BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A Grade 2 pupil and a young man died on Thursday in a tragic incident at a neighbor’s well in Nkayi Ward 19, after being overcome by suspected carbon monoxide and a total lack of oxygen.

The tragedy unfolded near Nkayi Primary School area when the young student was reportedly sent into the well by elders to retrieve a bucket that had fallen to the bottom. When the child failed to resurface, a neighbor entered the shaft in a desperate rescue attempt.

Councillor Thubelihle Mabuza Ncube, who visited the scene on Friday, described the harrowing moments that led to the double fatality. “What happened, we understand, is that a bucket fell into the well,” Ncube said. “It is said there was carbon [monoxide]… there was no oxygen at all at the bottom”.

According to the councillor, the second individual who had reportedly sent the child to fetch the bucket in the well reached the bottom and was briefly able to interact with the child before being overwhelmed . “He reached the bottom, but [the gas] overcame him,” Ncube explained. “He reportedly tapped the child, but then he was overcome by that carbon and lack of air… They both died in the water “.

A third person attempted to enter the well but immediately signaled to be pulled out, reporting a suffocating heat and a total lack of oxygen inside the shaft.

The councillor expressed deep distress over the decision to send a young child into the well. “It is very painful… a Grade 2 pupil being sent into the well by elders to go and retrieve a container from the bottom,” Ncube said, noting that it appeared the community had grown accustomed to such tasks.

Due to the extreme danger posed by the air quality, rescuers were unable to physically enter the well to recover the bodies. Instead, villagers were forced to use a makeshift tool to retrieve the deceased from the surface.

“They were finally taken out not by being fetched from below; instead, they ended up using something like a wire to pull them because people were afraid to enter where that gas was,” Ncube said.

The incident has left the Nkayi community in mourning. “Nkayi is hurting deeply,” the councillor added. “It is a very painful situation”.

BY STAFF REPORTER

Daniel Molokele, the Member of Parliament for Hwange Central, paid tribute on Thursday to Fanuel Achimwene Mwale, a prominent local artist and his lifelong friend, who died over the weekend following a brief illness.

Molokele visited Mwale’s family in Makwika village to offer condolences and visited the artist’s final resting place at the local cemetery. The MP described a personal bond spanning more than 45 years, noting that he and Mwale grew up together in the No. 1 colliery area and remained classmates throughout their years at St Ignatius Primary School.

“I consider him as my first best friend of my entire life,” Molokele said in a statement, adding that the two had shared the formative first five years of their lives together.

Mwale was recognized as a multi-talented artist who represented Hwange on both national and international stages. His career included roles as a dancer, composer, singer, scriptwriter, actor, producer, and director.

Molokele expressed hope that Mwale’s “exemplary artistic legacy” would serve as an inspiration for other performers emerging from the “hot coalfields of Whange” to achieve similar success .

The MP concluded his tribute by wishing that Mwale’s “dearest artistic soul rest in power”

BY OWN CORRESPONDENT

Econet founder and group chairman Strive Masiyiwa, whose company recently listed Econet InfraCo – an infrastructure platform company –  says he was inspired to build an industrial hub in Harare, called Econet Tech City, after observing similar hubs spring up in other African and Asian cities.

In particular Masiyiwa made reference to the 12 000-hectare Eko Atlantic hub in Lagos, Nigeria, built on reclaimed land, where his Data Centre group has established a large facility.

“Modern international investors don’t like hassles when they plan to build a factory or high tech facility, like a Data Centre,” he said.

“They prefer locations where everything they need – such as power, water, fibre and satellite connectivity, industrial waste management, security, street lighting and staff transport – is readily available.

“They don’t want to be burdened with complex local planning approvals or licensing processes.

“These industrial hubs operate as a one-stop shop, managed by local experts who handle everything for them.

“When we build a data centre in an African city, it is a highly complex project and we seek these hubs, some even offering legal services.” He explained.

Econet InfraCo – which is listed on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, with an estimated valuation of US$1 billion dollars – owns an 800-hectare property near the Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare.

It is currently in the process of turning it into a modern industrial hub – pending government approval – and is expected to attract 300 companies, creating over 20 000 jobs.

Tech City will not only be built by Econet InfraCo; the company will also continue to manage it on behalf the tenants. It will be surrounded by a security wall, with 24-hour guards protecting the perimeters, complete with CCTV and drone surveillance.

Masiyiwa said Econet InfraCo plans to address infrastructure challenges for investors in collaboration with the government.

“The goal is to build a self-sufficient ‘city within a city’, surpassing the pre-independence industrial areas, complete with a shopping mall and clinic, but excluding housing and offices. It is intended to create a spark for industrialization,” Masiyiwa said.

He said the site chosen by Econet InfraCo includes a large stream, crucial for water supply, and will utilize a 100MW solar plant.

Architects and engineers are already developing plans, with solar panels for the first phase arriving from China soon.

Econet, which already has a 5MW data centre in Willowvale, Harare, is planning to build a 10MW facility in Tech City. The industrial hub is the first major project that Econet InfraCo is undertaking.

Regarding project timelines, Masiyiwa said: “From Econet’s perspective, we can complete the site within two years, but government incentives for businesses are crucial.

“Zimbabwe is competing with cities like Lagos, Cape Town, Nairobi and Kigali. I have laid out the vision and discussed it with Zimbabwean leaders.

“If they and the people support it, this could be a great partnership. I envision similar projects across Africa, as I am a Pan-Africanist, but I always start in my country.”

Masiyiwa hopes Econet Tech City will be operational within five years, emphasising the pressing need for jobs for young people, which he said is “too urgent to ignore”.

He said since unveiling the plans, Econet has received inquiries from both local and international companies and discussions with the government were already underway.

Once finalised, he said Econet InfraCo will begin marketing the project to potential investors and start rolling out the facility in phases.

He added that Econet will not seek exclusive terms from the government, in the hope that the offer will extend to others with similar projects in Harare or other cities.

SOURCE: The Standard