Week 10
Een wekelijkse selectie artikelen uit Zimbabwaanse kranten
Germany Funds Climate Adaptation Project in Zimbabwe
Germany has granted Euro 6.6 million ($7.4 million) to Zimbabwe for a climate adaptation project that aims to improve the livelihoods and ecosystems of rural communities in the southern African nation.
The project, launched by CARE International and its partners, is part of a larger initiative that covers three countries, including Mozambique and Zambia, with a total budget of Euro 19.9 million ($22.4 million).
The project, called Community-Based Adaptation: Scaling up Community Action for Livelihoods and Ecosystems in Southern Africa and Beyond (CBA-SCALE Southern Africa+), will benefit 18,800 direct beneficiaries and approximately 190,000 indirect beneficiaries in Bikita and Chiredzi districts of Zimbabwe.
The project will focus on building community resilience to climate change by enhancing water and food security, promoting sustainable land management, and supporting biodiversity conservation.
Mavhunga new Veterans Minister The Herald (state owned)
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has appointed Senator Monica Mavhunga the new Minister of Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs replacing Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa who left the position last month.
The Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Martin Rushwaya announced the appointment yesterday.
Minister Mavhunga was the Deputy to Cde Mutsvangwa.
Zim’s renewable energy fund grows to US$45m
The United Nations’ seed capital for its Zimbabwe Joint Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Fund to help the country to catalyse renewable energy projects has grown from US$10 million to US$45 million due to increased interest in the initiative, a top official has revealed.
UN resident coordinator Edward Kallon told the just ended fifth edition of the International Renewable Energy Conference and Expo in Victoria Falls that financial services giant Old Mutual had been entrusted with the management of the fund.
“With an investment of US$45 million, this fund signifies a concrete commitment to driving sustainable development and progress in our nation,” Kallon said.
“I am pleased to announce that Old Mutual has been entrusted with managing this renewable energy fund, leveraging their expertise and dedication to sustainable finance.
The UN set up the renewable energy fund last year to address barriers to financing renewable energy by catalysing local investments.
‘Women empowerment key to growth of communities’
Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development minister Monica Mutsvangwa says the empowerment of women is key to the health and social development of families, communities and countries.
Officiating at the launch of Women’s Month and Every Stage of Woman Campaign yesterday in Harare, Mutsvangwa said there was a need to scale awareness so that women are aware of their rights.
She said there was a need to concentrate on areas that had a multiplier effect like Social Development Goal 5 which focuses on gender equality.
Sweden has 24 projects addressing gender equality in Zimbabwe.
Mixed Reactions in Zimbabwe to New US Sanctions
There are mixed feelings among Zimbabwe’s political class after the U.S. removed sanctions against many Zimbabweans and companies on Monday but imposed new ones on President Emmerson Mnangagwa and a few senior leaders.
The sanctions list was introduced in 2001 for alleged election rigging and human rights abuses. At the same time, Washington imposed fresh sanctions on Mnangagwa and other senior leaders, condemning what it called a campaign of rights abuses and corruption in the southern African nation.
Beam paralyses quality education: Teachers
THE Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) says the Basic Education Assistance Module (Beam) has crippled the capacity of schools to deliver quality education after government disbursed inadequate funds for the 2022 third term.
The programme has over the years been experiencing challenges as several children under its sponsorship failed to access basic education because their school fees were not paid.
Government has since admitted to the widespread abuse of Beam funds and late disbursement, acknowledging the mismanagement that has plagued the programme.
Chiefs’ welfare top priority: President The Herald (state owned)
The Government is committed to improving the conditions of service of traditional leaders who are not only custodians of the country’s moral and cultural fabric, but also accelerators of economic development through rural modernisation and industrialisation, President Mnangagwa has said.
In that spirit, the President availed the first batch of 100 replacement vehicles to chiefs in Harare yesterday and promised to constantly improve the welfare of traditional leaders who are also key in the maintenance of peace and unity in the country.
Work on debt, Uneca tells Zim
THE United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Uneca) deputy executive secretary programme Support Antonio Pedro says Zimbabwe needs to work on its debt to deal with its economic crises.
Currently, Zimbabwe is facing a plethora of challenges around a huge debt overhang, currency volatility and lower export returns on the back of shrinking international commodity prices.
Dealing with the country’s debt could help unlock fresh investment for the country because currently international lenders are not lending or supporting the southern African nation.
The need for fresh investment comes as Zimbabwe has a total capital requirement of around US$40 billion.
US punishes Mnangagwa for ‘bribery, smuggling’ as it ends Zimbabwe sanctions
The United States on Monday said it was ending its 2003 sanctions programme against Zimbabwe as it reimposed new restrictions on President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his inner circle for alleged corruption and human rights violations.
Mnangagwa was being sanctioned for shielding gold and diamond smugglers as well as for leading security forces involved in human rights violations, the US Treasury announced.
The 81 year-old ruler became the first sitting head of State to be designated by the US under its Global Magnistsky Programme along with his wife Auxilia and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
10 new IPPs to generate 271MW The Herald (state owned)
In a joint statement, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube and Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo, said the focus was on solar energy for now with other renewables to follow later.
ZIMBABWE has licenced 10 more independent power producers (IPPs) to start generating 271MW of electricity in the next 12 to 24 months under the Government project support agreement which now holds close to 40 private licence holders with guaranteed implementation.
Traditional leaders most corrupt: Rights watchdog
The report titled: Traditional Leaders in Zimbabwe: Balancing Culture, Development and Democracy says: “Zimbabwe suffers from a conflation between the ruling Zanu PF/military elite and the traditional leadership which is in charge of rural communities.
“The institution of traditional leadership consisting of chiefs, headmen and village heads is used for Zanu PF’s patronage, predatory and clientelistic capture of the political terrain in Zimbabwe mainly for electoral processes.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on record promising the traditional leaders improved living conditions which include better access roads to their residences, providing medical aid coverage, clean water and solar energy.
Mnangagwa last week pampered 100 chiefs with Isuzu double-cab vehicles despite anger from some citizens, who accused government of misplacing its priorities.
Govt moves to rehabilitate roads in other cities, towns The Herald (state owned)
GOVERNMENT will soon rehabilitate and construct roads in the country’s major cities and towns which have been neglected by opposition-run local authorities for the past 20 years.
Despite receiving disbursements from the Zimbabwe National Road Authority and also revenue from ratepayers, most local authorities have been neglecting service delivery, and now the Government is stepping in.
Yesterday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona and Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Harare Metropolitan Province Charles Tavengwa, among other senior Government officials, toured some roads in and around Harare that are being constructed.
