WOMEN Affairs minister Sithembiso Nyoni last week revealed
that her ministry through the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) investigated
Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Walther Magaya and several companies over allegations of se…
WOMEN Affairs minister Sithembiso Nyoni last week revealed
that her ministry through the Zimbabwe Gender Commission (ZGC) investigated
Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries leader Walther Magaya and several companies over allegations of sexual abuse of females.
Nyoni said this last week in the National Assembly while
tabling ZGC annual reports for the years 2017 to 2019.
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Source: ZACC engages churches | Herald (Top Stories) Justice Matanda-Moyo Crime Reporter The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has urged churches to encourage congregants to blow the whistle on any suspected cases of corruption and put pressure on issues pertaining to improved accountability and transparency in public institutions. This was said by ZACC chairperson Justice Loice […]
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has urged churches to encourage congregants to blow the whistle on any suspected cases of corruption and put pressure on issues pertaining to improved accountability and transparency in public institutions.
This was said by ZACC chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo while addressing the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) for Church Leaders workshop in Harare last week.
She said given that the majority of people belong to a religious group, corruption should not be on the upward trajectory.
“Pastors should be setting good examples to their congregants by not indulging in corrupt activities such as bribing officials to obtain land to build churches and accepting suspicious tithes,” said Justice Matanda-Moyo.
“We encourage blowing the whistle on congregants that pay suspicious tithes. In addition, when a congregant confesses to have committed a criminal offence to the pastor/bishop/elder, the church should be part of the rehabilitation process of the offender by providing an alternative route when dealing with matters involving corruption related offences.
“Encourage congregants that confess to return the stolen money.”
Justice Matanda-Moyo said the country was facing its biggest challenge of corruption which had not only destroyed the moral fabric of society, but undermined the confidence of the people in public institutions and destroyed livelihoods.
She said the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) was launched by President Mnangagwa two months ago and was premised on the spirit and principles enshrined in the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).
Justice Matanda-Moyo said NACS had strategic objectives which will be expected to be realised through actions, activities and interventions.
“It then puts the church at a critical position in the sense that the church should be more than just entertainment,” she said. “The church must return to its rightful place in society of influencing behavioural change amongst the citizens of this country.
“I have no doubt that senior Government officials, civil servants, members of independent commissions, local authorities and even officials in the private sector are church members to various denominations which are ably led by pastors here present.
“It is, therefore, the role of the church to pray for us as leaders. We are gathered here today as men of God, pastors, reverends, bishops etc. What have we done in contributing in the fight against corruption?
“How many of our church members have returned any stolen money following confessions made to the pastor? How many pastors have reported a suspicious transaction? How many congregants have been arrested and imprisoned for corruption related offences as a result of blowing the whistle by church members?
“How many outreach programmes for the youth, men and women have we had where we have included issues relating to corruption? These are some of the questions that should be addressed as you deliberate on the role of the church in NACS.”
Justice Matanda-Moyo said she looked forward to working with all church leaders in the implementation of the NACS for a better and prosperous Zimbabwe.
ONCE a hero, Mapulane Kgosana is now haunted by the two dead children he pulled out of a dam. Since the 19-year-old retrieved the bodies of Kgaugelo Ngobese (8) and Thabo Mosupye (9) from a dam in Lebotloane, North West, after they drowned in 2018, he’…
ONCE a hero, Mapulane Kgosana is now haunted by the two dead children he pulled out of a dam. Since the 19-year-old retrieved the bodies of Kgaugelo Ngobese (8) and Thabo Mosupye (9) from a dam in Lebotloane, North West, after they drowned in 2018, he’s been struggling to sleep. Mapulane told Daily Sun the […]
In recent weeks, Zimbabwe has witnessed several crimes involving guns, especially at the border town of Beitbridge. Source: Violent gun crimes on the rise in Zimbabwe | eNCA Shootouts have become common in Zimbabwe in recent weeks. The government says there is a sudden uptick in the number of violent crimes involving guns. Pindai Dube […]
Shootouts have become common in Zimbabwe in recent weeks. The government says there is a sudden uptick in the number of violent crimes involving guns. Pindai Dube reports. Courtesy #DStv403
HARARE – Shootouts have become common in Zimbabwe in recent weeks.
The government says there is a sudden uptick in the number of violent crimes involving guns.
Government officials and police are blaming this on the return of what they call hardcore criminals during COVID-19.
These suspects are allegedly based in neighbouring countries, especially South Africa.
Zimbabwe’s Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe said police will deal with the offenders.
“You have seen what happened in Beitbridge, there are so many cases that these fugitives are clashing with police,” Kazwmbe said.
“I am glad police are doing a good job. We have had people who were on the run for a very long time and known to be serious criminals.”
Kazembe says Zimbabwe’s government is also working to extradite several former ministers who served under former President Robert Mugabe.
These former government officials have now sought refuge elsewhere, including in South Africa.
The minister says they have cases to answer to.
“Anyone who has a case to answer and who is outside the country is a fugitive. Police are keen to interview them they should come back and clear their names,” Kazembe said.
Rural communities are dynamic and complex. Imposing innovations that don’t speak to the needs of these communities will inhibit rural development. Source: Why a Zimbabwean farming project failed: lessons for rural innovation GettyImages Eness Paidamoyo Mutsvangwa-Sammie, University of Pretoria Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa commit resources to promote agricultural innovations. This is based on the […]
Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa commit resources to promote agricultural innovations. This is based on the assumption that rural livelihoods are mainly agricultural and that the innovations will increase agricultural production and household income.
As resources come under pressure from growing populations and natural resource degradation, governments and donors want to see that agricultural research and innovation has an impact. They want to see “success” and “value for money”.
But success is understood in different ways. It depends on how it’s framed and by whom.
Studying conflict in agricultural innovations can lead to a better understanding of the appropriateness of certain technologies in terms of how they’re designed, promoted and how they’re linked to rural livelihoods.
Conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe provides a good example of an innovation like this. This approach to farming has been widely promoted by non-governmental organisations, research institutes and the state. It’s also promoted in other countries of eastern and southern Africa.
The method is based on minimal soil disturbance, mulching soil with crop residues, and crop rotation. These are meant to conserve moisture, reduce soil erosion and build up soil organic matter to improve crop yields and rural livelihoods.
We wanted to know how this innovation was promoted and implemented in Zimbabwe and how its “success” was framed and assessed. Our study found that there were differences in how farmers and promoters of conservation agriculture defined its success.
These differences matter when investments are made in promoting agricultural innovations. It’s particularly important to understand the diversity of rural livelihoods.
The research
Our study was conducted in Gwanda and Insiza districts in south western Zimbabwe. Droughts are a common feature in the area, occurring on average every two or three years. We collected data via a household questionnaire survey, interviews and focus group discussions. Participants included farmers, NGO and government extension officers.
We found that innovation was understood by the majority of respondents as having three main attributes, namely, “novelty”, “adaptability” and “utility”. Despite novelty being mentioned more often than other understandings of innovation, some felt that it existed in theory and not practically.
For example, a farmer said interventions promoted in their communities weren’t new but rather repackaged existing technologies with different names. Some weren’t suitable for the area.
Conservation agriculture was identified as the innovation most often promoted by non-governmental organisations and government extension officers in the area. Huge investments were committed to promoting it – the Department for International Development set aside about US$23 million to promote it in Zimbabwe. Yet after the project’s three year lifespan, farmers mostly abandoned the practice.
The locals gave it the name “diga ufe”, which means “dig and die”, because it required so much physical labour. The manual digging of conservation basins during land preparation and the multiple weeding was labour intensive.
Farmers did find, though, that using the conservation agriculture techniques in their vegetable gardens yielded better results compared to bigger plots. Under crop production, farmers prioritised irrigated agriculture compared to rain-fed agriculture. Gardening was therefore identified as the second ranked important livelihood source after livestock production.
Respondents agreed that innovation was vital for sustaining food security and nutrition in the context of climate change. One farmer said innovation was about experimenting with resources at one’s disposal to come up with something new and suitable for the area. He also emphasised that innovation was a collective action that includes farmers, researchers, extension agents and the private sector. He said it was not only confined to new technology (hardware), but processes such as governance, that would yield positive results.
Climate smart crops such as sorghum, millet and cowpeas and climate smart livestock (goats and indigenous poultry) were identified by locals as potentially suitable in addressing dry spells in the area. But poor informal markets, limited bargaining power, shortage of grazing land, pests and diseases constrained productivity.
Diversifying out of agriculture was identified as an alternative response to climate change. It could boost the income of the household and help sustain food and nutrition security.
Government extension officers felt that innovations in the area should be targeted towards livestock production. The area’s semi-arid climate means it’s not conducive for rain-fed agriculture.
So, despite the efforts to promote conservation agriculture, dry land cropping was ranked as the lowest source of livelihood for rural people. People in the area prioritised livestock production. Promoting more livestock production related innovations would have been ideal for the area.
What does this mean for policy and innovations?
Innovation can thrive in rural areas. But this depends on understanding the communities’ perceptions and livelihood context to appreciate their priorities.
Rural communities are dynamic and complex. Imposing innovations that don’t speak to the needs of these communities won’t achieve rural development. Our study showed the importance of developing innovations with communities as opposed to innovations for communities.
People in rural areas don’t lack capacity. They need support to utilise available resources and innovate in a flexible manner that’s context specific. They should be key players in coming up with solutions, since they have a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities within their communities.
