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In perched rural Matabeleland North, renewable energy is vital

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BY FARAI SHAWN MATIASHE

Under partly cloudy skies, Lydia Mlilo, 56, fetches water from a communal tap in the sparsely populated village of Singeni.

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Any clouds are unusual in winter in this semi-arid land with nothing but teak forests, and to Mlilo they are not a sign of rain.

The water in this Nkayi district village in Matebeleland North province, 168km northeast of Zimbabwe’s second-largest city of Bulawayo, is pumped from underground using solar energy and stored in huge tanks.

It is then carried by pipeline in the village, supplying water to villagers as well as a nearby school.

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Mlilo uses this water for all her domestic needs.

The mother of six still recalls the predicament of not having clean and safe water in the 2000s and early 2010s.

“It used to rain [so] that I could get water in the wells at my household, but that changed almost two decades back,” Mlilo said.

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“The water tables are now so low that we cannot even access water. We used to get water at about 12m, but now maybe at more than 50m.

“I had to fetch water from open wells on the shores of a nearby river.

“It was dirty but we had no choice, we had to drink it. We could, however, get stranded in summer when the river runs dry.”

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German charity Welthungerhilfe installed solar stations in Mlilo’s village and the village of Ngabayide as part of its Matabeleland Enhanced Livelihoods Agriculture and Nutrition Adaptation (Melana) project, which is running in four districts in Matabeleland.

The project started in 2016 and ends in 2022, and is part of the wider Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) programme.

These water sources benefit more than 350 households, as well as the owners of more than 4 000 head of cattle, who use them for drinking water and to dip their livestock, according to ZRBF-Melana project head Kudzai Nyengerai.

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Singeni village head Nathaniel Ncube (66), says there were outbreaks of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid in the village in the early 2010s.

“Most of the households do not have toilets. Open defecation is common here,” Ncube said.

“With water being a menace in the village, we lost a number of our villagers from the outbreak of diseases.”

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Mlilo is a smallholder who grows drought-resilient crops such as millet and sorghum.

She also rears cattle and has 10 that she dips at a community dip tank. They drink water there, too.

Villagers in Nkayi district are limited in terms of how they can earn a living because climate change has made agriculture unviable.

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Some survive on remittances from the diaspora, as family members were forced to cross the border to neighbouring South Africa or Botswana to search for work during Zimbabwe’s economic crisis in the mid to late 2000s.

The roads are rugged and the villages difficult to access.

There is a lack of infrastructure such as electricity, internet, television and radio signals.

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Rachel Dube (29), from Singeni village, says she did not believe it was possible for a community deep in the thick forests to have a tap.

“I thought tap water was only for people in the cities,” Dube said.

“ I did not know it was possible for us. This solar technology has done wonders.”

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The mother of three says she can now practise the maximum levels of hygiene recommended by nurses when looking after her children.

Nyengerai said the solar stations ensure that villagers have a perennial source of water.

“The two communities in question here have since established nutrition gardens. Even the nearby schools have benefitted by establishing their own gardens, and issues like livestock poverty deaths and time poverty have been reduced.”

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Sukokuhle Khabo, 30, from Indibe village in Gwanda, is among the 2 100 households that benefit from the solar-powered irrigation schemes in this district in Matabeleland South province.

“I am growing onions, tomatoes and carrots for family consumption as well as for sale in Gwanda town and Bulawayo. We have been using the flash irrigation method to water the garden but we have since changed to drip irrigation, which saves water,” she says.

The mother of three says she uses the proceeds from her garden to buy other essentials for her family and pay her children’s school fees.

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Like Nkayi, the Gwanda district is semi-arid and poorly developed.

“Drip irrigation has less labour and is critical in conserving water,” says smallholder Musa Moyo (75) from Indibe.

“Drip irrigation uses less water on a large piece of land. We rotate our crops [and use] mulch to conserve the much-needed water.”

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Melody Makumbe is the project coordinator for Resilience Enhanced through Agricultural Productivity, run by development agency Practical Action.

“We use green energy to pump water as [opposed] to dirty fuels,” Makumbe said.

“ We facilitate access to markets, increasing access to finance, rehabilitation and support with infrastructure for irrigation as well as capacity-building for management structures of the irrigation schemes.”

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In Nkayi, residents have established asset management committees that oversee any operational or maintenance issues with the solar stations.

Nyengerai says villagers have set up a revolving fund to pay for any issues that arise with the equipment.

“Singeni village went on to have fundraising initiatives that fund the maintenance of the scheme, for instance, cattle sales.

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“These two projects have been run by the community since 2018 without any problem,” she added.

Mlilo hopes the initiative will expand to support other schools nearby.“Some schools in this village do not have clean and safe water,” she said.

“We are not yet safe from outbreaks if some nearby places such as schools have no water.” – New Frame

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This story was published with the support of the British Council as part of COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

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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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