Category: zimbabwe

Business Reporter

THE International Monetary Fund has reached a staff-level agreement with Zimbabwe on policies needed to complete the second review of the country’s 10-month Staff-Monitored Programme, the Fund announced yesterday.

The agreement, which remains subject to approval by IMF management, follows a 10-day mission to Harare led by Mr Wojciech Maliszewski from September 7 to 17 2026.

Completion of the review would mark a further step in consolidating macro-economic stability and building the track record needed for arrears clearance, debt restructuring and re-engagement with the international community.

Speaking after the talks, Mr Maliszewski said programme implementation through the end of June had been strong, with all quantitative and indicative targets met except the indicative target on protected social and priority spending. The end-June structural benchmarks — publishing the finalised user manual for the Zimbabwe Social Registry and developing a Treasury Single Account reform strategy — were also met, he confirmed.

The Fund said Zimbabwe’s economy was projected to expand by 5 percent in 2026, following growth of 8.3 percent last year. Annual inflation fell to 2.9 percent in August, a low single-digit rate, supported by tight monetary conditions and relative exchange rate stability. The current account is expected to remain in surplus this year on the back of strong export receipts and remittance inflows.

Growth is expected to moderate to 3.5 percent in 2027, however, because of the anticipated effects of a super El Niño event — an estimate that assumes the authorities’ planned mitigation measures are delivered. Inflation is expected to remain in single digits and the current account to stay in surplus. The Fund warned that the outlook was subject to downside risks should the El Niño event prove more severe than assumed, or should mitigating measures be delayed or prove less effective than expected.

Mr Maliszewski said fiscal performance through end-June had been stronger than expected, reflecting robust revenue collection. This, he said, provided an opportunity to strengthen fiscal buffers while keeping spending within the approved budget, and he stressed the importance of continued improvements in expenditure control, cash planning, public financial management and domestic arrears management.

In an interview last night, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said Zimbabwe “has once again largely met the targets set in the SMP on both monetary and fiscal policy”.

“Monetary policy has remained prudent with positive real interest rates and controlled liquidity. On the fiscal front, Zimbabwe is living within its means and strengthening fiscal management rules.

“Both fiscal and monetary policy have been supportive of macroeconomic stability. We now await the third assessment at year end.”

The Fund singled out the shortfall in protected social and priority spending as a significant concern. Missing the target, it said, underscored the need to improve cash planning and budget execution so that approved resources reach priority programmes and vulnerable households in a timely manner.

Mr Maliszewski welcomed the authorities’ commitment to address the implementation bottlenecks and strengthen monitoring of social spending.

On monetary policy, the Fund said the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had maintained a tight stance that had helped keep inflation low and contain pressures in the foreign exchange market. It said the stance should be maintained until inflation expectations were firmly anchored and confidence in the ZiG strengthened.

The central bank has advanced the development of an electronic foreign exchange trading platform, described by the Fund as an important step towards more transparent, market-based trading. The authorities have also made progress on a strategy to further liberalise the foreign exchange market, strengthen monetary policy operations and reform the FX intervention framework.

Structural reforms in public financial and debt management have advanced, with U.S. dollar payments brought within the public financial management system and commitment controls strengthened. The Fund said completion of the framework for liability management operations was an important step towards ensuring debt operations were transparent, well governed and consistent with the medium-term debt strategy.

On governance, the Fund noted progress in preparing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2 and welcomed the publication of the Mutapa Investment Fund’s financial statements, alongside progress towards publishing those of its portfolio companies.

“Resolving Zimbabwe’s external arrears and restoring debt sustainability remain central to the authorities’ re-engagement agenda,” Mr Maliszewski said, adding that continued strong performance under the programme, progress in debt data reconciliation and sustained engagement with creditors would be important to support the next stages of the arrears-clearance and debt-resolution process.

The mission met Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, Finance Permanent Secretary Mr George Guvamatanga, Reserve Bank Governor Dr John Mushayavanhu, senior government officials, and representatives of the private sector, civil society and development partners.

The staff-level agreement is subject to approval by IMF management.

Source: Zim, IMF agree on second review – herald

The post Zim, IMF agree on second review appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Lincoln Towindo in HANGZHOU, China

ZIMBABWE has secured firm commitments from major Chinese enterprises to partner the country in the beneficiation and value addition of its mineral resources, with the full success of a high-level investment mission to China set to be measured by the implementation of projects on the ground, Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga has said.

Speaking at the conclusion of his working visit to Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, yesterday, Dr Chiwenga said the engagements with Chinese companies, spanning the mining, energy, technology and manufacturing sectors, had been productive, while stressing that promises alone would not constitute success.

“We will see the full success of the mission when the programme starts taking shape and we begin to see projects being implemented,” he said.

“But having said that, we believe we had successful discussions with all the major companies that we met.”

The mission’s central mandate, the Vice President said, was to ensure that investment in Zimbabwe transformed the country’s mineral wealth within its borders and did not merely extract raw resources.

“The focus is on implementing the programme that the Government of Zimbabwe wants to see take place, that is, the beneficiation of our God-given mineral resources; value addition through manufacturing, which leads to what can be described as the industrialisation of Zimbabwe,” he said.

During the visit, Dr Chiwenga announced that the Government would no longer approve isolated, single-mineral mining operations, insisting instead on integrated investments capable of identifying, separating and processing multiple minerals at source.

He toured Huayou Cobalt, which has invested more than US$700 million in its Arcadia lithium mine in Goromonzi, including a concentrator and a lithium sulphate plant that began production this year. He also visited Chilwee, China’s largest battery manufacturer, which he encouraged to establish production facilities in Zimbabwe, where the raw materials required for battery manufacturing are already mined.

The Vice President also toured Alibaba, met leaders of construction machinery giant Sany Group and railway builder China Railway 25th Bureau Group, and visited the Hangzhou City Brain artificial intelligence command centre.

He also officiated at the Zimbabwe-China Business Forum, which was attended by leading Chinese investors.

Dr Chiwenga said the mission was giving practical effect to agreements already reached by the leadership of the two countries.

“This visit to Zhejiang Province, which is one of the economic powerhouses of China, has given us the opportunity to meet face to face and advance Zimbabwe’s vision through implementation, as already agreed by our two leaders, President Mnangagwa and President Xi Jinping, and through resolutions adopted by the two countries during the Joint Permanent Commission held in Harare,” he said.

Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to China, Mrs Abigail Shoniwa, confirmed that Chinese enterprises had already begun responding positively to the investment invitation.

She, however, said follow-up engagements would determine the mission’s ultimate success.

“The message brought by the Vice President was that Zimbabwe is looking for investment, but also for investors who can partner with us in value addition and industrialisation. That was the critical message of this mission and we are very pleased that it has been heard, judging by the feedback that has already been received,” she said.

“The agenda has been set and there is a lot of work ahead. What is critical now is following up on what has been discussed.”

Mrs Shoniwa said energy featured prominently in the engagements, with a number of companies expressing strong interest in new energy projects.

She said such partnerships were indispensable because industrialisation could not be achieved without adequate energy supplies.

“We cannot talk about industrialisation without energy,” she said.

She added that the delegation had drawn important lessons from China’s technological advances, including the Hangzhou City Brain platform, which uses artificial intelligence to manage transport systems, hospitals and municipal services.

She said such experiences would help inform the development of Zimbabwe’s planned smart cities.

“My assessment is that we will have quite a number of investors coming to Zimbabwe in response to the invitation to invest,” she said.

Deputy Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Willard Manungo, said the mission was anchored on Zimbabwe’s development agenda of growing the economy and raising incomes.

“Our vision is to grow the economic cake and improve the incomes of the average Zimbabwean. To achieve that, we need economic transformation,” he said.

“The Vice President’s visit is intended to entrench the industrialisation agenda by working with Chinese enterprises, both those already operating in Zimbabwe and those yet to enter the market, and encouraging them to invest. It is a win-win arrangement for both Zimbabwe and China. A transformed Zimbabwe brings greater value to the partnership, meaning we all benefit.”

The working visit began in Beijing with bilateral meetings and tours of various industries before moving to Zhejiang Province, one of China’s leading industrial centres.

The province is home to global companies such as Alibaba and Huayou Cobalt.

Source: Chinese firms back beneficiation drive – herald

The post Chinese firms back beneficiation drive appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Raymond Jaravaza-Bulawayo Bureau

NATIONAL University of Science and Technology Chancellor President Mnangagwa yesterday capped 2 570 graduates at the institution’s 32nd graduation ceremony, underscoring the university’s commitment to driving innovation, industrialisation, and inclusive development through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.

Student enrolment at the institution has grown from 11 432 to 13 352, while female participation increased from 46 percent to 47 percent, reaching 52 percent in the August 2026 intake.

Supported by Government funding for female STEM students, NUST has adopted policies and strategies to achieve gender parity and expand opportunities for girls and youth, ensuring that no one is left behind in the journey towards national development.

This year’s graduation was held under the theme: “Innovative Graduates, Industrial Futures”.

The President conferred Doctor of Philosophy, master’s, undergraduate and diploma qualifications across various faculties.

Of the 2 570 graduates, 1 362 (53 percent) were male, 1 208 (47 percent) were female while 68 percent graduated with STEM degrees.

Five Doctor of Philosophy degrees were conferred while 293 graduated with first class and distinctions.

A total of 212 graduates were from NUST affiliate institutions and 19 graduates were international students from Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Eswatini, Mauritius and Zambia.

Three graduated posthumously.

Speaking at the ceremony, NUST Vice Chancellor Professor Mqhele Dlodlo said in line with Government policy that the future lay in innovation, value-addition and beneficiation of local resources, the university had embarked on high impact projects.

“Government has granted us a medicinal cannabis licence, which gives us an opportunity to enter the multi-billion-dollar industry and I am happy to report that the inspection process of our facilities is ongoing.

“We are determined to go beyond producing raw cannabis flowers to establishing a centre of excellence and specialised research in medicinal cannabis,” said Prof Dlodlo.

He said in response to President Mnangagwa’s call for universities to be engines of innovation, skills development and research to strengthen the mining sector, NUST intends to develop mineral beneficiation technologies and also train future generations of mining professionals.

“We want to incubate new mining technologies from eco-friendly extraction methods to digital mining cadasters after Government granted us an experimental mining licence.

“We have resumed construction of the Central Library whose construction stopped in 2013. Brick-by-brick we will finish it with our own hands,” said Prof Dlodlo.

He said the NUST Agro-Industrial Park, located in Bulilima District, is now at 95 percent completion.

“We have completed the 7km water pipeline from Mananda Dam and are now constructing two-over-night water storage dams at the farm, with a capacity of 15 million litres.

“These will be populated with over 200 000 Nile tilapia fish, contributing to National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2) target of a US$1 billion fish and aquaculture sector by 2030.Livestock production has begun with the procurement of 258 herd of cattle, which is already at the farm. An additional 15 000-layer chicken run is 60 percent complete,” said Prof Dlodlo.

“A complementary greenhouse high-tech new growing hydroponic system will enable us to cultivate 500 000 high-yielding ever-bearing strawberry varieties for the export market,” he added.

In 2026 NUST students produced innovations that received recognition on the national, regional and global stages.

“Some highlights include Bridget Sibanda who was selected to present her startup innovation – Beelifeline Private Limited, an emergency response system – at Europe’s largest startup and tech event, VivaTech 2026 expo in Paris, France.

“Our student engineers dominated the national Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers (ZIE) Awards in July this year by emerging as the overall champions, showcasing unparalleled innovation in line with the Heritage-based Education 5.0,” said Prof Dlodlo.

“The students, Michael Kumirai and Desire Chirichoga were sponsored by ZIE to represent the country with their ‘Smart Constructed Wetland’ system at the Balai Kartini Exhibition Centre in Jakarta, Indonesia.”

A NUST graduate Courage Nyoni developed a lobola calculator mobile application that has attracted thousands of users worldwide and gained global recognition after featuring on the Japanese broadcaster, Nippon TV.

“This is a clear demonstration of NUST innovative graduates who are making an impact globally,” he said.

In the energy sector, NUST has entered into a partnership with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) in pioneering geothermal energy exploration across more than thirty natural hot springs nationwide, notably in Binga and Lubimbi near the Gwayi River in Matabeleland North Province and Rupisi in Manicaland Province.

“This initiative seeks to diversify Zimbabwe’s energy portfolio by supplementing hydro-power, thermal generation and solar energy. Already, a benchmarking exercise has been successfully undertaken in Kenya, laying the groundwork for innovation and progress in our national energy landscape,” added Prof Dlodlo.

Five graduates were awarded the Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa Chancellor’s Award.

The ceremony was attended by Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Dr Frederick Shava, Cabinet Ministers, vice chancellors from other universities, captains of industry and senior Government officials.

Source: STEM Powerhouse . . . President caps 2 570 at NUST . . . 68pc get science, tech degrees – herald

The post STEM Powerhouse . . . President caps 2 570 at NUST . . . 68pc get science, tech degrees appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
SECRETARIES and executive assistants in the Public Service have been challenged to continue executing their duties with professionalism, diligence and integrity, with Government recognising their pivotal role in ensuring the smooth functioning of public institutions.Speaking during the Public Service Secretaries’ Day commemorations in Nyanga yesterday (Thursday), Secretary to Service Commissions, Mrs Sibusisiwe Zembe, said secretaries and executive assistants are indispensable to the effective operation of Government and the successful execution of public policy.
The event brought together 90 secretaries and executive assistants drawn from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) across Government.
Mrs Zembe said although much of their work takes place behind the scenes, it remains central to efficient service delivery and institutional effectiveness.
“Much of what makes an institution work is seldom seen from the podium. It is found in the precision of diary management, the discipline of correspondence, the integrity of records, the anticipation of what must be done next and the quiet coordination that enables leadership to lead.
“In these and many other ways, secretaries and executive assistants form the indispensable connective tissue of Government, turning intentions into order, decisions into action and offices into functioning institutions,” she said.
She said through professionalism, discretion, diligence and attention to detail, secretaries provide the continuity and coordination required for Government offices to remain responsive, purposeful and efficient.
“Much of this contribution occurs beyond the public gaze, yet it is this quiet precision that enables ministers, senior Government officials and public institutions to translate decisions into organised action and ultimately deliver results to citizens,” she said.
Mrs Zembe said Government values the profession and will continue investing in capacity-building initiatives to ensure secretaries remain equipped to meet evolving workplace demands.
She noted that several executive assistants have already benefited from specialised training programmes, including the Executive Assistant Development Course as well as courses in diplomacy, protocol, etiquette, grooming and deportment.
“The Public Service Commission’s commitment to this profession is reflected, not only in recognition, but also in deliberate investment in its capabilities,” she said.
Mrs Zembe urged secretaries and executive assistants to embrace change and continuously upgrade their skills as the workplace is being transformed by rapid technological advancement and digitalisation. “We are operating in an environment being reshaped by technological innovation, digital transformation and increasingly dynamic workplace demands. The secretary and executive assistant of today can no longer be defined solely by traditional office administration functions,” she said.
“The modern professional must be adaptable, digitally competent, innovative and discerning in judgment, while remaining committed to lifelong learning. To remain relevant is no longer about keeping pace with change; it is about anticipating it and turning it into an opportunity for greater institutional value.”
She said professional development was now an essential requirement for strengthening institutional effectiveness and preparing administrative professionals for the demands of the future.
Head of Human Capital Development and Management, Mr Walter Mpandawana, underscored the critical role played by secretaries in the implementation of national development programmes.
He said as Government accelerates the attainment of Vision 2030, the contribution of skilled and technologically proficient secretaries and executive assistants will become even more important.
“The success of our development agenda depends on a future-ready workforce that is well-equipped, adaptable and confident in navigating emerging technologies,” said Mr Mpandawana.
He urged participants to take full advantage of training opportunities and continuously sharpen their skills to remain relevant in a rapidly evolving public service environment.

Source: Secretaries anchor public service delivery – herald

The post Secretaries anchor public service delivery appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Business Reporter

The International Monetary Fund has reached a staff-level agreement with Zimbabwe on the policies needed to complete the second review of the country’s 10-month Staff-Monitored Programme, the Fund announced on Thursday.

The agreement, which remains subject to approval by IMF Management, follows a 10-day mission to Harare led by Mr Wojciech Maliszewski from 7 to 17 September 2026. Completion of the review would mark a further step in consolidating macroeconomic stability and building the track record needed for arrears clearance, debt restructuring and re-engagement with the international community.

Speaking after the talks, Mr Maliszewski said programme implementation through the end of June had been strong, with all quantitative and indicative targets met except the indicative target on protected social and priority spending. The end-June structural benchmarks — publishing the finalised user manual for the Zimbabwe Social Registry and developing a Treasury Single Account reform strategy — were also met, he confirmed.

The Fund said Zimbabwe’s economy was projected to expand by 5 percent in 2026, following growth of 8.3 percent last year. Annual inflation fell to 2.9 percent in August, a low single-digit rate, supported by tight monetary conditions and relative exchange rate stability. The current account is expected to remain in surplus this year on the back of strong export receipts and remittance inflows.

Growth is expected to moderate to 3.5 percent in 2027, however, because of the anticipated effects of a super El Niño event — an estimate that assumes the authorities’ planned mitigation measures are delivered. Inflation is expected to remain in single digits and the current account to stay in surplus. The Fund warned that the outlook was subject to downside risks should the El Niño event prove more severe than assumed, or should mitigating measures be delayed or prove less effective than expected.

Mr Maliszewski said fiscal performance through end-June had been stronger than expected, reflecting robust revenue collection. This, he said, provided an opportunity to strengthen fiscal buffers while keeping spending within the approved budget, and he stressed the importance of continued improvements in expenditure control, cash planning, public financial management and domestic arrears management.

The Fund singled out the shortfall in protected social and priority spending as a significant concern. Missing the target, it said, underscored the need to improve cash planning and budget execution so that approved resources reach priority programmes and vulnerable households in a timely manner. Mr Maliszewski welcomed the authorities’ commitment to address the implementation bottlenecks and strengthen monitoring of social spending.

On monetary policy, the Fund said the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe had maintained a tight stance that had helped keep inflation low and contain pressures in the foreign exchange market. It said the stance should be maintained until inflation expectations were firmly anchored and confidence in the ZiG strengthened. The central bank has advanced the development of an electronic foreign exchange trading platform, described by the Fund as an important step towards more transparent, market-based trading. The authorities have also made progress on a strategy to further liberalise the foreign exchange market, strengthen monetary policy operations and reform the FX intervention framework.

Structural reforms in public financial and debt management have advanced, with U.S. dollar payments brought within the public financial management system and commitment controls strengthened. The Fund said completion of the framework for liability management operations was an important step towards ensuring debt operations were transparent, well governed and consistent with the medium-term debt strategy.

On governance, the Fund noted progress in preparing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2 and welcomed the publication of the Mutapa Investment Fund’s financial statements, alongside progress towards publishing those of its portfolio companies.

“Resolving Zimbabwe’s external arrears and restoring debt sustainability remain central to the authorities’ re-engagement agenda,” Mr Maliszewski said, adding that continued strong performance under the programme, progress in debt data reconciliation and sustained engagement with creditors would be important to support the next stages of the arrears-clearance and debt-resolution process.

The mission met Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, Finance Permanent Secretary Mr George Guvamatanga, Reserve Bank Governor Dr John Mushayavanhu, senior government officials, and representatives of the private sector, civil society and development partners.

The staff-level agreement is subject to approval by IMF Management.

Source: Breaking: IMF staff and Zimbabwe reach agreement on second review of Staff-Monitored Programme – herald

The post Breaking: IMF staff and Zimbabwe reach agreement on second review of Staff-Monitored Programme appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.