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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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ZimParks to host first-ever International Wildlife Conservation symposium

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) will hold its inaugural International Wildlife Conservation Symposium under the theme “Wildlife Conservation and Sustainable Development.”

The two-day event, scheduled for October 22 to 23, next week, will take place at the Management Training Bureau in Msasa, Harare. It will bring together conservationists, researchers, policymakers, and students to discuss key issues around wildlife protection and sustainable development.

The symposium will focus on eight sub-themes, namely Wildlife Conservation and Transboundary Management, Freshwater, Fisheries and Aquatic Management, Sustainable Tourism and Socio-Economic Development, Human-Wildlife Interactions, Environmental Health and Safety, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Community-Based Natural Resource Management, and Natural Resource Policy and Governance.

ZimParks says the symposium will provide a platform to exchange ideas and deepen understanding of the link between wildlife conservation and sustainable development. Members of the public, students, and professionals are encouraged to attend.

 

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“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.

Would you like me to create a short social media version of this too — something you could post with the condolence notice image?

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