Category: zimbabwe

CAPS United coach Lloyd Chitembwe has urged his players to quickly forget about their commanding 3-0 win over Green Fuel on Thursday and focus on the blockbuster clash against Highlanders at Barbourfields Stadium tomorrow.

Wayne Makuva, Rodwell Chinyengetere and second half substitute William Manondo found the back of the net to help the Green Machine return to winning ways with the crushing victory. It was Makepekepe’s biggest win this season in a campaign which they have struggled to find their rhythm.

Chitembwe was impressed by the way his side went about their business in the midweek fixture, but said he does not want his players to get complacent after the resounding victory.

“We take the win with a lot of pride, but at the same time, we really need to remain focused and try to come to terms with the importance of competing in this league,” Chitembwe said.

The victory over Green Fuel was their third this season, having lost four times and drawn once in their opening eight matches of the season.

“It’s a very difficult league, so it’s important to try to be consistent after this win. We must play the next game against Highlanders with the belief that we can also win it.”

Young Junior Bunjira, son to Caps United legend Alois, was the toast of the afternoon at Rufaro Stadium, transforming the Caps United attack after his introduction at the start of second half.

The 20-year-old provided the two assists for the first two goals with his brilliant crosses into the box which were turned home by Makuva and Chinyengetere.

His directness, speed and trickery proved just too much to handle for the away side defenders, leaving many of those who watched the game convinced that the speedy winger could be the next big thing in local football.

But Chitembwe who had given the youngster two cameo roles before yesterday, wants Bunjira to keep his feet on the ground.

The veteran coach said he would not be pressured to hurry the young winger into the starting line-up.

“Good contribution from him so far. We are happy with him,” Chitembwe said.

Asked if Bunjira will be given more minutes after his brilliant show, the former midfielder said, “These things are well thought out decisions. He is still young, he is coming up, the potential is there … but sometimes if you are to hurry him on these high demands, it will really affect him so slowly but surely we will give him time in certain moments of the game. I’m sure today was exactly that moment, and I’m quite impressed with his contribution so far.”

Caps United are facing Highlanders as the log leaders are struggling for form.

After a storming start to the season, Bosso are winless in their last four matches.

Defeats to Dynamos in the Independence Cup final and Chicken Inn in the league, coupled with uninspiring draws against struggling Ngezi Platinum Stars and Herentals, have left Highlanders fans frustrated.

But Chitembwe knows the threat that the Bulawayo giants still possess, even at their lowest.

Asked about the sort of challenge that he is expecting from Highlanders tomorrow, Chitembwe’s response was brief but revealing. “Tough, very tough,” he said.

Highlanders coach Kelvin Kaindu, voted the Premier Soccer League coach of the month for March, would definitely be demanding a response from his boys following a spate of the bad results.

The Zambian knows that victory over one of the country’s big teams in Caps United would go a long way in stabilizing his ship.

Club top goal scorer Lynoth Chikuhwa who has netted five goals and was also voted the March player of the month, returns to the squad after missing the team’s 2-2 draw against Herentals in their last league match on Wednesday.

MODELLING advocates tell us that the modelling vocation offers a platform to lead by example while embodying the change that one wishes to see in the world, thereby encouraging others to follow suit. It is a tool for social change and making a positive impact in communities. It revolves around raising awareness and speaking up for a cause not solely depending on persuading others, but rather living out the principles and values models advocate for.

And so, as one of the country’s biggest pageants, the Miss Universe Zimbabwe grand finale fast approaches NewsDay Weekender Life & Style took time to speak to the young women vying for the Miss Universe crown on some of the issues that drive their ambitions.

On May 18, 18 out of 30 women who auditioned will battle to be crowned Miss Universe Zimbabwe. The crowned queen will represent the country at the 73rd Miss Universe competition in Mexico in November.

The Miss Universe Zimbabwe aspirants say they are keen advocates for helping orphaned children, promoting equal education opportunities, free cleft surgeries for children, inclusion of women in climate action and promoting digital literacy in marginalised communities, among others.

Adoption of children

Hanna Brits revealed that she came from a family whose members were all adopted. Therefore, she is an advocate for helping children in need of families. Throughout her life she has been grateful growing up in a loving household that she was adopted into. She realised as she grew older that there were many children who were not as fortunate as herself. Through her platform, she wants to encourage adoption and help orphaned children find families because everyone deserves to be loved.

Equal education opportunities

A model who has had the privilege to represent the country at international stages such as the Miss Supranational and Miss Earth, Sakhile Zibusiso Dube stands as an advocate for the promotion of equal education opportunities for orphans and vulnerable children. She started a non-profit organisation called the Zibusiso Foundation in 2021 with the aim of empowering orphans through mentorship programmes and vocational skills development. The 27-year-old believes that education is the key to ending the world’s orphan crisis adding that a challenging start in life should not deprive any child to achieve their dreams.

Another model Letwin Chinomona is passionate about alleviating poverty through fulfilment of children’s rights to education as well as sustainable means of income generation, specifically agriculture. Last year she launched the Gracehill organisation in Mutamba in Manicaland province where they provide accessible, affordable and free education to close to 60 children while consecutively running a campaign called Build your own table in Mutoko district which focuses on farming and teaching agriculture as a sustainable income source to eradicate poverty.

Free cleft surgery

Hailing from Mhondoro, Mashonaland West province is 29-year-old model Pauline Marere, founder of Gratitude Cleft Movement. She has partnered Global Cleft, Cranio Foundation, Smile Train, Sally Mugabe Children’s Hospital and the Shumiro Sarah Magandi Trust hospital working towards providing cleft surgeries for free every month to babies and adults with clefts while offering psychological support to cleft mothers who face rejection and depression after giving birth. Marere said children born with clefts and untreated clefts have challenges breathing, feeding, speaking and can even die. She said cleft treatment can alleviate these challenges and help these people thrive.

In partnership with the Ministry of Health, and being inspired by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 and 9 which advocate for innovation, good health and well-being, she is working towards a cleft shop where she will be locally producing cleft equipment in order to ease the burden for cleft parents in the country.

Child healthcare improvement

Meanwhile, medical student Tanyaradzwa Muparutsa, in line with SDG 3, is advocating for the improvement of the health system mainly focusing on breast and cervical cancer to ensure that every woman gets access to life saving screenings and treatment.

She published an article on the use of Chinese and African Traditional Medicine in cervical and breast cancer treatment and another one that explored use of genetic bio markers in screening for various cancer types.

Women in climate change

With a love for climate and environment, Nozihle Gumede, a trained climate diplomat founded the Mainah Trust, an organisation that strives to empower women in communities that are most affected by climate change. She has been an advocate for climate change for over five years, working with local and international youth-led organisations to raise awareness about the climate crisis and empowering disadvantaged communities affected by the effects of climate change. As a voice for marginalised communities, she represented the country at United Nations Conference on Climate Change. The model is also advocating for women inclusion in environment and climate action.

Digital literacy in marginalised communities

Model Jessie Marisa founded Click2gether, an unprofitable organisation dedicated to bridge the divide in the country by providing access to technology, digital literacy training and online resources to technologically marginalised communities.

Waste disposal

Dominique Middlemas, who is advocating for the prevention of littering and illegal waste disposal in the country through the five Rs: Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Respect, founded an organisation called Cleaner Nation, where they gather individuals once a month and sometimes weekly in order to clean waste dumped on the streets as she strives to reduce environmental pollution through educational campaigns because she believes that together, citizens can create a cleaner Zimbabwe contributing to better health.