The Chipinge district Edition of the Cyclone Idai Sport Tournament, a huge success

Chimanimani and Chipinge districts are in distress following the Cyclone Idai that ravaged their communities in March of this year. Most survivors are still narrating the traumatic horrors of seeing visions of people being swept away in the muddy floods. This is a reflection of a community that is still in deep shock. On 19 October 2019, PYCD in collaboration with Sports for Excellence Trust staged a successful sports tournament in Chipinge District.

The sport tournament brought different walks of life together and it improved the self-esteem of Cyclone Idai survivors and prevented them from physically and mentally disintegrating. It was refreshing to see the community getting closer during the sport tournament, despite the sweltering and blistering heat.

Cyclone Idai survivors and other people who graced the tournament acknowledged the fact that sport has proven to be an extremely beneficial tool in re-establishing normalcy, providing space for people to laugh and interact with others, free of guilt and fear. This has been identified as a crucial factor in rebuilding their lives and communities, and thus sport becomes an effective tool to rebuild dignity and faith in life, to overcome trauma and build resilience.

The sport tournament took place in two venues in Chipinge district. The venues chosen for the tournament were Takwirira High School and Checheche Primary School who were hosting teams from Chipinge South Constituency and Musikavanhu Constituency respectively. The sport tournament was configured around proffering psychosocial support to Cyclone Idai survivors. Therefore, participating teams were drawn from the community and surrounding schools and numbered 16 teams in total.

In Musikavanhu Constituency, Manzvire Secondary School and Manzvire community team emerged together with Rimbi High School and their community counterpart. These four will now progress to the next stage of the tournament. On the other hand, Takwirira High School and Katanga High School made it for school teams while One One FC and Mkukuzi FC community teams managed to progress to the next stage of the tournament. The finals for the tournament will be held on the 1^st and 2^nd of November 2019 at Takwirira High school where more firework is expected. ZIFA has confirmed attendance to come and scout talents through the vice chairperson of the soccer legends Mr Harlington Shereni.

The sport tournament enabled survivors to cope with traumatic experiences and return to their daily activities, helped in restoring and maintaining the social functioning of the affected Chipinge and Chimanimani districts as well as in creating an emotional balance of survivors at the level of their social environment.

According to the sponsors, the 1^st and 2^nd of November 2019 will be big events in Chipinge district where the public is invited to show solidarity with the victims and survivors of the disaster. Mr Claris Madhuku, the Director of Platform for Youth and Community Development has extended his invitation to well-wishers and the corporate world to also play a part.

“As a community based organisation we have been doing so much since March to contain this sad loss both in Chipinge and Chimanimani. We have reconstruction projects in schools where we have been involved in repairing classes, libraries and toilets for schools including paying for school fees to affected kids. We also expect other more serious players to join our plea in the spirit of Ubuntu” Madhuku pleaded.

PYCD Rallies the Community to Denounce Gender Based Violence in Chipinge

Hordes of people converged at Takwirira High School, Chipinge on the 28th of September 2019 to raise their voice against the increased statistics of women who are losing life due to the occurrence of gender based violence targeted at young women and girls.

The more than 200 marchers were coordinated by the Platform for Youth and Community Development together with Vemuganga Community Radio Initiative who were commemorating the International day of Peace in Chisumbanje. The day which was running under the theme "Climate Action for Peace” lived up to expectation.

This theme is a realisation that climate change is an indisputable challenge to human rights, security and socio -economic development in our local communities.

The march was organised in the view that climate change poses far greater challenges especially to vulnerable members of our society, as it has the potential to aggravate existing fragile situations as has become the case in Chipinge and Chimanimani districts due to the impact of Cyclone Idai. The advent of tropical storms like the recent devastating Cyclone Idai is expected to increase further due to climate change.

The socio – economic impact of Cyclone Idai did not discriminate but it was experienced differently by women and girls. Women and girls were affected more significantly than men due to gender inequalities and power imbalances in access to resources and information in the district.  Chipinge is the most climate change vulnerable districts in Zimbabwe which makes women and girls more susceptible to the adversities that result from climate change.

The march against domestic gender based violence took an hour, and raised awareness on the vulnerability of women and girls to climate change. The song s ".....Isu taramba bongozozo…” (We are against violence) punctuated the March and filtered through the community. Stakeholders graced the event whose main purpose was to raise awareness and recommend action against gender based violence in Chipinge and Chimanimani districts. PYCD Gender wellness and advocacy officer addressed the marchers and encouraged them to coexist by involving closer relations and family networks to mediate disputes before they escalate into violence.

The theme for the International Day of Peace for 2019 allowed the organisers of the event to provide statistics on how women suffered due to the effects of climate change that led to many people perishing and houses destroyed as a result of Cyclone Idai that struck Chimanimani and Chipinge district the most. The most affected are women and children who remain vulnerable today 6 months later.

After the March, there was a tournament that featured 8 soccer teams and 6 netball teams as part of the activities for the day. Sport has always been used as the best symbol of working together,  co-existence and peace.

Headman Forichi Chisumbanje a Hero of Land Rights and Social Justice in Chipinge

Headman Forichi Chisumbanje passed away on 17^th of September 2019 after a short illness, and was buried on Friday the 20^th of September 2019 in Chisumbanje. The death of Headman Chisumbanje is a heavy blow to the land rights and social justice movement in Chipinge District, as he was a vital cog in the land rights and social justice advocacy. Mourners who attended and spoke at the funeral of headman Chisumbanje unanimously agreed that the late headman was an irreplaceable character who gave the community direction in the land dispute between the community and Greenfuel Pvt Ltd. His passing on created a sombre atmosphere in Chisumbanje,since it was an emotional moment for land rights and social justice activists in the area.

His counterpart within the land struggle, Headman Phineas Chinyamukwakwa admitted that the land struggle for justice and beneficiation will be poorer in the community without the personality of headman Chisumbanje. He was the spirit behind the community resistance to arbitrary communal land take over without respecting traditional leadership as well as local customs.

His value was echoed by village head, Leonard Uchaka Muyondozi who described the headman as a rare breed of traditional leaders of our time. Headman Chisumbanje practiced effective delegation in terms of serving leadership tasks, an approach which made him to be revered and respected by both the young and elderly in the village.

“We have lost a firm and consistent leader who believed in a stakeholder approach in achieving community beneficiation within the framework of the land dispute.” Village Head Muyondozi told mourners.

The burial was attended by members of the Christian community, business community and various community stakeholders. People of different walks of life who attended the burial also appreciated the role played by a local community based organisation, Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD) for leadership on the land dispute as well as taking an active role in laying to rest headman Chisumbanje. The local community based organisation PYCD had to postpone its activities that were lined up for the weekend of 20^th – 22^nd of September 2019 in order to accord a decent and dignified send off to one of the community key stakeholder in land rights and social justice.

“We had to postpone all our weekend activities to pay our last respect to Headman Forichi Chisumbanje who was a pillar of strength to PYCD’s advocacy work since 2009.” PYCD Director, Mr Claris Madhuku said.

The ongoing land dispute in Chisumbanje and Chinyamukwakwa involving the community on one side and Green fuel Pvt Ltd, Chipinge Rural District Council and ARDA on the other hand has taken many dimensions that include confrontation, dialogue and legal processes. PYCD has been mandated by the community stakeholders to continue with the advocacy work on the land dispute to ensure that villagers are not inconvenienced by the Green fuel investment so that proper and adequate compensation is attained by the villagers. This can only be achieved through just and equitable land investment policy framework that addresses community beneficiation adequately. This is possible through the empowerment of a stakeholder dialogue platform where issues that affect the villagers and the Green fuel project stakeholders, are discussed and addressed for actioning.  

Press Statement on the commemoration of International Day of Peace 2019

Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD) joins Zimbabwe and the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day of Peace. This year’s celebrations are running under the theme "Climate Action for Peace.” 

This theme is a realisation that climate change is an indisputable challenge to human rights, security and socio -economic development in our local communities.

 PYCD is cognisant of the fact that climate change poses far greater challenges especially to vulnerable members of our society, as it has the potential to aggravate existing fragile situations as has become the case in Chipinge and Chimanimani districts due to the impact of Cyclone Idai.

This year’s commemorations come in the midst of serious concerns by citizens of Zimbabwe and Africa, to invoke the values of ubuntuism as a lasting solution to the various forms of violence taking place in the world. A Case in point is the gothic scenes of Xenophobia attacks that are currently going on in South Africa against fellow African nationals. The xenophobic attacks have resulted in the death of 12 people with more than 680 people arrested for violence.

The commemoration provides an opportunity for PYCD to advocate not only for a legally binding instrument against violence, but for a moral campus that will assist citizens and governments to develop common values that allows for human rights, justice, freedom and protection of all core values of humanity.

PYCD will be commemorating this day through a sports tournament  featuring eight community soccer teams and eight community netball teams. The participating community teams have been picked from various villages in Chipinge district. 

The sports tournament will be preceded by a march which is expected to denounce the sprawling of gender based violence cases in Chipinge district .The procession will be from Machona village via Chisumbanje village to the venue of the commemoration, which is Takwirira High School on the 28th of September 2019.

This year’s theme commensurate with the current efforts by government and development agencies to mitigate against the effects of Cyclone Idai which left more than 1000 people dead. Cyclone Idai left a trail of destruction in Chipinge and Chimanimani districts.

In commemorating the International Day of Peace, PYCD will engage in public awareness activities that seek to address a wide chasm between women adversely affected by the consequences of climate change and community leaders who control the resources and hold the decision – making power.

Great Test for Greenfuel on the Women Empowerment Project.

Greenfuel (Pvt) Ltd is making effort to shrug off criticism from the community by building a vegetable market place at Chisumbanje township. The market project has had many false starts due to procedures linked to the application process at Chipinge Rural District Council. It also lacks consensus from the community stakeholders.

As usual, initiatives involving Greenfuel tend to draw sceptism as its modus operandi is always embroiled in controversy. Within the community, Greenfuel is yet to work hard on improving its reputation when it comes to initiatives of a corporate social responsibility nature. The community has a negative perception in regard to the company since it normally sanctions political polarization by its selection of beneficiaries on political grounds.

The local councilor for ward 26, Mr Misheck Busangavanye admitted that the delay for the building of the market place is a result of an absence of consensus among key stakeholders. The most critical stakeholders like traditional leaders remain divided on the site of the market place. The intended beneficiaries of the market place are women who ironically were direct victims of the company’s expansionary policy. These women are among the people who lost land to Greenfuel and whose crops were constantly ploughed down. These women have shown serious reservations on the vegetable market place. Others who appear to be receptive to the project want it to be located not in the centre of the township, and also want a bigger place.

However, Greenfuel is targeting women who were recipients of the 0.5 hectares of irrigable land who they believe need a market place for their produce. Thus, the project is a great test to the sincerity of the promises made by the company to the community in view to improve their lives. Women hold the key to food security and community development.

PYCD is of the opinion that the empowering women in the community should strengthen food security, reduce poverty and ultimately drive community development. The organization is pointing out to Greenfuel that the concept of a vegetable market place has been plagued with failures and inefficiencies in some parts of the country. The failures and the inefficiencies were due to the location of the place in relation to the buying community. Therefore, the planning and designing should have taken into consideration the issues of accessibility by the intended customers or risk constructing an infrastructure that will end being a white elephant. At the same time, Greenfuel must avoid entrenching political marginalization as this has an effect of deepening food insecurity in the community. 

PYCD is doubtful about the project because Greenfuel is in the habit of creating publicity stunts at the expense of the community. From the experience of the interaction with Greenfuel, PYCD has come to an understanding that the company provides what it thinks the community needs rather than opting for consensual arrangements. Corporate social responsibility is a tool that can transform the plight of women in the district only if it is done through an agreed structural framework.

Greenfuel emerged during the economic crisis of 2008 but have had issues with compliance  social justice, environmental and health standards.

PYCD warns male teachers who abuse minors

PYCD has received reports of male teachers allegedly abusing minors in Chipinge district, and this has caused dismay and disappointment from parents and other key community stakeholders. The Herald recently reported that Chipinge district tops in teenage pregnancies. The case of Gideon Mhlanga High School makes disturbing reading. It is alleged that a teacher impregnated a 16-year-old ordinary level student. The case came to light in April 2019 where it is said the teacher took advantage of the minor who had come to him for holiday lessons. Circumstances around the case is a big worry for parents who are pro-life, as the minor will be deprived of a future involving her independent choice. Reports now claim the minor is not only pregnant but has been infected with the dreaded HIV virus.

PYCD Gender activists who are dotted in 20 wards of Chipinge District have received numerous anonymous calls with reports of abuse. Baseline survey done by PYCD Gender desk has revealed that there are many cases currently taking place in schools within the district. The cases have gone unreported due to the vulnerability of the girls involved. In cases being handled by PYCD, parents end up giving in to school authorities who are preoccupied with maintaining the image of school at the expense of justice.

It is common knowledge that adolescence is a tumultuous period where it involves major physical transitions but lack the psychological maturity to understand the transition. The cases of abuse targeting minors clearly brings to the fore the relationship between adolescence and the community in which adults expected to be responsible create a situation where it becomes a difficult transitional period.

Thus, adolescence in the district represents the most troubling years because sexual abuse of minors impacts individual adolescents’ development.

Sexual and reproductive health is an important component of the universal right to the highest attainable standards of physical and mental health. Thus, every community need to respect, protect and fulfill the right to sexual and reproductive health to adolescents. It is sad to note that a school environment is slowly becoming fertile ground for sexual abuse of minors. Schools are part of the socialization institution. Schools together with the community shape the adolescent development within the social and cultural context in which it occurs. Therefore, PYCD condemns the perpetuation of a culture of sexual abuse of minors in the district.

PYCD have noted with grave concern that the major drivers of adolescent and reproductive health violations include socio – cultural and economic issues as well as inadequate enforcement of the laws and policies that offer protection to minors. The 2016 – 2020 National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy states that a significant number of new HIV infections occur among the 15 – 19 year age range. However, PYCD is gravely concerned with the inconsistency in some laws in regard to definition of a child, the age of consent to sex and to marriage. There is need for the harmonization of laws relating to adolescents.

PYCD will endeavor to increase advocacy on Sexual Reproductive Health Rights in schools to mitigate against the abuse of minors.

Female Councilors in Chipinge District Adopted Social Media as Tool to Raise Awareness on Devolution

 Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD) in conjunction with Vemuganga Community Radio (VemugangaFM) held a training workshop for female councilors in Chipinge District to sensitize and capacitate them on the use of social media and the constitution.

 Chipinge District has 38 wards with 30 of them being under Chipinge Rural District Council whilst 8 are from Chipinge Town. Out of the 38 councilors in Chipinge District, only 9 are female councilors. The training workshop succeeded to capacitate female councilors with knowledge and understanding of the legal and policy framework guiding local government systems, with special focus on Chapter 4 & 14 of the Zimbabwean Constitution.

In our socio – political culture, there is prevalent gender inequalities in bargaining power and access to resources. Therefore, in targeting female councilors, PYCD and Vemuganga FM endeavor to enhance women’s status in the district through empowering female councilors against social norms within the community. Thus, the training process promoted Female councilors’ effective participation, influence and leadership in the devolution implementation framework.

Chapter 14 of the Zimbabwean constitution outlines the idea of devolution, and it is envisaged that it will go a long way in repealing the erstwhile centralized system of governance. Devolution allows local authorities to execute local affairs, steer socio-economic development and promote citizen participation for effective democratic processes. The female councilors also gained an insight into the Bill of Rights as pronounced in Chapter 4 of the Zimbabwean constitution. A session on Chapter 4 enhances their greater knowledge on social, economic, cultural, civil and political rights. The Bill of Rights form part of the broader right to livelihood and has significant implications for incorporating into the policy framework of the local government system.

The 9 female councilors were taken through the basics of sustainable community development which has ecological integrity, economic security and social cohesion as the main components. Gender power relations influence the impact of people on sustainable development and can in turn bear great effect on social cohesion. From a policy stand point, it is essential for the 9 female councilors to have an overview of the relationship between gender and sustainable community development so as to facilitate a more sustainable use of local resources while empowering women at the same time.

The Chairperson of Chipinge Rural District Council, Patience Mlambo, who was also among the participants, applauded the training. She pointed out that the greatest challenge being experienced by female councilors in Chipinge, emanates from lack of access to empowering information due to the lack of resources from central government.

“This training is an eye opener and can go a long way if there will be increased support and funding to ensure that we have the gadgets (smart phones) and an Information Centre in Chipinge, where we will be able to access internet facilities to support our social media operations. I admit that those councilors with access to social media, have better capacity ” said Councilor Patience Mlambo of ward 18 in Chipinge East Constituency.

The words of councilor Patience Mlambo were supported by Wishes Hama, who is councilor for ward 24 in Chipinge South Constituency.

“As female councilors we face a lot of criticism that is sometimes unjustified, simply because we are women and lack the tenacity to defend ourselves by providing evidence of our work. This training on social media will go a long way in providing evidence to the public on community development we are involved”

Social media has become an integral part of the communities and can no longer be ignored in the community development trajectory. It has proven to be an interactive tool that bring members of the ward together and encourage them to discuss and explore the underlying issues within their respective wards. One of the outstanding features of the training process is the realization that the female councilors are knowledgeable about their respective wards.

 Ethel Toungana of ward 17 pointed out that she is using bulk sms as a form communication in addition to periodic meetings she holds in her ward. However, the use of social media is being hampered by the cost of social media bundles as well as lack of gadgets that are compliant to social media. Access to information on local government system, community needs and devolution can make female councilors more competitive.

 Information is highly regarded as power in itself and communication tools can channel power instantaneously to members of wards. In addition to making wards more effective, social media has been identified as a means to improve the quality of engagement and the subsequent decisions. However, there is need to address the economic environment that is undermining the advancement of affordable and access to the full range of communication services.

One of the facilitators Cynthia Gwenzi, who is the Gender Wellness and Advocacy Officer for the Platform for Youth and Community Development (PYCD), admitted that female councilors faced a lot of challenges.

“These female councilors are mothers, spouses and daughters who are expected to behave in a particular way that conforms to the stereotypes and patriarchal beliefs of their communities in Chipinge. It is therefore important that we profile them as a way of strengthening their leadership to overcome these challenges” Cynthia Gwenzi reiterated.

The training process brought out the salient features of women in politics. All the 9 female councilors were elected on the first past the post principle. The electoral field in the district is highly contentious and these female councilors provided a different perspective to politics. The councilors promised to address harmful cultural practices prevalent in the district. These include child marriages and gender based violence.