Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: State rolls out real-time tracking to stop diversion of public drugs – herald

Trust Freddy

Herald Correspondent

GOVERNMENT has deployed a real-time digital supply tracking system to monitor medication from NatPharm to hospitals and is drafting strict zoning laws to prohibit health personnel from operating private pharmacies near State medical facilities in order to eliminate drug syndicates in public hospitals.

The multi-pronged strategy targets syndicate cartels within health institutions that siphon bulk public medication for resale in private pharmacies, leaving State hospital shelves empty.

Speaking during a Question and Answer session in the National Assembly midweek, Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Sleiman Kwidini revealed that the Ministry has engaged a tech firm to monitor pharmaceutical batches directly from the National Pharmaceutical Company (NatPharm) central depots to public health institutions.

“As I am speaking, there is a company that we hired as the Ministry of Health and Child Care to install a tracking system from the source, from NatPharm to Parirenyatwa Hospital, to those who will be receiving such medication and eventually going to the pharmacy,” Deputy Minister Kwidini said.

The Deputy Minister admitted that Government was losing “a lot of money through leakages” as some medical personnel steal medication meant for patients.

“In every home there is a troublemaker; there is no home without one,” he said. “After buying medication, people steal medication from hospitals for resale in their pharmacies.”

However, Deputy Minister Kwidini said the new system will pinpoint exactly where drugs are leaking.

“The tracking system that I am talking about is going to identify where the leakage happened, whether it leaked from NatPharm to Gumbonzvanda or to those who are supposed to dispense medication; are they dispensing properly?” he said.

Deputy Minister Kwidini said offenders caught diverting public medication will face strict law enforcement and immediate criminal prosecution.

“In the near future, you will note that there are some who are going to come . . . they will be coming to negotiate on behalf of their relatives who would have been ensnared by the system and will be facing prosecution. The President, Dr Mnangagwa, said that those who steal should be arrested,” he said.

To plug conflict-of-interest loopholes, Deputy Minister Kwidini said the Government is working alongside the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) to ban public health staff from establishing private businesses adjacent to State hospitals.

“At the beginning of the week, we had a meeting with the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe to discuss that those who work in hospitals cannot open businesses where they sell medication next to the hospital because there is a conflict of interest,” he said.

“As I am speaking, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe is in the process of promulgating such a law.”

Responding to queries on whether imported public drugs carry designated markings, Deputy Minister Kwidini noted that while foreign suppliers stamp bulk drugs with batch numbers reserved for the Zimbabwean public market, internal repackaging by hospital-level cartels previously hindered traceability.

The automated digital system will now pinpoint exact points of diversion—whether at NatPharm or inside local dispensaries—and track whether drugs are being dispensed appropriately to patients.

Deputy Minister Kwidini called on members of the public to report suspected illicit drug diversions and testify in court to aid the conviction of corrupt officials.

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Source: Government vows to complete Maphisa legacy projects – herald

Bruce Ndlovu

Bulawayo Bureau

VICE President Kembo Mohadi has reaffirmed Government’s commitment to completing infrastructure projects initiated in Matabeleland South ahead of the country’s 46th Independence Day celebrations, saying no unfinished project will be abandoned.

He made the assurance yesterday while touring several projects in Maphisa, Matobo District, which hosted the 46th national Independence Day celebrations.

The celebrations brought Matabeleland South’s development needs into sharp national focus, with Government using the occasion to accelerate investment in roads, health, education, sport and skills development.

With the celebrations now over, Government has turned its attention to completing, equipping and putting the infrastructure into full use.

Among the projects inspected by VP Mohadi were the ongoing Bulawayo-Maphisa Road, Mahetshe Primary and Secondary schools, Maphisa Stadium and the School of Nursing at Maphisa District Hospital.

Other projects undertaken as part of the legacy programme include the construction of 41 laboratories across the district, renovation of classroom blocks, eight new classrooms, two Early Childhood Development blocks and eight teachers’ cottages at Mahetshe Primary School.

At Mahetshe Secondary School, Government constructed a 700-seater hall, A-Level block, computer laboratory, staff toilets, administration block and teachers’ cottages.

Government has also rehabilitated and completed Kezi Hospital and Maphisa District Hospital and constructed the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Vocational Training Centre.

VP Mohadi said the projects were part of a broader Government policy of leaving a lasting developmental footprint in provinces hosting national Independence celebrations.

“You have to remember that we don’t do this for Matabeleland South only. The plan is to do this in every province where we hold our Independence celebrations,” he said.

“I’m here to see how far we have gone in finishing and tidying up the projects that we undertook. Some of the projects are lacking a few things here and there, so we have to look at how we tidy everything up and make them complete.”

At Mahetshe Primary School, final works are being completed, while work is continuing at Maphisa Stadium, where bucket seats are being installed.

The stadium is already being used by a local Division One football team.

At Maphisa District Hospital, the Vice-President also inspected the School of Nursing, which has resumed training after nearly two decades.

The institution recently enrolled its first students since 2006, with only 25 students admitted from more than 3 000 applications received.

VP Mohadi said the overwhelming demand demonstrated the need to expand the institution.

“As it has been rightly pointed out, the nursing school had stopped enrolling students in 2006, but now it’s back on its feet again. Our aim now is to see how and when we can increase the number of classes,” he said.

“When I get to Harare, that will be my first task. I have to find out how we can build even more building blocks so that we enrol even more students.”

On the Bulawayo-Maphisa Road, VP Mohadi said funding challenges had slowed progress but Government had now resolved the impasse.

“We had a few problems with roads in terms of funding, but I think we now have a solution to that problem. We are supposed to surface a stretch of 204km and I think that will be done by the end of the year,” he said.

“We have concluded our processes and plans are now advanced for making sure that the funding is availed.”

The road is regarded as a critical infrastructure project for improving connectivity between Bulawayo and communities in Matabeleland South while supporting the movement of people and goods.

VP Mohadi urged communities to protect the infrastructure once completed, saying Government remained committed to seeing projects through to completion. We are the ones that started this job and we are going to finish what we started. Our people should show care for the projects because we are going to finish them in the end,” he said.

“When Government undertakes a project, it will always endeavour to finish it. We will conclude things in a manner that they’re supposed to be done.”

The renewed investment in Maphisa follows the Second Republic’s emphasis on using national events to accelerate development, with infrastructure projects expected to continue benefiting communities long after the Independence celebrations have ended.

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Source: Zim, SA ties hit new highs – herald

Nduduzo Tshuma in JOHANNESBURG, South Africa

ZIMBABWE’S economic resurgence and growing appeal as a safe investment destination, driven by policy reforms under President Mnangagwa, took centre stage at the Zimbabwe-South Africa Business Forum here yesterday amid calls for deeper economic cooperation to drive regional growth.

The forum, held on the sidelines of the Fourth Zimbabwe-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC), brought together 250 business leaders from the two countries, with the discussions focusing on moving beyond traditional trade towards investment, industrialisation, innovation and value addition.

Addressing the Presidential Session at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, President Mnangagwa said the two countries should strengthen their economic partnership by pursuing joint investment, research, innovation and high-impact projects.

He said recent SADC engagements in Durban had reinforced the importance of industrialisation in driving regional development, with Zimbabwe and South Africa playing pivotal roles in advancing that agenda.

President Mnangagwa said disruptions to global supply chains, rapid technological advances and growing competition for strategic resources had exposed the vulnerability of countries that lacked strong productive capabilities.

“Our answer is not to withdraw from the world, but to participate in it from a stronger position. That position of strength is derived from closer cooperation back home and here,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe remained committed to working with its neighbours, the region, Africa and international partners to strengthen production, innovation and livelihoods.

He said while Southern Africa was endowed with critical minerals, fertile agricultural land, industries, universities and technical institutions, the region must ensure its natural resources feeds local industries instead of creating value elsewhere.

The President said young people represented another important resource, with universities, tertiary institutions and innovation hubs already producing ideas and prototypes in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, engineering, energy and information technology.

President Mnangagwa called on financial institutions, development finance institutions and private investors to identify promising innovations and support their mass production, saying some of the industrial solutions required by the region could already be in the hands of its young people.

“Some of the industrial solutions we require may already be sitting in the hands of our young people. This is where the relationship between Zimbabwe and South Africa assumes even greater importance,” he said.

“Our cooperation must not be limited to how much we sell to one another. We need to consider partnerships across the borders, that is, what we can do together.”

Zimbabwean and South African businesses, President Mnangagwa said, are already interconnected through trade in machinery, technology, inputs, services and markets, but the next step should be co-investment, joint research, technological innovation and mobilisation of financing for regional high-impact projects.

“Then, our businesses can use these partnerships to reach markets beyond Zimbabwe and South Africa. That is how a bilateral relationship begins to contribute to the transformation of an entire region,” he said.

President Mnangagwa said governments would continue providing political direction through the BNC and other frameworks while creating an environment where productive investment could thrive, technology could be exchanged and innovation commercialised.

Speaking at the same occasion, President Ramaphosa said while South Africa is Zimbabwe’s largest single source of imports from the rest of the world, there remains considerable scope to grow bilateral trade.

He welcomed Zimbabwe’s decision to eliminate trade restrictions in line with SADC trade protocols, saying this would help unlock further opportunities between the two economies.

President Ramaphosa said the African Continental Free Trade Area also presented an opportunity to expand intra-African trade but stressed that businesses had to turn government agreements into tangible economic activity.

“Governments can determine policy, sign agreements and ratify protocols, but it is business that turns a signed agreement into a shipment, a factory or a job,” he said.

President Ramaphosa said South Africa regarded Zimbabwe as a key regional market for its goods, products and services and remained optimistic about the prospects of the Zimbabwean economy.

Citing the African Development Bank, he said Zimbabwe’s real GDP growth had risen to an estimated 7.5 percent in 2025, driven by growth in sectors including mining and agriculture, while inflation had declined following the introduction of the Zimbabwe Gold currency.

President Ramaphosa said greater economic stability and predictability would give South African exporters and investors confidence to commit capital at scale.

“Zimbabwe is moving ahead in more ways than one, is modernising, it is punching ahead, growing at 7,25 percent and so the economy of Zimbabwe is in great recovery. The mining sector is growing and they are doing a number of very wonderful things,” he said.

“The Zimbabwe that we are dealing with, that we are trading with, is a Zimbabwe that is on the move. So, for us as South Africa, it is a real joy to have a neighbour on our northern side who is growing, becoming a market for us but also a neighbour who would want to start making South Africa a market, creating finished goods that they can bring to South Africa so that we are not the only ones that export finished goods.

“This is where the equalisation must come from; we don’t compete against each other, we compete with each other against the world and indeed the continent.”

President Ramaphosa said the modernisation of the Beitbridge Border Post had helped address longstanding challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, inefficient processes and limited staffing, which had previously resulted in trucks waiting several days to cross.

He said the developments formed part of a broader vision for a corridor linking the Port of Durban to the Democratic Republic of Congo, transforming transport routes into arteries of industry, commerce and employment.

The Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone was cited as an example of the potential to develop industrial corridors supporting mining beneficiation, agriculture, agro-processing, milling and packaging.

President Ramaphosa said Zimbabwe’s exports of gold, chromium ore and semi-finished steel to South Africa presented opportunities for joint ventures that would ensure more refining and finishing took place within the region.

The two governments have established a Joint Technical Committee on Trade and Industry to facilitate cooperation in industrial value chains, infrastructure, special economic zones, trade, tourism, transport and logistics, while work is also progressing on a draft Memorandum of Understanding on Economic Cooperation.

President Ramaphosa said the Business Forum should translate these frameworks into partnerships that create decent jobs, particularly for women and young people, transform value chains and combine the strengths of both economies.

Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa arrived back home last night and was welcomed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga, Cabinet ministers, service chiefs and other senior Government officials.

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Source: City council flags 465 dilapidated buildings – herald

Remember Deketeke

Municipal Correspondent

THE City of Harare has classified 465 properties across the capital as dilapidated, unsightly or requiring remedial works to bring them into compliance with building regulations, amid intensified inspections targeting structures posing risks to public safety and the city’s image.

Acting Harare Town Clerk, Advocate Warren Chiwawa,  said a total of 465 statutory notices and Abatement Orders had been issued to affected property owners under the ongoing enforcement programme, although compliance remained low at around 30 percent.

The latest figures emerged after the City’s Building Inspectorate conducted a check-up blitz, with particular attention being paid to the Central Business District, major arterial roads and other strategic routes where neglected properties have an impact on urban aesthetics, public safety and the general environment.

“During the most recent CBD Building Inspectorate inspection blitz, the City identified 465 properties as dilapidated, unsightly and/or requiring remedial attention to achieve compliance with the applicable building regulations and standards,” Adv Chiwawa said.

He said the exercise is citywide and is not confined to the Central Business District.

However, particular attention has been given to the CBD and properties situated along major arterial and strategic roads, where deterioration has a significant impact on public safety, urban aesthetics and the general city environment.

“Compliance levels remained relatively low at around 30 percent due to the various complexities of the snags and the current wave of inspection blitz will deal with such matters,” Adv Chiwawa said.

He said property owners had a legal obligation to ensure their buildings did not deteriorate to a condition that posed risks to the public or neighbouring properties.

The enforcement programme is being conducted under the Model Building By-Laws (1977), particularly sections 48 and 49, which regulate the condition and maintenance of buildings.

Section 49 prohibits owners or occupiers from allowing buildings to become dangerous to health, unsightly, a disfigurement to the neighbourhood or otherwise offensive to people living or working in the vicinity.

Depending on the severity of the defects, enforcement measures could include statutory notices, Abatement Orders, repair and renovation requirements, securing of premises and restrictions on occupation where public safety was compromised.

Adv Chiwawa said penalties, fines and administrative charges would be imposed in line with approved statutory and Council tariffs rather than through arbitrary blanket charges.

“Applicable fines, administrative charges or penalties will be imposed strictly in accordance with the prevailing approved statutory and Council tariff framework, rather than through an arbitrary blanket penalty,” the Acting Town Clerk said.

Adv Chiwawa said the number of properties identified should not automatically be equated with the number of notices issued, as properties were at different stages of inspection, notification, representations, remedial works and verification.

He added that owners who could not immediately afford repairs were encouraged to engage Council and submit proposals setting out how and when remedial works would be undertaken.

“Financial incapacity does not, in itself, extinguish a statutory obligation to maintain property in a condition that does not endanger public health, public safety or neighbouring properties,” said the Acting Town Clerk.

Adv Chiwawa said they would administer the programme reasonably and proportionately, while prioritising buildings presenting immediate structural, fire, health or public-safety risks.

“Owners experiencing genuine difficulties are encouraged to engage the city, submit representations and, where circumstances permit, propose a credible and time-bound programme of remedial works,” he said.

The City also stressed that Government and municipally owned properties would not be exempt from the standards being applied to private buildings.

“Yes. The underlying public-safety, health and urban-management standards apply irrespective of ownership,” said Adv Chiwawa.

“The City does not consider Government or municipally owned buildings inherently exempt from requirements relating to structural safety, sanitation, maintenance and the prevention of dangerous or unsightly conditions merely by reason of public ownership.”

For City-owned properties, responsible departments have been instructed to identify deficiencies, programme remedial works and make the necessary budgetary provisions.

Council has already commenced remedial works at Town House, its headquarters, while works are also underway at Borrowdale District Office, the new Dzivaresekwa District Office and other municipal facilities.

Upcoming works include the repainting of Cleveland House, the Department of Housing and Community Services headquarters, Remembrance Drive, Mbare and Rowan Martin Building.

Government-owned properties will similarly be referred to the relevant ministries, departments and agencies for remedial action.

The city said the programme was ultimately aimed at ensuring that public safety and compliance standards were applied consistently across Harare.

“The City’s approach is, therefore, based on the principle that public safety and compliance standards should be applied consistently, fairly and without arbitrary distinction between private and public property ownership,” said Adv Chiwawa.

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Source: Zimbabwe and South Africa to sign agreement on offender transfers, correctional services, information sharing – herald

Freeman Razemba

Senior Reporter

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi and South Africa’s Minister of Correctional Services, Dr Pieter Groeneveld, are this week expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

The agreement will focus on the transfer of offenders between South Africa and Zimbabwe, information sharing, human resource development, technical cooperation, exchange visits, and self-sustainability projects in correctional centres, particularly in agriculture and industry.

The bilateral engagement was also attended by South African Police Service National Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale, who highlighted the importance of stronger cooperation between correctional authorities across Africa.

The new agreement is expected to improve collaboration on prison management, rehabilitation programmes, and the handling of foreign national offenders serving sentences in either country.

The two ministers said the agreement will allow South Africa and Zimbabwe to learn from each other, exchange expertise, share best practices, conduct official visits and improve correctional facilities in both countries.

A key part of the proposed agreement is the transfer of offenders between the two countries, allowing South African prisoners in Zimbabwe and Zimbabwean prisoners in South Africa to serve their sentences closer to their families.

Minister Groenewald said research shows many foreign inmates prefer serving their sentences in their home countries because regular family contact plays an important role in rehabilitation and reducing the chances of reoffending.

In his address, Minister Ziyambi said the agreement is part of broader efforts by South Africa and Zimbabwe to strengthen cooperation ahead of the Bi-National Commission meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Mnangagwa.

The MoU will formalise cooperation in offender rehabilitation, knowledge-sharing, staff development, information exchange and prisoner transfers between the two neighbouring countries.

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