BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Last week, the Parliament saw a robust exchange as Members of Parliament (MPs) probed the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Resettlement, Anxious Masuka, about the government’s plans to enhance food security amidst climate challenges. The session highlighted both the progress and the hurdles faced in rehabilitating irrigation schemes across the country.

Addressing Food Security

Thusani Ndou initiated the discussion by questioning the government’s food security policies in light of reported irrigation schemes operating at a mere 20% capacity. He emphasized the critical food shortages resulting from this inefficiency, despite the season’s good rainfall. In his response, Minister Masuka underscored that the government considers food security a cornerstone of its agenda and described ongoing efforts to combat the effects of climate change on agriculture.

“We regard food security everywhere and every day as one of the philosophies of the Second Republic,” Masuka stated, explaining the government’s commitment to “climate-proof” agriculture. This involves implementing the Pfumvudza/Intwasa model, which promotes sustainable agricultural practices tailored to the environment, and accelerating irrigation development.

Masuka announced ambitious targets to complete the development of 26 000 hectares of smallholder irrigation across 460 schemes by 2030, with 19 000 hectares already achieved. However, he acknowledged that regional disparities mean that some areas, particularly Bulilima and Binga, continue to face significant food shortages, despite the government’s commitment to addressing these needs.

Irrigation Scheme Oversight

Further inquiries from MPs, including Phathisiwe Machangu, Lupane east, raised concerns about idle irrigation schemes and the government’s policies for monitoring their functionality. The Minister acknowledged the historical context of these schemes, noting that many were established during colonial times as “uneconomic, unviable units.” He highlighted a new initiative aimed at transforming these uneconomical schemes into viable business units by restructuring governance and management practices.

“We are now using the Vision 2030 Accelerator Model to pool smaller plots into larger, economically viable units, thereby improving their sustainability and profitability,” he explained. The Ministry has successfully onboarded 341 out of the 460 irrigation schemes onto this new model.

Budget and Development Challenges

Others further pressed the Minister on the apparent lack of follow-through on government budgets allocated for these irrigation schemes. Masuka expressed disappointment over budget allocations, revealing that as of June, only 37% of the requested resources had been disbursed.

He urged Parliament to advocate for the importance of developing irrigation infrastructure, especially in light of changing climate conditions. “It is saddening that we have resources lying idle while communities suffer as candidates for social welfare,” he lamented.

Regarding the quality of irrigation contractors and value for money, Masuka acknowledged ongoing assessments by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee. He assured the MPs that procurement regulations were in place to ensure contractors deliver quality work but left the door open for evidence of failures to be addressed.

BY TIMES LIVE

Jamaica returned to the top of the 100m podium at the world championships in Tokyo on Sunday, but South Africa — even with two dogs in the fight — missed out yet again.

Gift Leotlela finished fifth in 9.95 sec and veteran Akani Simbine ended seventh in 10.04 while Oblique Seville clocked a 9.77 personal best to become the first Jamaican to win the global 100m crown in 10 years after Usain Bolt at Beijing 2015.

His countryman, Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson, was second in 9.82 and brash American Noah Lyles, the Olympic and defending champion, third in 9.89.

The final featured two Jamaicans, two Americans and two South Africans, but it was the two traditional powerhouses that dominated the podium.

Looked at another way, the final had four men from the Americas against four Africans, and with Kenny Bednarek ending fourth, it was the men from the Americas who took the first four spots.

Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, the Olympic 200m champion and the 100m silver medallist from Budapest 2023, was disqualified for a false start. Nigerian Kayinsola Ajayi was sixth in 10.00.

Yet, had Leotlela repeated the 9.87 he ran in the heats on Saturday he would have taken third. Still, the 27-year-old, who has struggled with injuries for much of the past four years, can be happy with three consecutive sub-10 runs at the showpiece.

But Simbine, who took the 60m bronze at the world indoor championships in March, looked as if he had mistimed his season.

He went on the indoor circuit early in the year in a bid to improve his start, which meant sacrificing an important training block that he subsequently switched to June and July.

The 31-year-old was on fire before the break, but since returning he never looked sharp.

He’s competed in seven major 100m finals — three Olympics and four world championships — and never reached a podium. Having previously finished fourth or fifth, this was also his worst finish in a final.

In the semifinals earlier, just like it happened at the Olympics on the same track four years ago, Simbine had to wait to find out if he had won a spot in the final after finishing third in the first heat in 9.96.

Only the first two of the three heats advanced automatically, with the two fastest losers going through.

Leotlela ended third in the final semifinal in 9.97.

But still, two South Africans in the final should augur well for the 4x100m relay next weekend.

The only other South African in a medal race on the day, Adriaan Wildschutt, didn’t have the kick at the tail end of a slow 10,000m, crossing the line in 28 min 59.47 sec to finish 10th to match his position at last year’s Paris Olympics.

Frenchman Jimmy Gressier won a sprint finish in 28:55.77, ahead of Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha (28:55.83) and Andreas Almgren of Sweden (29:56.02).

Earlier, Zakithi Nene, the fastest man over 400m in the world this year with his 43.76 from May, won his heat in 44.34 to advance to Tuesday’s semifinal.

But American Jacory Patterson, No 2 on the list, threw down the gauntlet by jogging over the final metres of his heat to clock the fastest time of the heats, 43.90.

Khaleb McRae, the second of three American qualifiers, was second quickest in the heats in 44.25.

Then came Nene, and behind him lurk other dangermen, like Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori (44.36) and Rusheen McDonald of Jamaica (44.38), who limped off the track.

Countryman Lythe Pillay delivered a solid performance to advance to the semifinals with a 44.73 season’s best, finishing second in his heat behind Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago, fourth at last year’s Olympics.

But with the US getting four men into the next round and Botswana and Britain three, the South African 4x400m team will have their work cut out next weekend to make the relay podium.

Miranda Coetzee and Shirley Nekhubui failed to advance beyond the women’s 400m heats and Brian Raats was unable to clear the bar in the qualifying round of the men’s high jump.

SOURCE| TIMES LIVE

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has launched new ‘Smart-Suite’ Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) data packages consisting of six plans tailored to address the data needs of different customers – from the ‘SmartLite’ plan, offering 50GB of data (best for light users) and retailing for $30, to ‘SmartPro’, offering 800GB of data (ideal for established SMEs) and retailing at $170.

In between are ‘SmartPlus’, offering 75GB at $40 (targeting families); ‘SmartMax’, offering 100GB at $50 (ideal for bigger homes and freelancers); ‘SmartFlex’, offering 200GB at $70 (tailored for flexible scaling and small offices) and ‘SmartUltra’, offering 400GB at $99 (suitable for heavy, multi-users and SMEs).

Introducing the SmartSuite packages on multiple media channels, Econet said the new data packages will be easy to upgrade and will offer flexible plans “that grow with your needs”.

To ensure optimized and stable performance within a customer’s premise and network coverage area, the new packages will be geo-locked to a customer’s location, and accessible using a 4G or 5G CPE (customer premises equipment) router.

Geo-locking – a term used to describe the restriction of access to a product or service to a specific geographical location – ensures customers get the best possible usage experience while enabling service providers like telcos and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to ringfence critical resources such as bandwidth, making certain they are utilized by the intended users.

Econet said the SmartSuite packages will be available through its Econet Shops across the country where the company enjoys the largest network coverage, adding that CPE routers will also be available for sale in its shops – starting from US$48 per unit. The company noted though that customers will be free to use their existing CPEs, or to purchase CPEs anywhere elsewhere, as long as they were compatible with Econet’s SmartSuite product specifications.

Econet, which is the largest mobile network operator in Zimbabwe, enjoys the widest 4G (LTE) network coverage in the country. With 300 5G base stations deployed in the country’s major cities and towns, it is by far the market leader in 5G technology in Zimbabwe.

The launch of the new SmartSuite packages follows a notice to customers of the former SmartBiz packages from Econet a month ago, notifying them that it would soon launch new data packages offering more choice and flexibility, and tailored to different customer needs.

Customers registered to the old SmartBiz service and who already have a CPE, can simply dial *143, choose a package of their choice and credit their new SmartSuite package. New subscribers to the SmartSuite packages will however need to buy a new SmartSuite SIM from an Econet Shop, as well as a CPE, for them to be able to connect to the new packages. If they own a CPE that meets Econet’s specifications, they will be able to use it for their SmartSuite package.

Along with the new SmartSuite data packages, Econet continues to offer its all its customers the choice of a wide range of mobile data products, accessible ‘on the go’ throughout the country via the customer’s mobile device or smartphone.