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Source: Zanu-PF, retailers urge Zimbabweans to reject July 31 shutdown calls – herald

Peter Matika and Sikhulekelani Moyo, Chronicle Writers

ZANU-PF and the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) have urged Zimbabweans to ignore calls for a planned July 31 shutdown, saying uninterrupted business activity, peace and productivity are critical to protecting livelihoods, sustaining economic growth and maintaining investor confidence.

The ruling party has intensified grassroots mobilisation across Bulawayo, while the CZR has assured consumers that supermarkets, wholesalers, pharmacies, service stations and other retail outlets will remain open and conduct business as usual despite social media calls for a nationwide stay-away.

The calls for a shutdown have been circulating on various social media platforms, with organisers reportedly challenging the enactment of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Act No. 3.

Addressing party supporters, residents and business operators in Bulawayo yesterday, Zanu-PF Greens District chairperson Cde Tendai Charuka said there was no constitutional, legal or economic justification for a shutdown, arguing that the amendment had gone through all the prescribed constitutional and parliamentary processes.

He said Zanu-PF structures in Bulawayo Central Constituency had embarked on an intensive mobilisation campaign, engaging residents, transport operators, informal traders, workers and business owners to encourage them to ignore messages calling for economic disruption.

“There is absolutely no reason for a shutdown. Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 went through the necessary constitutional and parliamentary processes. Those calling for a shutdown have no legitimate basis to disrupt people’s lives and the economy,” said Cde Charuka.

He said Zimbabwe’s economic transformation depended on uninterrupted production and commerce, adding that every working day contributed towards national development.

“We are encouraging every Zimbabwean to continue with their normal daily activities. Businesses should remain open, workers must report for duty, learners should attend school and transport operators must continue providing services,” he said.

“The country’s development agenda cannot be advanced by bringing economic activity to a standstill.”
Cde Charuka appealed to businesses throughout Bulawayo not to succumb to intimidation or misinformation.

“We are calling upon all business people to ignore these calls and conduct business as usual. Do not heed calls for a shutdown because such actions will not only sabotage the growth of your own businesses but will also undermine the country’s economy,” he said.

“Every day that businesses remain closed translates into lost income, reduced productivity and missed opportunities for economic growth. Let us protect our investments and continue contributing to national development.”
Cde Charuka also urged workers in both the public and private sectors to report for duty as usual on July 31.

“All workers should report for duty. Every employee has a responsibility to contribute towards national development. We encourage everyone to go to work, attend school and continue with their daily activities without interruption,” he said.

Cde Charuka said Zimbabwe had built a reputation as a peaceful nation where differences were resolved through constitutional and democratic processes rather than confrontation.

He warned that stay-aways often hurt ordinary citizens the most by disrupting economic activity and reducing household incomes.

Cde Charuka also urged young people not to be influenced by social media messages encouraging participation in activities that could disturb public order.

“The future of our nation lies in hard work, entrepreneurship and production. Young people should concentrate on creating opportunities for themselves rather than participating in activities that have the potential to disturb public order,” said Cde Charuka.

CRZ said businesses across the country will remain open and continue serving customers.

CZR president Dr Denford Mutashu said retailers and wholesalers were committed to ensuring uninterrupted access to essential goods and services.

“CZR wishes to assure the nation that all retail and wholesale businesses across Zimbabwe will remain open and conduct business as usual on July 31. We encourage all members of the public to continue patronising their usual shopping centres, supermarkets, wholesalers, pharmacies, service stations and other retail outlets with confidence as they go about their normal day-to-day activities,” he said.

Dr Mutashu described the retail and wholesale industry as a strategic pillar of the economy, supporting manufacturing, agriculture, employment creation and national development.

He said the prevailing peace, security and macroeconomic stability had created a conducive environment for commerce and investment.

“CZR acknowledges the significant strides made in promoting economic stability under the Second Republic, led by President Mnangagwa, whose vision of an upper middle-income economy by 2030 continues to inspire confidence among businesses and investors,” he said.

Dr Mutashu also commended law enforcement agencies for maintaining peace, saying a secure operating environment was fundamental to business growth and consumer confidence.

“We call upon all retailers, wholesalers, suppliers, employees and members of the public to uphold peace, exercise restraint and reject any actions that may disrupt business operations or undermine the country’s economic progress.

“Let us all play our part in preserving peace, protecting livelihoods and advancing Zimbabwe’s development aspirations,” he said.

“As the apex body representing the interests of the retail and wholesale sector, CZR remains committed to working with Government, law enforcement agencies and all stakeholders to ensure uninterrupted trade, consumer confidence and sustainable economic growth. Together, let us continue building a peaceful, prosperous and economically resilient Zimbabwe.”

The post Zanu-PF, retailers urge Zimbabweans to reject July 31 shutdown calls  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

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The post How I Figured Out Which Gaming Sites Actually Work in Zimbabwe first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

Source: Woman scalds lover with boiling water over break-up, apologises in court – herald

Danisa Masuku, Danimasuku4455@gmail.com

A MAN from Lupane district, Matabeleland North, who arrived home heavily intoxicated and went to sleep woke up in agony to find his skin peeling off his body after his partner poured boiling water over him while he slept.

Sithamela Ngwenya, from Insuza area, was last Friday convicted on her own plea of guilty to physical abuse by Bulawayo Provincial Magistrate Mr Isheunesu Mathoba.

She was sentenced to five years imprisonment but will serve an effective three years after two years of the sentence were suspended on condition that she does not within the next five years commit a similar offence.

Passing sentence, Mr Mathoba described Ngwenya as an evil person who wanted to kill her lover.

“What you did is very bad and it shows that you are an evil person. You wanted to kill your lover because he had told you that he wanted to return to his wife,” said Mr Mathoba.

He said Ngwenya deserved to be removed from society for a long time in order to send a message to would be offenders.

In mitigation, Ngwenya who said she still loved the complainant, apologised to him in court.

“I am really sorry to my lover. I committed this offence because I was angry that he had told me that he was returning to his wife after spending several months with me. I plead for leniency, Your Worship,” she said.

In aggravation, prosecutor Ms Mabusiso Moyo said Ngwenya breached her lover’s trust by scalding him with boling water while he was asleep.

“The complainant arrived home heavily drunk and trusted that he was safe in your company but you betrayed him and boiled water before scalding him while he was asleep,” she said.

Ms Moyo said Ngwenya planned to commit the offence and waited until her lover went to sleep and then pounced.

Ms Moyo told the court that the incident occurred on 5 July 2026 shortly after 1am.

“The complainant, Mr Handsome Khumalo, arrived home intoxicated and found Ngwenya at the fireplace boiling some water. He headed to the bedroom and slept,” said Ms Moyo.

At around 4am, the complainant woke up to find his body in severe pain, itching, and the room filled with a foul smell.

“As he tried to scratch his body, he discovered that his skin was peeling off, thus realising he was burnt. He tried to open the door but discovered that it was locked, and he got out through the window,” said Ms Moyo.

After escaping, he went home and narrated his ordeal to his mother. The court heard that soon after that, he fell unconscious and later woke up hospitalised at St Luke’s Hospital.

The post Woman scalds lover with boiling water over break-up, apologises in court appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Scrap two-storey limit: Parly pushes for high-rise housing laws – herald

Sikhulekelani Moyo

Zimpapers Business Hub

THE Urban Councils Act must be urgently amended to allow for high-rise buildings, as the current two-storey legal limit may leave future generations without land for housing, a Government senior official has said.

Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda made the call to preserve scarce land.

Speaking on the sidelines of a two-day capacity building workshop on National Budget Analysis, Adv Mudenda said the existing legal provisions no longer suited Zimbabwe’s rapid urbanisation and population growth.

“The current Urban Councils Act allows for two-storey buildings only, which means that if we follow that Act to its letter and spirit, eventually, in the next 50 years, we may not have sufficient land to build houses,” he said.

“It is critical and very urgent that the Urban Councils Act be amended to allow urban councils and rural district growth points to build aquas, skyscrapers.

And in so doing, they will be serving land for posterity.

“If we don’t do that, we use all the land now; 50 years down the line, and the younger people may not find any land to use for the construction of their shelter.”

Adv Mudenda said vertical development would help conserve land and ensure sustainable urban expansion, particularly in cities and growth points where demand for residential and commercial space continues to rise.

Adv Mudenda also urged Government and local authorities to reconsider road construction methods, noting that several countries have shifted from asphalt to brick paving.

“The other area is the construction industry.

“Several countries, if not several countries, have moved away from the use of asphalt to construct roads. They use bricks. It’s cheaper, more durable,” he said.

He said adopting brick roads would help the Government conserve resources and spread the national budget further.

“And that will help the Government to be more conservative in trying to increase its resource and revenue envelope and be able to spread whatever they collect after taxation for other areas of need in the National Development Agenda.

“The workshop, attended by Members of Parliament, focused on building capacity to analyse the national budget, with an emphasis on pro-poor spending, equitable disbursements, and oversight of public funds, in line with Section 190 (3) of the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act.

This resonates with the “Build Better Vertically” national housing policy initiative led by the Minister of National Housing and Social Amenities, Daniel Garwe, focused on constructing multi-story blocks of flats instead of single-family ground houses.

The policy preserves valuable agricultural land and stops urban sprawl by optimising land use. It also reduces the high cost of rolling out long stretches of roads, water pipes and sewer lines.

It may help resolve challenges posed by massive housing backlogs and overcrowding in urban and rural settlements across all ten provinces.

The policy combines “building better forward” (new high-rises) with “building better backward” (refurbishing older run-down).

The post Scrap two-storey limit: Parly pushes for high-rise housing laws appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: ‘Universities no longer just theatres’ – herald

Zvamaida Murwira

Senior Reporter

UNIVERSITIES and other institutions of higher learning have transformed from confining themselves to being classrooms and lecture theatres to becoming active participants in research, innovation, enterprise development and industrialisation anchored on the Heritage-Based Education 5.0 that seeks to produce goods and services.

Higher and Tertiary Education,Innovation, Science and Technology Development Minister Dr Frederick Shava was speaking at the commissioning of the University of Zimbabwe Industrial Incubation Hub in Msasa and Specialist Medical Centre in Avondale by President Mnangagwa.

“My ministry is proud that the University of Zimbabwe has embraced, in both letter and spirit, Zimbabwe’s industrialisation and modernisation agenda through science, technology and innovation.

“Under your visionary leadership and as guided by the Heritage-Based Education 5.0 philosophy, our universities are no longer confined to classrooms, lecture theatres and libraries, but are now active participants in the innovation space, industrialisation, enterprise development and community transformation,” said Minister Shava.

In recent years, UZ had come up with major projects that had seen it winning several awards. Apart from that, he noted that there has also been tremendous progress in support of the country’s industrialisation and modernisation agenda.

He described the UZ Specialist Medical Centre, as a complete package with functional eye and oral health units.

“The equipmentation of the in-vitro fertilisation and trauma sections is ongoing. Your Excellency, this is a clear demonstration of your vision to provide specialised health care services for all by 2030,” he said.

“I am happy that the university has set up an Industrial Incubation Centre to accommodate innovators graduating from the Innovation Hub. This centre will not only support industrial productivity, but also give young people a greater chance to participate actively in our economy.”

He said there were several start-ups found at the Industrial Incubation Centre.

“The 11 start-ups resident at the Industrial Incubation Centre range from pharmaceuticals and health, cosmetology, transport, energy, education, agriculture, engineering, and ICT, and are slowly penetrating the market. For example, farmers in Muzarabani and Mt Darwin have entered into a climate-resilient sorghum seed multiplication scheme with the University’s VN Seeds (Pvt) Ltd start-up for the second year running,” he said.

UZ Vice Chancellor Professor Paul Mapfumo said the commissioning of the two projects came out of the institution’s growing research-innovation-industrialisation ecosystem.

“Since the coming in of Zimbabwe’s New Dispensation under your astute and visionary leadership, Your Excellency, the University of Zimbabwe has deliberately repositioned itself into a dynamic and comprehensive research and innovation-driven institution.

“The University of Zimbabwe Industrial Incubation Centre serves as a premier catalyst for start-up incubation, meticulously refining prototypes into market-ready enterprises capable of industrial-scale impact,” said Prof Mapfumo.

“I am pleased to inform you that the Industrial Incubation Centre is equipped with high-tech machinery that will enable the manufacturing and machining of engineering equipment and components that service the energy, water, agriculture, mining and manufacturing sectors.

“Most of these parts are currently being imported. This is part of our growing evidence that our start-ups will contribute to our day-to-day industrial and manufacturing processes.”

On health, Prof Mapfumo said the Specialist Medical Centre will make it possible to address the growing demand for specialist services in eye care and oral health.

“Data available indicate that 33.5 percent of children aged between 1 and 9 years in Zimbabwe have untreated dental caries in primary teeth, while 28.1 percent of individuals aged five years and above have untreated dental decay in permanent teeth. This highlights the significant burden of oral diseases and the urgent need for expanded specialist oral healthcare training and services,” he said.

“Approximately 125 000 Zimbabweans are blind, but nearly 80 percent of these cases are avoidable or treatable through timely intervention. Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness, affecting an estimated 62 500 people and contributing to a national cataract surgery backlog of approximately 60 000 operations.”

He said Zimbabwe continued to face significant shortages of specialist eye-care professionals, with approximately one ophthalmologist serving more than 600 000 people and only about 65 optometrists currently available nationwide.

“This shortage contributes to long waiting times for specialist eye surgery, limited access to eye-care services, delayed diagnosis of glaucoma and retinal diseases, and increasing levels of preventable blindness.

“The University of Zimbabwe is the only university that trains dental surgeons and ophthalmologists. This facility will provide the specialist services and train the much-needed highly skilled human capital,” he said.

Earlier on, President Mnangagwa toured the Industrial Incubation Centre in Msasa and the Specialist Medical Centre in Avondale.

The event was attended by Vice President Kembo Mohadi, Cabinet Ministers, academics and senior Government officials.

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