The bursting of sewer in the Central Business District in Bulawayo has given residents a headache as it puts them in a serious danger of contracting waterborne diseases. - The burst, which exploded along Main Street and 8th Avenue, triggered disappointment from the residents who said the Bulawayo City Council can do better to curb sewer bursts. In an interview, Philippine Brown a local resident expressed her concerns: “I am very very disappointed by the failure of the council to maintain the sewer system in the CBD. I am not sure what we need to do as residents to put an end to this negligence. Perhaps we need to petition the city council this is totally unacceptable especially in …

A persistent dry spell has once again hit the maize crop of Norwood farmers for the third year running. The crop, which was going to assist the famers with food and income withered and died before maturity despite the promising rains at the start of the faming season. - Norwood is in the peripheries of Bulawayo along Tsholotsho Road. Speaking to this reporter, a farmer from the area, Mr David Moyo who retired from his marketing job to take up farming fulltime said the season started very well and a lot of resources including were committed in ensuring that the yields are high. ‘The season started very well in November as we received good rains. We hired tractors to till this piece …

Business around Bulawayo took a halt yesterday (11 April 2012) when Austrian nationals, Mr Alex Weber and his partner parked their vehicle they have drove from their native land to reach Bulawayo. - The vehicle has signatures of people from all the countries the couple passed through. The driver of the Ford vehicle told this reporter that the journey to Bulawayo took them four months on the road and shall end in August when they get back to Austria. He also said the drive was partly inspired by the desire to learn about different cultures in the continent of Africa. “The reason why we drive is to get experience and to learn about the different cultures around the world. We have b…

The people of Matabeleland (South-West of Zimbabwe) have begun ways of reviving their nationhood and preserving their legacy for the benefit of posterity. Some of the programs they have introduced include the re-narration of history to correct the 'biased' history that is being taught at government schools. - They argue that the history which is being taught at schools promotes tribalism and has a potential of fuelling tribal tensions. There has also been the commemoration of the 1982-1987 Gukurahundi genocide. ‘Gukurahundi’ is a Shona word which means ‘the rain washes away chaff’. The genocide claimed the lives of more than 20 000 people in Matabelel…

The National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO) has started a campaign of petitioning the government so that it speeds up the completion of the Matabeleland Zambezi Water project. The project is set to draw water from the Zambezi River. - The delay in the completion of the MZWP that started in 1912 has drawn the ire of women who have to travel long distances to fetch water. Thabo Dube (19) says she faces serious dangers when she fetches water. She says that she passes through a thick bush which might land her in the wrong hands, just to get water. ‘We are really facing water challenges. There is nothing we can do but to go all the way as we also need water to use …

The breaking down of boreholes in Norwood's, Bulawayo has caused serious headaches for the residents who claim that they have lost their vegetables to the scotching sun. They also say that they are facing serious shortage of water for domestic use. - Liberty Ndlovu told Zicora Mobile Reporters’ Network reporter that his family has been forced to harvest rain water for domestic use. ‘Our borehole has been down for the past months but we are taking good advantage of the rain season as we harvest the water from the gaiters then purify it so that it is ready to drink’, he said. The suburb is not connected to municipality water meaning that any problems with the sole …

Lupane State University finally held its second annual graduation after it was postponed in November due to the busy schedule of President Robert Mugabe who, is also the chancellor of all state universities. - The fifteen students who graduated in various courses completed their studies from makeshift premises in the second capital city of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The students are the second batch of pioneer students. The university is still under construction in Lupane, 170 kilometers North-west of Bulawayo. Bongani Dube, who graduated with a degree in Agricultural Sciences told this reporter that his studies were hampered by the distance between the campus (where he does his practicals) a…

Christmas time in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, has become an opportune time for beggars to get quick and more money owing to the generosity associated with the day and the festive season at large. Some of the beggars are school children who claim to be raising money for school fees while some are destitute but have found a home in the streets. - ‘Since we are on Christmas holiday, I help my mother to beg for money so that we buy food and save for my school fees when we open in January. I make a total of R50 (US$ 7) a day that is why I will be here even on Christmas day’, said Tatenda, an eight year old girl whose mother is also a beggar a stone's throw away from where she begs. Me…

The ire of students has been drawn by the shortage of textbooks at Lupane State University. The students have pointed out that the institution also does not have adequate internet services. They say this negatively affects their studies. - Some allege that the university has prioritized enrolling students while ignoring the need to avail basic textbooks to help them in their studies. Everisto Benhura, a Languages student said the shortage is affecting the timely submission of his assignments. ‘We are facing difficulties because of the critical shortage of books at our library. This has also led to the late submission of our assignments because we share very few textbooks. As if that…