Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: RBZ warns digital payments adoption lagging despite record growth – herald

Business Reporter

Zimbabwe’s digital payments ecosystem recorded ZiG1.37 trillion in transaction value and 511, 1 million transactions in the first half of 2026, but the Reserve Bank has warned that adoption is failing to keep pace across all segments of the economy.

Addressing the Zimswitch Payments Conference taking place in Victoria Falls, Dr Josephat Mutepfa, Director of Financial Markets at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, said the challenge was no longer the availability of digital solutions.

“Our challenge is no longer the availability of digital solutions, but ensuring they are trusted, affordable, reliable, accessible and widely accepted,” Dr Mutepfa said.

He identified key barriers including network reliability, digital literacy, cybersecurity awareness and merchant acceptance, particularly among small businesses in the informal sector where cash remains dominant.

Dr Mutepfa reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to promoting a safe, efficient and interoperable payment ecosystem in line with the National Development Strategy 2.

“Building trust in the digital economy requires us all to play our part,” he said. “As we scale digital payment systems, we must ensure that no Zimbabwean is left behind, regardless of location or socio-economic status.”

He also highlighted Zimbabwe’s growing regional influence, noting the country’s involvement in the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System.

Earlier, Zimswitch CEO Mr Zabron Chilakalaka called on the industry to move beyond innovation to delivering tangible impact.

“As an industry, we are being called to do more than innovate. We are being challenged to deliver impact,” he said.

Mr Chilakalaka warned that emerging technologies empowering innovation were also enabling sophisticated cyber threats.

“Innovation must always be met by equally strong commitment to security and trust,” he said.

The conference, running under the theme “Scaling with Purpose, Delivering Impact,” has brought together more than 150 delegates from seven countries and concludes on 25 July.

The post RBZ warns digital payments adoption lagging despite record growth  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: ZRP warns against stunt-driving funeral processions -Newsday Zimbabwe

THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has warned members of the public against the growing practice of endangering public safety during funeral processions, saying the trend endangers lives and violates the dignity of the dead.

This follows an increase in funeral processions, particularly for deceased street vendors, commuter omnibus drivers and touts, where mourners carry coffins through busy streets or balance them precariously on the roofs of moving vehicles while engaging in ‘toy-toying’ dangerous stunt driving and other risky antics.

In a statement, police said the conduct poses a serious threat to public safety and will not be tolerated.

“The law will definitely take its course without fear or favour on anyone found to be violating or abusing dead bodies or endangering public safety during funeral processions,” the ZRP said.

Police expressed concern that the increasingly elaborate processions have become a danger not only to mourners but also to motorists and pedestrians using public roads.

According to the ZRP, balancing heavy coffins on the roofs of moving vehicles or allowing mourners to hang out of speeding kombis significantly increases the risk of fatal accidents.

The force urged mourners to conduct funeral processions in a dignified and orderly manner that respects both the deceased and other road users.

Police appealed to funeral organisers, transport operators and members of the public to comply with the law and prioritise safety, warning that anyone found violating the law will face arrest and prosecution.

The post ZRP warns against stunt-driving funeral processions appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Govt pushes industrialisation drive to end dependence on raw commodity exports –Newsday Zimbabwe

HARARE, Jul. 22 (NewsDay Live) – Government says it is intensifying efforts to shift Zimbabwe away from exporting raw minerals and agricultural commodities, placing value addition and manufacturing at the centre of its economic strategy as it seeks to create jobs, boost exports and strengthen industrial competitiveness.

The strategy, outlined ahead of the inaugural Zimbabwe Industrialisation Conference and Expo (ZICE) 2026, marks a renewed push to transform Zimbabwe from a supplier of raw materials into a regional manufacturing hub capable of competing under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

For decades, Zimbabwe has exported gold, platinum, lithium, chrome and agricultural products largely in raw or semi-processed form, leaving much of the value, jobs and industrial activity associated with processing and manufacturing to other countries. Government says reversing that trend is critical to achieving upper-middle-income status under Vision 2030.

Speaking during the conference’s Media Awareness Day, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Zhemu Soda said value addition and beneficiation would be central to Zimbabwe’s industrial transformation.

“The conference seeks to accelerate the implementation of Vision 2030 by unlocking investment, promoting value addition and beneficiation, strengthening regional value chains, advancing innovation and expanding Zimbabwe’s export competitiveness,” Soda said.

The renewed emphasis comes as several resource-rich African economies seek to capture a larger share of global commodity value chains amid rising demand for critical minerals used in electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.

Government says sectors targeted for expansion include manufacturing, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, steel production, engineering, logistics and renewable energy as part of efforts to diversify the economy and reduce its vulnerability to commodity price fluctuations.

Soda said Zimbabwe remained overly dependent on imports despite having the capacity to manufacture many products locally.

“Zimbabwe continues to import products that can, and should, be manufactured locally,” he said, arguing that expanding domestic production would create employment, conserve foreign currency, strengthen local industries and improve economic resilience.

The industrialisation programme is also intended to deepen Zimbabwe’s participation in regional supply chains under the AfCFTA by positioning local manufacturers to access larger export markets while attracting investment into processing industries.

The three-day conference is expected to draw more than 1,000 delegates and 200 exhibitors, including representatives from government, industry, investors and international organisations such as the AfCFTA Secretariat, COMESA, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the World Bank.

Discussions will focus on industrial financing, export diversification and investment mobilisation.

The event will also see the launch of the State of Industry and 2027 Prospects Report, compiled from research involving more than 2,300 businesses and stakeholders, providing one of the most comprehensive assessments of Zimbabwe’s industrial capacity and competitiveness.

Despite the policy ambition, analysts say the success of the industrialisation drive will depend on Zimbabwe’s ability to attract investment, improve infrastructure, secure reliable energy supplies and access modern technology—longstanding constraints that have hampered previous attempts to revive the country’s manufacturing sector.

The post Govt pushes industrialisation drive to end dependence on raw commodity exports appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: ‘Mnangagwa erred in signing CAB3’ –Newsday Zimbabwe

A FRESH Constitutional Court application challenging the validity of Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 argues that President Emmerson Mnangagwa ought not to have assented to the law because he stood to personally benefit from its provisions.

Instead, the application contends, one of the Vice-Presidents should have signed the Bill while acting as President to avoid a conflict of interest.

The application was filed by National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) member Vhurande Mahlupeko, represented by Lovemore Madhuku, who cited Parliament, Mnangagwa, Attorney-General Virginia Mabhiza and Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi as respondents.

Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3, which Mnangagwa signed into law earlier this month, extends the terms of office of the President, Parliament and local authorities from five to seven years, among other changes.

In his founding affidavit, Mahlupeko argues that the President breached his constitutional obligations by assenting to legislation from which he stood to derive a direct personal benefit.

“With the President, there is one fundamental constitutional obligation that he failed to fulfil. This is the constitutional obligation not to assent to and sign Bills where he is conflicted owing to a direct personal interest in respect of the Bill in question,” the application reads.

Mahlupeko argues that sections 196(2) and 110(2)(a) of the Constitution require the President to avoid conflicts between his personal interests and official duties.

“I am advised that while section 196(2) of the Constitution applies to all public officers, including the President, he has a constitutional obligation not to assent to and sign a Bill in which he stands to derive a personal benefit. The President is absolutely required to avoid any conflict between his personal interests and his public or official duties,” the affidavit reads.

According to the application, because Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 extends the President’s own tenure in office, Mnangagwa was conflicted and should have recused himself from signing the Bill.

“I am advised that where a prohibited conflict arises, assenting to and signing a particular Bill must be left to an Acting President,” Mahlupeko argues.

The application therefore argues that one of the Vice-Presidents, either Constantino Chiwenga or Kembo Mohadi, should have signed the Bill while acting as President.

Mahlupeko argues that Mnangagwa’s decision to assent to the legislation rendered the constitutional amendment invalid, forming part of broader arguments seeking to have Constitutional Amendment Act No. 3 declared null and void.

The challenge is one of several applications filed before the Constitutional Court contesting the legality of the constitutional amendment, which has generated widespread political and legal controversy over changes that include extending the terms of office of elected office bearers.

The post ‘Mnangagwa erred in signing CAB3’  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Madhuku questions silence on constitutional changes after youth mobilise behind Baba Harare and his lost luggage -Newsday Zimbabwe

HARARE, Jul. 23 (NewsDay Live) – Political analysts say the online campaign that pressured Ethiopian Airlines to locate and return musician Baba Harare’s lost luggage has exposed both the power of Zimbabwe’s youth to mobilise digitally and their limited engagement on national political issues. Thousands of young Zimbabweans flooded Ethiopian Airlines’ social media pages in recent days, using hashtags and comment campaigns until the airline traced and returned a bag belonging to the Jiti musician, born Braveman Chizvino Mwanza. The luggage contained media equipment essential to his performances. “I want to thank you, Jiti family. I have received my bag with all my equipment. Your love and support are really appreciated,” Baba Harare said after collecting the luggage at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. The campaign was widely hailed as a successful example of collective online action. However, political observers say the same level of mobilisation has been largely absent on governance issues, including the recent passage of Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3 (CAB3), which introduces sweeping constitutional changes, including extending presidential and parliamentary terms, altering electoral provisions and removing public interviews in the appointment of senior judges. Constitutional lawyer Lovemore Madhuku said greater political awareness was needed among young Zimbabweans.

“Unlike other areas such as sport and the arts, politics requires a certain level of awareness-building. We cannot simply blame young people for that gap,” Madhuku said. “We should, however, recognise that the same energy displayed in the Baba Harare campaign can, if properly organised, be directed towards important political issues. Politics is different because it involves many other considerations.” Political analyst Rashweat Mukundu attributed the disparity to fear rather than indifference, arguing that a shrinking democratic space and the perceived risks associated with political activism have discouraged public participation.

He said reports of opposition activists facing arrests, assaults and abductions had driven many Zimbabweans away from active politics and towards less risky forms of civic engagement. Another analyst, Jaqueline Sande, said popular culture now commands greater attention than civic affairs among many young people, while economic hardship has also shifted priorities. “It’s a matter of political awareness. The current generation does not appear to be invested in political affairs to the same extent as older voters,” Sande said. “When you speak to people individually, many express fear about what could happen if they become politically active because they have witnessed state brutality against those who have spoken out before.” She also cited what she described as a leadership vacuum within opposition politics and growing dependence among some youths on wealthy benefactors, popularly known as “mbingas.” “That has made it difficult to unite around holding those in power accountable,” Sande said. Analysts said public consultations and civil society campaigns opposing constitutional amendments have frequently failed to influence government decisions, contributing to political disengagement. Despite that, they said the Ethiopian Airlines episode demonstrated that Zimbabwean youths have the capacity to organise and exert pressure through digital platforms when sufficiently motivated, even as concerns remain over whether similar mobilisation can extend to broader civic and governance issues.

The post Madhuku questions silence on constitutional changes after youth mobilise behind Baba Harare and his lost luggage  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.