Week 42

Een wekelijkse selectie artikelen uit Zimbabwaanse kranten

Healthcare coverage drops by 40%

Zimbabwe’s healthcare system is facing a significant crisis, with healthcare coverage dropping by 40% in recent years, according to a report by the Zimbabwe NGO Forum, amid calls for increased budget allocation to the sector.

The report, titled Zimbabwe State of Human Rights Report, highlights the government’s failure to uphold citizens’ constitutional rights to basic healthcare services as guaranteed under section 76 of the Constitution.

The decline in healthcare services has been attributed to inadequate budget allocation and a mass exodus of healthcare workers.

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Zimbabwe Records Two Mpox Cases

Zimbabwe has reported two cases of the Mpox virus, one in Harare and another in Mberengwa, with both individuals currently in home isolation.  

Announcing the development on Sunday, 13 October, the Minister of Health and Childcare Douglas Mombeshora reassured the public that the situation is under control.  

He said the first case involves an 11-year-old boy who travelled to South Africa in August 2024, returning to Zimbabwe on 10 September 2024. The boy developed symptoms on 23 September 2024. 

The second case is a 24-year-old male who travelled to Tanzania and developed symptoms on September 29, 2024. Mombeshora said both individuals are no longer infectious, and contact tracing is ongoing.

In Africa, there are 7535 confirmed cumulative cases of Mpox and 32 deaths reported so far in 2024.  

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Local Government minister gazettes councillors’ US$75 fixed monthly allowance

Local Government Minister, Daniel Garwe has gazetted a US$75 monthly allowance for councillors, and removed previous benefits in a development likely to affect the smooth flow of business across local authorities. 

Among the raft of such similar shenanigans, councillors were awarding themselves commercial and residential stands for every term they serve. 

Irked by such misconduct, Garwe, through Circular 12, ordered councillors to receive a US$75 monthly stipend while mayors and chairpersons will get US$90. 

In addition to a monthly allowance, councillors are entitled to travel and subsistence allowances for travel outside of council area only. 

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8 in 10 Zimbabweans support presidential term limits: survey

Seventy-nine percent or eight in 10 Zimbabweans support constitutional provisions limiting the president to a maximum two five-year terms, according to a new survey by Afrobarometer. 

The limits are popular with Zimbabweans of all age groups and among citizens living in both urban and rural areas. 

The results are a blow to supporters of President Emmerson Mnangagwa who are actively urging him to amend the constitution and run for office again when his second and final term ends in 2028. 

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Zim, Zambia urged to adhere to power generation schedule

Energy and Power Development minister Edgar Moyo has underscored the importance of adhering to the power generation schedules set by the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), saying these were essential for consistent power generation at Kariba Dam. 

Speaking during the ZRA council of ministers meeting recently, Moyo, who is the council’s current chairperson, said collaboration between Zimbabwe and Zambia in managing shared resources like the Zambezi River was vital for sustainable development, helping to maintain infrastructure and reduce the risk of power outages. 

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Pith Helmets, bulging bellies and the rest of us – Cathy Buckle

Imagine going to bed with 100 dollars in your wallet and waking up the next morning to find that it’s only worth 56 dollars. This is what happened to the Zimbabwe Dollar, officially called the ZiG, a few days ago. Suddenly you can only buy half the food you were going to buy, half the medicine, pay half the bus fare, half the rent, half the bills. Imagine if you were supposed to go the doctor today, or the dentist or pay the school fees, what do you do, who do you turn to? Imagine if you own a small business and were accepting payment in Zig’s at the official exchange rate, as was insisted by government; today you are broke, you will not be able to restock your shelves, all your goods are worth 44% less than yesterday.

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African Sun’s Hwange Lodge gets fresh facelift as tourist arrivals rise

African Sun has completed a major renovation of its iconic Hwange Safari Lodge, part of a strategy by Zimbabwe’s biggest hotel operator to upgrade its properties in response to growing tourist arrivals. 

The lodge, located in Hwange National Park, underwent a renovation that included upgrades to its exterior, public areas, and guest accommodations. 

The upgraded lodge now boasts 99 rooms, including 85 deluxe rooms, 10 deluxe suites, and four executive suites, all with views of the surrounding grasslands and waterhole, a spot for impala, wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, and elephant sightings.

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ZRP Uncovers 1,000-Member Gay Network

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has uncovered a 1,000-member gay syndicate in Harare operating through a WhatsApp group called “Private Lounge” to facilitate the illegal relationships, reported The Herald

The investigation followed the arrest of a 25-year-old man and a teenager in Highfield engaged in a gay relationship. 

The man lives in New Canaan, and works at a local supermarket, while the teenager is a Form Four student from Glen Norah B Extension. 

In Zimbabwe, gay relationships are illegal. In February 2024, the government warned organisations that were enticing youths into homosexuality through educational scholarships, labelling these LGBT scholarships as unlawful and unChristian.   

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No, Mr Governor, that will not work

I disagree. If you stay your course Mr Governor, your new currency is doomed, and more quickly than you think. I was at breakfast a week ago with some major figures in the mining industry. They were recounting that since April, they had been getting ZIG denominated treasury bills as payment for the 25 per cent of export earnings that they were selling to the Bank. Two-year TBs at 6 per cent interest. 

Our Exports are running at a US$1 billion a month. So, 25 per cent liquidation into local currency involves about US$250 million a month or US$3 billion a year. For exporters this translates into ZIG17 billion over the past 5 months. That week the Governor had devalued those TBs by 84 per cent – wiping out ZIG 14 billion with the stroke of a pen. But that represents a gross deduction from the earnings of all Exporters. At the same time, it gave the Ministry of Finance access to US$1,250 billion to use as it deemed fit, now devalued by 84 per cent. 

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Zimbabwe hires advisers over $21 Billion defaulted debt pile

Zimbabwe’s government has hired financial and legal advisers to help it navigate potential talks with international creditors over the $21 billion it owes, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Paris-based boutique firm GSA & Co. SAS, founded by a former Rothschild & Co. banker, and law firm Kepler Karst, which specializes in debt restructuring and insolvency, signed engagement letters to provide Zimbabwe with advice on debt management, the people said, asking not to be named because the information hasn’t been made public. 

The southern African country has been locked out of international debt markets since 1999 after a default, and its interest payments have ballooned. The nation’s expected bid to restructure its debts comes amid renewed volatility in its economy. 

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Hopewell Chin’ono post op X

The Zimbabwean government announced a new cabinet policy yesterday that will allow Black Zimbabweans who received farmland for free to sell it to Black Zimbabweans who did not.  Do you see how absurd this reads?

This is not only economically foolish but criminal too. One person receives something for free, sells it for a profit, and the one who didn’t get the land is expected to fund the original land grab. Crazy stuff!

First, only a fool or a gang member of the looting club would buy contested land.

Any farmland obtained after 2000, during the ZANUPF land invasions, is still contested to this day.

Title can only change hands when the former White farmers sign a deed of cession.

A deed of cession is a legal document transferring property ownership from one party to another.

It allows a lender (bank) to sell the property to recover an outstanding debt.

Former white farmers will not sign this until they are fully compensated, as the Zimbabwean regime under Mnangagwa had committed to doing in 2018.

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