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Hwange villagers losing cattle to tick borne disease

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BY AWAKHIWE KHUMALO 

Hwange villagers have expressed frustration over what they say is failure by authorities to tackle mass cattle deaths, which they say began as far back as 2019.

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The villagers from the Chief Mvuthu area said they were told that their cattle were succumbing to the heart water disease, but no concrete steps have been taken by the Veterinary Services Department to curb the disease since then.

Heart water disease affects wild animals and livestock such as cattle, sheep and goats.

It is caused by the bacteria Ehrlichia ruminantium and is spread by ticks.

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The disease causes death of the infected animals and is widespread in African countries, including Zimbabwe.

Farmers across Zimbabwe have been losing cattle in large numbers due to tick borne diseases as a result of irregular dipping patterns.

Given Moyo, the councillor for Kachechete, told VicFallsLive that a number of villagers in his area had seen their entire herd being wiped out by the mysterious disease.

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“This disease started spreading in 2019 and it killed a lot of cattle during that year, “Moyo said.

“It resurfaced again in 2020, causing some serious havoc and again in 2021 it caused the same damage.

“It is also killing a lot of cattle this year and l am one of those, who had their herds wiped out by the disease.

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“The cattle become sick for only a few days and they die. Some die within a day of falling sick.”

Ntandoyenkosi Gumede, a Kachechete villager, said last month he lost four herd of cattle within days.

“We have been losing cattle every week as villagers and last month, l lost four of my cows in a space of two weeks,” Gumede said.

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“This disease usually affects one area for a certain period, before spreading to another area.”

Moyo bemoaned lack of action by the authorities despite numerous distress calls by villagers.

“We reported this matter to the veterinary services and a representative came to assess the situation

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“He came to the conclusion that it was the heart water disease that was causing the deaths,” he added.

“We were not satisfied by the way he handled the matter because he did not take any blood  samples  to a science lab to find out what is really killing our cattle.

“The conclusion was based on assumptions and no action was taken after that.”

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Moyo suspects the cattle could be victims of diseases transmitted from wild animals that roam free in the area.

“We strongly suspect that the cattle are getting these diseases from wild animals,” the councillor said. “At the pastures they regularly come across buffaloes, lions and other wild animals.”

The Veterinary Services Department in Hwange said it was yet to receive reports about the cattle deaths.

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National

Water levels dropping at Kariba dam

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BY STAFF REPORTER 

1 November 2024

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The Zambezi River Authority has issued an update on the water levels at the Kariba lake, revealing a sharp decrease due to low inflow.

The current lake level stands at 476.14m, a significant drop from last year’s level of 478.07m.

The usable live storage volume has also decreased dramatically, from 17.90% in 2023 to just 4.46%.

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This translates to a reduction from 11.59 billion cubic meters (BCM) to 2.89 BCM, a worrying trend for power generation and water supply between Zimbabwe and Zambia

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ZIMTA calls for quarterly salary reviews to address inflation

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BY NOTHANDO DUBE & NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Educators in Zimbabwe have been crying out for decent salaries for over five years, with their salaries eroded by the high cost of living and harsh economic conditions.

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We recently had a one-on-one interview with the ZIMTA president, Akuneni Maphosa, who shared his insights on the issue.

“Allow me to explain briefly about salaries for heads and teachers generally. Our issue is that, in October 2018, teachers were generally getting a US$540 salary. Such that, we put it across to the government that they stole from us, because, with the mix-up that came with the RTGS currency, whereby 1 US dollar was said to be equivalent to 1 RTGS, that is where we lost our value for money.”

Maphosa emphasized that ZIMTA has a research department that tracks the market and determines the minimum salary required for teachers to survive.

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“We found out that a teacher must earn US$1 200, but what we wrote to the government, looking at the average figure, considering that we still have not reached US$540 of 2018, we submitted US$840 to National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC), where we negotiate with the government on salaries.”

He highlighted the shortfall in the recent US$40 increment offered by the government.

“When you look at the amount of the US$40, we were given recently, as we know that our salaries have a component of US dollars and Zim dollars, but when we look at it from the US dollar value, our entry grade is US$479, such that there is a shortfall of US$361 for us to get to the US$840, that is for grade D1.”

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Maphosa stressed that ZIMTA is pushing for quarterly reviews to reach the desired salary.

“We are saying the government should have quarterly reviews of these salaries.”

He outlined ZIMTA’s three-pronged approach to address the issue: negotiating at NJNC level, pursuing job evaluation, and professionalizing the teaching service.

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“We believe that this is the route that will enhance the earnings for the educators in the country.”

Additionally, Maphosa mentioned that ZIMTA is also pushing for the establishment of a Civil Service Bargaining Council, which would allow for collective bargaining and binding agreements with the government.

“We are currently working with the government and Public Service Commission to ensure that this is put in place.”

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Maphosa concluded by emphasizing ZIMTA’s commitment to engaging with the government.

 

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Enhancing heritage-based curriculum: A call to action for school heads

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) National Conference for 2024 rounded off with a resounding call to action for school heads to take leadership roles in implementing the Heritage-Based Curriculum.

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(MINI DOCUMENTARY ON THE LINK BELOW| New heritage-based curriculum under discussion. 2 700 primary school heads meet in Victoria Falls to discuss implementation. Zimta president calls for decent salaries & policies to support teachers. Minister emphasizes leadership roles in schools)

https://x.com/vic_falls_live/status/1851544275416236323?s=46

 

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Minister of State and Provincial Affairs, Richard Moyo, his speech read on his behalf by provincial coordinating director Tapera Mugoriya, emphasized the importance of this curriculum in promoting a holistic approach to learning, focusing on Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage, history, and values.

“The nation looks upon all heads of schools to take noticeably leadership roles in the implementation of the Heritage-Based Curriculum in schools,” Moyo stressed, addressing a gathering of over 2 700 primary school heads from across the country.

Moyo also highlighted the need for school heads to understand the socio-economic contexts of their communities and how local heritage can be leveraged to enhance learning outcomes.

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“Your aptly coined theme, ‘The Role Of The School Head In Enhancing The Heritage Based Curriculum Under The Current Socio– Economic Situation,’ is befitting as it challenges us all not to offer education for its own sake, but to utilize the many years that pupils invest in school to prepare them well for their lives and for the sustenance of communities and the country.”

The Minister also expressed appreciation for NAPH’s efforts in championing curriculum reform and implementation, noting that the Heritage-Based Curriculum subsumes all Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets and indicators related to education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Furthermore, Moyo addressed the issue of the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM), acknowledging concerns raised by school heads.

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The delegates

“The Government is already seized with addressing the matter, and indeed those that are meant to benefit from the safety net will definitely do so,” he assured.

Additionally, Moyo highlighted the Ministry’s commitment to pupil welfare, citing the distribution of tonnes of mealie-mealie to all P3, P2, and satellite primary schools nationally to support the Emergency School Feeding Programme.

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