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Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Reporter
CABINET last night revealed that the farming model at Khami Prison near Bulawayo is now being replicated at other prisons countrywide as it has proved to be a viable source of livelihood and providing supplementary feeding to prisoners.

The model, which is providing supplementary feeding to other prisons around Bulawayo, is being copied at Chikurubi, Gwanda, Connemara and Plumtree prisons with notable progress. At Khami, a total of 2 101 hectares were set aside for livestock production and 61 hectares for crop production, out of which 16ha are under irrigation.

The prison is also producing goat meat, pork, cowpeas and sugar beans for consumption by inmates.

Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said this while briefing journalists on the 18th Cabinet meeting decision matrix in Harare last night.

Bulawayo is experiencing a serious water shortage that has seen the local authority imposing a weekly six-day water shedding programme. The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has completed the $10,6 million emergency borehole rehabilitation works at Nyamandlovu aquifer to augment Bulawayo water supplies.

Government in April released the funds for the rehabilitation of 20 boreholes in response to Bulawayo’s water crisis. To augment water supplies, bulk water supply trucking is being carried out in Harare, Bulawayo and Chitungwiza since April by private bulk water truckers and development partners.

Minister Mutsvangwa announced the rehabilitation of 2 033 boreholes. 31 piped water schemes, a total of 1 340 water points including 218 water sources has been completed countrywide since the beginning of the exercise.

Cabinet further agreed that the names of people absconding from quarantine centres be published and that enforcement agents be capacitated to effectively enforce level 2 of the Covid-19 lockdown following an increase in the number of people defying the lockdown.

Minister Mutsvangwa said truck drivers found carrying passengers without authorisation will be penalised.

She said Cabinet noted that there was a need for truck drivers to be educated on regulations governing their operations in Zimbabwe at the borders.

Further guidelines for the mandatory testing of truck drivers will also be availed soon. Cabinet considered and adopted a report on the country’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak. The presentation was made by Vice President Kembo Mohadi who chairs the Ad-Hoc Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Covid-19.

“Cabinet noted that the cumulative rapid screening and PCR tests conducted has reached 45 395 as of 1 June, 2020. These are disaggregated as follows: 27 373 rapid screening tests and 18 072 PCR diagnostic tests,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

As at June 1, the country had recorded 203 Covid-19 confirmed cases, compared to 56 reported by May 24.

The number of those recovered from the pandemic has increased to 29 from 25, while the number of deaths remains at four.

Minister Mutsvangwa said the positive cases are mainly returnees from outside Zimbabwe who are in the quarantine centres. “The fact that the positive cases are being identified in the quarantine centres demonstrates that the quarantine strategy is bearing results, as the positive returnees are isolated before they can mingle with the general populace. The total number of returnees at the centres is 3 766,” she said.

A total of 10 quarantine centres have been identified, one in each province, for use by returning ex-convicts and people of a violent disposition. The Minister said improvements are being made to the centres in order for them to meet the requisite security standards.

She said law enforcement agents are also in the process of beefing up security at the centres in order to curtail incidents of absconding. Hotels and lodges to accommodate returnees who can self-finance during the quarantine period have also been identified, Minister Mutsvangwa said.

Cabinet received and noted the monitoring visit report by the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Monitoring Implementation Dr Joram Gumbo of Government programmes on selected priority projects under the 5th 100-Day Cycle Priority Projects.

The purpose of the visit was to expedite implementation as well as publicise Government projects that are under implementation in the country’s various provinces.

Minister Mutsvangwa said Government is also promoting green energy which is clean, cheap and friendly to the environment. “One biogas digester installed has been at Chief Charumbira’s homestead. The bio-degradable solid waste management project is being replicated in Matabeleland North and Masvingo provinces. The other ongoing projects visited included the construction of the Mt. Darwin magistrate court, Hwange Thermal Power Station Expansion; Infrastructure Development at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Polytechnic College in Gwanda, the Tsholotsho Disaster Recovery Housing Project and the Mabhula Sewer Treatment Plant in Zvishavane,” she said. — @mashnets