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Former Zimbabwe sprinter Winneth Dube relives Olympics dream

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BY GIBBS DUBE

A public banner in 1995 at a street corner in Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo, advertising one of Zimbabwe’s top athletics events, the Merlin Marathon, changed the life of a then 23-year-old novice runner, Winneth Dube.

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At that time, she had not competed in any professionally-organised marathon in her life, save for some school events when she was at Silveira Mission, Masvingo Province.

Winneth’s mother was quick to dismiss her interest in participating in the prestigious Merlin Marathon.

“My mother looked at me and said, ‘you know, marathons are not for day dreamers and how do you participate in such a big event when you have not been training?.”

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She had just completed her secondary education and had not shown interest in participating in professional athletics events.

“I did some competitions but I was not really so much interested in it despite the fact that everybody always told me that I was talented.

“I was good at running, I could compete, it wasn’t really very difficult for me to partake in any formal sport, and when I left high school I wasn’t really interested.

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“I didn’t have any plans of actually doing any form of competition, or knowing that I was going to be an elite athlete or something like that.

“So, ­­­I think I remember my first one (competition) when I went back into athletics again which was actually very different than actually doing sprints, it was a marathon.

“I registered for the Merlin Marathon … It was 42 kilometers. From not training or doing anything, I just thought, well I could actually run a marathon which was very crazy.

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“And I never stopped from there on, and then I joined some clubs because then it was very difficult to find a tracks and field club.

“All you could find was just a marathon and middle distance.”

The Merlin Marathon kick-started her illustrious athletics career, which took her from the dusty streets of Bulawayo’s Tshabalala high density suburb, to the Airforce of Zimbabwe, Harare, Egypt, the Athens 2004 Olympic Games in Greece, Canada, South Africa and several countries where she competed with some of the world’s top athletes, including her mentor, sprinting queen Merlene Ottey of Jamaica.

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Over the years, Winneth abandoned marathons and focused on sprints after she was spotted by one of Zimbabwe top athletics coaches, Stanely Mandebele.

“So, my career, I started in 1995 doing relays … I ended up going to the Commonwealth Games, I ended up going to the African Championships, All Africa Games again and also world championships in Paris.

“I was specializing in sprints, sprint events, which is 100 meters and 200, but for Olympics I qualified only for the 100 meters.”

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Winneth’s personal best in the 100-meter race was 11.36, which she clocked in South Africa in 2003 before the Athens Games, according the official website of the International Olympics Committee.

“It is a Zimbabwean record. I think I started actually breaking the Zimbabwean record that was actually Commonwealth Games, when I ran and got to the semi-finals, that’s when I actually broke the records for the 100 meters and the 200 meters.

“I also then went to Tunisia after that which was the African Championships.

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“Unfortunately, I couldn’t do my 100 (meter race).

“I was just there for the 200 because we were delayed. Our flights were delayed, we couldn’t get the 100 meters and I ran another 200 meter record.”

In the Athens Olympic Games, Winneth competed in the B category and came sixth in her heat.

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“When I started doing the Commonwealth Games that’s when I realized that I can actually be able to compete really on the world stage and be able to be competitive.

“So, from then onwards, I also started preparing for the next season which was in 2003 I actually managed to run my 11.36, which was the B-standard for qualifying for the Olympics.

“So, that’s how I managed to actually get into the Olympics team.

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“My 23.23 was not good enough for me to run in the 200 meters in the Olympics, because you have to enter either with an A-standard or with a B-standard, so with me I actually got my entry in the B-standard for the 100 meters.”

At the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, she rubbed shoulders with some of the top athletes, who included her Jamaican mentor.

“In the track and field, I think Merlene Ottey the Jamaican was actually my favourite.

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“So, I was very lucky because when I went to the Olympics we were actually in the same heat, and then when I went to the Games Village dining hall, I managed to actually sit and talk to her, because as you know that is very, very difficult to come close and compete with so many athletes because you are competing at the world stage.”

“I competed against Debbie Ferguson, the Bahamian, which is the same girl that I actually competed with in the Commonwealth Games which is kind of sweet, and I also competed with a lot of great athletes from Africa – Mary Onyali, the African queen (Nigerian), Geraldine Pillay, the South African.

“So, we had great, great athletes that were competing there, just to name a few that I actually competed with that come into my mind right now.”

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Several other athletes featured in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. She vividly remembers most of them.

“There was Kelli White, Chryste Gaines, and there was Christy Aron, the French (woman) … That was the time when we had Marion Jones (American), so there were quite a number of athletes that actually were competing then.

“Some they were not just like sprinters, also, there were 400 meter runners that would actually also double up and actually run the 200 meters.

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“Veronika Campbell is one of the greatest also that I actually had, you know, a chance to compete with and a number of Europeans.”

But Winneth could not progress to the next round of her competition.

“Well, I was just in the first round. I couldn’t advance to the next round like what I did in the world championships. As you know that Olympics really has a high caliber of athletes and also you need to be very well prepared.

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“So, my season prior to that I wasn’t really so well prepared. I was prepared to get into the competition and do everything that I needed to do in terms of preparation, but you find other athletes are also prepared.

“So, it was really, really tough because I actually ran 11.56 which couldn’t actually give me another spot going into the next round of the games.”

She was disappointed about her performance but never gave up.

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“As an athlete I think you, you always feel you could have done more because that’s the idea of competitions and that’s the idea of you preparing to get to this stage.

“It’s always wanting to know what you could actually have done better.

“You never really walk away being satisfied. I feel like I could have done much better in the Games, but you never really…you can’t.

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“But now as I’m older and looking back, you know, I realise that it was quite an effort, I actually did my best considering the situation that I was in and also the environment that we were in.

“So, I really did my best.”

Soon after the Olympics, she had to find a new coach as her mentor was injured in a road traffic accident.

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Canadian John Cannon became her new coach.

Winneth participated in the African Championship under him and other games and moved to Canada before settling in South Africa where she retired and started engaging in school events and other activities.

She says for athletes to get to the top, they should always be well-prepared for all events and should be proud of representing their nations in national and international events.

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“I always say as an athlete, you prepare very much you know like everything that you do, your focus is to be the great athlete that you can possibly be.

“And also, I believe everybody when you make it to that greatest stage which means you’ve put so much work, you’ve put so much effort, you’ve sacrificed so much for you to be at that stage, and I always say, you know, you’ve got to believe in you, you know, and you’ve got to do your best, your best of that very day or whatever.

“That competition you’re going to do is really… once you get to the Olympics there’s never a lesser or whatever.

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“You are part of the community, which means you are talented and you’re a great athlete.

“I always say keep to your plan even if you know it’s challenging right now you know because as I say is I think, champions and made in times of … when you are being tested, because there is never a perfect time for a champion.

“When things get harder, when you have to prove your resilience, and when you have to stand up when things feel like you’re going to lose, that they’re going to slip out of your hands.

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“And that’s what makes a champion.”

She praises all the athletes who participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games saying they have done a great job in the world of athletics.

“When you’ve qualified and you’ve gone through and then you also have this thing, that cloud that actually says, ‘should I keep going?’, Will I be able to get to the stage and actually be able to perform? …

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“I did it, you know. I was there and I did my best and I think that’s the best thing you can actually do for yourself.

“By virtue of working so hard for whatever years that you’ve done, right for you to end up in the team, OK, and representing your countries, it’s the greatest thing ever.

‘And what are you going to do there is also another milestone that you’re going to … whether you’re going to get a medal, whether you’re going to be in the second round or whatever, it doesn’t really matter, just do your best.

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“Just keep doing exactly what you did. And guess what?

“We are all proud of them because they’ve done well and actually are representing us.”

Winneth Dube currently lives in South Africa where she is engaged in many programmes, including school mentorship.

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She likes cooking and body building. – VOA

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National

Malaria cases surge in Zimbabwe

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe is experiencing a dramatic surge in malaria cases, with 111 998 cases and 310 deaths reported as of epidemiological week 23 in 2025.

This is a significant increase from the same period in 2024, which saw 29 031 cases and 49 deaths.

According to Dr Memory Mapfumo, an epidemiologist at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), “This surge is no coincidence. Prolonged rains have fueled mosquito breeding, while activities like gold panning, fishing, and artisanal mining are exposing more individuals to risk, especially during peak mosquito activity hours.”

The situation is worsened by the low use of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), leaving communities exposed and placing further strain on already stretched health systems. Across Zimbabwe, 115 out of 1 705 health facilities have been affected, highlighting the widespread impact of the disease on healthcare infrastructure.

Mashonaland Central Province has accounted for 32% of all malaria cases, while Manicaland reported 25% of the malaria-related deaths. The interconnectedness of the countries in the region has also contributed to the spread of the disease.

Zimbabwe’s malaria outbreak is part of a broader regional trend. Other countries in southern Africa, including Botswana, eSwatini, and Namibia, are also experiencing significant increases in malaria cases.

In Botswana, 2 223 cases and 11 deaths have been reported, with Okavango being the hardest hit. eSwatini has recorded 187 cases, with children under 15 and farmers being particularly affected. Namibia has seen over 89 959 cases and 146 deaths, with the majority of cases being local transmissions.

The Africa CDC emphasizes the need for continued vigilance and investment in malaria control. Governments must enhance their efforts to improve the use of ITNs, strengthen community engagement, and address environmental and social factors driving the outbreaks.

Dr Merawi Aragaw, head of Africa CDC’s Surveillance and Disease Intelligence, notes that “as climate change accelerates, we are witnessing shifts in temperature and rainfall that are expanding the range of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, introducing vectors into previously unaffected regions.”

According to Dr Aragaw, “sustained vector control measures – including environmental management, strengthening surveillance, drug and diagnostic resistance monitoring, and fostering cross-border collaboration – will be critical in mitigating the growing threat of vector-borne diseases, especially malaria.”

The regional surge underscores a broader global trend, with malaria cases worldwide climbing to 263 million in 2023, up from 252 million the previous year, and Africa accounting for 95% of all malaria-related deaths.

Despite these alarming figures, there have been significant successes: Cabo Verde was certified malaria-free in 2023, and Egypt is poised to achieve the same in 2024. Yet for many countries in southern Africa, the road to elimination remains steep, with outbreaks threatening to reverse years of progress.

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Government unveils plan to curb road accidents

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, Jenfan Muswere, has outlined a series of measures to combat the rising tide of road traffic accidents in the country.

Zimbabwe has been witnessing a worrying surge in road traffic accidents, with the latest incident claiming 17 lives last week, along Seke road.

Yesterday, Muswere addressed the cabinet, outlining measures to curb road traffic accidents. Below is his statement, word for word:

“So capacitation of the vehicle inspection is ongoing and the sourcing of the vehicle inspection department. Compliance to legislation is also one of the parameters that we are utilising.Standardisation in terms of driving schools, the training of drivers, speed limits as a governance to traffic monitoring, the utilisation of traffic management, the utilisation of cameras for number plate recognition and facial recognition in order to curb over speeding and traffic offences. The capacitation of the Zimbabwe Republic Police in order to apprehend and also deal with traffic offences. Legislation amendments that are taking place in order to ensure that our roads are safe. As the minister (Felix Mhona) has also highlighted that the Civil Protection Unit is being capacitated in order to deal with the challenges that we might not have been able to deal with as part of an architecture under the hall of government approach.”

Background statistics from the Zimbabwe Republic Police reveal a concerning trend. During the first six months of 2025, the country recorded 28 159 road traffic accidents, up from 25 968 in the same period last year. Fatal crashes also increased by 11% from 784 to 870, while road deaths rose by 4.9% from 1 037 to 1 088. The majority of accidents occur in known danger zones, often due to commuter congestion and erratic driving by public transport operators.

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Two Zimparks rangers injured in elephant attack

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BY WANDILE TSHUMA

Two Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) rangers were injured by elephants in the Sengwa, Chirisa Safari area yesterday, while investigating a reported case of a snared buffalo.

According to a Zimparks press statement released yesterday by their spokesperson, Tinashe Farawo, the incident occurred when the duo encountered a herd of elephants with calves, which charged at them.

A helicopter was reportedly dispatched  to airlift both rangers to Harare for urgent medical attention as of yesterday afternoon.

During the chaotic scene, one ranger suffered a broken arm while fleeing, while the other was gored, sustaining severe abdominal wounds and fractures to his arm and leg.

Farawo concluded by saying that the authority’s thoughts are with the injured rangers and their families during this challenging time.

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