Source: NEW: Be vigilant and focused, President says on Middle East conflict – herald Harmony Agere PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has urged the country to remain vigilant and focused on growing the economy, saying Government is putting in place measures to absorb shocks caused by the conflict. Addressing mourners at the triple burial of national heroes Cde […]
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has urged the country to remain vigilant and focused on growing the economy, saying Government is putting in place measures to absorb shocks caused by the conflict.
Addressing mourners at the triple burial of national heroes Cde Elison Mupamombe, Cde Cosmas Chiringa and Retired Major-General Herbert Chingono, President Mnangagwa said the conflict had shaken the global economy but assured the nation that Government is fully aware and addressing the situation.
“I address you at a time of an ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” he said.
“The impact of that war has shaken the entire globe, including here in our beloved motherland, Zimbabwe. While my Government has put in place measures to shield us from unforeseen and potential shocks, we must remain vigilant and focused.
Government, he said, will continue with its economic transformation agenda.
“Meanwhile, we will continue to structurally transform our economy, ensuring that our finite resources are processed and value-added at source, for the benefit of our people,” said the President.
“Our partners and investors across all sectors, particularly in mining, have a duty to ensure durable and mutually beneficial collaboration.
“The doors of my Administration remain open for complementary economic relations.”
President Mnangagwa described the three national heroes as patriotic and loyal servants who gave their life to the nation since the liberation struggle.
Source: Dr Mangudya briefs Parliament on Mutapa Investment Fund – herald Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter Mutapa Investment Fund chief executive officer Dr John Mangudya appeared before the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee today to brief them on the role of the organisation and respond to issues raised in its 2024 audited accounts. The MIF was established […]
Mutapa Investment Fund chief executive officer Dr John Mangudya appeared before the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee today to brief them on the role of the organisation and respond to issues raised in its 2024 audited accounts.
The MIF was established in 2023 following the rebranding of the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Zimbabwe.
Dr Mangudya said the Fund serves as a State-owned investment vehicle that seeks to enhance the value of national assets for the benefit of current and future generations.
Source: DA condemns arrest of Tendai Biti in Zimbabwe Please find attached soundbite by Ryan Smith MP. The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the arrest of Zimbabwean opposition leader, Tendai Biti by state police on the afternoon of 21 March 2026. Biti, who is the leader of the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF), was detained […]
The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the arrest of Zimbabwean opposition leader, Tendai Biti by state police on the afternoon of 21 March 2026. Biti, who is the leader of the Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF), was detained by state authorities along with other party members and a local journalist in the town of Mutare. No details of the charges to be brought against Biti have been made public.
The CDF has garnered widespread support in recent years for its opposition to constitutional amendments to extend the rule of Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa. Zimbabwe recently gazetted Constitution Amendment Bill No. 3, which would introduce far-reaching proposals to usher in limitless presidential terms for the ZANU-PF under the guise of technical reforms to electoral cycles and governance structures.
This would further entrench the ZANU-PF’s dictatorship by bending the Zimbabwean constitution to permit and justify complete party-state control while crushing democracy.
This latest act of wanton state brutality on political freedom should sound alarm bells to the South African Presidency and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). Zimbabwe’s democratic backslide and subsequent state collapse continues to threaten regional stability and is the source of one of South Africa’s largest migration crises. South Africa cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the crisis on its doorstep.
We call on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister Ronald Lamola to condemn Tendai Biti’s arrest and urgently engage with Zimbabwean authorities through diplomatic channels to reconsider this draconian legislative proposal. South Africa cannot continue to prop up its fraternity of leaders who continue to trample on democracy and the rights of citizens across the Southern African region.
This recent act of state oppression follows a worrying trend seen in countries such as Uganda and Tanzania which have arrested opposition leaders on trumped up charges of treason to silence opposing voices and sideline democracy.
The ANC, which holds the presidency and the ministry of foreign affairs in the Government of National Unity (GNU), cannot turn a blind eye to the emergence of autocratic despots which threaten the stability of the entire Southern African region.
Section 11.9 of the GNU’s statement of intent commits South Africa to a foreign policy based on human rights and constitutionalism. South Africa cannot continue to speak out against every other injustice in other parts of the world while ignoring the most egregious violations next door.
President Ramaphosa and Minister Lamola have a duty to promote these values within our region, and it is incumbent on them to take seriously their constitutional duty to secure regional stability and prosperity by ensuring that freedom and democracy survive and thrive.
Source: How gaining access to land opened up opportunities for women following land reform in Zimbabwe | zimbabweland Land reform enabled some women to claim land. Gaining access to land, our informants explained, offered independence and autonomy. In our discussions across the sites, the connection between land access and ‘freedom’ was repeated again and again. […]
Land reform enabled some women to claim land. Gaining access to land, our informants explained, offered independence and autonomy. In our discussions across the sites, the connection between land access and ‘freedom’ was repeated again and again.
The land occupations in 2000 were highly varied, but many women joined them. These were either independent women, including young, single women, divorcees and widows, or women joining the occupations as their husbands were at work and so not available. Within the ‘base camps’ women were allocated separate areas to camp and were heavily involved in the social reproductive tasks of sustaining the occupations: cooking, collecting water and looking after infant children and babies who had come with them. Mai M from Masvingo district explained:
I came here during the fast-track land reform. I came here with both men and women; the gender split was 50:50. We arrived and claimed the farm from the white farmer… We came here with [a group of women]. Some people were married, while others were single women who had already separated from their husbands.
MM from Mvurwi explained how, as a war veteran, she was at the forefront of the land occupations, joining independently and later bringing her husband and family:
I was at the forefront of the fast-track land reform; we are the reason people ended up with all these farms. I did not consult my husband about joining the fast-track land reform campaign because it was not something to discuss at home. We made this decision in meetings at the war veterans’ association. My husband had no right to stop me from joining the cause because that was my job.
Mai N from Gutu district recounted her story. The challenges of juggling childcare with establishing new homes and farms were highlighted, along with the dangers faced by single women during the occupations:
We came here for fast-track land reform as women; my husband was at work. I joined the war at the end, but I am not really a war vet… There were eight women who came here, and then we were later joined by four men. We initially lived together as a group of eight in the compound at Bath Farm, and later divided, with each person building their own homestead. The sleeping arrangements were a bit challenging. My husband built me a big rondavel, and everyone slept there. When it was time to sleep, everyone came to sleep at my house because my husband had installed a very strong door. We also had a language we used as a signal for communication in case an enemy attacked us, so if the slogan was not used, we would not leave the house or answer. We stayed together from May to August under the base commander. We then separated when I got my land here, and the other four women I was with got land in Salem, the other three got their land in Bath farm… I left there because there were three married brothers, including my husband in one farm, with a piece of land for their mother. So, the farmland was inadequate, and we would end up buying food because the produce wasn’t enough. When we came here for land reform, I brought the youngest child, and the other two initially remained in Gutu. The other two came when they were a little older; the oldest child was in Form 1, and the other daughter in Form 2. I did not have help at the beginning; I used to juggle farming and looking after the children. It was my kids and I doing all the work. That is how we managed things, maybe because we were eager to own the land.
Mrs C from Masvingo district explained that the early days of the occupations were filled with uncertainty. The invaders who came to the farms on the bus were mocked, and people questioned whether building good houses made sense if the land reform got reversed:
We were led by Comrade B; he would come by to check that everyone was doing well. There was unity and teamwork during that time, but now everything is individualistic….. [my husband] was the one who started building nice houses, but people were concerned that the allocated land might be taken back, so what was the use in investing in building. Sometimes we would use the same bus going to Masvingise, and people would make fun of us when we were dropped off in the bush. They thought we were unwise to pursue the farms.
BN from Matobo district explained how she joined the land occupations with small children:
I came here when the children were still young; the last born was three months old. I survived through farming, selling produce and some of it to GMB to feed my children. If I failed to harvest much, I would go work in other households, building mud houses. We heard there were land invasions, and I decided that life in the rural areas was a struggle, so I decided to come here with others. The government then came later and pegged the land for us. The land invasions occurred, but they were not violent. We spoke to white people who were here, and they gave us one farm each, since most had two. We learned about the land invasions from the radio; they were saying that those in Matobo should go to a specific area and occupy it, and they will take one from each of the white people with two farms. I came here alone, with my children and built a small hut for myself.
FS from the Masvingo district equally recounted how she came here alone. This was a period of hard work and much hardship. Living alone was terrifying, she explained:
My husband became part of fast-track land reform because they did not have enough land at his village to farm. The village was in the mountains; no cars or even a wheelbarrow could reach it. When we arrived, some of the children stayed behind, while I came with the twins. Having young children and working at the farm, fetching water, and all that was a challenge. We used to constantly move between here and Masvingo; this place does not need anyone with a small child. It’s easier to do the work on your own. We used to ask for help to till the land from those that came before us. We used to grow beans and maize. When it was time to cultivate the land, I would make the children sit down while I worked. The children were staying alone while I was here at the farm. My oldest learned how to cook in grade one. I was mostly staying here alone as my husband was still deployed as a soldier. I was terrified of living alone but I braved it until now.
SM from Matobo agreed that the early settlement period, living alone with small children, was really hard:
When we came here, my husband was working in Bulawayo, while I stayed to clear the land or farm. When my husband was alive, I used to farm here, and I would get a good harvest to sell. Raising children was difficult. When the Esigodini school became a boarding school, my son had to stay behind because I could no longer afford it. The other daughter left school after Form 4. I had six cattle, and I sold one. My husband died before we even started building. I sold sorghum and one cow to help build this place.
Despite the hardships and the real practical and emotional challenges of living alone, Mai M from Masvingo district reiterated the sentiment of many. Access to land allowed women to have a place that they could call their own, where production could take place to support growing children:
I have an offer letter in my name. Getting land helped me because having a place where you and your children can call your own is important. It contributed to the education and upkeep of my children. I used to sell my produce to GMB, and that money helped me buy cattle; it also helped my sons get married.
As NA from Mvurwi explained, moving to the land reform areas offered opportunities that were not available in the communal areas. Especially in a polygamous family, the tensions that existed when there were many family members present could be escaped from, “so we can be free”
When we found out that our husband had found a farm this side, we started comparing it with our life in Chikwira and decided that coming to the farm was better. In Chikwira, we were living a decent life as a family, but we thought continuing to live together was not ideal. We had a place to farm in Chikwira, but because there were many of us, we sometimes did not get along in the family. That is why we decided to leave: to be free. We work on the farm together as a family, but a piece of the land is reserved for our husbands, and we have our own piece that belongs to the wives. When there is too much work, our husband will hire people to help us; otherwise, we usually work with our children. Our husband buys farming inputs for everyone and also pays people to help us in the field when there is too much work.
This is the second blog in the series on social reproduction and land reform. This blog was written by Sandra Bhatasara and Ian Scoones, with inputs from Tapiwa Chatikobo and Felix Murimbarimba. It was first published on Zimbabweland.
Source: Chamisa Points to Dishonesty as Key Obstacle to Zimbabwe’s Progress – ZimEye During an interactive session with citizens on his WhatsApp channel on Saturday, Advocate Nelson Chamisa raised concerns over what he described as dishonesty and betrayal within opposition ranks. Responding to a question on how Zimbabwe’s challenges can be resolved, Chamisa acknowledged the […]
During an interactive session with citizens on his WhatsApp channel on Saturday, Advocate Nelson Chamisa raised concerns over what he described as dishonesty and betrayal within opposition ranks.
Responding to a question on how Zimbabwe’s challenges can be resolved, Chamisa acknowledged the concerns from citizens but suggested that internal issues continue to stand in the way of progress.
“What do you suggest must be done to solve the Zimbabwean problem?” he asked.
He went on to stress that while he appreciates public input, the main hurdle remains a lack of integrity among some stakeholders.
“I hear you. But the only challenge is dishonesty and betrayal,” Chamisa said.
