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Hunger stalks food insecure Matabeleland North

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Poor rural households in drought-ravaged Matabeleland North have already exhausted their food stocks and are resorting to eating wild roots to survive.

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Although most parts of Zimbabwe received above average rainfall, in some parts of Matabeleland the 2020/21 season was poor.

Mollen Mpofu, 49-year-old widow said she was foraging for wild roots to feed her chidren.

Mpofu said they identify edible roots with help from members of the San community, who still survive on hunting and gathering.

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“I cook porridge in the morning and for the day, we dig isadenda (a tuber),” she said. “This has become our way of life.”

 “We did not reap anything last season because of heavy rains, which are not suitable for our type of soils.

“We were also affected by wild animals like elephants and buffalos that encroach into our fields.”

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Maize meal is readily available at the local shops, but Mpofu said she cannot afford the US$7 for a 10 kg bag.

 “Even though it is available, some of us still struggle to get the money to buy the mealie mealie,” Mpofu said

The department of Social Welfare says 87 000 people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance in Tshololotsho.

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It is currently offering assistance to about 57 000 villagers that are already in the beneficiaries database in the form of money transfers  and non-governmental organisations have also chipped in.

Priority is being given to those with special needs and orphans.

A local aid worker told VicFallsLive they had established that over 60 percent of Matabeleland North’s population of around 750 000 were food insecure.

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“We have done some research in readiness for food (aid) distribution and some people are literally going for days without food and there is a high risk of malnutrition,” he said.

“Some are now surviving on wild fruits and eating wild roots. The situation could be dire.”

Daisy Chuma (34) from Mabale village in Hwange said her family’s family grain reserves were now depleted.

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“We had only managed to stock two drums of sorghum and millet and l have no idea how we are going to see ourselves throughout the year,” Chuma said.

Sifiso Ngulube from Manomano village in Nkayi said he was not able to grow any crops last season because of poor health.

“The rains were abundant, but how can one manage to do farming when they are handicapped and without capital requirements needed?

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“So we are not yet sure how the year is going to look like because already we are struggling with these four children, eating wild fruits like umwawa and umkhemeswane,” Ngulube said.

According to the United States-based Famine Early Warning Network (FewsNet), Matabeleland North province recorded food deficits during the 2020/21 agriculture season despite good rains.

FewsNet warned that from October through  to January 2022, food security outcomes in some worse-off typical deficit-producing areas in parts of Masvingo, Matabeleland North and South, Manicaland, and Midlands provinces would  deteriorate.

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Joseph Phiri, a Hwange strategist focusing on hunger and poverty alleviation in the district said there was need for establishment of irrigation and goats rearing projects to assist impoverished communities especially in Hwange East and Central constituencies.

Phiri said this could be done through state or Diaspora funding.

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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.

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.”

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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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