In the community

Amid power cuts in Zimbabwe, food preservation made easy by grannies

Published

3 years ago

May 10, 2023

BY IGNATIUS BANDA

Amid silent refrigerators spawned by crippling electricity cuts, township grannies are relying on their smarts and traditional preservation: roasting and smoking meat over fires as they attempt not to throw away food.

And this at a time more and more Zimbabweans are going hungry amid a combination of shrinking incomes and price increases.

For 79-year-old grandmother Tabeth Chisale, food and perishables, such as beef sourced by her children, fill the fridge, but she is increasingly frustrated by the unrelenting power outages.

“Recently, we went for seven days without electricity,” Chisale said

“We were informed it was not because of the regular power cuts but some thieves had vandalised the power supply,” she said, at a time there are increasing reports of the theft of copper cables and transformer oil from power base stations.

The country’s power utility has blamed erratic power supply on the vandalism of electricity infrastructure.

However, amid such a chaotic and erratic energy supply, grannies such as Chisale must find or have found ways of making the best out of a bad situation.

“Once I suspect the meat is going bad, I roast the meat over a fire, then hope that electricity will be restored in time.

“I then stew the roasted meat.

“You cannot watch the meat go bad in these trying times,” she said, her practice for many here a hard-to-understand culinary secret: first roasting meat, then boiling it

Smoking meat over a fire to preserve it has been around for centuries, but Zimbabwe’s energy crisis has reminded older generations of the practice at a time when large-scale enterprises such as butcheries are having to rethink how they do business.

Local food scientists have raised concerns about the consumption of bad or rotting food, noting that it reverses the small gains the country is making towards addressing nutrition deficits among children and the elderly.

In a country where supermarket shelves are stocked with expired food items, the practices of Chisale show the desperation of consumers, local analysts say.

For Desmond Mugadza, chair of the food science department at the Midlands State University, the answer is simple: “Avoid over-stocking perishables.”

“Food must be free from bio-hazards to ensure it is safe for consumers to eat as all food items have a shelf life,” Mugadza said.

“We should rely on science on whether food is safe to consume,” he added.

Yet the desperation of consumers such as Chisale has meant that they have sought ways to salvage their food without the support of science.

It has been a long practice here amid economic hardships that bargain hunters stock up on food and other basic commodities because of regular price increases, creating difficulties in how the food is stored in the absence of electricity.

However, the food preservation methods available to Chisale come with a downside: “The meat that I try to save doesn’t taste as it should, but it’s still meat,” she said.

In Zimbabwe, where the backyard poultry business has become the favoured source of income for the unemployed, power cuts have wreaked havoc for people such as Nelisiwe Mudimba.

“When you slaughter your birds, you pray that they will be sold before they go bad in the fridge,” Mudimba said, adding that on numerous occasions, she has had to throw away dozens of rotting chickens.

She says she has also tried smoking the chickens over a fire, feeding some to her dogs, but: “I cannot eat all these chickens.

“What’s the point, then, of operating such a business?”

These concerns come as global agencies lament the continued wastage of food when millions go hungry.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation, “One-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally.

This amounts to about 1.3 billion tons per year, worth approximately US$1 trillion.”

While FAO says most food losses in developing countries are during post-harvest and processing levels, in countries such as Zimbabwe, power cuts have only added to the food waste crisis.

Local consumer rights groups say inflation has added to the challenges as those who already cannot afford basics face more headaches with trying to stock the little food available in their homes.

“Consumers are unable to buy basic commodities that they desperately need because of the increasing gaps between prices and incomes,” said Effie Ncube, spokesperson of a local consumer rights group.

“To prevent the unlawful sale of expired goods, two things are required. The first is to ensure thorough enforcement of the Consumer Protection Act.

Secondly, the government should address the root causes of the economic crisis that has led to runaway inflation, lack of incomes, and general price volatility,” Ncube said.

For now, Chisale and her peers continue to seek old ways to address new challenges and make their own local desperate efforts not to throw away food, albeit against their will. – IPS

Nkayi

Burial preparations underway for Nkayi well tragedy victims

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Nkayi community is preparing to lay to rest the Grade 2 pupil and his neighbor who tragically died in a gas-filled well in Ward 19 last week.

According to Ward 19 Councillor Thubelihle Mabuza Ncube, the young Grade 2 boy is scheduled to be laid to rest today, while the other deceased individual will be buried tomorrow. The community is currently awaiting the arrival of the bodies from the Nkayi regional mortuary. The remains were recently delivered back to the regional mortuary following the completion of postmortem examinations in Bulawayo.

The double fatality occurred when the young student was reportedly lured into a neighbor’s well by an elder to retrieve a bucket in exchange for sweets. The child was quickly overcome by suspected carbon monoxide and a total lack of oxygen. A neighbor who entered the shaft in a desperate rescue attempt also perished after being overwhelmed by the toxic air.

Due to the hazardous conditions within the well, rescuers were unable to enter the shaft and had to use a makeshift wire tool to retrieve the bodies from the surface. Councillor Ncube previously expressed deep distress over the incident, noting that Nkayi is hurting deeply.

While the community mourns, legal proceedings are also in motion. The councillor has indicated that the accused in the matter has been charged by the police. This update follows a series of tragic events in the Nkayi district, including a recent fatal elephant attack in Ward 13.

Binga

Poet’s pen turns to philanthropy: Obert Dube’s mission to clothe and educate Zimbabwe’s youth

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

For Obert Dube, a renowned African poet, the stage is no longer just a place for performance; it has become a platform for a massive humanitarian effort aimed at Zimbabwe’s most vulnerable children. Since November, Dube has traversed the rugged terrains of Matabeleland North and South, visiting over 100 schools to provide essential supplies to students who, much like his younger self, are struggling to stay in the classroom.

Obert Dube

Dube, who describes himself as an “African poet… born and bred in Zimbabwe,” has dedicated his career to what he calls a “mission of mercy.” His work focuses on children who are often forced to drop out due to a lack of school fees or basic stationery. “I’m an African poet… a philanthropist engaged in a special mission,” Dube said in a recent interview. “I help vulnerable children… who sometimes fail due to school fees. Some approach me for help with registering for examinations.”

The poet’s motivation is deeply rooted in his own childhood trauma. Raised by a widowed mother who passed away before his final exams, Dube became a “child parent” at a young age. He recalls the humiliation of attending school in borrowed uniforms and the struggle of trying to learn without the most basic tools. “I remember some raised by elderly grandparents… their parents are passed on,” Dube explained, noting that many guardians cannot afford books. “They will spend the rest of the time at school without writing, and that is what is contributing to low pass rates.”

To fund this initiative, Dube allocates 30 percent of his earnings from every performance to purchase stationery and pay school fees. His reach has expanded to districts including Nkayi, Binga, Lupane, and Hwange. While he started alone, his social media presence has attracted global support, including a Zimbabwean-born UK citizen who recently donated football kits for the schools. “This is a different thing collectively that builds helping our own communities,” Dube said.

In the community

Elephant kills villager in Nkayi, authorities launch investigation

Published

6 days ago

April 19, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

An elephant trampled a villager to death overnight in Mthoniselwa village in Ward 13 of Nkayi district, local authorities said on Sunday, in the latest human-wildlife conflict incident in the area.

The fatal attack occurred in the early hours of the morning, according to community leaders, who said the victim was attacked near the homestead.

“We have received a report from our Lupane Investigations Office regarding a tragic incident in Mthoniselwa village, Ward 13 of Nkayi, where a villager was trampled by an elephant,” said Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks spokesperson Luckmore Safuli.

“Further details regarding the identity and circumstances surrounding the deceased are still pending. ZimParks personnel are actively conducting assessments in the area to gather more information. Additionally, the Nkayi Rural District Council officers, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, are on site to investigate the incident and conduct community awareness initiatives,” Saffouli added.

A message circulated in local community groups earlier in the day alerted residents to the incident and urged caution.

“We received a sad report from police this morning of a person who was attacked and killed by an elephant at night in Mthoniselwa, Ward 13. ZimParks has been notified and a ranger is on the way to track the elephant,” the message read.

Community leaders also urged residents to report the presence of dangerous wildlife and to remain vigilant to avoid further tragedies.

Zimbabwe has in recent years recorded a rise in human-wildlife conflict cases, particularly involving elephants, as animals stray into villages in search of food and water.