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CALA here to stay, says govt

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The government says the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA) framework will not be scrapped despite concerns by unions that its introduction did not take into consideration the impact of Covid-19 and lack of resources at schools.

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Tumisang Thabela, the permanent secretary in the Primary and Secondary Education ministry, told VicFallsLive in an interview on the side-lines of the Secretary’s Merit Award ceremony at Victoria Falls’ Mosi-oa-Tunya Secondary School that resistance against CALA was natural since it was a new thing.

“We take it as normal as some changes attract opposition because one thing about human beings is that they are not comfortable leaving their comfort zones,” Thabela said.

She said teachers and learners must understand that the newly introduced curriculum was meant to equip learners with 21st century skills.

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“It is those skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication and team building, leadership, technological advancement and enterprise as well as Unhu/Ubuntu (that inform the changes), “Thabela said.

“How do you teach leadership in an hour examination?

“So, all those theoretical things can’t really work for skills and competence for the 21st century and that’s why we said we have to come up with a different way of assessing learners as a means of planning.

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“So, the new assessment framework for 2021 carries the 30 percent of the final examination mark.

“It is thus imperative for schools to implement (CALA) as a policy directive giving a fairer way of determining what a child can do or make in addition to what a child can remember.”

Thabela said the combination of a continuous assessment and a high stakes examination will determine learner achievement levels in the various learning areas.

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Thabela said the CALA curriculum was a holistic assessment model that tracks a child’s potential.

“There are a number of children who have failed in their final exams because they lost a father or a mother, but at the summative, we don’t look at that, but the formative will then indicate the strengths of that child and we can then try and see how we can rescue that child,” she said.

Thabela said her ministry has moved from celebrating the aggregate figures as they only tested the memory to practical science and technology, e-learning, sport, arts and culture, welfare of learners, sustainable environment and school governance.

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“In the past, you will all remember that our focus was on the academic performance, but after the inquiry into education and training that was set up by the then president (Robert Mugabe) in 1998, the 1999 recommendations said that the model was not fit for purpose,” she said.

“It had no values that actually underpinned it, it was largely theoretical, and when the children went to higher and tertiary education and the industry they didn’t have any skills that higher and tertiary education could use to develop them further, neither did they have enough skills that industry would actually use and this then led us to change to a more holistic curriculum that speaks to every educational curriculum needs and what it needs is that every child should be identified where they are gifted and there is no child who comes empty.”

Council run Mosi-oa-Tunya and Chamabondo Primary School were awarded the Secretary’s Merit Awards that they scooped in 2017 and 2018 after exhibiting all round excellence in fulfilling the ministry’s mandate of offering a highly competitive and relevant 21st century child centred education product.

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The two schools were given a $1 300 000 cheque, mobile tables and certificates.

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National

“We are losing ground”: Counsellors’ demotivation threatens Zimbabwe’s HIV gains

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The men and women who have been at the heart of Zimbabwe’s fight against HIV — the primary health counsellors — say their morale has hit rock bottom as they continue to work without job security, inconsistent pay, and uncertain futures.

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These counsellors, stationed across hospitals and clinics countrywide, form the backbone of the country’s HIV prevention and treatment programme. They handle testing, counselling, and patient follow-ups — ensuring those on antiretroviral therapy stay in care and that new infections are detected early.

But as Hwange West legislator Vusumuzi Moyo warned in Parliament, the system supporting these essential workers is “crumbling quietly.”

“Their salaries have been very erratic, sometimes going for months without pay,” Moyo told VicFallsLive after his parliamentary question to the Minister of Health and Child Care. “These people are the heartbeat of HIV management. They’re paid from the Global Fund, but payments have not been consistent, and the government has taken too long to incorporate them into the civil service.”

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Currently, the counsellors are funded under the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) — a donor mechanism that has kept thousands of Zimbabwean health posts afloat for years.

However, global aid shifts, including the ripple effects of the U.S. administration’s restrictions on foreign aid, have made their positions increasingly vulnerable.

Health Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora confirmed during a recent parliamentary session that staff bids had been submitted to Treasury for approval to absorb counsellors into the government payroll.

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He said that while donor funding has decreased, both the U.S. Government and Global Fund have continued to prioritise support for human resources at primary healthcare level.

Still, for many of the counsellors — and for communities relying on them — the wait has been too long.

Moyo painted a grim picture of what’s happening in hospitals.

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“If you go to referral hospitals like Forrester, you’ll find that about 90% of male ward patients are people who have defaulted on treatment,” he said. “It’s because counsellors are no longer motivated. They used to follow up with patients, call them if they missed visits, and make sure they stayed in care. But now, with no pay or recognition, there’s no incentive to keep doing that work.”

He warned that the country’s AIDS-related deaths are rising again, undoing the progress Zimbabwe had made in reducing HIV prevalence.

“Our statistics had been improving — even other countries were benchmarking our model. But now, it’s as if we’re back to the old days. You see people sick again, wards filling up, and that speaks to a system that’s failing quietly,” Moyo added.

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Zimbabwe has long been recognised as one of Africa’s HIV success stories, cutting its national prevalence from over 26% in the early 2000s to around 11% today, according to research studies. Much of that progress was driven by a strong network of community-based counsellors who ensured people were tested, treated, and supported.

 

 

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Bulawayo mourns Nkulumane MP and poet Desire “Moyoxide” Moyo

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The City of Bulawayo has expressed deep sorrow following the death of Nkulumane MP and acclaimed poet Desire “Moyoxide” Moyo, who died in a car accident early Friday morning near Shangani.

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In a condolence message issued by Town Clerk Christopher Dube on behalf of the Mayor, Senator David Coltart, councillors, and residents, the city described Moyo as “an iconic leader, poet par excellence, and creative who strove to champion the arts in Bulawayo and beyond.”

Moyo, who was affectionately known as Moyoxide, was praised for his commitment to the city’s artistic and civic development. The statement highlighted his impact through his multiple roles — as a Member of Parliament for Ngulumane, a community leader, and a poet who spoke out against injustices while advocating for progress.

“He positively impacted the city through his roles as a leader and poet who challenged all for the development of Bulawayo and the country,” read part of the statement.

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The City of Bulawayo also extended its condolences to the Moyo family, the Bulawayo community, and the nation at large.

“May his soul rest in eternal peace,” the statement added.

The city further wished a speedy recovery to other CCC legislators who were injured in the same accident — Honourables Madalaboy Ndebele, Senator Rittah Ndlovu, Sethulo Ndebele, and Libion Sibanda.

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National

CCC legislators in road accident, Nkulumane MP dies

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BY STAFF REPORTER

One Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator has died while four others were seriously injured in a road accident that occurred early Friday morning near Shangani along Bulawayo-Harare highway.

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CCC spokesperson Promise Mkhwananzi confirmed the accident, saying it happened between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. when the vehicle carrying the members collided with an elephant.

“The vehicle hit an elephant along the Shangani area, and unfortunately Honourable Desire Moyo, the Member of Parliament for Ngulumane, died on the scene,” Nkwananzi said.

He added that the other occupants — Honourable Madalaboy Ndebele, Senator Rittah Ndlovu, Honourable Sethulo Ndebele, and Libion Sibanda — sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a hospital in Bulawayo.

Nkwananzi said he was deeply shocked by Moyo’s death, as he had met him just yesterday in Harare.

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“I had seen Moyo yesterday and we spent about an hour chatting outside Jamieson Hotel about the party and our future plans for national development,” he said. “I’m gutted by his passing. It’s a huge loss for the party.”

He conveyed his condolences to the Moyo family and wished a speedy recovery and strength to the families of the other CCC members who remain in critical condition.

He said further details, including the name of the hospital where the injured are receiving treatment, would be released once confirmed.

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