Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: MP raises alarm over deteriorating state of Seke Road -Newsday Zimbabwe

CHITUNGWIZA South Member of Parliament, Maxwell Mavhunga, has raised concern over the rapidly deteriorating condition of Seke Road, warning that the situation poses a major risk to motorists and commuters following incessant rains.

In a statement issued yesterday, Mavhunga said the highway was severely damaged, with some of the potholes expanding into gullies — metaphorically — that are forcing motorists to spend long hours navigating the once-busy road.

“As your representatives, we have taken note of the severe situation on the condition of Seke Road, which has been exacerbated by the incessant rains,” he said, noting that the extent of the damage has significantly disrupted traffic flow, as motorists slow down to avoid the deep potholes that have formed along the highway.

Mavhunga said Seke Road fell under the authority of the Transport and Infrastructural Development ministry, adding that his office had engaged the minister, Felix Mhona, to urgently intervene.

“To this end, we are engaging the minister to send his team for physical inspection so that he appreciates the dire need for immediate attention,” he said.

While acknowledging that ongoing rains make road repairs challenging, the legislator stressed that the gravity of the situation calls for urgent and practical measures to prevent loss of life and property.

“We are alive to the fact that it is difficult to repair roads as it is raining, but an emergency situation also demands an emergency solution.”

Mavhunga warned that the damage has gone beyond normal wear and tear, describing the gullies as no longer mere potholes.

“The gullies have graduated from being potholes. The risks are obvious — beyond damaging vehicle suspension, they are also a recipe for serious accidents and mugging, particularly at night.”

Despite the challenges, the Chitungwiza South MP expressed optimism that the Transport ministry will act swiftly, citing ongoing efforts by government to maintain roads across the country.

“Riding on what the ministry has been doing in road maintenance, we are confident that a quick solution should be found sooner rather than later,” he said.

Seke Road is a critical link between Harare and Chitungwiza and is used daily by thousands of motorists and public transport operators.

Residents and road users have repeatedly called for urgent rehabilitation, especially during the rainy season when damage tends to worsen.

Transport ministry officials could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The post MP raises alarm over deteriorating state of Seke Road  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Teachers in limbo after abrupt transfer orders -Newsday Zimbabwe

A GOVERNMENT directive to immediately withdraw State-funded teachers from private schools has thrown the education sector in Glen View-Mufakose into chaos, leaving approximately 33 teachers in professional limbo and sparking outrage from unions.

The policy, intended to address staffing shortage in public schools by recalling teachers from private institutions, has been implemented in what critics called a “haphazard and punitive” manner.

At Mufakose Mhuriimwe Secondary School, a private institution, teachers received blanket transfer notices late last week, often without being informed of their new posting.

“We are being moved like pieces on a chessboard,” said one high schoolteacher, who spoke to NewsDay on condition of anonymity.

“I have served here for eight years. Now I’m told to transfer immediately, but no one can tell me if I’m going to a rural school or even where my new destination is.”

Another distressed teacher lamented the abrupt severance of relationships with students.

“We have not received any new job offers from the government.

“It is painful to know our connections with these children are about to be broken,” the educator said.

Harare provincial education director Joram Mupunza defended the move, framing it as withdrawal of a State subsidy from private entities.

“These guys indicated that they are a private institution and they want to run their school in their own way, hence the government cannot fund them,” he said.

“This is an ongoing process and teachers have been given two options: either to remain at private schools or to go to any other government school.

“They have the option to resign on a government salary and rejoin private schools. So, we are waiting for their responses and we take it from there.”

However, this purported choice was contradicted by the teachers’ accounts of compulsory, destination-less transfer forms issued on January 12.

The Educators’ Union of Zimbabwe (EUZ) strongly condemned the move, arguing that the process violated public service regulations.

“We have since engaged with the relevant education authorities on the matter, having discovered that the current transfer instructions given to teachers are not consistent with public service regulations,” said EUZ secretary- general Tapedza Zhou.

The union demanded that teachers be allowed to finish the current term to allow for proper transition.

“We have particularly recommended that stakeholders to the issue adhere to our statutes for smooth transitional processes,” Zhou said.

“Teachers should carry on with their normal duties up to the end of this term, by which time the anticipated transfer processes will have been carried out.”

Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service chairperson Dexter Malinganiso said he needed to consult the Public Service Commission for clarity.

Primary and Secondary Education ministry director of communications and advocacy Taungana Ndoro told NewsDay that the ministry’s priority was to ensure uninterrupted access to quality education for all learners.

Ndoro said teacher deployment was a necessary administrative measure to achieve equitable distribution of teaching staff across the country.

Affected teachers described the current exercise as procedurally flawed and disruptive.

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Source: Malaba refuses to go on leave pending retirement -Newsday Zimbabwe

CHIEF Justice Luke Malaba

CHIEF Justice Luke Malaba is reportedly refusing to go on leave pending retirement, NewsDay has heard.

Malaba, who reaches retirement age in May when he turns 75, was supposed to go on leave starting early this month, but has opted to cling to his office until his term expires.

Malaba presided over the 2026 Legal Year official opening in Harare on Monday.

NewsDay is reliably informed that Supreme Court judge Justice Rita Makarau is set to replace Malaba as Chief Justice and was supposed to preside over the function.

This paper also understands that Malaba is alive to the fact that going leave marks the end of his tenure in office.

In May 2021, President Emmerson Mnangagwa extended Malaba’s tenure by five years following contentious changes to the Constitution.

The ruling Zanu PF party used its majority in the National Assembly to extend the retirement age of senior judges to 75 years if they proved they were in good health.

Then, Malaba had turned 70, but the changes saw him cling to the position for a further five years.

Efforts to get a comment from the Judicial Service Commission secretary Walter Chikwana on Tuesday and yesterday were futile as his mobile phone was not reachable.

In May 2021, Mnangagwa extended Malaba’s term by five years following the controversial changes to the Constitution.

At that time, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet said Mnangagwa had accepted Malaba’s medical report, which showed the top judge had the “mental and physical fitness to continue in that office”.

Lawyers challenged the constitutional amendment, which raised the retirement age of Constitutional and Supreme Court judges to 75 from 70, which allowed Mnangagwa to extend Malaba’s term of office.

Malaba, who reaches retirement age in May when he turns 75, was supposed to go on leave starting early this month, but has opted to cling to his office until his term expires.

Malaba presided over the 2026 Legal Year official opening in Harare on Monday.

NewsDay is reliably informed that Supreme Court judge Justice Rita Makarau is set to replace Malaba as Chief Justice and was supposed to preside over the function.

This paper also understands that Malaba is alive to the fact that going leave marks the end of his tenure in office.

In May 2021, President Emmerson Mnangagwa extended Malaba’s tenure by five years following contentious changes to the Constitution.

The ruling Zanu PF party used its majority in the National Assembly to extend the retirement age of senior judges to 75 years if they proved they were in good health.

Then, Malaba had turned 70, but the changes saw him cling to the position for a further five years.

Efforts to get a comment from the Judicial Service Commission secretary Walter Chikwana on Tuesday and yesterday were futile as his mobile phone was not reachable.

In May 2021, Mnangagwa extended Malaba’s term by five years following the controversial changes to the Constitution.

At that time, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet said Mnangagwa had accepted Malaba’s medical report, which showed the top judge had the “mental and physical fitness to continue in that office”.

Lawyers challenged the constitutional amendment, which raised the retirement age of Constitutional and Supreme Court judges to 75 from 70, which allowed Mnangagwa to extend Malaba’s term of office.

The post Malaba refuses to go on leave pending retirement  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Zimra updates system after facing resistance to old license plate fees –Newsday Zimbabwe

BEITBRIDGE, Jan. 14 (NewsDay Live) – The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority’s (Zimra) Customs and Excise Department has adjusted its system to reflect the reduced $50 fee for new vehicle number plates after initial attempts to charge clients the previous $500 fee met resistance.

Government on Monday reduced the cost of number plates, along with several other related fees, through Statutory Instrument 10 of 2026, titled Vehicle Registration and Licensing Amendment Regulations, 2026.

Soon after the statutory instrument was gazetted, importers of new and used vehicles at the Beitbridge border post expected Customs and Excise officials to immediately implement the new charges.

However, this did not happen, prompting importers to refuse to pay for number plates for their newly imported vehicles.

“If it is an upward adjustment, they hasten to implement it. Their system is upgraded with speed, but here they are dragging their feet,” said a shipping agent at Beitbridge.

As of Wednesday, the adjustments had not yet been effected.

Responding to inquiries, Zimra spokesperson Gladman Njanji said the system updates had since been completed.

He added that clients who may have been charged the old $500 fee after the Statutory Instrument had been gazette would be refunded.

“The Statutory Instrument 10 of 2026 was gazetted on Monday, January 12, 2026. Following its publication, Zimra and relevant stakeholder institutions immediately began the process of aligning operational systems to the new provisions,” Njanji said.

“As the implementation of the new fees requires system configuration and validation, there was a brief transitional period to ensure that all platforms were accurately updated and compliant with the Statutory Instrument. This process has now been completed and the systems are fully reflecting the revised fees.”

With regard to payments made after the statutory instrument came into effect, Njani said Zimra was conducting a verification exercise to identify cases where the old fees may have been applied after January 12, 2026.

“Where such cases are confirmed, affected clients will be duly refunded in line with standard procedures and in compliance with Statutory Instrument 10 of 2026. Zimra remains committed to ensuring transparency, fairness and efficient service delivery,” he said.

Njanji added that Zimra appreciated the public’s patience during the implementation of statutory changes.

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Source: TIMB predicts increased production -Newsday Zimbabwe

THE Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) predicts increased production after the sector recorded a major leap in planted area this season, with hectarage rising by 42% compared to last year.

According to official data, farmers planted more than 162 000 hectares of tobacco this season, up from about 114 000 hectares in the previous planting cycle.

In an interview with the media on Tuesday, TIMB chairperson Patrick Devenish said the surge in planted area highlighted a strong appetite among farmers to increase production.

“This year’s growth shows that growers are responding positively to policy support and the stabilisation measures introduced in the sector,” he said.

“Farmers are willing to scale up because they see consistency, predictability and better returns.”

Tobacco continues to be one of Zimbabwe’s top foreign currency earners, supporting hundreds of thousands of households through primary farming activities, contract schemes and various downstream processes.

Sector players say this year’s planting momentum could strengthen Zimbabwe’s position on the global tobacco market.

The tobacco marketing season is expected to open later in the year.

At that point, growers will start delivering their crop to auction floors and contract buyers across the country.

“We anticipate a busy and promising marketing season,” Devenish added.

Industry stakeholders are optimistic about the season’s prospects, with outcomes dependent on weather patterns and farming practices.

“If favourable rains continue and agronomic standards are maintained, we are likely to see a significant jump in output,” an industry analyst commented.

“The expanded hectarage has set the stage for potentially higher export earnings.”

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