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Secret vaccinations help Zimbabwe mothers protect children

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BY FARAI MUTSAKA

Dozens of women holding babies rushed to take their places on wooden benches at a clinic in Zimbabwe while a nurse took a separate group of anxious mothers and their children through a back door and into another room.

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The nurse quickly closed the door behind them.

The women were all at the Mbare Polyclinic in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, to get their children vaccinated against measles amid a deadly outbreak in the southern African country.

But those who were taken to the back room were getting their children vaccinated in secret, and in defiance of religious doctrine that forbids them from using modern medicines.

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“The advent of the measles outbreak saw children dying so they are now coming secretly and we are helping them,” said Lewis Foya, a nurse at the clinic.

More than 700 children have died from measles in Zimbabwe in an outbreak first reported in April.

Many were unvaccinated because of religious reasons, Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said.

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The government has announced a vaccination drive but, as with Covid-19, some religious groups are stubbornly opposed to vaccines and have hindered the campaign.

Apostolic groups that infuse traditional beliefs into a Pentecostal doctrine are among the most skeptical of modern medicine in Zimbabwe.

Followers instead put their faith in prayer, holy water and other measures to ward off disease or cure illnesses.

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“They have a belief that if they get vaccinated, they become unholy so that’s the doctrine that they pass down to the women,” said Foya.

He said the patriarchy in the church means women have “no power to openly say no” to instructions. Children are then in danger.

There has been little detailed research on Apostolic churches in Zimbabwe but studies by the United Nations children’s agency, Unicef, estimate it is the largest denomination with around 2.5 million followers in a country of 15 million.

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Some allow members to seek health care. Many are still resistant.

So to save their children, some mothers visit clinics in secret, sometimes under the cover of night and without their husbands knowing.

A group of Apostolic church members who are open to modern medicine have been trying to change church attitudes, but also advise women to go against church rules if it means helping their children.

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“We encourage women to get their children vaccinated, maybe at night,” said Debra Mpofu, a member of the Apostolic Women Empowerment Trust.

“It’s really necessary for the women to protect their children so it’s important for them to just sneak out.”

The secrecy is necessary because members found to have visited health care centres are shamed and forbidden from taking part in church activities.

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The World Health Organisation warned in April of an increase in measles in vulnerable countries due to Covid-19 disruptions, with more than 40 countries postponing or suspending their regular immunisation campaigns.

In July, Unicef said about 25 million children worldwide had missed out on routine immunizations against common childhood diseases, calling it a “red alert” for child healt

Globally, WHO and Unicef reported a 79% spike in measles in the first two months of 2022 alone and warned of the potential for large outbreaks.

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Children and pregnant women are most at risk of severe disease from measles, which is among the most infectious diseases and easily preventable with a vaccine.

More than 95 percent of measles deaths occur in developing countries.

Zimbabwe’s outbreak was first reported in the eastern Manicaland province following church gatherings and has spread across the country.

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The government, with support from Unicef, the WHO and other non-governmental organizations, has embarked on a vaccination campaign targeting millions of children.

At the Mbare clinic, one mother said people had learned from the vaccine hesitancy prevalent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“A lot of people were misinformed during that Covid-19 period because they were told that when you get vaccinated there will be after-effects,” said the mother, Winnet Musiyarira.

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“So due to that a lot of people lost their lives and it was important for everybody to take that serious.

“So when I heard about measles I just said I have to take my kids to hospital and get them vaccinated.”

Musiyarira said she wasn’t a member of a religious group.

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Some women wearing matching white headscarves to indicate they are part of an Apostolic church and who were at the Mbare clinic to get their children vaccinated secretly declined to speak to The Associated Press for fear of reprisal from church leaders.

Apostolic groups are notoriously wary of outsiders.

In a bushy area in the impoverished Epworth region outside Harare, Apostolic congregants wearing white robes gathered outdoors recently, as is their tradition, to worship.

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Some knelt before self-proclaimed prophets as a man scooped ashes from a fireplace and put them in plastic bag to take home to be used to heal illness.

It is one of many congregations that Mpofu’s Apostolic Women Empowerment Trust has approached.

On this occasion, and after intense negotiations, Mpofu and her team were allowed to address the congregants and distribute vaccination fliers.

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The church leader, James Katsande, also agreed to allow his followers to take their children to clinics.

But there was a condition: They should approach the church’s prophets to be blessed before going to a clinic.

“First we need to protect them with the Holy Spirit to cast out any demons and bad luck,” said Katsande, a tall man wearing white robes and a white headscarf with a cross on it.

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“We remain the first port of call,” he added. – AP

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In the community

MPs raise alarm over illegal gold mining threatening Inyathi hospital

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care has raised serious concern over illegal gold mining activities taking place directly beneath Inyathi District Hospital in Bubi District, Matabeleland North — warning that the facility’s infrastructure could collapse if the practice continues unchecked.

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The revelation came during the committee’s ongoing verification visits to rural health centres across Zimbabwe, aimed at assessing the state of medical infrastructure, equipment, and essential drug availability. The visits, led by Hon. Daniel Molokele, are being conducted on behalf of the committee chairperson, Hon. Dr. Thokozani Khupe.

Speaking to VicFallsLive, Molokele said the team was shocked to discover that artisanal miners (amakorokoza) had extended their illegal mining tunnels under the hospital grounds.

“One of the things that we found at Inyathi District Hospital is that amakorokoza are now doing their gold mining right under the hospital,” said Molokele. “They used to do it outside, but now they have gone beneath the facility. There is a real risk that the infrastructure might collapse because of the underground pressure. This is lawlessness that the government urgently needs to address.”

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Molokele added that the situation reflects broader governance and enforcement challenges in mining communities, where unregulated artisanal mining continues to threaten both public safety and environmental health.

“Most of the cases that patients come with are physical wounds — largely injuries from violent clashes among the amakorokoza,” he said. “There’s a lot of violence happening there, and it is putting a heavy burden on an already under-resourced hospital.”

The committee, which began its tour on Monday in Inyathi before proceeding to Avoca in Insiza District (Matabeleland South), Gundura in Masvingo, and Mutiusinazita in Buhera (Manicaland), is compiling findings that will inform parliamentary recommendations.

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“We will produce a report that will have clear recommendations,” Molokele said. “The National Assembly will debate it, and the Minister of Health will use it to engage the Minister of Finance, especially in the upcoming budget process. We are hoping for a renewed focus on rural healthcare centres, which have been neglected and underfunded for many years.”

Molokele said the verification exercise — though limited by time and financial constraints — seeks to highlight conditions in at least one rural health facility per province.

The committee’s findings come at a time when Zimbabwe’s rural health infrastructure is under severe strain, with many facilities struggling with drug shortages, outdated equipment, and deteriorating buildings. The situation in Inyathi now adds a new dimension of danger — where illegal mining is not only threatening livelihoods but also public infrastructure meant to save lives.

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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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