Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: PSC rolls out capacity-building drive for public workers – herald

Ryan Sibanda, ryanhenrysibanda@gmail.com
THE Public Service Commission (PSC) has launched a nationwide capacity-building programme to equip civil servants with critical knowledge on pension reforms, payroll systems and retirement planning as Government accelerates public service modernisation under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).

The programme, which began in Bulawayo yesterday, seeks to improve understanding of pension processes, strengthen retirement preparedness and enhance service delivery across the public sector.
Officially opening the training, PSC secretary, Mrs Sibusisiwe Zembe said an informed and professional public service was essential to national development.

She said the initiative is anchored on Sections 202 and 203 of the Constitution, which require the State to maintain an efficient, accountable and professional public service.
“This campaign is vital to bridging the knowledge gap on pension rules and benefits. The responsibility of planning for retirement falls squarely on civil servants, yet incomplete applications continue to overwhelm pensions, payroll and human resources departments,” said Mrs Zembe.

She said the outreach programme would also provide Government with valuable feedback from public servants to improve existing systems and rebuild confidence in pension administration.
Mrs Zembe said the initiative supports Vision 2030 by strengthening human capital within the public service.
“Every step we take brings us closer to a prosperous Zimbabwe where every citizen enjoys an improved quality of life. This is a collective journey, and we invite all stakeholders to engage honestly,” she said.
Running until July 15, the campaign is expected to inform long-term public service reforms, with digital innovations such as the Government Payroll Integrated Management and Payroll System (GovPay IMPPS) playing a central role in improving efficiency, transparency and accountability.

The three-day seminar brought together experts from the PSC’s human capital development and management, pay and benefits management, strategic planning and programme management departments.
Representatives from the Public Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) and the National Social Security Authority (Nssa) also participated, providing guidance on issues including the recent
Government job evaluation exercise, grade restructuring, pension age adjustments and rebate entitlements.
Participants welcomed the programme, saying it would help them better understand recent changes in public service policies.

A human resources officer in the Ministry of Defence, Mr Daniel Meveva, said the training would provide clarity on key reforms affecting civil servants.
“We expect to learn how jobs have been structured in a new way, and the reasoning behind the increased retirement age,” he said.
Presentations during the seminar covered talent management, the GovPay IMPPS platform for pension processing, non-monetary employee benefits such as transport and medical aid, occupational safety and health, and financial planning for retirement.

The post PSC rolls out capacity-building drive for public workers appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Dairibord majority owners plan exit as VFEX transfer beckons – herald

Nelson Gahadza

Senior Business Reporter

Shareholders with a controlling 51 percent stake in Dairibord Holdings have announced plans to sell their shares just as the dairy processor planned to migrate its shares to the US dollar-denominated Victoria Falls Stock Exchange.

A few years ago, Dairibord announced plans to migrate its listing from ZSE to VFEX to unlock shareholder value and gain access to foreign currency capital it requires to support growth.

In a cautionary statement, Dairibord said it had received a joint notice from three of its major shareholders, namely Equivest Asset Management (Private) Limited, Mega Market (Private) Limited and Mutare Mart & Exchange (Private) Limited, advising the board that they had entered into negotiations with an unnamed third party over the potential acquisition of a controlling block of shares.

“Together, they have advised the board that their aggregate shareholding in the company constitutes more than 51 percent of the company’s issued ordinary shares and that they have entered into negotiations with an unnamed third party regarding the potential acquisition of a controlling block in the company,” the company said.

Dairibord said the proposed transaction, if successfully concluded, may have a material effect on the market price of its shares and urged shareholders and the investing public to continue exercising caution when trading the company’s stock.

The company added that further announcements would be issued in line with regulatory and listing requirements once there are material developments regarding the proposed transaction. Dairibord announced plans recently to migrate its listing from the ZSE to the VFEX, which the company’s board has already approved.

At the time, the company said a detailed circular explaining the transaction was being prepared for shareholders.

The proposed migration reflects a growing trend among Zimbabwean corporates seeking to align their listings with the currency structure of their businesses.

The VFEX, which trades exclusively in United States dollars, has increasingly attracted companies looking to access hard currency capital, improve liquidity and broaden their international investor base. The exchange also offers several incentives, including lower capital gains tax, reduced withholding tax on dividends for foreign investors and the unrestricted repatriation of capital and dividends, making it attractive to both issuers and investors.

Several leading companies have already migrated or established listings on the VFEX in recent years as confidence in the exchange continues to strengthen.

Most recently, financial services giant Old Mutual announced plans to migrate its secondary Zimbabwe listing from the ZSE to the VFEX, underscoring growing corporate confidence in the exchange. The proposed share sale also comes against the backdrop of a strong operational performance by Dairibord.

In its first-quarter trading update for 2026, the group reported a 26 percent increase in sales volumes, driven by double-digit growth across all its core product categories following recent investments in production capacity.

Liquid milk volumes rose 15 percent after the commissioning of the Chipinge Steri milk plant in December 2025, while the beverages segment recorded a 29 percent increase following capital investments in bottled Cascade and Pfuko Maheu production lines.

The foods division posted a 31 percent rise in volumes, supported largely by strong demand for yoghurt products.

The company said the performance reflected its strategic focus on expanding production capacity and optimising its route-to-market initiatives. Product sales remained dominated by beverages, which accounted for 67 percent of total volumes, followed by liquid milk at 24 percent and foods at nine percent.

Export volumes, however, declined by 40 percent as the company prioritised meeting increased demand in the domestic market.

The post Dairibord majority owners plan exit as VFEX transfer beckons appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: School in US$72 000 facelift – herald

Raymond Jaravaza

Zimpapers Reporter

THE Government has commissioned a fully furnished classroom block and a piped water system with nutrition garden at Malunku Primary School in Lupane district constructed at a cost of US$72 230.

The project was joint venture funded and implemented by Government, World Vision and the Mabhikwa Area Development Programme together with the Kusile Rural District Council. The school is situated 48km from Lupane business centre.

Commissioning the project Minister of State for Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Richard Moyo hailed development partners, council and Government for empowering the school that enrols over 600 learners.

“These projects are a clear demonstration of what can be achieved through collaboration commitment to community and shared development.

“The piped water system, valued at US$42 230, was funded by World Vision through its partner Ferrovial of Spain, while the furnished classroom block valued at US$30 000, was funded by World Vision Spain through the Mabhikwa Area Development Programme for Malunku Primary School,” said Minister Moyo.

“This occasion reflects the Second Republic’s vision under the able leadership of President Mnangagwa of building a growing, prosperous and inclusive society where no child and no community is left behind,”

Minister Moyo said the new classroom block would significantly reduce overcrowding of learners in cases.

“It will create an environment that promotes effective teaching, improved learner participation and better academic performance.

“Our expectation is that this investment will translate into improved pass rates, enhanced teacher morale and learners who are motivated to attend school and perform to the best of their abilities,” he said.

Malunku Primary School headmaster Mr Bhekubuhle Dlodlo said the school now had five classroom blocks that accommodated learners from Early Childhood Development to Grade Seven.

“We are particularly thrilled that all our learners will be accommodated inside classrooms and they will utilise the abundant water to grow vegetables in the nutrition garden. Our aspirations are to increase the number of classroom blocks to ten so that we enrol more learners from surrounding communities,” said Mr Dlodlo

The post School in US$72 000 facelift  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Medical fraternity pays tribute to Prof Chinyanga – herald

Sifelani Tsiko

Fact Check Editor

THE medical fraternity has paid tribute to national hero and pioneering physician, Professor Herbert Mapfumo Chinyanga, for his unwavering dedication and immense contributions to Zimbabwe’s healthcare sector.

Prof Chinyanga died in South Africa on July 2. He was 86.

Zimbabwe Anaesthetic Association president, Dr Musvo Mapfanyangira, said the association was grateful that Prof Chinyanga had been conferred with national hero status.

“Less than a year ago, our association gathered to honour Professor Chinyanga as the Father of Anaesthesia in Zimbabwe, in recognition of the training programme he built from its infancy in 1986 and the generations of specialists it has since produced,” said Dr Mapfanyangira.

“Today, the nation joins us in that recognition, affirming what our profession has long known: that safe surgery, safe childbirth, and safe critical care for every Zimbabwean owe an immeasurable debt to the foundation he laid.”

Dr Mapfanyangira described Prof Chinyanga as a legendary physician whose remarkable legacy would continue to inspire generations of healthcare professionals.

“Every anaesthetist practising in Zimbabwe today, and every programme that has grown from the one he pioneered, stands as living testimony to his life’s work,” she said.

“We thank the Government and people of Zimbabwe for this fitting tribute, and we recommit ourselves, as his professional family, to carrying forward the standard of excellence and service he set for us.”

Prof Chinyanga helped shape and influence the growth of anaesthesia training in Zimbabwe, contributing to the development of one of the country’s strongest medical specialties.

Described as a giant in medicine, teacher and mentor, he played an instrumental role in advancing safer surgical procedures, strengthening intensive care services and improving patient outcomes.

Paying tribute to the veteran physician, Dr Doreen Mashava credited him for pioneering specialist training in anaesthesia and critical care.

“Today, I pay tribute to you for the great work you have done in the field of anaesthesia.

“You initiated the MMed programme in Anaesthesia and Critical Care in Zimbabwe,” said Dr Mashava.

“You were a great mentor and motivator. Your words of encouragement pushed me to excel in my training.

“Even after training you did not cut ties but we continued to communicate on a regular basis even till you were down in South Africa. Rest in peace Prof Chinyanga.”

Prof Chinyanga served in a number of academic roles at local, regional and international levels.

He was chairman of the Department of Anaesthetics before later serving as Acting Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences.

The eminent physician is widely credited with the establishment of the School of Medicine at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), as well as the School of Medicine at the Midlands State University.

Prof Chinyanga’s wife passed away three years ago.

According to his wishes, he will be cremated. He is survived by son, Farayi and three grandchildren.

The post Medical fraternity pays tribute to Prof Chinyanga appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: New fleet for Local Govt ministry – herald

Remember Deketeke

Municipal Correspondent

THIRTY vehicles and a range of technical equipment have been handed over to officers in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to strengthen service delivery and enhance the implementation of Government programmes.

The vehicles are part of a broader fleet acquisition programme under which the ministry has already procured 165 vehicles, with additional deliveries expected in the coming months.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Harare yesterday, Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said the acquisition marked “a significant investment in strengthening the operational capacity of the ministry” and would enhance its ability to effectively execute its constitutional mandate.

He also announced that some of the vehicles would be allocated to the ministry’s newly established Department of Reparations, which falls under the Traditional Leadership Support Unit, to support the country’s efforts to pursue reparations for colonial injustices.

“These are the vehicles that are going to be used by those teams to carry out that special mandate that we should at least claim from the British or from our former colonisers that which they plundered from us,” he said.

Minister Garwe said the ministry had challenges in monitoring projects across districts, provinces and local                              authorities.

“Our engineers, architects and officers could not move from one point to another supervising projects and implementing policies because of the shortage of vehicles,” he said.

“Today’s handover, therefore, marks an important step towards addressing these challenges.”

The vehicles would improve mobility, increase the visibility of Government officials on the ground and strengthen monitoring of projects under the Government’s decentralisation and devolution agenda, he added.

The post New fleet for Local Govt ministry appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.