The City of Masvingo in conjunction with the Masvingo Business Community joined the rest of the country in undertaking a massive clean up exercise early this morning in the Central Business District, Metro Peech area to create an awareness on litter menace and inculcating the habit of cleanliness in the city.
The exercise which was led by Ward 5 Cllr. R. Kamuzonda and the Acting Director of Housing and Social Services, Mr. S. Mandishona was done to rid the City’s Business District of filth and to complement His Excellency the president’s vision and efforts to make Zimbabwe the cleanest country in Africa.
The clean-up exercise attracted a large number of people who participated in weeding and sweeping of the environment.

Masvingo City Council in conjunction with the Masvingo Business Community joined the rest of the country in undertaking a massive clean up exercise early this morning in Rujeko Suburb creating an awareness on litter menace, inculcating the habit of cleanliness and planted more trees at Rujeko Secondary School.

The exercise which was led by His Worship, the Mayor, Cllr C. Maboke and Town Clerk, Eng Edward Mukaratirwa, was done to rid the residential suburb of filth and to complement His Excellency the President’s vision and efforts to make Zimbabwe the cleanest country in Africa.

The clean-up exercise which attracted a large number of people who participated in weeding and sweeping of the environment saw all the councillors plant trees at the school.

In his address at the close of the clean-up exercise, His Worship, the Mayor thanked all participants for coming in their numbers to support such a good cause, he mentioned that cleanliness promotes investment to the city and for that it was necessary to keep the environments clean. He said a clean environment breeds healthy people and healthy people become productive in the socio-economic life in a nation and urged all not to make the exercise a one-day wonder.

Participants were advised against dumping of refuse indiscriminately  and were also urged all and sundry to be regular participants in all clean up exercises.

The City of Masvingo on Thursday, the 1st of December 2022 partnered with Nyaradzo Funeral Services’ subsidiary (Friends of the Environment), Forestry Commission, EMA, Schools and various stakeholders in planting 100 trees at Rujeko Secondary School as part of the greening of the environment and commemorating the 2022 National Tree Planting Day.
This year, the National Tree Planting Day is being held under the theme “Trees and Forests for Ecosystem Restoration and Improved Livelihoods”,
City of Masvingo Mayor, Cllr. C. Maboke, Ward 7 Cllr. R. Musekiwa, Town Clerk, Eng. E. Mukaratirwa together with other stakeholders planted trees at Rujeko Secondary School.
They were joined by students of Rujeko Secondary School and residents of ward 7 of Rujeko Suburb the event.
Speaking during the exercise, His Worship the Mayor Cllr. C. Maboke said trees were important to create sustainable communities, preserve the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change.
He encouraged all in attendance to have the culture of planting and nurturing trees.

The City of Masvingo received a donation of 250 trees from Nyaradzo Funeral Services under the Friends of the Environment initiative on Tuesday the 22nd of November 2022.

Nyaradzo project manager, Mr Dodzo handed over the donation to the Acting Director for Housing and Social Services, Mr Mandishona and Parks Superintendent, Mr Zhura.

Part of the greening shade trees, shrubs (golden Jurandas), decorative trees, fruits trees, and ornamental trees were planted at Kernen Park, islands and Rujeko Secondary School orchard.

Nyaradzo Funeral Services under the Friends of the Environment initiative is donating and planting trees around the country.

The City is very grateful for this generous donation and it will go a long way in greening the environment in and around town.

Thank you Sahwira Mukuru !

In a press conference held on Friday November 25, 2022, the city of Masvingo Deputy Mayor, Cllr Wellington Mawende interacted with journalists from various media houses on City’s 2023 Budget Statement. The total budget is USD 23.6 million of which USD 17 million is expected to be generated internally while USD 6 million is expected to be funded from other sources such as Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers, Zinara grants and external loans.
The capital budget is USD 8.5 million while the recurrent budget is USD 15.1 million.
Expenditure allocations by program is as follows;
Governance and Administration USD 5.5 million
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene USD 7.2 million
Social services USD 7.2 million
Roads USD 2.3 million
Public safety and Security Services USD 1.2 million
Capital expenditure priorities
Education facilities USD 734, 000
Health facilities USD 631, 000
Water & Sewer Infrastructure USD 2.6 million
Roads and Storm Water Drainage USD 632,000
Social Amenities USD 2.9 million
Operational Assets USD 1 million

In his welcome remarks in the Mayor’s reception, the City Deputy Mayor Cllr Wellington Mawende highlighted the role of media and the benefits of meeting journalists to interact with them in city’s development because their contributions are seen by everyone and the impact, they bring in the society is more valuable. Because of that, the City of Masvingo organise a press conference quarterly to exchange ideas with journalists in a manner of responding everyone’s question and come up on building the Masvingo we want.
During the press conference there are some highlighted activities to be proud of in Masvingo in infrastructure where a new secondary school was built in 2021, with two new blocks now at roof level, opening of a new clinic, completion of Cambria landfill and rehabilitation of roads. Out of 268km of road network in the city, 189km were sealed, 97km – gravel to increase road trafficability in the city and more roads will be rehabilitated during this physical year of 2022/23.
On social economic developments different markets for nearly 1000 vendors were constructed, leisure parks inaugurated, Kernen Park among others
Responding to different questions raised by journalists, the City of Masvingo Deputy Mayor Cllr. Wellington Mawende said that many are being done to transform the city rapidly but the continuous partnership with citizens and different stakeholders will make it happen sooner and better.
As a takeaway, the Deputy Mayor recalled the vision of the City of Masvingo and asked them keep doing constructive media:

An Industrialised World Class Metropolitan City by 2030.

The City of Masvingo showcased local cultural artifacts at the 8th edition of the 2022 Great Limpopo Cultural Trade Fair held from the 11th to the 12th of November 2022 under the theme ‘Supporting indigenous creative entrepreneurship’ at Boli Muhlanguleni Cultural Village in Chiredzi.

The exhibition was held in celebration of the Great Limpopo Culture.
The exhibitions first kicked off in 2013 and took a long break due to the Covid19 pandemic. Exhibitors share cultural artifacts, experiences and different kinds of traditions like the Nyambela dance of the Tsonga (Machangani) who wear Bhabhela skirts to enhance their dancing as it is their tradition.

Indigenous artists, traditional leadership and organizations from the communities adjacent to the Great Limpopo showcased their different cultures, traditions, dressing and cultural dances.

In support of the program, organizations like Avuxen radio station, Ecocash holdings, Econet wireless, Nyaradzo Funeral Insurance (sahwira mukuru), Moonlight, Zimbabwe National parks, National Arts Council, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Great Zimbabwe University, Masvingo Teachers College, Malilangwe Trust and Safe Ways Driving School also graced the occasion.

With the aim to improve service delivery to residents of Masvingo, a fleet of 4 new vehicles; a refuse compactor and 3 single cab trucks was unveiled at the council’s Civic Centre Offices on the 15th of November 2022.

The vehicles were acquired to augment the Council’s existing overstretched fleet.

The 3 service delivery vehicles will be strategically allocated to key departments to enhance the councils’ ability to better respond to service delivery challenges.

The 4 vehicles will be utilised within the Engineering and Health Departments. The 3 pickup trucks will be assigned to sections within the Engineering Department to reinforce a critical need of water supply, infrastructure development and sewer reticulation in Council.

The City of Masvingo Town Clerk, Eng. Edward Mukaratirwa welcomed the launch of the new fleet and said that the purchase of vehicles is a positive step towards realizing objectives of the local authority. He believes that this move by Council is finance well spent as it will ensure that services are delivered more efficiently.

Council will also be procuring additional vehicles to improve on service delivery in the near future. Details of this will be shared with residents and stakeholders.

#WorldCitiesDay – The City of Masvingo Mayor, Cllr. Collen Maboke challenged residents and stakeholders of the City not to think about cities by jumping straight to thinking about sky scrapers, roads, shopping malls, cars and other physical things we are surrounded by, instead think of cities as homes of well – being people.

The Vision of the City of Masvingo which was reached after a vigorous consultative process is ‘ To be an Industrialised World Class Metropolitan City by 2030 ‘. It expresses its unique local identity in relation to the history of mankind and human settlement (a once fortified city and unique Great Zimbabwe ruins) and represents the aspirations and sense of ownership of Masvingo by its stakeholders to be an inclusive # City4all. It also addresses the vision of the transition to be a smart city and e-governance.

More important than buildings in a city are public spaces like the civic centre and Kernen Park (city beautification), and a fast-growing industry (space for incubation hubs for technology and industrial parks). They are what make people want to live in a city and stay in that city. #ActLocaltogoGlobal.

Cities are about people. Contrary to what was done in the past, currently we are using stakeholder participation in all Council processes, from budgeting, policy formulation to strategic planning of the city. We are designing Masvingo to be people – oriented, to make it more comfortable. #OurCity.

City of Masvingo is holding a Strategic Planning Review Workshop aiming at aligning the Council’s strategic vision to the national strategic goals. The four-day workshop which will run from Monday 7 November until Thursday the 10th of November 2022, at Golden Peacock Villa Hotel in Mutare was officially opened by the Mayor, Cllr Collen Maboke.

Addressing delegates on the workshop objectives, City of Masvingo Town Clerk, Eng. Edward Mukaratirwa challenged participants to consistently familiarise themselves with the national strategic planning policy document to successfully respond to national goals highlighted in National Development Strategy1.

‘We have embarked on an exercise to review our Strategic Plan. This document details plans that we undertake from now up to the year 2025. The exercise involves engagement with our key stakeholders to input into this planning process. We have involved the business community, traders, residents’ associations, church-based organisations and SMEs to assist us as a local authority to put together a reviewed Strategic Plan. We are relooking into the existing strategic plan running from 2021 – 2025, recrafting our strategies, reprioritising so that it reflects the interests of Masvingo that are so current and that are in sync with the prevailing environment in the city and the country at large’, he said.

He also emphasised on the symbiotic relationship between the strategic plan and performance contracting.

The four – day workshop will among other issues focus on the review of the strategic plan of Council, milestones achieved, missed opportunities and future mapping, stakeholder expectations, strategic mapping; environmental scanning – PESTLEG and SWOT analysis, Strategic Mapping: Vision, Mission, Values and TORs, programmes and Performance Information Re – alignment, risks, mitigation, annual plan and performance contracting.

Other areas of focus of the workshop are the 5 key programmes that of, Governance and Administration, Sanitation and Hygiene, Social Services, Public Safety and Security and roads infrastructure.

Mayor’s Christmas Cheer Fund was launched on Wednesday the 2nd of November 2022, and has so far received RTGs 135 120 .00 cash, RTGS 232, 500.00 pledges, US$120.00 and US$10 pledges and RTGS112 500.00 worth of goods and other donations.

Last year, the fund raised RTGs 297 000 .00 which was distributed to several institutions.

Companies and organisations that donated towards the cheer fund in cash and goods include Great Zimbabwe Realtors, Zhirahuru Properties, OK Zimbabwe, Rujeko Secondary School, Runyararo Primary School, Vurombo Primary School, Dikwindi Primary School, Rujeko Primary School and individuals.

Those who wish to donate to the Cheer Fund in support of the less privileged members of our community should contact the Chamber Secretary or deposit direct to the Christmas Cheer Fund Accounts and submit proof of payment to the Finance Director.

Our banking details are as follows:
Forex Account
Name: City of Masvingo
Bank: ZB Bank
Account Number: 4407094505405
Swift Code: ZBCOZWHX
Branch: Masvingo
Bank Address: 378 Robert Mugabe Way,
Masvingo
ZWL Account
Name: City of Masvingo
Bank: ZB Bank
Account Number: 4407094505200
Branch: Masvingo
.