Lazarus Sauti

Lazarus Sauti Elphas Dzvarire (24) of Rixon Ranch in Mhangura was hit by a car at Chiuye, Rushinga Road in Mt Darwin on the 23 rd of February 2018. He was training to join the army when the accident happened. “I was hit by a Toyota Altezza in February whilst I was training to join the army. The driver of the car failed to control his car and he hit me,” Dzvarire said, adding that the driver stopped and assisted him. “He only paid $26 for my transport from the scene of the accident to Karanda Mission Hospital,” he said. “I used $485 to cover for other medical bills. Because I am unemployed, I was forced to sell 2 cows to foot for my medicals.” Dzvarire said he tried to call the driver asking for help, but to no avail. “Sometimes he ignores my calls,” he said, adding, “It’s so frustrating.” Sadly, Dzvarire was not aware of road traffic accidents and third party insurance and this forced him to beg for money to foot his medical bills. Nhau Chivingira, Ins...

Lazarus Sauti This paper discusses the 4 th Industrial Revolution, its potential as well as risks for Africa. It argues that by swiftly moving labour into more productive sectors like manufacturing, Africa will be able to industrialise and improve livelihoods. The paper also provides a brief overview on the continent’s incapacity to industrialise before considering the impacts of the 4 th Industrial Revolution on the gender gap in Africa. Defining the 4 th Industrial Revolution The 4the Industrial Revolution is the fourth most important industrial era since the first industrial revolution of the 18 th Century. According to Cilliers (2018:15), the fourth Industrial Revolution “builds on the Digital Revolution, representing new ways in which technology becomes embedded within societies and even the human body.” It is generally assumed to be about the future impact of technologies such as robotics, additive manufacturing (3D printing), block chain software technology and...

Lazarus Sauti Simon Nyaropa, a carpenter at the Glen View Home Industries Complex along Willowvale Road, lost his property worth thousands of dollars when a raging inferno destroyed part of the complex recently leaving him and other entrepreneurs with no source of living. The complex was gutted by fire on the 26 th of June this year, destroying property worth approximately US$100 000 belonging to over 500 informal traders.       “I have lost my foam rubbers, sofas, tables, chairs and wardrobes worth thousands of dollars,” said the depressed father of two. Heartbreakingly, the fire had destroyed Nyaropa’s livelihood for the second time. The first time was in 2015. “This is the second time my property has been razed by fire at this complex in less than four years,” he said, adding: “I’m on point zero. I don’t even know what to do.” Harare City corporate communications officer, Michael Chideme, said informal workers at the complex – large...

Lazarus Sauti The issue of land has dominated discourses, as well as practices of development in Zimbabwe and other African countries. The primary goal of land reform in Zimbabwe, for instance, has been and is still to redistribute land to black people without discrimination on the basis of gender, race and class. However, women are still mistreated when it comes to access to land for residential, commercial and/or agricultural use. In fact, they are vulnerable to abuse and sexual extortion. Gamuchirai Chido Chiwere (36) from Chikomba District in Mashonaland East Province said she was forced by community leaders in her area to trade her precious body for a piece of land. “Community leaders in my district demanded sex in exchange of a piece of land,” she told 263Chat.com. What a shame? Governance analyst, Farai Mutondoro, concurs that women in rural, urban and peri-urban areas in Zimbabwe are ‘sexploited’ for land by local authorities and land officers....

Lazarus Sauti In Zimbabwe, just like any other country, a new born child is looked upon as a gift to the family and society at large. Because of this, pregnant women expect the successful delivery of a healthy, bouncing baby. Nevertheless, maternal mortality remains insidious, especially in rural areas as pregnancies end in losses, killing the mother, baby or both. “The causes are numerous, the occurrences diverse and the circumstances complex,” said researchers, Munyaradzi Kenneth Dodzo and Marvellous Mhloyi. In the study titled “ Home is the best: Why women in rural Zimbabwe deliver in the community ”, published in the PLoS ONE journal in August last year, Dodzo and Mhloyi assert that the main causes of high maternal mortality in rural areas are deliveries without skilled staff, equipment and drugs, as well as deliveries in conditions that are not conducive for safe delivery. Moreso, the study confirms that women prefer home deliveries due to perceived low s...

Lazarus Sauti An increase in the number of people using cellphones to bank is boosting financial inclusion in Zimbabwe, where 55 percent of the adult population now have accounts with financial institutions, compared with 33 percent in 2014. The Global Financial Index 2017 notes that Zimbabwe has accomplished a considerable achievement in enhancing financial inclusion, but also indicated that the country has a long way to go in order to catch up with nations like Kenya, where account ownership is over 80 percent of the adult population.   “Financial inclusion is vital in facilitating people to save money and break away from griping poverty,” noted the financial index. “Zimbabwe can, thus, drive its financial inclusion agenda further up if it digitises payments in sectors like agriculture, insurance and savings.” Financial intelligent specialist, Precious Santana, agrees that financial inclusion is increasing in Zimbabwe, accelerated by cellphones, but gaps still r...