LOOKING BACK

The Herald 100 years ago

SALISBURY, 30 October 1919. — According an announcement contained in an official Memorandum, published elsewhere in today’s issue, the Administration have arrived at the decision to disband the Southern Rhodesia Volunteers as from December 31 next year. While the decision may not come altogether as a surprise to the members of the Defence Forces, the intimation will no doubt be received with a certain amount of regret by keen volunteers still on the active list and by ex-members who entertain the most pleasant resolutions of their years of association with corps. The need for a re- organisation of the defence system of the Territory has been recognised for a good many years; it has been discussed in varied forms from time to time, and the subject was brought into particular prominence by the report of the Defence Committee of Enquiry, 1917, and by the Defence Ordinance, based mainly on the recommendations of that Committee.

The Herald 75 years ago

SALISBURY, 30 October 1944. — While regretting that a threat to close down on further building should have been introduced into the Salisbury City Council’s discussion of a motion to approach the Government for financial assistance in the building of houses for natives in Location, we recognise that the object was to emphasise the urgency of the matter and add weight to the demand for action. It has been said that immediate needs in Salisbury are some 2,000 houses. The City Council has responsibilities in this matter and the discussion as a whole showed that while there was no desire to run away from them, the general opinion of members was that further delay in coming to grips with the problem should be strongly contested. The problem of the housing of natives in all the urban areas has not arisen suddenly, and the problem is not peculiar to Salisbury alone. It has been growing for over a number of years as the industrialisation of the Colony has developed and is now seen to be very acute.

The Herald 50 years ago

SALISBURY, 30 October 1969. — The Government’s plan to assist some African families now moving from the banks of the Hunyani River at St Mary’s African Township to higher ground in the township area is well underway, the Ministry of Local Government and Housing said yesterday.

The spokesman said residents who had already built new houses in the new area but had found it difficult to buy suitable roofing materials could apply to the Government for a loan for this purpose.

“The Government has set aside several thousands of pounds to enable families who are unable to acquire roofing materials to complete their houses before the end of the year,” he said.

The spokesman said applicants for the loan would be granted a maximum of £30.

“The periods to repay the loans range from 12 months to three years, depending on the income of the applicants,” said the spokesman.

The Herald 25 years ago

HARARE, 30 October 1994. — Legislation enabling more blind people to be employed should be passed by the Government to alleviate unemployment being faced by the blind in the country.

In an interview at the weekend, the president of the World Blind Union, Mr David Blythe, said special equipment in industries was needed to create more job opportunities for the blind.

Mr Blythe was in the country for a four- day visit. “The Government can for a certain period, subsidies the salaries of those blind people who would have been employed in both the private and public sector.”

Such s ubsidy arrangements f or people with disabilities had been successfully introduced in countries like Jordan, where a law was enacted requiring 2 percent of jobs in all sectors to be taken up by the disabled.

As a result over 250 other disabled people were employed in that country last year.