Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Police intensify search for three-month-old baby abducted from Banket – herald

Conrad Mupesa

Mashonaland West Bureau

POLICE have intensified investigations into the alleged abduction of a three-month-old baby from her home in Banket, with authorities appealing for information that could lead to the infant’s recovery and the arrest of the suspect.

The baby was abducted from a house in Magamba Way on Saturday evening in an incident that has left her family distraught and sparked concern within the community.

Mashonaland West provincial police spokesperson Inspector Ian Kohwera confirmed the case and urged members of the public with information to report to the nearest police station.

He said the incident occurred at House Number 753, Magamba Way, Banket, on June 7 at around 7.30pm.

“Circumstances are that the mother of the child was approached by an unknown woman who advised her that she had seen her husband with a female friend at Labana Houses,” said Insp Kohwera.

“The mother went to check on her husband, leaving her two children, aged three months and three years, asleep at home.

“When she failed to locate him there, she proceeded to his workplace and found him knocking off duty. The couple then returned home and discovered that the three-month-old child was missing.”

“They searched the surroundings with neighbours but failed to locate the child before making a report at ZRP Banket.”

The child’s mother, 22-year-old Lynette Mukono, believes the suspect deliberately gained her trust before allegedly carrying out the abduction.

Speaking to Zimpapers radio station Platinum FM, Mukono said the woman claimed to have been sent by her mother and appeared familiar with her family.

“She said she was directed by my mother to my house, and she even called my father by his nickname, which made me believe she was someone from around here,” said Mukono.

The young mother made an emotional appeal to members of the public to assist in locating her child.

At the time of her disappearance, the baby was wearing a pink tracksuit, a blue hat, a brown romper and pink socks with heart-shaped designs.

Police have appealed to anyone who may have seen the infant or has information that could assist investigations to come forward.

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Source: Over 139 Zimbabweans return from SA, as Govt deploys more buses – herald

Joseph Madzimure

Zimpapers Politics Hub

Over 139 Zimbabwean nationals have been repatriated through the Beitbridge Border Post after fleeing xenophobic attacks targeting migrants living and working in South Africa, while more than 160 others have registered to return home.

THE Government has set aside buses to repatriate Zimbabwean citizens from South Africa before June 30, following xenophobic threats targeting foreign nationals.

In an interview, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade’s Director of Public Diplomacy, Communication and Advocacy, Mrs Philisiwe Chidawanyika, said Zimbabwean embassy offices in Pretoria and Cape Town are compiling lists of citizens willing to be repatriated.

“Over 160 Zimbabwean citizens are registered for repatriation from South Africa. These people will be ferried by buses either today or tomorrow to ensure their safe travel back home,” said Mrs Chidawanyika.

“Our embassy is working on processing the necessary profiling so that they can allocate the required buses. Our embassy in Pretoria and Cape Town are profiling many people willing to come back home. Our embassies will remain open to assist our citizens.”

She said the Government has allocated enough buses to ferry citizens from the neighbouring country.

“Two buses have already crossed over. More are expected, and the number of buses will be determined as more Zimbabweans approach the embassy and consulates for assistance,” she added.

Mrs Chidawanyika urged those willing to return home to communicate with the embassy to facilitate their safe travel.

She further stated that the Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and its embassies, remains committed to promoting and protecting the welfare of Zimbabweans living abroad, as guided by Section 35 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

“Our embassies in the region are in contact with Zimbabweans who have registered their presence and are ready to assist with repatriation should this be deemed necessary.

“Zimbabweans living abroad continue to be urged to register their presence with the nearest embassy or consulate of Zimbabwe to facilitate communication and timely sharing of important information,” she emphasised.

Embassy officials in South Africa are continuing to document and assist Zimbabweans seeking voluntary repatriation amid growing safety concerns.

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Source: Gweru City Council fights littering – herald

Diana Nherera

THE City of Gweru has launched a campaign targeting primary and secondary school learners as it steps up efforts to tackle waste management challenges and promote a culture of cleanliness across the city.

The “Catch Them Young Waste Management Campaign” aims to instil environmental responsibility among children and raise awareness of the city’s anti-littering by-laws.

The campaign has already received support from teachers and parents who view it as an important step towards building cleaner and healthier neighbourhoods.

Announcing the programme, Gweru Town Clerk Mr Livingston Churu said council waste management officers will conduct regular visits in Gweru Urban to educate learners on proper waste disposal and environmental stewardship.

He said the campaign seeks to nurture a generation that understands the importance of keeping the city clean.

“The US$30 fine exists in our by-laws, but the Catch Them Young campaign ensures that every child understands why that fine is necessary,” said Mr Churu.

“A clean city is everyone’s responsibility. A child who learns this today will not throw a bottle into a storm drain tomorrow,” he said.

“That child will remind their parents and neighbours about proper waste disposal. That is how we can ensure Gweru becomes a clean city.”

As part of the initiative, the local authority is also encouraging residents to report incidents of waste dumping through its toll-free hotline.

Offenders found guilty of littering or illegal dumping face a US$30 penalty.

The post Gweru City Council fights littering  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: EMA raises alarm over destruction of Harare wetlands – herald

Alicia Kadzviti

Herald Reporter

HARARE’S wetlands are facing mounting pressure from housing developments and agricultural activities, threatening ecosystems that play a key role in water supply, purification and environmental protection, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has warned.

EMA Harare provincial manager Mr Leon Mutungamiri said increasing human encroachment was degrading wetlands across the metropolitan province despite their importance in sustaining both urban communities and biodiversity.

“Wetlands in Harare Metropolitan Province are under threat from human activities, especially housing development projects as well as agricultural activities,” he said.

Mr Mutungamiri said wetlands performed critical ecological functions, including providing fresh water, filtering pollutants and reducing environmental degradation.

“As you know, wetlands play critical functions, which include providing fresh water for us all, as well as purifying water and filtering waste. Those are some of the functions of wetlands, which we need to protect,” he said.

He expressed concern that wetlands continue to be undervalued and overlooked in development planning, resulting in widespread encroachment and destruction.

Mr Mutungamiri reminded developers and residents that activities affecting wetlands without approval from EMA are illegal.

“According to Section 113 of the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27], no person shall, except in accordance with express written authorisation from EMA, reclaim or drain any wetland or disturb any wetland that is prohibited,” he said.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspected illegal developments taking place in wetlands.

“Residents of Harare should take note of any developments in wetlands. Any developments in this sensitive ecosystem should be reported forthwith,” said Mr Mutungamiri.

He also advised prospective home buyers to verify that developers possess a valid Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate before purchasing residential stands.

“If residents want to buy stands from developers, they should make sure these developers have an Environmental Impact Assessment certificate from EMA. Developments in wetlands should be shunned,” he said.

Mr Mutungamiri called on local authorities to place greater emphasis on wetland conservation during urban planning processes, saying councils have a responsibility to protect environmentally sensitive areas when allocating land.

“Local authorities should not underplay wetland management in development planning. They are supposed to consider wetland protection when developing plans and issuing out stands to potential homeowners,” he said.

“As they are planning and issuing out stands, they should leave out these open spaces in Harare. The protection of the environment requires an all-stakeholder approach so that we protect our wetlands.”

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Source: Over 1 300 tertiary students benefit from ‘work-for-fees’ programme – herald

Trust Freddy

Herald Correspondent

MORE than 1 300 tertiary education students countrywide are benefiting from the Government’s ‘work-for-fees’ initiative, with the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) accounting for over 450 beneficiaries, as higher education institutions move to cushion underprivileged learners from financial exclusion.

The latest figures come as State universities and polytechnics move to scale up the safety-net programme, which was launched as a pilot project in 2019 by the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education.

The initiative allows indigent students to clear their tuition backlogs by working within their respective universities and colleges.

Speaking on the operational layout at the country’s prime institution, UZ Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo revealed that the facility is a targeted intervention reserved strictly for the genuinely underprivileged.

“When we started it at the University of Zimbabwe, we coined it the Work Study Programme,” Prof Mapfumo said.

“Our criteria is really to look for students that are underprivileged — students that have circumstances that would exclude them from continuing with their education.”

To maintain transparency, Prof Mapfumo said the university utilises a multi-layered screening process before enrolling any student into the programme.

“This is not a scholarship,” he said. “We have clear protocols for applications. It is not just about applying,” he said.

“The criteria we use are evaluated by the Student Affairs Division under the Registrar’s Office. We also receive reports from the academic faculties. These reports help us identify needy students.”

The evaluation desk also reviews hardship submissions forwarded by external stakeholders.

“We also accept submissions from guardians, parents, and senior leaders in society and the Government,” he said.

“Policymakers also identify needy cases and submit them for our evaluation.”

This latest development comes at a time when the Tertiary Education Service Council (TESC) is drafting a unified policy framework to standardise the recruitment and management of vulnerable students across all state colleges and polytechnics.

TESC Secretary, Dr Eng Tafadzwa Mudondo, revealed that over 465 students are benefiting from the programme across the various polytechnics and teachers’ colleges governed by the organisation.

However, he said, while individual institutions currently use their own internal methods to handle needy students, a unified system is being finalised to streamline nationwide operations.

“What we are doing is that we are waiting on a policy to harmonise the recruitment of the students who have challenges in terms of payment of fees,” Dr Eng Mudondo said.

“So what we have done is that each institution currently has its own modus operandi as a parent, but we are harmonising it.”

Dr Eng Mudondo, the former principal of Harare Polytechnic, explained that institutions usually identify struggling students during the second semester of the academic year when financial strain peaks.

“As the former principal of Harare Polytechnic, we identified students in need, especially during the second semester,” he said.

“That is when we would identify some of the struggling students. For those students, we offered on-campus work such as business tasks and general duties.

“We would tell them to come and work after school, then direct whatever remuneration they earned toward their fees.”

Currently, 465 students are benefiting from the program across the various polytechnics and teachers’ colleges governed by TESC.

Dr Eng Mudondo, however, lamented that student pride remains a major hurdle to maximum enrollment.

“The challenge which we have is that some students are not forthcoming in terms of ensuring that they enrol. Some don’t want to work for their fees,” he said.

The total national beneficiary count has now surpassed the 1 300 mark, driven by UZ’s 450 students, an intake of more than 300 students at the Midlands State University (MSU) as of last year and the 465 learners attached to TESC colleges.

Several other state universities countrywide are currently running the same program within their campuses.

While institutional structures are fully operational at these universities, their latest deployment statistics are yet to be availed.

Authorities continue to urge struggling students to declare their financial status to campus administration rather than shying away from seeking help.

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