Week 51
A weekly selection from Zimbabwean newspapers
Zimbabwe’s rural communities increasingly turn to food aid for survival as drought peaks
To mitigate the effects of the drought, which has left more than half of Zimbabwe’s population food insecure, the Zimbabwean government is working with aid agencies, including the World Food Program (WFP), to distribute food aid to vulnerable people across the country during the lean season from December to March next year.
According to the government, at least 7.6 million Zimbabweans are food insecure and will need food aid until March 2025 following the drought, which was declared a state of disaster by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa in April.
The UN food agency is targeting to provide emergency food aid to approximately 1 million people across Zimbabwe during the lean season, according to Barbara Clemens, country representative and director for the WFP in Zimbabwe.
Govt gears up for record visitors during festive season
An estimated one million people are expected to cross the country’s borders this month, representing an increase of over 200 000 from last year’s figure, in a major boost for local tourism.
The surge in travel is expected to be driven by heightened global interest in Zimbabwe’s diverse attractions.
Relaxed travel restrictions and the success of robust marketing campaigns are also expected to contribute to the influx.
The Department of Immigration has since begun deploying additional staff to ports of entry and exit, optimising border control systems and streamlining immigration procedures to ensure a seamless experience for visitors. These measures are expected to reduce wait times and manage the anticipated surge in daily traveller volumes.
Medical practitioners honoured for outstanding performance (The Herald, state owned)
Among the 70 practitioners honoured were Dr Johannes Marisa, who received awards for outstanding leadership in private medical practice, excellence in public health, and mentorship excellence in public health, among others.
Dr Marisa is a medical doctor at Westview Clinics and Westview Group of Schools, who is popular for providing free medical treatment to vulnerable Zimbabwean artists and sponsoring education for underprivileged children.
Professor Michael Ikeogu was honoured for his outstanding contribution to paediatrics, while Platinum Radiology received awards for excellence in diagnostic imaging, patient care and satisfaction, team excellence, and environmental sustainability.
PPC Zim to accelerate solar plants construction (The Herald, state owned)
Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) Zimbabwe will accelerate the construction of two solar power plants with a combined capacity of 30 megawatts (MW) in Colleen Bawn and Bulawayo to enhance power supply to its factories.
Zimbabwe’s biggest cement maker can produce a combined 1,4 million tonnes per annum from its two factories in Bulawayo and Harare.
Speaking at a press conference in Harare recently, PPC Zimbabwe managing director Mr Albert Sigei said while they continue to engage the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) over improved electricity supply, his organisation was also making frantic efforts to build two solar plants in Colleen Bawn and Bulawayo.
2024 newsmakers of the year
In 2024, David Coltart, the mayor of Bulawayo, remained an influential figure, especially in addressing the city’s ongoing water crisis. Coltart, alongside other officials, called for Bulawayo to be declared a water disaster area, arguing that this would enable the city to access emergency funds from international donors. He also pushed for both short-term projects, like the repair of boreholes and a pipeline from Mtshabezi Dam, and longer-term solutions such as the construction of the Glass Block Dam . In early December, Coltart led a delegation to the Africa Investment Forum held in Morocco to source funding of US$99 million for the construction of the dam and a 32km pipeline from the dam to the Ncema water treatment and pumping station.
Government appeals for help in transporting food aid
The Zimbabwean government has called on Members of Parliament (MPs), councillors, and business leaders to assist in transporting food aid to rural areas struggling with severe poverty.
The appeal was made by the Minister of Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, during a Senate session yesterday.
Zimbabwe initially sought US$2 billion in aid from the United Nations, aid agencies, and private donors to combat food insecurity caused by an El Niño-induced drought. However, as conditions worsened, the funding requirements increased.
Rural areas, where agricultural yields have been decimated, have been hardest hit. While food aid, primarily grain, is available, reports suggest some people are being excluded from distribution due to political affiliations.
Cyclone Chido to make landfall in Zimbabwe on Monday
Cyclone Chido is expected to make landfall in Mutoko, northeast of Zimbabwe on Monday at midday, Meteorological Services Department head of forecasting James Ngoma says.
The islands of Comoros, Madagascar and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean are bracing for Cyclone Chido as it makes its way toward Africa’s east coast, from there to nearby landlocked countries, including Zimbabwe.
Ngoma was speaking during a press briefing today at the Department of Civil Protection in Harare today, saying Chido is likely to be less destructive when it makes landfall in Mutoko in three days, compared to the havoc it is wreaking in the Indian Ocean.
“We are approximating that it will reach Zimbabwe from 16 December from around 12 noon going into the 17th of December,” Ngoma said.
Teen pregnancy, child marriage: Over 140 schoolgirls drop out in Manicaland
At least 140 girls from 76 secondary schools in Buhera, Manicaland province, failed to continue with their education this year after either falling pregnant or being married off, a local teachers union has revealed.
Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) programmes coordinator Leonard Mabasa told stakeholders during a consultative meeting in Harare that the statistics were worrisome.
This comes at a time when gender activists have raised red flags over the escalating cases of violence against women at learning institutions.
In a speech during a multi -stakeholder meeting, hosted by Southern African Parliamentary Trust (SAPST) in partnership with the Economic Justice for Women Project (EJWP), ARTUZ and the Female Students Network (FSN) in recognition of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender -Based Violence (GBV), Mabasa called for immediate action.
Public Interviews of ZACC Candidates
Parliament of Zimbabwe is set to hold public interviews of candidates for appointment as commissioners of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on Thursday 19th December, 2024, at the New Parliament Building in Mt. Hampden. This follows the expiry of the term for all sitting commissioners.The Committee on Standing Rules and Orders (CSRO) invited public nominations and short-listed candidates in accordance with section 237(1) of the Constitution.A total of 145 nominations (112 males and 33 females) were received, with 47 individuals making the final short-list.
The land reform programme: A legacy in tatters
The sun was setting over the once-thriving commercial farm, casting a golden glow over the now-abandoned fields.
It was a far cry from the chaos and violence that had erupted here in the early 2000s, as Zimbabwe’s land reform programme tore through the countryside, leaving destruction and devastation in its wake.
The programme, okayed by the late President Robert Mugabe’s government in 2000 after being pressurised by war veterans, aimed to repossess land from white commercial farmers and distribute it among indigenous black farmers.
But what began as a noble effort to address historical injustices quickly descended into chaos and violence.
In Hurungwe, one of the hardest-hit areas, white commercial farmers were driven off their land by mobs of indigenous black farmers, often with the tacit support of the government.
Reduce road carnage this festive season: President . . .Lauds First Lady for hard work
All road users must prioritise safety by exercising caution and strictly adhering to traffic laws during the festive season to reduce road carnage, President Mnangagwa has said.
He also lauded First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa as a tenacious and diligent individual, who had overcome numerous challenges to achieve academic success.
The President was speaking at an event to celebrate the First Lady’s attainment of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management in Chiweshe, Mashonaland Central, yesterday.
Zim cuts power exports to ease load-shedding
Zimbabwe has reduced power exports to neighbouring countries to boost local supplies, in a development that has significantly eased load-shedding over the past two weeks.
This comes as power generation has also improved considerably at the Hwange Thermal Power Station, where newly commissioned Units 7 and 8, as well as the six older units, have been operating at peak levels. As a result, most residential areas have been experiencing over 18 hours of uninterrupted electricity supply daily in recent weeks.
Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo said: “Units 7 and 8 are consistent performers and over the past few days, Units 1 to 6 have been performing well, leading to decreased load-shedding. However, these older units are prone to frequent breakdowns.
We have, however, curtailed our power exports in order to reduce load-shedding. We used to export 254MW. However, we have reduced that to 110MW, and this has helped reduce load-shedding.”
