Harare News

Our city, our lives Issue 15 October 2014

www.hararenews.co.zw

ZESA meters installed

Big African Air Show

Residents express mixed feelings on this new power management tool.

Page

2

Our team was there to catch this exciting aviation event.

Page

12

Shoko 2014 review

Stars are born Kids in Front of the Camera is grooming young TV talent.

From puppets to poets, Shoko was a lot of fun.

Page

14

Page

18

Harare gears up for Ebola

Medical staff demonstrate a 12-step safety programme for Ebola containment during a media tour of the Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital. 16 doctors and 200 nurses have been trained so far.

Farai Dauramanzi

C

ity of Harare have assured residents that they have put in place measures to deal with any suspected cases of Ebola in the event that the deadly virus finds its way into the country and city.

The City has set up two Ebola quarantine centres at Wilkins and Beatrice Infectious Diseases Hospitals. Speaking during a media tour of the quarantine centre at Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital on the September 23, Dr Prosper Chonzi, council’s Health Services Director, said that council was in the process of training health professionals to deal with Ebola cases.

“We have trained our own health personnel and we have also been training personnel at other institutions such as local authorities, central hospitals and the uniformed forces. If we do get an outbreak we

can call on other institutions for assistance,” said Dr Chonzi. Measures towards preparedness are also currently being rolled out in other metropolitan areas, starting with Chitungwiza.

So far 16 doctors and 200 nurses from council run health institutions have been trained in Ebola management. During the tour, nurses at Wilkins Ebola Quarantine Centre demonstrated a 12 step safety programme they will use to protect health workers and the public from contracting the virus in the event of an outbreak.

According to the Health Services Director, the City has already acquired drugs to treat victims, equipment, protective clothing for use during management of patients, and disinfectants. Dr Chonzi also said that 12 teams comprising of a doctor, a nurse, an environmental health officer and other support

staff have been set-up and are now on standby.

“These teams rehearse every day even if we do not have a patient to make sure they stay alert for any suspected Ebola cases,” said Chonzi.

“As the City Health Department we are prepared. If we do get a case we are more than ready to deal with it depending on the numbers that we will be looking at. But if we do get a case now with all the equipment and training that has gone into it we as City of Harare are prepared,” said Chonzi.

Since the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in March this year, many residents in Harare have expressed dissatisfaction over the City’s preparedness to deal with the virus which has a fatality rate of between 50% and 90%. However, it seems City Fathers are taking some positive measures to prepare the city in the event of a suspected

outbreak.

Dr Chonzi said that council has also put in place measures to dispose of Ebola victims’ bodies. “If patients die they become more infectious than when they were alive because the virus tends to move to the skin, so we need to be more careful when they die…we will take over the burial of the bodies. We already have space for graves at Granville Cemetery.”

“In the event of Ebola patients who die at home, we have already signed agreements with two local funeral parlours that will collect the bodies from the homes for supervised burial. We have already trained them in the handling of Ebola victims’ bodies,” said Dr Chonzi.

Harare is on high alert for the virus which is wreaking havoc in some countries across West Africa including Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Other measures, such

as screening for travellers who might have passed through Ebola hit regions at the country’s ports of entry and a 21-day monitoring programme, have been introduced for any persons who may show signs of the virus. Nearly 100 people who travelled to Ebola hit areas were quarantined in Harare during September, though no confirmed cases were discovered.

According to health experts Ebola symptoms start two days to three days after contraction of the virus.

These include fever, sore throat, muscle pain and headaches. Vomiting, diarrhoea, rash and internal and external bleeding follow in the advanced stages of the disease.

The virus can be acquired through contact with blood or bodily fluids such as sweat, urine, saliva and other fluids from an infected person.

2 Harare News

Issue 15 October 2014

General news

Council installs CCTV Farai Dauramanzi

C

ouncil last month started installing a new traffic management system based on video signals (CCTV) to count traffic and optimise traffic flow. According to Wikipedia, CCTV is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place on a limited set of monitors. The system was first used in 1942 but only became popular after the availability of VCR technology in the 1970s. CCTV is mostly used to curb crime in open areas as it allows monitoring in real-time.

So far cameras have been installed at the intersections of Julius Nyerere and Jason Moyo as well as on Julius Nyerere and Robert Mugabe. The City’s corporate communications division said the new traffic management system will be effective in managing traffic flow. “The system allows more passage time for vehicles coming from a certain direction in the event that there is more traffic in that direction,” said the division. Over the years council has battled to control traffic congestion in the city centre and it is believed that the CCTV system will improve traffic flow. The CCTV system will also help council to bring to book traffic offenders.

“Videos and pictures of vehicles that shoot through red robots will be taken and the owners will receive instant cell phone messages and a ticket relating to the road traffic offence. If the ticket is not paid the vehicle owner will not be able to renew their vehicle licence,” added the corporate communications division.

Council’s corporate communications department said, “Once the project is fully operational we will notify the public.” The CCTV project is still in the testing stage and full scale roll out to other areas will be determined by the success of the on-going trials.

Sharon Magodyo, the community coordinator for Harare Residents Trust (HRT), said, “The HRT supports the installation of CCTV as this creates order on the streets and penalises those who violate the law. However,

council should first consider the more important issue of creating parking spaces to reduce congestion,” said Magodyo.

One motorist in the City, who refused to be named, said that it was a good plan for council to install cameras, “I believe CCTV will deter motorists from committing traffic offences because they will know that someone is always watching them. But it is sad that there are no signs to notify residents and motorists of the presence of cameras at the intersections.”

Pride Mazango (35) from Eastlea said that he believes that the CCTV system will be effective in monitoring traffic in the City but bemoaned the slow rate at which Harare is adopting new technologies. “It is sad that we are only moving to adopt some of these technologies now but I think it is coming at the right time for Harare considering that the City is aiming for world class status by 2025,” said Mazango.

Another resident of Harare, Yemurai Sibanda (24) from Warren Park, said that the CCTV system will also help pedestrians. “I believe the cameras will also help in identifying pick pockets that operate at the robots in town,” said Sibanda.

Different views over ZESA’s prepaid meter system Photo: Graham van de Ruit

Pre-paid blackouts: residents ponder the point of the meters when power provision is so poor.

Lovemore Lubinda

I

Recent footage from the CCTV of a petrol station on Samora Machel Avenue shows a dramatic accident in which two pedestrians nearly lost their lives. Such footage is useful during investigations.

n recent months the power utility, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), has embarked on a massive prepaid meter roll out in most suburbs, a move that has been met with mixed reactions.

Roy Mawire of Arcadia supported the move, saying that the system is simple to use and has a lot of benefits. “As for me, I now have fewer arguments with my tenants owing to this technology. I can negotiate with them about managing our power consumption,” he said. According to Mawire, misunderstandings between landlords and their tenants used to be common, with some even having to call ZESA to seek clarity over bills.

Memory Mhembere (40) of Chitungwiza said since the installation of these meters in her area sometime ago, she has resorted to cooking beans or knuckle bones (mazondo) on the fire, saying that otherwise a week’s power could be consumed in one cooking.

“I remember last bathing in geyser water before these were put in place. Their rates are too high. In normal situations cooking should be affordable regardless of what one is cooking,” she said.

She also expressed concern over the continued load shedding as she believes that if the power utility is able to maximise revenue collection through the debt amortisation plan available in this system, this should translate to a significant improvement in service delivery. Mhembere urged ZESA not to switch off power frequently as it affects their revenue collection too, as meters will

be stagnant when there is no electricity.

“Some borehole owners used to give us water, but with this new system they are now reluctant to do so as cannot afford to run their pumps for longer periods,” said a Hatfield resident, who declined to be named. She added that the system is not bad after all as it poses a lot of benefits to residents and the power company in the long run, provided the rates are somewhat reduced.

According to the authority’s website, as at 29 September 2014, its generating capacity was at 1170MW which is far less than what the market needs.

“Any problem on the system such as a breakdown at a power generation station or on a transmission line, can impact the supply to customers. When this happens, the system is unable to meet the demand of customers.

ZESA system controllers under these conditions have no choice but to implement load shedding as a last resort,” said the authority.

Load shedding simply stated is a controlled temporary way of cutting power to parts of the country when there is not enough electricity to meet the needs of customers.

As stated by ZESA, Zimbabwe has the average tariff of US9.83¢/kWh against the region’s US14¢/kWh. Recently, there have been some reports that some unscrupulous people were circumventing the meters, by tampering with the installations. Under the Electricity Act, vandalism and tampering with ZESA equipment attract a mandatory prison term of up to 10 years and according to the authority several people have since been prosecuted.

Servicing clients across Southern Africa

Harare News 3

www.hararenews.co.zw

General news

Parking businesses grow in high density areas Owen Chirinda

T

here has been an increase in the number of secure guarded car parks in residential areas over the past few years. According to Harare City Council corporate communications manager Leslie Gwindi, this is in part due to the surge in the number of cars currently being imported into the country.

Many vehicle owners, especially in the South-Western suburbs, attributed this phenomenon to security concerns about their vehicles. According to resident Prosper Shumba Mupfawa, using car parks is a good idea because they are cheap, dependable and offer better security

than parking cars at home. He said that occasionally he has mistakenly left his car unlocked in the parking lot because it is more secure than it is at home, where one has to take extra care and have extra security apart from walls or fences. Another car owner, Masimba Nyamajiwa, pointed out that most car owners are insured against accidents and not theft hence he opts for car parks since parking at home is risky if you don’t have a lockup garage.

According to one operator who requested anonymity, setting up a car park is a good business venture.

Reasonable profits can be made, though he would not divulge the exact figures. He said that some car

parks are initiatives by residents to safeguard their vehicles and so they only have security benefits and not financial benefits for the owners.

“This normally happens in high density suburbs, especially in blocks of flats, where residents want security for their cars at an arranged fee,” he added. It usually takes effect after both parties agree and with the knowledge of city council and the police. “However some vehicle owners take advantage of this setup and park their cars outside the parking lots to prevent theft under the assumption that we will guard their cars without payment.”

He added that it is a system that is beneficial to both residents and car

park operators but vehicle owners should register with operators and park in designated spaces.

Harare City council currently charges $0.20 per square metre per month to operators. It costs $1 to park during the day and $1 overnight for small vehicles and $3 for trucks and utility vehicles, a fee that most people thought reasonable.

However, some residents have expressed concern over the increasing number of car parks in residential areas and have called on the city council to properly designate parking spaces rather than issue them to numerous operators.

“Council should properly place car parks because most vehicle owners

are now dumping their old cars everywhere,” said Harare resident Vusimuzi Mlambo. Another resident of Budiriro, Phineas Mate, is concerned that it is affecting the environment since every open space is being turned into a car park. “Some of the car parks are now encroaching onto wetlands and natural drainage systems,” Mate protested.

According to Harare city council, “There are no designated sites for car parks in the residential areas. Stand sizes in the high density suburbs provide for ample parking space at residential properties.” To date there is no policy that designates places where car parks should be located in residential areas.

Youths extort money from kombis Kundai Marunya

U

Youths block the roads with huge boulders or massive logs demanding a toll.

Buy Zesa prepaid electricity with your phone using OneWallet anytime, anywhere!

Benefits of buying prepaid electricity with OneWallet: • • • • • •

Purchase from anywhere, anytime Get your tokens instantly Easy to use Affordable tariffs To register your prepaid meter: Dial *120*8# and follow instructions.

Register for OneWallet at any of these OneWallet Money agents:

JERICHO 023401

nemployed youths in Mbare are fleecing money from commuter omnibus (kombi) operators who divert their routes from the main roads through the neighbourhood to avoid police roadblocks. The youths block the roads with huge boulders or massive logs demanding a ‘toll payment’ from commuter drivers, charging them a dollar to pass through their neighbourhood.

A kombi driver who operates a commuter from the CBD to Glen Norah, Tendai Karibeti said, “The youngsters refuse to let us pass through without payment so in the end we just give them the money because it’s much better than paying spot fines.” He said the many roadblocks on the road make it almost impossible to operate profitably so they use alternative routes whenever possible.

Parents in the areas are concerned about their children’s safety with the increased number of kombis passing through their areas. Mbare resident Collin Savanhu said, “Kombis are always racing through our neighbourhood which is not acceptable or safe especially in our high density areas.” He said kombis have persistently been known to operate outside of traffic laws endangering lives.

Another resident Locadia Mazani said, “The youths who collect the tolls mostly use the money on alcohol and drugs, which is not good for our community. We implore the authorities to do something to stop this.” At the ‘toll’ the youths are visibly drunk, sometimes consuming their alcohol openly. Empty bottles of a cough syrup used as a drug, known as ‘Bronco’, are a regular sight.

In their defence the youth claim the kombis are destroying their already deteriorating and neglected roads. “It is our roads that they use to for their overloaded kombis, so as a community we are entitled to some payment,” said one of the youths who preferred anonymity. When asked if a few youths are the community he said, “At least some people are benefitting.”

4 Harare News

Issue 15 October 2014

Trees

Public and private sector greening the city Harry Davies

J

acaranda, msasa, munondo, acacia, avocado, mulberry, erithrina, guava, ficus… which of these Harare trees do you know? Which do you love? Which of these trees have you climbed up to hide in or to eat fruit from?

As urban dwellers, the conservation and propagation of trees is important for health, aesthetic, environmental and economic reasons.

As such, trees are a topic of concern in council, within the private sector, and of course from a community and individual level too.

Batsirai Munetsi is the Parks and Cemeteries manager for Harare.

Speaking at a Waste Management Meeting hosted by Miracle Missions, Munetsi described a string of factors impacting our trees.

“There has been a mushrooming of sawmills in Harare, home industries where wood is processed to

make the kennels and sheds that you see being sold on roadsides.

During winter, many people rely on wood from our trees to combat the cold, and for cooking purposes all year round. Poor refuse collection has affected many trees, as piles of rubbish around tree bases leads to termite damage and fungal infections,” said Munetsi. He also pointed a finger at the telecoms companies whose cable installations are damaging the roots of trees along the verges.

Being tasked with the management and oversight of our trees for City of Harare, Munetsi is responsible for one of the biggest factors of all in pursuit of a greener city – the policing and enforcement of bylaws – something that he vows to ramp up in light of the threats to our trees.

“We plan to take people who cut trees without permission to the ZRP who will fine them $20. EMA is also

an option as they have stiffer penalties,” said Munetsi.

Munetsi also described council’s efforts in tree planting. “We planted 7,297 trees in Harare last year,” he said, adding that “an assessment in May showed an 81% of the trees had become established” – a high figure by all accounts. Seedlings and young saplings need watering and care in their first two years of life, and small trees in public spaces are vulnerable to damage from passersby including cars.

Another man hoping for a greener Harare and with a strong track record in the conservation and improvement of Harare’s tree population is Neil Padmore.

Director of Frampol IT, and now an NGO called Helping Zimbabwe, Padmore believes that “The private sector like any other part of the economy must not be concerned about just making profits but also saving the environment and giving

back to the community which is also the market purchasing their products and services.”

He is effusive on the benefits of trees, highlighting a host of benefits which extend beyond environmental to economic benefits of trees.

“Fruit harvested from community orchards can be sold, thus providing income. Small business opportunities in green waste management and landscaping arise when cities value mulching and its water-saving qualities. Vocational training for youth interested in green jobs is also a great way to develop economic opportunities from trees,” says Padmore, who also points out that “Trees can improve the value of your property.

The beauty of a well-planted property and its surrounding street and neighbourhood can raise property values by as much as 15 percent.”

Helping Zimbabwe is currently running the Adopt a Tree campaign,

which gets school-goers to care for a tree for the high-risk first two years.

“This increases the survival rate of each tree as well as educates the young on planting trees to save the environment and give back to their school or community,” says Padmore. He also emphasises the importance of indigenous fruit trees to Zimbabwe’s cultural heritage, suggesting that they have played an important part in society for generations, but that urban migration has severed this important cultural tie with nature.

With efforts from the public and private sectors starting to take root, what remains is for all residents to get involved, in what is a pleasurable and enjoyable undertaking, and plant a tree.

To report tree felling or related problems in your area contact Batsirai Munetsi on 0772 386 736. To get involved with the Plant a Tree campaign, contact Neil on 0772 426 227.

The Tree Society of Zimbabwe Meg Coates Palgrave & Isla Grundy History he original idea for the Tree Society came from a Mr JB Richards in 1949 who, together with five other enthusiastic and committed residents keen to learn more about indigenous trees, drafted the constitution and obtained support from the Mayor. The first meeting was held in February 1950 with the Mayor at Town House, where more than 100 people enrolled as members.

An older member remembers early meetings in hats and gloves with the Mayor and Mayoress in Greenwood Park!

In 1959 an arboretum was developed at Lake McIlwaine (now Lake Chivero) and opened in September 1960. The idea was to plant

T

colourful trees so that boats coming across the lake would see a swathe of colour. In those days there was nothing there and one member once remarked that there wasn’t even a bush to go behind. Although the arboretum has been neglected over the years, the indigenous trees have regenerated and, because it is within a National Park, have largely been protected from fire and firewood collection.

As well as work on the arboretum, members made concerted efforts to eliminate weed invasions such as Mauritius Thorn (Caesalpinia decapetala), Cedrela (Toonaciliata) and Jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia) from the Binga Swamp Forest near Arcturus. Work was also done at the Epworth Balancing Rocks and in support of the Mukuvisi Woodlands.

By the 1970s a pattern of monthly outings was in place, sometimes alternating with lectures and films, and the monthly newsletter gradually became more botanical.

On 20 April 1980 the Society became the Tree Society of Zimbabwe and the first edition of the new newsletter called Tree Life was issued. The 1980s and 1990s saw increased activity, with regular outings and a much expanded newsletter. Tree mapping and recording the locality of all the tree species in the country also started during that period and is continued today.

Outings There are usually two monthly outings, held on the 3rd Sunday and 4th Saturday of every month and periodically a late afternoon walk in the Botanic Garden on the first Tuesday

Browsing: Tree Society members identify a species on a trip to the Vumba. of the month (first Saturday morning during winter).

The Sunday trip is a day-long visit, usually to a venue just outside Harare where we picnic at lunchtime, while on the Saturday outing we visit interesting gardens in Harare. Members meet at a designated point before the Sunday outings so that they can share vehicles.

Occasionally a longer outing over a long weekend is arranged and we have visited the Vumba, Hippo Pools, Mavhuradonha and Mozambique in recent years.

Details of the outings are sent to members by email and are included in the monthly magazine, as well as in some of the commercial magazines in Harare. The trips give everyone a wonderful opportunity to discuss various aspects of trees and the environment are looked forward to greatly. The Society also has a very active Facebook page.

Membership Membership is open to all who have an interest in trees and want to know more about their identification and distribution. Membership is only $10 per person or family and gives new members access to all the knowledge and information that the Society holds. We are always happy to welcome new members, particularly younger members to ensure that our activities continue.

Governance The Society is run by a voluntary management committee that includes the chairman (Mark Hyde), a secretary (Teig Howson), a treasurer (Bill Clarke), a publicity officer (Isla Grundy) and several members.

How to join the Tree Society The preferred way to pay the subscription is by deposit direct to our CABS account number: 100-2549477. The account name is “W.R. Clarke a/c Tree Society”. If you do make a deposit to CABS, please make sure your name is reflected as a reference, and also advise the Treasurer (wrc@mweb.co.zw) by email of the date of your deposit.

Harare News  5

www.hararenews.co.zw

Infographic

Our city, our trees

Socioeconomic 1. Beautiful cities get more tourism 2. Fruit is a source of noursishment to passersby and potential income to the owners of trees 3. Traditional fruit trees connect city youth with their cultural heritage

Environment 1. Trees provide habitats for birds and other creatures 2. They absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen 3. They clean the air by absorbing odours and pollutant gases 4. They slow evaporation by providing shade 5. They increase atmospheric moisture as they transpire 6. They help prevent erosion by slowing the falling rain, reducing runoff and holding soil in place

Threats 1. Rubbish dumped near trees causes termites and fungal infections 2. Urban logging for the building of dog kennels, sheds etc 3. Shortage of electricity means people fell trees for fuel 4. Laying of cables damages roots and renders trees unstable 5. Lack of enforcement of city bylaws means trees are unprotected

Social 1. Trees make our city more beautiful 2. Trees provide shade and protect us from harmful UV rays

Make a difference 1. Plant indigenous trees in your garden and along your verges 2. Clear trees of termites and refuse 3. Report tree felling (Ph: 0772 386 736) 4. Get your children to plant and nurture a tree of their own 5. Share this infographic!

In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of CO2 produced when you drive your car 42,000 km.

Graphic: Graham van de Ruit

6 Harare News

Issue 15 October 2014

Community

Mbare residents’ long wait for property tenure Despite the terrible condition of the buildings, residents in Harare’s oldest township have longed for ownership of their flats for decades.

Photo: Luckie Aaroni

You never know what will happen JERICHO 024259

Never lose your footing, get insurance from NicozDiamond and you won't get cold feet as you walk down life’s uncertainties.

facebook.com/nicozdiamond

Insurance Centre, 30 Samora Machel Avenue, P.O. Box 1256, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Tel: 704911/4, 251008 Fax: 700083, 704143

Stephen Tsoroti

T

enants in Harare’s oldest township Mbare are appealing to the City of Harare to review its tenure system and grant them title deeds to the homes and hostels they have been living in for decades. They said it is high time that the City of Harare considers their petition so that they will be able to develop these properties.

Nobert Safuli (67), who has lived in Mbare since childhood, says giving title deeds to tenants will be a great service to the residents who have taken care of their properties for decades. “We have been living in these quarters for a long time. The city should consider selling the properties to us,” he said. Another resident, Jairos Musonza says most properties in the suburb are in a poor state owing to lack of care by tenants who believe that they have no legal rights to the properties.

Mbare suburb was constructed in 1902 under urban housing policies that were crafted to provide migrant workers with shelter. Over the years it has seen overcrowding, straining services to breaking point. Sewerage disposal, water supply and the electrical system are in a state of total disarray resulting from decades of neglect. Residents live in squalid, even life threatening situations and children are the most vulnerable. While residents continue to pay rentals to CoH their tenure status is not secure as the properties are still categorised as temporary.

Ward 11 councillor Antony Shingadeya says the issue of title deeds has been contentious for Mbare residents. “We have brought it to council chambers for deliberations on several occasions. Indications have always been that council is reviewing the petitions.” He says home ownership fosters better living conditions, a better environment and improved personal security.

Fellow councillor Martin Matinyanya, Ward 4 concurs, “Overcrowding and poor service delivery are the result of lack of tenure status. When the houses and flats were built they were meant to be temporary residences but people have stayed there for many years. This has put a lot of pressure on the properties.”

Harare City Evaluation Department revealed to Harare News that there has been no evaluation done to assess how much Mbare houses and flats are worth at current prices.

The department states that the process needs money to be carried out and currently the city is unable to do that. It says the problem with Mbare properties is that the tenants keep on changing and the properties are often in the care of other people and not the original lease holders. Besides this, the department argues that this is city property which provides much needed revenue.

Meanwhile, social activists advocate that the provision of tenure through ownership is fundamental to poverty reduction and better service delivery. It is argued that ownership will remove the threat of arbitrary eviction and provide householders with an asset which can be used as security for credit. According to Psychologist Mandiramba Rukuni, tenure systems offer security, ownership and authority over a resource. While the matter of Mbare is complex, means must be explored to suit the socio-economic and cultural conditions of that community. “It will provide the conditions for the development of communities as residents get a sense of security,” said Rukuni.

Harare News 7

www.hararenews.co.zw

Community

Foundations Project gets support F

oundations Project recently received support from businesses in Harare, a development that project director Charlotte Haggie says is a positive step towards the achieving the organisation’s aim to educate orphaned and vulnerable children. According to Haggie so much goes into the education of the children at ECD (Early Childhood Development) level, that donations and contributions are hugely appreciated.

Some of the support came from various

institutions and organisations like Artisan, a Harare-based company specialising in paint manufacturing and selling. The recent donation from Artisan came in the form of materials and resources for the construction of Blair toilets at Rose ECD Centre, Caledonia, that was set up by Foundations to cater for orphaned and vulnerable children. Haggie said the toilets would improve basic sanitation at the centre and improve the safety and health of the children. She thanked Artisan for their support. The centre also received funding from UK-based Hand in Hand Foundation

Better days for Ballantyne Park Ian Wiggins

A

s the city of Harare grows, and life for residents becomes more frenetic, it becomes harder and harder to escape from the hustle and bustle for a weekend here or there to recharge and regroup. In these times it is more important than ever to be able to seek solace within the city’s confines.

We are fortunate to have a wealth of public parks that we can visit to find some peace and quiet after a busy day or week.

So despite our city not having the same urban park culture as New York or London for instance, we are lucky enough to have these green areas situated throughout the city for our enjoyment. The Ballantyne Park, with its trio of small dams surrounded by suburbia is a wonderful example of this.

In recent decades the upkeep of most parks has deteriorated, and slowly their attraction as spots for afternoon walks or idyllic picnic locations has declined. Speaking to residents in Ballantyne, it becomes clear that much has been lost in terms of properly using these green spaces.

Deborah, a long standing resident of the area, remembers taking her children there for long afternoon walks. An older couple who have also lived in the area for many years remember going for picnics and spending lazy Sunday afternoons on the banks of the Ballantyne Park dam watching the birds in the trees and the children learning to fish in the shallow waters.

Unfortunately, other younger members of the community remember the parks instead as an escape from the restrictions of school and home. For a long time they have been popular spots for the dubious activities that young people have a tendency to get inHarare-News.pdf 1 9/24/14 7:56 PM volved with.

With new developments continuing to occur throughout the city these green areas are so important for our bird and wildlife.

Years ago one used to drive past and see hundreds of egrets roosting in the trees in the park. This has dwindled in recent years but hopefully is not a thing of the past and with a little maintenance and rehabilitation this will become commonplace yet again.

With water currently being such an issue within Harare our wetlands systems are crucially important. As we tap into the water table more and more it is so important that our drainage systems are preserved so that we will continue to replenish the ground water that has become so vital to our lives.

At present there is an ongoing rehabilitation project that is being carried out by the City of Harare in conjunction with the Ballantyne Park Conservancy Trust (BPCT) which is aiming to bring these three parks back to their former glory both in beauty and functionality.

The rehabilitation programme includes general cleanup of the site as well as improving the drainage and functionality of the dams so that they in theory will be able to hold water all year round. They hope to improve drainage in the area in order to allow the dams to fill up over time. With the help of the community this should help to bring the park back to a state where the public have a desire to use it.

Despite this being a project that is being led by the BPCT, Birdlife Zimbabwe have also been very involved with the project. More details about the rehabilitation project and how the public can get involved will be released in the future through various media outlets. As City of Harare strives to reclaim its Sunshine City status projects such as these will really benefit the cause.

which donated £500 towards the ablutions.

“Other local schools like Chisipite and Hellenic also helped us fundraise,” she added. She also mentioned the tremendous role that Music for Hope has played in assisting the centre.

Haggie highlighted that they have received vital support from relevant government ministries and organisations in modelling their curricula in line with Zimbabwean education requirements.

The Foundations Project, which opened the doors of the Rose ECD Centre in 2013, has encountered difficulties that include limited human resources and resistance from some residents in the highly polarised and impoverished society of Caledonia. According to Martha Damu, co-founder of the project, it has not been smooth sailing and they have only succeeded because of their persistence and hard work and the support they have been received from businesses and other organisations. The centre currently enrols less than 40 children but aims at having a capacity of 185 children. The centre also provides a feeding

programme to 200 children in the area but aims to increase that to 2,000 children. They also hope to provide parenting courses for young mothers and caregivers.

There still remains a huge gap in the education of orphaned and vulnerable children in Caledonia since so many children are affected. According to Damu there is a waiting list to get formal ECD education and Haggie revealed that more still needs to be done since the need for pre-school education is so high.

She said that when the centre started 91 children were not attending ECD within a 5km radius and are still affected by disease and food deprivation.

However, beneficiaries of the project are slowly coming to accept the work of the organisation. “All of the children that graduated from the centre last year have shown confidence and have passed their entrance test into Grade One,” Haggie highlighted.

To get in touch with the Foundations Project contact Charlotte on charlotte@foundationsproject.org or call 0776 404 349.

Blair toilets provided for the children of the Rose ECD Centre by Artisan and Hand in Hand.

OUT OF AFRICA

Owen Chirinda

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Trusted by GENERATIONS FOR OVER 50 YEARS

0772 161 782-91

www.fawcetts.co.zw

8 Harare News

Issue 15 October 2014

Environment

Alternative source of heat for cooking Lovemore Lubinda

E

pworth lies just a few kilometres east of the city centre and yet is still to be properly serviced by ZESA. Residents have been forced to innovate around this energy shortage.

Have you ever thought of cooking a meal using sawdust?

Mai Duncan of Muguta is a proud user of this innovation. “We used to rely on firewood and paraffin for the job, but because of the cost, we moved to sawdust which is cheaper, even compared to the now available Liquid Petroleum gas (LP),” she said. She added that since sawdust is so cheap and readily available, it saves her both time and money.

To harness this resource, Mai Duncan takes a three litre tin and makes a hole the size of a fist in the bottom of it. She places a bottle inside, tips sawdust into the gap between the bottle and the tin and compresses it into a cake. The bottle is carefully removed so as not to upset the compressed shavings, and a fire is started inside using paper and a piece of wood. Cooking can now start.

Edwin Dandara (26), of Overspill also uses sawdust for cooking. He says that it is fast, and leaves your pot less filthy than firewood does.

“This is because once sawdust is burning at full throttle, it emits less smoke than wood,” he explains.

Sawdust dealer, Irene Ncube, says that her husband only works two

Mai Duncan’s kitchen in Epworth uses an old paint tin and sawdust to great effect. days a week as a part time gardener in Greendale getting $5 a day. The sale of sawdust has therefore become an important supplement to his meagre income. “Frankly speaking, our lives are hinged on this venture. I don’t know how we were going to pull through were it not for this business,” says Ncube.

Mr Ncube cycles to Msasa on a daily basis, where he pays $1 for a 90kg sack. He sells it for 50c a bucket, earning $5 to $6 per sack.

Jerry Phiri, a supervisor at a factory in Msasa says; “Sawdust is just a waste product for us. We offer it for a small fee to those who are into poultry breeding for use as fowl run bedding.” He adds that selling it to be used as fuel is much better than discarding it into the environment.

Wood dust may contain resin, fatty acids and phenolics which are acutely toxic to fish through leachates if they find their way into water bodies.

Across the border, in Zambia, one company (Daj-oy Manufactures, Ndola) is repurposing sawdust into wood briquettes for burning. According to the manufacturer, these briquettes have a higher energy value gram for gram, than the same quantity of firewood used to make them.

Whilst the efficiencies are considerable, it is worth noting the risks associated with working in sawdust environments. The National Social

Security Authority (NSSA) publishes a weekly update on occupational health and safety called ‘Talking Social Security’. In one edition it is written that, “Several types of hardwood are known to adversely affect the respiratory system. Nasal cancer can also be induced by such dust.” Sawdust vendors and their clients are therefore encouraged to take precautions such as the wearing of a mask to avoid adverse health effects.

Harare blitz nets companies polluting city water sources Stephen Tsoroti

O

ver 200 companies in Harare’s industrial sites have been found dumping excessive pollutants into the City’s riverine systems. In an operation conducted by the City of Harare (CoH) and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) the companies were found to be contravening the Environmental Act which provides that companies have pre-treatment plants at their sites.

CoH Chief Environmental Technician Chad Mabika said the operation covered 520 companies and ticketed 200 industries for working without proper pre-treatment plants. Mabika said, “Industries that were inspected in Harare generate a

lot of effluent like solvents, oil and grease.” He said that to date three quarters of the companies that were ticketed have complied and are working towards restoring their malfunctioning systems or putting up new pre-treatment plants.

Finos Gapare, EMA’s Environment Inspector, said that the goal of the operation was largely successful. “It was evident that the sampled industries were beyond the permissible levels of discharging waste effluent,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Food and Beverages Cluster chairperson, Dr Tapera Mazodza, said the CoH and EMA have used heavy-handed approaches to make their members comply.

He said the infrastructure required for compliance is very expensive. Oil

COURSE TITLE

3-5 Oct

separators for kitchens cost around $10,000 while some effluent plants need a capital outlay of up to $5 million. The cluster members cannot easily access these levels of investments given that the economy is floundering. Dr Mazodza said, “The city council has discharged raw

were not compliant. The major culprits were said to be beverage manufacturers and chrome extracting companies. Chrome industries use chemicals like sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, ferrous sulphate and caustic soda. Tobacco processors were also said to be dumping their waste at undesignated sites.

The 227 page report recommended that companies that discharge any effluent into the environment should have pre-treatment plants and that measures be formulated to deal with the Graniteside hot spot.

The report recommended that another operation should cover Bluff Hill, Msasa, Willowvale and the Central Business District and that a follow-up operation is to be carried out in order to ensure compliance.

PROCTOR TRAINING, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANTS

up coming events 2014 DATES

The authorities don’t appear to be implementing the same steps that they are forcing the private sector to pursue.

sewage in several parts of Chitungwiza and Harare yet the authorities don’t appear to be implementing the same steps that they are forcing the private sector to pursue.

The cluster does not think we are going to notice an improvement soon because only a few members are involved. The food and beverages sector in Harare alone has the potential to have more than 1,000 members and yet only 15 members are committed and are complying with the requirements. What difference does it make when only 2% comply and the other 98% do not?”

According to the report generated during the operation, 70% of samples collected for analysis in the Graniteside Industrial area indicated that most of the companies

VENUE

PRICE

4 Annual White Collar Crime Summit for Africa

Kingdom Hotel, Victoria Falls

US$1,350

13-14 Nov

Company Secretary Master Class

Elephant Hills Hotel, Victoria Falls US$1,150

27-28 Nov

Zimbabwe Anti-Bribery and Corruption Risk Management Conference

Holiday Inn Hotel, Harare.

4-5 Dec

Proctor Audit Committee Leadership Network Forum

Elephant Hills Hotel, Victoria Falls US$1,150

th

FOR ALL YOUR BOOKINGS CONTACT:

Tel:+263 , +263 4 2933 255 / 746036

Cell: + 263772675810, +263 772 860 744

US$290

Email: gmtetwa@proctor.co.zw

Harare News 9

www.hararenews.co.zw

Environment

This article is sponsored by…

Just Swift It!

Timber replacement has huge implications Michael Nott

W

ould you like outdoor furniture that looks like timber, never needs varnishing or any protection from sun and rain, doesn’t rot and will never be eaten by termites? Furniture that’s strong and durable, hygienic and easily cleaned, as well as being extremely affordable and environmentally friendly? Well, that’s exactly what Alternative Timber is offering.

Alternative Timber is originally a South African-based company, the brain child of Willie Reitz, who has a recycling and manufacturing company just outside Johannesburg. Zimbabwean born Samson Gwatinyanya worked there for 8 years learning about every aspect of production and eventually becoming the head of the factory. He even went to Germany for a 6 month further training course. He’s recently returned to Zimbabwe to set up a similar company here.

The process recycles all types of plastic waste to create new products ranging from jungle gyms to decking, from school furniture to fencing – in fact just about anything made from timber can be reproduced.

The process is innovative in that it uses all types of plastic, whereas most

recycling processes only use one particular type of plastic, like High Density (HD), or Low Density (LD), or PET. This means that he’ll be able to recycle just about anything, including plastic bags, old plastic containers and even the outer casings from car batteries and plastic car bumpers. When his factory is up and running he’ll have the capacity to process 700,000 tonnes of waste plastic every month. Considering the fact that most plastic is fairly light weight, that would be an enormous amount of refuse and litter removed from our streets, drains and dumpsites. He has already engaged the local councillors and has been allocated a stand in Chitungwiza

where he has started the process of collecting waste ready for when the machines are set up and hungry for material to recycle.

The project will benefit the community in many ways – it will provide employment for waste collectors and waste harvesters as well as for the factory workers and ultimately the people who will be retailing the finished products.

Unemployment in all the high density suburbs is reaching crisis proportions leading to other social problems like crime and drug and alcohol abuse, so any form of employment creation is vital. The surrounding neighbourhoods will have a lot less litter on the streets and it will relieve the pressure on the already overburdened council as there will be far less waste to collect. There will be much less going to council dumpsites, ending up in illegal dumpsites, or worse still being

Examples of the furniture that can be made from any plastic waste.

Fountains turned into dumpsites and toilets Kundai Marunya

A

s the Sunshine City continues to lose its lustre, landscaped and beautifully designed artificial water bodies in Harare’s parks have been turned into dumpsites and toilets.

Drunkards, vagrants and street kids take advantage of the absence of lighting in public spaces to urinate and relieve themselves in what used to be attractive fountains. This appalling situation is occurring in public parks like Harare Gardens and Africa Unity Square, in the city centre.

“It disgusts me to see someone else’s faeces in our fountains and rubbish flying around everywhere,” said Harare resident Millicent Mlambo. She said it is not only water bodies that have fallen prey to this senseless abuse but other parts of the park also. “The filth is most noticeable in the fountains because they are very visible, but at one time I stepped on faeces in one of the grassy parts of Africa Unity Square,” she said.

Though City of Harare (CoH) Department of Recreation should ensure the parks are regularly cleaned, when night falls many people take advantage of the dark. A CoH cleaner, who spoke on condition of anonymity said,

burnt. Fewer trees will be cut down for building materials or fencing so it’s easier on the environment.

The recycled products are a lot more affordable than the equivalent product made from timber. A timber fencing pole or dropper costs around $20, whereas the equivalent product made from recycled plastic costs around $1.20. This means that poorer schools, which previously struggled to afford even the most basic desks and chairs for their students, will be able to buy furniture at a fraction of the cost. The furniture made from plastic waste is extremely strong and durable and will last longer than the usual wooden desks and chairs and even if it does get broken it can be repaired or recycled again.

There’s even the possibility that the project will help to alleviate the chronic housing shortage. The equivalent of a wooden cabin can be made from their recycled planks at a hugely reduced cost. The plastic

“Our jobs are hard enough without having to clean up human refuse each morning. No matter how hard we work the dirt continues to find its way into our parks and sometimes we just get overwhelmed by it all. That’s why the ponds are sometimes dirty.”

The absence of public toilets open in the evening is among the contributing factors to the repulsive practices. “There is one public toilet in Africa Unity Square which is open during the day but you have to pay 50 cents to use it and it’s closed after 6pm,” said another resident, Tariro Mukundi. He said this forces some people to urinate and relieve themselves in the park. “There is however no reason to throw litter in the fountains, or any part of the parks, as there are always rubbish bins around,” he added.

The fountains that used to cascade delightfully in both Harare Gardens and Africa Unity Square are stagnant most of the time, while others in town are completely dry. The few that are running are constantly contaminated with waste and refuse. The most visible fountains are however refurbished occasionally, especially when the parks are hosting special events, like when the Mayor is present to turn on the Christmas lights in December.

planks are easy to work with, totally waterproof, fire retardant, provide better sound and heat insulation, can be painted and decorated just like wood and will last much longer.

Although Gwatinyanya’s project is not yet fully operational locally he can take orders for products to be sent up from South Africa, which takes around 7 days for delivery.

You can view their products at alternativetimber.co.za or call Mr Gwatinyanya on 0782 106 868 for more information.

10 Harare News

Issue 15 October 2014

Business & tech

Talking Twitter with Sir Nige A Reflection on Unemployment in Harare @_StephanieKay__: I’m getting my nails done...and the young and awfully intelligent young lady doing them is a Media& Journalism Graduate... @KanjangaM: I don’t understand this gvt eish there’s no employment no basic necessities and now pple are homeless…where are we heading to? @pchinjx: Congrats to 3,274 UZ graduates welcome to unemployment. Will join u in December Is Obesity an Issue in Zimbabwe? @263Chat: How serious is obesity amongst children in Zimbabwe? - audience member attending the launch of the MICS Report @TinopiwaChiunda: In Zim, parents need to be made aware of the negative effects of child obesity esp in the midst of the booming fast food industry Understanding the Youth @GirlGrandeurByo: We complain about moral degradation amomgst the youths but as individuals what have you done to try and avert this?

Russia/China Mega Deals & Indigenisation @rangabusiness: So is the 51-49 also applying on the mega deals with China and Russia?

Thoughts on Corruption @ChiefKMasimba: You see little islands of ethics in a sea of corruption in Zimbabwe @SueNyathi: Zim has gone from fast track land reform to fast track your qualifications Current Frustrations of the ZESA-less days & others @odenbk: I need electricity all day, water to run out of our tapes and oil to circulate in the industry veins. #Notinmydreams #TheZimIWant Democracy in Africa @263Chat: Some say democracy in Africa doesn’t work. Few have suggestions re what else would work. Is there a suitable African form of govt? @wimbinhands: maybe one democratic political party per state @stupendousA: State capitalism @zimxclusive: A mixture of communism & capitalism (with the right balance) Thoughts on the Mid Term Fiscal Review @PhilJambaya: Zim Economy formlising the informal @TanakaOswel: do these guys even care for Zimbabwe or just themselves and their latest germamy cars whilst we languish in poverty as always @IamMomo50: These taxes... we need a clearer explanation and professional analysis of where we are going @simhendi: Zim already has one of the most expensive Telcom pricing structures in Africa.. #bleedingthepeopledry @ibmatteu: What the Zimbabwean economy needs is a stimulus package not an array of taxes Some advice for Zim Hip Hop @NickkTitan: Some Zim hip hop artists cry about passion & having love for their country but tell them to perform once in Mufakose Thoughts on Fathers in the home @kayzeten: “Men don’t hate or fear wives who earn more. WE LOVE THEM. Men hate wives who want to become Dad when earning more #263Chat after lobola” @263Chat: @kayzeten #263Chat What does being ‘Dad’ mean in the home though? Daddy’s chair etc?

What exactly does that mean in real terms? @andrue_daF: it means a man is duty bound to rule his home instill order @kayzeten: i guess to me “dady” means simply, “commander in chief” and “mum” “parliament” Food for thought: @Zimotive: When African governments can’t create jobs, why do they continue to make it difficult for the private sector to create the jobs @nyariemarcy: poverty is not an excuse to either neglect, mistreat or abuse a child @SureKamhunga: Find someone to mentor; you will be surprised what you can add to someone’s life

Sign up to Twitter and join the #263chat conversation online.

British Council Launches Inaugural Young Creative Entrepreneur Award Tawanda Mudzonga

T

he British Council Harare, with support from Old Mutual Zimbabwe, brought the Young Creative Entrepreneur Award (YCE) to Zimbabwe for the first time this year. This programme is part of the British Council worldwide and is being introduced here as an initiative to enhance Zimbabwe’s creative economy. YCE is a unique global programme that identifies and celebrates innovators who are enriching creative industries through successful business.

The equal focus on ‘creative’ and ‘entrepreneurship’ is the key element of the award. YCE recognises people who are finding new audiences and sustainable business models for creative enterprises. The programme zeroes in on the people shaping our creative future – testing new models and ideas – and having a positive economic, cultural and social impact on both local and global communities.

Who can benefit from this award? YCE is aimed at emerging leaders in creative businesses who are able to make international connections and to use these to benefit others locally. YCE alumni worldwide are gamechangers.

The YCE Award was presented in two categories this year. The first category, Live

Music, was awarded to Ngonidzashe Mapani. Mapani is the Executive Arts Director of Musiqlef, an arts strategy company working in artist management, events coordination, music education and live entertainment.

Mapani’s award won him the chance to participate in a shared tour of the UK’s live music sector this past May, including three days at The Great Escape – Europe’s leading festival for new music. This programme allows winners to gain unique access and insights into the UK music industry, providing an opportunity to make business contacts that will act as a springboard for future business and collaborations.

The second category, the Culture Award, went to Shamiso Ruzvidzo, founder and Director of both the Catherine Ruze Modelling Agency and the new fashion enterprise, Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe, which premiered last year. Ruzvidzo was selected to attend the Remix Summit in London along with YCE winners from over fourteen countries all over the world this past July.

The Remix Summit was founded to explore the intersection between culture, technology and entrepreneurship. The winners had unique access to the UK creative and start-up cultural environment, a chance to speak at the Remix Summit to an audience of cultural

professionals and creative entrepreneurs, peer networking with international participants and access to master classes. It also provided an opportunity to make a range of business contacts that will act as a springboard for future business collaborations between the UK and the award-winner’s local community.

The call for applications for the YCE Award comes early in the year and is open to entrepreneurs who are working in the creative sectors and who have been in business for seven years or less. Winners fly to the UK to participate in an all expenses paid trip, courtesy of the British Council. The British Council is one of Zimbabwe’s critical arts and culture supporters and facilitators and helps to create international opportunities for Zimbabweans and the people of the UK to build cooperation between them worldwide. Check out the British Council website for more information: www.britishcouncil.co.zw.

This month, check out YCE Award-winner Shamiso Ruzvidzo’s ground-breaking event which launched last year, Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe, featuring fashion shows, an eclectic food market and live music from October 24–26 at the Barclays Bank Sports Club in Mount Pleasant. See the Fashion Weekend Zimbabwe Facebook page for more details.

Cybercrime – Play it safe Neil Padmore

T

hey come to you as business partners, sellers and even friends. You give them your personal details, bank account information and sometimes even deposit money to make an online payment.

Then, all of a sudden, you realise it was a trap, they were never a legitimate business partner but just a malicious online fraudster.

Such crimes have become commonplace, even in Zimbabwe. From spam emails that seek to harm you, to malicious software that

wants to destroy your data, one can never fully feel safe on the internet.

An added concern is how we are now able to go online from any device, making us vulnerable when we use our laptops, tablets or smartphones. According to statistics, over 80% of Zimbabweans are at threat of being attacked online. Individuals and organisations must therefore take measures that guarantee online safety.

One operating system worth mentioning is Android. With 60% of the market using Android to interact it is a prime hunting ground

Internet Service Provision Cloud Computing Computer Hardware & Software Supplies 80 Mutare Road, Msasa, Harare +263 4, 447710/9, 487100, 485540/1 sales@frampolafrica.com

for fraudsters and hackers. Users must take care when downloading apps to only get them from reputable sources such as the Google Play Store. A reputable antivirus solution is also highly recommended. CM Security for example scans all apps for viruses before installation takes place. An added precaution would be disabling the developer option that is found under settings on your android device so that apps do not gain access to information that you store on the device as it can be used against you. In addition to a reliable antivirus solution, use a web filter that scans each website you visit and tells you if it is safe or not and blocks any harmful content from opening.

It is important to know that a cyber-criminal might not always come from a virus attack or spam email but that individuals or groups we interact with could also be a source of harm. When interacting on social networks be it Facebook or Whatsapp, be careful who you chat with and what information you are giving them. Cases in Zimbabwe have arisen of couples and friends who have cut ties because of Facebook or Whatsapp.

Some have lost money to a fraudulent company they met in a Whatsapp group and some have even been kidnapped after giving their contact details to a stranger on Facebook.

There can be no doubt about the importance of protecting yourself online, and we need to get familiar with the tools available to so, as well as erring on the side of caution in all our interactions to avoid the increasingly sophisticated cyber criminals looking to rob us of our hard earned cash or worse.

Frampol is a technology solutions provider based in Zimbabwe and offers cutting edge solutions for everyday problems. Do you want to be safe online and stop being a victim of cybercrime? If yes email neilp@frampolafrica. com or Whatsapp us at 0772 426 227 for a free consultation.

Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ FrampolIT. Follow us on twitter at www.twitter. com/FrampolAfrica.

Harare News 11

www.hararenews.co.zw

Consumer

Magaba-Siyaso, a marketplace for all sorts Photo: Luckie Aaroni

Stephen Tsoroti

M

agaba-Siyaso home industries market (loosely translated to mean tins as in metal containers), also known as Durawall, is a market place for metal work and other craftsmanship. It is home to flourishing car workshops, car parts sales and related metal working activities. It is a hub for budding entrepreneurs and artists where affordable products for the residents of Harare and other adjacent towns are made. You can get cooking pots, cups of all sizes and shapes and bathing basins. There are also carpenters producing tables, beds, chairs, display cabinets and even coffins. Recently, imported goods have found their way there. These create a livelihood for a substantial portion of the population of the suburb and beyond.

According to City of Harare records there are around 500 registered operators, but over the years a further 3,000 or more other have found their way there. The municipality of Harare has been reluctant to take the side of the registered traders and expel non-registered ones. They have been forced to turn a blind eye because of the dire socio-economic climate prevailing in the country.

Competition with other traders is very high due to the increased number of new entrants, including the growing number of retrenchees (and their family members perhaps) and those who want to supplement

their dwindling incomes.

“It has become a provider of employment as well as a source of goods and services,” says Denford a wrought iron worker. “We are so many here that to sell your own products needs an aggressive marketing strategy. There are many who come here to work as salesmen, promoting what we produce,” added Denford.

“If you fail to get the product you want at Siyaso, then you might not find it in Harare,” remarks Tamson Sande, who specialises in metal fabrication. Sande, a resident of Mbare who migrated from Malawi with his father, mother and two sisters, says the market is so vibrant that skilled artisans have found their way there.

“Back in the old days, skilled artisans scorned the place,” he says.

According to veteran trade unionist Lloyd Sachikonye, the Siyaso Market has expanded due to the economic downturn in the country.

He says with real earnings dropping for the vast majority of the formal sector coupled with wage cuts by employers, apparently to save ailing companies from collapse, many people are being driven to the informal sector.

Sachikonye notes, “With the economy in free fall, Magaba Siyaso Market will continue to expand, swallowing even the nearby flats, as traders and craftsmen jostle for space to operate in one of the principal informal markets in Zimbabwe.”

Adjoining Mbare, Siyaso Market is bursting at the seams.

If you fail to get the product you want at Siyaso, then you might not find it in Harare.

Photo: Aaron Ufumeli

12 Harare News

Issue 15 October 2014

Lifestyle Photo: Graham van de Ruit

Photo: Graham van de Ruit

Photo: Chris Sheppard

The Big African Air Show Sharon Mazingaizo

A

Photo: Graham van de Ruit

Top left: the Harvards; Top middle: MX2s crossing over; Top right: the Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737 fly-past; Left: an Air Force of Zimbabwe helicopter

crowd of 18,000 gathered for the spectacular Big African Air Show which was held at Charles Prince Airport on 7 September.

Among the attractions were an international aerobatics team, formation flying displays, microlights, skydiving shows and model aircraft displays. South African pilots, the Air Force of Zimbabwe, Air Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Civil Aviation Authority took part.

The last air shows were held in Zimbabwe in 1995 and 2005. At the 1995 air show spectators were delighted when the London bound Air Zimbabwe Boeing 707-300b did a low flyby. The 2005 air show was organised by the Air Force of Zimbabwe, in which both the Botswana Defence Force and the Zambian Air Force took part.

The air show opened with a flypast by the Air Force of Zimbabwe followed by formation flying. They went on to an impressive helicopter, trainer and military transport aircraft display paying tribute to the two Air Force of Zimbabwe pilots, Squadron Leader Taurai Jombo and Air Lieutenant Evidence Begebe, who perished when their plane crashed during rehearsals for the show.

Among the international aerobatics lineup was the Goodyear Eagles Aerobatics Team, which flies four Aviat built Pitts Special S2B biplanes. Only 196 of these aircraft were built and The Pitts Special dominated world aerobatic competitions in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Watching the Goodyear Eagles Aerobatic team was truly a moment of poetry

in motion.

Another breath-taking display was by Team Xtreme, made up of Mark Hensman (lead) and Nigel Hopkins, both flying the MX2 aircrafts. Team Xtreme did a high energy display of opposing cross over passes, switch passes, synchronized aerobatics, gyroscopic tumbles and formation aerobatics.

Aviation schools were also present, namely Mashonaland Flying Club and Guthrie Aviation. Harare News spoke to a young pilot in training at Guthrie Aviation, Tinotenda Mabika, who expressed his delight with the show saying “As a training pilot you get a chance to see and experience world class aviation, which is good for your career. The air show also brought life to Charles Prince Airport.”

Harare News also spoke to other pilots.

Moses Mapfumo, a pilot with 19 years experience, said it was long overdue as the last air show was held in 2005. The closing of the air show saw a splendid display of eight different aircrafts doing a loop completion and a breath-taking “Switch Blade.”

Event organiser Isaac Levy thanked the Air Force of Zimbabwe and the Government for the support they provided during the event. Levy said, “We have had a remarkable participation by the AFZ and assistance in the preparatory stages which we appreciate. We thank all the people who came from all corners of the world to watch the event held in the Zimbabwean skies.” Mr Levy also thanked Zimbabwean-born pilot Elton Bondi who initiated the idea.

INSPIRE EMPOWER & REBUILD UPCOMING EVENTS

7th October – Waste Management − 8:45am to 10:30am 28th October – Life & Hope 4 Kids − 9am to 11am 30th October – Prisons Networking Meeting – 9am to 11am Highlands Presbyterian Church – 112 Enterprise Rd Highlands Contact: admin@miraclemissions.co.zw – Facebook Miracle Missions Trust Jacqueline Anderson – 0774 136 239 or Sharon Hook – 0772 240 442

For all your wholesale & retail beef, pork, fish & chicken requirements.

B

ut

che

ry

Takashinga Ne Mombe

Seke Road 0772 235 070 / 0712 807 634 Willowvale 0772 480 912 / 0712 216 768 Chiremba Road 0779 764 565 / 0772 331 788

Bulawayo 0774 377 817 Gweru 0773 919 313 Kadoma 0783 083 326 Kwekwe 0773 238 432 Chinoyi 0775 835 002 Bindura 0772 237 887 Kuwadzana 0733 748 595 Boka 0772 542 772 Makoni 0772 550 027

PANYAMA

Mbizi Game Park and Lodges Conveniently situated 10km from Harare International Airport

Accommodation Conference Facilities Team Building Facilities Wedding Venue Daily Picnics Activities: Horse Riding Fishing Canoeing Game Drives Boat Cruise Volleyball Caveman Painting or Game Walks

Email: mbizigamepark@gmail.com Email: info@mbizi.co.zw Reservations Office: +(263) 4 700676—8 Telephone Park: +(263)2935031 Cell: +(263) 772 248 372 Cell: +(263) 773 339 310 / 298

www.mbizi.co.zw

www.facebook.com/mbizi.gp

Harare News 13

www.hararenews.co.zw

Restaurants & food

Maestro – eclectic, flash and friendly Mystery Eater

D

riving down the Enterprise Road towards town one Saturday evening in search of something new, we turned into Maestro which is close to Ridgeway. This has been a restaurant under various guises for many years – but its latest reincarnation is certainly very different.

It was teeming with clientele, diners and drinkers, mostly of the young and smart sort but despite falling into neither category, we were given a fulsome welcome and shown to the last available table for two.

The décor is nothing if not eclectic. The Maestro is depicted in huge

blown-up black and white photographs of an orchestral concert.

Amongst the dining tables and chairs there are raised platforms and recesses furnished in an extraordinary baroque style, where drinks are served before, after or maybe instead of dinner. But most surprising of all is a shelf high on the wall packed with hookahs, middle eastern water pipes, also known as hubbly-bubblies or narghile. We asked whether these were part of the décor or for practical use and were immediately shown a large display box of flavoured tobaccos from which to choose.

The menu is smart pub food. There are no starters as such, but there is a selection of “light” dishes – calamari, haloumi, chicken livers etc., which could be ordered as starters. There is also a choice of salads and “baskets” – chicken, ribs, fish all served with chips. I noticed in each section of the menu there was at least one vegetarian option, for example a crumbed mushroom and fried cheese basket.

We went straight for the dinner mains. It is not a particularly inspiring or innovative menu.

a wide range of wines, spirits and cocktails. The wines carry a ubiquitous +/- 300% markup – but this seems to be the norm. The list ranges from an $18 cheapo to a $700 bottle of Dom Perignon. Needless to say we were unable to sample the latter but it’s good to know it is there – should we ever win the lottery.

The atmosphere is lively and friendly – with good music at a volume which allowed conversation.

And yes, the hookahs are used and apparently enjoyed by some of the customers.

At around $30–$40 per head (with drinks but without the hookah) it is on the pricey side for pub grub, but I would nevertheless recommend it.

The usual range of steaks, chicken, pastas and a couple of fish dishes.

However plain and simple, it was well cooked and served. We ordered a peppered fillet steak which arrived plain but was perfectly medium rare with a generous portion of seasonal veggies. I would question why “seasonal” vegetables always seem to be carrots and spinach.

And another puzzle is how a very 1950s Women’s Institute recipe involving spinach (swiss chard, more like) and a vague white sauce with a touch of nutmeg has invaded every professional kitchen in Zimbabwe!

There are other – and better ways of cooking greens. However, having

made that point, this was a rather tasty example of this curious dish.

Our second dish was a combo of calamari and spare ribs, again, well cooked and flavoursome. There is little to be said about either ribs or calamari – they are either good or bad. These were good. I chose a side salad which was also excellent and we shared a side portion of good chips.

There isn’t much haute about this cuisine, but it is good, tasty, honest, well cooked, hearty food. There was a limited choice of the usual desserts, but we went straight for the coffee and liqueur option. The bar is extremely well stocked and offers

Service Ambience Food Value

Overall Average: $20 pp 146b Enterprise Rd 490156 Open every day: Mon–Wed: 11:30am–11pm Thu: 11:30am–00:30am Fri–Sat: 8am–2am Sun: 12 noon–4pm

14 Harare News

Issue 15 October 2014

Arts & culture

Shoko Festival completes fourth edition Left: Conrad Koch and Chester Missing; Above: Ammara Brown

Photos: Graham van de Ruit

Tawanda Mudzonga

S

hoko Festival hit Harare in the last week of September, spurring a celebration of art and music, poetry and social engagement.

To kick things off was the Hub Un-Conference on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 held in the dome at the festival venue, Alexandra Sports Club in Milton Park. Shoko has been running the Hub Un-Conferences in years prior, but this year saw the inauguration of the Hub Awards, which offered participants the opportunity to pitch ideas to the crowd for new media projects with social objectives. Four winners were chosen to receive mentorship and $1,000 each to help realise their projects. The workshop also

included presentations and discussions with leading social media activists including Sir Nige and Fungai Machirori. Attendance was good and there was a definite buzz in the air during this event.

Also on Thursday was the allstar comedy night featuring South African legends Loyiso Gola, and ventriloquist and comedian Conrad Koch wielding his famous puppet Chester Missing. Our local comedy scene was well represented by satirical news stars Cde Fatso, Outspoken and Michael K of Zambezi News. A huge crowd rewarded the jokes from these established comedians with laughter and rapturous applause. It was a chilly evening under the stars, but the crowd didn’t seem to mind, interacting gamely

with the performers – two men even subjecting themselves to being used as puppets during the brilliant and captivating Chester Missing show.

Friday’s Shoko had a fantastic line-up advertised, with German/ Nigerian singer Nneka being the main draw for most music fans. Unfortunately, Nneka – who had Facebooked her excitement about coming to Harare – had to pull out at the last minute due to illness.

Not to be undone, the Shoko team managed to solve the bureaucratic Rubik’s cube for bringing in foreign acts, all in under 24 hours, and South African star Hip-Hop Pantsula, aka HHP was jetted in to replace Nneka. The popular star hit the stage that evening with his full band much to the crowd’s delight.

Although many were disappointed to have missed Nneka, HHP made up for her absence with his enthusiastic delivery and performance, as the crowd sang along happily with the South African star.

Supporting HHP on the Chiwoniso Mainstage on Friday were Ammara Brown and Prince of Faya Dhadza D featuring Ba Shupi in an epic collaboration that included bright, new talent from Bulwayo’s Makokoba area onstage with old school UK hip-hop artists Rodney P and Fallacy. But it was Chitungwiza-based star Dhadza D who stole the night with his energetic performance that got the crowd up and moving and singing along enthusiastically to his every word. It was unfortunate that his set was limited to two songs, and

the audience shouted as much.

Saturday was a fun day, meant to attract families and fans of music, poetry and spoken word alike.

Unfortunately, attendance (like the night before) was quite low, with people staying away perhaps because in this economy, not many can afford the $10 price tag, but also in part because for all its notoriety amongst the artistic community, this year the event was not well advertised outside of social media.

The highlight of Saturday was the evening poetry slam held in the dome in the corner of the Shoko Festival enclosure. Featuring local poets Godobori, Black Anakin, Aspya alongside poets from Denmark, Ghana and Kenya, the performance poetry was a mind-blowing experience of dextrous, lyrical genius. The audience was enraptured. In the end awarded the top prize to performance poet veteran, Godobori, aka Steven BikoMutsaurwaChisuvi.

The cherry on the cake was an enthralling performance by renowned American and three-times-worldchampion performance poet, Buddy Wakefield. He delivered 30 minutes of thought-provoking, mind-bending spoken word poetry, tackling taboos such as homophobia and religion to standing ovation.

Overall, Shoko Festival, still in its infancy at four years in, is a work in progress. The organizers should be applauded for their reach and vision in some areas (expanding the venue size and types of activities), but should also be encouraged to take into account the widest local audience tastes in order to draw in bigger crowds.

PAINT FOR THE BRIGHTER AGES

The rainy season is coming!

Call us today to rain-proof your roof.

Products available at our leading stockists nationwide.

Chemical Enterprises | 5 Burnley Road, Workington, Harare | +263 4 753831/2, 781011/13 | chemical@chemical.co.zw

Harare News 15

www.hararenews.co.zw

Arts & culture

Harare Chamber Orchestra Jan Raath

M

usicians in European orchestras complain bitterly about the mingy, spoilt-for-choice audiences that turn up to hear them. I went to a harpsichord concert in Italy once where three of us made up the audience in a large medieval church.

Turn to Harare, in the chapel of Arundel School on September 14 where the Harare Chamber Orchestra played several baroque works. The auditorium was four-fifths full. After each piece the audience delivered a rousing round of applause. Many stood and clapped to honour the musicians. “Bravo, bravo” they cheered.

“It happens all the time,” said Mike Peto, who has been playing the viola for the HCO since 1979 when he was 15.

“People are so starved of music. But they are also quite discerning. You get a great deal of enjoyment, the audiences make you want to prepare for the next concert.”

The 24-member orchestra under the baton of veteran Corrado Trinci and with musicians aged from 16 to 60 has played five concerts since its revival in March last year after a 10-year hiatus, to the delight of Harare classical music lovers.

It is run almost singlehanded by Peto, without a committee. It charges nothing for entry to concerts, and relies on donations. It’s a low-budget operation, earning enough to pay for the tuning of the piano and the fuel of a few musicians who drive up from Bulawayo to play (the Bulawayo Philharmonic Orchestra shut down shortly after the HCO, but hasn’t managed to revive).

The Salisbury Municipal Orchestra started in 1959 with up to 70 musicians, with a stipend from the city council which also paid the salary of the

Against all odds the HCO continues to perform and often to full venues. conductor. It got a jolt with UDI in 1965, when a significant chunk of its musicians left the country.

The orchestra became the Harare City Orchestra at independence in 1980, but the political change saw it shrink again. It took its biggest hit between 1997 and 2000 with the country’s first major economic shocks, followed by the instability from the start of the farm invasions.

“In 2003 it got to the stage where it was not possible to carry on,” said Peto. The musicians had dwindled to 20. “We had tried to get a couple of concerts going and realised it wasn’t working.”

But in the last couple of years, there was a noticeable re-influx of mostly young Zimbabweans who had left a decade earlier.

Among them, Peto recognised several musicians and by early last year there

were enough musicians to start again.

The orchestra became the Harare Chamber Orchestra, due its small size, and performed its first concert in that March.

“Right now we have enough people,” said Peto. “There is a bunch of youngsters who have progressed to the point where they can play at a very high standard. Next year three of them are going to university. But we have decided we will carry on, no matter what. Even if we go down to a quartet, we will try. As long as we have four good players.

“The biggest problem now is that there are not enough experienced teachers. There is a handful that teach violin, flute, clarinet, trumpet, but there are just not enough of them.”

Young players make up a significant part of the orchestra. The timpanist is a 16-year-old and last year at the Christmas concert the lead violin was played by a 15-year-old.

At the September concert, two high school pupils played a complex Vivaldi cello duet, and another two performed a long flute duet of a piece composed by King Frederick the Great of Prussia.

Their last concert of the year will be at the St John’s College Christmas Carol service on November 30. I would get there early.

Zimbo Jam Events list: October 2014 The End of the World in Borrowdale Brooke 1–4 October Alliance Française

Tuku Album Release Show 4 October Mukombe weMbura – HICC The Phoenix goes ‘POP’ 4,5,11,12 October Chapman Golf Club

Starlight Dancing 1–5 October Ballet Centre Zimbabwe Music Awards 3 October Harare International Conference Centre JIBILIKA Dance Fest 2014 4 October Harare Gardens Zimbabwe Music Awards 3 October HICC

Acoustic Night October 17 October Zimbabwe German Society Andrea Valeri @ October World Music Festival 23 October Harare, venue TBA Art Exhibition (Annual) 26 October Wingate Park Golf Club

To have your event listed here, email fungai@existdigital.com

If you are a musician looking to audition, or have any other queries email hararechamberorchestra@ bigfoot.com

Professional training for the youth: The Dance Foundation Course Tawanda Mudzonga

T

he Dance Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ) is the heart of Zimbabwe’s dance community. Located close to the city centre in Belgravia in the National Ballet premises (next to Reps Theatre), DTZ has emerged as an innovative leader of dance training in the region. Dancers who have trained with or performed at the DTZ have typically travelled and given performances all over the world and at prestigious events such as HIFA (Harare International Festival of the Arts) and the Grahamstown National Arts Festival in South Africa.

The DTZ comprises four different arms: the National Ballet, the Dance Foundation Course (DFC), Tumbuka Contemporary Dance Company and the DTZ Outreach Programme. All four inter-connected elements operate at the National Ballet studios and collaborate to provide the best dance training available in the country.

An important part of DTZ is the Dance Foundation Course (DFC), a rigorous international-level dance training course for aspiring dancers. DFC is a ground-breaking, three-year training programme that auditions dance hopefuls who have completed their O’ Levels. Through a process which is a

combination of recommendations and auditions approximately fourteen dancers are selected to undergo dance training with DFC. The DFC dance trainees largely hail from Harare’s high-density areas but anyone with a passion for dance is welcome to audition.

The course focuses on African traditional and contemporary dance styles and choreography. It was founded in 1990 with the goal to become a programme of excellence for dance in Southern Africa. This initiative is an important part of the National Ballet studio space diversification into other forms of dance, including: Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, African-traditional, Indian dance, Tap, Ballroom and Capoeira.

The DFC Course is overseen by its Coordinator and Artistic Director, Soukaina Marie-Laure Edom. Coming from an extensive dance training background, Edom became a part of the DFC in 1997 and has been instrumental in steering the DFC to becoming not only the premier dance training programme in Zimbabwe, but in terms of its curriculum diversity and rigor, arguably one of the most complete and valuable dance training certificates – comparable to those found in Europe and the USA where far more resources are invested in dance programmes.

The DFC Course is overseen and taught

by Edom along with former DFC graduates and former members of dance company Tumbuka, as well as guest teachers when the opportunity arises. Once selected, the DFC dancers begin their training at the National Ballet. Each day, the dancers gather and rehearse in one of two dance studios, taking breaks in between physical dance training and choreography instruction for classes on dance theory, anatomy, voice lessons, drama, yoga, tai chi and other practical lessons.

Classes taught at DFC are complemented by either recorded music or live instruments, including traditional drumming. For many, it is their first opportunity to engage in training with professionals.

The DFC is funded in large part by Africalia. The DFC tuition fee is out of the reach of most Zimbabwean students and through Africalia many students receive a scholarship that covers their tuition and transport fees. At the end of each year the DFC puts on an end-of-year show showcasing what they have learnt that year. The current crop have just finished their second year and their end of year performance – held at Prince Edward School this past August – was a delightful display of extraordinary talent.

Harare Office: 16 Renfrew Rd, Eastlea, Harare Bulawayo Office: 12 Bristol Road South, Belmont, Bulawayo Tel\Fax: +263 (0)9 67427 / 0772 401 433 / 0777 288 372 Tel\Fax: +263 (0)4 746725 / +263 (0)772 211 542 SMS: (0)776 744 832 TNT Representatives: Email: support@tnthre.co.zw Wendy Cohen (Byo) +263 (0)772 401 433 / +263 (0)777 288 372 Harare Service Centres: Brian Tsorayi (Hre) +263(0)772 472 346 17 George Drive, Msasa (Secretarial Unlimited) Paul M Gwangwadza (Hre) +263 (0)773 080 685 Tel: +263 (0)4 480741 / 480740 66 Nelson Mandela Avenue (Strachans), Tel: (04) 707973 / 0772 390 626 Facebook: tntexpresszimbabwe 167 Enterprise Road (Theo’s House of Coffees), Tel: +263 (0)772 881 877

EasyGrant Investments (Pvt) Ltd

Trading as

63 Twickenham Drive, Northwood, Harare Phone/Fax: 301414, 301398, 338216,

Email: iom@ecoweb.co.zw,

Print 'n' Copy Services

PRINT &COPY BUREAU Fast, friendly while you wait ~Photocopying & Digital Printing ~Colour Printing ~Business Cards ~Logo & Stationery Design ~Receipt/Order/Invoice Books etc

16 Harare News

Issue 15 October 2014

Readers’ page

Snapped anything cool around town?

Send your pictures to editor@hararenews.co.zw

Letter from the editor Environmental action or cash-grab?

At the time of going to press, we received an interesting if worrying letter. Dated 23 September, it is a directive from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate to the Upper Manyame Sub-Catchment Council (UMSCC), ominously titled “TAKEOVER OF BOREHOLES BEING USED BY BULK WATER SUPPLIERS”, and instructs the UMSCC to implement a $3/1000 litre levy on bulk water deliveries with immediate effect. It further stipulates that each of the three parties involved, being the Ministry, UMSCC and ZINWA, will take $1 out of the $3.

After chatting to a supplier, it is clear that this levy has caught them off guard entirely, even forcing them into what is hopefully a temporary operational hiatus. Note – these are suppliers who extract outside the city, and claim to operate within their license limits, which still affords them a massive half a million litres a day. Crunching the numbers, this would generate the authorities $1,500 daily from this supplier alone.

The sudden imposition by the Ministry comes at a time when the debate around underground water rights is hotter than ever, and the water delivery business is booming.

In the letter the ministry suggests that their actions are “necessitated by the need to protect our finite groundwater resources which are at risk of being mined by the commercial water operators,” and that the money raised should be spent on taking “all necessary steps to monitor water levels and quality and ensure that groundwater resources are not depleted.”

Needless to say, their stated purpose was met with scepticism by many, including much complaint on social media, where the letter was also widely shared.

Given the ongoing debate amongst residents (see the letters pages from the last 5 issues of Harare News and opposite), it is about time that the authorities stepped in to properly monitor and protect our communal underground water. However, this current move raises huge questions.

How was the $3/1000 litre levy decided on? Why the three way split between the different authorities? How exactly will each partner spend their revenue to ensure sustainable use?

In all likelihood, it will be the thirsty residents who cough up the cash for this. It can only be hoped that the money is spent wisely, and as promised. One thing that must happen is the enforcement of long ignored Statutory Instrument 90 – written to protect the private and community boreholes within city limits from abuse for profit. Given the complete lack of data available with regards to the number of companies and levels of extraction our city, we can only speculate, but this move by the Ministry will likely translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars a month, and as residents we must demand more for our money.

In addition to enforcing the existing laws, steps might include public awareness campaigns around water saving, a contribution from these sums to City of Harare to expedite the repairs of our shattered water infrastructure, and, critically, the proper gathering and dissemination of data that will help technicians, policy makers and the public understand the issue and make informed opinions and decisions. This last step is vital, since without knowing how many boreholes there are, how much they are drawing, and from where, we can only guess as to how long our supplies will last.

Watch this space as the story develops.

Have you been affected? Let us know editor@hararenews.co.zw / 0776 729 326

Who’s who Managing Editor:

Harry Davies 0776 729 326/442866 editor@hararenews.co.zw manager@hararenews.co.zw

Editor (on leave):

Sara Davies

Copy Editor:

Michael Nott

Staff Writer:

Kundai Marunya kundai@hararenews.co.zw

Layout:

Graham van de Ruit

Intern:

Martina Kwenda

Ad Sales & Distribution: Newton Musara 0772 233 086/442866

newton@hararenews.co.zw Ad Sales:

Cleopas Ngavi 0772 864 479 Nikita Little 0772 598 156 advertising@hararenews.co.zw

Accounts:

Muthandani Zaba 443498 accounts@hararenews.co.zw

Harare News is published monthly by: Harare News (Pvt) Ltd.

book review

Julius Chingono: Not Another Day Diana Rodrigues

B

orn on a farm in Rusape in 1946, Julius Chingono worked for many years as a blaster on mines, travelling throughout Zimbabwe. This was not a job for the faint-hearted – to load explosives, set fuses and then detonate the explosives required the ability to make quick, important decisions, to concentrate in stressful situations, and to feel comfortable around hazardous materials. But in the 1960s, in the midst of this hectic existence, something spoke to Julius in a “still small voice” and he began to write poetry.

It was only in 1999, when he was made redundant, that Julius Chingono’s writing career grew wings, and his poetry was published in both Shona and English anthologies all over the world.

He would appear as a guest poet at festivals at Rotterdam, Tel Aviv and Durban, where he delighted audiences with his witty observations of life in Zimbabwe and his subtle social commentaries about poverty, corruption and the environment. Not Another Day, a slim volume of poetry and short stories by Julius Chingono, provides entertaining and sometimes moving vignettes of life in Zimbabwe. The language of his poetry, while appearing deceptively simple, brings complex emotions and insights to life; his prose writing shows a similar mastery.

Thriving on diversity, Chingono drew inspiration from the many people he met and worked with.

‘Some People’ Some people are full stops, bus stops that end journeys.

Some people are commas, sojourns on the way.

Others are question marks who thrive on asking where to now, man?

‘Ode to a Tree’ suggests a time when

deforestation will be total, and trees no longer exist.

Grandad says That tall leafy trunk They call a tree in a glass case being exhibited at the show used to grow everywhere.

This may seem far-fetched, but apparently there are regions in China where trees have been cut down for building projects and there are neither birds or trees in existence.

Chingono’s light touch and humour

It was only in 1999, when he was made redundant, that Julius Chingono’s writing career grew wings.

are found in the short story ‘The Funeral’, where villagers have prepared a rural funeral wake for Maikoro’s mother. The late model hearse and bus carrying mourners arrive “just as darkness took hold of this rural community with its pole and Dhaka huts and a few brick houses….”, but proceedings are delayed.

Traditionalists want the deceased’s coffin to be carried inside the round kitchen, a separate thatched building, but Maikoro, who built a modern house for his mother, thinks otherwise. Village elders and uncles remind him that “custom dictates that she must be laid in her kitchen”, and when the expensive casket of varnished oak and golden handles proves to be too wide to pass through the door of the big house, the vazukuru (grandchildren) who are the pall bearers, carry the coffin into the “small kitchen hut”. The following afternoon, as the coffin is being carried out for burial, mourners are horrified when “the base plank of the casket fell to the ground, followed by a big bundle wrapped in a blanket and white cloth.”

Mourners are frozen in fear and poised for flight, until “Murewa, the sahwira of the Mukanya totem” burst out laughing and accused Maikoro of buying a “‘zhin zhan’ box…made to look grand to appease us!” In no time everyone was “laughing aloud and clapping their hands in unison”. So ended a funeral that “they would talk about for years to come.”

Chingono gives free rein to his wicked sense of humour in ‘The Commuter’, where he describes his daily commute from Norton to Harare. Having lost his seat in the crowded combi, a buxom female passenger invites Julius to sit on her lap. “Sit, mukuwasha, sit”, she ordered, patting her thigh. Reluctantly he obeys, realising that “the very act defied my apostolic church beliefs, which meant that I would be required to make a full confession in front of the whole congregation at church service next Sunday.”

Sadly, Julius Chingono passed away in January 2011, at the age of 64. While his poetry received recognition in South Africa some years ago, it is relatively recently that Zimbabwe recognised and acknowledged his contribution to literature and his iconic status at home.

The book review is sponsored by Blackstone Bookshop, branches at Mount Pleasant Shopping Centre and Sam Levy’s Village in Borrowdale.

Mt Pleasant 303772/0774 718701, Sam Levy’s 0779 001 839, sales@blackstonebookshop.com

Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3 × 3 box contains all nine digits, with no number repeated.

7

4

2

3

9

5

8

1

6

8

5

7

9

1

2

3

4

6

3

5

6

4

1

8

9

7

2

3

4

9

5

6

8

7

2

1

9

8

1

2

6

7

5

3

4

1

2

6

3

7

4

8

9

5

1

3

4

5

7

9

2

6

8

7

9

2

4

8

6

5

1

3

2

6

9

8

3

4

7

5

1

4

8

3

1

5

9

6

7

2

5

7

8

6

2

1

3

4

9

5

6

1

7

2

3

4

8

9

4

1

5

7

8

2

6

9

3

6

7

5

8

9

1

2

3

4

6

2

7

9

4

3

1

8

5

9

3

8

2

4

5

1

6

7

8

9

3

1

5

6

4

2

7

2

1

4

6

3

7

9

5

8

Difficulty: medium Editorial submissions: Harare News welcomes editorial submissions but reserves the right to publish. All editorial must be submitted via email. Opinions expressed in the editorial are not necessarily the opinions of Harare News.

Disclaimer: All information and points of view are those of the people who submitted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor.

While every effort has been made to establish the validity of the information submitted, Harare News can not be held responsible for any inaccuracies. E & O, E. Harare News does not accept any liability for advertising copy/content that has not been submitted correctly. We reserve the right to refuse advertising material that does not meet our specifications or advertising standards.

Difficulty: hard www.hararenews.co.zw www.twitter.com/hararenews www.facebook.com/hararenews Harare News subscribes to a Code of Conduct that promotes truthful, accurate, fair and balanced news reporting. If we do not meet these standards, register your complaints with the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe at: 34 Colenbrander Rd, Milton Park 778096/778006 director@vmcz.co.zw

or info@vmcz.co.zw Whatsapp: 0772 125 658 24hr complaints line: 0772 125 659 Twitter: @vmcz www.vmcz.co.zw Facebook page: vmcz Zimbabwe

Harare News 17

www.hararenews.co.zw

Readers’ page

Find us on Facebook and Twitter @hararenews

Letters to the editor

Noise-makers abound

Save our boreholes

The Problem of Giving

Dear Editor Last month you published two letters in support of LS Waters sub headed no water, no choice.

There is always a choice. And the choice in this case is to buy from suppliers who are in compliance with the water laws and who are licenced by ZINWA. LS Waters is not licenced

by ZINWA and is being taken to court by the Manyame Catchment Council because they are over abstracting way above their permitted limit, are affecting the neighbourhood water supply and continue to operate while suspended! Their operation is not seen as sustainable.

Mrs Sherwood, please come and spend a couple of hours on Metcalf road and count the vehicles that contribute to dust and pollution. 90% of them belong to LS Waters. Half a dozen trucks making upwards of 10 trips a day each is a lot of traffic. And a lot of water.

Of course we know what it’s like to have no water. Greendale has had minimal municipal supply for years, and in spite of having gone to the expense (its not luck) of drilling a borehole, we still don’t have water because LS Waters sucks it all up from his location right on the stream. But this is not about LS Waters. It is about the future of Harare’s water supply and the city’s very existence.

Water is a finite resource and at the current rate of depleting our underground reserves, it is only a matter of time before there is none left.

According to the UN, one in three of the world’s population currently lives in water stressed areas and that is set to increase to one in two by 2030. That’s only 15 years away.

All of us - the city, the residents, the developers, the water barons – should be thinking of the future. The long term is bleak and those new developments on wetlands (more short term returns with no thought for tomorrow) may well find themselves ghost towns.

Great Zimbabwe died because its population used up the water resources. That could be Harare’s fate if we don’t all act now. And that means that we have to lobby for more sustainable solutions and as individuals and organizations, curb our own water use. We are advocating for water to be drawn from beyond the city limits and for residents and businesses to buy bulk water from suppliers who are properly licenced by ZINWA. Water is a finite, public resource that is being plundered for short term gain. We continue to lobby all stakeholders and authorities – the Catchment, the City, ZINWA, Harare residents – to think about the future and act more sustainably. We need to accept the reality that we live in a dry zone – at least in the dry season – and live accordingly. Once the city has run out of water we really will have no choice. And options will then be very limited.

Sincerely Jackie Wild

For the last thirty years, I have held to the belief that if someone comes to my gate in need, I should give something. Even if a story seems a little far-fetched, there is a fifty per cent chance that at least half of it is true; more to the point, comparatively speaking, as a citizen of the northern suburbs, I have so much more than any homeless family, even if with my house I am now asset rich and materially poor, a pensioner without a pension.

While I find it hard to give to those who lose their self-respect and feel that the only way to convince me of their desperation is to writhe on the ground, we have consistenly tried to offer something to those whose lives often teeter on the knife edge of destitution.

And we like the Moslem concept of giving a tenth of one’s income to the poor, or the Christian tenet to ‘do as you would be done by’.

However, the experience of the last two or three years has now pushed us to the point where I have decided that we will turn away every needy citizen who comes to the gate.

The reason: on the one hand the desperation is too great, too much for any single individual to offer even the smallest solace. To offer a hand, means that the beggar returns again and again determined to ensure that he clings to what appears to be a life-line. And, as poverty increases, word spreads, that woman is a soft touch: one person with the need for a bus fare to a mission hospital becomes six; one person with a bleeding and pregnant wife, becomes three; another with the need for hospital fees, becomes four. Finally, not to give has now been followed by threats and abuse from one man desperate for help or one who cannot recognise that a gift is not a lifeline, and to whom can we turn: the police?

So, to those of my friends who’ve always thought that I’ve been foolish, maybe you were right. However, I still cannot agree with others who prefer simply to go to church to pray – God, after all will solve our problems without our need to act – to me, however, godness or goodness, lies simply in action, in how we treat one another. So it hurts me, to realise that from today everyone who comes to the gate will be turned away.

And I must ask, Harare is now full of churches. Some of them have cost thousands if not millons, of dollars to build but where are the soup kitchens, where are the shelters, where is the charity, where, indeed, can I refer a desperate individual or family, who has no job, no home, no working relatives, no hope for the future for himself of his children?

As the Aga Khan has said, there is no problem in making money honestly, what matters is how you spend it and to whom you give it.

Samm Winnett

FIND US AT: 1 Fisher Ave Rolf Valley CALL US ON: 0778842088 0778842016

OPEN EVERYDAY!

Mon and Tues 8.30am—6pm Wed—Sat 8.30am to 8.30pm Sunday 4.30pm to 8.30pm

Dear Harare News, As the wonderful community voice that you are, I wonder if you, or anyone else out there, has any light to shed on the recent increase of unrestricted noise in residential areas?

Over the Agricultural Show there were two nights of ridiculously loud music that ran until 5am. And they are not the only culprits.

Recently residents as far as Strathaven were disturbed by another concert in Milton Park.

Churches in tents and wedding venues are popping up all over the place.

More and more events that use loud PA systems are blasting noise in residential areas.

Police, when called, rarely take responsibility for enforcing council by-laws about noise pollution. As a result residents feel there is “no point in complaining”, and the problem simply gets worse.

What is one supposed to do about this recent disregard for council laws for the suburbs to be “peaceful” and “quiet”? How can we, as residents, begin to ensure that such events, if they are held in the suburbs, are made to keep to some decent volume level and within reasonable time restrictions?

Sleepless in Harare

Big mess in Mabelreign Raw sewage has been leaking for over three weeks on the corner of Upper Hampden and Old Mazowe Rd. near Westgate. The mess has been so bad that one vehicle even got stuck in the ‘mud’. Residents say that council has been inneffective in dealing with the problem, visiting the site on more than one occasion, but falling short of meaningful action.

Council failing to keep city clean Sir, There are many of us trying to do our best to ‘Clean up the World’ starting in our own neighbourhoods. For some eight months now I have been picking litter off the streets in my surrounds – Marlborough. I would collect litter bags from the council offices, Marlborough, spend about an hour to an hour and a half each morning collecting one or two bags of rubbish and recyclables, and then deliver a load or two of litter to the Pomona Dump on Saturday mornings, when dumping is free. Cans and bottles were kept separate and delivered to the correct collection points.

However there is an organisation which is paid to do this job – the City of Harare. They collect rates every month to provide these services.

1. They should be collecting litter along the streets.

2. They should provide litter bags free to the residents and shop owners.

3. They should be installing rubbish bins around the shopping centre and on street corners with signs on them to encourage people to keep their environment clean, tidy and hygienic.

4. They should provide collection points for recyclables.

Powered

By Pizza!

Come and enjoy a coffee with home made cakes, rolls, subs, pies, salads with a delicious pizza for sit down or take-away!

Deliveries available through Restaurant Runners!

Call: 335307 NOW!

5. They should deploy municipal police to apprehend and charge litter bugs – particularly motorists and taxis, who throw litter out of vehicles.

6. They should collect litter bags in a reliable and timely fashion.

7. Dumping litter at Pomona Dump should be free.

8. Illegal dumping should be stopped and large fines should be imposed.

In fact: 1. They have no-one collecting litter.

2. They have run out of litter bags for the last fortnight.

3. They have not installed rubbish bins around the shopping centre or on street corners with signs on them to encourage people to keep their environment clean, tidy and hygienic.

4. They have provided very few collection points for recyclables. The only visible ones are for cans – none in public places for paper, plastic, or glass.

5. I have only once seen municipal police in this area, and they were doing nothing of value when I saw them.

6. In Marlborough the collection of litter bags has been haphazard, irregular and unpredictable with the result that dogs redistribute the litter all along the streets again.

7. Dumping at Pomona Dump costs one about $20 most days, which is why many people dump illegally all over the place.

8. Illegal dumping is seldom detected due to complete lack of interest by council and police, so in effect it is free.

Solutions.

The solutions are very simple: 1. The City of Harare should do the job it is paid for, or – 2. The City of Harare should give us back the money, which they have taken from us in rates to do the job, and get out of our way.

We can do it much better ourselves as Rate Payers Associations.

General Comment.

The City of Harare is a complete disaster.

The only certainty is that fat salaries are paid to the fat cats at the top. Workers are often paid late or not at all. Service delivery is minimal. If large loans are sourced they will be treated in the same way – fat salaries, pathetic service delivery and corruption will continue.

David Wheeler.

18 Harare News

Issue 15 October 2014

Schools Chrispen (17), PACE College Focus on one topic at a time and it is also important to find a comfortable and quiet place to study. Avoid your bed as it is very tempting to just lie down and take a nap.

Alick, Head, Beaverly Hills College You should not sleep both in the evening and morning 24 hours.

You should also decide on the best time to work either in the evening or in the morning.

As exams loom Farai Dauramanzi asked some of our learners and educators,

Can you give us a study tip?

Whitney (16), Speciss College Study while listening to music so that when you write exams remembering the songs you were listening to while studying might help you recall what you studied.

Takunda, Teacher, ZEDECO Hard work is the only solution to success so you have to put in the hours. If it means burning the candle the whole night studying, so be it.

Shingisai (9), Dominican Convent Primary Study in the afternoon after doing your homework and if you have time also study in the evening.

Brenda (21), UZ Read for about one hour before you sleep every day and if you can wake up at midnight that would be a good time to read because at that time there are fewer distractions.

Simbarashe (14), Prince Edward Focus on your weak spots so that you can get higher grades obviously you can also study the sectors you are good at but, it is best to focus on your weak spots.

Grooming young stars at KIFOC Sharon Mazingaizo

“I

nspire, create, educate, enjoy” is the motto for Kids in Front of the Camera (KIFOC), an organisation founded in 2002. Its main focus is on hosting creative workshops for children with a desire to excel in the performing arts. The aim of KIFOC is to bring fun, education, talent and character building skills into the lives of the children by developing their singing,

dancing and performing skills using a video camera as a teaching tool.

The workshops also help to build the children’s confidence through learning artistic skills.

KIFOC is a good way for young people to get into the film and television industry as it develops communication skills, imagination, self confidence, social awareness and physical fitness. One of the programmes offered is ‘Playback’, a monitoring and evaluating exercise centred

ENGLISH

LANGUAGE

LESSONS

ESL Lessons O and A level English Assistance IELTS Preparation Business English For more information Please contact:: +263 771 318 308 taimutasa@gmail.com

on filming activities involving the children and playing them back, so their performances can be assessed, complimented and improved where necessary. Harare News spoke to the founder/director Beverley Mathison and she expressed her enthusiasm for working with children from different walks of life. Mathison said, “Our aim is for children to learn while having fun, at the same time building self esteem and confidence. We offer a platform for

KIFOC participants pose for the camera in dazzling attire. children to express themselves, tell their stories and just be children in spite of their daily tribulations and disadvantaged circumstances, giving them a sense of achievement.”

KIFOC is also involved in outreach workshops for children who have special needs. Part of the programme involves working with disadvantaged children from various children’s home and drop-in centres around Harare, encouraging interaction between different social backgrounds and breaking down cultural and social barriers. Creative Workshops are run during schools holidays and during the much loved Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA), the Chimanimani Festival and the Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF). The three day creative workshops include sessions called ‘Dance Up’, ‘Sing Along’, ‘Create and Imagine’ and ‘Picture Perfect’. During ‘Dance Up’ children learn hip hop steps and routines to develop motor and rhythmic skills, flexibility, balance and core

stability. ‘Sing Along’ focuses on doing fun vocal warm up sessions, learning catchy songs and experimenting with rhythm using musical instruments. ‘Create and Imagine’ is a drama session which aims to stimulate their imagination with theatre games, character explorations, storytelling, mime, role play, improvisations, news reading and creating adverts. ‘Picture Perfect’ involves photo modelling where the children have fun having their pictures taken.

Other notable people who have worked with KIFOC include jazz artist Dudu Manhenga, who was involved in vocal training during the workshops and Rahim Solomon, who is a dance trainer involved in the ‘Dance Up’ workshops. The creative workshops build confidence and develop life skills for children and young people through storytelling, puppetry, learning hop hip moves, posing in front of the camera and character exploration games.

HOME-STYLE BRICKS HOME-STYLE BRICKS was founded in 2010 and is now the largest player and leading manufacturer of cement products in the country. We are transforming the humble brick market by introducing new innovative products, creating new fashions and trends in the residential and commercial building markets.

Our motto is

“QUALITY AT LOW LOW PRICES” Our products include the following: Cement Bricks, Load-Bearing Bricks, Face Bricks, Hollow Maxi Bricks, 4.5”,6” and 9” Blocks, Retaining D Shape Wall Blocks, 60mm/80mm/100mm Interlocking and Rectangular Pavers, Tiles, Smooth Cobbles, Rough Cobbles, Slabs, Domestic, Industrial and Mountable Curbs, 1m Coping for 4.5” and 9” Walls, Corner Copings, Window Sills, Breeze Blocks, Air Vents, Dripstones, Durawall Pillars and Panels and Various Lintels from 0.8m-3.5m.

We have also started to manufacture Round, Spiral and Fluted Columns, Benches, Tables, Crash Barriers, Single and Double Sinks, Bird Baths, Pots and ZESA Poles.

Since HOME-STYLE BRICKS is one of ZIMBABWE’S favourite manufacturers of cement building products. Our large volumes bring about a very cost effective structure so that we can offer the best prices in the market.

HOME-STYLE BRICKS has also purchased three of its own transport trucks so that we can deliver our products to our clients and therefore we offer a comprehensive 100% customer service from sales through to final delivery.

BRICKS - Our new Rock Face Bricks with a rugged outside finish will create an extra feature that adds a feeling of substance and quality to any home. With the range of four fashionable colours and unique textured finish, our Rock Face Bricks are guaranteed to complement any modern design.

Whatever colour you choose the style and quality will set your home apart for generations to come.

PAVERS - Our purpose made Domestic Pavers combine the durability, strength and consistency of premium quality cement pavers which the construction industry demands. Discover how easy the art of designing a driveway that will complement your style and home decoration.

BLOCKS - With the introduction of our Blocks, a new era has been unleashed to change the face to low cost building. We manufacture blocks similarly to conventional cement bricks but these are much larger and longer and therefore ideal for cheaper larger projects that need to be finished quicker and at a lower cost. Simple and easy to build with, blocks dramatically reduces the cost and building time.

CEMENT PRODUCTS - Our beautifully curved Curbs and Copings will give your driveway and surrounding walls the sharp and sophisticated finish it deserves. Our new intricate design Breeze Blocks that are manufactured to perfection and Window Sills will add the final touch to one’s home.

CAST STONE PRODUCTS - Our Floor Tiles, Stone Slabs, Double Cobbles and Rough Cobbles are a very special range of authentic products with genuine earthy colours that create a feeling of tranquillity and sophistication are designed to provide the luxury of natural stone in today’s home.

Our Cast Stone Products collection will set your project apart, whether used indoors or out.

HOME-STYLE BRICKS, with its experience and unique ability to build a dedicated team of people committed to excellence in production, research, development, sales and transportation will remain the benchmark for many years to come.

WE DON’T JUST TALK THE TALK WE WALK THE WALK So come on down to HOME-STYLE BRICKS and see our wonderful variety of cement products at Pomona Stone Quarries. We look forward to meeting you.

Pomona Quarries, Alpes Road, Pomona (04) 851996 / 851983 • 0772 232054 sales@hsbricks.co.zw • www.hsbricks.co.zw

TWA Auctions (PVT) LTD Antiques and house sales 1 Routledge Street, Milton Park Phone: (04) 702741 / 703043 / 705182 Cell: 0772 325 634 / 0772 718 846

Our city, our lives

P.O. Box BE225 Belvedere, Harare E-mail: twotton@zol.co.zw

Zimbabwean polo “slowly improving” Sharon Mazingaizo

T

he polo season has just come to an end; polo is played from March to August every year, ending with the Zimbabwe Open tournament. This year’s polo season started in March with Arena polo at Bushman Rock in Ruwa. Arena polo is a new form of polo in Zimbabwe, played in a sand based arena, with three players a side and using a polo ball similar to a mini-soccer ball.

Polo came to Zimbabwe in 1895 and between the late 1950s and early 1960s it was a resounding success.

There were 22 clubs and 450 players but sadly over the years this has come down to three clubs and 50 players. Between 1965 and 1982 Zimbabwe was the strongest polo playing country in Africa. In eleven Test series against South Africa Zimbabwe won eight and South Africa three.

Gary Hensman, who is the trustee member of the Zimbabwe Polo Association, said that he hoped polo

would pick up momentum again in Zimbabwe. “Unfortunately, due to the fact that we have so few players now, the quality of the league is not as good as it was in the past.

Our highest handicapped player at the moment is four goals. This is on a scale from one to ten, ten being the best. In the 1960s, we had three players at seven goals, two at six goals and eight at five goals. But we are slowly improving and hopefully in the near future we will be strong again.”

Other notable tournaments hosted by the Zimbabwe Polo Association during the course of the just ended season include the Arena Polo Tournament, the Sambok Polo Tournament, the Carnival Cup Polo Tournament, The Junior Open, Zimbabwe – Kenyan Polo International, the Umzari Tournament, Zambian School Invitation and The Zimbabwe Polo Open. Carnival Cup Polo is Zimbabwe’s most prestigious polo tournament. First played in 1897 the Carnival Cup is

Players and their horses squaring up at the polo grounds. the oldest running tournament of any sport in Zimbabwe. Polo lovers also enjoyed the outdoor polo tournament which was played during

the Easter holiday with three clubs namely Harare Polo Club, Umzari and Bushman Rock.

During the last tournament,

which was the Zimbabwe Polo Open, foreign players were allowed to play. Six players from South Africa and four teams were competing on a round robin basis and on the last day the last match between Sambok and Metro Peech teams turned out to be the final, as both teams had won their previous matches.

Speaking to Harare News, Hensman expressed his sentiments over the recently ended Zimbabwe Polo Open, “The match itself was slow to start and Sambok went ahead by five goals in the first two chukkas. The Metro team caught up to one goal behind by the end of the third chukka. The next two chukkas were very exciting as Metro caught up, then Sambok went ahead, Metro caught up, then Sambok went ahead. At the end of the match Sambok came out the winners by nine – eight. Two weeks before that we had the Polo Championships which was between Harare and Umzari, over two days. Umzari came out the winners by a very large margin.”

Local basketball player succeeds in USA college league Stephen Tsoroti

N

ot many people may have heard of basketball player Alexandra Maseko, but after her success in the USA College Basketball League, she is bound to become a household name.

For Alexandra, 2013 was a whirlwind season. She became one of the league’s top athletes and landed an award as the first student-athlete in Seton Hall history to be named a Top-9 Finalist for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Woman of the Year award.

Out of an initial pool of 455 student-athletes, including 214 from Division I institutions, the NCAA announced the Top 30 Finalists for the award in August. Three studentathletes from each NCAA Division

comprise the Top-9 honourees. The NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 23rd year the award is unique because it recognizes not only the athletic achievements of outstanding young women, but also their academic achievements, community service and leadership.

NCAA member institutions nominated their own woman of the year.

To be eligible, these women must have competed and earned a ‘varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport and must have completed eligibility in their primary sport. Under legendary head coach Anne Donovan, the 1,90m forward brought her college career to a close with six points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes

as Seton Hall finished with an 11-20 record for the season.

She has represented Zimbabwe for eight years on the Senior Women’s National Team, which she led to its highest-ever finish of 11th place in the All-Africa Games. In addition, Alexandra has devoted her time to developing a successful sneaker drive to collect, transport and distribute sneakers to underprivileged boys participating in a developmental basketball programme in Zimbabwe.

Alexandra was a 2013 Seton Hall University Academic Merit Award recipient and a Rhodes Scholar finalist in 2012. A three-time member of the Big East Academic AllConference team, she is a political scientist and currently studying a master’s degree in diplomacy, as

well as serving as a graduate assistant for Seton Hall’s women’s basketball team.

Alexandra, who is a forward and wears the famous number 13 jersey, led Seton Hall’s women’s basketball team on the court. She started all 31 games with the Pirates, twice leading the team in blocked shots per season and rebounds per game. She also received the All-In Team Award for displaying overall commitment to team success during the 2011-12 seasons.

She gave an account of her experiences in the USA while in Harare recently, “The competition is very tough and there are some opponents who always give you problems but I have always believed in myself. I think my coach deserves this. My coach applauded my efforts

and I earned my play time the hard way. I became the top player. It teaches you to stay persistent. But the great challenge has been to balance sport and school. As a student athlete you have to be aware always how to balance class, work and sport. You need to prepare both in sport and academically when applying for sports scholarships. It’s lovely over there in the US. I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect but it has been an excellent experience. The setup at the college team is pretty relaxed, but that is not to say that they don’t push you hard to try and improve your game. I have played aggressively from ball one which is different from how I played in Zimbabwe.”