Week 13
Een wekelijkse selectie artikelen uit Zimbabwaanse kranten
Zimbabwe: Govt Targets 50 000ha Irrigation for Schools, Youth Centres and Villages The Herald (state owned)
With climate change challenges showing no signs of abating, the Government is targeting to put 50 000 hectares under irrigation at schools, villages and youth centres.
The move will see the programme being rolled out in some of the country’s 35 000 villages, 9 600 schools and 4 800 youth centres as a way of boost national food security.
The Government’s Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development plan (AIRD) will shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that these aspirations to achieve food security will transform into reality.
Zimbabweans deserve a better, brighter future – UK explores new ways to punish Mnangagwa
Harare has vowed to press ahead with the re-engagement drive and accuses the US and the West of interfering with the internal affairs of the country.
Moving the motion in the House of Lords, Conservative politician Henry Bellingham quizzed His Majesty’s government on their plans as far as sanctions on Harare are concerned and begged to know whether plans are in place to follow the US in tightening conditions.
Responding to the question, Lord Ahmed maintained that current sanctions just target four individuals excluding the economy of Zimbabwe and refused to comment further.
Insight: Inside Emmerson Mnangagwa’s plan to stay in power past 2028
President Emmerson Mnangagwa plans to extend his second and final term by at least two years until 2030 after abandoning plans to abolish term limits through a constitutional amendment which would require a public referendum, ZimLive can reveal.
Mnangagwa’s supporters, including Vice President Kembo Mohadi, have popularised a slogan which says he will still be there in 2030. This has been interpreted as a signal that Mnangagwa wants to amend the constitution and scrap a provision limiting the president to a maximum two five-year terms.
Mahere not contesting the Mt Pleasant seat in by elections. Here are her reasons
The reasons for my resignation include the gross disrespect of the votes cast by citizens in August 2023, the refusal by the Speaker to hear argument on points of national interest, hijacking of the whipping system, the refusal by the Speaker to entertain points of order on sensitive matters, the unleashing of violent riot police to attack opposition MPs during parliamentary sessions, the illegal recall of opposition MPs, the banning of opposition candidates, the disregard of standing orders and parliamentary privilege, the selective application of parliamentary rules, the repeated illegal suspensions of MPs and the hijacking of the opposition parliamentary caucus.
Call to empower women on capital markets literacy The Herald (state owned)
Speaking at an event to commemorate International Women’s Day hosted by the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) in partnership with the CFA South Africa Platinum Securities, stock broker Ms Emilia Chibhanguza emphasised the need for upskilling women and girls in investment matters and capital markets at an early age.
To achieve this, she said, it also takes stakeholders already in the sector to play a leading role in changing the narrative by mentoring young girls and women, inculcating a culture of investing as well as enhancing their literacy in capital markets.
‘Zim wants to bolster relations with Russia despite US pressure’
The United States is putting pressure on Zimbabwe to persuade the authorities of the southern African country to abandon co-operation with Russia, but Harare is determined to increase interaction with Moscow, Russian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Nikolay Krasilnikov said in an interview with Sputnik.
“If we do not occupy the niches in the Zimbabwean economy that we can still occupy, the Americans will occupy them,” the diplomat added.
Krasilnikov noted that Russia, along with China, is perceived in Zimbabwe as a strategic partner and that Zimbabweans value relations with Russia and its people.
Disgraced: Villagers pounce on dethroned chief
The villagers turned the tables on former Chief Nemangwe, born Mike Patyavazungu, by suing him for US$10 000 through the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) who successfully managed to attach, through the Messenger of Court, his Toyota double cab vehicle and several household property, which included sofas, tables, chairs, television set, wardrobe and bed.
“Owing to delinquency, a former traditional leader has lost his vehicle and household property after it was confiscated for sale to recover more than US$10 000 which he owes to some villagers, whom he ill-treated through abusing his power and arbitrarily depriving them of their belongings,” said ZLHR in a statement.
Accidents claim 553 lives in 4 months
LATEST Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) figures indicate that 552 people died in road traffic accidents in the last quarter.
“Road traffic accidents increased by 7,9% from 12 564 reported in 3rd quarter to 13 552 in 4th quarter 2023,” Chimhore said.
“The 13 552 road traffic accidents that were reported during 4th quarter 2023 resulted in 553 deaths and 2 663 injuries.”
According to a World of Statistics report released last year, 41 deaths per every 100 000 people die in road traffic accidents in Zimbabwe.
Russia Donates Fertilizer, Grain to Zimbabwe
Russia donated 25,000 tons of grain and 23,000 tons of fertilizer to Zimbabwe to help combat the effects of El Nino-induced drought, which has dwindled crop yields in most parts of Southern Africa.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa accepted the donation Wednesday, saying it would help alleviate the drought Zimbabwe is coping with and the targeted sanctions which the government has long blamed for the country’s economic doldrums.
Zimbabwe’s electoral commission sent a mission to Moscow to observe the Russian elections this week in which Putin won another six-year term. At a press conference in Moscow, commission chair Priscilla Chigumba declared the elections to be credible.
Zim faces legal salvos from foreign investors
ZIMBABWE is battling to block multiple legal actions filed by foreign investors aggrieved by its seizure of their assets, which have exposed it to claims running into ‘hundreds of millions of United States dollars’, it emerged this week.
This publication was told that aggrieved investors had approached the courts in the United States, Singapore and Malaysia but Zimbabwe wants the cases to be tried in local courts.
Zimbabwe has also agreed to pay US$3,5 billion to hundreds of white former commercial farmers whose land was redistributed to landless blacks under the land reform programme.
However, the southern African country has already failed to honour some terms of the deal and is seeking adjustments to the payment terms.
Four CCC factions tussle for political party funds | The Sunday Mail (state owned)
Four factions of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) are locked in an intense fight for the party’s share of funds that are disbursed by the Government under the Political Parties (Finance) Act.
Messrs Sengezo Tshabangu, Jameson Timba and Promise Mkwananzi, as well as Professor Welshman Ncube, have separately written to Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi asking for the funds to be deposited into their respective bank accounts.
They all claim to be the legitimate leaders of the opposition political party.
Zimbabwe’s tourism revenue rises to US$1 billion in 2023 | The Sunday Mail (state owned)
Zimbabwe’s tourism receipts increased by a remarkable 22 percent last year to reach US$1,1 billion, while international tourist arrivals stood at 1,6 million, up from one million in 2022, signalling a strong recovery of the sector following a devastating Covid-19 pandemic.
The tourism industry, which is one of the country’s major economic sectors contributing at least 5 percent to the gross domestic product, was hardest hit as the world imposed travel restrictions and national lockdowns to combat Covid-19
In 2022, the sector recorded US$911 million in revenues.
Return our kings, govt implored
“The Constitution must recognise the monarch governments based on Ubuntu and African culture. The country must install and recognise the rolls of kings and queens so that we move forward together with chiefs, headmen, paramount chiefs etc.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has, however, said his government will not allow the revival of a Ndebele King or any other kingdom under his rule.
Advocates pushing for the revival of the Ndebele monarchy argue that the coronation of their king is a simple way of celebrating their culture and heritage.
Lobengula was the last Ndebele king after a British Pioneer Column led by Cecil John Rhodes destroyed the kingdom in 1893. Mnangagwa has, however, allowed the Lozwi clan to install Mike Moyo as King of the Mambo Dynasty to revive their kingship.
