Week 31
Wekelijkse selectie van nieuws uit Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe could become world’s No. 5 lithium producer
Zimbabwe could become world’s No. 5 lithium producer, buoyed by $1bn Chinese investment
After spending more than US$1 billion to acquire mining sites in Zimbabwe over the past two years, massive Chinese investment could help catapult Zimbabwe to become the world’s fifth biggest primary producer of the material that’s vital to battery electric vehicles and the green revolution, mining consultancy CRU said.
The investments by Chinese companies, including Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, Sinomine Resource Group, Chengxin Lithium Group and Yahua Group, could boost capacity to 192,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per year of petalite and spodumene in 2027, from 13,000 tons LCE per year in 2022, Cameron Hughes, a battery markets analyst at CRU said in a report. “These investments will place Zimbabwe as the fifth largest primary producer of lithium by 2025, after Argentina, contributing more than either Canada or Brazil,” Hughes added.
Investments by Sinomine and others mean Zimbabwe’s capacity could rise to about 11% of global LCE production in five years from just 2% in 2020, said Martin Jackson, head of battery raw materials at CRU. Still, while the capacity is “significant”, full utilization would depend on lithium demand and prices, Jackson added.
700 000ha of traditional grains targeted The Herald (state owned)
As part of the need to boost traditional grain production in the country, Government has increased the area under the crop to 700 000ha for the next summer cropping season from 640 000ha and is determined to make it the only dryland grain crop in natural regions 4 and 5 where maize fails in most years.
Last season farmers produced 300 000 tonnes of traditional grains from around 640 000ha.
Speaking on behalf of the stakeholder workshop at the international millet conference held in Harare Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera, who was represented by Agriculture Advisory Services chief director Professor Obert Jiri, said there is need to eliminate poverty, hunger, malnutrition to improve livelihoods through the promotion of climate-smart agriculture technologies, including traditional grains
Second Russia-Africa Summit ends on high note The Herald (state owned)
The Russia-Africa Summit ran from 27-28 July under the theme, “For peace, security and development” and was attended by 17 Heads of State and Government including representatives of 49 of the 54 African nations.
President Mnangagwa was among African leaders who attended the summit and collectively demanded a place in the UN Security Council, an end to paternalism and the establishment of a multi-polar world reflective of the present world.
In his statement to journalists, President Putin said the summit also confirmed the Sochi Agreement which resolved to hold Russia-Africa summits every three years meaning the next gathering of African leaders and Russia will be held in 2026.
Zimbabwe: We Are Both Victims of the U.S.
Zimbabwe: We Are Both Victims of the U.S. – Says Mnangagwa – Zim Leader Gifted Multimillion-Dollar Executive Helicopter By Russia’s Putin
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been handed a multimillion US dollar helicopter by the Russian government at this year’s Russia-Africa Summit.
Mnangagwa, who received the aircraft on the sidelines of the summit, said Zimbabwe and Russia were both victims of America’s foreign policy and hence work together.
The aircraft, whose ownership is yet to be ascertained between Zimbabwe and Mnangagwa, comes barely three months after donation of a fleet that is meant to serve as ambulances.
“Zimbabwe has been under sanctions for the past 23 years by the West, we are the same as Russia which is under sanctions from them so logically victims of sanctions must cooperate,” said Mnangagwa after a brief tour of the helicopter.
Judges are apolitical: Chief Justice Malaba | The Chronicle (state owned)
JUDGES handling high profile political cases should not be fazed by critics of their legal decisions as the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has their backing and ready to defend them should the need arise, Chief Justice Luke Malaba said yesterday. The Chief Justice’s remarks come hot on the heels of unsubstantiated claims by some members of society, including the opposition, alleging that some court decisions not ruled in their favour, were a directive from the Government. Speaking during the JSC judges symposium in Gweru, CJ Malaba said judges are apolitical and independent and as such their judgments are based on the tenets of the law.
He said the Judiciary is an independent arm of the State whose decisions are not influenced by any political interests.
“Politics is for politicians and judges know no slogans. In any case, I don’t think judges know what a slogan is. We are totally apolitical, we don’t think politically but legally and to us the law is the master. Politics is for politicians no matter who they are.
Traditional leaders call for peace | The Chronicle (state owned)
Traditional leaders call for peace | The Chronicle (state owned)
TRADITIONAL leaders have implored their communities to maintain peace and desist from derogatory speech that could incite political conflicts.
As the country heads towards the harmonised elections this month, traditional leaders have joined President Mnangagwa and many other voices imploring citizens to maintain the prevailing peace and tranquility before, during and after the elections.
Chief Masendu from Bulilima District said it is the responsibility of each and every citizen to ensure peace prevails.
“The violence that we usually record during elections is carried out by our own people fighting each other because they belong to different political parties,” he said.
Zim media headed for exciting times | The Chronicle (state owned)
Zimbabwe and Russia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see all documents being converted from analogue to digital.
Further, the two nations are set to exchange notes amid indications that Russia Television is interested in starting an information centre in Zimbabwe, with a possibility for technology exchange, media training and education.
The deal sealed on the sidelines of the ongoing Second Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum, will see Zimbabwe and Russia engage in collaborative productions, exchange of content, news, entertainment and exchange of information on Russia and Zimbabwe.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa and Russia’s deputy minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media Bella Cherkesova were representing their countries during the signing ceremony.
Parirenyatwa Hospital water reticulation revamp The Herald (state owned)
The country’s largest referral hospital, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, is undertaking a water reticulation revamp aimed at guaranteeing water supply.
The revamp has been necessitated by failing old pipes that sometimes give in to pressure from the facility’s 14 boreholes.
It comes as President Mnangagwa paces up with improving health delivery in the country towards universal health coverage of sufficient quality.
Guaranteed water supply is central to a hospital meeting its obligation and having seen an uptake and guarantee on the supply side, Parirenyatwa is now addressing the failing piping system.
Gukurahundi hearings to start next month in Matabeleland | The Chronicle (state owned)
THE National Chiefs Council (NCC) has finished the training of more than 1 000 people that will assist chiefs during the Gukurahundi hearings in Matabeleland provinces starting next month.
The NCC president, Chief Fortune Charumbira said each of the 72 chiefs in Matabeleland region will have a panel of 13 members comprising of people with various skills to assist in information gathering.
He said their last training was held yesterday in Bulawayo, paving the way for the hearings to start in Matabeleland provinces and thereafter the hearings will move to the Midlands province.
“A panel of 14 including the chief was agreed by all the chiefs from the two provinces at a workshop. It will comprise women, elders who know the culture of the area, church leaders, youth representatives, two rapporteurs and professional counsellors to provide counselling services during the hearings,” said Chief Charumbira.
New world order beckons The Herald (state owned)
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa and other African leaders who were gathered here for the Russia-Africa Summit have demanded a place in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), an end to paternalism and establishment of a multi-polar democratic world that is reflective of the present world.
This, the African leaders said, will create a decent, safe and equality-based world order instead of the lopsided status quo that benefits a few countries which benefited from slavery, colonialism and now benefit from neo-colonialism which is premised on rules they themselves set without the involvement of the developing world.
In the case of Zimbabwe, the President added, the country “will forever remember the Russian Federation decisive intervention together with China in 2008, through a veto which prevented the imposition of United Nations Chapter 7 sanctions instigated by our country’s Western detractors”.
To advance the creation of a just and democratic world, premised on multilateralism, the President said there is a need to strengthen existing world institutions so that they are reflective of the new world order.
Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa comes out in support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Speaking on the sidelines of the two-day Russia-Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum in St Petersburg, Mnangagwa became the second African leader to openly side with Russia.
“Zimbabwe is in solidarity with the Russian Federation in your country’s special military operation in Ukraine,” he said.
While most African countries took a middle-of-the-road approach, mostly by abstaining from United Nations resolutions on the matter, only Eritrea voted in support of the invasion.
For political analyst Alexander Rusero, the statement was not clearly thought out. “The implications are a contradiction to his effort on re-engagement and appeasement of the West. They are also not thought out against the realities of a state that wants to be taken seriously on sanctions claims.
Women facing ‘offline and online’ violence ahead of elections in Zimbabwe – African commission
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights called on the Zimbabwe government to protect women’s rights.
There’s only one female presidential candidate this year.
Patriarchal attitudes are still rife in Zimbabwe’s politics.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) said it was concerned with what it called “offline and online” attacks on women ahead of the general elections in Zimbabwe.
Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie, the Zimbabwe rapporteur and special rapporteur on the rights of women in Africa, said: “Persistent online violence targeting women often stems from the root causes of offline violence and, in many instances, escalates to physical harm.”
