Early Xmas treat for Chikomba orphans, elderly

MASHONALAND Central does not have a single functioning fire tender, leaving it vulnerable to major disasters.

This emerged during a recent all stakeholders meeting organised by the Environmental Management Agency in Bindura, where stakeholders called for an urgent address of the situation as the province relies on fire tenders from Harare in the event of a fire outbreak.

Acting Mashonaland Central provincial development coordinator Mr Cosmas Chiringa said the Provincial Civil Protection Committee (PCPC) had brought the issue to the attention of the national office.

“It is worrisome to note that the whole province does not have a single functional fire tender, leaving it vulnerable. When a fire breaks out, we have to summon fire tenders from Harare to attend to the incident. Our provincial capital, Bindura does not have one and this also applies to all the local authorities in this province.

“We have been calling on them to have fire tenders in place, but they all cite financial challenges and this is unacceptable because one day disaster will strike and we will be found wanting. With veld fires wreaking havoc across the country, one day we will lose lives and property if the situation is not urgently addressed,” he said.

A lecturer at Bindura University of Science Education’s Environmental Science Department, Professor George Nyamadzawo, said human lives and property have been lost in the past because of lack of fire tenders in the province.

“We have been carrying out a research in the causes of veld fires in the province and we were shocked to discover that the whole province does not have a single fire tender despite it being ranked high among provinces where veld fires occur every year.

“The province is grappling with challenges of lack of proper firefighting equipment and does not have trained personnel to deal with fire outbreaks. In some cases firefighting committees are in place, but they are not resourced to fight any outbreaks.”

He added: “As a province, we need to improve our capacity in firefighting techniques. Each district should have at least a single fire tender in place since we are a farming province where cases of veld fires are rampant especially in resettled areas.

“We discovered that most people in resettlement areas are not putting up fireguards around their farms.”

Prof Nyamadzawo called for the availing of more resources for the establishment of fire danger rating signs in all districts.

“We were involved in the setting up of fire danger rating sings across the country, but the project was stalled because of lack of resources. Some of the signs were either destroyed by fires or vandalised. Each district should have at least 10 of these fire danger rating signs,” he said.

Fungai Lupande

CHINA International Water and Electrical Corporation and Bitumen Engineering (Pvt) Ltd are embroiled in an arbitral award wrangle over an agreement for surfacing of Tugwi-Mukosi road.

China International has approached the High Court seeking to reverse the court’s judgment setting aside an arbitral award, which was in its favour.

The two companies entered into an agreement of US$1 205 869, 93 for the surfacing of the Tugwi-Mukosi road on April 28, 2018.

“After expiry of the contract, Bitumen Engineering instituted arbitration proceedings against China International on the grounds that it had breached their agreement and claimed $788 905, 43,” read the court papers.

“Bitumen was unsuccessful, and on April 9, 2019, an arbitrator Peter Morris issued an arbitral award in favour of China International awarding it $63, 273, 86 in compensation for additional costs it incurred due to a breach of contract by Bitumen Engineering.”

According to the arbitral award, parties were to agree on whether the $63 273, 86 was to be settled in the form of stone or in money.

Bitumen proceeded to file an application for the setting aside of the arbitral award under case number HC 5653/19 which was granted because China International was in default.

Now, China International wants the default judgment entered against them to be set aside.

They want an opportunity to file their notice of opposition in the matter.

“China International was not in wilful default. The resignation of applicant’s legal practitioner Mr Muchengeti Chivaura left a gap that led to the misfiling of the application,” read the application.

“Upon resignation of the legal practitioner, there was a failure to attend timeously to opposing the application.

“In fact, we only became aware of the existence of the application upon or filing of the application to register the arbitral award.

“Upon filling an application for the registration of the arbitral award on 25th September 25, this when we became aware of the default judgment.”

ORPHANS and the elderly at Mangoro St Elizabeth Primary School in Chikomba could not hide their joy when they received some early Christmas gifts from Reactions of Orphans Association (ROSA), a charity organisation which looks after the elderly and orphans.

More than 80 orphans and 20 elderly people were each given two litres of cooking, 10 kilogrammes (kg) of mealie meal, salt and a packet of sugar beans .

ROSA coordinating director Forbes Chikobvu said they will keep on helping the needy in Chikomba.

“We are helping these people because we want to compliment Government efforts in alleviating hunger and poverty in our constituency because this year there is drought,” he said. “So we have seen it fit as a charity organisation to chip in and provide some basic commodities to the orphans and the elderly in the area of Chikomba.”

One of the beneficiaries, Sabina Marufu, who is taking care of orphans at her house, said they are grateful to ROSA for coming to their assistance.

“As parents who are taking care of orphans I would like to thank ROSA for what they have done for us,” she said.

This initiative came up after discovering that last year, the country experienced low rainfall and food in most areas was scarce.