InfocusNews 15-20 November 2021
the diversity of the membership.
EkhayaVote2023 campaign officially launched
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t was pomp and show when around 25 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) operating in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South officially launched the EkhayaVote 2023 campaign at Cresta Hotel in Bulawayo. The official launch was attended by Members of Parliament, representatives of local authorities, media, CSOs and CBOs amongst others. Giving the keynote address during the official launch, Samukeliso Khumalo, the Executive Director at Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) explained what the campaign is all facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
about. “EkhayaVote2023 is a coalition of more than 25 Civil Society Organisations operating in Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South. Our first meeting was held in September 2021 where it was resolved to roll out the EkhayaVote2023 campaign. The initiative was established to create a coordinated effort towards encouraging citizens to register to vote as well as ensure that coalition members benefit from each other’s skill sets,” highlighted Khumalo Khumalo further explained the composition of the coalition and
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“With regards to the composition of Coalition member organisations, the focus and groups range from: women, youths, people with disabilities, residents’ associations, informal traders, local government structures, media and ICT. This way we are guaranteed of having diverse and inclusive election related programming in the Matabeleland region. The Ekhaya Vote 2023 consortium will therefore harness members’ skills and resources as well as take advantage of our respective geographical areas of operation in order to reach out to a wider and diverse audience,” explained Khumalo Khumalo went on to explain what EkhayaVote2023 means and its context with regards to electoral processes. “Ekhaya simply means home, we are mobilising citizens in the Matabeleland region to participate in the upcoming entire electoral processes. This is a localised campaign and the name Ekhaya drives a message that promotes every citizen to think about Ekhaya – home in the next elections. It seeks to promote an electoral grassroots approach,” highlighted Khumalo. Khumalo went on to present on the role of the EkhayaVote2023 campaign where she highlighted that the campaign is meant to promote increased participation in
InfocusNews electoral processes by members of the public in the region. “The EkhayaVote2023 campaign will contribute towards a high voter turnout through extensive voter education campaigns, ensure accessibility to registration centres, (encourage first time voters using youth friendly packages and utilise the cyber spaces to encourage more citizens and youths to participate.” “The messaging of the campaign will be cognisant of the Matabeleland region context and use local languages, gender dynamics in the electoral process, specific women
issues, and specific needs of people with disabilities, young women and young men,” added Khumalo.
could be lost during delimitation due to low numbers of registered voters,” explained Khuphe.
The guest speaker at the official launch Sithembiso Khuphe the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) District Elections Officer explained on the delimitation process and went on to commend the consortium members of the EkhayaVote2023 campaign for this great initiative.
“I would like to commend this great initiative by the consortium members of the EkhayaVote2023 in encouraging people to register to vote. I am hopeful that this great initiative will see improved participation in electoral processes by members of the public in the region,” added Khuphe.
“ZEC will be undertaking the delimitation exercise which shall see the establishment of electoral boundaries in all constituencies. 3 of Bulawayo’s 12 constituencies
The official launch came to a close with entertainment through poetry and dance from Victory Siyanqoba Trust.
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InfocusNews advocated that stiffer penalties be given to perpetrators to deter potential rapists from abusing women.
Women’s rights organisations advocate for stiffer penalties for perpetrators of sexual crimes
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OMEN’S organisations have called for stiffer penalties ranging from at least 30 to 60 years as sentences for rapists as cases of sexual abuse of women and girls continue to rise in Zimbabwe. Statistics from the Zimbabwe Gender Commission show that 22 women are raped daily, one in every 75 minutes. On average, 646 women are sexually abused monthly, with one in three girls raped or sexually assaulted before they reach the age of 18 in Zimbabwe. Civic organisations have also raised concern over the rising number of rape cases which was worsened by COVID-19 induced lockdowns since last year.
Musasa project petitioned Parliament early this year arguing that imposing stiffer penalties would act as a deterrent and also serve to educate the people, especially those who follow toxic religious and cultural practices, which give them false hope that they can get away with rape. In an interview after the parliamentary public hearings which were held in different provinces across the country this week, Sandra Mlambo from Bulawayo said it was time Zimbabwe took drastic measures to weed out rapists. “We were happy to see legislators making time to hear us out on how best to deal with rapists. Sexual abuse cases have been on the rise because perpetrators knew they could easily get away with these crimes,” said Mlambo. “These men deserve to get more jail time than what they are getting now to deter them from abusing women and girls. We wish legislators will come up with relevant amendments that will protect women and girls.” Patricia Moyo from Plumtree said the mandatory sentence will help her community deal with rape as there were hundreds of unreported cases. She said rape was rife in Plumtree and many girls were suffering in silence.
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“We have well known rapists in the community who are walking scot-free after raping or sexually abusing girls in these villages. I think we need to review these laws and ensure that one goes to jail for at least 30 years so that we can be at peace,” said Moyo. “I think if we have mandatory sentences, would be rapists will be deterred and many lives saved from trauma. Even those who bed minors should be treated as rapists as we have some families who are still comfortable with marrying off their underage daughters just to have access to food and livestock,” added Moyo. For Sinokuthaba Ncube from Nkayi, mandatory sentencing will also protect members of the public from corrupt law enforcers. “We have had people raping our girls but because they are well connected to those in power after a week or so they are released. However once this mandatory sentencing is imposed, rapists will go to jail for a long time so that we are protected as communities,” highlighted Ncube.
“On average, 646 women are sexually abused monthly...”
InfocusNews attendance, don’t beat women. We, as men, have an obligation to ensure that women and young girls are safe. We should not perpetrate gender-based abuses on them”, said Ncube. Ncube also asked GBV related questions to the attendees and got overwhelming responses from youth who were keen on responding, showing that there is vast knowledge on Gender-Based Violence. The audience showed knowledge on the dates for the 16 days of activism against GBV, this year’s GBV theme and the forms of GBV.
Positive response to Gender based Violence Outreach
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rominent South African DJ DBN Gogo real name Mandisa Radebe delivered a top-notch show that kept the crowd on its feet till the wee hours of Monday morning at Umguza Yacht Club in Bulawayo over the weekend. Dubbed the vaccination party, the event organisers partnered with different organisations including Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) to conscientise people about the different forms of Gender Based violence and its impact on people’s mental well-being.
the 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence annual campaign which commences on the 25th of November to the 10th of December.
The show was held at a time when momentum is building towards
“I would like to believe that you all, Bulawayo men, that are in
Speaking at the event, prior to posing GBV related questions to the audience, the Master of Ceremony, Xolani Ncube emphasised that men should not perpetrate GBV on women as they are considered as softer targets, which is in line with this year’s theme, “Orange the World: End Gender-Based Violence on Women Now.”
WILD also conducted vox pops with some of the young people who attended the show. “There are different forms of GBV and these include economic, emotional, physical and sexual. GBV affects everyone. Once a member of the family is abused, it affects children as well. Once one notices the red flags against GBV it is important to report it,” said one of the youths who was interviewed. Marceline Dube who was also interviewed to share her thoughts on GBV awareness highlighted that she would take up the initiative of disseminating information on GBV to her peers, as young women are the primary victims of such abuses. “I would like to thank WILD for
“We, as men, have an obligation to ensure that women and girls are safe.” facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
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InfocusNews tirelessly working to ensure information around GBV is disseminated even after the 16 days of activism against GBV. I will spread the word to my peers and ensure they know all there is to know about GBV, as peer-to-peer exchanges are more effective,” highlighted Dube. A total of five young people won
t-shirts after responding correctly to the questions that were posed during a question-and-answer session as a way of information dissemination on GBV ahead of the annual 16 days of activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign. The young people highlighted that they are ready to spread the word and orange the world!
Member of Parliament, Honourable Stella Ndlovu, who gave a brief background on the consultations as well as the objectives. “The aim of these consultations is to come up with a specific minimum mandatory sentence for rape and other sexual misconducts, as it has been discovered that there is no clear sentence for sexual perpetrators whilst there are specific sentences for all the other crimes,” explained Honourable Ndlovu. Khethiwe Tshuma, a young woman in attendance submitted that the minimum mandatory sentence should be 30 years, considering the physical, emotional and mental damage inflicted on the victims by the perpetrators.
Public Consultations on minimum mandatory sentences for sexual crimes rolled out in Bulawayo
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omen’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) took part in the Public Consultation on the minimum mandatory sentencing on rape and other sexual offenses, that was held at the Pelandaba Youth Center. Attending the consultations were Members of Parliament, representatives from media, CSOs and the general public. facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
After receiving a petition on this issue, the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Women Affairs, Community, and SMEs and resolved to conduct public consultations. These were aimed at gathering the views of the public regarding the introduction of the minimum mandatory sentence on rape and other sexual offenses. Chairing the meeting was Luveve
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Patricia Tshabalala who was also in attendance concurred with 30 years being the mandatory sentence for rape but she also submitted that perpetrators of sexual offenses against children, elderly people, and PWDs should be sentenced to life imprisonment. Making his submissions during the consultations, Dumisani Mpofu from Pumula was in agreement with 30 years being the minimum mandatory sentence but highlighted the need for thorough investigations on each case. “There is a need for different approaches on a case-by-case basis as there has been a rise in cases whereby two people consent to sexual activity but later on one of them alleges that they have been raped thereby leaving the other
InfocusNews person at a disadvantage. Thorough investigations should be done before conviction to safeguard all the involved parties,” submitted Mpofu. Gloria Mthethwa a woman from Pumula who was also in atten-
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dance concurred with the 30 years sentence and went on to recommend that perpetrators of sexual offenses should not be entitled to presidential pardons considering the psychological effects of sexual crimes.
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In conclusion, a representative from the Zimbabwe Women Lawyers Association (ZWLA) conceded that there should be separate courts for cases on sexual crimes so that these cases can be attended to with the urgency that they deserve.
InfocusNews “In cases when the city reservoirs deplete to critical levels, supply to affected suburbs will be turned off until such a time where power supply to the mentioned plants has been restored to levels that will enable constant and consistent abstraction, treatment and pumping plus the raising of supply reservoirs to stable and satisfactory levels,” he said.
Residents express concern on the re-introduction of a water shedding program in Bulawayo
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ULAWAYO residents should brace up for yet another water crisis following reports that the city council is struggling to keep up with demand due to prevalent power cuts. For months now, the local authority has struggled to supply adequate water to residents claiming that power cuts are affecting abstraction, pumping, treatment and storage of water. In 2020, the situation had become dire which saw residents go for more than five continuous days without water. Council went on to lift the water-shedding program early this year, but of late water woes have resurfaced forcing residents to pay facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
extra in order to access alternative sources. In a statement, the Bulawayo town clerk Christopher Dube said power cuts had affected the city’s capacity continuously, and in some instances scheduled water supplies to all areas. He said a 48-hour water shedding schedule will be in place in Bulawayo in all suburbs until the situation improves. “The City of Bulawayo would like to advise members of the public that the city’s water facilities are currently experiencing power outages that have been affecting abstraction, pumping, treatment and storage of both treated and raw water over the past six days,” he said.
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The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) on the other hand has blamed erratic power supply on copper theft and vandalism which costs about US$2 million annually. ZETDC is currently producing 1,095 megawatts on a daily basis against a 1,700-megawatt demand. In an interview with InFocus News, Marylyn Donna from Pelandaba said the council should consider investing in solar-powered systems to avoid the backand-forth disputes with ZETDC. “We are tired of the erratic water supplies and in as much as all of us are facing power outages, the council should do better. Power will always be a problem and it is time we step up and have alternative sources of power because these water woes expose us to diseases,” she said. “At this rate, things are likely to worsen and we may find ourselves with a 96-hour water shedding schedule. Yes, we dread that but at this point, it is very possible because both ZETDC and council
InfocusNews are taking us for granted.” Lungile Nyathi from Hillside said the council was already failing to stick to the published schedule as they have not had water for the past four days. “We have been experiencing water challenges even before council made it official and it’s sad because we sometimes go for more than 5 days without running water. Now that we are in the rainy season, the power cuts may worsen and we do not want to imagine what will happen to us here in Bulawayo,” she said. “Council should come up with a long-term solution because for the longest time we have tolerated these theories about power shortages and we can no longer rely on ZEDTC, it is not sustainable.” Bongiwe Ndlela from Mahatshula said the announcement of the water-shedding schedule was just the tip of the iceberg as the council is struggling to provide quality services of late. “This water challenge needs a strategy because even if power is restored, the council needs an upgrade of pipes and other resources to be able to continue providing us with quality water. It is time we invested in solar so that our supply is not disrupted by mismanagements and corruption currently affecting ZETDC,’ said Ndlela.
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Community Voices
Depression rates in Bulawayo tripled during the pandemic
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he COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for millions of infections and deaths around the world, but what other issues is it causing? Not only has the pandemic caused a rise in depression, but it also increased cases of domestic violence, sexual abuse, increased pregnancy rates, unemployment and many other problems. By Enia Dube In an attempt to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic affects people’s mental health amongst communities in Bulawayo, interviews were conducted with selected individuals in Bulawayo, and participants of bemoaned its effects. During the first lockdown, a lot of
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people were retrenched from work. Small to Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) suffered from this big blow because they were not amongst the group that was allowed to work (essential workers). A lot of domestic violence cases during the lockdown have been attributed to factors such as loss of income which caused conflict in families as they struggled to put food on the table. Individuals with lower income levels have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and efforts moving forward should keep this population in mind. The government should consider SMEs when they put restrictions such as lockdown so that SMEs specifically vendors are allowed to work so as to survive.
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Youths between the ages of 18-35 have also reported experiencing depression at a higher rate in the pandemic. Due to the lockdown restrictions, many people were isolated from friends and family which had an effect on their mental health as they were not able to interact freely and get any form of assistance whenever the need arose. These challenges caused by the COVID-19 have seen a rise in cases of depression as members of the public have been struggling with adjusting to the new normal. Members of the public are undertaking innovative ways of reviving their livelihoods so that they can sustain themselves and their families in this COVID-19 era.
Electoral Information Blitz Zimbabwe a full State party to the charter. The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance is a roadmap setting out continental standards on democracy and good governance in Africa. It also sets out rules for free and fair elections as well as condemning unconstitutional changes of Governments. To date there are 34 other countries who have ratified the charter. In a statement, ERC programs officer Rudo Motsi said the ratification is a welcome step towards ensuring that Zimbabweans enjoy their democracy. “The Election Resource Centre (ERC) welcomes the ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) by the Government of Zimbabwe.
free, fair and credible elections which are set for 2023.
“While the ratification of the ACDEG is a positive step in terms of committing to credible elections and peaceful transfer of power, the ERC notes that the elections credibility crisis Zimbabwe has faced has not been a result of the failure to ratify the Charter but the failure to implement existing legal frameworks meant to spearhead credible elections,” said Motsi.
This comes after President Emmerson Mnangagwa last Thursday signed the instrument of ratification of the ACDEG, making
“Without the Government’s will to fully implement the ACDEG and existing laws aimed at achieving free, fair and credible elections,
Civil Society Organisations welcome the ratification of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance
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HE Elections Resource Centre has called on the Zimbabwean government to support the recent ratification of the African Charter on Democracy with electoral reforms necessary to achieve facebook.com/wildtrustzim |
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Electoral Information Blitz the ratification will be an exercise in futility. “ERC remains concerned by the elections stakeholders’ failure to comply with local laws and the reluctance of the Government to implement reforms necessary to ensure free, fair and credible elections. It is imperative for all elections stakeholders to comply with the Charter, Constitution and laws governing elections.” She called on the Government
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to ensure that the ratification is followed by the timely depositing of the Charter with the AU Commission in order for Zimbabwe to become a full State Party to the Charter. Commenting on the same issue, Action Aids Zimbabwe national director Joy Mabenge said the implementation of ACDEG will foster economic development, poverty alleviation and also increase literacy.
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“It’s a good step that has shown political will, but we are fully cognisant that it is one thing to ratify, and another to domesticate and to fully implement ACDEG. For us, we will keep pushing and working with other stakeholders to ensure that we get to a point where there is a degree of comfort in terms of alignment of our own national systems and national governance to the ethics and principles of the charter,” said Mabenge.
Electoral Information Blitz
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