InfocusNews 10 - 15 Jan 2022
Executive Officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu, he said the disruptions did not only affect learners but teachers as well who have never been trained to deliver lessons using online platforms. He said the Zimbabwe Government should consider continuing with face to face physical learning so that a majority of learners in rural areas can have a chance to catch up on their studies.
Parents, associations concerned over adverse consequences of school closures
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hen COVID-19 began to spread in the country in March 2020, forcing the country into a nationwide lockdown, no one knew how long it would last or the impact it would have on children’s learning. Since then only a handful of the more than 4, 6 million learners have accessed continuous learning online, leaving a majority of school going children without access to education. In Zimbabwe and most of the world, face to face learning was suspended for the greater parts of 2020 and 2021 and experts say these disruptions have fuelled facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
school drop outs and are likely to affect the country’s literacy rate. During recent nationwide outreach campaigns targeting 72 districts it emerged that some boys of school going age had resorted to illegal gold panning while girls had fallen pregnant during the prolonged school breaks. The introduction of online lessons to help learners catch up left millions of underprivileged children with no access to education as data costs and lack of smart phones and gadgets limited their ability to access lessons. In an interview with the Zimbabwe Teachers Association Chief
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“Virtual learning has not shown any progress and our teachers are not able to all deliver in a manner that is likely to lead to the achievement we look forward to. Delaying the opening of schools is likely to affect us since we were looking forward to having smooth physical learning as opposed to the previous years,” said Dr Ndlovu. “The decision to continue closing may be noble but we need to review our statistics from last year and consider strategies that will enable us to teach physically without putting learners, teachers and community members at risk of Covid-19.” He said virtual learning had affected learning in areas where teachers and learners had no access to information and communication technologies. “We need to review and reconsider living alongside the virus especial-
InfocusNews ly when we consider how many learners were affected during the past term. This should help us plan properly so that children continue physical learning,” he added. According to Dr Ndlovu, the drop in pass rates was proof enough that online lessons were not working but detrimental to the welfare and performance of learners. Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe president Obert Masaraure blames the government for the continued onslaught on education. “Coronavirus has forced the government to focus more on examination classes at the expense of infant classes. Learners who were due for Early Child Development in 2020 completely missed out and again they failed to learn in 2021 when they were due for Grade One,” he said. “If this persists, literacy will drastically drop. Learners are also dropping out of school, with almost a
million since the first COVID-19 lockdown,” Masaraure added. Local psychologist Jacqueline Nkomo said the extended school calendar disruptions have caused confusion and discouragement on learners. “Grades are going to be low for these learners because for starters online learning is not for every child, some have the resources but cannot follow through or concentrate fully compared to face to face. Many homes are not conducive for online learning and learners are likely to be easily distracted while studying,” she said. “Online lessons do not capture individual weaknesses of learners which teachers usually notice doing physical learning and this means understanding is not guaranteed. As for learners in rural areas, this set up is likely to discourage them from being in school as they cannot afford the data and have no network coverage to con-
nect to the online system.” One of the affected parents said her two children have not been in school for the past two years. “My eldest daughter started Form One in 2020 and could not attend school after the first lockdown was announced. When schools opened briefly she went for two weeks before they closed as we were encouraged to ensure they access radio lessons so that they catch up with their peers who have access to the internet and smart gadgets,” she said. “The year 2021 was worse, she didn’t have teachers to take her through subjects as some were in isolation and the 2 or 3 days set up for attending school made things worse. Now she is supposed to start on a new syllabus to prepare for her O level exams but I cannot confidently say she got the foundation during the past two years.”
Umzingwane calls for imposition of fines on gold panners
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old miners in Umzingwane district whose activities have led to land degradation and water contamination in the area should pay fines and acquire licences
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InfocusNews to operate as means to promote sustainable utilisation of natural resources. This came out during the opening of two Environmental management Agency (EMA) offices in Umzingwane District, which are set to regulate mining activities which have been blamed for increased pollution in the area. Umzingwane legislator Retired Brigadier Levi Mayihlome called for policy makers to enact laws around fines and licences to regulate mining activities in the area to mitigate environmental degradation. “We are the first district in Matabeleland South to have EMA offices in the community and we are happy because we needed EMA to help us deal with these minors who are causing a lot of pollution. Umzingwane has lots of pollution and human waste flowing into
the dams as a result of the mining activities,” said Mayihlome. “A lot of miners are using herbicides that are contaminating our water bodies as people no longer want to work but concentrate on gold panning. We call on the Ministry and policy makers to introduce fines and licences for these miners so that we save the environment.” He said the opening of the EMA offices should see the regeneration of wetlands in Umzingwane to revive the ecosystem which was under threat from mining activities. Environment, Climate Change, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Mangaliso Ndhlovu echoed the same sentiments by Mayihlome saying the construction of the new EMA offices signified government commitment in rescuing the environment from
harmful activities. In his speech, he said the initiative gives Umzingwane the much-deserved facelift, which is crucial for enhancing EMA’s corporate image. “The milestone achievement also fits perfectly into the devolution agenda, which promotes development of sustainable and resilient infrastructure, not only in cities such as Harare or Bulawayo, but also at a local level,” Ndhlovu said. “Umzingwane was rich in mineral resources and was under threat from land degradation and water contamination due to illegal mining activities in the district. I applaud the EMA board and management for championing the noble cause of capacitating the hinterland in resonance with the aspirations of the devolution agenda,” he added.
“A lot of miners are using herbicides that are contaminating our water bodies as people no longer want to work but concentrate on gold panning....”
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Community Voices
Voter registration did not reach all citizens concerned resident.
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oter registration was not adequately conducted and as residents we are not satisfied with how it was done. We understand the threat of Covid-19 but we feel that a voter registration outreach should have been done in communities so as to increase the number of people who register to vote. By Concilia Mlalazi It is also sad that we were not told on time that voter registration would stop. This affects us as Zimbabwean citizens because it raises fears of deliberate deceit in the elections. Others within the community say they have registered to vote but it is confusing to know that their
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names do not appear in the voters roll. My advice to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is that voter registration should come to the people and be available in all constituencies because right now their Famona office is very far from where the bulk of citizens reside. Soon we will be going through the delimitation process and at this rate, I fear that Magwegwe constituency may be dissolved as it has not reached the expected number of registered citizens to make a constituency. However, despite the several concerns that we have, as women we will participate in this by-election. It is also disheartening that this election is being held now in March yet it should have been
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done 90 days after a seat is declared vacant. In 2023 we will be expected to come back again to begin the campaigning process and this shows the confusion in our political systems. For women in politics, this is a difficult season because we do not have adequate resources yet we will have to campaign now and campaign again next year. It is also disappointing that so far we are seeing women who are already dropping out of the election before the nomination court. This is uninspiring and it raises fears that these women are being threatened or they are generally demotivated. It leaves us wondering how we will progress as women.
Electoral Information Blitz
natory. “The only ZEC office in Bulawayo was not easily accessible by people with disabilities and we raised this concern a long time ago. ZEC then promised to do mobile voter registration so that we are also catered for but I was shocked to learn that we will not be voting during the by-elections because we weren’t registered before January 8,” she said. “Last year ZEC closed its offices to contain Covid-19 and nothing was done to make up for the lost time to ensure that some of us who are wheelchair bound can exercise our rights. I am not sure what they seek to achieve but am rest assured that it’s only a handful of people who have registered to vote.”
Outcry over the untimely closure of the voters roll
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NLY those who were registered to vote on or before January 8 this year will be allowed to cast their votes in the March 26 by-elections, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has said. The electoral body stated that voter registration has been closed for the March 26 polls but members of the public are free to go and register to vote for the 2023 elections. Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said a roadmap had already been set for the by-elections which were recently proclaimed by President Mnangagwa. The decision to close
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registration for potential by-election voters was received with dismay by youths who say ZEC had been unfair. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, ZEC offices have been closed to contain the disease which slowed down the voter registration process. ZEC offices have also remained out of reach for many and despite plans to conduct a voter registration blitz, a majority of new voters have failed to access the electoral body. Sukoluhle Mhlanga from Bulawayo who represents young women with disabilities said the whole process had been discrimi-
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Mhlanga called on ZEC to be inclusive in its programming so that PWDs are not left out in electoral processes. “We cannot afford to use public transport to the Famona offices as we have to pay for the wheelchairs and until ZEC makes an effort to reach out to PWDs, we will not be able to exercise our voting rights like other Zimbabweans. In an interview Precious Ndlovu the co-founder and co-director of Youth in Progress Trust said the decision is going to destroy all the hard work civil organizations had made in mobilizing young women to register as voters. “The decision by ZEC is not fair to everyone involved especially the young voters. We have a number who recently turned 18 who were
Electoral Information Blitz looking forward to being part of the decision making process. ZEC and the State has infringed on the rights of the people spelt out in Section 67 of the Constitution,” she said. She said those who didn’t register
cannot be blamed as ZEC offices are not easily accessible. For her ZEC did not make any effort to ensure every citizen can vote especially of those in rural areas. “People were supposed to be given
enough time to register. We forsee voter apathy amongst women and this will derail the progress we had made in communities. This decision has taken us a step back.”
ZEC encouraged to adopt progressive ways of voter registration
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he Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has been encouraged to adopt progressive ways that will persuade youths to register to vote. These sentiments were shared by Zimbabwe Elections Support Network Programs Director Ellen Dingani during a virtual TalkShow which was hosted by the Women’s Institute of Leadership Develop-
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ment (WILD) in collaboration with BPRA, BVTA, and EkhayaVote2023 on the implications of the untimely closure of the Voters’ Roll at Local Authority and National Assembly level ahead of the upcoming by-elections. “Migrating to online voter registration is a commendable idea. We however would need to take cognisance of that with regards to finger
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prints, it might be difficult for us to migrate to online registration as a country,” she said. Dingani noted that Zimbabwe can adapt what countries like Zambia have done where all forms are filled online and one has to present themselves physically to verify using fingerprints. “In South Africa, the moment a
Electoral Information Blitz person turns 18, automatically they are registered. They receive a message from mobile network operators when one turns 18 and they are automatically eligible voters,” said Dingani. Dingani also encouraged civil society organisations and the general public to advocate for a special window period for voter registration following the untimely closure of the voter registration process. Voter registration closed two days after the promulgation of Statutory Instrument (SI) 2 of 2022, proclaiming a date for the holding of by-elections to fill in electoral vacancies in wards and constituencies created by massive recalls and deaths of elected Members of Parliament and Senate, at a time when citizens were still awaiting a national voter registration blitz. Dingani also noted that the legal provision on the voters’ roll means that while people may register to vote now after proclamation, their participation will only be significant for the pending delimitation of electoral boundaries and for the 2023 harmonized elections.
“In the case of the upcoming by-elections, the threat is exacerbated by the fact that owing to COVID-19 restrictions and the indefinite suspension of by-elections through SI 225A of 2020, and the attendant uncertainty, many potential voters may not have registered to vote by the time the proclamation was made.” said Dingani. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights representative Jabulani Mhlanga said elections must be held regularly, should be peaceful and they should be free from violence. “It is however a concern that the registrar’s office closed at a time when Citizens were expected to have IDs to be able to register to vote. This had an impact on the number of people who could have registered to vote.” Aspiring Candidate Sichelesile Mahlangu said, the upcoming by-elections present challenges as people living in rural areas are not aware that they will be taking place in March.
“There is a huge information gap. As an aspiring Candidate I am ready for the by-elections. However, more needs to be done at community level so that people appreciate what these key electoral processes entail.” Speaking during the same meeting, EkhayaVote2023 Chairperson Dr Rodrick Fayayo said citizens need to understand the importance of elections and democracy in Zimbabwe primarily because elections give them an opportunity to make their government and elect representatives they want. “However, part of the problems that Zimbabwe has is that there is an electorate and not active Citizens. People think their role ends after electing their candidates but this needs to change so that they evaluate the work of the elected candidates.” he added. Dr Fayayo said there is a need for CSOs to continue engaging with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and citizens should play an active role in choosing the Government they want.
“It is however a concern that the registrar’s office closed at a time when Citizens were expected to have IDs to be able to register to vote...” facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
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Electoral Information Blitz
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Electoral Information Blitz
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Electoral Information Blitz
VOTERS’ ROLL LINK facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
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