Safeguard values, independence: Mujuru

Sizemba Primary School in Binga.
The exercise books are part of the 30 000 donated to 150 schools in Binga by a local stationery company, Cablemail.
VP Mujuru said Zanu-PF amended the Copac draft to align it with people’s views as raised during the outreach programme.
“As we write the new constitution, it should encompass views of all people be it Tonga, Venda and Manyika, among others,” she said.
“I know you were asked to give your contribution during the outreach programme. The first draft was not in line with what you raised. You raised issues that affected you and this is why we are coming back to you.
“We should vote for what we know and what makes our lives continue and we should not forget the ethos and values of our liberation struggle.”
VP Mujuru said development in the country should be done proportionately without sidelining other regions.
In this regard, she said, Government issued four fishing permits to chiefs in Binga.
VP Mujuru said the issuing of the permits followed a request from the chiefs in Binga that other regions had benefited under the land reform programme.
She said it was disturbing that fishing permits were issued to people from other areas at the expense of the local beneficiaries.
“One thing that surprises me is that people from as far as Harare, Bindura and Mutare obtained fishing permits and ended up abusing local people,” said VP Mujuru.
“That is the corruption that we do not like.”
VP Mujuru said fishing permits should be issued to deserving people, adding that she would do a follow up with the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority on the issue.
She said Government was working on modalities to issue fishing permits to some youths and war veterans. VP Mujuru noted that people in Binga were facing challenges to access critical services such medication. She said the people were also finding it difficult to access food and inputs from Government.
The delivery of services, VP Mujuru said, should be decentralised to ward level. She said discussions were held with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare to enrol at least 45 Tonga speaking students in nursing schools.
“We heard that most of the nurses in hospitals here do not speak Tonga,” said VP Mujuru. “After completing their nursing studies we want these Tonga students to come back and work in this region.”
VP Mujuru bemoaned the state of roads in Binga, saying Government would soon put in place mechanism to improve the situation.
She said the donation of books was in response to a visit by chiefs in Binga to his offices two weeks ago.