Style 25 jan 15

The Standard

Style JANUARY 25 TO 31, 2015

I SSUE 38

Star Profile

style@standard.co.zw

Fungai Tichawangana

Inside

Mellisa Mazhingi Photo: Courtesy of Zimbo Jam Archives

2 THE STANDARD STYLE / CONTENTS

The Standard

Style

Contents

P14

January 25 to 31, 2015

P08

P15 Woman & Man

P03

P07

3 Woman Profile

Mellisa Mazhingi

5 Motivation

Tafadzwa Taruvinga / Cynthi aHakutangwi

6 Man Profile

Fungai Tichawangana

Home & Garden 9 Home of the Week

Enter our competition

10 Trends

Kitchen Trends

Food & Drink 14 Eating Out

Dusty Miller

15 Wine

Lebbie

Family

P09

P17

17 Family of the Week

Mr and Mrs Chakabva

20 Family Getaway

Lost Pets

Arts 21 Breaking New Ground 22 Bookworm

Farirai Chavura Being judge for Etisalat Prize for Literature

To advertise in The Standard Style magazine please phone (04) 773930-8 Patience Mutimutema pmutimutema@alphamedia.co.zw Khalisto Manyanye kmanyanye@alphamedia.co.zw Nyasha Makovere nmakovere@alphamedia.co.zw

THE STANDARD STYLE / WOMAN / PROFILE 3

January 25 to 31, 2015

Star Profile

Mellisa Mazhingi Dressed by Rungano Rwedu Prudence Muganiwah

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ellisa Mazingi is a fashion and media entrepreneur in Zimbabwe. She is the founder of Zim Fashionista, Zimbabwe’s leading fashion website at www.zimfashionista.com and winner of a Zimbabwe Fashion Award for Blogger of the Year 2013. She is also the Managing Director of Runway Productions, a fashion events and PR company that specialises in the marketing and brand growth of Zimbabwean fashion businesses. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Auditing, is an alumni of the Young African Leaders Initiative Washington Fellowship and has represented Zimbabwe at the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards competition in New York City.

Mellisa’s latest development of her fashion business is zedlabel, an online store for local fashion designers. “I recognised through previous PR and marketing work for clothing and accessory designers that there was a need for a cost-effective selling platform for Zimbabwean fashion, as setting up a physical store is a costly investment for most. So the idea for zedlabel originated from there.” zedlabel has however grown to be more than an online store, and this is driven by a passion to be part of the development the Zimbabwean fashion industry. zedlabel also offers funding to local designers through the zedlabel Fashion Finance program. The first round of designers in the Fashion Finance program for 2014 are Paidemoyo Chideya of acclaimed clothing brand DeMoyo, as well as the award-winning Tinashe Adby Phiri who will be producing a menswear collection for zedlabel. These two exclusive collections will be available on zedlabel.com from our launch on 1 December 2014. The second round of the Fashion Finance program will be targeted towards young design students and up-coming designers. From January 2015 the five selected designers will participate in a twomonth training and mentoring program and be guided through the process of producing a retail collection, from sketching and fabric selection to sample production and the generation of the finished collection for sale. This is an important part of the zedlabel business as I’m passionate about development and growth.

Another element of zedlabel is its fashion focused co-workspaces. These are small design and production hubs for local fashion designers, providing low-cost workspace from which to run their design brands. The first co-workspace opened in November 2014, in Harare. zedlabel is all about supporting and developing the Zimbabwean fashion industry - through offering a retail platform with nationwide delivery within 72 hours, to providing affordable workspace for local fashion designers and facilitating training and mentoring. Launching its online retail at zedlabel.com on 1 December 2014, I am looking forward to seeing more Zimbabwean people wearing Zimbabwean clothes and increasing the number of designers selling their clothing and accessories through zedlabel. Mellisa has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Auditing and has previously worked in audit at a local firm; she is passionate about applying her business knowledge to the fashion industry to create and grow commercial fashion businesses from Zimbabwean fashion talent.

Photo credit is Colin Meda.

Dress by House of Alpha Rose

4 THE STANDARD STYLE / WOMAN / FASHION

January 25 to 31 2015

THE WEDDING PLANNER

Ethics in the Wedding Business Rufaro Mushonga

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ery recently a fellow wedding coordinator and good friend got in touch with me. She had an Australia-based Zimbabwean couple who were looking for a good choreographer for their wedding dances, or “steps” as we like to call them. I have a few brilliant choreographers on my list, so I recommended a couple, and my friend shot them down immediately, saying that they were far too expensive. I told her they were “high end” brands, and then I thought to ask her how much they had quoted. One of them had tripled their normal price! Now at this point I would normally have offered to negotiate the service provider down on behalf of the client, but this time I was a bit hesitant. Now, I am no economist, but as wedding service providers in Zimbabwe, are we charging “diasporans” more than we charge our Zim-based clients?

And if yes, is this fair? Is there any justification for this? Secondly, do we charge our Zimbased customers based on what we think they can afford, or are we charging them our “normal” rates?

I would like to encourage wedding service providers in the industry, to give their clients, both locally and internationally based, the confidence that they will be treated fairly, and given a quality service on their special day.

Exercise Integrity Remember that in our industry, word of mouth is invaluable. You are only as good as your last event. Did you charge the client fairly, and did you deliver quality? If you did not, then that client, not to mention anyone else who was at the wedding, will spread the negative experience, and if you lose integrity, you lose business.

Avoid Capitalising on One Client If you “hit the jackpot” and land yourself a great wedding couple -with a huge wedding budget, it is not ethical to charge them your full 12 month’s rent, just because you think they can afford it. They will not appreciate being over-charged, and if they realise that you have done so, you will lose out on business.

There are different ways to benefit from being part of big event that is likely to be publicised.

Red lipstick and red hair

Use the opportunity to create awareness for your brand, not to get rich quick.

Listen, and give your clients what they want As wedding service providers, many of us are creative people, and with every client that we meet we see an opportunity to show off our creativity in the service that we deliver. There is nothing wrong with this, until we get carried away and forget what the client asked for.

Let’s keep the needs of our clients in mind,

and watch the referrals grow our business.

And of course, if you have managed to establish yourself as one of the leading brands in your field, then by all means, charge what you know you are worth. If you have built a name for yourself through the quality of your work, then clients will acknowledge this and pay for it.

Rufaro Mushonga rufmush@gmail.com Wedding Planner

Summer 2015 Trends! The Good, the Bright and the Ugly

Paidemoyo Chideya

T Yolanda Lindsay Mabuto

R

ed is the colour of passion, energy and action. It excites senses by igniting thoughts of danger and love but underlines the importance of caution and warning. It is far from subtle and reflects ambition, exudes power and will of survival with warm positivity that trails with a fiery edge of determination and a pioneering spirit. With such qualities it is the perfect colour to adorn strong personalities.

The confidence that resonates from red-lovers is piercing and can be fuelled into attributes of leadership and strong-willed go-getters. Are you courageous and bold? Are you the centre of attention and emit a radiance

that people cannot ignore? Are people drawn to your vitality and your love for life and adventure? Are you competitive? If red is your personality colour then do realise that red clothes are not the only way to express your personality and sometimes we cannot be as outrageous with our outfits but red lips or red hair is the perfect timeless way to add that exciting look without going overboard with the colour blocking. The colour red spreads itself across numerous shades containing tints of blue, brown or yellow and we have to customize our perfect red choice for our skin tone.

My personal favourite is the “firecracker” red. It is very vibrant and blends well with various skin tones. Try red and let your inner FIERCE shine!

his season, to start things off fresh, make friends with your crisp white shirts. Clean, over sized cuts for a more modern take on a timeless classic. This season white shirts are here to stay till fall. Worn with anything from fold over skirts (another SS15 favorite), striped bottoms or dress, and even the Shirt dress has made a major comeback. This staple being the most versatile, you’ll find yourself gravitating towards this piece for the next few months.

Remember the time when frilly debutante style dressed were all the rage? Well as of this Summer, it seems as though they’ve made a frill-tastic comeback. Seen on the runways of Gucci, Givenchy, and Balenciaga this lady-like accent has adorned collars, hemlines, sleeves, and was even seen as peplum substitutes.

One of this season’s biggest trends takes form in stripes. Striped shirts, striped dress pants, striped skinny’s and the like. Not only is this pattern slimming (Major Plus), but it also adds to elongating one’s frame.

Gingham prints aren’t anything new, but for Spring 2015, designers are honing in on a new way of presenting them. Presented in a range of colors that best any picnic tablecloth, they’re likely to find

fans beyond the more traditional wearer. Anything but precious, this print — is primed for a streetstyle-worthy comeback.Stick to thinner stripes for a more slimming effect. Which leads to another of this season’s must wear’s… Black and White. Stripes stuck to a mostly black and white color palette, as this duo was one of the season’s most celebrated color scheme. Seen at Acne, Philosophy, Balmain, and Michael Kors.

By Paidemoyo Chideya Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss, you will still land amongst the stars!

Design@paidemoyochideya.com

THE STANDARD STYLE / INSPIRATION 5

January 25 to 31, 2015

Your best foot forward (Part 4) Cynthia Hakutangwi

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n this last instalment in the series “Your best foot forward” we will explore the levels and types of friendships and how the people we choose to associate with can help us to achieve our goals and constantly keep our best foot forward. Having previously examined “how you enter a new season,” “which lens you are putting on” and “how to make changes in decent strides,” it is imperative that we also examine who we have chosen to walk with in the path of life we have decided to take. Is it within our resolutions for the New Year to maintain our friendships from the previous year(s), to let go of some of them or to invest in new friendships?

Friends influence our lives daily, encouraging us to pursue our goals and dreams.

We often make many decisions based on the counsel of friends, and through friendship, we can significantly impact the lives of others.

Friendship generally evolves through various stages which can vary generally from having an acquaintance, a casual friendship to a close friendship. With an “acquaintance” this level of friendship is characterized by occasional contacts. These are people with who you exchange friendly greetings on a regular basis.

This can develop deeper when you are prepared to ask good questions to maintain the conversation. A “casual friendship” can develop quickly, even during your initial contact with an individual. As you discover common interests, activities, and concerns, you may be given freedom to ask more personal questions. In a bonded, close and intimate friendship is where you have friends who are “there for you” and earn your trust and friendship with actions that show they like being around you and care about you. These are the friends who listen, cheer you up, and offer their help.

Who are you walking with?

This level of friendship usually carries with it the responsibility to picture true achievement for one another, exhorting one another daily. In this level of friendship you discuss specific goals in your lives, identify potential hindrances to achieving those goals and creatively design projects to help you reach your goals. This deep level of friendship should be based on a commitment to generously invest in one another’s lives with the goal of helping each other mature in good character. At this level, friends have freedom to correct one another and point out each other’s blind spots.

Mentor, Role Model or Coach?

There are distinct and important differences in the three different types of people that can have influence over your life. Making the right

choice will determine your interaction with the individual. The three types share many commonalities- they all embody a person that has qualities and/or skills that you would like to emulate. A role model is an individual in which the behaviour is observed from a distance. The key difference between a role model and a mentor is the one on one interaction. A mentor is someone that the individual works with on a fairly regular basis. Mentors are people who share their knowledge and experience with us. It is not unusual for a mentor to be older, and as a result look at life a different way. Mentors help us navigate our career and personal choices, as well as introduce us to new people. A mentor can become a friend at some point, especially when both people are more on the same level. The individual

and their coach on the other hand have a task based relationship. A coach looks at you work and gives you advice on how to improve your results. The choices we make and the willingness we invest in identifying relevant friendships will affect our journey to a significant and wholesome life. Cynthia is a Communications and Personal Development Consultant, a Life Coach, Author, and Strategist. She is the Managing Consultant of Wholeness Incorporated. Her published book titles include “The Whole You – Vital Keys for Balanced Living” and “Intelligent Conversations: A mindset shift towards a developed Africa.” E-mail: cynthia@wholenessincorporated.com. Facebook: Wholeness Incorporated.

Website: www.wholenessincorporated.com

There’s an Ant in my Chicken Soup Tafadzwa Zimunhu Taruvinga

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y friend has always talked about this restaurant in awe. I hadn’t found a moment in time to pay it a visit, nor have I traditionally liked soups in general. But today I have found the time. Charged with some money in my pocket and an appetite for, supposedly, the tastiest soup in town, I set out to the restaurant that’s tucked neatly somewhere in Northern Harare. When I arrive, I receive a hearty welcome, and I immediately hope that the chicken soup will be even heartier. I choose a table closer to the pond, by the fountain, from where the fresh breeze of the falling waters can embrace me and cool me off before I delve into a steamy hot soup.

The day is coolish – not too cold, not hot at all. I order a glass of their finest white wine, an import from the depths of Bordeaux. It will be as tintillating to the tastebuds as it will prepare my palate for some soup. I don’t even need to see the menu. The waiter comes to take my order. I will have the famous chicken soup.

The timing is good. The soup makes its

way to my table in fifteen minutes, as has been the chef ’s promise. It’s been made from scratch, with nothing frozen or overly processed. The vegetables are all organic and they have been hand-picked.

The chicken has been tenderised in some herbs. The chicken is boneless. The chef ’s introduction is remarkable. But when he leaves my table, the chef, I notice an army ant floating about in the thick and creamy soup. I pause for a moment, before I can call the waiter to my attention. I pause to ponder. I remember that even when my glass is now half empty, it’s still half full of some fine white from Bordeaux. Even the ant which floats about in my soup, endowed with calcium and protein and iron, serves a purpose in a meal. That, even sadness serves to make way for happiness. Even weakness makes way for a strength that knows weakness. Even pain makes way for healing. Even temporary failure serves to make way for success. Even hopelessness makes way for renewed promise. I guzzle the soup gluttonously, and I chew the ant. I thank the chef for the soup, and I thank God for the wholesome ant.

Tafadzwa Taruvinga is the author of “Serve Your Customers EXCELLENTLY, Or Not At All!”, as well as “In THIS Lifetime...You can live your dream”, which are both available at Book Café in Harare, Zimbabwe. You can get in touch with

Tafadzwa at tafadzwazt@gmail.com or visit his Facebook pages at www.facebook. com/tafadzwaztaruvinga and www.facebook.com/mazibhuku

6 THE STANDARD STYLE / MAN / GROOMING

January 25 to 31, 2015

3 SUIT DESTROYERS Marshall Malikula

Your suits are investment pieces and they are meant to have a long life span. Truth be told, you have spent some real dollars on it. Unfortunately there are a few hidden dangers that can slowly destroy a suit, chipping away at it until it’s a formless thread bare mess.

Your suit is bound to get dirty and sport a few wrinkles after a while, don’t panic and rush to get it cleaned. Dry cleaning chemicals are harsh and can damage fabric. If you find a few wrinkles or some debris on your suit simply use a lint roller and then have the suit pressed; it will come back as good as new without chemical wear and tear.

Improper luggage

Wire hangers Right

Wrong

Right

Cheap plastic and wire hangers are absolutely worst and no suit should have to endure that kind of pain. These hangers cause extra stress on your suit and leave line marks, especially on the shoulders. Worse, even fine dry cleaners will often give your suit back on a wire hanger. Instead grab a nice cedar, which will give your suit the luxury and attention it needs, preserving the shape and shoulders to be worn another day; while discouraging moths from chowing it down.

Excessive dry cleaning

Wrong

My accessory of the week: Pocket square

Travelling can be tough on your suit and unless you have the right gear to protect it, it’s bound to get messy. Travelling garment bags made specifically for suits do exist and can help protect your suit from wrinkles and wear that will eventually degrade it. Packing just got easier. Avoid suitcases at all costs!

Marshall Malikula is a Brand manager, Image Consultant, Stylist and he can be reached on marshmalikula@gmail.com

THE STANDARD STYLE / MAN / PROFILE 7

January 25 to 31, 2015

Star Profile:

Fungai Tichawangana Photos: Courtesy of Zimbo Jam Archives

Prudence Muganiwah

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ho hasn’t heard of Zimbojam?

In fact, who doesn’t go onto the Zimbojam website for the latest social commentary, local news and celeb gossip? It’s the “place to be” if one really wants the freshest updated Zimbabwean news.

Oh but there is way lots more than Zimbojam in the brains of its inventor!

But who is the brains behind all this amazing work? It is none other than Fungai Tichawangana, born in Harare and bred in Bulawayo. After attending Hatfield Junior School and a subsequent stint in Chitungwiza, his family moved to Bulawayo where he was to complete his primary education at Tennyson School and secondary at Milton High School.

With his passion in writing, photography and digital media, the bright spark writes for a number of publications and can usually be seen all over Harare with his camera, snapping away at different events. Fungai explains that even as a child, his passion for writing was apparent and he completed his first manuscript for a story at age 12. At the

same age one of his aunts gave him his first camera after he had shown great interest in a newer camera she had just purchased. “It was a 24 exposure film camera – I recall how I had to save money to buy the film and then think long and hard before taking any photos as I only had 24 shots before the film ran out.”

The interest in writing was to continue as the Maths, Physics, Chemistry and French student went on to finish manuscripts for three other books. While in college at the University of Zimbabwe, Fungai realized that even while he was studying Electrical Engineering, his passions for writing and photography did not die away, instead they blossomed and eventually he discovered a third passion; digital media.

Consequently, he set up a website and online content development business; Venekera Works, with two friends Brian Gondo and Tsitsi Masvaure.

Venekera was one of Zimbabwe’s first dedicated web development businesses which ran some of the first commercial online mailing lists in the country. By 2004, before social media took over, the company managed to launch www.itsbho.com, an entertainment

website which reached over 16 million monthly hits at its peak.

2007 saw Venekera Works being bought over

by Stock-Exchange-listed Celsys Limited, and Fungai staying with company for the next nine months before leaving to explore new frontiers. Unfortunately, Itsbho.com died soon after Venekera was bought as Celsys was apparently keener to pursue web development over the web portal business. Fungai recalls the utter disappointment of hearing that the site was no more.

The mega-brains did not despair, and 2008 saw him start work on a new website which he called Zimbo Jam. The idea behind it was to take what had been happening with Itsbho.com and push it up a few notches. “I wanted to create a cutting edge platform that would document, celebrate and challenge Zimbabwean lifestyle, arts and culture. The visual aspect of the site had to be really powerful as I wanted people not just to read about what was happening but to see it as well.” This meant Tichawangana was busier than ever covering up to 15 events a week, taking the photographs, writing the articles and uploading them, while at the same time making sure to keep the technical aspects of the websites up to date.

Within a few months the site was garnering thousands of visits, and in 2010 Zimbo Jam was acknowledged nationally when the National Arts Council introduced a special award at the National Arts Merit Awards (NACZ) to honour the site for its work in documenting the arts.

Subsequent national recognition include 2013 and 2014 awards for Outstanding Online Arts Publisher. Not surprisingly, Zimbo Jam has opened up many doors for Tichawangana and he is invited to many platforms locally and internationally to speak about the Internet, online journalism and social media.

A few examples are:  2010, 2011 - invited to be on the judges panel for the Highway Africa New Media Awards; Africa’s biggest gathering of journalists  2010, 2011, 2012 - the official photo editor for the conference’s daily newspaper, Open Source.  2011 - made a presentation during a side session on Internet Freedom at the 17th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.  2012 - invited to attend the Internet Governance Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan  2013 - selected for the United States International Visitors’ Leadership Programme which took 29 young global leaders on a five-city social media tour of organisations that are at the cutting edge of digital media. This included a visit to Twitter Headquarters and meetings with the creators of platforms like MapStory and the Barack Obama social media campaign.  2014 - honoured by Junior Chamber International as one of the 10 Outstanding Young Persons of Zimbabwe, winning the award in the Business Economic & Entrepreneurial accomplishment category.

Back home, Fungai is involved in various initiatives and sits on the boards of various arts and civil society organisations. ““My

work exposes me to new people, all the time.

In one day I can be photographing an event in Highfield in the afternoon and then chatting with Diplomats and business people at another event in the evening.”

He has also had the fortune of touring with music legend, Oliver Mtukudzi, documenting the superstar as he charmed audiences beyond Zimbabwe’s borders. However, like in any other field, he has faced his own set of obstacles in trying to achieve his dreams.

“There have been many overwhelming challenges, but the greatest by far was when my wife of three years and best friend of ten, passed away in 2011 after a drunk driver went flying through a stop sign and rammed into her car. I’m one of those people who believes in having a positive mindset, in overcoming great odds, but when that happened I was devastated in a way I did not know was possible. I remember when the court hearing took place and the guy who caused the accident got away with a US$400 fine I lost it and yelled at the magistrate. For a long time I was angry; with the system of justice, with God, with so many things.”

The devastation he felt back then is evident as he further explains, “You know that feeling of absolute helplessness, where you know nothing you can do will fix things. I felt that.

Long and hard. I wanted to pack up and leave Zimbabwe, but it was the Zimbo Jam team who made me stay. When I was away from work they carried on pushing, making mistakes but pushing nonetheless. They, and a number of close friends, encouraged me to take as much time as I wanted – and I did. Time is an amazing healer.”

Perhaps the fact that his biggest value is that of gratitude pushes him on and keeps him strong. “I wake up every morning and the first thing I say is thank you. Just to make sure I don’t forget, I have a statement that I read every day that is full of gratitude for all the blessings in my life. I also believe in exerting every effort to find out what your gift is and then to pursue that thing as far as you can, as has you can, no matter how difficult it is.”

Fortunately, he has been lucky enough to find love again. Drawing inspiration from his parents who taught him long term planning and perseverance, he also gets support and motivation from his friends Joseph Bunga, Milton Kamwendo, Jonah Mungoshi, his long time friend Leo Gaviao and many others.

The easygoing yet ever busy mind says, “If you invite me to your house, please cook rice rine dove and road runner. Munenge mandigona!” (…rice with peanut butter and road runner chicken. It’s the best thing you can do for me) Fungai’s parting shot? “When deciding on a career the first question should not be, “Where is the most money?” It should always be, “What is my area of gifting?” Start there, plan well, set goals, take action every single day, and the rest will follow.”

Coming from such a successful, positiveminded, high-achieving young man, not taking these few words of advice would be quite foolish and self-destructing.

For Fungai Tichawangana is nothing but a refreshing burst of positive energy!

8 THE STANDARD STYLE / MAN / WHEELS

January 25 to 31, 2015

The all new Nissan Patrol – The Hero of all Terrain Fact Jeke

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he story began in Japan in 1951 with the introduction of the butch and robust Nissan Patrol. 2014 saw the unveiling of the sixth generation with more advanced technology and innovation giving its competitors stiffer competition. Present day Zimbabwe sees a brownish purple vehicle big and robust graces the showroom floor at Nissan Clover Leaf Motors on Mutare road in Msasa at a competitive price tag of $119 000.00 making it the cheaper than its competitor, the Toyota Landcruiser..

The Nissan Patrol’s VK56VD 5.6 litre V8 engine, an engine that’s the most powerful in its class but still boasts remarkable fuel efficiency, lets you go where others don’t dare. With its 298kW of power and a beyond exceptional 560Nm of torque, even the most unwelcoming terrain can be tamed. Go forth and conquer as you drive down the toughest terrains in Zimbabwe.

In 2014 a significant facelift has arrived, with revised tail lights and built-in LED headlights. New tan interior was added and new sets of wheels.

This latest evolution of a 4x4 legend has a

new look outside and in. While adding new levels of style and refinement to the journey, the new Patrol maintains its authentic heritage, and is as tough and unstoppable as ever.

Distinctive styling. Rugged strength. Exceptional on and off-road agility. Transcending expectations. Pushing boundaries. Shifting horizons that’s the Patrol for you.

The Nissan Patrol infuses rugged heritage with distinct style perfect for the senior executive. Its intrinsic capability to conquer any surface and its smooth, extrinsic finish creates the perfect balance between its ability to be tough, as well as aesthetically impressive.

The legendary design coupled with its on and off-road capability, makes this vehicle a perfect example of superb 4x4 engineering.

Not everything about the Nissan Patrol is rugged and tough. In fact, climb inside and you’ll find a refreshing degree of opulence and excellent styling.

A two-tone finish complements the curvy dashboard, with a 4-dial instrument panel that is easy to read at a glance. The seats have been re-designed to provide greater comfort and support. Revel in the indulgence of leather trim, brushed aluminium dial surrounds and a classic woodgrain effect. All passengerfacing surfaces incorporate soft-feel material, which enhances the luxury of the cabin. Add

electrically powered front seats, automatic front and rear climate control, 6 CD in-dash audio, cruise control and a sunroof, and you get an interior that will take you through the harshest terrain in the lap of luxury.

Space and seating were designed with comfort and adaptability firmly in mind.

With up to 2226 litres to swallow whatever equipment or luggage you may need, load space is something you’ll never have to worry about again. Then there’s the highly adjustable rear seat configuration - seven seats, three rows, split, reclining, folding. And armrests, cool drink holders, and deep door pockets. For your family’s every need and comfort.

When the going gets tough, get going in a Nissan Patrol. Climb a 39° gradient. You can wade through 700mm of water. Taking the rough with the smooth, the Nissan Patrol’s all steel body on a strong ladder frame chassis, highly articulated suspension and flexible four-wheel drive system make it relentless.

The Nissan Patrol’s superior handling is enhanced with all-round, multi-link suspension, which provides reassuring high-speed stability with a calm and supple ride on-road. Heavy duty coil springs smooth out the bumps and boulders for excellent durability and ride comfort. Add telescopic front and rear shock absorbers and stabiliser bars for improved

cornering, and you get the confidence that comes with authentic off-road power and performance.

The Anti lock Braking System (ABS) detects what sort of surface the Nissan Patrol is on, and automatically adjusts itself to best handle the situation should you have to brake suddenly. What’s more, the actual construction of the Nissan Patrol is geared towards safety and ride comfort - whatever the ride.

To make this vehicle stand out on safety, about 90% of driver information is visual.

The Nissan Patrol’s commanding road height, multi-reflector halogen headlamps and excellent instrument visibility will help you to anticipate potentially hazardous situations and make accurate decisions to avert them.

In the event of collision, the Nissan Patrol is engineered to maximise your protection and reduce or avoid injury from impact as well as secondary injury risk just after impact.

Dual front airbags inflate in milliseconds to provide an extra margin of protection for the driver and front passenger. Pop in to Nissan Clover Leaf Motors in Msasa for a test drive and quote.

Till next week, be safe.

Additional source: Nissan & Quickpic Email me on missjeke@gmail.com

THE STANDARD STYLE

HOME & GARDEN

COMPETITION

Send us a picture of your Home and enter “ZIMBABWE’S MOST BEAUTIFUL HOME” competition and stand a chance to win a self catering holiday for two couples in the picturesque Eastern Highlands

style@standard.co.zw

Specification: JPEG minimum size 2MB picture quality 300dpi

This week’s code: STDSTYHM38

10 THE STANDARD STYLE / HOME & GARDEN / TRENDS

Kitchen Trends

T

rends like fashion come and go, however in the flurry of finding what works for you, you may end up thinking that it’s best to play it safe. Playing it safe will ensure that your kitchens remain exactly that yet you are probably yearning for some pizazz.

All decorating projects require emotional and financial investment and any work done has to last for some years, so go trends that defy time and manage to look spot on all the time. They actually upscale your home and increase its overall value or stand out as a selling point.

January 25 to 31, 2015

Lighting Hanging pendant lights are the rage. The key with this style is to group them together in threes for a balanced effect. Copper, stainless steel or aluminium work well in minimalistic kitchens that need a focal point. Led lighting in your glass cabinets to highlight a collection is worth considering.

Type of Kitchen Melamine

Melamine kitchens are the most popular as they are easy to work with and you can achieve virtually any look that you want. There is a wide range of colours available and a reasonable cost. These kitchens will always be on trend as they can be minimalist or showman. They can transcend any style any need minimal maintenance. You can buy them as modular DIY kitchens and fit yourself or get a designer and carpenter to do plan and fit one for you

Pendant lighting will always uplift a kitchen.

Solid or Engineered Wood

Fabulous Kitchens always the focal point of any home. Image www.architecturaldigest.com

Solid wood Kitchens are trending now as people are looking to express their lifestyles more explicitly.

Woods that are on trend are Saligna, White and Red Oak, Cherry, drift wood, reclaimed wood and teak.

Kitchens in solid wood will attract a higher price tag as the wood has to go through a rigid treatment process before it is ready to be used. These are durable kitchens and wood stains give an authentic premier look to any style. Though colour ranges are limited, drift wood gives a better white washed. If you want a painted wood look it is advisable that you use pine that is finely sanded and then paint over it rather than cover beautiful wood grain.

Clarity Minimalist is the way to go if you want a clean , clear cut look. You can incorporate your appliances like the Fridge, dish washer and microwave oven into the cabinetry so that they are hidden from view. Avoid curved lines as this dates quickly.

You can de-construct your kitchen by mixing styles especially when you have an ultra modern kitchen but work a vintage looking stove

Clean lines give clarity to a space- image www. architectural digest.com

Living Space Simple stylish kitchen with wooden cabinets. The styling blends in with the wooden floors. – image – www. architectural design.com

Another trend is to incorporate living space into your kitchen not just bar stools but a more user friendly dining area that opens up onto a patio or veranda.

Technology and Colour

Embrace technology and spoil yourself the latest in kitchen appliances. Invest in coloured appliances with a remote control function. Some kitchen drawers also come with a remote control or mechanised opening and closing function. For this kind of functionality, the best kitchen designs are from Italy.

Kitchen faucets - you can use oil rubbed bronze or brass taps that fully function with sensors, meaning that they work whenever they sense your motion. Or use warm metal fixtures in polished copper or brass.

Use clear white or coloured kitchen sinks for pizazz.

Break the colour of a dark kitchen but using white and buttercup to lighten the mood. A sitting arrangement adds character and warmth. Image – www.architecturaldigest. com

Portable Garden

Use your window sills as portable herb gardens. Plant herbs in small flower pots so that you will always have fresh herbs for your culinary delights.

Make 2015 your year to upscale and enjoy the process.

A copper sink takes an ordinary kitchen to undeniable elegance. Image – www.coppersinksonline.com

Credits: www.sahomeowner.co.za www.architecturaldigest.com Noma Ndlovu is an Interior Designer and a Property Stylist. Email:unaminkosi@yahoo.co.uk.www.facebook.com/unamihomestyle +263775402083

THE STANDARD STYLE / HOME & GARDEN /INSPIRATION 11

January 25 to 31, 2015

Upscaling your Cooking Tools Noma Ndlovu

T

he kitchen is a wonderful place and where soul food is made. It makes sense that it should the pride of the home. Cookware has evolved greatly and we have moved from the old black pots or the aluminium pots that would be deformed after repeated use. It could have been that a lot of us were not exposed to high quality cookware or simply that we did not place great importance in the utensils we used.

Durability

Cooking is a lifestyle experience and it should be enjoyed especially if those you are cooking for have a special place in your heart. It follows then that you should use the best affordable quality that’s available. Treat it as an investment. Good quality cookware can last more than ten years and its worth splurging out. Consider the following when updating the great stuff in the kitchen Durability need not compromise style – image- www.tefal.co.uk

Colourful cookware adds fun and function in your kitchen – Image www.lecrueset.com

Functionality and Purpose

There are a lot of cookware brands available at any price. High prices are not necessarily synonymous with quality but it will be worth your while to investigate. Durability need not stand in the way of style. I would recommend that you buy products that are guaranteed and are non – stick, dishwasher safe and of a recognisable brand. Cast iron and enamel coated last longer and handle heat and washing well. Midrange pricing can give you a durable product depending on your budget , but the in the long run, it is always best to buy reputable brands that offer a guarantee or warranty of some sort so that should it malfunction.

Style

Bake and Serve - Functionality and Purpose in one. Image – www.temp-tations.com Functionality and Purpose are very important key elements that help determine what and when to buy regarding your kitchen updates. Determine what you are going to use the items for and whether they can serve more than one purpose. It is always good to buy cookware that can double up as serving dishes. This saves you the hassle of having to cook, decant and serve.

Colour Colour will always be the best way to update anything. The trend has always been to do muted colours in kitchens. Elegant as they might be, a splash of colour will bring your personality to life. These colour pops need not be expensive, it can simply be updating your old toaster, mixer, kettle or fryer with something unique and simply leave your kitchen walls and cupboards as they are. These are easy and quick updates that reflect the detail of your style. Colour has a direct effect on mood. Bright colours will instantly uplift a mood, while some may be too loud and agitate, it is best to tone down the shades so that your updates complement and not compete with your kitchen.

Add a splash of colour - image – www.treasurehunters.co.uk

The Vintage Look gives your kitchen a regal but warm look. Image- www. Luxist.com Everyone has a personal style that they want to reflect or they are known for. I love the vintage look as it gives a warm lived-in inviting look. Depending on your lifestyle – cookware is available to style up, modern, eclectic, traditional, shabby chic or a mix of styles. Ultimately it’s about you, your loved ones and the food you are going to cook and serve. Your cookware should allow you to experiment and cook the best food that want and be beautiful enough to serve from. Take the time to purposely build your kitchen collection if you are unsure. Overtime your personal style will emerge.

Credits: www.lecreuset.com. www.luxist.com. www.tefal.co.uk Unami Concepts. Email:unaminkosi@yahoo.co.uk. www.facebook.com/unamihomestyle +263775402083

12 THE STANDARD STYLE / HOME & GARDEN / GARDEN

January 25 to 31, 2015

What to prune in January and how to do it

J

ANUARY is the height of the dormant season, and a good time to prune climbers, or shrubs and trees that could cause problems during winter storms and high winds.

Climbers such as wisteria, which have produced long wispy new growths since their summer pruning (after they flowered), are a good example of climbers that need to be kept in check.

Whatever time of the year you are pruning, and whatever the plant, you should always start by removing dead, dying or damaged branches.

Then with wisterias, cut back the newgrowth tendrils so that they just have two or three buds on them, or if you want to keep the new growth to cover a wall make sure it is securely tied in to wires or whatever support system you have in place.

You can do the same to ornamental vines – cut back new growth to two or three buds from the main branches – and with climbing roses you can cut back shoots that have flowered to just one third of their length and tie in any new shoots.

Don’t prune early-flowering clematis now, though, or you won’t get any flowers – al-

though you can lightly trim those that flower from mid-summer onwards.

It’s best to leave bushes such as hydrangeas and buddleia until late winter – February, or very early March if it is too cold – but if they have grown so big that they might damage walls or buildings you can cut them back by a third, then another third in February.

Shrubs that you have had to prune can be covered with a horticultural fleece (or old blanket etc) during very cold weather if necessary.

When it comes to trees you should always get advice from a professional to deal with big

mature trees, but newly planted or small trees can be trimmed to encourage a good shape.

Apple and pear trees can be cut back in winter, for example, cutting no more than 20 per cent off all over – so that regrowth is even (pruning stimulates new growth), although it is important to remove dead or damaged branches.

But avoid pruning cherry and plum trees in winter because they are susceptible to disease. http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/

THE STANDARD STYLE

FOOD & DRINK 1

In this issue of Food & Drink

2

(1) Eating out by Dusty Miller (2) Wine by Lebbie (4) Zimbokitchen by Rumbie

3

14 THE STANDARD STYLE /EATING OUT/MUKUVISI WOODLANDS

January 25 to 31, 2015

Mukuvisi Woodlands Coffee Shop

Dusty Miller

L

IFE’s full of coincidences, I often find.

I could see part of the Mukuvisi Woodlands in peripheral vision as the amiable manageress of the coffee shop there, Tsitsi Munemo, rang on my cell phone.

I was amazed Tsitsi was still in place, as it seems ages since Mukuvisi’s management committee advertised widely for someone to take over the running of the pleasant little eatery from her boss, Moira.

I was driving past Mukuvisi to Cresta Lodge to dodge an apparently ever-lasting Zesa outage/outrage. We were plunged into darkness and silence at 1:45pm Monday and without electricity until it returned at 00:05am on Thursday. When we have no Zesa we also have no water!

I got the hell in, spending nearly 24 hours at Cresta Lodge, where at least I could have a shower (or swim) when I wanted, brew tea in the room, or wander down to lounge or restaurant for the same purpose, have a cold beer or chilled glass of wine and a hot meal, send and get e-mails, re-charge laptops, cell phones and MP3s. in fact all those 21st century things we’ve rather grown used to when Zesa doesn’t cut you off for almost 60 continuous hours.

Tsitsi reminded me I was overdue for a visit, so I went a couple of days later. Mukuvisi really is a delightful treasure, enjoyed regularly by hundreds of folk, but perhaps roundly ignored by thousands more! That’s their loss!

Not the least attraction is that the 265 hectare prolific, rolling nature reserve—between Hillside, Eastlea, Msasa and Queensdale--- is less than 2km from my home.

You can ramble around Mukuvisi from 8am to 5:30pm; it’s ideal for picnics, braais, nature walks, game- and bird-watching; people even marry there! Plains game to look out for includes eland, wildebeest, impala, zebra, giraffe and warthog. There are crocodiles, an aviary and children’s zoo. (I once left a meal at the cafe, creeping through bush to investigate strange high-pitched baby bird-like sounds, only to peer around a shrub, 250mm lens ready, to find….scores of guinea-pigs “wheeking” for food!)

It costs adults US$4 to enter, but season tickets, annual membership etc, reduce per diem costs. For those of pensionable age (60+), entrance is free, even if Dr Gono’s efforts a few years ago mean you must work until you drop!

If using the coffee shop – even for a U$$1 tea or US$2 coffee – entry is free.

Mukuvisi has a well-illustrated tree booklet (US$5) to help identify numbered indigenous and exotic specimens.

Dendrology’s not a strong point, but even I was aware the venerable shade tree under which I often sip morning tea is a mango and I guess is at least a century old. Native to India and Ceylon, the Portuguese brought them to Africa in the 15th century. Geckoes seem to love this tree. You see them basking in dappled sun just above head height.

The booklet cross references 141 different trees and shrubs found in the miomba woodlands giving scientific, common English and Shona names and myriad uses for their timber, bark, pods, leaves, seeds, roots etc.

The long-crested eagle, lizard buzzard, gabar goshawk and purple-crested turacao are among rarer bird specimens seen at Makuvisi, as is the tawny-flanked prinia. I’ve heard an African fish eagle there (Cleveland Dam’s close by.) I’ve seen steppe buzzards, martial and bateleur eagles and black-shouldered kites in the same area.

A really good, tasty, home-made chicken burger in a lovely fresh roll with BBQ sauce, chips, salads and a large pot of tea cost US$10.

Tsitsi Munemo manages the coffee shop and is apparently running it single-handed.

The 265 hectare park 10 minutes from the CBD boasts a wide range of wildlife. Here young impala, guinea fowl and sacred ibis can be seen at the pan

One of the Woodlands string of mounts used for horse-riding safaris cools off at the water-hole on a very hot, humid day.

Red-billed wood-hoopoes often noisily squabble through thick bush, but are notoriously hard to snap. I hope you can see a picture on this page of one of a flock of about half-a-dozen of which I’m rather proud.

One Sunday, after breakfast, “twitching” from the hide overlooking the water pan, I was chuffed to see the Woodlands’ string of horses, from mounted safaris, galloping through dusty bushveldt –a herd of zebra initially joining in the fun – to the pan, several of them bounding into cool waters on a cloudless, humid day with temperatures hovering around 34C. Most wore comical pale blue “gauzes” (face masks to stop flies biting); it was grand to see them splash in the pan, thoroughly enjoying themselves, as startled water birds: herons, cattle egrets, plovers, oystercatchers, terns

Exterior view of part of the coffee shop. Eating is indoors or out.

Birdlife is prolific at Mukuvisi and there’s an aviary where many exotic birds can be seen. All photographs by Dusty Miller

and hamerkops squawked into the air, mainly doing a panicked 360 before landing again.

One brunch, I was focusing on a splendid purple-crested lourie when noisy folk at the next table scared it off. As I enjoyed a filling no nonsense US$5 “mini-breakfast” (egg, bacon, sausage, tomato, baked beans, toast and butter, with tea (US$1)...a yellow-bellied sunbird sipped his own nectar breakfast within range, a gecko caught a bluebottle with long darting tongue and small a bream plopped up out of one of several ponds.

I’ve known hungry people order two minibreakfasts or even a fillet steak with fried egg and tomatoes US$10 breakfast, plus US$5 “mini”. Other breakfast items, such as omelettes, scrambled eggs and French toast cost US$5 as does a bacon and egg roll (with

three rashers) and mushrooms on toast.

Breakfast is “on”until 10:30am.

This visit, I had a really good, properly made (with minced huku), seasoned, cooked and served chicken burger in a super fresh roll with good chips, a colourful salad and a pot of Tanganda tea for US$10.

On Sundays, Tsitsi serves English-style lunch (roast chicken or lamb with all the trimmings and pudding are typical) at US$15.

They aren’t licensed to sell booze so don’t charge corkage if you BYOB. Mukuvisi Woodlands, Hillside Road (East) off Glenara Avenue. Tel 747152. Open every day of the year 8am-5:30pm. dustymiller46@gmail.com

THE STANDARD STYLE / FOOD & DRINK / WINE 15

January 25 to 31, 2015

A WINE Year Simplified - Journey in January with a SAUVIGNON BLANC (SOH-VEE-NYON BLAH-NK) Lebbie Masavaya

“Sauvignon blanc bangs you in the mouth – like an old peasant with his wooden shoe. The sauvignon is the whipper-snapper. It’s not solid enough. It’s violent, it’s sharp, it bites, it cries, it’s like a ferocious dog you keep on a leash.”

–Troisgros

I

N the same way that we ‘out with the old’ and ‘in with the new’, I felt this would be the most opportune time to clean out our wine ‘mumbo-jumbo’ and restore order in our cellar of wine knowledge. Nothing beats new beginnings, and as a result, once every month, we’ll journey towards a simplified wine year with a randomly picked, grape variety to learn that extra wine tit-bit for the new wine lover and a light-hearted refresher for the wine enthusiast.

Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape variety producing dry white wines with sharp, upfront and easy to recognize pleasant aromas.

This wine is deemed to be the answer to everyday wine living. I know, that every time I take a sip, I am reminded of sheer delight. The distinct and upfront green fruit that play on my palate, to citrusy, a seductive touch of herbaceous and an asparagus note, when aged, typically characterise this grape variety. This everyday zesty wine, easily called ‘Sauvignon’ in wine language, is commonly blended with Semillon, a glass of this white wine, worth a try.

This fresh, and cheerful wine, my epitome of summer, friends and fun, has been voted as a brilliant beginners wine when learning

about varieties. With little to zero disappointment, it has proved to be my answer to the ‘glass a day’ adage. Stainless steel fermentation allows for early drinking, and can be found oaked on occasion.

Sauvignon Blanc can be enjoyed on its own, or if the foodie in you loves company, then, cheese, dairy based vegetarian dishes, white meat dishes and salads, to mention a few, may just be your food of choice when drinking this wine. Some of the world’s best Sauvignons come from New Zealand. and hence Sauvignon Blanc being hailed as New Zealand’s signature variety. My first encounter was at an international tasting in South Africa, and I remember letting out a low feminine whistle, amazed at the assertive and powerful aroma that followed through intensely on the palate.

I was bowled over. I appreciated New Zealand hailing Sauvignon as their ‘signature’ variety.

South Africa is not far off with some delicious Sauvignons that have made it to the top of the list, namely Buitenverwachting Husseys Vlei 2013, awarded a Platters Wine of the Year, with five stars.

Whether under $10 or over $20, I have had one too many a beautiful Sauvignon. Wine lovers, let’s journey together on this simple yet wineful journey. It’s the first step of twelve. With wine glasses in hand, cheers to the Sauvignon step and the upcoming eleven steps.

Pictures from www.google.com MyLifeAndWine@icloud.com

16 THE STANDARD STYLE / FOOD & DRINK

January 25 to 31, 2015

Chicken and Mushroom Stir-Fry If you’re looking for something lean and nutritious to prepare then this here dish is your baby! Serve with brown rice or peanut butter rice and a salad or maybe some roasted butternut. It’s pretty quick and easy. You can classify this as a 20 min meal.

by Rumbie - Zimbokitchen

sweet chilli sauce. Serve immediately with another drizzle of sweet chilli on top of the chicken mushroom stir fry. Enjoy

3 Servings Cooking time: 15-20 min Ingredients 300g chicken breast, cut into strips 2 medium carrots, julienned 1/2 punnet mushrooms, julienned 1/2 medium onion, cut into rings 4 cloves garlic, chopped 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 2 tbsp canola/ pure vegetable oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper Instructions Get your ingredients together.

Put oil in pan, add garlic and slowly heat up the oil. Add the chicken breast, increase heat and stir until it begins to brown.

Add carrots and stir for about 2 min. Add the mushroom and onion, allow to cook for another 2 min.

Season with salt and pepper and drizzle the

www.zimbokitchen.com

Delectable Moist Chocolate cupcakes Preparation Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups of self-raising flour 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 cups white sugar 1 cup boiling water 2 tablespoons vanilla essence A lid of caramel essence 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda A pinch of salt 2 eggs 1 cup milk 3/4 cup vegetable oil Chocolate buttons, or small pieces of crushed chocolate Cream cheese filling: 4 cups icing sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup butter, softened Bars of Cooking Chocolate Hundreds and thousands, a bar of milk chocolate 1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. 2. Grease / spray cupcake tray, alternatively you can use cupcake cups (spray the inner edges not base of cupcake cup).

3. In a large bowl, add sugar, sieved flour, baking powder, bicarbonate soda, sieved cocoa, salt. Add the milk, eggs, oil and vanilla and caramel essence, combine with wooden spoon. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last, and mix briefly. Do not be alarmed, batter will

Cakes by Sonia

be thin.

4. Pour batter evenly into cupcake cups (fill up to ½ to less than ¾ of the cup as it rises when baking). Sprinkle chocolate on top of cupcakes, do not add too much.

5. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Use a knife and insert it into the center of the cupcakes. If it comes out clean, cupcakes are ready. If not cooked leave for additional ten minutes. Keep checking. Do not over bake.

6. Let cupcakes cool for fifteen to twenty minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack so as to cool completely.

7. Muffins can be eaten plain.

Alternatively sieve icing sugar on each cupcake for a snowflake effect.

8. Frost cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, butter cream icing, or melted chocolate when cupcakes have cooled completely.

9. Cream Cheese Frosting: Combine sieved icing sugar, butter, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla essence in a bowl. Using a mixer, mix until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Frost the cooled cupcakes with preferred decorating design.

10. Melt 2 bars of cooking chocolate in a metal plate placed on top of another pot of boiling water. When chocolate is melted add a bit of milk and stir until smooth. Pour onto cupcakes using a teaspoon, garnish with hundreds and thousands, or grated chocolate.

For queries and comments, Rudo Sonia can be reached at rudosoniacakes@gmail.com

THE STANDARD STYLE

FAMILY Mr and Mrs Chakabva

Send us pictures of your family and a short caption of your values. Email your photos with the weekly code in the subject heading to style@standard.co.zw Specifications: JPEG minimum size 2MB Min. 300dpi

18 THE STANDARD STYLE / FAMILY / PARENTING

January 25 to 31 2015

Steps to Stop Bullying Edson Chivandikwa

I

F the environment at your school supports bullying or ignores it, working to change it can help. For example, there might be areas where bullies harass people, for examples in areas that are unobserved by teachers.

Before you take any step towards bullying, you need to make sure that you are truly being bullied or abused. This is very important because most people do not know what bullying really is. In other words for you to do something about “bullying”, you first of all need to make sure that the use of force, threat, abuse, or aggression has been imposed on you affecting you emotionally, verbally , physical, or

cyber, and not to refer bullying to something else.

If you are convinced that you have been abused or bullied at school then you can take the following steps: • You can try to talk to the bully. If you don’t feel comfortable, leave a note on the bully’s door or bag. Try to point out that his behavior is affecting you. This will make him/ her feel bad about his/ her actions as well as make him/ her think that you will be capable of informing your teachers, therefore they will feel threatened and most likely stop bullying you.

• Informing your friends can also help.

This gives license for your friends to support you as well as adds a stand against the bully, and in no time, weakening the bully’s chances of bullying you.

• If there is no progress, try inform your seniors in the school, if that does not work out, tell your teachers or the Headmaster and, finally, if there is no change at all, your parents can be informed.

• Another way to combat bullying is to join your school’s anti-violence/ bullying or, if your school doesn’t have one, make suggestions to the staff to introduce such clubs or to

start your own club.

• The most important an effective step to stop bullying in your school is to never be a bully yourself !

Most people hesitate to speak out because it can be hard. It takes confidence to stand up to a bully — especially if he or she is one of the school leaders. Staying quiet extends the bully’s reach beyond just one person, so, standing up for yourself is the only key to stop bullying.

By: Kudzanai Edson JNR Chivandikwa

January 25 to 31, 2015

THE STANDARD STYLE / FAMILY / HEALTH 19

7 Ways To Lose Weight By Drinking More Water With Your Diet I

f you’re looking for quick and easy ways to lose weight, look no further than your very own kitchen. Your water faucet can help shed the water weight and help you look healthier and thinner.

According to the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine, healthy women should ingest about 11 cups (91 oz.) of water whereas healthy men should around 15 cups (125 oz.) of water a day, from all food and beverages. Your daily intake of water is affected by age, weight, activity level, and environmental factors such as altitude. With just drinking two cups of water before you consume all of your three meals, you can lose the weight and keep it off.

In a recent study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers reviewed 11 previous studies to examine the association between water consumption and body weight. Out of the 11 studies that were evaluated, three of them showed that an increased water intake among dieters was tied to greater weight loss. Brenda Davy, a professor at Virginia Tech and leader of some work in the review believes that drinking water before a meal contributes to significant weight loss. In Davy’s group, a study found that middle aged and older adults who drank two cups of water before a meal reportedly lost four more pounds than the group that didn’t drink the two cups of H2O. Water can suppress feelings of hunger by making the body feel full and therefore reduce an individual’s calorie intake.

“It’s best to consume the bulk of your water away from foods [and] meals,” said Dr. Katrina Wilhelm, a naturopathic physician in Lake Oswego, Ore. “30 minutes both sides of a meal should do,” said Wilhem, as separating the two will aid digestion by keeping the stomach acid concentrated so it can function efficiently. Drinking water, especially the right type of water, will help ensure that it is free from all harmful contaminants and preserves healthy minerals present in the water.

Increase your water consumption in your diet by following these quick-and-easy, cost effective ways to lose weight.

Drink Water Every Two Hours Spacing out your water consumption throughout the day will ensure that your body is replenished and gets rid of excess water weight. If you only consume water when you are thirsty then your body will be depleted of necessary fluids and retain the water weight.According to Riverside Health System, a rule of thumb of how much water you need is based on the color of your urine. If you have a dark yellow-colored urine it is a strong indication that you need more fluids in your body. For healthy, light-colored urine, it is important to drink a glass of water when you wake up in the morning and then every two hours. Even after you use the restroom, drink another glass of water so that your body is plenty replenished.

Add Flavor To Your Water Water is known for being tasteless and therefore it has a low popularity of satisfying taste buds.

However, there are healthy alternatives to add some flavor to good, old-fashioned H2O. Wilhelm advises dieters to steer clear of fake sugars which are becoming popular as a zero calorie sweetener. “These compounds trigger the part of the brain that responds to sugar so we see clearly in research that people consuming these products don’t lose weight, and in fact, tend to gain weight,” she said.

Wilhelm uses an effervescent electrolyte power that tastes just like raspberry lemonade as her flavored water drink of choice because of its dual power. The minerals found in this flavored water can build bone density and overall improve the taste of plain water. “If someone is trying to cut down their soda intake, mineral water that is naturally flavored would be a great substitute,” she said.

Opt For Green Iced Tea Green tea is known to be rich in its antioxidants and flavonoids which can boost your metabolism while you get your water intake. For an easy summertime drink, prepare hot tea with boiled water as usual and then pour the hot tea water over a glass of ice. Refrain from adding any sweeteners to your iced tea as it can interfere with your overall health and weight loss goal.

For additional iced tea recipes that can boost your body’s metabolism and can help you shed the pounds easily, look for iced tea varieties recipes on Dr. Oz’s website.

Sparkling Water Sparkling, also commonly known as carbonated water is an alternative to plain water for those who wish to satisfy their soda cravings without consuming in the high-sugar carbonated beverage. If you are on a low-sodium diet and would like to try sparkling water, it is important to take notice of the sodium content in your drink, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Drinking sparkling water may worsen the condition of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to the release of CO2 that can often cause bloating and gas. If you have IBS, it is best to stick to plain water.

Produce In Water The addition of fruit and veggies to your water can add a lot of flavor. Fruit-infused water oragua fresca involves adding lemon, limes, grapefruit, oranges, raspberries, or even watermelon to a pitcher of water in the fridge to give it a zesty flavor. It is important to let the water and fruits simmer for an extended period of time before you consume water.

Wilhelm believes the best alternatives to flavored water are slices of fresh fruits or vegetables. To avoid saturating your water with inorganic chemicals, use the Environmental Working Group (EWG) dirty dozen list will help you choose organic produce.

Eat Your Water Fruits that contain a high percentage of water should be consumed to increase your water intake.

Watermelon is made up of 92 percent water and approximately 6 percent sugar, says the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture. Other fruits that have high water intake include strawberries, grapefruit, and cantaloupe.

Water In Soup Aside from consuming fruits, hot and cold soups can help boost your water consumption.

“Incorporate chilled soups such as melon soups, gazpacho as well as hot soups including vegetable, broths, minestrone, lentil and more,” says Stacy Goldberg, MPH, RN, BSN and CEO Founder of Savorfull. “Aim for low sodium soups!”

An alternative to consuming soup through biting veggies is to have pureed soups that blend all the ingredients together. Take cooked vegetables, put them in a blender with the broth and you have pureed soup. http://www.medicaldaily.com/

St Michael’s 24 Hour Accident Emergency & Maternity Clinic (19709 Unit N Shopping Centre Seke Chitungwiza) All times Emergency numbers: 0774 125142, 0734 503518

20 THE STANDARD STYLE / FAMILY / GETAWAY

January 25 to 31, 2015

Lost Pets – where to turn, how to help

Wolves – the species from whom all domestic dogs today are just one step away.

Rosie Mitchell

T

HE search for our missing dog Leto continues, and I continue to be truly touched by the kindness of strangers – many of whom are fast becoming friends! The Zim Pets Lost and Found Facebook Group is a never-ending hive of online activity. The regular success stories of pet owners and pets reunited gives me hope, and the encouragement, support, tips and leads given by the many who are active in this community space, are invaluable. In addition, our flyers and posters are leading to lots of tips to follow up.

The animal rescue system in Harare is something of an under-funded yet well-oiled machine and communication network, involving scores of concerned volunteers. This Facebook page has become an integral, highly functional component of this support system and amateur detective outfit! If you have lost a pet or spot a stray dog, cat or any other animal, if you can, snap a quick photo with your phone, jump onto this page if you have internet access, join the Group (a very fast process) and report what you saw and where. In addition, or if you don’t have internet, phone Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe (VAWZ) on 0778 431 528, even when the animal is sadly dead. The system works as such; found animals should be taken to the nearest vet, where they are scanned for an identifying microchip. These have been available in Zimbabwe for quite a while. Our missing dog has one. If she is found and arrives at any vet, I’ll get a call as soon as she is scanned. They are not expensive and very much worth getting.

They are very tiny and are painlessly injected into the animal, staying implanted for life.

If you can take the stray animal to the nearest vet, even better. The animal is photographed, and where and when found, and at which vet it is being cared for, posted on Zim Pets Lost and Found. If unclaimed, it will later be sent either to SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) or to Friend Foundation, neither of which NGOs receive a cent of public funding, but both of which are the official centres caring for all stray animals till

such time as someone gives them a new home, or the owner tracks them down there. It is only the lucky few stray dogs and cats who find new homes. If looking for a pet, always start here. Potential owners are carefully vetted by both organisations to ensure they can provide a safe, loving environment.

I’ve been communicating daily on the Zim Pets Lost and Found Facebook Group literally since we came home and found Leto gone on New Year’s Day. The over 1000 (and growing daily as awareness spreads) members provide lots of feedback, useful ideas, advice and potential sightings of your lost animal, and information on ways to expand your search.

It is also a great way to alert a bunch of concerned people of your lost pet who are constantly looking out for wandering pets, and to publish pictures of them. Importantly, it is also a very kind and understanding support group for those whose pets are literally family members or surrogate children, and for whom the loss is devastating. I am one of these, and the kindness of people who check in here regularly is overwhelming, and has even led to two full blown volunteer search parties and flyer drops for Leto! This sort of response from kind people, most of whom one does not even know, restores one’s faith in humanity! It is also humbling to discover how many people are out there, trying to prevent cruelty to animals, to reunite lost pets with their anxious owners, and to find good homes for animals living a horrible, frightening life on the streets, scavenging for food from rubbish dumps, sleeping in the bush, or anywhere they can find to try to keep warm and dry, and constantly at risk of being hit by a car. Being engrossed in these various processes has made me aware of just how frequently animals are hit by a vehicle and then just left there, either suffering a horrible, painful death, or actually dead, by the driver, who cannot be bothered to deliver the injured animal to the nearest vet or just report the injury or death, and location, to VAWZ - without any obligation whatsoever.

We have sadly already followed up on four dead dogs fitting our dog’s description, just in our area alone, since we lost Leto.

Why should we care about stray dogs? A

Our still missing female dog Leto, who by now will be much thinner! historical perspective When you see dirty, skeletal dogs, often wounded, roaming our suburbs in loose packs for mutual protection and survival, consider what brought them to this. We have a mutual responsibility for the domestic animals that we over millennia created by interfering with natural selection and breeding. Humans have so far removed them from their origins, they can no longer survive without us!

Domestic dogs are just such a ‘man-made’ species, bred purely to please, serve and indulge us. The resultant animal is alert only to our needs, driven almost entirely by our demands and whims. Working dogs will literally run themselves to death for their humans, defying the natural survival instinct in our service.

All domestic dogs, no matter the breed, are just one step removed from their predecessor, the wolf, which roamed Europe, Asia and America around 45 000 years ago in great numbers. About 32 000 years ago, with just a million humans on earth, the ‘camp wolf ’ emerged. Small bands of nomadic huntergatherer humans dropped meat scraps on the periphery of their temporary settlements, observed by wolves attracted by enticing cooking smells. These highly intelligent, so-

cial pack animals came to realise there were easy pickings from people’s leftovers! This emerging version of the wolf adapted, moving where people moved. Humans reaped return benefits, with camp wolves alerting them to the presence of dangerous animals, and developed a bond with them, adopted orphaned young, and began forming the attachments with these animals that we still enjoy today.

It is a human trait to form nurturing bonds.

When petting animals, we release oxytocin which makes us feel good and inclines us to nurturing, strengthening the bond between us and the animal triggering it. The dogs whose companionship we enjoy today are a product of mankind’s meddling with natural evolution. Over time, unaggressive wolves were favoured and allowed by their adoptive humans to breed. Most dog breeds we know today, however, only emerged during the past century. Domestic dogs watch us for cues, depend on us for survival, look to us for leadership.

They hang on our every move, voice inflexion, facial expression, and study our eyes for clues as to what we require. This is what makes the plight of the abandoned, lost or abused dog so tragic. Our species has bred them to be so focussed on us and our demands - that they just can’t manage without us.

January 25 to 31, 2015

THE STANDARD STYLE /COMMUNITY/ BREAKING NEW GROUND 21

From Banker to Alexio Kawara’s Manager –

Farirai Chavura tells HER STORY

Patricia Mabviko-Musanhu

W

E have in previous articles discussed the issue of talents and the fact that everyone was born with a specific gift or talent. It is possible however that in a lifetime, one may or may not live to discover what that talent is. I believe discovering your talent has a lot to do with you listening to your inner self and gravitating towards the things that you are most interested in. However, money, in fact the need of it, as well as the need for personal security may be the biggest barrier towards discovering and exploring one’s talent. When Farirai Chavura discovered that her interest was in entertainment, she closed the door on 15 years of banking to carve a new career in the entertainment industry, an unknown territory!

“Sometimes artists forget that entertainment is a business and that they have to earn a living from it. I believe God gives them the talent so that they can make a living from it ” she said.

Farirai came to know Alexio because of her love for music. She used to enjoy listening to his music and eventually came to know him personally. It was from here that Farirai developed an interest in how Alexio was going about the business side of his music. She discovered that he was a very focused individual

who was very committed to his family as well as his music career.

“I kept following up to find out how he was getting on with his recordings. This was in 2008 and at this time, he was working on releasing his fourth album,Kana, which has the song Shaina. Alexio had a Manager then and I volunteered to help behind the scenes in whatever way I could,” she added. From 2008 to 2014, Farirai worked behind the scenes helping in any way that would ultimately ensure that Alexio’s career was moving forward. It was during this time that she began to appreciate the difficulties that artists go through when producing and releasing an album. She noted that there was a lot of pressure on artist who tried to co ordinate everything on their own. Farirai realized that there was need for somebody else to take care of the logistics to allow the artists to focus on what they do best, create and write music, record and perform.

After the fourth Album Alexio’s name became much more established in the industry and corporates began to approach him to perform at corporate events. Alexio changed managers when he was working on his fifth album. Farirai continued to assist from behind the scenes.

“I had a good job as a banker and I was quite comfortable. I had worked with Alexio from behind the scenes for 5 years. When the fifth manager left, he recommended to Alexio that I become the manager seeing I had worked with him consistently for some years. It was at this point that I made a decision to leave my job and joined Alexio as his Manager in 2014,” she said.

Farirai’s job is to manage Alexio as a person, his finances as well as the band. She said that it is important for an artist to have a good reputation if he is going to be successful in business. Alexio’s profile has grown so well that he gets regular bookings to perform at weddings, public shows corporate functions as well as events hosted by nongovernmental organizations. He has recently been selected as Brand Ambassador for a nongovernmental organization, World Education Incorporated Bantwana.

“I am so glad that I left the bank. It’s the best thing I ever did for myself. What I really love about working in the entertainment industry and with Alexio in particular is that you are always creating something new. You literally witness a song being composed and see it come to life! It’s even more satisfying when you see people identify with the song during performances and are able to impact their lives positively through that song. It’s powerful! I could never have achieved this kind of satisfaction in the bank because there is nothing new to create,” she added. Patricia Mabviko Musanhu is a Company Director/Producer at Black and White Media Productions. She can be contacted at pmabviko@gmal.com

22 THE STANDARD STYLE / ARTS / BOOKWORM

Being a judge for the Etisalat Prize for Literature flash fiction category

Bookworm

S

ometime in November 2014 I received an email inviting me to join the panel of judges for the Etisalat Prize for Literature flash fiction category. The list included several other prominent individuals including my good friend Tolu Ogunlesi whom I first met at Oxford University for the Dambudzo Marechera symposium. We had been social media buddies prior to the meet up. And the other judges are Wana Udobang, Tunde Leye and Pierre Cherruau.

The Etisalat Prize for Literature is the first ever pan-African prize celebrating first time writers of published fiction books. The Prize aims to serve as a platform for the discovery of new creative talent out of the continent and invariably promote the burgeoning publishing industry in Africa.

In the more than ten years that I have been a literary journalist this is the first time I have been asked to be a judge for such a prestigious continental award. The inaugural Etisalat award was won by another good friend NoViolet Bulawayo with her trailblazing first book, We Need New Names. Though the prize came with a monetary prize, it also provides a short fellowship opportunity.

The winning writer embarks on the Etisalat Fellowship at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom mentored by Professor Giles Foden (author of The Last King of Scotland) which includes significant opportunities to meet other writers, publishers and most importantly work on their second book. Bulawayo, a generous spirit, forfeited the fellowship so that her second runner up, Yewande Omotoso, could take the opportunity.

Such selfless acts do not happen every day but such is the desire for Bulawayo to support her contemporaries.

However, the flash fiction category is for fiction that is extremely brief, typically only a few hundred words or fewer in its entirety.

The inaugural winner of the Etisalat flash fiction competition was Uche Okonwo.

Over the Christmas holidays as judges we had to go through the top twenty entries. The entries presented a broad canvas of domestic, social and political situations. Disappointingly I noticed that all the entries but one were from Nigeria. I wondered how many young writers outside Nigeria knew about this competition?

In Zimbabwe, I often receive a lot of emails on a daily basis asking me about publishing

opportunities and yet when they come along the local young writers are oblivious of them.

Social media can be overwhelming but it is also a platform to get information and networking with other young writers from other parts of Africa and elsewhere.

Etisalat has at the core of its vision, encouraging and inspiring creativity. Having this in mind, the flash fiction category has been established in order to cater to the large amount of interest received from unpublished writers across the Continent. In order to garner some publicity for the art of flash fiction writing and the writers themselves, this category of the Prize will be open to the general public to review and ultimately select a winner.

In today’s fast paced world where communication is right at our finger tips through the use of smart devices; phones, tablets and the likes, consumers prefer to consume information on-the-go and in bite sized chunks.

The Flash fiction category therefore seeks to marry both of these concepts together thus providing added value to mobile device users across Africa. Winners will receive a monetary prize, a Samsung Galaxy Note or iPad and have their stories published in an E-book promoted online and via SMS across Africa.

But other than the winners going to Lagos for the grand event, what I found unique about the Etisalat Prize for Literature is that it also aims to promote the publishing industry at large and purchases 1000 copies of all shortlisted books which are then donated to various schools, book clubs and libraries across the African continent.

Judges for the main Etisalat Prize for Literature include Sarah Ladipo Manyika (chair), Jamal Mahjoub and Tsitsi Dangarembga. The winners for the main prize and the flash fiction category will be announced in March in Lagos.

The package for being a judge is a visit to Lagos – a city that I have occasionally imagined. Everyone thinks of it as a noisy, dirty, dangerous city, probably because all we ever hear about it on the news is the corruption, religious violence, and dodgy email scams. I am convinced there is more to it than that, which is why I cannot wait to be heading out there to meet and interact with the Etisalat literary community.

I have already started packing my bags for Lagos.

January 25 to 31, 2015

DStv content – The challenges for Africa Desmond Kumbuka

T

he barrage of questions, some sounding more like accusations, was haughty and furious. Why is the rest of Africa, save for South Africa and Nigeria, excluded from providing content to the DSTv channels - is the “discrimination” justified considering that millions of subscribers to the pay-tv enterprise are to be found in these countries.

At the receiving end of the onslaught was Nkateko Mabaso, Mnet’s South Africa Entertainment Channels’ director during an introductory pep-talk to a group of journalists from Namibia, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe recently on a “Media Content Trip” In Johannesburg, South Africa to acquaint themselves with Multichoice Africa operations in that country and the sub-region.

To those unfamiliar with the intricate processes involved in producing internationally acceptable TV content, ie, movies, documentaries etc, it would seem the grievances of the visiting journalists were perfectly justified as there are, indeed, millions of pay-TV subscribers in sub-Saharan Africa and yet their material presence in the film stories and other entertainment material being beamed or broadcast across the content remains woefully miniscule.

Notably, only Nigeria, with a reasonably established film industry, and South Africa, the object of the Media Content Tour, are growing a noticeable visibility in this lucrative segment of the entertainment industry.

Reasons for this would seem quite obvious - besides a handful of African countries including the two mentioned above, there is no movie industry worth talking about throughout the rest of the continent.

There are many reasons why the entertainment industry, vis-à-vis film and other audio-visual arts , have made little headway as viable economic or business propositions in much of Africa. Firstly, to achieve success, an entertainment enterprise necessarily requires an appreciative audience that is prepared to pay for the product. Secondly, the regulatory environment must be free of constraining rules and regulations that, for instance, criminalise artistic expression.

Thirdly, and more importantly, financial support is absolutely essential to support the development of such an industry.

One can scarcely find all three in most of the African countries which, despite the fact that many are now avid consumers of the pay-TV services provided by Multichoice Africa on their DStv platforms.

However, the argument at the Multichoice press briefing was not about appreciative audiences or regulatory impediments that film producers face in various African countries. At least not according to Mabaso whose main issue was one of economies of scale – a point that I thought some of the visiting journalists found difficult to grasp.

To many of them, there was simply to logical excuse for the exclusion of African film productions from their own countries by Mnet and its associates involved in sourcing content material for the vast array of radio and TV channels provided under the DStv package.

Mabaso did offer a compelling explanation: - commercial viability in sourcing material was a critical consideration for pursuing a particular brand, and explanation that drew snickers of derision from some of the visiting hacks. Obviously unconvinced by this explanation, the journalists were adamant arguing that many of their local television stations had local TV and film productions that were of even better quality than those from other African countries, specifically, for instance Nigeria.

One issue, by no means not the only one, that Mabaso avoided, perhaps for fear of offending sensitivities associated with national pride, was that most countries in sub-Saharan Africa lack the resources and relevant expertise and this leads to mediocre productions that cannot compete against well resourced and professionally produced Hollywood films. That aside, language and cultural diversity of African countries makes it difficult to produce material with a sufficiently wide appeal as to be economical in terms of financial returns.

Naturally, the next question to arise was why has Multichoice, through its production companies, Mnet and associates, not invested in supporting production houses in the poorer countries to enable them to improve the quality of their productions. The answer to that comes as a question: would it make commercial sense to invest scarce resources in limited-audience film productions which simply have no chance of recouping money invested in their production.

For instance, would it make economic sense to invest in a Chewa film located in rural Chipata in Zambia or Malawi with combined country populations (Zambia 15 million, Malawi 17 million) approximately 32 million people of whom less than 2 million are Chewa- speaking? Viewership statistics are critical in determining the box-office performance of movies where economies of scale are paramount.

The discussion at the MNet boardroom exposed a major dilemma confronting much of Africa in trying to find a foothold in the lucrative TV and film entertainment industry. This is why the United States will continue to dominate this industry for years to come, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers, which released portions of its 2013-2017 Global Entertainment and Media Outlook recently.

Evidently, the purpose of the Johannesburg visit was to highlight impressive milestones in the development of South Africa’s “indigenous” film industry epitomized in successful local productions like Isibiya, Zabalaza and others. But these, which are broadcast in the local Xhosa of Zulu languages, necessarily have to carry English sub-titles to have an appeal outside South Africa’s borders.

Even then, it is doubtful that viewership outside South Africa would be significant enough to justify substantial investment. However in South Africa, with a relatively larger population of 50 million people many of whom obviously understand the local languages, it is possible to get a reasonable return over and above production costs; the same cannot be said of many of the other African states in the sub-region..

Recognizing this potential, Multichoice Africa, through some of its subsidiaries like Mnet, Supersport, and Africa Magic have actively supported the African entertainment industry by providing an outlet for local productions through its DStv platforms. This has resulted in the mushrooming of a plethora of small independent production houses which, because they are guaranteed airtime on the DStv, have began to build teams of writers, producers, directors and, of course actors drawing a living from this hitherto tenuous industry.

Significantly, South Africa has a vibrant, film industry that is growing in reputation and is becoming increasingly competitive internationally. According to website, South Africa .info, in 1995, when the country first became a viable location venue for movie and television production, the industry employed around 4 000 people. This has grown to around 25 000 people.

Local and foreign filmmakers are taking advantage of the country’s diverse, unique locations – as well as low production costs and a favourable exchange rate, which make it cheaper to make movies there than in Europe or the US. South Africa.info says the South African film and television industry contributes around R3.5-billion a year to the country’s economy, according to a 2013 study conducted by the National Film and Video Foundation, an agency of the country’s Department of Arts and Culture.

In Zimbabwe, despite the enthusiasm at Independence in 1980 to promote the film industry, official neglect and general lethargy among players in the industry has seen it dwindle into a near comatose state. Government financial support to the industry in virtually non-existent beside piece-meal cash contributions from the entirely donor-dependent Culture Fund.

Along with the general collapse of the economy, local television productions, mostly poorly produced documentaries and comedies are of such mediocrity falling way below quality standards demanded for Mnet payTV channels.

THE STANDARD STYLE / ENVIRONMENT 23

January 25 to 31, 2015

Boreholes in Harare – problems, solutions and wise usage Michael Nott

T

he old saying goes “it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good”. It means, broadly, that even in a bad situation there is usually someone that benefits. This is certainly true of the water crisis in Harare.

The inability of the relevant authorities (ZINWA) to provide regular, clean and dependable supplies of water to residents has ironically been very beneficial for a few people. Borehole drilling is at all time peak in and around the city and the manufacturers and supplies of related equipment like submersible pumps, pressure tanks, water tanks, water pipes and valves are certainly doing brisk business.

Water merchants have been pumping up thousands of litres of groundwater on a daily basis to sell to those who don’t have boreholes. Fortunately, new regulations have been passed to prevent water dealers from pumping up huge quantities of underground water within suburban residential areas. This was in response to complaints by residents of the water table dropping and in some cases boreholes running dry. Some boreholes were drying up for a few months at a time during the dry season while others seem to have dried up completely. Until fairly recently most boreholes were drilled to an average of 30 metres deep whereas now days boreholes are being drilled to 60 metres or more. Drilling so many boreholes and abstracting underground water in industrial quantities has seriously affected the water table.

And boreholes come with their own set of problems. A borehole is certainly not cheap to drill and install, unless they’re solar powered they are expensive to run and costly to repair whenever something goes wrong. Contrary to popular thinking borehole water is not always clean and pure; it can easily become contaminated by soakaways and by chemicals from manufacturing and other processes leaching into the soil. A couple of years ago the Harare City Council stated that 33% of the council’s boreholes were contaminated with faecal matter. At best most borehole water contains large amounts of lime which will block up your water pipes and damage equipment like pumps, geysers and kettles.

Drilling so many boreholes and taking so much water out of the ground also has other implications. It can affect the rain runoff into our streams and rivers and so ultimately less water will be replenishing our dams and lakes even when we have average or good rainy seasons. The situation is being made worse by developments taking place on wetlands and vleis across the city.

So how do we deal with these problems?

One of the first things you should do is to get your borehole tested. Usually your borehole supplier will do the test for you or you can take your water, in a sterilised bottle, to places like ZimLab in Msasa. There are other specialist water companies like The Pump House and Aqua Angels in Newlands that can also organise the test for you. Once you get the test results from the laboratory the experts can tell you what kind of water filtration system you need for your specific requirements. There are many different kinds of water filtration systems including chemical treatment,

Drilling the borehole begins. reverse osmosis, semi-porous barriers and treatment with ultra violet light. Some of these systems can be fairly costly so you need to get the best advice. The right system for you will depend not just on what’s in the water but what it’s going to be used for. Drinking water, for example, needs to be far cleaner and purer than water for bathing or for use in irrigation.

You might only need a small in house system just for drinking water which is shouldn’t be too expensive. (I know I’m harping on a bit here but wetlands provide a natural and very efficient water filtration system and destroying these hard working eco-systems really creates loads more problems for all of us.)

Most borehole water in Harare seems to have a high lime content which, while is generally not considered harmful to health, although some reports suggest that in very high concentrations it might be responsible for problems like gall and kidney stones. Other problems which I mentioned earlier include corrosion and blocking of pipes, damage to geysers as well as making your geyser more expensive to run. If you top your pool with limey water you’ll find it turns milky and cloudy and it takes ages for the lime to settle.

A small garden nursery that I know in Harare had to fit a lime filter because the water was leaving white spots on the plants and making them look diseased. I’ve recently installed a Scalex filter on my borehole in Greendale and so far it seems to be working well. It’s available from most hardware stores, like Halsteds, Fabs Borrowdale and Ranchod in Rhodesville.

It’s a locally made filter (although the chemicals balls that go into it are imported) that’s reasonably priced and simple to fit. I’ve only had it for a short time but apparently the ‘balls’, which look like whitish marbles, need to be topped up every three months or so, depending on how much water you use. So far it’s made a very noticeable improvement.

You also need to use your borehole water in a responsible and considerate manner.

Underground water in Harare is a finite resource and it can take many years of above

Drilling in progress.

Easily installed lime scale filter.

Pressure tank.

average rainfall to replenish the supply. Over watering the lawn and watering the verges outside your property are really just a wanton waste of water. Keeping acres of lawn green all year round is almost criminal when some people have no access to drinking water or have to walk miles to collect it. If you really must have green grass choose a small area to keep watered, like outside your lounge where the greenery can at least be seen and enjoyed. Water plants sensibly – preferably in the early morning or the evening and remember that most plants prefer deep watering less often rather than frequent shallow watering. Composting and mulching also help to conserve water and make it more easily available to plants. Indigenous plants usually need less water than exotic plants and

gardening with succulents and aloes is water wise!

A report by the renowned local water expert Tim Broderick published in 2012, states in part, “The time has come for all concerned to enter into the spirit of groundwater and surface water conservation, through its managed and proper use. The resource is limited and taxed…There will always be borehole users, and those who do not have access to a groundwater supply. The latter have as much right to such water, so the water suppliers have a role to play… and the abstraction from boreholes must be regulated both in its quantity and quality.”

24

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