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Source: Bulawayo residents call for better roads as city launches service scorecard — CITEZW

Bulawayo residents have used the launch of a new Citizen Engagement Scorecard to raise concerns over the deteriorating state of the city’s roads, saying potholes are damaging vehicles and making it difficult to access essential services.

The scorecard, launched by the City of Bulawayo in partnership with the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works at the Small City Hall on Wednesday, will allow residents to assess service delivery and provide feedback on areas they believe need improvement.

Steven Nkomo, the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association Ward 11 chairman, said the condition of the roads was being worsened by continued use and called for vehicle insurance funds paid by motorists in Bulawayo to be channelled back to the city.

“Our roads are being damaged every day. Even if we try to fix the roads, our roads are being damaged because of the cars that are being driven on the roads. The problem that we now have is that the car insurance that we pay no longer goes to the City Council but it now goes to the central government, and then, once that is done, Bulawayo is given a small amount of income to maintain the city. What we are asking for is that the car insurance for the Bulawayo cars gets paid in Bulawayo and not the central government so that we can receive that money and be able to fix our roads. As long as the money keeps on going to the central government, the roads will never be fixed,” said Nkomo.

Melusi Sibanda said residents in his area had considered finding their own materials to fill potholes, but said they still needed council assistance.

“Pertaining to potholes, there has been a high rate of potholes in the city, a lot of cars are being damaged by these potholes. I told the councillor for my area that we need to put sand to cover these potholes and we will find our own gravel. It will be difficult when I’m going to the hospital and then my car gets damaged by the potholes on my way to the hospital, we really need council assistance,” said Sibanda.

Isheanesu Gumbo, a resident of Cowdray Park, said the lack of proper roads was contributing to poor relations between residents and the local authority.

“There are no roads to talk about, we don’t have roads as Bulawayo. The relationship between us and the City Council is not good because we pay our taxes and we do not receive the services, we are the ones who suffer at the end of the day,” said Gumbo.

Bulawayo City Council Acting Town Clerk Sikhangele Zhou said the scorecard was intended to give residents a direct way of identifying areas where the local authority was failing to provide adequate services.

“This is why the government created this platform so that the residents can help point out to us where we are lacking and where we are not responsive. This platform is being launched so that on your phone we can answer the questions. For instance, residents have been talking about the poor conditions of the roads, but if you go to our AI report survey, you will find out that there are no good roads. The report says we must address the emergency responses such as water and things to do with fire breakouts, so in terms of the road rehabilitation, let’s keep the responses as honest as possible because we cannot improve if we do not address the situation. We will attend the emergency responses and leave the road because we will deem that roads are not urgent because people will not be honest,” said Zhou.

The post Bulawayo residents call for better roads as city launches service scorecard appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Prosecution consents to her release on bail

Source: Mnangagwa’s daughter-in-law, uncle granted US$1,000 bail each – Zimbabwe News Now

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HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s daughter-in-law Kelsea Tadiwa Tafirenyika and her uncle, Isaac Arab Jessub, have each been granted US$1,000 bail by the High Court after successfully challenging a magistrate’s decision to deny them bail.

Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, sitting at the High Court in Harare on Thursday, allowed the appeal by consent and substituted the magistrate’s August 13 ruling with an order admitting both accused to bail.

The court directed each accused to deposit US$1,000 with the clerk of the Harare Magistrates Court.

They were also ordered to surrender their passports, report to police once every fortnight and remain at specified residential addresses until the criminal proceedings are finalised.

Tafirenyika must report to Borrowdale Police Station on Fridays, while Jessub is required to report to Hatfield Police Station.

Justice Kwenda ordered that the two “shall not interfere with State witnesses, exhibits or police investigations.”

The pair are facing charges of unlawful possession of pethidine for the purpose of dealing and unlawful possession of unregistered medicines.

They were represented by Advocate Sylvester Hashiti, instructed by Admire Rubaya and Malvern Mapako of Rubaya and Chatambudza legal practice.

Tafirenyika was arrested on August 4 following a raid at her Greystone Park home by detectives from the CID Drugs and Narcotics Unit.

The State alleges that detectives recovered more than 200 ampoules of pethidine and morphine from her bedroom and five rolls of cannabis from her Lamborghini.

The prosecution had opposed bail, arguing that investigations were continuing, the alleged supplier of the drugs was yet to be arrested and that Tafirenyika was a flight risk.

The post Mnangagwa’s daughter-in-law, uncle granted US$1,000 bail each appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Zimbabwe moves to regulate e-hailing services amid revenue concerns — CITEZW

The Zimbabwean government is preparing to regulate e-hailing services such as InDrive, Bolt and Tap and Go, amid concerns over lost revenue and the absence of a clear legal framework governing the sector.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona told Parliament that Cabinet had directed his ministry to explore ways of bringing e-hailing services into the country’s public transport regulatory framework.

The move comes as app-based transport services become increasingly popular in urban areas and an important source of income for young people.

Responding to questions from MPs Chenjerai Kangausaru, James Chidakwa and Trymore Kanupula, Mhona said e-hailing services were not currently covered by the Road Motor Transportation Act.

“As per the Road Motor Transportation Act, there is currently no provision for e-hailing services. Recognising this gap, we have engaged in discussions and the Cabinet has directed us to explore this matter further,” he said.

Mhona said the ministry was preparing a Statutory Instrument as an interim measure while work continued on a broader regulatory framework.

“In response to the concerns highlighted by Hon. Kangausaru, we recognise the importance of moving forward swiftly. Therefore, in the short term, we are preparing a relevant Statutory Instrument to address these concerns,” he said.

Kangausaru had asked whether the government would amend the Road Motor Transportation Act to formally recognise and regulate e-hailing services, citing South Africa’s approach to bringing operators into the public transport regulatory system.

He said e-hailing platforms had become an important source of employment and income for young people while providing a convenient and increasingly popular form of transport in urban areas.

Kangausaru also questioned whether the government was losing potential tax revenue and licence fees by allowing the sector to operate without a comprehensive regulatory framework.

“Given the rapid growth of the e-hailing sector, is the Government not potentially foregoing tax revenue, licence fees and other relevant income by allowing the sector to operate without a clear and comprehensive state framework?” he asked.

He also asked what measures were being considered to ensure e-hailing operators contributed to public revenue without undermining youth employment or affordable transport.

Mhona acknowledged that the government was losing revenue from the sector.

“Indeed, we are facing a significant loss of revenue, particularly because the current e-hailing platforms do not operate through established systems,” he said.

“These platforms are merely applications that can be downloaded on mobile devices, which complicates revenue collection.”

He said the ministry was examining ways of working with the platforms to establish appropriate revenue collection mechanisms.

The proposed regulation has also raised concerns about the cost of transport.

Chidakwa warned that excessive taxes and charges on e-hailing operators could ultimately be passed on to passengers.

“Punitive charges to InDrive and the likes can only increase the cost of transport for the travelling public,” he said.

He urged the government to keep registration and other charges to a minimum, arguing that higher operating costs would eventually be borne by commuters.

Mhona said the government would consider the impact of additional charges as part of its broader ease-of-doing-business policy.

“The Government is advocating for ease of doing business,” he said.

“We will also closely examine additional charges to ensure they align with our goal of facilitating a more business-friendly environment.”

Kanupula raised concerns about possible arrests of e-hailing drivers before the new regulations are introduced.

He said many people depended on the platforms for their livelihoods and asked whether drivers would be given notice before enforcement action was taken.

Mhona said the ministry would engage local authorities to address the issue.

“This issue extends beyond the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development; it is an inter-ministerial concern that requires collaborative deliberation,” he said.

He said the ministry would meet councils and municipal authorities to discuss the matter and promised that the public would be given feedback.

The government is also considering bringing tricycles, particularly those operating in rural areas, into the registration system.

Mhona said the ministry was committed to regulating the sector but urged the public to be patient as the process continued.

The planned Statutory Instrument is expected to provide an interim legal framework for e-hailing services while the government works on longer-term changes to transport legislation.

For drivers and operators, the changes could mean new registration requirements, safety standards and fees. For the government, they could open up a new source of revenue.

For commuters, however, the key question will be whether regulation improves safety and accountability without making app-based transport significantly more expensive.

The government will therefore have to strike a balance between regulating a rapidly growing industry, collecting revenue and keeping transport affordable for the people who depend on it.

The post Zimbabwe moves to regulate e-hailing services amid revenue concerns appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Plumtree bans use of unregulated natural aggregates in construction — CITEZW

Plumtree Town Council has banned the use of unregulated natural stone and building aggregates in construction projects within the town, citing the need to preserve the town’s character, protect the environment and maintain building standards.

The directive, which takes effect on 30 November 2026, applies to property owners, developers, architects, engineers and building contractors undertaking construction work in Plumtree.

In a notice issued on Thursday, Town Secretary Thembelani Nyoní said the council was exercising its statutory planning and development-control powers to regulate the materials used in construction.

“Council, in the exercise of its statutory planning and development-control functions, is mandated to restrict the use of natural unregulated aggregates in any construction works within the Plumtree Town area,” Nyoní said.

Nyoni said the measure was intended to promote “orderly and harmonious development”, preserve the character and visual amenity of Plumtree, maintain appropriate building standards and protect the town’s environmental and natural resources.

The decision is being implemented with reference to Section 75(1)(d) of the Regional Town and Country Planning Act [Chapter 29:12], which empowers planning authorities to regulate, among other things, the materials that may be used in building construction.

He said developers must also ensure that all construction works comply with applicable Model Building By-Laws, approved building plans, planning  and other requirements imposed by the local authority.

Council further cited the Plumtree Town (Environmental and Natural Resources Conservation) By-Laws, S.I. 98 of 2025, which provide for the conservation and protection of natural resources and the environment within the council’s jurisdiction.

Under the new directive, all aggregates used for construction after 30 November must be sourced from accredited suppliers and collected only from designated points.

“Accordingly, with effect from 30 November 2026, no development shall make use of natural aggregates. All aggregates used for construction works shall require receipts from accredited suppliers, and collected from designated points only,” the council said.

It warned that failure to comply with the directive would attract penalties.

The move places an obligation on developers and construction professionals to verify the source of aggregates used on building sites and retain receipts as proof that the materials were obtained from approved suppliers.

The post Plumtree bans use of unregulated natural aggregates in construction appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

The death toll from Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba ferry disaster has risen to 97 after search teams recovered the bodies of a young boy and a woman on Thursday, the 10th day of operations on the lake. The recoveries brought the number of identified victims to 93, after police released the names of 10 more people […]

The post Kariba death toll rises to 97 as police release names and ages of 93 identified victims… family almost buried wrong body! first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.