By Habakkuk Trust Information Department
321 villagers convened at Zimnyama centre to attend a community meeting organized by Ward 2 Habakkuk Trust Area Action Team to solicit for community views and consensus on the key advocacy issues raised during an advocacy training workshop conducted by Habakkuk Trust two months back.
The elderly, the young, men and women alike braved the scorching heat of the natural region 5 weather to discuss issues concerning access to water and access medical care in the ward.
A unanimous decision was reached that access to water is the most critical issue in the ward as the area generally receives very low and erratic rainfall patterns, and there are few boreholes.
Though the clinic was one of the issues raised during the training workshop, community members concurred that access to water is the major issue as currently people are forced to travel upto 7km daily in search of water.
Testimonies from community members
Mrs. Ester Ndebele 71 years old from Vaka Village
The water situation is bad for us the old women because we do not have anyone to assist us fetch water from afar and we end up skipping meals because of lack of cooking and drinking water.
Mr. Robert Mahamba Ndlovu 44 years old from Mapulula 2 Village
Most of the boreholes in the village are malfunctioning and the only dam we have dried up sometime back. If the dam could be resurfaced and the boreholes repaired and sunk deeper it will save us a lot.
Miss Salome Ncube 26 years old from Sosombane Village
The situation is so hard that in some areas we are risking our lives trying to get water. The wells are now so deep that at anytime the sand call curve in and kill people drawing water. In pother areas we now use ladders to go down and access water.
Ms. Mavis Moyo 36 years old from Mapulula 2
We now get water from a neighboring ward and in the water points people end up fighting and this creates a lot of conflicts in the communities.
Mrs. Thokozile Songo 47 years old from Mapulula 1 Village
After children dismiss from school they are forced to travel long distances to get water and this affects their learning and studying times.
Even those that want to have projects, the projects can only run for 3 to 4 months during the rainy season after that they have to fold down.
There are 11 wells at Mapulula 1 village and of those 11 only 6 are functioning though they break down often, servicing about 140 homesteads
Mrs. Crista Ndlovu from Osabeni Village
In our village we get drinking water from the dam, sharing it with animals. The situation is so bad that we now reuse water especially bathing water is used twice.
Mr. Mayisa - Village Head
There is a pipe that runs from Mthunduluka dam to Vaka and Sosombane schools. That pipe needs to be repaired and the dam resurfaced. There are tanks in the communities that have the capacity to hold lots of water.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
JABULANI SIBANDA STRIKES TERROR IN TSHOLOTSHO
Life in Tsholotsho will never be the same again. The memories and scars of the Gukurahundi terror campaign which have been kept sore by the massive underdevelopment and deliberate acts of marginalization and seclusion leadership are about to be refreshed. Civic Society groups, development workers and opposition activists may be forced to re-plan and realign their work owing to threats of political violence from a well known terror campaigner, war veterans’ leaders and ZANU PF stalwart, Jabulani Sibanda.
According to credible sources that spoke to Habakkuk Trust on condition of anonymity for security reasons, Jabulani Sibanda descended at Tsholotsho Ward 5 (Sipepa) on the 14th of July 2011 in the company of four other war veterans and addressed a meeting of village heads. It’s in the meeting where Sibanda is said to have told the village leaders to ‘stand straight’ in their political affiliation or else ’they will see’.
Sibanda who was accompanied by Jonathan Nkanyezi (from Nyamandlovu), Patrick Ncube (a Tsholotsho DDF worker), a Mr. Ncube and Alice Dube (both Tsholotsho Hospital workers) is also said to have told the village leaders that he is going to be organizing community meetings and wants every village leader to come to the meeting with all the people under their leadership.
The sources say earlier on the day Sibanda had disrupted a meeting at the clinic that was meant to discuss the development of the institution. He further went on to threaten a clinic official whom he told ‘you have no respect and your days are numbered’.
Sibanda has previously been accused of masterminding and executing violent mafia style political terror activity in Masvingo and parts of Mashonaland which left many people dead and some maimed. His presence in Tsholotsho raises fears that he will throw the early 1980s Gukurahundi ripped area into chaos and anarchy.
According to credible sources that spoke to Habakkuk Trust on condition of anonymity for security reasons, Jabulani Sibanda descended at Tsholotsho Ward 5 (Sipepa) on the 14th of July 2011 in the company of four other war veterans and addressed a meeting of village heads. It’s in the meeting where Sibanda is said to have told the village leaders to ‘stand straight’ in their political affiliation or else ’they will see’.
Sibanda who was accompanied by Jonathan Nkanyezi (from Nyamandlovu), Patrick Ncube (a Tsholotsho DDF worker), a Mr. Ncube and Alice Dube (both Tsholotsho Hospital workers) is also said to have told the village leaders that he is going to be organizing community meetings and wants every village leader to come to the meeting with all the people under their leadership.
The sources say earlier on the day Sibanda had disrupted a meeting at the clinic that was meant to discuss the development of the institution. He further went on to threaten a clinic official whom he told ‘you have no respect and your days are numbered’.
Sibanda has previously been accused of masterminding and executing violent mafia style political terror activity in Masvingo and parts of Mashonaland which left many people dead and some maimed. His presence in Tsholotsho raises fears that he will throw the early 1980s Gukurahundi ripped area into chaos and anarchy.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Church leaders speak out on the election road map
Information Department
Church leaders c have called for an independent electoral commission and an updated voter’s roll as well as a non partisan security system as part of the major issues before the holding of elections in Zimbabwe. This came out during a Church and Elections Think Tank meeting organized by Habakkuk Trust on Wednesday 11 May 2011 at Habakkuk Trust UMkhankaso Centre.
Some of the issues that the Church leaders demanded include:
• Culture of violence need to be addressed
• Police and all civil servants should be non partisan
• Need for print and electronic media reforms
• Amendment of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA)
• Civic society to carry out voter education
• Establishment of an electoral court
• Timely accreditation of local observers
• Early deployment of SADC observers
• Access to Information Protection and Privacy Act (AIPPA) need to be revisited
Habakkuk Trust has organized a series of sector based think tank meetings for various civics that are meant to critically discuss and inform the electoral process in Zimbabwe. Today the organization shall be hosting another Think Tank with the youths.
YOUTHS SPEAK OUT ON THE ELECTION ROADMAP.
Thursday the 12th of May saw youths from various institutions, civic groups and community interest groups in Bulawayo coming together to deliberate on the issue of the election roadmap in a think tank meeting organized by Habakkuk Trust at UMkhankaso Centre. This comes as a result of the proposed SADC facilitated election roadmap for Zimbabwe.
The youths noted that the problem lies with the political parties as they do not have programmes that encourage youths to vote or partake in any political activities, ‘the exclusion of the youths start within the political party structures as they use them as observers. We need youths vying for Councilors and Members of parliament posts so that the fellow youths can identify with them,’ lamented Mlungisi Dube a youth commenting on the issue why youths of today lack enthusiasm on political issues.
The issue of delinking the security forces from the political processes came out strongly as the youths vowed that it is going to be a lengthier process than what it is expected to be. ‘Our problem as a country is a security force that is linked to political processes and to delink them will take longer periods than expected,’ noted Darlington Gama. The issue of the security sector reforms has been deemed as paramount in the run up to the elections as opposition parties demand the declaration of non-partisanship by service chiefs who had be viewed as partisan in the previous elections.
Other major issues that came out of this meeting are:
• The urgent need to enact media reforms
• The cleaning up of the voter’s role
• The youths being encouraged to engage in group voter registration
• The utilization of the social networks such as Twitter and Face book for information dissemination
• The need to encourage youths to partake in political processes
• The youths being the game changers in Zimbabwean politics
Habakkuk Trust will continue to host such fora meant to gather people’s views on key governance, policy, human rights and development issues with the aim of increasing citizen participation in such processes as well as influencing policy.
Church leaders c have called for an independent electoral commission and an updated voter’s roll as well as a non partisan security system as part of the major issues before the holding of elections in Zimbabwe. This came out during a Church and Elections Think Tank meeting organized by Habakkuk Trust on Wednesday 11 May 2011 at Habakkuk Trust UMkhankaso Centre.
Some of the issues that the Church leaders demanded include:
• Culture of violence need to be addressed
• Police and all civil servants should be non partisan
• Need for print and electronic media reforms
• Amendment of the Public Order and Security Act (POSA)
• Civic society to carry out voter education
• Establishment of an electoral court
• Timely accreditation of local observers
• Early deployment of SADC observers
• Access to Information Protection and Privacy Act (AIPPA) need to be revisited
Habakkuk Trust has organized a series of sector based think tank meetings for various civics that are meant to critically discuss and inform the electoral process in Zimbabwe. Today the organization shall be hosting another Think Tank with the youths.
YOUTHS SPEAK OUT ON THE ELECTION ROADMAP.
Thursday the 12th of May saw youths from various institutions, civic groups and community interest groups in Bulawayo coming together to deliberate on the issue of the election roadmap in a think tank meeting organized by Habakkuk Trust at UMkhankaso Centre. This comes as a result of the proposed SADC facilitated election roadmap for Zimbabwe.
The youths noted that the problem lies with the political parties as they do not have programmes that encourage youths to vote or partake in any political activities, ‘the exclusion of the youths start within the political party structures as they use them as observers. We need youths vying for Councilors and Members of parliament posts so that the fellow youths can identify with them,’ lamented Mlungisi Dube a youth commenting on the issue why youths of today lack enthusiasm on political issues.
The issue of delinking the security forces from the political processes came out strongly as the youths vowed that it is going to be a lengthier process than what it is expected to be. ‘Our problem as a country is a security force that is linked to political processes and to delink them will take longer periods than expected,’ noted Darlington Gama. The issue of the security sector reforms has been deemed as paramount in the run up to the elections as opposition parties demand the declaration of non-partisanship by service chiefs who had be viewed as partisan in the previous elections.
Other major issues that came out of this meeting are:
• The urgent need to enact media reforms
• The cleaning up of the voter’s role
• The youths being encouraged to engage in group voter registration
• The utilization of the social networks such as Twitter and Face book for information dissemination
• The need to encourage youths to partake in political processes
• The youths being the game changers in Zimbabwean politics
Habakkuk Trust will continue to host such fora meant to gather people’s views on key governance, policy, human rights and development issues with the aim of increasing citizen participation in such processes as well as influencing policy.
Friday, March 4, 2011
GWANDA WOMAN ABDUCTED AND TORTURED
Habakkuk Trust Information Department
In a recent case of politically motivated violence, a 32 years old Gwanda woman was on Monday abducted and tortured by alleged youth militia and war veterans in Silonga, Ward 15 before being released the next day.
Narrating her ordeal to Habakkuk Trust, the woman (name withheld) says ‘ZANU PF youths and war veterans came to my homestead, handcuffed me and beat me with an iron bar on the forehead after which they dragged me to their base within the farm and I was beaten severely all over the body and released the next day in the evening’.
The visible shaken and traumatised woman also revealed that her assailants took away her identity particulars, clothes and medication which they threw into the toilet.
The woman who is an MDC-T supporter said she was beaten for her affiliation with the party and accused her of being an ‘MDC-T daughter in law’.
After her release on Tuesday evening, the mother of two children, a Grade 4 girl and Grade 1 boy sought transport from well-wishers who took her to Gwanda and then Bulawayo where she was accommodated by a Pastor. The Pastor then took her to Habakkuk Trust offices for assistance.
‘As I was running away through the bush I noticed that there were many of them on the road and this made me hide for safety’ narrates the lady who did not report the matter to the Gwanda Police because of fear.
Habakkuk Trust has through its linkages with other civic society groups, managed to advocate for the woman to get immediate medical attention and sought shelter for her and her two children.
Habakkuk Trust Information Department
In a recent case of politically motivated violence, a 32 years old Gwanda woman was on Monday abducted and tortured by alleged youth militia and war veterans in Silonga, Ward 15 before being released the next day.
Narrating her ordeal to Habakkuk Trust, the woman (name withheld) says ‘ZANU PF youths and war veterans came to my homestead, handcuffed me and beat me with an iron bar on the forehead after which they dragged me to their base within the farm and I was beaten severely all over the body and released the next day in the evening’.
The visible shaken and traumatised woman also revealed that her assailants took away her identity particulars, clothes and medication which they threw into the toilet.
The woman who is an MDC-T supporter said she was beaten for her affiliation with the party and accused her of being an ‘MDC-T daughter in law’.
After her release on Tuesday evening, the mother of two children, a Grade 4 girl and Grade 1 boy sought transport from well-wishers who took her to Gwanda and then Bulawayo where she was accommodated by a Pastor. The Pastor then took her to Habakkuk Trust offices for assistance.
‘As I was running away through the bush I noticed that there were many of them on the road and this made me hide for safety’ narrates the lady who did not report the matter to the Gwanda Police because of fear.
Habakkuk Trust has through its linkages with other civic society groups, managed to advocate for the woman to get immediate medical attention and sought shelter for her and her two children.
CONTINUED HEAVY PRESENCE OF ARMED POLICE IN BULAWAYO ALARMING
By Habakkuk Trust Information Department
Bulawayo residents have for the past three days been living in absolute fear emanating from the increased number of armed police details in the streets and the increase in roadblocks along major highways leading to the Matabeleland Capital and Zimbabwe’s second largest City.
Residents have witnessed an increase in the number of armed youthful police officers wearing helmets, carrying teargas canisters and button sticks at major spots such as Egodini bus terminus, TM Hyper and the City Centre.
Emakhandeni residents and local leaders said yesterday they witnessed 8 heavily armed army trucks parked at Emagestini.
Another concern especially from residents traveling along the major highways leading to the City has been the recent increase in roadblocks and police searches.
The prevailing situation continues to instill a lot of fear and despondency to the residents especially at a time when the nation is supposed to be preparing for an election. There are areas within the City where residents have been finding it difficult to carry on with their normal lives and to conduct development work because of fear of police harassment. A case in point is the Habakkuk Trust Emakhandeni Action Team that failed to have a meeting yesterday fearing the police might descend on them.
The heavy police and military presence in the City comes at a time when there has been numerous arrests of civic and political activists nationwide on allegations of plotting mass demonstrations against the government – the Egypt style.
By Habakkuk Trust Information Department
Bulawayo residents have for the past three days been living in absolute fear emanating from the increased number of armed police details in the streets and the increase in roadblocks along major highways leading to the Matabeleland Capital and Zimbabwe’s second largest City.
Residents have witnessed an increase in the number of armed youthful police officers wearing helmets, carrying teargas canisters and button sticks at major spots such as Egodini bus terminus, TM Hyper and the City Centre.
Emakhandeni residents and local leaders said yesterday they witnessed 8 heavily armed army trucks parked at Emagestini.
Another concern especially from residents traveling along the major highways leading to the City has been the recent increase in roadblocks and police searches.
The prevailing situation continues to instill a lot of fear and despondency to the residents especially at a time when the nation is supposed to be preparing for an election. There are areas within the City where residents have been finding it difficult to carry on with their normal lives and to conduct development work because of fear of police harassment. A case in point is the Habakkuk Trust Emakhandeni Action Team that failed to have a meeting yesterday fearing the police might descend on them.
The heavy police and military presence in the City comes at a time when there has been numerous arrests of civic and political activists nationwide on allegations of plotting mass demonstrations against the government – the Egypt style.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Minister challenges the Church on Healing, Reconciliation and Integration.
Information Department
Zimbabwean Church leaders have been challenged to take a leading and influential role in the quest to achieve healing, reconciliation and integration in the country as well as help to develop a road map for healing.
This challenge was made by the Minister of National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration Honourable Moses Mzila Ndlovu at a Think Tank session held at Habakkuk Trust’s UMkhankaso Centre today. The meeting that was attended by Church leaders and Christian organisations was aimed at giving the Christian community an opportunity to interact with the Ministry of National Healing as well as influence key issues of healing affecting Matabeleland and Zimbabwe at large.
‘As the Ministry we are more of listeners than implementers and we expect the Church to stand up for the broader society and in turn we will take seriously your contributions on how we should work’, reiterated the Minister.
The major advocacy issues that came out of the meeting include:
- The need to review legislation to cater for the victims of Gukurahundi,
- The need to accord the people an opportunity to articulate their own expectations of how the healing process should be done.
- The need for the Churches to actively participate on issues of reconciliation and rehabilitation,
- Peace committees to lay a foundation for national healing,
- The Church should participate in the All stakeholders conference to be convened by the Ministry,
- Perpetrators of violence to stand up and say what wrongs they did and seek forgiveness,
- The need for people to speak out on injustices and lack of accountability
- The need to break the ethnic divide.
The Think Tank meeting is part of a series of Sector Think Tanks that Habakkuk Trust is hosting in order to influence policy making and development in the country. Last week, the organisation has hosted a think tank on the mining and extractive sector.
Zimbabwean Church leaders have been challenged to take a leading and influential role in the quest to achieve healing, reconciliation and integration in the country as well as help to develop a road map for healing.
This challenge was made by the Minister of National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration Honourable Moses Mzila Ndlovu at a Think Tank session held at Habakkuk Trust’s UMkhankaso Centre today. The meeting that was attended by Church leaders and Christian organisations was aimed at giving the Christian community an opportunity to interact with the Ministry of National Healing as well as influence key issues of healing affecting Matabeleland and Zimbabwe at large.
‘As the Ministry we are more of listeners than implementers and we expect the Church to stand up for the broader society and in turn we will take seriously your contributions on how we should work’, reiterated the Minister.
The major advocacy issues that came out of the meeting include:
- The need to review legislation to cater for the victims of Gukurahundi,
- The need to accord the people an opportunity to articulate their own expectations of how the healing process should be done.
- The need for the Churches to actively participate on issues of reconciliation and rehabilitation,
- Peace committees to lay a foundation for national healing,
- The Church should participate in the All stakeholders conference to be convened by the Ministry,
- Perpetrators of violence to stand up and say what wrongs they did and seek forgiveness,
- The need for people to speak out on injustices and lack of accountability
- The need to break the ethnic divide.
The Think Tank meeting is part of a series of Sector Think Tanks that Habakkuk Trust is hosting in order to influence policy making and development in the country. Last week, the organisation has hosted a think tank on the mining and extractive sector.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
RESIDENTS TO CHALLENGE ZBH LICENSES
By Habakkuk Trust Information Department
In a reaction to the residents’ complaints over ZBH Television and Radio licence fees, Habakkuk Trust has initiated a campaign meant to help the residents amplify their voices and complaints on the said matter.
The campaign that is aimed at assisting the citizens petition the broadcasting authority over license fees is a reaction to the ZBH programme of licences fee collection. The main borne of contention is that:
• The ZBH license staff demand fees even from those citizens that are on satellite dish and do not view Zimbabwe Television,
• Residents of Bulawayo are complaining that they do not see value in paying their licenses because there are very few programmes from the region and there is rarely any news coming from this region,
• They also raised concerns that ZBH is no longer a public broadcaster as it has literally turned out to be a ZANU PF broadcasting authority which churns out partisan messages and information. This happens in the context of a Government of National Unity and at the expense of other developmental news.
Habakkuk Trust and the Advocacy Action Teams have therefore begun circulating a petition demanding the broadcasting authority to immediately reform its operations or face residents’ boycott of license fees. Moreover, the petition demands the authority to stops collecting money from residents until such a time when its programming is improved, balanced and non-partisan.
The organisation therefore urges all progressive citizens to sign the petition and write letters on the issue.
Currently, residents are being forced to pay USD50 per year for home television licenses. Home radio listeners without television sets are forced to fork out USD20 whilst car radio owners will have to part with USD30.
Habakkuk Trust will also be running a special news flash on licenses that are meant to publish residents’ views, opinions and comments regarding the issue.
In a reaction to the residents’ complaints over ZBH Television and Radio licence fees, Habakkuk Trust has initiated a campaign meant to help the residents amplify their voices and complaints on the said matter.
The campaign that is aimed at assisting the citizens petition the broadcasting authority over license fees is a reaction to the ZBH programme of licences fee collection. The main borne of contention is that:
• The ZBH license staff demand fees even from those citizens that are on satellite dish and do not view Zimbabwe Television,
• Residents of Bulawayo are complaining that they do not see value in paying their licenses because there are very few programmes from the region and there is rarely any news coming from this region,
• They also raised concerns that ZBH is no longer a public broadcaster as it has literally turned out to be a ZANU PF broadcasting authority which churns out partisan messages and information. This happens in the context of a Government of National Unity and at the expense of other developmental news.
Habakkuk Trust and the Advocacy Action Teams have therefore begun circulating a petition demanding the broadcasting authority to immediately reform its operations or face residents’ boycott of license fees. Moreover, the petition demands the authority to stops collecting money from residents until such a time when its programming is improved, balanced and non-partisan.
The organisation therefore urges all progressive citizens to sign the petition and write letters on the issue.
Currently, residents are being forced to pay USD50 per year for home television licenses. Home radio listeners without television sets are forced to fork out USD20 whilst car radio owners will have to part with USD30.
Habakkuk Trust will also be running a special news flash on licenses that are meant to publish residents’ views, opinions and comments regarding the issue.
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