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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

Econet unveils new home and business data packages

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has launched new ‘Smart-Suite’ Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) data packages consisting of six plans tailored to address the data needs of different customers – from the ‘SmartLite’ plan, offering 50GB of data (best for light users) and retailing for $30, to ‘SmartPro’, offering 800GB of data (ideal for established SMEs) and retailing at $170.

In between are ‘SmartPlus’, offering 75GB at $40 (targeting families); ‘SmartMax’, offering 100GB at $50 (ideal for bigger homes and freelancers); ‘SmartFlex’, offering 200GB at $70 (tailored for flexible scaling and small offices) and ‘SmartUltra’, offering 400GB at $99 (suitable for heavy, multi-users and SMEs).

Introducing the SmartSuite packages on multiple media channels, Econet said the new data packages will be easy to upgrade and will offer flexible plans “that grow with your needs”.

To ensure optimized and stable performance within a customer’s premise and network coverage area, the new packages will be geo-locked to a customer’s location, and accessible using a 4G or 5G CPE (customer premises equipment) router.

Geo-locking – a term used to describe the restriction of access to a product or service to a specific geographical location – ensures customers get the best possible usage experience while enabling service providers like telcos and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to ringfence critical resources such as bandwidth, making certain they are utilized by the intended users.

Econet said the SmartSuite packages will be available through its Econet Shops across the country where the company enjoys the largest network coverage, adding that CPE routers will also be available for sale in its shops – starting from US$48 per unit. The company noted though that customers will be free to use their existing CPEs, or to purchase CPEs anywhere elsewhere, as long as they were compatible with Econet’s SmartSuite product specifications.

Econet, which is the largest mobile network operator in Zimbabwe, enjoys the widest 4G (LTE) network coverage in the country. With 300 5G base stations deployed in the country’s major cities and towns, it is by far the market leader in 5G technology in Zimbabwe.

The launch of the new SmartSuite packages follows a notice to customers of the former SmartBiz packages from Econet a month ago, notifying them that it would soon launch new data packages offering more choice and flexibility, and tailored to different customer needs.

Customers registered to the old SmartBiz service and who already have a CPE, can simply dial *143, choose a package of their choice and credit their new SmartSuite package. New subscribers to the SmartSuite packages will however need to buy a new SmartSuite SIM from an Econet Shop, as well as a CPE, for them to be able to connect to the new packages. If they own a CPE that meets Econet’s specifications, they will be able to use it for their SmartSuite package.

Along with the new SmartSuite data packages, Econet continues to offer its all its customers the choice of a wide range of mobile data products, accessible ‘on the go’ throughout the country via the customer’s mobile device or smartphone.

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National

Parliament advocates for youth employment quota amidst growing crisis

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The Parliament convened on Tuesday to discuss a crucial motion demanding the establishment of a quota system for youth employment in the public sector.

This motion is in response to alarming statistics revealing that over 62% of Zimbabwe’s population is under the age of 35, yet these young people face significant challenges in accessing job opportunities.

MP Ropafadzo Makumire, who moved the motion, stated, “I rise today to move this motion in my name with respect for this House and with deep concern for the future of young people.” He articulated the urgency of addressing youth unemployment, citing Section 20 (1) (c) of the Constitution, which mandates that the Government “at every level must take reasonable measures to ensure that the youths are given opportunities for employment and economic development.”

Makumire expressed his concern regarding Statutory Instrument 201 of 2024, which raised the pensionable retirement age for civil servants from 65 to 70 years, declaring, “This unintentionally reduced opportunities for young Zimbabweans entering the workforce.” He emphasized the struggle of the youth, stating, “Every year, over 30 000 graduates leave our universities and colleges. Many struggle to find meaningful jobs… the majority are struggling to meet even basic needs.” He also pointed out that many graduates resort to street vending: “If we can take a sample of street vendors in the streets eof Harare… you are going to realise that the majority of them are graduates. This is a sign that this country is in jeopardy.”

Mutsa Murombedzi seconded the motion and echoed the urgency for action. He remarked, “Our Constitution is clear. Section 20 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe obligates the State to take measures to ensure that youth are afforded opportunities for employment… The Government raised the retirement age for civil servants… it acted in a manner that is inconsistent with this constitutional principle.” He expressed deep concern: “If we do not give the youth jobs, we bury them either in graves of addiction or in airports as they flee this country.”

During the debate, another legislator acknowledged the global unemployment issue, stating, “The issue of unemployment is a global phenomenon… inasmuch as I acknowledge that we have over 62% of youths between the ages of 15 to 35… there are a number of initiatives that have been put forward by our Government to make sure that our youths participate in the mainstream economy.” He mentioned vocational training efforts as critical steps forward: “We have localised some of these programmes that have been implemented… with young people who are taking up vocational training courses.”

Joseph Mapiki raised concerns about the context of employment: “What is happening in the country is totally different from what is happening in other countries… we came up with the law that someone must be able to employ someone, not waiting for someone to employ you.” He highlighted initiatives to empower young entrepreneurs, stating, “We are happy that the Government managed to sign an MoU called India Zimbabwe… where they are purchasing low-priced machines.”

Dexter Malinganiso partially supported the motion, recognizing the demographic dividend of the youth. “It is evident that we have in Zimbabwe a very good demographic dividend that is still energetic, agile, educated and willing to partake in nation building,” he said, while also acknowledging government efforts to create opportunities for youth.

Finally, Tanatsva Mukomberi emphasized the need for progressive solutions. He stated, “It is key to note that solutions come from proper cause and effect analysis. To analyse what actually causes high rates of youth graduates’ unemployment, not just focusing on unemployment per se.” He highlighted the importance of exploring sustainable solutions that enable young people to thrive rather than simply identifying the problem.

 

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National

Government rolls out business reforms to boost agriculture sector

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The government has undertook reforms  to ease doing business in the country, starting with the agriculture sector, specifically targeting livestock, dairy farming, and stockfeed sub-sectors.

Quoting from the press statement by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion on Wednesday: “The initiative seeks to enhance the investment climate, encourage domestic production, and attract foreign direct investment.”

Minister of Finance, Mthuli Ncube, announced these reforms which are “a product of a multi-stakeholder process led by the Office of the President and Cabinet, with support from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, and technical assistance from the World Bank.”

The reforms aim to cut through “excessive regulations, high compliance costs, and duplication of responsibilities across institutions” that have constrained the agriculture sector. For instance:
– “Dairy farmers previously required up to 25 permits across 12 agencies.”
– “Feed manufacturers needed 23 permits from 10 departments.”
– “Beef cattle farmers faced 18 requirements, while abattoirs required 20, dairy processors 21, and feed processors 23.”

Key reforms introduced include:
– “Agriculture Marketing Authority (AMA) farm registration fees cut to $1 flat fee.”
– “Dairy processor registration reduced from $350 annually to a one-time $50 fee.”
– “Feed manufacturing registration cut from $150-$250 to $20 flat fee.”
– “Livestock movement clearance reduced to $5 per herd (down from $10 per beast).”
– “Import permit for livestock genetics (heifers, bulls, semen) reduced from $100 to $20.”

Ncube emphasized the government’s commitment “to creating a modern, efficient, and business-friendly regulatory system that drives inclusive economic growth and positions Zimbabwe as an Upper Middle-Income Society by 2030.”

 

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