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Phyllis Kachere
Deputy News Editor (Convergence)
The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS), which is the Government’s auxiliary arm, is rapidly emerging as a leading force in humanitarian efforts, dedicated to transforming the lives of vulnerable communities across the country, the national president has said. In a wide-ranging interview on its current state, the ZRCS national president Mr Edson Mlambo said through a renewed focus on sustainable and impactful interventions, the organisation has implemented a comprehensive strategic plan to address the diverse humanitarian needs of those it serves.
“The organisation’s efforts are guided by a commitment to transparency and efficiency,” said Mr Mlambo.
“This strategic shift ensures that every action taken is aligned with the highest standards of accountability and service delivery.
“Over the past few years, ZRCS has significantly expanded its programmes, including emergency response, health services, disaster risk reduction, and community development initiatives.
“These programmes are tailored to address the specific challenges faced by communities, ranging from natural disasters to health crises.”
He said one of the cornerstone projects of ZRCS is its robust emergency response framework.
“During the Covid-19 and cholera outbreaks, floods in Manicaland and El-Nino-induced droughts, the ZRCS quickly mobilised resources and volunteers to provide immediate relief, including food, water, shelter and medical assistance,” Mr Mlambo said.
“Their swift action not only alleviated suffering but also helped communities rebuild and recover more quickly. By integrating strategies and having meaningful engagements, ZRCS had been able to navigate governance challenges effectively, enhancing performance, trust, accountability and stakeholder confidence.”
“Our national society is now on the right trajectory – there is openness, communication and strict compliance to our statutes with governance playing its critical oversight role as well as policy formulation; we are more compliant.”
In addition to emergency response, the ZRCS has invested heavily in health initiatives, particularly in areas with limited access to healthcare.
“During the cholera outbreak, ZRCS ensured that even the most remote communities received essential medical services and information. This proactive approach has been instrumental in preventing disease outbreaks and promoting overall community health aligns well with the Government’s thrust of improving livelihoods.”
In a recent meeting with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ team led by Ms Nena Stoiljkovic, Defence and Security Minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said the Government lauded it for the humanitarian assistance that the organization was rendering to Zimbabwe through the ZRCS.
“When we got our independence, the Red Cross was at the forefront of putting together resources to remove landmines and you know we were one of the highest-infested countries in the world,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri.
“I am proud that we are targeting next year to completely address the issue of landmines in the country. In light of this, Red Cross had been a defence partner, so were discussing the possibility of renewing relations with Zimbabwe.
“On the issue of cholera, they are playing a major role in providing vaccines and also participating in the area of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).”
ZRCS was also commended for its focus on disaster risk reduction and resilience-building aimed at improving preparedness for future disasters.
While ZRCS has faced challenges in the past, including governance and operational issues, the organisation has made significant strides in strengthening its internal structures.
“A comprehensive review of its governance framework has led to the implementation of policies that promote greater accountability and clarity in roles and responsibilities,” said Mr Mlambo.
“This transformation has not only restored donor confidence but also enhanced the organization’s ability to deliver on its mission effectively
ZRCS secretary-general Mr Elias Hwenga said the organisation is now implementing tailor-made interventions, including developing vigorous approaches to address previous operational encounters.
“The state of the ZRCS, following our crisis around the 2018-2021 period, can best be described in three words: compliant, agile and sustainable,” Mr Hwenga said.
“Many of our problems in the past were based on non-compliance with policies and procedures, agile in the sense that the transformation process made us sensitive and responsive to our stakeholders’ needs, something which was neglected for years; sustainable because we are now in a position to make interventions using local resources in the event that donor funds are not available.”.
“We are a well-positioned to take a leading role in the humanitarian spaces around the country and with a renewed focus on efficiency and sustainability the organisation has transformed from focusing on processes and outputs to being more outcome and impact-oriented, establishing long-term partnerships and enhancing transparency and accountability of our work.”
Describing the period between 2018 and 2021 as turmoil in the history of the ZRCS, Mr Hwenga said there were so many vices that gripped the organisation in that past ranging from incessant conflicts because people were just fighting, insolvency; as there were unmet private and statutory financial obligations. There was a lot of indiscipline and a culture of impunity existed.
“There was rampant media onslaught at that particular time and ultimately that led to donor fatigue and in that regard, it meant service delivery was at its worst,” Mr Hwenga said.
“It was a big lesson and we realised that only ourselves could extricate the national society from these challenges. Thus began the process of recovery, to stability and eventually growth. We are currently at the growth stage. Our process went through four stages, thus turmoil, recovery, stabilisation and growth. We have turned the corner.”
He said the presence and localisation of the IFRC’s Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia Cluster office in Harare, closer to the national society, played a crucial role in expediting access to support when it was needed.
Mr Wellington Magaya, the ZRCS legal advisor lamented the lack of active board oversight, transparency and robust internal controls in previous years, which were an obstruction to strategic guidance and risk management.
“The problems that we faced as the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society were multi-faceted and these ranged from governance issues, non-compliance with the constitution, issues of financial management to issues of attempting to subvert the constitutional process. We embarked on a process to strengthen our governance structures to make sure they play a role as outlined in the constitution,” said Mr Magaya.
He said they have reconstituted the governance structures by holding elections that ushered in a new body in 2020.
The ZRCS is in the process of electing new governance leadership as the four-year term of the current structures comes to an end having been elected in 2020.
“In the past, tension would escalate within the organisation, especially during the year when they hold elections to choose their governance structures,” said Mr Hwenga.
“The run-up to the election would be characterised by misinformation, scandalisation, and bickering across its governance structures.
“The exercise, being supervised by the statutory elections committee, is going on smoothly. However, it is common that during elections, results might not come in your favour, and some may not take such loss lightly and try to cause problems. But we have transparent constitutional systems to professionally address any grievance.”
He said there was no room for chaos during this year’s ZRCS elections, as had previously happened but what was happening was expected of any election environment.
“As guided by our constitution and policies, we have clear grievances handling procedures and issues raised by a member are aptly and promptly handled by the statutory body mandated to deal with those issues,” he said.
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