Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: ZPA hails return of kombis – NewsDay Zimbabwe

BY PATRICIA SIBANDA

THE Zimbabwe Passengers Association (ZPA) has hailed government’s move to allow privately-owned kombis back on the road having been banned almost six months ago as part of COVID-19 containment measures.

Since the country went on lockdown in March, only the State-owned Zupco buses provided public transport, creating serious transport challenges as the company does not have enough buses to cover the whole country.

ZPA secretary-general Paul Makiwa said besides ending the transport blues, the coming back of kombis also brought relief to thousands of crews who had been rendered jobless.

“On the same note, I would encourage our operators to use this opportunity to adhere to the Road Traffic Act, the World Health Organisation regulations on COVID-19 and what the State wants. They should ensure their fleets are insured since others are operating outside these policies. It is our hope that you should co-operate and avoid overloading passengers when you are in remote places like rural areas and even on our highways. Remember, your lives and the lifespan of our fleets is vital for future generations, let’s take care of them,” Makiwa said.

 

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 STATE Security minister Owen Ncube yesterday sensationally accused the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC Alliance of engaging in acts of sabotage and banditry by smuggling guns into the country and setting up militia groups to topple government.Ncube told journalists that State security agents had gathered information that the opposition had connived with some disgruntled Zanu PF members to smuggle arms

Source: Food aid centres used for condom distribution – NewsDay Zimbabwe

BY PHYLLIS MBANJE

THE Health ministry and its development partners have turned food distribution points into sexual and reproductive health centres in order to bring the service closer to communities.
Since the imposition of the national lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 on March 30, many people found it difficult to access contraception services because of restrictions on movement, resulting in unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions.

Early this year, a rapid assessment of COVID-19 response in the context of maternal, sexual and reproductive health in Zimbabwe showed that the COVID-19 outbreak had affected women and young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health services, including access to family planning.

To counter this hurdle, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) entered into a partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) together with the Health and Child Care ministry, and are distributing male and female condoms and sharing sexual reproductive health information at the WFP’s food distribution points throughout the country.

“This has been a great innovation that has brought sexual and reproductive health services closer to communities. To date 1,8 million male condoms and 88 000 female condoms have been moved from NatPharm to WFP for onward distribution to communities,”said UNFPA country representative Esther Muia.

She added that they had reprogrammed their work to facilitate and ensure women and girls have access to contraception during the pandemic.

WFP Zimbabwe country director Francesca Erdelmann said: “Food distribution points were deep in the communities and in close proximity and reach to the general population, making it easier and more convenient for communities to access essential and life-saving sexual and reproductive health and rights service.”

WFP has a standing arrangement with the government of Zimbabwe for distribution of food with over 1 500 distribution points, covering 311 157 households in 60 districts, mainly over the lean season before the next harvest.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe on Saturday joined the rest of the world in celebrating Contraception Day with calls for greater efforts to ensure access to contraceptives for women and girls of reproductive age.

Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council executive director Munyaradzi Murwira said the country had made great strides towards improving access to reproductive services.

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Source: Economic meltdown hampers rural electrification: Soda – NewsDay Zimbabwe

BY KENNETH NYANGANI

ENERGY and Power Development minister Zhemu Soda has said the rural electrification programme was being hampered by economic challenges facing the country, adding that the 6% electrification levy and fiscal allocation by government was not adequate to accelerate the programme.

Speaking at the commissioning of the electrified Garahwa and Mukoho schools, Garahwa Business Centre and Chief Mupungu’s homestead in Chipinge at the weekend, Soda also raised concern over vandalism of electrical equipment.

“The rural electrification programme has not been spared from the economic and other challenges faced by our country over the past few years. The major challenge faced by the Rural Electrification Fund (REF) is inadequate funding. The 6% electrification levy that REF gets through electricity sales and the fiscal allocation by government are not adequate to accelerate the programme or to sustain the momentum already gained by the programme,” he said.

“This year, the situation has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which has negatively affected the sectors of the economy of Zimbabwe, ,resulting in rural electrification inflows,” he said.

Turning to vandalism of electrical fittings, he said: “It is, however, disturbing to note the rampant increases in cases of theft and vandalism in particular conductors and transformers. I would like to urge the community to ensure that the grid infrastructure is not vandalised. Beneficiaries are therefore looked to jealously guard the electricity infrastructure provided against acts of sabotage,” he said

The government established the REF in 2002 through an Act of Parliament to facilitate rapid and equitable electrification of rural areas in Zimbabwe, thereby promoting rural development and upliftment of lifestyles of rural Zimbabweans.

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Investigations into the gruesome murder of Tapiwa Makore (7) in Murehwa took a new twist yesterday when police arrested his 57-year-old uncle and namesake.Tapiwa Makore senior who is younger brother to the murdered boy’s father, was arrested after being implicated by his herd-boy, Tapiwa Shamba. Shamba was arrested last week and was found with blood-stained clothes. National police spokesperson