Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Six killed in commuter omnibus accident – herald

Freeman Razemba

Senior Reporter

SIX people died while 11 others were injured when a commuter omnibus they were travelling in veered off the road and plunged into a deep concrete-lined gully along the Harare-Bulawayo Road.

National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the accident which occurred on Wednesday at around 10pm.

“Six people were killed while six others were injured when a kombi with 11 passengers on board veered off the road and plunged into a deep concrete-lined gully which contained water.

“The bodies of the victims were taken to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals mortuary for post-mortem, while the injured are admitted at the same hospital. Efforts to locate and notify the next of kin of all the victims are continuing.

“The Zimbabwe Republic Police extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery. Further details will be released in due course as investigations continue”.

The accident comes after five people were killed while nine others were injured when an Isuzu D-Max vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a similar vehicle along the Harare-Nyamapanda Road on Monday.

One of the vehicles had one passenger on board while the other one had 14 passengers.

In a statement, Comm Nyathi said: “The ZRP confirms a fatal road traffic accident which occurred on July 27, 2026 at around 2;40pm at the 101 km peg along the Harare–Nyamapanda Road.

“Five people were killed, while nine others sustained injuries when an Isuzu D-Max vehicle with one passenger on board was involved in a head-on collision with another Isuzu D-Max vehicle with 14 passengers on board”.

Elsewhere, three people were killed following a road traffic accident which occurred at the 80km peg along Gweru Zvishavane Road on July 27, 2026 at around 9am.

The three were killed when a Shackman truck was involved in a head-on collision with a Nissan AD Van.

The post Six killed in commuter omnibus accident appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Leather council lobbies for Government contracts – herald

Martin Kadzere, martin.kadzere@zimpapers.co.zw

THE Zimbabwe Leather Development Council (ZLDC) is lobbying policymakers to open up public procurement contracts to local leather manufacturers, arguing that Government contracts are essential to reviving the country’s struggling leather value chain.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo (ZICE 2026), last week in Harare, ZLDC secretary Mr Jacob Nyathi called on the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to facilitate access for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and manufacturing clusters to supply leather goods to State institutions, particularly the security services sector.

Mr Nyathi highlighted Government agencies — specifically the military, police, and security services — as a crucial starting point for demand creation.

“We are appealing to policymakers, particularly through our Minister of Industry and Commerce (Mangaliso Ndlovu), that they facilitate that small manufacturers, SMEs, and clusters are given a chance to supply the security service sector with patrol boots, army boots, police safety shoes and many other leather products,” Mr Nyathi said.

He added that the broader objective is for all Government agencies to prioritise local leather manufacturing in their procurement processes to stimulate domestic production.

The appeal comes at a time when local bovine and hide processors are operating well below capacity.

According to ZLDC figures, capacity utilisation among general manufacturers sits below 40 percent, with some smaller producers operating at 20 to 30 percent.

In contrast, specialised niche producers — such as tanneries processing exotic skins including elephant, crocodile, and buffalo — are running at significantly higher capacity levels and generating substantial export revenues.

Mr Nyathi outlined structural challenges earlier in the value chain that hinder local production quality.

Poor animal husbandry practices at the farm level continue to degrade the initial quality of raw hides and skins.

The ZLDC is calling on the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development to intervene with targeted education programmes for smallholder farmers.

“We would like to see the Ministry of Agriculture focusing more on ensuring animal husbandry is improved and smallholder farmers are taught to look at livestock farming as a business so that they can produce quality hides,” Mr Nyathi said.

Mr Nyathi also pointed to a major missed economic opportunity in the local sector regarding goat skin processing.

Despite Zimbabwe holding a national herd of 4,5 million goats and recording high slaughter rates, most skins currently go completely unprocessed.

“When we compare with other countries, that is a quality skin that can actually give us a lot of export opportunities,” Mr Nyathi said, calling for coordinated investment to process raw skins into value-added leather goods for regional and global markets.

The Zimbabwe leather sector spans seven key nodes: livestock farmers, hide merchants, abattoirs, tanneries, large manufacturers, small or cluster manufacturers, and research institutions coordinated by the Leather Institute of Zimbabwe.

Mr Nyathi maintains that guaranteed State procurement combined with farm-level quality control could catalyse widespread recovery across the entire value chain.

Zimbabwe’s leather value chain development framework is guided by the Zimbabwe Leather Sector Strategy (2021–2030) and regionally by the SADC Regional Leather Value Chain Model Policy Framework.

These frameworks focus on driving value addition, boosting manufacturing capacity and increasing cross-border trade.

Zimbabwe Leather Sector Strategy guides domestic production, quality upgrades and technical training through ZLDC.

In terms of value addition, the strategy targets the revitalisation of the livestock-to-leather pipeline, moving away from exporting raw hides toward local tanning and finished footwear.

Endorsed in 2023, the SADC Regional Leather Value Chain Model Policy Framework helps member states harmonise regulations and lower trade barriers.

The post Leather council lobbies for Government contracts appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Leather council lobbies for Government contracts – herald

Martin Kadzere, martin.kadzere@zimpapers.co.zw

THE Zimbabwe Leather Development Council (ZLDC) is lobbying policymakers to open up public procurement contracts to local leather manufacturers, arguing that Government contracts are essential to reviving the country’s struggling leather value chain.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo (ZICE 2026), last week in Harare, ZLDC secretary Mr Jacob Nyathi called on the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to facilitate access for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and manufacturing clusters to supply leather goods to State institutions, particularly the security services sector.

Mr Nyathi highlighted Government agencies — specifically the military, police, and security services — as a crucial starting point for demand creation.

“We are appealing to policymakers, particularly through our Minister of Industry and Commerce (Mangaliso Ndlovu), that they facilitate that small manufacturers, SMEs, and clusters are given a chance to supply the security service sector with patrol boots, army boots, police safety shoes and many other leather products,” Mr Nyathi said.

He added that the broader objective is for all Government agencies to prioritise local leather manufacturing in their procurement processes to stimulate domestic production.

The appeal comes at a time when local bovine and hide processors are operating well below capacity.

According to ZLDC figures, capacity utilisation among general manufacturers sits below 40 percent, with some smaller producers operating at 20 to 30 percent.

In contrast, specialised niche producers — such as tanneries processing exotic skins including elephant, crocodile, and buffalo — are running at significantly higher capacity levels and generating substantial export revenues.

Mr Nyathi outlined structural challenges earlier in the value chain that hinder local production quality.

Poor animal husbandry practices at the farm level continue to degrade the initial quality of raw hides and skins.

The ZLDC is calling on the Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development to intervene with targeted education programmes for smallholder farmers.

“We would like to see the Ministry of Agriculture focusing more on ensuring animal husbandry is improved and smallholder farmers are taught to look at livestock farming as a business so that they can produce quality hides,” Mr Nyathi said.

Mr Nyathi also pointed to a major missed economic opportunity in the local sector regarding goat skin processing.

Despite Zimbabwe holding a national herd of 4,5 million goats and recording high slaughter rates, most skins currently go completely unprocessed.

“When we compare with other countries, that is a quality skin that can actually give us a lot of export opportunities,” Mr Nyathi said, calling for coordinated investment to process raw skins into value-added leather goods for regional and global markets.

The Zimbabwe leather sector spans seven key nodes: livestock farmers, hide merchants, abattoirs, tanneries, large manufacturers, small or cluster manufacturers, and research institutions coordinated by the Leather Institute of Zimbabwe.

Mr Nyathi maintains that guaranteed State procurement combined with farm-level quality control could catalyse widespread recovery across the entire value chain.

Zimbabwe’s leather value chain development framework is guided by the Zimbabwe Leather Sector Strategy (2021–2030) and regionally by the SADC Regional Leather Value Chain Model Policy Framework.

These frameworks focus on driving value addition, boosting manufacturing capacity and increasing cross-border trade.

Zimbabwe Leather Sector Strategy guides domestic production, quality upgrades and technical training through ZLDC.

In terms of value addition, the strategy targets the revitalisation of the livestock-to-leather pipeline, moving away from exporting raw hides toward local tanning and finished footwear.

Endorsed in 2023, the SADC Regional Leather Value Chain Model Policy Framework helps member states harmonise regulations and lower trade barriers.

The post Leather council lobbies for Government contracts appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: 4 national heroes reburied – herald

Remember Deketeke

Herald Correspondent

FOUR national heroes, Cdes Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu, Brigadier-General Gibbs Kachana, Herbert Zaba Sambo and Professor Sheunesu Mupepereki  were reburied at the National Heroes Acre in a private ceremony attended by their families and Government officials.

The reburials form part of Government’s efforts to accord national heroes befitting final resting places and preserve the country’s liberation history.

The quartet was reburied yesterday, with the programme restricted to family members, although Government officials attended.

Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage director of Strategic Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Mr Mike Masaka said the families of the four national heroes were present during the private ceremonies.

“Then we successfully had the reburial of four national heroes, and these are Brigadier-General Kachana, Professor Mupepereki, Comrade Herbert Sambo and Comrade Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu, and all the family members were in attendance,” he said.

“As I indicated yesterday, the programme was closed to family members, although Government officials were also in attendance.”

Meanwhile, the remains of national hero Professor Herbert Chinyanga have arrived from South Africa ahead of his interment at Toshah Cemetery in Ruwa on Saturday.

Prof Chinyanga had previously been buried in South Africa before his remains were brought back to Zimbabwe for reburial.

His family members also arrived in the country yesterday ahead of the interment.

Mr Masaka said the national hero’s remains would lie in state at his family home in Greendale today, with a family programme scheduled to take place at Number 9 Drummond.

“Tomorrow, the 31st of July, it will be a family programme at Number 9 Drummond in Greendale. The remains of the late national hero will lie in state at the family homestead in Greendale,” he said.

He said the procession to the burial site would leave the family home on Saturday morning.

“Then on the first of August, the procession will start from the family homestead and he will be interred at Etosha Cemetery in Ruwa,” Mr Masaka said.

The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East, Advocate Dinha, will preside over the burial on behalf of President Mnangagwa.

“As you might be aware, since the burial is happening in Mashonaland East, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Advocate Dinha, will preside over the burial process on behalf of His Excellency the President, Comrade Dr ED Mnangagwa,” Mr Masaka said.

He called on people from Mashonaland East and Harare to attend the burial and honour Prof Chinyanga’s contribution to the country.

“As usual, we are urging the people of Mashonaland East and also members of the public from Harare to attend the burial programme in their numbers since our national hero served this country with diligence and patriotism,” he said.

The reburials come as Government steps up preparations for the 46th Heroes Day commemorations, which will be held on Monday, August 10.

Mr Masaka said the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage was now finalising preparations for the national commemorations.

“We give honour to our national heroes, as you are aware that we are already preparing for the 46th Heroes Day commemorations, which will be held on Monday, the 10th of August, 2026,” he said.

“As a ministry, we are now tying the loose ends ahead of the commemorations and we are urging members of the public to also come in their numbers and join His Excellency the President in commemorating Heroes Day.”

The Heroes Day commemorations will also be held at provincial and capital city level across the country.

Mr Masaka urged citizens to participate in the commemorations from wherever they are.

“You will also take note that the Heroes Day commemorations will be taking place also in all our provinces and in our capitals, so we also urge our citizens to attend from wherever they are,” he said.

The post 4 national heroes reburied  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: 4 national heroes reburied – herald

Remember Deketeke

Herald Correspondent

FOUR national heroes, Cdes Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu, Brigadier-General Gibbs Kachana, Herbert Zaba Sambo and Professor Sheunesu Mupepereki  were reburied at the National Heroes Acre in a private ceremony attended by their families and Government officials.

The reburials form part of Government’s efforts to accord national heroes befitting final resting places and preserve the country’s liberation history.

The quartet was reburied yesterday, with the programme restricted to family members, although Government officials attended.

Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage director of Strategic Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Mr Mike Masaka said the families of the four national heroes were present during the private ceremonies.

“Then we successfully had the reburial of four national heroes, and these are Brigadier-General Kachana, Professor Mupepereki, Comrade Herbert Sambo and Comrade Saul Gwakuba Ndlovu, and all the family members were in attendance,” he said.

“As I indicated yesterday, the programme was closed to family members, although Government officials were also in attendance.”

Meanwhile, the remains of national hero Professor Herbert Chinyanga have arrived from South Africa ahead of his interment at Toshah Cemetery in Ruwa on Saturday.

Prof Chinyanga had previously been buried in South Africa before his remains were brought back to Zimbabwe for reburial.

His family members also arrived in the country yesterday ahead of the interment.

Mr Masaka said the national hero’s remains would lie in state at his family home in Greendale today, with a family programme scheduled to take place at Number 9 Drummond.

“Tomorrow, the 31st of July, it will be a family programme at Number 9 Drummond in Greendale. The remains of the late national hero will lie in state at the family homestead in Greendale,” he said.

He said the procession to the burial site would leave the family home on Saturday morning.

“Then on the first of August, the procession will start from the family homestead and he will be interred at Etosha Cemetery in Ruwa,” Mr Masaka said.

The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland East, Advocate Dinha, will preside over the burial on behalf of President Mnangagwa.

“As you might be aware, since the burial is happening in Mashonaland East, the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Advocate Dinha, will preside over the burial process on behalf of His Excellency the President, Comrade Dr ED Mnangagwa,” Mr Masaka said.

He called on people from Mashonaland East and Harare to attend the burial and honour Prof Chinyanga’s contribution to the country.

“As usual, we are urging the people of Mashonaland East and also members of the public from Harare to attend the burial programme in their numbers since our national hero served this country with diligence and patriotism,” he said.

The reburials come as Government steps up preparations for the 46th Heroes Day commemorations, which will be held on Monday, August 10.

Mr Masaka said the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage was now finalising preparations for the national commemorations.

“We give honour to our national heroes, as you are aware that we are already preparing for the 46th Heroes Day commemorations, which will be held on Monday, the 10th of August, 2026,” he said.

“As a ministry, we are now tying the loose ends ahead of the commemorations and we are urging members of the public to also come in their numbers and join His Excellency the President in commemorating Heroes Day.”

The Heroes Day commemorations will also be held at provincial and capital city level across the country.

Mr Masaka urged citizens to participate in the commemorations from wherever they are.

“You will also take note that the Heroes Day commemorations will be taking place also in all our provinces and in our capitals, so we also urge our citizens to attend from wherever they are,” he said.

The post 4 national heroes reburied  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.