Tichawanda Chamuka – Zimbabwe

Leaders are not born but are developed so as to develop others through capacitation.

Ward 16 is a constituency which falls under Kadoma City Council and has a population of 5967. The average ratio of male to female is 40% against 60%. Having experienced the malaria deaths of two pregnant women, a man and a child, as a councillor I had to visit Chemukute Clinic for more information. Records showed that 215 women had received treatment for malaria in 2013 with 63 of them pregnant, a concern which prompted me as a leader to take some measures to assist in the elimination of the spread of malaria. I engaged the City Health Department who provided specialists in case study and technical support. Meanwhile, l carried out malaria awareness in the constituency with the assistance of City Health staff. I managed to mobilise human resources on a voluntary basis to cut grass near compounds and homesteads and also to fill up suspected mosquito breeding areas. The City Health Department provided spraying teams in households and suspected areas. The head of department also sourced mosquito nets which were distributed to residents. There are continuous malaria awareness campaigns and health education is still on-going.

I, Councillor T. Chamuka, man of the people for the people am aged forty-seven. I am the holder of G.C.E. ‘O’ level in six subjects and once held positions of limited influence such as supervisor. However, skills are developed and firstly l became church deacon in the Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe in 2008, a position which l am currently holding and am leading its sub-Assembly with forty-eight congregants. As a councillor, l had engagements on advocacy for the rights of children in family set-ups and on educational platforms. In my constituency, l also embarked on women’s market gardening projects for societal self-sufficiency and encouraged them to take-up Master Farmer training, since some are holders of plots in the city peripheries (peri-urban) and are growing maize, potatoes and groundnuts for consumption and selling. Many of those who took up the training are women. With the availing of land to local authorities for urban expansion, 142 out of 313 formerly registered and approved home seekers are women in my constituency. l encouraged them to stand up for their rights and take up stands and build houses.

My objectives are to provide quality and essential social services delivery to the residents of the constituency; to ensure the provision of equity in the distribution of available resources with women and the girl child incorporated in the stream: and to provide community leadership skills through teamwork to foster community development.

As a ward councillor, it is my prerogative to ensure that l represent my constituency in all council related matters as well as providing services to resolve issues and accelerate council’s service delivery. Facilitation of development and promotion of women and youth activities through identification of projects and empowerment through the provision of essential tools and facilities, is what has driven me to excel in the discharge of my work. It is also my duty as a leader to competently contribute in the development, delivery and improvement of relief and long term programmes by effectively and efficiently collecting data, organising and analysing it into usable information for use by relevant stakeholders, implementing partners and the community within the constituency.

I also had to meaningfully contribute to the development of the council’s positive image to promote funding support from potential investors. Lastly, it is my responsibility as a leader to foster equal distribution of available resources with no gender marginal gaps in the community.

Resource mobilisation:
Amount local currency Amount in Rand Explanation
Gender specific allocation 3000 30000 Meant for general coordination of Gender Activities across departments
Gender in mainstream projects – Health Services
Health Admin 348000.00 3480000.00 Coordination of all public health Services
Public Conveniences 78000.00 780000.00 Services in public toilets including security
Primary Health Care facilities 675000.00 6750000.00 Treatments of minor ailments at Primary care level
Waste Management 481000.00 4810000.00 All waste services including community groups
Fire & Rescue Service 325000.00 3250000.00 Ambulance and Emergency Services
Maternal and Child Services 50000.00 500000.00 Maternity Services
HIV/TB Collaboration Activities 158000.00 1580000.00 ART and TB Treatment excludes Medicines
City Engineer (Water and Sanitation)
City Engineer Admin 238000.00 2380000.00 Coordination of Works function
Electrical Workshop 150000.00 1500000.00
Water Reticulation and Treatment 4300000.00 43000000.00 Water Delivery
Sewer Reticulation and Treatment 800000.00 8000000.00 Sewage Treatment
Public Lightning 352000.00 3520000.00 Street lights and Tower lights
Housing and Community Services
Markets 65000 650000.00 Management of public markets
Community Services 142000 1420000.00 All Community service activities including education
Housing admin 500000 500000.00
Amount contributed in cash or in kind by partner organisations
Gender links 2000 20000.00
GIZ 10633.52 106330.6 Girls Hostel
TB Care 47 393 473930 Renovation and machines
Welt Hunger Hilfe 415 000 4150000 Gender donations- Ngezi Project funds
Zim Health 92 500 92 5000 Infection Control
Soap Box 2000 20000 Safe Deliveries
Kapnek 20 000 200000 Training
Egpaf 6000 60000 CD 4 Machine
Total 9 277 026,52 9 277 0260, 6

The key challenges include a cash liquidity crisis. It brings restrictions of movement in the development of my constituency and it is a national crisis. With the shrinking of the economy, there is a loss of investor confidence leading to a lack of funding of programmed projects. This also derails the implementation of most of the planned programmes.

Another challenge is the lack of commitment by the community. Some drop out along the way, while cultural beliefs and practises limit the advancement of societal developments. There is an education gap and some people in the community still embark on traditional practises and beliefs which hinder development.

The leadership role has made me realise that l am an essential tool in promoting good corporate governance and in upholding the council’s integrity. It also extended my skills in representation, communication, consultation, facilitation and decision making processes. Championing gender has taught me the essence of according equal opportunities in all spheres with women playing a pivotal role in societal sustainability. Moreover, it has created a greater sphere of influence and the importance of being honest, creative, humble, resourceful and trustworthy.

“Eventually everyone’s worth has been recognised, whether young or old, female or male.” Auxilia Kutama, Hope Farm resident.

In my view, my presence and contributions to the City of Kadoma have promoted good governance ethics through my skill in approaching issues under deliberation and implementation, thereby creating and maintaining the good reputation of the council. Council has realised better revenue collection under harsh conditions through my improved engagements with residents and proper respect for public funds. Furthermore, council has adopted a system of gender resource allocation when doing gender budgeting, considering that the majority of our resources and users are women hence the efforts of council services are directed towards women.

“Kadoma City Council is riding on success through upholding governance ethics.” Maregere, Environmental Health Technician, Kadoma City.

The supply of mosquito nets to the community as a measure of reducing malaria greatly improved the control of the disease as evidenced by the reduced number of women affected from 215 in 2013 to 106 in 2014 and 63 pregnant women in 2013 to 22 in 2014. This increases life expectancy in the community. Education of the community on best monitoring practice by spraying suspected malaria breeding places and cutting grass constantly has also contributed to better living standards in the community, as a measure of reducing the spread of the deadly disease. Already through reviews, the community has bought sprayers for use each year while council provides insecticides and training. Advocacy for women to embark on market gardening as a way of community food self sustainability is overwhelmingly practised and the majority of the families are enjoying the fruits of the advocacy.

“Nemanets aya marariya takutoinzwira kune dzimwe nyika.” Msinyari Jorum, Hope Farm resident

Distribution of mosquito nets was based on a paired number of inhabitants in a family and where pairing was odd, on the basis of sex. The consideration of a separation hand-out was a necessity. This was a clear testimony to gender equity where pregnant women were each given their own mosquito net for the purpose of sufficient care before and after giving birth. Provision of space for market gardening brought societal food security, with families participating on preferred tasks suitable for each gender group. Where production is in excess, the families sell their produce and get money to cushion their domestic needs, even paying school fees for their children. My advocacy for women to take up or buy stands in the city has seen 201 women now ready to buy stands together with 112 men, a move that demonstrates women’s empowerment and gender equity.

“My dream has come true I am going to be a landlord too.” Farai Chawatama, Hope Farm resident.

I trained in capacity building for local government and service delivery in 2013. I received induction training on gender mainstreaming, equity and gender budgeting in 2014. I trained as a deacon under the church of Apostolic Faith Mission in Zimbabwe. As Church Deacon, my duties among other things is to preach the Word of Jesus Christ, to lay hands on and pray for the sick, to baptise the converts and to bury the dead. I utilise the platforms outlined above to encourage family and societal unity and positive individual behaviour change. Respect for one another as enshrined in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and upholding of Christian moral values; prayer for one another in times of hardships as a symbol of love and treating one another as equally important, for we are the same before the Almighty. Working harmoniously in family set-ups with men respecting their wives and parents respecting their children for that is proper before God.

“Kuchurch koga ndokwanobatwa semunhuwo.” Aaron Mavedzenge, Hope Farm resident.

My next steps are to improve the quality of life of disabled people through providing them with better living conditions (shelter), to improve the lives of orphans and the elderly and to improve the sanitation of the community.

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