Nxa sikhangele ukuphatheka kwentsha ikakhulu sinanzelela ukuthi abalalo ulwazi lokuqakatheka kokuphatheka kwabo kunhlelo eziphathelani labo loba ukuya lalela lokubeka imibono yabo emihlanganweni ebizwayo.

Ngezinye izikhathi sinanzelela ukuthi ngenxa yokudinga ukuziphilisa abantu loba intsha ikhetha ukuya emsebenzini, lapha abathengisela khona loba lapho abenza khona imisebenzi yabo yezandla ukuze bazisize.

Ukuswelakala kolwazi lwenhlelo ezenziwa emphakathini loba imihlangano ephathwa zingaja zikahulumende kwenza intsha ingazitholi isiba lentshukuntshu yokuthi ihlanganyele labanye, ibuye njalo ifake imibono yayo ngokuthi kumele kwenziweni esigabeni okungabathuthukisa.

IMatobo Youth Development Initiative (MYDI) ithethe isinqumo sokunikeza iMatobo Rural District Council umabona kude yena ozasetshenziswa ukusakaza imibiko.

Imibiko le sithemba ukuthi izancedisa izakhamizi ukuthi zibelolwazi lwenhlelo ezenziwayo lezenziwa kudala yinhlanganiso ezehlukeneyo, lekhansili njalo lezinye ingaja zikahulumende ikakhulu eMatabeleland South.

Umabona kude lo ofakwe endaweni efinyeleleka lula kuzulu uzabe edlala imibiko le kusukela ekuseni ikhansili ivula kuze kubentambama lapho ikhansili isivala.