OFTENTIMES we see land disturbance or damage caused by sand poachers, quarry stone crushers, illegal miners and brick-manufacturing companies and efforts by the police, council and the Environmental Management Agency to control land degradation has come to naught.

Inasmuch as we appreciate development in the construction industry, these companies must restore the damaged lands to their original state in accordance with their pledge.

Also, deforestation must be avoided at all costs. There is serious cutting down of trees to build homes. In addition, the current situation of blackouts has seen people turn to firewood, the cheapest fuel for home use.

Environmental degradation has an economic impact because there is need for cleaning up land fills, replanting of trees and protection of endangered species.

If the ozone layer is depleted, the sun will emit harmful radiation back to earth with disastrous long-term effects.

So let us all play our part to stop environmental degradation. - Tadiwa Rambai

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Holy Ten must put house in order

I HAVE watched from the sidelines as the  Winky D and Holy Ten drama  unfolded.

Without prevaricating, the latter has of late dipped his market value by berating his senior in the field of music. Winky D has over the years been an inspiration to many through his prowess in chanting, song writing and lively stage work. My first word of advice to the so-called Holy Ten is for him to lie low. Music is an art, literature and the power in music lies in understanding it.

Little does Holy Ten know that when he come out guns blazing attacking an already established fellow artiste, his fan base dwindles and will eventually go extinct. Music is an inspired art inherited from fore artistes like the legendary Oliver Mtukudzi,Thomas Mapfumo, Jordan Chataika, Ngwaru Mapundu and Biggie Tembo, among others whereby the baton is passed on from one generation to the other, but with the essence  sequence of music not changing.

Holy Ten, being a green stick in the music industry must respect Winky D as his mentor and predecessor.

Holy Ten must not try to gain popularity by attacking established artistes, he should instead respect and honour them for taking a leaf from their works. He must not attempt to be a copycat of some artistes we know have fallen by the wayside and whose short-lived legacies have crumbled because of controversy and myopic vision. Instead he must concentrate on building an everlasting music empire that will be enshrined in the history of music in Zimbabwe. Young and inexperienced as he is, he must not overrate himself; pomposity and egocentricity is detrimental to his career.

Winky D might not be my favourite artiste, but his music alone has established roots and  have cemented a large fan base both home and abroad. For Holy Ten, mixing political bootlicking and his career would be the most suicidal move ever for his kindergarten musician. The late great Oliver Mtukudzi built his vast empire on humility, simplicity, focus and associating well with internal and external connections. Being self-centred will not hold substance for this young man if ever he wants to establish himself as a legend.

I salute Winky D for pretending as if no one is saying anything about his dreadlocks. - Christopher Chisango

Clamp down on VID officers

THERE is an issue of vehicles being used to acquire class two (lorry) and class one (bus) driver’s licences which do not qualify to be used for such purpose.

It is reputed that these vehicles belong to the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) driving inspectors themselves.

It is alleged that these small trucks were introduced by the VID driving inspectors and now have spread and become the majority in the industry. These are small Mercedes Benz and Nissan UD70 which are modified to comply after importation.

Upon importation they do not meet the required minimum weights, length, wheels and wheel base as required in Southern African Development Community. It is now negatively impacting on those of us who have trucks meeting the prescribed requirements.

We have the UD80s, Faw, Renaults and Mercedes Benz that qualify to be used, but now being shunned by learners who prefer the substandard trucks that are easy to manoeuvre into drums because of wheel base advantage.

If such applicants pass using smaller trucks they would not make it if given the correct size truck. Passing using the substandard trucks and buses produces drivers without proper skills and competencies, hence a rise in traffic accidents.

Some of these smaller trucks can actually be loaded onto the trucks that comply. The small trucks have been made dangerous by modifications which should not ideally pass a proper VID inspection test and certification.

They are now no longer complying with the specification as designated by manufacturer. They are designed with 8,00-inch rims which are cut and replaced with an outer 9,00-inch flange welded on 8,00 rims in Mbare to comply with VID and Transport ministry requirements without the manufacturer and ministry approval.

This compromises safety and makes it difficult for insurance to honour obligations in the event of an accident. There is now a split in driving schools with those operating these non-compliant trucks lobbying for their use, while those of us with compliant vehicles being made to suffer in this unfair competition.

We have presented our case to the Transport ministry (director VID) because this issue compromises traffic safety and devalues the Zimbabwe driver licence regionally and internationally.

We believe action to correct this abnormality, bordering on corruption is long overdue.

It is not helpful for the VID culprits to investigate themselves. Despite VID being custodians of legal requirements  they deviated from the standard and the management should be put under scrutiny.

We believe the Traffic Safety  Council of Zimbabwe (TSCZ) is aware of this situation, including VID officials who own and operate driving schools in conflict of interest and  unfair  competition throughout Zimbabwe.

This is an issue that must concern TSCZ, but are steering clear yet they witnessed everything unfolding.

We are concerned about the implications of this situation visa-avis traffic safety and value of Zimbabwe driver’s licence regionally and internationally.

Government at large must intervene and correct this shame situation which is almost out of hand. - Concerned driving school owners

IN response to Kidney patients suffer in silence, THEMBA THEMBA says: I wish I could come and help the nice people of Zimbabwe with everything. If God can give me all I can afford I will help the great people. I love Zimbabwe and most importantly the people. May God see you all through this madness.

IN response to Prisoner murders fellow inmate, SN WAMANXULUMA MBUYAZI  says: I don’t wish prison gangsterism to take place in any Zimbabwean prison because it is dangerous. You can save your sentence double amid brutal gangster and years of sentence that you haul.

IN response to The poor are on their own, JECHA HUORI says: That seems to be the trend across the board. Last year Harare mayor was being investigated for supporting his family member to get on property ladder. So the poor or those without connections are truly left behind. As people head to the polls, they ought to remember that.

MZALA THOBELA says: That has always been the order of the day under the Zanu PF regime.

IN response to Mangwe villagers cry foul over underdevelopment, SIMBA GEORGESON  says: They are the ones voting for Zanu PF, so why do they want to involve other people in their choices?

IN response to Outcry over witch hunters, WILLIAM NKOMO says: These witch hunters  are taking advantage of the poor and vulnerable people. They leave behind confusion and very wide rifts in poor families. An innocent person is just picked and accused of being the source of all the bad luck and deaths affecting the extended families. I know evil and guardian spirits roam in most African families. The tsikamutandas must be licenced to practice.

IN response to Urban gardens one solution to corruption, hunger, WILLIAM NKOMO says: Urban agriculture is increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Zanu PF land barons are grabbing every piece of land they deem free. Even the land reserved for children’s play grounds and all wetlands.

IN response to Disappearing mortgages mirror economy-wide rot, TAURAI DAPI says: A thief knows no budget for his household and makes no economic sense with his ill-gotten money. Off all the people bankers and economists, must be crazy to take President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s advise on monetary issues.