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Commission of inquiry findings fail to be tabled as Victoria Falls councillors fight

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

A special full council meeting meant to present the findings of a commission of inquiry set by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to investigate claims of corruption against Victoria Falls City town clerk Ronnie Dube failed to take off on Tuesday after the city’s mayor and councillors came to a standoff over who should preside over the discussions. 

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Minister July Moyo set up the probe team late last year after resident’s activists and the mayor Somvelo Dhlamini levelled corruption allegations against the local authority’s management head.

Earlier this month, the ministry brought the findings of the report for adoption which was meant to be tabled to a full council, but failed after Dhlamini was confronted by ward various councillors accusing him of breaching the law. 

“You can’t chair the meeting when you are an interested party,” ward three councillor Lungile Nyoni charged first.

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This was after Dhlamini had asked his deputy mayor Patricia Mwale to pray ahead of the meeting. 

“You are misleading the council and you can not chair also because of your court case,” he added.

“You are supposed to sit there as the residents because you are an interested party because that’s what was said by the minister regarding this matter. ” 

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The two exchanged some harsh words as the mayor demanded to be provided with an act that prohibits him from chairing the meeting despite being the complainant into Dube’s allegations. 

“Which law?”Dhlamini quizzed. 

“I said come with the law and if it’s there, I will listen to your reasons…

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“I am supposed to chair this and discuss it with the chamber secretary’s office because I have to know what we are talking about.”

Moments after, the argument was paused after Nyoni suggested that he  should call the minister to give him a go ahead to chair. 

Dhlamini and Dube then stepped out of the board room to call Moyo, but came back to report that he was not answering his mobile phones. 

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Dhlamini then insisted to go ahead with his decision to chair or temporarily adjourn, but again was interjected by ward one councillor Tonderai Mutasa who advised him that it was against the law as he was an interested party. 

Mutasa’s sentiments were also echoed by ward 11 councillor  Edmore Zhou. 

“So if we are saying we are adjouning the meeting because the mayor said we have to and at the same time you are saying he is not supposed to chair the meeting, surely for me it doesn’t balance,”Zhou said. 

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“We are here with the residents, we need to do the correct things and if we are saying the mayor is not supposed to chair, he doesn’t have the power to adjourn the meeting so that’s why residents can not take us serious because we won’t be doing the right thing and in accordance with our the law, so he should do the right thing. “

“I will not step down,” Dhlamini charged. 

“I will never. ” he added. 

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Zhou then went on to quiz why Dhlamini had stopped attending some committee meetings that have nothing to do with the report’s findings. 

However, other councillors wanted the meeting to proceed with Dhlamini chairing, on condition that he signs down as they were worried about wasting the resident’s time and council expenditure to host such meetings. 

Following the back and fourth which led to some resident’s activists to get agitated, Dhlamini announced that the meeting will be adjourned to allow the minister to respond together with a supporting act on why he should not chair. 

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Dube and Dhlamini have been in the eye of a storm since the arrest of Dhlamini in October on allegations of fraud emanating from the acquisition of a housing stand from the local authority.

Dhlamini was arrested shortly after a group of war veterans and members of the Hwange Residents Association raided the town clerk’s office and force marched him out

The group said they wanted Dube to step aside to allow for investigations into allegations of corruption levelled against him to be concluded first.

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Few days after, war veterans from Matabeleland North convened a meeting that was attended by over 300 residents to discuss the corruption allegations against the local authority. 

Victoria Falls Combined Residents Association (Vifacora) executive member Trymore Ndolo told the meeting that they had information allegedly showing how Dube and some councillors ‘corruptly’ sold commercial prime land known as Stand Number 8300 which was earmarked for a water, hygiene and sanitation project, was sold for US$4 million instead of US$14 million that was agreed to by a full council meeting.

The report was meant to address its findings on such allegations among others. 

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After the meeting, Vifacora chairperson Kelvin Moyo expressed disappointment in the capacity of some officers and councillors. 

“We are very much disappointed in what ended up happening, I think all counsillors when they are getting to council they know what they are expected to do, the rules and procedures of the law, but it wasn’t so because there was unparalleled ignorance that was displayed by some of the officers and counsillors,”he said. 

“As residents, we feel that we are shortchanged in terms of the rate of which the service delivery in concerned because we were hoping that the findings were going to be presented at the end of the day so as residents, we should look at the capacity in understanding issues and adjudication so much so that it can all come to the benefits of the residents.”

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The town clerk also called on the minister’s intervention.

“This stems from the fact that the moyor has a pending case in court and the minister (Moyo) issued a circular in February 2022 directive which stated that all council officials with pending cases should remain barred from council and this is the same interpretation which we have,”he said. 

Dube revealed that the authority has written three letters to the minister seeking clarity on the matter, but none has been responded to. 

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“Going forward, we are going to consult again this time indicating that this scenario will render council dysfunctional.” 

 

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National

Health minister criticizes health funders for extortion, calls for regulation

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BY STAFF REPORTER

Zimbabwe’s government is crafting a National Health Insurance scheme to cover the majority of its citizens who lack health insurance.

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Currently, a staggering 90% of Zimbabweans are without health insurance, with medical societies only covering 10% of the population.

The country’s economic woes, including corruption, bad governance, high interest rates, and exorbitant health fees, have eroded trust in health insurance among ordinary citizens.

At the 15th annual Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe conference in Victoria Falls, Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora expressed concern over the extortionist behavior of medical aids and health service providers.

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He assured that the National Health Insurance scheme, whose principles have been sent to Cabinet, will address these anomalies and push out some small health funders.

Mombeshora emphasized the need for alignment towards measurable results, acknowledging the dynamic nature of healthcare.

“Financing of healthcare systems has become a global challenge, especially for low-income countries like ours,”he said.

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“Zimbabwe is working hard to institute reforms that are designed to increase domestic funding for health.

“One key reform that has been on the agenda for long but being accelerated now is the establishment of a National Health Insurance Scheme.”

The Minister also highlighted ongoing legislative reforms, including the Medicines and Allied Substance Act, Health Professions Act, and the Medical Aid Societies Bill.

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These reforms aim to strengthen regulation of health professions, create an enabling environment for health investment, and better respond to challenges and trends.

Mombeshora criticized some health funders for extorting money, stressing the need for regulation.

“We need to stop that and come up with policies on how health funders can be regulated. We have about 40 medical aids but how many are here? If they were genuine, they should be here; it’s not supposed to be a money-making business but a social service. We made a mistake of allowing health funders to be service providers,” he said.

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The conference, themed “Zooming in on Health Outcomes – Making the Main Thing the Main Thing,” started on Wednesday and will end today.

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Hwange

Victoria Falls at risk of Mpox outbreak due to border proximity, commercial sex work

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BY BAYANDA NKATHA

Victoria Falls, a major tourism destination, is at high risk of Mpox outbreak due to its proximity to the border and the heavy presence of cross-border truckers.

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Stakeholders met on Wednesday to strategize on preparing for any outbreak, taking no chances after the tourism sector was severely hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The meeting, convened by the Victoria Falls City Council health department and Ministry of Health and Child Care, aimed to sensitize stakeholders and share information on the disease.

Fungayi Musinami, Hwange District Medical Officer, emphasized that the meeting was just a sensitization exercise to ensure that everyone gets the right information.

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“We want to stay ahead and ensure everyone gets the right information,” she said.

Musinami highlighted that the presence of same-sex commercial sex workers and cross-border truck drivers makes the chances of the spread of the virus high.

“Our biggest concern as Victoria Falls is trucks movement through Victoria Falls and Kazungula borders from as far as DR Congo,” she said.

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“As a city, that will be the thrust of our response to start from. Another aspect of response is men having sex with men and the truck stop where there is a lot happening.”

Khaliphani Tshuma, Victoria Falls City Council safety and health officer, stressed the importance of citizens getting correct information from credible sources.

“Symptoms can take up to 21 days to manifest, and include swollen lymph nodes, rash, headache, muscle ache, back pain, low energy, sore throat, and fever,” he said.

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“Rash and blisters are common on the face, palms, feet, groin, genitals, mouth, throat, anus, rectum eyes, and privates. The virus can spread through physical contact with an infected person or through mouth-mouth or a mother to child at birth.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) recently declared Mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS), respectively.

The stakeholders agreed that preparedness is key to preventing the spread of Mpox in Victoria Falls.

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The meeting was attended by various stakeholders, including government departments, ports authorities, and the private sector.

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Bubi

Kennelworth dog attack victims in critical condition, police refuse to give details

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

 

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Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has refused to disclose details of two Kenilworth boys who were bitten by police dogs, amid allegations that they were illegal gold panners.

ZRP national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said, “We are looking into that incident and the allegations and we will be able to give a detailed statement in due course.

Did it happen? We ask again.

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“Nokuthaba, we are conducting investigations.”

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Mbongeni Hleza, from Gwitshi in Nkayi,  a victim of the police dog attack, has shared his traumatic experience.

He says he had just left his home to seek employment at the mines as his parents are struggling to look after them.

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“I saw people running away as I was at the shops,”he said.

“I left home to look for employment in mines. They set two dogs on me, and they caught my trousers, and I immediately sat down. Baqhubeka benikela ukuthi zingilume and they kept laughing appearing drunk.

“The other bit me on the stomach, almost ripping off my intestines, while the other caught me on the arm and the other proceeded to the thigh while the other went to the neck.”

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Another victim, 17-year-old Sabelo Dube, also shared his experience of being attacked by four police dogs.

He says he was sitting by the shops (Lukona) when he saw people running away as a police vehicle drove in.

“I decided to walk away, but shortly after, police sent dogs after me.”

When asked what the police said, Sabelo replied, “They were there, instructing me to stand still and let the dogs bite me to death. I complied.”

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He also said, “They didn’t say what I had done. They were wearing full uniform. They said ‘uyabaleka gweja?’ (are you running away?) and I responded ‘I am not.’” Sabelo added, “I wish they could be arrested.”

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