Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Bizarre: Gokwe woman sucks juvenile’s blood – The Southern Eye

A 33-YEAR-OLD woman from Gokwe in the Midlands province has been arrested for allegedly sucking the blood of an underage girl for suspected ritual purposes.

Provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmauel Mahoko confirmed the developments.

“Police arrested Mavis Sibanda (33) on allegations of assault involving sucking the blood of a 10-year-old juvenile. The case occurred in Gokwe Town on May 26, 2025 at about 10am,” Mahoko said

“It is alleged, she called a 10-year-old girl who was passing by and injected her with a needle before sucking her blood.”

Mahoko said Sibanda is assisting police with investigations.

Meanwhile, police in Gweru are also investigating a fatal road traffic incident, where a six-year-old boy was allegedly hit by a dump truck and died on the spot.

Mahoko said Phillip Makotore (58), who was driving the Nissan UD dump truck towards Clifton Park high-density suburb, faces possible culpable homicide charges.

“Circumstances around the incident are being investigated to establish prosecution evidence for culpable homicide,” Mahoko said.

“The body was taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary.”

In another matter, 12 people died on the spot when a fuel tanker first hit a two-tonne truck that was driving in the opposite direction and then collided head-on with a Nissan AD Van vehicle occurred at the 200km peg near Sebakwe River along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway near Kwekwe on Wednesday morning.

In a statement, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the Nissan Ad Van had 12 occupants.

“The fuel tanker first hit the two-tonne truck as it was going in the opposite direction,” he said.

“It then had a head on collision with the AD Van going in the opposite direction. Subsequently, the tanker dragged the AD Van for several metres and then overturned before falling on top of the AD Van.

“The fuel tanker was travelling from Harare towards Kwekwe.

“The occupants in the AD Van were trapped inside.

“The bodies of the victims were taken to Kwekwe General Hospital for post-mortem.”

The post Bizarre: Gokwe woman sucks juvenile’s blood  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: State resurrects 2022 ED insult case against MRP leader’s brother – The Southern Eye

THE State last week invoked charges against the brother of Mthwakazi Republic Party (MRP) leader Mqondisi Moyo who was accused of insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2022.

The party raised eyebrows over the matter as it came days after Moyo launched a fresh bid for secession, petitioning the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to facilitate negotiations with the government over the matter.

In a petition dated May 20 addressed to Sadc executive secretary Elias Magosi, Moyo appealed for support from the regional body on its secessionist agenda.

Sadc is yet to respond to the latest petition.

MRP submitted a similar petition in September 2023.

Mnangagwa has previously warned opposition activists, in particular MRP, pushing for the creation of a breakaway State that their lives will be shortened.

On Wednesday, Moyo’s brother Dinginhlalo was arrested and charged with insulting Mnangagwa in 2022.

However, on Thursday when he appeared in the court, the State changed the charge to public disorder, with indications that Harare had advised the prosecution to alter the charge.

He appeared before Plumtree magistrate Aeline Munamati charged with disorderly conduct at a public place.

Dinginhlalo (58) is alleged to have insulted Mnangagwa and Zanu PF around early April 2022 at Silozwi business centre in Matobo district.

Moyo is, however, denying the charge and was remanded out of custody to June 19.

In a statement, MRP said the circumstances leading to Dinginhlalo’s arrest are suspicious.

“On his initial arrest, he was abducted by 13 State security agents from Plumtree,” the statement read.

“Under normal circumstances, he was supposed to be arrested by police responsible for Gwandavale and Lushumbe, who have a base at Masiye camp in Lushumbe or Matopos Police Station, which is the main police station policing Matobo.”

The statement added: “It also boggles the mind why he will have to be tried at Plumtree Magistrates Court when there is Khezi District Magistrate Court under whose jurisdiction Matobo district falls.

“The 13 police officers, who came to arrest him in April 2022, were heavily armed with AK47s and different other sorts of guns.”

The party said his arrest was politically motivated.

“One wonders why the case keeps on resurfacing, after he was released from Plumtree Prison when Mr Nqobani Sithole, his defence counsel, won him bail,” MRP said.

The court, at the close of trial, indicated that the case lacked merit.

“Three years later, one wonders where the case has gotten the merit,” the statement read.

“It has not been forgotten that on March 23, 2022, Mnangagwa . . . threatened MRP president, members and Mthwakazi people at large, with shortening their lives for thinking that they can separate Mthwakazi from Zimbabwe.”

Mnangagwa has reiterated that Zimbabwe will remain a unitary State as recognised by the United Nations.

MRP is campaigning for the creation of the Mthwakazi Republic, covering parts of the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces.

Mnangagwa insists that it will not happen.

The post State resurrects 2022 ED insult case against MRP leader’s brother  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: ‘Zim could unlock US$9bn from retaken land’ -Newsday Zimbabwe

THE African Development Bank’s (AfDB’s) outgoing president Akinwumi Adesina says Zimbabwe could unlock up to US$9 billion from land seized during the 2001 land reform programme — if it had title deeds.

The Zimbabwean government undertook the controversial fast-track land reform programme at the turn of the millennium to displace white farmers from their land and redistribute it to black farmers as a move to address colonial imbalances.

However, most of these black farmers have failed to make meaningful use of the land since they got the farms on the basis of them either being ruling Zanu PF party activists, government employees or officials, despite that they knew nothing much about farming.

Another major reason for failing to use the land is that these beneficiaries were given the property under 99-year leases, offer letters and permits, making it unusable collateral.

This is because the land was not in their names, something which financial institutions typically require before disbursing loans.

After years of being unable to access loans using this land as collateral, the government decided that the land will now be held under bankable, registrable and transferable tenure documents.

Consequently, in December 2024, the government launched the Farm Title Deed Programme for A2 and A1 for beneficiary farmers in line with sections 289, 293 and 295 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

“I am actually very, very delighted that the titles were actually 99-year leases. Now, they are turning them into full title deeds,” Adesina said during the ongoing AfDB weeklong annual meetings that began on Monday in the Ivory Coast.

He said before making the land have full title, the land was essentially useless.

“So today, because we have title, it means the value of the land is so high and that is why they (Zimbabwe) are going to be able to raise maybe US$8 or US$9 billion as a country,” Adesina added.

“So, it has taken a lot of courage, a lot of work.”

The annual meetings are the 60th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the AfDB and the 51st Meeting of the Board of Governors of the African Development  Fund.

“It is my last time as the president of the African Development Bank to which I will be speaking on this issue,” Adesina said, “but I would like to end with three things. First, let us make sure that we appropriately support Zimbabwe to clear the arrears.”

According to the Treasury, as of December 2024, Zimbabwe’s total public and publicly guaranteed debt stock stood at US$21 billion, comprising external debt of US$12,2 billion and domestic debt of US$8,8 billion.

Part of the domestic debt includes US$3,5 billion which the government owes the former white farmers.

These high debt levels have prevented Zimbabwe from accessing fresh loans.

“We have done it for Somalia, we have done it for Sudan. We need US$2,6 billion of bridge financing, together let us get it done,” Adesina continued.

The Compensation Committee of Former Farm Owners in August and December 2024 approved 740 applications for compensation of former farm owners, amounting to US$587,4 million.

“The government allocated US$35 million in the 2024 National Budget for the compensation of former farm owners, with imminent disbursements expected to 740 farms cleared for payment so far,” Treasury said in a statement.

“In line with the revised Global Compensation Deed payment offer, Treasury will make payments amounting to US$5,87 million representing 1% of capital amount of US$587,4 million, for the compensation of the 740 applications by the former farm owners.”

The balance, after netting off 1% of capital amount (US$5,87 million), and interim relief payments paid to each of the 740 approved applications, will be settled through the issuance of US denominated Treasury bonds with maturities ranging between two and 10 years and a coupon of 2%.

“For the first batch of 378 former farm owners, amounting to US$311 million, government paid US$3,1 million as 1% cash payment, in March 2025, and US$308 million was issued with Treasury bonds on April 1, 2025,” Treasury said.

The government paid US$20 million to 85 farms as compensation for Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements protecting farmers.

An additional US$20 million has been provided for in the 2025 National Budget.

The post ‘Zim could unlock US$9bn from retaken land’  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Exports jump 13,6pc as trade deficit drops – herald

Judith Phiri

Zimpapers Business Hub

ZIMBABWE’s export earnings increased by 13,6 percent in April to US$662,6 million, according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat).

Imports amounted to US$781,3 million, a decrease of 4,5 percent from US$818,3 million recorded in March, which translated to a trade deficit of US$118,7 million compared to US$235,2 million recorded in the same month, a 49,5 percent decrease.

A decrease in the trade deficit is usually a positive step for several reasons, including indicating a country’s increased competitiveness and potentially stronger economic growth.

Presenting the external trade statistics, ZimStat manager for Service Statistics, Ms Mabel Chimhore, said industrial supplies accounted for the major percentage of the goods exported in April.

“Of the total value of exported goods of US$662,6 million, industrial supplies comprised 92,8 percent of the goods exported in April, fuels and lubricants 3,1 percent, consumer goods 2,1 percent, food and beverages 1,5 percent, while capital goods (except transport equipment) and transport equipment 0,2 percent each,” she said.

Ms Chimhore said the major exports were semi-manufactured gold, followed by nickel mattes and tobacco, partly or wholly stemmed/stripped among others.

She said the country’s major export destinations in April were the United Arab Emirates (49,8 percent), South Africa (24 percent) and China (15,9 percent).

“The three countries accounted for around 90 percent of the total export value of US$662,6 million.”

The growth in exports tallies with Zimbabwe’s National Export Strategy of growing exports by an average of 10 percent annually.

On the other hand, Ms Chimhore said 31,1 percent of the goods imported in April comprised industrial supplies, followed by the fuels and lubricants category, which accounted for 22,3 percent of the US$781,3 million imports.

She said capital goods (except transport equipment) imports accounted for 18,6 percent, food and beverages 11,2 percent, transport equipment 9,1 percent, consumer goods 6,7 percent and goods (not elsewhere specified) 1 percent.

Ms Chimhore added: “Mineral fuels (23,3 percent), machinery and mechanical appliances (12,7 percent), cereals (9,3 percent) and vehicles (7,6 percent) were among the top 10 products imported in the same month.”

Among the major source countries for imports in April 2025 were South Africa (37,1 percent), China (14,5 percent), Bahrain (10,4 percent) and Bahamas (7,4 percent).

She said the four countries accounted for around 69 percent of the total import value of US$781,3 million.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s exports have continued rising, positioning the country as a key source of quality products in Africa and beyond.

The growth is largely attributed to President Mnangagwa’s economic diplomacy agenda, spearheaded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which has been pursuing initiatives to improve Zimbabwe’s competitiveness on the global stage and boost trade.

President Mnangagwa has consistently emphasised Zimbabwe’s untapped export potential, urging businesses to explore opportunities in sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, construction, engineering and services.

He has also encouraged diversification into non-traditional markets such as China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and the UAE. This strategic shift is increasingly placing Zimbabwe at the centre of global supply chains. The results of this push have been impressive.

Despite global economic challenges, strong trade relations with both traditional and non-traditional markets have expanded the country’s export base.

The Government’s focus on international engagement and increased trade cooperation has yielded positive outcomes, with Zimbabwe’s exports to major markets showing steady growth.

The post Exports jump 13,6pc as trade deficit drops appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Zim, Tajikistan escalate trade, investment ties – herald

Mukudzei Chingwere in DUSHANBE, Tajikistan

TAJIKISTAN President Emomali Rahmon has been charmed by the investment climate and mutually beneficial economic collaboration that Zimbabwe has to offer following an impressive pitch by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.

The Tajikistan leader has thus requested a meeting with President Mnangagwa to give further impetus to the envisaged collaboration.

Vice President Chiwenga is in the Central Asian country for economic cooperation meetings with the hosts and has also taken advantage of the ongoing International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation to further engage and cement relations with Tajikistan.

Early indications are that Zimbabwe is targeting to tap into Tajikistan’s leading capacities and technology in power generation, with this coming at the most opportune moment ahead of an envisaged surge in energy consumption as the economy continues to grow towards empowered upper-middle income economy status.

Speaking to journalists after meeting President Rahmon, VP Chiwenga said his delegation had made a telling impression on the hosts thus the need to get commitments from the highest office in the land and drive through the invitation being extended to President Mnangagwa.

“We discussed a wide range of issues, highlighting the growing closeness between Zimbabwe and Tajikistan through our political and diplomatic cooperation, and now we are advancing into the economic sphere,” said VP Chiwenga.

“This is our second visit, focusing on economic collaboration, and several Memoranda of Understanding are in the pipeline and will be finalised soon.

“We are particularly interested in the energy sector, as Tajikistan is renowned for its green energy initiatives.

“Currently ranked amongst the best in the world, they will move up further once their dam under construction is completed. This is crucial for Zimbabwe, as no country can develop without energy”.

Additionally, he said, Tajikistan has valuable experience in agriculture, which Zimbabwe seeks to explore further.

“We also discussed various other topics. President Rahmon extended his greetings to President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and invited him to Tajikistan to expedite the implementation of our discussions.

“They are eager to share their knowledge in any area of our interest, reinforcing the understanding between our two countries,” said VP Chiwenga.

The visit by the VP is part of Zimbabwe’s broader economic diplomatic offensive anchored on consolidating international collaboration and exploring new frontiers.

It also coincides with Tajikistan hosting the International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation and President Rahmon’s decision to briefly leave the UN summit for an audience with VP Chiwenga shows the seriousness with which the two parties are treating the cooperation discussions.

This envisaged collaboration comes at a crucial time for Zimbabwe, as the country seeks to revitalise its economy.

Currently, part of Zimbabwe’s energy needs are met through imports, underscoring the urgency of developing local capacities. Renowned for its commitment to green energy, Tajikistan ranks among the top countries in hydropower generation and is poised to elevate its position further with the completion of the Rogun Hydropower Project.

Additionally, the two countries are expected to finalise several Memorandums of Understanding soon that will lay the groundwork for cooperative projects in energy, agriculture, and environmental management.

These agreements will facilitate knowledge exchange and technology transfer, fostering sustainable development in Zimbabwe.

The post Zim, Tajikistan escalate trade, investment ties appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.