Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: ED throws Chinese investors a challenge | The Herald February 23, 2019

President Mnangagwa receives a sculpture from Wuajan Group Secretary-General Song Yan Hui, while Zimbabwe Ambassador to China Paul Chikawa looks on at a meeting with a Chinese business delegation at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare yesterday

Tendai Mugabe Senior Reporter
Chinese firms should take full advantage of the upgrading of relations between Harare and Beijing to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to invest in Zimbabwe where their investments will be given preferential treatment, President Mnangagwa has said.

He said Zimbabwe had opportunities across all sectors of the economy which the Chinese could exploit.

Addressing a high-powered Chinese business delegation — which is in the country to explore investment opportunities at his Munhumutapa Offices in Harare yesterday — the President said from the Zimbabwean side, Government was ready to facilitate the investments.

To show the seriousness he attached to the meeting with the Chinese delegation, President Mnangagwa attended the meeting with five Cabinet ministers who included Professor Mthuli Ncube (Finance and Economic Development), Perrance Shiri (Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement), Winston Chitando (Mines and Mining Development), Mangaliso Ndlovu (Industry and Commerce) and Dr Sibusiso Moyo (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) and Reserve Bank Governor Dr John Mangudya.

“Most importantly, during my last visit to the People’s Republic of China, His Excellency the President Xi Jinping upgraded our relations to Strategic Comprehensive Partnership with Zimbabwe which means that we give first preferential treatment to Chinese companies when investing Zimbabwe,” said President Mnangagwa.

“I was just telling your head of delegation and chairman (Mr Zhang Huarong) that most Western embassies and countries always say in Zimbabwe there are more investments from China. We don’t want that to be mere talk. It must be material talk backed by evidence of actual investment in this country and you are here — you carry that responsibility.

“I and my counterpart President Xi Jinping agreed that we must cooperate but our vision can only actualise if you actually take heed of your President and if my ministers who are on this side also take heed of what I say. I can assure you that on my side I know how to whip. I am happy I can point to some of the projects which have come from China in terms of investment . We have the Kariba South extension which has given us 300 megawatts which is now on the national grid.

“We also have the Victoria Falls International Airport which can now take any size of aircraft. Currently we are having Hwange Thermal Station plant 7 and 8, a $1, 3 billion project, that is under construction now. In my discussion with President Xi Jinping, he said this (project) will go ahead immediately and I will order that money is made available and that money has been made available. So far we have drawn down in excess of US$300 million. We have Harare International Airport and its now under construction. We have a grant from China. We are building a new city, the Parliament and the executive in Mt Hampden near Harare. We also have the Defence University completed some three years ago for strategic studies. Those are already visible projects that China has done here in Zimbabwe but there is still more that you can do. In my discussion with your leader we also discussed the manufacturing sector.”

President Mnangagwa said Government was carrying out both political and economic reforms to facilitate the ease of doing business in the country.

Said the President: “Currently, under the new dispensation we are carrying out both political and economic reforms which your country carried 40 years ago. Because we are very close Zimbabwe need not to make mistakes which you made in the process of reforms. We need to get the best out of your reforms – leap frog and develop the rest of the developing countries in our region.

“And to achieve this goal of developing our country we are committed to our programme. Economically we have been carrying reforms and also have a stable country, we are a united State. There are so many projects across the board, we still need energy, it could be solar, it thermal, hydro – we need energy in this country the projection that we have is that in another six years from now we need up to 4 000 megawatts because we believe that our economy is going to grow. There are also easy and low hanging fruits like beef, you can begin a beef project into your market . We can also immediately deal with the question of the manufacturing of cigarettes.

“We grow a lot of tobacco here but we don’t have the capacity to process the tobacco. We sell it to you raw. We also want it beneficiated in the country. In the area of agriculture, we can either grow for your market or you come and grow for your markets things like soya beans, sorghum, fruits and flowers. We have plenty of land and water, what we don’t have is the capital and expertise. That area is open. We grow cotton for textiles. We export raw cotton, 77 percent of the cotton that we grow is exported raw, we are only able to use 30 percent in our economy. That is another area where you can come in, textile manufacturing.”

President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was the gateway to the entire African market and the Chinese should take full advantage of that.

He said Zimbabwe also boasts of a highest literacy rate in Africa which makes a good market with literate labour force.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting Mr Zhang said: “I am very grateful from the high level reception from the President of this country. Our delegation is consisting of very important enterprises back in China. I can see a very strong commitment from this Government. Zimbabwe is very beautiful country and has very good natural resources and infrastructural bases. Zimbabwe has been a very good friend of China for a long time and I have to say a lot of Chinese business people actually looking forward to the development of Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is country with great potential for development.”

The post ED throws Chinese investors a challenge  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Govt to roll out typhoid vaccination | The Herald February 23, 2019

Dr Moyo

Paidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
About 325 000 residents between the ages of six months and 45 years from nine selected high-density and typhoid-burdened suburbs in Harare will from Monday start receiving vaccinations against typhoid, making Zimbabwe the first country in Africa to vaccinate against typhoid, Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo has said.

Addressing journalists at a Press conference held in Harare yesterday, Dr Moyo said this mass vaccination followed evidence that typhoid was becoming endemic in some parts of Harare, with seasonal peaks between October and March of each year since 2010.

Dr Moyo said the nine typhoid hot spots that are being targeted are Mufakose, Budiriro, Glen View, Glen Norah, Kuwadzana, Mbare, Hatcliffe, Hopley and Dzivarasekwa.

He said in Mbare, the vaccination will cover residents between the ages of six months and 48 years, while the rest of the vaccination in other suburbs will cover children between six months and 15 years.

“We have hit a first once again as Zimbabwe by launching this mass typhoid vaccination campaign that will be conducted in nine high density suburbs from next week until the 4th of March 2019,” said Dr Moyo.

He said this campaign followed the successful cholera oral vaccination campaign conducted last year, in which about 1,3 million people received vaccination against cholera.

Dr Moyo said the typhoid conjugate vaccine is expected to reduce the endemic cases of typhoid in the affected areas.

He said data has shown that cases of drug-resistant typhoid are also on the increase, and the vaccine is also anticipated to address that challenge.

“It is upon this background that this intervention is necessary to avert continued loss of lives and illnesses while we continue working with the local authority in the provision of safe and adequate water as well as general sanitation in these affected areas,” said Dr Moyo.

He said data has shown that in areas such as Mbare, typhoid was affecting all age groups, hence the need to vaccinate both children and adults, whereas in other suburbs it was mostly affecting children between the ages of 6 months and 15 years.

“Typhoid and cholera are potentially fatal water-borne diseases.

“The typhoid vaccine, which protects against typhoid fever will be injected into the thigh for under fives and into the arm for people over five years.

“The vaccine will be given at local clinics, outreach centres, schools, churches, bus termini and market places,” said Dr Moyo.

The post Govt to roll out typhoid vaccination appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Ramaphosa visit: Zim, SA officials to meet | The Herald February 23, 2019

President Ramaphosa

Herald Reporters
Zimbabwean and South  African officials will meet next week, as preparations for the visit by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa gather momentum. President Ramaphosa will visit Zimbabwe on March 12 for the Third session of the two countries’ Bi-National Commission (BNC), and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa Mr David Hamadziripi said yesterday that preparations for the visit were underway in both Harare and Pretoria.

The two countries held their last BNC in October 2017 and the visit by President Ramaphosa will give a lift to the already existing strong bilateral relations.

“We are going to have meetings with relevant South African officials next week to prepare for the BNC. It is important to note that the BNC, which last met in Pretoria in October 2017, will review co-operation across the board. We expect issues around trade and investment, energy, transport, health, security and defence among others to be the major talking points.”

He said one of the major issues expected to dominate the discussions was the establishment of a One Stop Border Post (OSBP) at Beitbridge.

Under the concept travellers will be cleared once for passage into either country as opposed to the present situation where travellers have to queue twice at either side of the border to complete the same processes, which slows down the movement of cargo and human traffic.

Zimbabwe and South Africa enjoy cordial relations dating back to the days of their struggle for liberation.

There is also likely to be a strong geopolitical flair as South Africa, the most influential neighbour and Africa’s strongest economy, will likely throw weight behind Zimbabwe on the back of external pressures against the country, notably regarding illegal sanctions imposed on the country by the West.

Last week, the 28-member European Union bloc reviewed its restrictive measures on Zimbabwe, which was but a small token amid opposition to the embargo from progressive forces.

South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu this week revealed that South Africa remained ready to help Zimbabwe, underscoring that  the regional giant had a strong interest in having Zimbabwe as a peaceful and prosperous neighbour.

She said of sanctions against  Zimbabwe was central to this and that sanctions would feature in the  discussions between Presidents Mnangagwa and Ramaphosa.

President Ramaphosa has been a strdent anti-Zimbabwe sanctions campaigner himself.

Last month, he took the campaign to the 49th edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, where he publicly called for the lifting of the embargo.

Last year,  he also called on the European Union (EU) to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe during the 7th South Africa European Union Summit in Brussels, Belgium, where they discussed a number of issues around trade, climate change, women’s rights among other global issues.

The EU and the United States of America maintain sanctions on Zimbabwe, with the EU having progressively loosened the measures.

The US remains adamant, tying the punishment of Zimbabwe and the ruling Zanu-PF to give an advantage to the opposition MDC-Alliance.

The post Ramaphosa visit: Zim, SA officials to meet  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: MDC sets dates for congress | Newsday (News)

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

THE Nelson Chamisa-led MDC has announced that its elective congress will be held in May following a national council meeting in Harare yesterday.

Chamisa is seeking to retain the post he took through a national council resolution following the death of founding president Morgan Tsvangirai last February.

Party spokesperson Jacob Mafume said an elective congress, where all posts will be contested, would be held from May 24 to 26, ending speculation that Chamisa wanted to stall
the process.

“The congress is supposed to happen every five years, so for us October was the latest we could have it. National Council being the biggest decision making body in between congresses has collectively come up with the dates,” he said.

Insiders said Chamisa wanted congress to remove any doubts over his legitimacy, as he was confident that he would win against possible contenders such as deputy president Elias Mudzuri and secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora.

The post MDC sets dates for congress appeared first on NewsDay Zimbabwe.

The post MDC sets dates for congress appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Former Cabinet minister and Zanu PF Bulawayo provincial chairman Professor Callistus Dingiswayo Ndlovu has been buried at the National Heroes Acre this afternoon.                                                     Addressing mourners at the National Shrine, President Emmerson Mnangagwa urged Zimbabweans to emulate the humility shown by the late national hero. He said Professor Ndlovu was a