Week 46
Een wekelijkse selectie artikelen uit Zimbabwaanse kranten
Water crisis hits Binga community
Villagers in Chemba under Chief Saba in Binga are grappling with a critical water crisis that has endangered the lives of nearly 700 residents and their livestock.
Desperate villagers from Chemba and nearby areas, including Siamusale, Siakanenge, Matendu and Zunda, are forced to queue early in the morning hoping to collect at least three 20-litre buckets each of water per day.
In an interview with Southern Eye, village head’s secretary Christopher Munsaka said they were enduring the harsh realities of climate change.
“Families are compelled to venture out at night, risking theft and danger in their search for water. Incidents of livestock theft have surged, leaving families even more vulnerable.
“We are also concerned that the situation could worsen as the dry season progresses. If it does not rain this month, villagers will have to trek more than 10 gruelling kilometres to find alternative water sources. The struggle is unimaginable,” he said.
The only solution for this challenge is to drill boreholes for the villages whether solarised or with bush pumps.
ICT centre set for Victoria Falls (July 2020)
The Ministry of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services has commissioned a Community Information Centre (CIC) in Victoria Falls amid calls for local residents to use the facility to further their education.
The country’s prime resort town was the only major centre in Matabeleland North which did not have a CIC, with the province have a total of 11 to date.
The CIC concept is driven by government through POTRAZ to provide access to ICT and postal services to citizens.
POTRAZ deputy director, Alfred Marisa said more than 11 000 youths have been trained in basic computer skills through the CICs countrywide.
“This facility is one of the 146 CICs in the country’s 10 provinces and to date, 114 of these are already operating with 14 of them offering free training in the use of computers to members of the community.
“A total of 11 821 people have been trained in ICT at the CICs countrywide, with 696 being trained in Lupane, Matabeleland North,” said Marisa.
Foreign currency reserves rise to US$500m (The SundayMail, state owned)
Foreign currency reserves supporting Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) have increased to over US$500 million, about three times the total ZiG in circulation, a development expected to enhance currency and price stability.
The ZiG currency has performed strongly in recent weeks since the September devaluation, appreciating from US$1:ZiG27,4 at the end of October to US$1:ZiG25,6 by Friday.
The appreciation signals reduced pressure on the formal foreign exchange market and is anticipated to boost the purchasing power of consumers.
As of last week, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) held foreign currency reserves amounting to US$509 million, exceeding the total bank deposits in the domestic currency, which are around ZiG12 billion.
Botswana plans to legalise undocumented Zimbabweans
Botswana is home to the world’s second-largest population of Zimbabweans who have fled their country’s economic crisis. Despite being a significant workforce, these migrants often face resentment and are subject to daily deportations.
The proposal is unlikely to be popular in Botswana, a nation rich in diamonds, but Boko, who has recently ended the 58-year reign of the ruling party, insists it is part of his broader economic revival strategy.
“We can’t stop people with skills from coming in when we don’t have the skills ourselves – we need to develop these skills and it takes time, so in the interregnum we need to have them come in properly, come in legally and be rewarded appropriately for the skills that they bring.”
Fear grips Zimbos over Moza violence
Zimbabweans living along the border between the country and Mozambique are living in fear as post-election violence continues to rock the neighbouring country.
Protesters in Mozambique, organised by opposition leaders and their supporters disputing the outcome of the October 9 elections that saw the ruling Frelimo party extend its 49-year rule, took to the streets with police reportedly firing teargas to disperse them in Maputo and other urban areas.
In Manicaland, in areas near the border with Mozambique such as Nyanga, Honde Valley, Cashel Valley and Mutare, people are living in fear amid allegations that the ruling Zanu PF party played a part in rigging the elections in the neighbouring country.
Hundreds of Zimbabweans reportedly registered to vote in the elections.
Zanu PF have dismissed claims of rigging the elections.
There are already fears that Zimbabweans living in that county and near the border might be targeted.
Ncube urged to prioritise solution for Bulawayo water crisis
Bulawayo residents and various stakeholders have urged Finance minister Mthuli Ncube to prioritise the allocation of funds aimed at addressing Matabeleland’s critical water challenges when he presents his 2025 national budget later this month.
They complained that a number of planned water infrastructure projects have failed to take off, stalled or are moving at a slow pace due to funding challenges.
For years, various water initiatives, including the long-awaited Gwayi-Shangani Dam, which is seen as the ultimate solution to Bulawayo’s water woes have been delayed due to insufficient funding.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa initially promised to ensure the completion of the Gway-Shangani dam ahead of the August 2023 elections.
The deadline was moved to December this year, and later to 2026.
ZiG recovery fails to boost confidence
Between September and October, the ZWG (ZiG’s international currency code) experienced rapid depreciation against the greenback.
This prompted monetary authorities to adopt a “back to basics” approach in a bid to stabilise prices and contain the free-falling local unit. In an analysis titled: Smoke and Mirrors? ZWG Strengthens for Third Consecutive Day, Takes in 9% Gains Equity Axis observed that though the unit had surged in value from ZWG26,99 to ZWG26,01 against the US dollar this month, value mismatches of the local unit on the market “raises concerns about the sustainability of the ZWG’s gains”.
“The currency surged 3% from 26,99 to 26,01, translating to a 9% cumulative gain over three days. “However, the parallel market rate remains stubbornly range-bound between ZWG45-50 per USD, casting doubts on the effectiveness of the currency’s appreciation.”
USAid’s solar-powered boreholes transforming lives in Chiredzi
Chauke, like many others in her community, has seen her life transformed by the installation of a solar-powered borehole funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) through the Mwenezi Development Training Centre |(MDTC).
Village head Zacheu Sithole expressed appreciation for the project, which he said also improved the lives of schoolchildren.
“Now that water is close by, children bathe on time and don’t have to wait for their mothers to travel three kilometres to fetch water,” Sithole said.
“Even our chickens, goats, and donkeys are healthier now that water is readily available.
The solar-powered boreholes have also alleviated some of the challenges posed by the El Niño-induced drought, which devastated grazing land for livestock.
MDTC reports that over 3,000 livestock have benefited from these water points, providing a crucial lifeline in this arid region.
Chinese firm entangled in Hwange pollution crisis
A recent underground explosion at a coal mine operated by Chinese firm Zhong Jian has intensified concerns over environmental and health impacts of Zimbabwe’s reliance on fossil fuel, the Zimbabwe Independent can report.
Zhong Jian’s open-cast mine in Hwange, which saw a fire ignited by strong winds and idle coal stockpiles, has brought attention to the environmental hazards of open coal storage and abandoned tunnels.
According to Matabeleland North provincial mining director Farayi Ngulube, stockpiled coal has been sitting exposed for months, smouldering slowly due to prolonged inactivity. When high winds swept through the area, flames erupted, requiring urgent intervention by Zhong Jian to contain the fire by burying the coal in soil and regularly dousing it with water.
Zim sitting on a time bomb, minister warns
Youth Empowerment minister Tinoda Machakaire, on Friday bemoaned Treasury’s failure to to settle approved money allocations in the 2024 budget saying it was crippling the ministry’s activities. Machakaire’s ministry was allocated $392 million in the 2024 budget to support youth development and empowerment programmes.
The ministry, however, received only $157 million of the total budget
“We are as a country sitting on a time bomb if we don’t treat the issue of youth empowerment as a priority considering that the youth are the pulse of our nation,” Machakaire said.
“It is important to prioritise the youth since they constitute over 60% of the total population.
Economic storm brewing as govt hikes duty on fuel
Zimbabweans are bracing themselves for a significant increase in fuel prices following an 83% increase in duty on unleaded petrol, a move that has sparked fears of widespread price increases across the value chain.
This hike, described by industry experts as “atrocious” and “shocking”, comes barely a week after the government also imposed a US$0,005 per litre fuel levy, setting off concerns of ripple effects across the economy. Prior to the levy, a litre of petrol and diesel was priced at US$1,49 and US$1,50, respectively. With the new duty on unleaded petrol, the prices are expected to go up substantially. Zera chief executive officer Edington Mazambani told the Independent that the duty increase was not a blanket hike, but rather specifically targeted unleaded petrol.
Botswana Embarrasses Mnangagwa
Botswana’s recent elections have highlighted stark contrasts with Zimbabwe’s political landscape, leaving President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe in an awkward position.
In a peaceful and transparent electoral process, Botswana’s opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) won against the long-dominant Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), ending the BDP’s 58-year hold on power.
In a move that sharply contrasted with recent electoral disputes in Zimbabwe, BDP President Mokgweetsi Masisi graciously conceded defeat and congratulated his opponent, UDC leader Duma Boko, for his historic victory.
Observers note that the Botswana transition underscores growing regional demands for political integrity and transparency—values that some feel are increasingly lacking in Zimbabwe’s political sphere.
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Displaced farmers skeptical about Zimbabwe’s decision to compensate them
Some former commercial farmers in Zimbabwe who were kicked off their land 20-plus years ago say a government offer of compensation is woefully inadequate, and only desperate people will take the offer.
Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe’s finance minister, said the government is starting to compensate white commercial farmers whose land was taken during the regime of longtime President Robert Mugabe.
Ncube said $20 million would be shared by 94 foreign investors whose farms were seized in what Mugabe described as land reforms.
The government has promised to pay another $3.5 billion to white Zimbabwean farmers.