Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Govt brings home citizens fleeing SA xenophobic attacks – herald

Thupeyo Muleya-Beitbridge Bureau

SEVENTY-FOUR Zimbabweans repatriated by the Government, through the country’s Embassy in South Africa, arrived at Beitbridge Border Post yesterday morning following xenophobic attacks in Mossel Bay, Western Cape Province.

The group arrived aboard a single bus and was received by officials from the Department of Social Development, Immigration and other border agencies.

Authorities said the returnees will undergo counselling and receive social support before being transported to their respective homes across the country.

The repatriation comes amid escalating protests and attacks on migrants in parts of South Africa, with Mossel Bay among the areas that have reported violence targeting foreign nationals.

The Department of Social Development said returnees will be assessed and provided with psychosocial support, food and transport assistance to help them reintegrate with their families and communities.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Embassy in South Africa has issued a safety advisory urging Zimbabweans in the country to remain vigilant amid continued protests and attacks on migrants by locals across various provinces.

The Embassy advised nationals to avoid areas of unrest, carry identification documents at all times and report any threats or incidents to the nearest police station or Zimbabwean mission.

Beitbridge, Zimbabwe’s busiest inland port and a gateway along the North-South Corridor, has in recent years received several groups of returnees during periods of xenophobic violence in South Africa.

In a recent statement, the country’s Embassy in South Africa said the Government remains committed to assisting affected citizens abroad.

Last week, South Africa activated its National Joint Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) to address issues around violent protests that have left several migrants dead, injured and displaced.

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Source: CCZ calls for collective action on food safety – herald

Nqobile Bhebhe, nqobile.bhebhe@chronicle.co.zw 

THE Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) has called for a collective approach to food safety saying the responsibility does not rest solely on regulators or consumers, but on every stakeholder in the food value chain.

In a statement to mark World Food Safety Day 2026, commemorated on Sunday under the theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere,” CCZ said ensuring food safety requires coordinated efforts from government institutions, local authorities, producers, retailers, enforcement agencies and consumers.

“Food safety is a shared responsibility. It is not the responsibility of regulators alone, nor consumers alone, but a collective obligation involving government institutions, local authorities, producers, retailers, enforcement agencies, and consumers themselves.

“Each actor in the food value chain has a critical role in ensuring that food reaching the consumer is safe and fit for human consumption.”

CCZ said it continues to receive complaints relating to food safety risks in the marketplace, which pose threats to public health and consumer confidence.

“These include expired products on shelves, poor storage conditions, inadequate hygiene in food handling environments, and misleading or incomplete product labelling.

“These challenges represent a burden that consumers continue to carry in their daily lives.”

The consumer watchdog said the challenges should be turned into opportunities to strengthen food safety systems and consumer protection.

“However, this burden also presents an opportunity—an opportunity to strengthen systems, improve enforcement, and promote consumer awareness in a way that delivers lasting solutions.

“As CCZ, we call for a shift from reactive responses to proactive prevention. This includes strengthening food inspection and regulatory enforcement across both formal and informal markets, enhancing compliance with food safety standards by all food business operators, improving coordination between regulators, local authorities, and consumer protection institutions.”

CCZ also called for investment in laboratory testing, surveillance systems and risk-based inspections, while strengthening consumer education on safe food handling and reporting mechanisms.

The council urged consumers to play their part in safeguarding food safety.

“Consumers also have an essential role to play. An informed and empowered consumer is a key line of defence in food safety.

“Consumers are encouraged to remain vigilant by checking expiry dates, observing packaging integrity, reporting unsafe products, and demanding accountability from suppliers and service providers.”

CCZ called on all actors in the food system to transform food safety challenges into practical solutions that protect consumers and strengthen public trust.

“Let us work together to ensure that safe food is not a privilege, but a guarantee for every consumer in Zimbabwe.”

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National carrier ties up deal with Spain’s Plus Ultra for a July 1 launch

Source: Air Zimbabwe misses June deadline for London flights, now targeting early July – Zimbabwe News Now

Air Zimbabwe targeting resumption of London flights on July 1

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‘The gift retrospectively taints every pronouncement he ever made for the benefit of Mnangagwa’

Source: Mnangagwa donation of farm equipment to ex-chief justice raises stink – Zimbabwe News Now

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and retired chief justice Luke Malaba pose for pictures in front of a tractor at State House on June 6, 2026

HARARE — President Emmerson Mnangagwa has presented recently retired Chief Justice Luke Malaba with an agricultural mechanisation package including a tractor, a Nissan UD truck, a boom sprayer, and a planter – drawing sharp criticism from lawyers who say the gift retrospectively taints every ruling Malaba made in the president’s favour.

Malaba retired on May 15 after a tenure marked by persistent accusations that he presided over a politicised judiciary deployed as a tool against the opposition. His exit itself was contentious: when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 70, the Zanu PF government amended the constitution to raise the retirement age for judges to 75, extending his term.

In the months before his retirement, Mnangagwa’s office approved a series of foreign trips for Malaba, allegedly intended to supplement his income ahead of his exit.

ZimLive understands he accumulated hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel and subsistence allowances, with some trips attracting up to $40,000 each. The destinations included Italy, Australia, Namibia, the Seychelles, Morocco, Ethiopia, and Kenya, among nearly a dozen countries visited.

Mnangagwa announced Malaba’s parting gifts on social media on June 6.

“It was my pleasure to welcome the recently retired Chief Justice Luke Malaba to State House today,” the president wrote. “In recognition of his outstanding service spanning decades, unwavering commitment, and exemplary legal leadership within the Zimbabwean judiciary, I presented him with an agricultural mechanisation package to facilitate his transition into post-retirement life.”

The package comprises a tractor, a Nissan UD truck, a boom sprayer, and a planter “to facilitate his agricultural pursuits.”

Mnangagwa added: “As he retires from the judiciary, I encourage him to leverage his vast expertise in the agricultural sector. Our land is a vital asset, and productivity must persist at all levels.”

Lawyers said that although Malaba had retired, accepting gifts from a president whose political interests his court repeatedly served sat deeply uncomfortably.

During his tenure, the judiciary threw out election petitions and, in a move that accelerated damaging divisions within the CCC opposition party, recognised Sengezo Tshabangu as the party’s secretary general, a highly contentious determination that led to the recall of dozens of elected lawmakers.

Advocate Thabani Mpofu, one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent lawyers, was unsparing in his assessment.

“CJ Malaba might have saved Mnangagwa but constitutionally, he never served him. That’s why the sight of him receiving a thank-you or service gift is deeply worrisome,” Mpofu said on Saturday.

“Justices are paid from the common purse and not from a politician’s back pocket. That’s an inflexible tenet to be jealously guarded to the last lawyer standing.”

Mpofu said the legal consequences extended beyond symbolism.

“The gift is legally significant in that it retrospectively taints every pronouncement that has ever been made by Malaba for the benefit of Mnangagwa. That is how the law on bias operates. A court order tainted by bias will, at the application of a concerned party, be set aside – whatever the consequences. Bias, just like fraud, unravels everything.”

Mpofu said he intends to write to Malaba demanding the return of the gifts, warning that legal action would follow if the retired chief justice declined.

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Source: New law to restrict US$4,5bn imports – herald

Oliver Kazunga-Senior Reporter

THE Government intends to restrict the importation of US$$4,5 billion worth of goods that can ordinarily be produced in Zimbabwe, under a proposed new law aimed at boosting industrialisation, creating jobs and reducing pressure on the country’s foreign currency reserves.

The proposed Local Content Act, which the authorities expect to operationalise next year, seeks to curb the importation of products that can be locally manufactured, strengthen local value chains and provide a legal framework for enforcing local content requirements across key sectors of the economy.

Products identified for potential import substitution include tissue paper, toothpicks, chewing gum, pharmaceuticals and a wide range of consumer goods that the authorities say Zimbabwe has the resources, skills and industrial potential to produce locally.

The Government has since established a high-level Local Content National Steering Committee comprising academics, business leaders, industry representatives and technocrats from various ministries.

The committee is chaired by economist and academic Professor Gift Mugano.

In an interview, Prof Mugano said the country could no longer afford to sustain imports of products that can be manufactured locally.

“The starting point is that we have an import bill of US$4,5 billion worth of commodities that can be produced locally,” he said.

“We are importing them because we don’t have a policy framework to stop that importation, which is unnecessary. It is becoming a burden on our fiscus and reserves because we are draining foreign currency unnecessarily.”

The proposed Local Content Act, Prof Mugano said, would operationalise the existing Local Content Strategy by introducing enforceable local content thresholds, as well as regulatory and compliance mechanisms.

Under the proposed framework, companies that meet prescribed local content requirements will qualify for tax and non-fiscal incentives, while those that fail to comply may face penalties.

The Government is also developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered local content rating and certification system that will assess companies based on their localisation performance.

The authorities have since identified 16 strategic sectors that account for a significant share of Zimbabwe’s import bill.

Studies assessing the country’s capacity to substitute imports have already been completed in nine sectors, while the remaining ones are being assessed through an ongoing state of industry study.

“The information from these studies will become the raw material for developing the principles that will underpin the Local Content Act,” said Prof Mugano.

Zimbabwe, he said, spends more than US$200 million annually importing tissue paper and over US$300 million on pharmaceuticals despite having the potential to produce many of these products domestically.

“We cannot continue importing products such as toothpicks, chewing gum, tissue paper and pharmaceuticals when we have the potential to produce many of them locally,” he said.

Prof Mugano further said the proposed legislation would become a key pillar of the Zimbabwe National Industrial Development Policy 2 (ZNIDP2) for 2026-2030, which seeks to accelerate industrialisation, deepen domestic value chains and transform Zimbabwe into a competitive manufacturing and export-led economy.

Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu recently announced an industrialisation drive aimed at substituting more than US$4 billion worth of imports through domestic production.

“The Local Content Strategy on its own is not enough. We need a Local Content Act to operationalise the framework and provide a clear implementation mechanism,” said Prof Mugano.

“We are quite advanced in driving the agenda of localising production and eliminating unnecessary imports. We are very certain that the Local Content Act will be operationalised by next year. By the end of this year, we expect to have completed studies covering all 16 sectors and developed draft principles for the Act.”

Official trade statistics show the scale of Zimbabwe’s reliance on imported consumer products.

Between 2021 and 2025, the country spent more than US$140 million importing beauty, cosmetic and personal care products, a sector that the authorities believe presents significant opportunities for local manufacturing.

Beauty makeup and skincare products accounted for the largest share of the import bill at US$43,6 million, while imports of toothpaste and related dental products cost about US$20 million.

Perfumes, deodorants and antiperspirants accounted for US$16,4 million, while petroleum jelly imports reached US$13,6 million.

Zimbabwe also spent US$22 million importing eyebrows and eyelashes, US$8,5 million on human hair and wigs, US$3,2 million on bath salts and nearly US$2 million each on sunscreen and shower gels.

Economist Dr Davison Gomo said the initiative could play a critical role in rebuilding Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector, which has struggled to compete against imported products for years.

“The reason these goods come into the country is that our internal manufacturing capacity is still well below where it should be. Our entrepreneurial capacity to produce a variety of goods is also subdued to a large extent,” he said.

Official data shows that manufacturing sector capacity utilisation increased to 57 percent in the first quarter of this year from 47,7 percent during the corresponding period last year, reflecting growing industrial activity supported by macro-economic stability.

Dr Gomo said strengthening domestic production would not only create jobs but also help curb smuggling, counterfeiting and corruption.

“If local industry cannot adequately supply the market, you create opportunities for illegal trade and corruption.

“In the end, the Government finds itself competing against an invisible force driven by corruption,” he said.

He added that local content policies are globally recognised tools for nurturing domestic industries and enhancing competitiveness.

“The objective is to build a functioning manufacturing sector that can absorb young people coming out of colleges and universities and create products that can compete in local, regional and international markets.”

Another economic commentator, Ms Wendy Mpofu, said the proposed legislation could become a landmark intervention in Zimbabwe’s industrialisation journey.

“The Local Content Act has the potential to become one of the most important industrial policy interventions since independence. If implemented effectively, it can reduce import dependence, preserve foreign currency, stimulate domestic investment and accelerate the revival of Zimbabwe’s manufacturing sector,” she said.

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