In a development aimed at improving the standards of living for Masvingo residents, the City of Masvingo is refurbishing Council owned flats in the high density suburb of Mucheke.

Some of the refurbished apartments include Mambo and Large Barracks Hostels housing plus or minus 60 families.

The development will go down in the annals of Masvingo City Council as a historic initiative which the Council has taken to take cognizance of the importance of decent accommodation for its residents.

Beneficiaries of the project expressed joy at the completion of the renovations despite the inclement economic conditions that have characterized the country since the turn of the millennium which had stalled renovations of the flats, resulting in residents living in squalid conditions.

The renovations of the flats will go a long way in bridging a yawning infrastructure gap that was occasioned by the absence of the adequate housing facilities to cater for the booming population since independence. Ordinarily and according to plan, the bachelor flats are not meant to cater for families.

Demand for housing remains extraordinarily high due to the rate at which the city is urbanizing rapidly and will need to absorb thousands new residents over and again. Affordable housing in the right locations though can bolster economic mobility and untimely drive GDP growth.

A team comprising of medical staff from Masvingo City Council has successfully made a historic delivery at the district’s Council owned, Rujeko Isolation Centre on a COVID-19 patient.
The delivery was made under strict Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures.
The new mother is one of COVID 19 patients who were in quarantine at the district’s isolation centre after returning to Zimbabwe from South Africa. However, on a positive and cheerful note, both the mother and baby are well and have since been discharged after the mother recovered from COVID – 19.
Commenting on the development, Masvingo City Council Acting Town Clerk, Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa applauded the team for the job well done.
‘I want to thank the Matron and the nursing staff at Rujeko Isolation Centre for a job well done. They managed the delivery in a highly professional way in these trying times with limited resources. Their commitment to duty and passion for their profession is commendable and as Management we commit to continuously support them with resources and incentives to make their work easier’, he said.
The medical team boasts of a 100% recovery of all cases as there has not been any single death recorded.

In the wake of the novel COVID- 19 pandemic worldwide, the City of Masvingo in conjunction with a non-governmental organisation, Christian Care held a two day training of the Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) at Flamboyant Hotel, Masvingo from the 9th to the 10th of July 2020.
Training the Rapid Response Teams is one of the strategic priorities of the City Council to enhance the city’s capacity to respond to a potential importation and spread of COVID – 19 cases in Masvingo. This was stated by City of Masvingo Acting Town clerk in his speech: ‘This training is of high priority. This is why I encourage all participants to make the most out of it. It will enable us to strengthen our response capacities against this terrible COVID – 19 pandemic as well as to respond better to any other outbreaks.’
The training was organized with the support of Christian Care and experts from the health sector, who worked hand in hand with senior staff from the City Health Department. The Acting Chief Environmental Health Officer, Mr Ngonidzashe Maphamula acknowledged that this training “is one of the great strategies of the City Council for public health improvement in the city, so that the local authority will be able to respond to public health emergencies and lead the process.’
The objective of the training was not only to provide participants with the most recent and most updated guidance for detection, confirmation and response to cases of COVID -19 but also to teach the training methodology to enable the participants to conduct this training on other high risk issues.
Since the COVID -19 outbreak worldwide, in Zimbabwe it was declared a state of emergency in March 2020 which was followed by a national lockdown and closure of borders from all the countries identified as being at high risk of COVID – 19 importation.
This RRT training, which in the current context focuses on COVID – 19, Gender and WASH, can also be used to enhance readiness for the response to other hazards threatening the health of people in the city.

The City of Masvingo COVID – 19 Fundraising Launch that was held in the Civic Centre Hall on Wednesday the 1^st of July, 2020 was a resounding success with overwhelming support from the corporate world and local institutions.

The launch was aimed at raising funds towards the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other essential materials to help capacitate local treatment and isolation facilities.

Addressing the corporate representatives who attended the launch, City of Masvingo, Acting Town clerk reiterated the need for a collaborative approach in the fight against the pandemic.

‘There is great need for a collaborative approach if we are to deal with this pandemic in a professional, holistic and sustainable way. We are launching this COVID – 19 Support Fund in order to raise the resources required to assist the City Council as well as assist Masvingo Provincial Taskforce in the fight against this pandemic. We are getting resources from both the National Taskforce and the Provincial Taskforce but these resources are not enough to sustain everyday activities of the Isolation Centre. Top on our priority is PPE. There is need for enough personal protective equipment to adequately protect our front line workers’, he said.

The Acting Chief Environmental Health Officer, Mr Ngonidzashe Maphamula also narrated the challenges being faced by both the patients and front line workers at the Isolation Centre. In his speech he gave a summary of the COVID – 19 pandemic in the country and Masvingo district.

His Worship, The Mayor for Masvingo City Council, Cllr Collen Maboke commended the business community for supporting the noble cause in the fight against the novel COVID – 19 pandemic. He went on to commend management for clearly articulating their vision, outlining the trajectory the organisation intends to take in order to fight the pandemic without having to burden the ratepayers.

The Mayor, further noted that unity is a prerequisite for the city’s development and that both the private and public sectors had an important role to play in development.

Apart from contributing significantly towards the fight against the COVID – 19 pandemic by offering one of its clinics as an Isolation Facility, the City of Masvingo has contributed with human capital working at centre.

The fundraising launch whose key sponsors were ZB Bank, Regency Hotels and Leisure Group, Auto Disc Kinge, Hevoi fm, GZU Campus Radio, The Mirror among others, attracted a number of participants and donors within and outside Masvingo. Other companies which pledged include; N Richards Group and Victoria Hardware. Council and management also contributed towards the worthy cause.

In a historic development that is set to decongest the Central Business District of Masvingo City, Masvingo City Council is set to establish a pick-up and drop-off point at the corner of Braburn Street and Industria Road.
The construction of the pick-up and drop-off point, which is designed to decongest the city and put an end to illegal pick up points is set to commence soon following identification and approval of the site by Public Works and Planning Committee.
Bradburn-Industria drop-off and pick-up point is meant to cater for long-distance buses going to major cities and towns like Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Gweru, and Beitbridge. The establishment of this facility is expected to bring sanity in the City and bring convenience to pedestrians and motorists.
This will be the first of such facilities that is expected to be erected as a piloting concept in the city. The facility will be fitted with boom gates to facilitate the control of buses. The purpose of the pick-up and drop-off point is to ensure that long-distance buses do not park on the streets.
Long-distance buses will be obliged to use the yet to be constructed new facility to end congestion in the city.

The City of Masvingo awarded long-serving employees of the organization, recognizing their faithful and selfless dedication to duty and having rendered unreserved, loyal and dedicated service to Council for the past years. Their efforts and hard work were recognized with tokens of appreciation at an event that was held at the Council’s Town hall on the 10th of June 2020.

Among those who received awards were 14 retirees who received $84 000 as part of the token of appreciation. Some even served the organization for more than 40 years.

The recipients were divided into eight categories, from ten years to 40 years of service. The Council’s Human Resources Officer, Mrs. Mercy Mukosera presented the awards to recipients on behalf of the organization.

Commenting on the awards ceremony, the Acting Town Clerk urged recipients to remain committed to the vision, mission, and core values of the organization in order to provide adequate and sustainable municipal services to clients and diverse socio-economic development opportunities to all stakeholders.

The inaugural long service awards were also attended by senior members of the Council’s administration who included the Town clerk, Chamber Secretary, Directors, and their deputies.

Masvingo City Council has embarked on a major road rehabilitation drive that will see the re-constructing, overlaying, and resealing of major roads around the city. The $ 7 million worthy projects are already on track.

The road rehabilitation drive is part of Masvingo City Council’s road infrastructure rehabilitation project which is being funded by ZINARA and the City Council.

There has been noteworthy progress so far. Currently, earthworks are 100% complete in Mucheke D. The surfacing of roads is 95% complete. Resealing of Chesvingo Drive, Mboroma Street, and Smart Street almost complete. Drainage lining along Simon Mazorodze Street is almost complete.

Masvingo City Council Roads foreman, Mr. Stephen Musiyo said, ‘Our aim is to complete the project before the agreed timeframe and we are working hard to achieve that. We have secured all the required material needed to make sure that work progresses well’.

Commenting on the developments, Masvingo City Council Acting Town Clerk, Eng Edward Mukaratirwa said, ‘The rehabilitation of roads in the city is ahead of schedule, despite the deepening economic crisis militating against the multi-million dollar project’.

The scraping of roads levy in 2019 has resulted in the maintenance backlog of roads.

To help in the fight against COVID-19, Steelmakers (Simbi) has donated a consignment of Personal Protective Equipment worth over $100 000 to Masvingo City Council.

The hand-over ceremony of the donation was presided over by Masvingo City Council Acting Town Clerk, Eng Edward Mukaratirwa on the 29th of May 2020 at an event that was held in the Town Hall.

Speaking during the handover ceremony Mr Karowayona of Steelmakers said the donations were part of the wider efforts by the Organisation to assist in mitigating the spread of the Coronavirus.

‘As part of our Corporate Social Responsibility policy we extend our support to the worthy cause. The consignment we are handing over to you is just another token of our commitment to working together with the local authority in the fight against the spread of the Coronavirus in the city.

Receiving the donation, Masvingo City Council Mayor, Cllr Collen Maboke expressed satisfaction with the efforts being made by the corporate world in the fight against the spreading of the Coronavirus.

In his closing remarks, Masvingo City Council Chamber Secretary, Mr Vitalis Shonhai expressed gratitude at the well timed boost by Steelmakers (Simbi).

The event was attended by Steelmakers management, Masvingo City Council Management and employees.

The National COVID-19 Taskforce representatives; Permanent Secretary for Environment and Tourism Ministry, Mr Munesu Munodawafa and Permanent Secretary for Mines and Mining Development Ministry, Mr Onesimo Moyo visited Masvingo Isolation Center on Saturday the 2nd of May 2020 on a familiarisation tour aimed at assessing the state of preparedness and any interventions that may be required.

The team applauded the Provincial COVID-19 Taskforce together with Masvingo City Council for stepping up to the plate in the wake of COVID-19 in ensuring that the facility is well equipped and ready to take in patients in the event of any cases reported.

‘The thrust of the visit is to assess the state of preparedness of the district at micro- level and province at macro-level, and also to identify areas which requires the National COVID-19 Taskforce’, said Mr Moyo.

In his presentation, City of Masvingo Chief Environmental Officer, Mr Ngonidzashe Mapamula gave an outline of the progress which had been made towards the preparations of the facility as well as the items which were still outstanding. Among the items were Autoclave machine and incinerator.

The team took time out of their schedule to tour the facility and was satisfied by progress made so far.

In a noteworthy development, the City of Masvingo met with the business community and residents associations (MURRA and MASDRRA) on the 28^th of April 2020 on a stakeholder interface aimed at cushioning the ratepayers in response to the previous outcries over March 2020 bills. To that effect the City Council has slashed the minimum water charges by 50%.

The City Fathers were commended for stepping up to the plate by reducing minimum water band from 0-10m3 to 0-5m3, translating to a reduction in the minimum water charge for high density areas from $260 to $130 and the basic household bill from $602.90 to $472.90. The effect of this is that residents will pay less in fixed charges and their bill becomes more dependent on their water consumption.

Among the subjects discussed was the sourcing of service delivery like refuse collection from private players, revival of traditional revenue streams which include; farms, beer halls, Mucheke Bus Terminus and create an autonomous department for them to be effective and efficient as well as privatising prepaid parking.

Acting Town Clerk, Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa however said, the City Council had taken note of the submissions and the issues were to be attended to with due diligence.

He also urged residents to religiously service their water bills.

“We are open to ratepayers to come and negotiate for payment plans for the debts they are owing City Council. However, we urge the residents to service their water bills and at all cost save water”, he said.

His Worship, The Mayor, Cllr Collen Maboke in his welcome and closing remarks also reiterated the need for ratepayers to pay their water bills to enable the City Council to provide services to the city.