National

Covid-19: Why Zim churches are not excited about nod to resume services

Published

4 years ago

August 13, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe’s church leaders say the government’s decision to allow the resumption of church services for only those vaccinated against Covid-19 will be difficult to implement.

The government this week said churches can now resume physical services on condition that they allow only vaccinated people to attend.

Zimbabwe banned all gatherings, including church services, in June at the onset of the third wave of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Zimbabwe Heads of Church Denominations (ZHOCD) – the biggest body representing church leaders in the country – said churches will find it difficult to abide by the rules set by the government to resume services.

“The church will find it very difficult to turn people away because they do not have a vaccination certificate,” ZHOCD warned.

“However, would it be responsible to meet in an uncontrolled environment where possibilities of spreading the virus are high?

“Practically, less than 10 percent of the population has been vaccinated.

“There is a group of citizens that does not get vaccinated due to age or because they have not yet had a chance to be vaccinated.”

On Thursday, only 1.1 million Zimbabweans had been fully vaccinated.

In some largely rural provinces such as Matabeleland North, the vaccination rates are even lower due to lack of access to health facilities.

Some villagers like those from Nkayi’s ward 19 are expected to walk over 15 kilometres to access the nearest clinic in Tohwe or go to Nkayi Hospital to get their doses.

Only 68 407 people had been vaccinated in Nkayi on Thursday out of a population of 416 600.

ZHOCD said although churches “cautiously” welcomed the opening up of society, business, and public life after almost two years of restrictions because of Covid-19, the conditions for the restart of physical services must be well thought out.

“Theologically, the church is an open and welcoming space for everyone with no restrictions. No one qualifies for church service as it is a place of God’s grace,” the church leaders said.

“It will be difficult for the church to deny people the chance to receive the means of grace simply because they have not been vaccinated when access to this vaccination is restricted.

“The ZHOCD recommends that the Health ministry is asked to provide the detailed protocol for reopening churches clarifying all the grey areas such as how the licence affects those below the age of 18 who are not being vaccinated.”

The church leaders also asked the government to consult them whenever it makes decisions affecting churches.

ZHOCD said churches can assist in encouraging their members to take the Covid-19 vaccines.

“We are confident that getting more people vaccinated should contribute to herd immunity and we believe that persuasion and clear information sharing should remain the main tool to achieve this target,” the church leaders added.

“We encourage our members to demonstrate leadership and responsibility as we open our sit-in worship services and we also respect those churches who may choose to continue conducting online services until the nation reaches herd immunity.”

“We are confident not only the church, but wider society will be opening up sooner than later if we contribute to the minimizing of the spread of the virus.”

Nick Mangwana, the government spokesperson, took to Twitter to express his frustration over the church leaders’ response to the Cabinet decision.

“When you are banned from having people in the pew, no problem,” he tweeted on Friday.

“They you are told, now you can have people in the pew subject to safety measures you have a problem with it?

“God help us!”

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

3 weeks ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

2 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.

National

Retailers send Mnangagwa SOS as shops continue shutting down over operational woes

Published

2 months ago

January 27, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY ZIMLIVE

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and save the sector which has seen various formal retail and wholesale businesses closing shop countrywide due to operational challenges.

In a statement on Sunday, CZR president Denford Mutashu said the continued closure of formal retail and wholesale businesses is a direct consequence of the tough economic environment that has consistently failed to support formalised sector players who face stiff competition from informal businesses and vendors the majority of whom have no tax obligations to deal with.

Mutashu said his association was concerned that authorities continue to downplay the crisis.

“The recent closure of several outlets under the N. Richards Group, coupled with Spar Zimbabwe’s painful decision to shut down Queensdale Spar, Choppies Zimbabwe’s exit from the market, and Mahommed Mussa’s significant reduction of shop space by 60%, highlights the growing crisis.

“As the representative association for these and other brands, CZR is alarmed that while formal businesses face enormous challenges, the authorities continue to present a different picture of the operating environment,” he said.

Given the situation, Mutashu said, only President Mnangagwa can rescue the troubled sector.

“CZR therefore calls for urgent intervention from His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to rescue what remains of the formalized retail and wholesale sector,” said Mutashu.

He said the sector was in urgent need of rescue.

“While CZR acknowledges the continued support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, it is clear that the root causes of these challenges are fiscal and monetary in nature. These require urgent and decisive action to ensure the survival of formal businesses.

“CZR therefore appeals to the Presidium to prioritize interventions aimed at saving jobs and mitigating the ongoing wave of shop closures and retrenchments,” he said.