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Poor service delivery, lack of transparency cost Hwange residents:GWRT

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BY LWANDLE MTHUNZI 

Hwange residents have complained about poor service delivery by the Hwange Local Board (HLB) , especially public toilets which are a health hazard.

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Hwange and Victoria Falls are the only urban areas in Matabeleland North.

In a statement, Greater Whange Residents Trust (GWRT) said residents are worried about poor service and lack of transparency in the local authority.

“Greater Whange Residents Trust has noted with concern the deterioration of service delivery both in Hwange Local Board and concession areas in 2022, notably in Empumalanga West and public toilets,” said GWRT.

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Hwange town is administered by various authorities including HLB which presides over Empumalanga, Chibondo and Baobab areas, Hwange Colliery which administers all concession areas covering Number 1, 2, 3 and 5,

National Railways of Zimbabwe that oversees Railways and Nguminja areas as well as Zimbabwe Power Company whose area of jurisdiction covers suburbs around the power station.

There are plans to integrate all the areas into one local authority under HLB which is set to become a town.

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However, it is the old dysfunctional public toilets in the concession areas that have irked residents.

Each public toilet is shared by not less than 100 people and hardly has running water as residents use the bucket system.

The Railways section has been without water and electricity for several months on end.

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Residents fear they might be exposed to diseases.

Roads are also in a sorry state.

GWRT chairman Brian Chikumbo said the issue of toilets is a cause for concern.

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“Public toilets are a challenge in the concession areas that are under Hwange Colliery while the HLB has been failing on servicing land for people to start building houses in Empumalanga,” he said.

He said a majority of the homeseekers had paid to the council for housing stands but still cannot access them to start building.

“In Empumalanga it is of great concern that it has taken a long time for progress to happen. People are not allowed to build and the reasons being cited being that the place is not yet ready according to

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Government regulations.

“The local authority has to be honest and come forward to tell people what really needs to be done. We need transparency to highlight what is exactly hindering progress, ”he said.

Chikumbo said surprisingly, there are some that have built houses and blamed this on corruption.

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In the community

Painted Dog Conservation and Uncommon bring free coding school to Gwai Valley Primary

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Painted Dog Conservation (PDC), in partnership with technology-driven organisation Uncommon, is set to establish a free coding school at Gwai Valley Primary in Lupane District, marking a new chapter in community empowerment and education.

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Speaking during an interview with VicFallsLive, PDC operations director, David Kuvawoga said the initiative stems from the organisation’s long-term work with local schools through its children’s bush camps.

“In our quest to find solutions to the poaching crisis, and building on the work we’ve done with schools over the years, we identified Gwai Primary as a good location to start a coding school,” he explained. “We partnered with Uncommon, which already runs facilities in Harare and Victoria Falls, to bring this opportunity closer to rural communities.”

The school will be housed in container units equipped with computers and other necessary technology. According to PDC, the project will be led by youths from the Gwai community who underwent year-long training in Victoria Falls and are now prepared to teach children — and adults — the fundamentals of coding.

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“This is not just for schoolchildren,” the operations director said. “Anyone in the community with the passion to learn can join. What matters is the interest and commitment, not formal qualifications.”

Importantly, the programme will be free of charge. Both organisations confirmed that tuition, equipment, and running costs are fully covered through fundraising efforts.

“No one is going to pay a cent,” he said. “Just like our bush camps, which host over a thousand children every year without charge, this coding school is fully funded. All the community needs to do is embrace it.”

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PDC has previously supported communities through projects such as boreholes and gardens, but this marks its first major investment in technology. The director said the initiative has the potential to address unemployment, improve education, and give local youth world-class digital skills.

“Coding is a highly sought-after skill across the world,” he noted. “If young people here can learn it, they can secure jobs or even create employment for others. This is a brick in the foundation of uplifting Lupane, Hwange, and beyond.”

The coding school is expected to open in December at Gwai Valley Primary.

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Lupane police officer sentenced for tampering with mbanje evidence

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BY WANDILE TSHUMA 

A 21-year-old constabulary officer in Lupane has been convicted after admitting he tampered with evidence in a drug possession case, effectively helping a suspect conceal part of the stash.

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The officer, Nqobile Mutale, was on duty at Lupane Terminus Base on the 18th of September when he arrested Thulani Sibanda, who had been implicated in unlawful possession of dagga/imbanje. Instead of handing over the full exhibit, Mutale struck a deal with Sibanda and hid part of the recovered drugs behind the police base.

Detectives later uncovered the hidden dagga, with Mutale leading them to the site during investigations.

Standing before the Lupane Magistrates’ Court, Mutale pleaded guilty to obstructing the course of justice. He was handed a 24-month sentence, with nine months suspended. The balance of 15 months was also suspended, provided he completes 525 hours of community service.

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Avoid nightime movement and stoning elephants, communities told

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Following a recent spate of human-wildlife conflict incidents, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Tinashe Farawo has urged communities to exercise caution when encountering wild animals.

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Farawo emphasized the importance of avoiding confrontations with elephants, particularly when they encroach into community areas. “We would like to urge members of the communities to avoid throwing stones at elephants,” he said. “This action agitates them, leading to attacks on people.”

In addition to avoiding confrontations, Farawo advised community members to minimize movement at night, as this is when wild animals are most active. “We would like to urge communities to avoid moving at night to minimize casualties,” he said.

Farawo’s comments come after a 79-year-old man from Hwange was killed by an elephant yesterday. The incident is still under investigation by rangers. This is the second fatal incident in the area, following the death of another man who was attacked by an elephant while on his way to work in Hwange town several weeks ago.

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