harare news

CLEARANCE SALE

Harare News 7www.hararenews.co.zw

Community

Staff Writer

At a time when environmental-ists are preaching recycling, vis-ual artist Africa Kamutengo found a business scavenging for discarded materials to craft them into valu-able art pieces.His craft which includes hand-

made jewellery, metal and plastic flowers and toys is readily received on the market for its sheer creativ-ity and appeal. He uses a wide range of recycled raw materials including plastic, bottle tops and beverage cans. Kamutengos passion however is not limited only to art, but also to ensure the well being of the disad-vantaged in his society.For the past four years I have

worked with disabled people from Mabvuku and Tafara operating at the Mabvuku Art Centre, explains Kamutengo. I noticed that most of the disabled in our society are discriminated against to the ex-tent that they are not given jobs no matter how talented they are. With encouragement from his disabled friend and fellow artist Lloyd Biswas, Kamutengo engaged individuals from his community to work with him. He teaches them craft work and how to make differ-ent art pieces.Kamutengo said, I have worked

with a number of disabled people, some of them from the National Disability Trust. He said he is cur-rently working with Biggie Jonasi and Easter Bitoni. With Biggie (Jonasi) we make replica toys of famous footballers. He crafts them

while I paint them, he said. Kam-utengo and Jonasi found an oppor-tunity in the great enthusiasm for football and exploited it. We do not make much money but the lit-tle we earn from our sales we share equally, said Kamutengo. Jonasi is paralysed from the waist down.Easter (Bitoni) helps me with the

jewellery, said Kamutengo. Before she started working with Kamuten-go, Bitoni used to make homemade floor polish for sale. Her business is now flooded with many competi-tors so she is focusing more on art.The trios art however does not

sell well on a day to day basis. Most of our business comes through art fairs and expos, said Kamutengo. He said they sell an average of 15 necklaces which cost $2.00 each and an average of ten footballers which cost $5.00 each at public functions. Sometimes we struggle to take part in the fairs because of the high pric-es we have to pay for our table, he said. A table on average costs $75.00 depending on the art fair or expo.We plan to establish an art shop

in the city centre or shopping cen-tres in the affluent suburbs so that we will have a constant income, said Kamutengo. However, the three cannot afford to pay rentals for a shop. He said, We are hoping one day things will work out.Meanwhile, Kamutengo has

urged city officials and the govern-ment to put in place policies that favour the disabled. He said, Most of our infrastructure, especially art venues, is not friendly to people with disabilities.

Upcycling artist helps the disabled

Martina Kwenda

Elizabeth Windsor Road in Marl-borough is a busy thoroughfare with hundreds of motor vehicles and pedestrians using it every day. Besides a road, it seems that the traffic passing along it also sees it as something of a dumping area, with a disgusting amount of litter being chucked into the street.Marlborough Environmental

Action Group (MEAG) decided to sort this problem out at a Satur-day clean up held in June. Several prominent community figures and community groups were present including Councillor Charity Bango and Mabelreign District Officer Ms. Mverechena. Representatives from Miracle Missions, Imagine Avonlea and City of Harare were also in at-tendance. Naturally at the heart of the operation were local residents, who gathered at the Civic Centre to receive cleaning materials before setting to work.Councillor Bango addressed resi-

dents saying that, The time for playing the blame game is over. Yes, City of Harare are not doing their jobs, but we have a role to play. If

MEAG cleans up Elizabeth Windsor Road

For 100 years, Emerald Hill Chil-drens Home has been caring for children who have been orphaned, abandoned or abused. In addition, the Emerald Hill School for the Deaf has catered for hearing impaired people in a country where such serv-ices are very hard to come by. Reli-ant on donations from well-wishers, these charities started an annual art exhibition in 1992 to raise funds for renovations, and thus the Verandah Gallery was born.This year marks the 24th year

that the exhibition has been run-ning, and promises to be a wonder-

ful and interesting event. Last year the exhibition raised $8,240, a sig-nificant figure indeed.The money raised serves three

purposes, helping Emerald Hill to keep doing its important work, giv-ing exposure and income to numer-ous artists, and providing an enjoy-able day out for Harares residents. Visitors can expect great live music by the Detema Jazz Band, and food and drinks served by the Vabatsiri Soroptimist Club and Da Vino sup-plied wine bar, who also donate a percentage of their profits to the charities.

For the premier Art Exhibition of the year come to The Verandah Gallery, 16 Woodholme Rd, Emerald Hill on Sunday 27 July. Gate opens 10am to 4pm. The Verandah Gal-lery cards will be on sale along with the 2015 Aspects of Africa calendar which is launched on this day. This year, to celebrate their Centenary, some of the Emerald Hill Children will be there to entertain us with a song and a dance around midday!

For further information please email Anna Fleming: [email protected]

Verandah Gallery Charity Exhibition, 27 JulyIn aid of Emerald Hill Childrens Home on their 100th Anniversary!

Local paint supplier, Artisan Paints, has taken it upon them-selves to rejuvenate the dilapidated HNSPCA head office on Enterprise Road. This comes at a time when HNSPCA is looking to let this prime office space with a view to supple-menting their budget for animal welfare projects across the coun-try. Shelley Martin explained that mostly our inspectors are on the road, so we will keep the charity shop, and some office space on the side, but the main offices will be rented out. She also described a recent vaccination and sterilisa-tion programme carried out in Ka-riba that saw 191 dogs treated just

the kind of welfare project that the spruced up offices will help fund in the future.Artisan Paints director Laura

Tofts showed Harare News the 6 roomed office space. It is a big job but progress has been smooth. We donated all the paint, but HNSPCA is paying for the labour, said Tofts, who also said that Artisan Paints has previously helped spruce up the HNSPCA surgery which is kept busy with Harares huge number of sick, stray or maltreated animals. Donations like that made by Artisan Paints will go a long way in better-ing the existence of thousands of animals across the country.

Paint job for HNSPCA

everybody did their part, this road would not be this dirty. She em-phasised that cleaning it up wasnt enough, residents and passersby would have to observe neatness and order on a daily basis.Other speakers including MEAG

committee member, Rudo Banga-jena, emphasised the importance of enforcement. There should be heavy penalties given for littering including community service to clean designated areas, suggested Bangajena, who added that compa-nies must be held to account for the impact their products have on the environment. She highlighted dis-

posable nappy makers as a particu-lar concern and should be tasked with providing a solution to the waste their business generates.As the crew of volunteers worked

their way along the road, two CoH trucks gathered up the tons of rub-bish and removed it to Pomona dump. It was gratifying to organis-ers to see passersby abandon their commitments to lend a spirited hand, even if it was for a short while.One volunteer identified only as

Fadzi said We need to educate the masses about separation because some of the litter we pick up is re-cyclable so people should be taught how to dispose of it. Another per-son suggested that gardeners need to be educated on recycling and composting since they are the peo-ple that deal with rubbish every day.Changing of mindset was a

theme through the day, with volun-teers and leaders highlighting how shameless residents have become with regards to littering. Council-lor Bango said Every step counts in changing mindsets, and it begins with you, and an ideology of envi-ronmental cleanliness.Once the hard work was done,

the clean up team retired to the Civic Centre for refreshment and to watch a soccer match between Marlborough Atletico and visitors FC Dutch. The home side was beaten 41.

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Staff Writer

Failure by the Zimbabwe Elec-tricity Supply Authority (ZESA) to supply adequate electricity has pushed many residents to opt for gas as an alternative source of en-ergy.Massive load shedding in the re-

cent months has seen many resi-dents switching to gas instead of firewood and paraffin. Avondale resident Wendy Mutize says, Its faster to cook with gas and at the same time cheaper than using other alternative energy sources like fire-wood. She also expressed happi-ness with the lower levels of pollu-tion that gas emits.Gas which like petroleum is a

fossil fuel but gaseous in its state, is composed mainly of methane (CH4). Geologist Tawanda Furam-era explains, Gas is formed along with oil fields and coal beds as a result of anaerobic digestion of various kinds of dead matter that include plants and animals, under the earths surface. It is drilled the same way as oil.Gas burns with lower emissions

than other fossil fuels. This is large-ly because of the fact that it has only one carbon, making it greener than the traditional alternatives. Furam-era said, For the same amount of heat, gas emits 30% less carbon di-oxide than burning oil, and 45% less carbon dioxide than burning coal, thereby reducing the impact on air quality. Due to the clean burning

process, gas doesnt produce ash after energy is released. This makes it a convenient and expeditious source of heating and generating electricity.Gas can be used in the form of

compressed natural gas (CNG), bi-ogas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). LPG (mostly advertised as LP gas) is however the most popular gas in Harare, sold at many filling stations and even by informal trad-ers on street corners around the city.Gas has a high heating value of

24,000 Btu per pound, said Furam-era. He said this is why it widely used as a primary source of heating whilst cooking.Its high flamma-

bility however makes is extremely dangerous if handled carelessly, he said.Some residents still desist from

using gas due to fear of risks of ex-plosions. I rather stick to my par-affin stove because with children in the house gas is not really safe, said Braeside resident Jacob Masen-gauta. He said a small mistake when handling gas equipment may end up in a huge explosion. My children love playing with fire crackers and in the event of a leak with no adult around this may turn into a huge disaster. Energy expert Shelton Ndlovu said a substance (contain-ing carbon monoxide) that has a strong odour is added to help detect a leak. This reduces the risks of gas explosion. He said, The substance may be harmful and cause deaths if not carefully handled.Gas is cheap (less expensive than

gasoline and paraffin) and there-fore cost-effective. People can also make gas (biogas) from their homes by building a bio-digester in which they can decompose their waste, said Ndlovu. He said the equipment required when using gas for cook-ing and heating is 50% cheaper than that required for electric appliances for the same purposes.However, some of the appliances

and equipment being sold on the market especially imports from Asian countries may pose danger of explosions. Ndlovu said, To be safe buy your appliances from accred-ited stores.

Kundai Marunya

A new recycling company Clean and Green Zimbabwe was launched with a vision to maximize on recyclable recoveries.The organisation which was offi-

cially launched at the Miracle Mis-sions monthly environmental meet-ing at the Highlands Presbyterian Church collects recyclable material, separates it and prepares it for re-cycling. Clean and Green Zimba-bwes Nyasha Makuyana explains, Our organisation is made up of a partnership of Zimbabweans in the diaspora who want to come back home to do something positive. Cur-rently we are a collection centre but we hope to set up a recycling plant before the end of year if all goes well. He said waste is one of the most menacing problems Harare and the rest of Zimbabwe is facing.We have so far collected 350

tonnes of waste which we have separated and got ready for recy-cling. We want to get to a point where nothing goes to landfill, said Makuyana. He said their future plans also include collecting over 1000 tonnes of waste weekly and setting up centres across the coun-try. He added that though many people are separating waste at source it ends up being collected by city council to be disposed at land-fills. Makuyana said, We acknowl-edge the work being done by differ-ent organisation including Miracle Missions and Environment Africa

and we are just here to complete the circle by having somewhere to take the recyclable waste.Clean and Green Zimbabwe col-

lects their waste from different organisations and events such as the OK Grand Challenge and HIFA while individuals can also drop some material off at their plant in Msasa. He said, We also buy waste from organisations such as Bet-ter Environment in Highfields and Moyo Munyoro in Mabvuku. Moyo Munyoro is a group of ladies who came together to look after disabled children.In terms of environmental aware-

ness Clean and Green Zimbabwe is in talks with different schools to build partnerships that will see chil-dren being taught about recycling from a tender age. He said, We want to start from the grassroots so we can have a whole new gen-eration of responsible citizens. He added that if children are taught at young age they can take that educa-tion home and cause a ripple effect in their communities.Directly we have created more

than 70 jobs with a vision of creat-ing more, said Makuyana. Indirect-ly, unemployed youth are earning an income by selling their waste to the organisation.

If you want your recyclable waste collected you can contact Nyasha Makuyana on [email protected] or call him on 0774 368 150.

Stephen Tsoroti

Environmentalists have called on urban planners to seriously con-sider ecosystem services site based assessments, as these will help in the conservation of biological diver-sity. Environmentalists say recent studies show that local authorities and communities can derive a lot of benefits from properly managed ecosystems.According to Togarasei Fakarayi,

Programme Manager with Birdlife Zimbabwe, assessment of ecosys-tems is vital for decision making. These assessments provide specific guidance on implementing prac-tical methods for assessing some of the services that are likely to be most important to the range of stakeholders in each ecosystem.Fakarayi says ecosystem services

are the benefits that people receive from nature for example, the production of food, the provision of clean water and the regulation of climate, as well as opportunities for cultural, spiritual and recrea-tional experiences. In recent his-tory there has been a big decline in biodiversity as a result of human activities and species are becoming extinct much faster than at any time in the past. Ecosystem services have also changed markedly and many are in a reduced or degraded state. Recognising that these changes af-fect us there is a growing interest in

ecosystem services, from academ-ics and conservationists to policy-makers, economists and finance ministries. This has led to a rapid expansion of the literature seeking to define, measure and value eco-system services, says Fakarayi.Environmentalist Katy Lannas

agrees; measuring ecosystem serv-ices can strengthen arguments for conserving important sites for bio-diversity, especially ecosystems like wetlands. The Millennium Ecosys-tem Assessment gave wetlands a value of 15 trillion dollars. In 1997 New York City avoided spending between three and eight billion dol-lars on new waste water treatment plants by investing one and a half billion dollars on the purchase of wetlands. This land purifies the water supply for free. Wetlands are like highly efficient sewage treat-ment works, absorbing chemicals, filtering pollutants and sediments and breaking down suspended sol-ids, she says.

Programme Officer at the Conser-vation Society of Monavale (COSMO) Dorothy Wakeling concurs. We need to know the state of our wet-lands and data collected should help us make informed decisions. Wetlands in Zimbabwe must not be comprised, said Wakeling.The subject of ecosystem serv-

ices is fairly new in Zimbabwe. Ecosystem services are not fully captured in commercial markets or adequately measured in terms of economic services and so they are often given little weight in policy decisions as is the case with Harare wetlands which face extinction due to incessant developments.Information about the impor-

tance and value of ecosystem serv-ices as linked to human well-being is largely absent in Zimbabwe. In an attempt to address this informa-tion gap, Birdlife Zimbabwe has em-barked on a pilot study to measure ecosystem services in the Driefon-tein Grasslands IBA (Important Bird Area). This study is using a Tool kit for Ecosystem Services Site-based Assessment (TESSA) developed by Birdlife International and the Tropical Biology Association. The toolkit is user friendly, applicable at site level and has the potential of collecting reasonable amounts of data for economic valuation of ecosystem services. Birdlife Zimba-bwe wishes to replicate this study at other IBAs in the country.

Residents switch to gas Clean and Green Zimbabwe new recycling initiative launches

Valuing biodiversity through ecosystem services

Measuring ecosystem services can strengthen arguments for conserving important sites for biodiversity.

12 Harare News Issue 12 July 2014

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Jan Raath

Shaped by suffering is how South African botanist Ernst van Jaarsveld described the aloes and succulents that have adapted to thrive in some of the harshest, hot-test regions of the world.The Aloe, Cactus and Succulent

Society of Zimbabwe, the countrys own small group of enthusiasts dedicated to the study and surviv-al of these species, held a unique gathering last month (June) of experts from all over the world to reveal their insights into some of the worlds rarer plant forms that Southern Africa is home to.For two days at the Wild Geese

Lodge just outside Harare, the au-dience of 65 at the Xerophytica (plants that withstand drought) congress heard of new research and developments into these unique forms of plant life, from cycads and baobab trees to cacti and the ex-traordinary Welwitschia mirabilis.Ernest van Jaarsveld from South

Africas Kirstenbosch botanic gar-

den demystified the notion of the supposed slender survival chances of the weird Welwitschia plant and its dull green leathery leaves that extend for metres on the sands of the Namib desert. He got seeds of the plant to germinate in three days. He couldnt explain, though, how fossils of the plant were discovered in northern Brazil.Ben-Erik van Wyk, professor of

Botany at Johannesburg University, spoke of the extraordinary success of the modest Aloe vera plant that has generated a medicinal industry of US$110 billion a year. The place of aloes in ancient medicine is re-vealed in the paintings of the San people (Bushmen) in South Africa.The San also use the white latex

of Euphorbia plants to fix arrow heads to their arrows, he said. To

test the strength of the plants glue, he once smeared some in the back pocket of a friends jeans where his wallet was. It could only be reached by cutting it out.Piet Vorster of Stellenbosch Uni-

versity in South Africa told of at-tempts to create a female partner for last survivor from the wild of the cycad species, Encephalartos woodii. Crossing the male seed again and again with another cycad species so that it eventually pro-duces a plant that is genetically 99% woodii, he eventually got a single fe-male seedling that, he hopes, will be close enough to be a partner to the lone plant in Durban.Many succulent species in South-

ern Africa are faced with extinction for their value as muti. He described whole pick-up loads of the rare Na-mibian stone-like lithops genus be-ing dumped in township muti mar-kets, most of it left to rot.The many species of aloe in the

mountainous coastal regions Ara-bia are under even greater threat following a population explosion

there, according to American col-lector Tom McCoy. Some species have been decimated by sheep that eat aloe flowers leaving no seed. Tribesmen cut out the centres of other aloes to feed their donkeys.Buhle Francis of the National

University of Science and Technolo-gy in Bulawayo revealed a terrifying new threat, from the vicious barbed thorns of the Opuntia fulgida cac-tus, which she calls the demon in-vader of the savannah. The densely sprawling cactus from the deserts of Arizona and northern Mexico was originally brought by a Mr Har-vey for his garden in the Tuli cattle breeding station in the sixties.Known also as the jumping

cholla for its ability to spread, and without any natural enemies, it has entrenched itself in large areas of south-west Matabeleland that are increasingly choked by the cactus. Birds, bats, snakes goats, cattle and donkeys are increasingly being found impaled to the spines of the plant, which cause horrendous inju-ries and slow death to animals.

Patrick Musira

Many people across the city are using the services of tradition-al healers and traditional medicines (TM) although many do so secre-tively wary of a certain stigma at-tached to the practice.The acceptance by some medi-

cal aid societies to refund purchase of TM, however, is bringing people out of the closet and growing the number of both herbal practition-ers and sellers. Some organisations are also now accepting traditional healers authority to give employees sick leave.Newspapers are awash with ad-

verts proclaiming the efficacy and effectiveness of these herbs that claim to be able to cure any disease, illness and sickness under the sun.However, the increase in the

number of providers of TM most trading under exotic names like Dr Songolo, Dr Ali Baba, Dr Zoro, Dr Zathema and Dr Nguni has drawn mixed reactions from residents. While TMs popularity has grown, so

have questions and concerns about its safety in the face of aggressive marketing.If you look at it from a purely

medical standpoint, every herb works, says Edmore SaMushonga, a herbals street vendor plying his trade on Leopold Takawira Street. He says it all has to do with politics, as there are hidden interests that do not want anything good to come out of traditional minds.Dr Bernard Madzima, Ministry

of Health and Child Cares director of family health, distancing himself from local councils lack of clear and decisive position, told Harare News: Although the Ministry has an oversight on all health issues in the country Harare City has a health department headed by Dr Mungofa. Please see him.After weeks of stonewalling, the

new director of health services at Town House, Dr Prosper Chonzi, finally responded saying although council was aware of these actions, they were working on plans to cur-tail such illegal activities.

Medicines, whether traditional or modern, are potentially very dan-gerous if not used properly, he said. There is need for serious regulation, thus the establishment of the Medi-cines Control Authority of Zimba-bwe (MCAZ).Traditional medicines, if not

prescribed properly, can lead to se-rious complications such as acute renal failure, liver failure and death. Again it is illegal for people to sell these. The MCAZ, police and council will continue to confiscate and pros-ecute illegal sellers of unregistered medicines, be they traditional or modern, for as long as they are be-ing sold on the streets, he empha-sized.Most of the traditional herbs be-

ing sold are reported not to be reg-istered with the MCAZ, responsible for regulating all medicines circu-lating in the countrys medicines market through a process of regis-tration and authorization.Gugu Mahlangu, director-general

of MCAZ, says that while some TMs are exempt from registration where

such medicines are manufactured for distribution by third parties, registration or authorization is re-quired.The same principles apply to

allopathic medicines that are com-pounded in practice settings and administered to patients, but this is

now a rare practice, she said.The Authority has authorized

the distribution of some herbal preparations that would be consid-ered complementary medicines, provided they make no claims to cure any disease or defect. He ex-

plained that minimal testing is car-ried on such preparations.A local herbalist operating from

the Avenues area defends the prac-tice, saying most so-called side effects from herbs are nothing compared to conventional drugs, though emphasising care in TM use. Those who use the herbs need to take care with regards to dosages as the effects might be dire. Remem-ber, if people are told to take a tea-spoon of the drug, they will take a cup, he says.Investigations show that while

most of the herbal drugs are locally produced, a significant number have come into the country illegally from countries such as Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa, with others from as far afield as the Far East.While other experts are urging

for strict monitoring and compli-ance especially with regards to packaging and labeling on TM that are approved by the Authority others still insist theres no harm in TM use.

Herbal medicines gaining acceptance

Aloe Congress shows human-plant relationships

While TMs popularity has grown, so have questions and concerns about its safety in the face of aggressive marketing.


Restaurants & food

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Mystery Eater

In these financially stressed times I have, in vain, been searching for good food at reasonable prices in an amenable setting. The last couple of restaurants reviewed have provided not at all bad but, in my view, un-reasonably over-priced food and on both occasions we have dined in solitary splendour. I have been tak-en to task by a prominent local busi-nessman (not in the food industry) for comparing Harare prices with Johannesburg in my last review. He said the cost of running a business in Zimbabwe is far greater than in South Africa. I agree that the cost of raw materials whether food or other is greater. But wages are, if anything, cheaper, as is power. So the search for a good value eat-out has continued.And I am ecstatic to report that

I can this month write a good re-view at last. Dont get too excited this is not, nor does it pretend to be Fine Dining. The Pointe, in 3rd Street between Baines and Josiah Chinamano, is plastic-covered ta-bles at their finest. It has flashing fairy lights in gaudy colours draped around the walls, Grandmas glass cabinets stuffed full of relics from the past, and inexplicably, a wall full of photographs of Elvis. I asked if this had been The Kings favourite restaurant and was assured by the witty femme maitre d that No, but we were very close. Never mind that he was probably dead before

she was born!On a freezing June evening both

the welcome and the temperature were warm. And how delightful to sit in a restaurant with other fellow diners! The service was prompt, swift and friendly. Drinks appeared within moments of ordering, to-gether with a basket of bread and a very good simple coleslaw salad thank goodness, one without gloopy mayonnaise, just a delicious fresh dressing.The menu is huge always a bit

of a worry but all the dishes we ordered seemed freshly prepared and were extremely good. Starters are priced from $3$5 and span a wide variety including a choice of homemade soups. We chose gib-lets and deep fried mushrooms. The mushrooms were sizzling hot, juicy and delicious, served with a good sauce tartare. The soft, succu-lent giblets came in a mild tomato-

based sauce and were also cooked beautifully. Without pausing for breath, the mains were served if I am looking to find fault, almost too quickly. I had char-grilled Portu-guese sardines with green peppers and boiled spuds ($3 per sardine I had 4 which was plenty) from a fairly wide choice of fish dishes. My partner chose one of the house spe-cialities, charcoal grilled half chick-en and chips ($10). The chicken was superb moist, tasty and with a finely judged amount of peri-peri to give it a good kick. Mild or plain are the other options for this dish. My first mouthful of sardine was a disappointment as they had not been scaled properly which is es-sential for this fish. At that moment a finger-bowl arrived so I rolled up my sleeves, peeled back the skins (and scales) and ate with my fingers and they were good.The Pointe also have daily spe-

cials, all of which sound like deli-cious hearty good food and priced at $10$12. The Oxtail (Tuesday) is particularly good. And I look for-ward to trying the Sunday roast suckling pig.We had one pudding a crme

caramel which was nothing more, nothing less and to complete our sense of well being, we finished off with an Irish coffee apiece. We asked for the no-sugar version which is a challenge to the barman as the cream tends to sink into the coffee if there is no added sugar to help it float. Both arrived looking like perfectly poured Guinness, pip-ing hot coffee sipped through va-nilla flavoured cream. Again, if I am to nit-pick, they were a little light on the whisky, but otherwise a perfect way to round off dinner.The food portion of the bill for

two of us was $35. The bar bill a further $15. The Pointe could not be

described as posh or even smart. Eclectic to the point of being almost downright weird but certainly warm, friendly, efficient and thor-oughly enjoyable. I recommend it heartily.

Service Ambience

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Average: $20$25 pp inc. drinks.

The Pointe:116 Baines Avenue

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Open every day: 9am10pmFriday: OPEN LATE! 9am3am

The Pointe busy and for good reason


Arts & culture

Pomona Quarries, Alpes Road, Pomona(04) 851996 / 851983 0772 [email protected] www.hsbricks.co.zw

Michael Nott

Artists, art lovers, and gallery goers in general who just drop in for a cup of coffee or to browse the gift shop, will have no doubt noticed that the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (NGZ) has been closed for a while. Renovations started on 5 May and the gallery was complete-ly closed a few weeks after that. It is scheduled to reopen, towards the end of July or early August.The Gallery has been slowly fall-

ing into a state of disrepair over the past 30 years due to central govern-ments inability to adequately fi-nance such organisations.The leaking roof has been getting

steadily worse, to the point where the safe keeping of some of the ex-tremely valuable art works in the permanent collection was threat-ened. The domed skylights were leaking in places, some of the glass and Perspex panels in the skylights were cracked and the gutters be-tween the roof sections had rusted away. The sad old grande dame of galleries was badly in need of a facelift and some tender loving care.Thanks to some generous donor

funding to the tune of US$400,000 the Gallery is now able to do some essential maintenance work to deal with the most serious problems.One of the most urgent problems

was the leaking expansion joint that runs through the Gallery from front to back. The building is over 100 metres long so the expansion joint

was included in the original design to allow the building to expand and contract in response to changing temperatures. The old copper flash-ing has since been removed and the joint sealed. The domed skylights have been replaced with new ones and the damaged plaster in the light wells has been restored. Along the front and back edges of the roof, cement coping stones, meant to seal the edges, had begun to break up. In fact they had expanded and shifted so much that on some of the corners of the building they had pushed the terrazzo faade off com-pletely. The coping has since been replaced with aluminium flashing, which is probably more in line with the original design and the terrazzo is being repaired.The building was designed by

Messrs. Montgomerie and Old-field who also designed the Harare

City Library formerly the Queen Victoria Memorial Library. Build-ing started in 1955 and it officially opened in 1957. Very few of the orig-inal drawings still exist so much of the repairs have had to rely on un-covering the layers of past repairs to reveal the causes of the current problems.The flat roof in particular pre-

sented a number of difficulties. It appears that the roof was originally sealed with layers of felt and mas-tic asphalt. On top of this had been placed concrete cooler tiles which had sunk into the waterproofing and caused major problems. These had to all be removed and in the process it was discovered that the cement screeding had begun to break down. Large areas of the screed had to be replaced, which was not in the original budget. On top of the new screed they have

now applied a torch-on waterproof membrane which will then be cov-ered with expanded polyurethane insulation board with gravel on top.The gutters between the glass sky-

light sections were originally made of steel and then also plastered with a cement screed. Needless to say these had rusted through and also needed to be replaced and again this was not in the original budget. The old skylights had been made from Georgian wired cast glass with Perspex diffusers in front of them. Many had cracked and been badly repaired. The panes in the skylights will all be replaced with laminated white opalescent glass with new Perspex diffusers a mammoth and slightly dangerous task in itself. But at least the building will now be completely waterproof.However, thats not the end of the

renovations. The building is still in

need of a complete overhaul of the electrics and the lighting. The air handling system which helps to maintain the temperature and hu-midity, needs to be completely re-placed. Its vital to install a new fire suppression system, particularly in the storage area where much of the permanent collection is kept. The parquet floor in the main gallery needs to be refurbished. These are not just cosmetic changes but are necessary for the continued suc-cessful running of the institution.Funds are limited and it is es-

timated that at least another $600,000 is required. You can help to preserve and maintain this im-portant and unique institution by becoming a Friend of the Gallery or by making a donation directly to Ms Doreen Sibanda, Executive Director, The National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Julius Nyerere Way, Harare.

Vital repairs at the National Gallery

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Readers page Find us on Facebookand Twitter @hararenews

Dear reader,Its our birthday!Its been twelve months since we

launched, a proud and happy mile-stone for the Harare News team. This also makes it a great time to announce that we are doubling our print run to 20,000 copies and are reaching more people than ever in Mbare, Dzivarasekwa, Mabvuku, Tafara and Kuwadzana. We wel-come our new readers to the pages of Harare News and look forward to engaging with you about the issues in your neighbourhoods.It hasnt been an easy year. Not

for us, not for anybody. Business is bad in all sectors, and our fledgling community newspaper has had to jump through several wildly flam-ing hoops to survive.It is only by revisiting our mis-

sion statement that we grow ever firmer in our resolve to provide news and information to promote

the improvement of our city, our lives.Zimbabwe has been a tough place

to live in the past years. Peoples outlook has shifted from looking to the future into day-to-day survival mode. The consequences of this are manifold. Long term thinking and planning has been replaced with short term hustling. Issues such as the environment and infrastruc-ture development, issues that will impact future generations to whom we leave Harare after we are all gone, have slipped down our collec-tive agenda.Even the collective agenda, our

vision as a society so to speak has been eroded. Our complex and difficult political and economic circumstances have reduced us to individuals. We have stopped questioning how we behave in the public sphere. Littering is rampant, driving is terrible, neighbours burn

rubbish, and profiteers grab vital wetlands for development or drain our water table for a quick dollar.Hopelessness is a terrible thing.

However its not part of the Harare News agenda! We believe in Harare and the citizens that will build her up once again. Our encounters with you, the Sunshine City residents, have filled us with hope. The arts scene is as vibrant as it has ever been, our students are flying high, creating, dreaming, and build-ing. We are seeing a community-level renaissance happening with networks of motivated, positive residents being born and growing in number and scope. There are heroes aplenty too, people who are making a difference and are deserving of support.It is with this in mind that we

move into our second year and, though still in our infancy, do so with excitement and happiness.

From the desk of the editor, I wish to thank enormously the hard working and passionate team at Harare News: the journalists, photographers and community contributors, the tireless admin staff, the distribution team and our very talented designer.We also extend our huge grati-

tude to the advertisers who have shown their support of a fledgling project. In doing so, we believe they have given something back to the communities in which they exist.And of course thank you to you

the readers who pick up Harare News, read it and share it. And to those of you who engage with the articles or with us through letters and feedback. Please keep it up its the reason we are here!

Email your comments to [email protected].

Corrections:1. In the June issue of Harare News in the Meet your council-lor article (page 4) which profiled Ward 18 Councillor Allan Rusty Markham, we incorrectly suggested that Sam Levys Village, Celebration Centre and Borrowdale Race Course fell within Ward 18. They do in fact fall under Ward 17.

2. In the same issue, an article titled Time to enforce smoking laws? was published under the name Owen Chirinda. The author is in fact Norman Mukwakwami.

6 3 5 7 2 8 1 4 9

9 1 8 4 3 6 7 5 2

2 4 7 5 9 1 6 3 8

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1 6 3 8 5 9 2 7 4

4 7 9 2 1 3 5 8 6

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7 4 6 1 8 9 5 3 2

8 5 1 2 4 3 7 9 6

2 9 3 6 5 7 1 8 4

4 7 2 8 9 6 3 5 1

3 8 5 4 2 1 9 6 7

6 1 9 3 7 5 2 4 8

Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3 3 box contains all nine digits, with no number repeated.

Difficulty: medium Difficulty: hard

Miracle Missions would like to take this opportunity to say Thank You for your support and wish Harare

News a very Happy 1st Birthday. Your newspaper has a strong sense of community spirit with interesting,

encouraging and informative articles covering all aspects of city life and is appreciated by all your readers.

Anniversary letter from the editor

We extend a special thanks to the following advertisers who have trusted us with their brands on an ongoing basis:

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Thank you for your birthday messages!

Happy Birthday Harare News. Keep going strong and have a fabulous

newsroom bash. :) Natalie Kombe

Harare News you have given Harare City Library wonderful coverage

and much more to share with our followers. Thank you. Wishing you many, many more years online and

in print. Harare City Library

Ive so enjoyed reading your newspaper and eagerly look forward

to the latest issue each month. I especially enjoy the environmental, gardening and restaurant articles. Well done HN! Jocelynne Lake

Congratulations Harare News! Happy birthday. Janet Bwititi

@hararenews an Irish birthday proverb for you, The older the fiddler, the sweeter the tune. May you grow

from strength to strength! HBD @zamzigmedia

Congratulations on reaching an important milestone. Thank you

for your support for Harares music and arts scene as a whole. We at Mokoomba wish you many more years of sound business and the

insightful reporting that Harareans have grown to love. Mokoomba

Harare News has been a breath of fresh air during its first year of existence in that it has religiously adhered to its core business of gathering and disseminating community news

within Greater Harare. The citizens of Harare have had an overdose of negative news as a result of most

of our media outlets placing undue and, quite often, unwarranted

emphasis on local party politics at the expense of innumerable positive

things that are taking place in our city and country on a daily basis.Congratulations! Makorokoto!

Amhlophe!Muchadeyi Ashton Masunda

Former Mayor of Harare


Schools

Phoebe Ruvarashe Nyashanu

On Saturday 14 June 2014, the Harare City Junior Council commemorated World Day against Child Labour with the rest of the world. Children from schools all over Harare came together for the event that was organized by the then Prospective Junior Council-lors, now Honourable Councillors.The event was established by the

International Labour Organisation (ILO) under the umbrella of the United Nations to raise awareness of the issue of child labour.The ILO has data which shows

that hundreds of millions of girls and boys across the globe are forced into work that deprives them of education, health, leisure and other basic rights and freedoms. More than half of these are working in hazardous environments, are en-slaved, involved in drug trafficking, prostitution and even armed con-flict.Among the many schools in at-

tendance was Mabelreign Girls High who brought their Marimba Group to perform as well as Lord Malvern High who brought their singing

and dancing groups. Numerous schools were represented and put on splendid performances that left the crowd cheering for more.Mayor of Harare, His Worship

Honourable Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni gave a very informative speech on the event and the purpose of the day. Also gracing this splen-did event with her presence was the Junior Town Clerk, Her Worship

Ruvimbo Mujuru from Christ Min-istries High School who also gave opening remarks about the day.The event culminated in a march

around the streets near Town House, with numerous banners carrying anti-child labour messag-es, and the crowd shouting STOP CHILD LABOUR.After the march, one of the or-

ganizing Prospective Junior Coun-

Junior Council Celebrates with the world

Another boy in my class stole $22 from my bag. I know it was him, but I dont know how to deal with it. He is not a nice guy, and there is no way to show that it was him for sure. What can I do?I am sorry you have had cash stolen. I imagine that has left you not only short of money, but also feeling angry and upset. Sadly, if you cannot prove it was a particu-lar person, there is nothing you can do to bring him to justice, or to recover your money. It is advisable to report it to the school authori-ties. You could also make a public announcement explaining what this loss means to you. We often feel better if we can be open and honest about how we are feeling. This would have the added advan-tage of reminding everyone to look after their own valuable. Is there any way you could discuss with oth-ers in your class how to keep small valuables safe in future?

At my school sport is compulsory, but there are no sports that I like. I am called fat a lot, and I am big and find running so hard. I wish to move to another school where I dont have to play any sport, which schools are these? I think my parents will say no anyway.I am sorry you are being insulted and feel bad about yourself. It is

horrid having to play sport if you really dont enjoy it, particularly if you are carrying extra weight. I think you will find that most schools emphasise sport and changing schools is unlikely to solve the problem. Better to find a way to feel good about yourself.I imagine you would like to feel

healthy? If you had to design your own Get Fit Programme what would you include? Walking? Danc-ing? Taekwondo? Find someone, at school or elsewhere, to help you design such a programme. Someone who can make it fun to set goals and celebrate when you achieve them. Research shows that visualisation can help! If you spend ten minutes every day creating a vivid image of your ideal self, in good physical shape and full of energy this will help you make dif-ferent choices so you achieve your goals. Once you are healthier you are likely to feel happier and you might even find a sport that you enjoy or at least dont mind quite so much! Good luck.

Tete is a qualified occupational psychologist with over ten years experience working with schools. Send your questions to her at [email protected].

Vanishing wetlands postcard competition winners

Students from various schools receive prizes for art works depicting the spiritual significance of wetlands. The event was hosted by Friends of the Gallery and the Italian Ambassador, His Excellency Enrico de Agostini.

Photo: Fungai Tichawangana

cillors, Nkosinathi Kutenha from The Heritage School told Harare News, The march was superb. I met some very cheerful people who are not members of the Junior Council and their passion for goodwill in-spired me and motivated me. We all came from our respective schools with a purpose and in the end we were unified, so Im glad I partici-pated because it was a good way to interact with other people whom I hardly see, who have the same

drive, to serve.American Politician Alexis Her-

man once said, If we cant begin to agree on fundamentals, such as the elimination of the most abusive form of child labour, then we re-ally are not ready to march forward into the future. The Harare Junior Council event was a commemora-tion for a good cause and one that gave people the will to prevent as well as eradicate Child Labour in our city, our country and our world.

Talk to Tete


Schools

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Kundai Marunya

The annual 101st National Institute of Allied Art (NIAA) Speech and Drama Eisteddfod has two new categories, namely dance and public speaking.The Eisteddfod, which commenced on the

24th June at the Midlands Christian College in Gweru, is being held at Harare Interna-tional School (HIS), Reps Theatre, Twin Rivers School and Prince Edward School.NIAA secretary Kathy Norman says, This

year the Eisteddfod introduced movement in the form of a dance section. Adjudication of this took place at Reps Theatre on June 24th, with a panel of local dance teachers adjudicat-ing. NIAA is excited about this new section as it completes the coverage of all the Arts, as in our original charter, and hopes to see it grow in years to come, she said.Norman said 48 participants have also en-

tered another new category, public speaking. Candidates will deliver a four minute speech on a topic of their choice, she said. This has been brought back by public demand despite the fact that there is a schools public speaking annual competition.The Eisteddfod is being held at both the

Beit Hall and the Music Auditorium at Prince Edward School. Choral speaking will be held at Twin Rivers School and the Performing Theatre at the Harare International School. More than 1800 entries have been received from over 60 participating schools. Norman said, Our final concert will take place at HIS on Saturday the 12th July showcasing a selec-

tion of the best entries from the Eisteddfod. Certificates and trophies will also be handed out to exceptional individuals and groups at the final concert.Meanwhile, NIAA engaged two adjudicators

from South Africa and USA to be part of the festival. Norman said, Our adjudicators, Vic-toria Bryan from the USA and Claire Wilson from RSA, will be working together listening to and watching participants deliver poems by themselves and in groups as well as mime, and the like. Bryan is no stranger to Zimba-bwe as she was in the country to assist with an Outreach Program earlier. The outreach has been helpful in assisting over 200 teach-ers from 53 schools who attended the work-shops, said Norman.This is however Wilsons first visit to

Zimbabwe. She majored in Drama, English and History at the University of the Witwa-tersrand and is currently studying for her Masters. Norman said Wilson is very active in the theatre world in Johannesburg and has adjudicated the Germiston Eisteddfod.NIAA festival director Gavin Peter said, We

are looking forward to this explosion of crea-tivity and talent. He said the festival gives people the opportunity to write and design fresh new speech and drama. This must al-ways be encouraged and supported. I hope many of you will come and be part of the au-dience to support our young performers, he said.The full programme is available to the public at the venues. Admission charge is $2.00 per person or a season ticket is $10.00.

New categories at Speech and Drama Festival

Kudzayi Zvinavashe

The esteemed Hatcliffe Girls Development Trust (HGDT) that brought us household names like Shamiso Makwara and the award winning female amateur golfer Yolanda Mu-baiwa is the brain child of Pro Golfer, 58 year old Jessie Nyakatawa. The HGDT initiative was started in 2006 by Nyakatawa when she was the president of the Zimbabwe Ladies Golf Union (ZLGU). It targeted girls from the high density suburb of Hatcliffe who could not af-ford to play golf.One of the core aims of the initiative was to

dispel the myth that golf is an elitist sport and to support talent among the less privileged. The initiative was nominated in the recent in-augural golf awards hosted by the Zimbabwe Golf Association running under the theme, Celebrating Golf Excellency.Nyakatawa stopped the programme for two

years between 2010 and 2012. The programme has now restarted and has since changed its name to Hatcliffe High Performance Centre (HHPC) and now provides lessons for boys as well. The initiative has received sponsorship to help the children with golf regalia, golf clubs, transport, membership fees and funds to take part in tournaments.Since she restarted the programme it has

been recognized by influential individu-als and organisations but it hasnt received much funding. I have been running this pro-gramme on a shoestring budget and I have had to bankroll it from my own funds. The parents help with their childrens transport

fees sometimes, said Mrs Nyakatawa.An interview with her revealed that her

passion for golf and her care for the children are the only things that have kept the HHPC initiative running for so long. Even if there is no funding I can`t just abandon the kids who are so eager to learn about the sport. The Bor-rowdale Brooke Golf Club Management and a few well wishers have been very supportive.One of the parents whose child is a ben-

eficiary of the HHPC initiative applauded the programme saying that it plays an important role in keeping the children off the streets. But the training session for the children was a sad sight as they were not wearing proper golf attire, had no cool drinks and since they had been at the golf course since early morning some had not had a proper meal.One of the amateur golfers said, The cor-

porate world has been reluctant to support talent from the grassroots level and as a re-sult very few Zimbabwean golfers turn pro-fessional. So we find that even our prestigious local tournaments are flooded with more for-eigners than locals. This years recent Zim-babwe Open Golf Tournament attracted more than 156 golfers of which only 31 golfers were from Zimbabwe.During the interview with Nyakatawa she

stressed that sponsoring a junior golfer costs less than sponsoring soccer or many other sports, Sponsoring a junior golfer would cost around US$500 for the whole year inclusive of the club membership, transport, food, ac-commodation and tournament fees and other essentials.

A Ray of Hope for Zimbabwean Golf

Young golfers practise their chipping at an HHPC lesson.

INSPIRE EMPOWER & REBUILD

UPCOMING EVENTS

1st July Waste Management 8:45am to 10:30am

29th June Life & Hope 4 Kids 9am to 11am

31st July Prisons Networking Meeting 9am to 11am

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Contact: [email protected] Facebook Miracle Missions TrustJacqueline Anderson 0774 136 239 or Sharon Hook 0772 240 442

Our city, our lives

Harry Davies

Kirsty Coventry, Africas most decorated Olympian, has start-ed preparing for the 2016 Rio de Ja-neiro Olympic Games, though train-ing is set to start in earnest when she heads to the US this month.I will be leaving Zimbabwe to go

back to the US in July. I have been training for the last few months though the serious training will begin when I arrive in America, Coventry told Harare News via email from Tokyo where she is working as part of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).Once I have spent time with my

coach in Charlotte, North Carolina, we will start looking at my events. I will probably only make the de-cision as to which events I will be aiming for at the end of 2015, she added.Rio will mark her fifth appear-

ance at the Games in an Olympic ca-reer spanning more than 16 years. Coventry first swam at the millenni-um Olympic Games in Sydney aged just 16, and has competed at every event since. She will be 33 at Rio.Coventrys first medals were at

Athens 04 where she won one of each colour. Building on this, she took the pool by storm at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, winning three sil-vers and a gold, and making her the most decorated female swimmer of all time for individual events, a sta-tus shared with Krisztina Egerzegi of Hungary, who was last decorated in 1996.Coventrys London 2012 Olym-

pics were marred by a knee injury in the build up to the Games. De-

spite this setback at a critical time, she reached the finals in the 200m backstroke and 200m individual medley, though never made it to the podium.Now Coventry is looking to open

up a lead over Egerzegi and claim the title of greatest woman Olym-pian in the pool for herself alone. As any professional athlete would, she has her eyes on gold, and with seven medals and four Olympics under her belt, knows what is needed to get there.It takes hard work, one hundred

percent strength and huge mental effort to win a gold medal, she says. For Coventry, confidence is vital, but its more than just a mindset. When I am standing on the block, about to dive in for a race, I know that I have done everything I need to be where I am. I cannot teach my-self to have that much confidence, I

have to know that I have earned it.A backstroke specialist who has

also shined in the medley events, Coventry says that she is not eye-balling the competition too closely ahead of the 2016 Games, suggest-ing that If you narrow down your competitors you open yourself up for big surprises and anyone on any day could be a big surprise.This is a lesson from her past,

when back in Athens 04, she swam to silver in the 100m backstroke in lane 1 an outside lane to which the slowest qualifying times are allocat-ed. It earned her the name Outside Smoke. Everyone has a chance of doing really well and although this adds pressure on me, it reminds me that I cant control what everyone is doing, I can only control what I am doing, says Coventry.Her training requires Coventry to

spend 18 hours a week in the pool,

supplemented by a gym workout on most days as well. Having previ-ously had to juggle a degree in hotel and restaurant management with her athletic endeavours, Coventry relishes the chance to focus solely on her training, with her days only beginning at 7am instead of 5am. Her regime entails lots of healthy eating, and a daily nap between 1:30 and 3.00pm.That said, her term on the IOC

does keep her busy outside of the pool. She is part of the Athletes Commission which works with top sportspeople from around the world to uphold their rights and

ensure that they meet their obliga-tions as Olympians. She is also part of the Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission, the World Anti Dop-ing Agency, and Olympic Solidarity the developmental arm of the IOC that works with Olympic Commit-tees worldwide to nurture promis-ing athletes from all backgrounds.

Her transition from being just an Olympic athlete to include mentor-ship and oversight roles have en-riched Coventrys perspectives on this prestigious world event; Since being elected onto the International Olympic Committee, the Olympics has become more important and only now I can see the bigger pic-ture. Its about the positive impact sport has on a persons family. It is about the impact sport has in the community and the impact it cre-ates for a nation, from health to social benefits, from bringing peo-ple together and creating peace amongst all of us.With her busy schedule, Coventry

is not at home in Harare as much as she would like. She uses what time she does have to see her family, and is also active with the Tikki Hywood Trust a private voluntary wildlife conservation organization with a focus on the protection of the criti-cally endangered pangolin species (see Harare News, June 2014).Zimbabwe will always be close

to her heart, and her big personal achievements have her dreaming big for her country too. We have the potential to be one of the great-est countries in the world and I hope that we can all strive to work together to achieve this. I believe that we can. I would like for us as a nation to honor our promises, strive for excellence, work hard, be a family, come together and help each other this is my hope for our Zimbabwe, she says.

To follow Kirstys progress and share messages of support with her as she embarks on her journey to Rio de Janeiro, following her on Facebook (OfficialKirstyCoventry) and Twitter (@KirstyCoventry).

Coventry starts Rio 2016 Olympic training

Rio 2016 will mark Kirsty Coventrys 5th Olympic Games.

Kirsty Coventrys journey to become the greatest African Olympian began at very early age. As an accomplished athlete she takes pleasure in giving back and inspiring the youth.

It takes hard work, one hundred percent strength and huge mental effort to win a gold medal.

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