Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Arron Nyamayaro

Herald Reporter

ON Unity Day, Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume spread festive cheer by donating livestock to five children’s homes.

This contribution was part of a broader distribution of groceries to help support the children during the festive season.

The donation was handed over to St Christopher’s Children’s Home, which cares for children with disabilities, as well as Danai Children’s Home, Wings of Grace Orphanage, Mavambo Orphanage Trust, and St Marceline Children’s Home.

The groceries were generously provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, demonstrating the spirit of community support.

Clr Mafume emphasised the importance of giving during the festive season.

“We visited Hatcliffe, Westgate, and Aspindale today to kick off the Christmas spirit. As City Fathers, we believe it is our duty to support disadvantaged children in various homes.

“I extend my heartfelt thanks to our steadfast ally, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for their donations,” he stated.

In addition to groceries, the mayor’s donation of livestock aims to ensure the five homes have sufficient resources to celebrate the season.

“We invite more corporates, churches, and individuals to consider supporting our children’s homes,” he urged.

Gogo Winnet Gwanzura, director of Wings of Grace Orphanage, expressed her gratitude, saying, “We care for 30 children and also look after 49 others in the Mufakose community. A big thank you to the church members and Mayor Mafume for this generous gesture. May your blessings multiply.”

Egiphah Kusangaya, director of Danai Children’s Home, acknowledged the timely nature of the donation.

“With the festive season upon us, children eagerly anticipate special treats. This donation will boost their spirits and bring smiles to their faces,” she remarked.

Clr Mafume also made a notable visit to three Pick n Pay supermarkets, where he picked up the groceries in under five minutes, drawing the attention of numerous shoppers who followed his entourage.

Meanwhile, many Harare residents marked Unity Day by gathering with loved ones, enjoying barbecues at recreational centres and homes, celebrating the togetherness of the season.

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Arron Nyamayaro

IN a direct appeal to the public, the Zimbabwe Republic Police has urged holiday travellers to act as frontline reporters against reckless drivers as part of a heightened nationwide safety operation during the festive season.

Addressing travellers at Mbare Musika terminus yesterday, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi called on passengers to directly engage highway patrol officers to report any traffic violations witnessed during their journeys.

This citizen-centric strategy is expected to complement the deployment of specialised all-terrain police vehicles to patrol major highways. The operation, ordered by Commissioner General Stephen Mutamba, specifically targets long-distance buses and kombis known for overloading, speeding, and disregarding traffic laws.

“As the ZRP, in collaboration with various stakeholders such as the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID), Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe, and the Zimbabwe Public Transport Organisation (ZPTO), we encourage travellers to report any driver or transport company violating traffic rules,” Comm Nyathi  said.

He added: “As passengers, you are not helpless. We encourage you to report any driver or transport company violating traffic rules to our patrolling officers.

“The police will not hesitate to impound unroadworthy vehicles. Your alertness can save lives.”

The Commissioner’s warning was underscored during his address when a Motsi Motors bus bound for Mhondoro was pulled over just minutes from the terminus. Its conductor, Regment Majaragwa, was fined on the spot for overloading and failing to produce an operator’s identification card.

Comm. Nyathi issued stern warnings against the perennial hazards on Zimbabwean roads: drunk driving and overloading.

“People are not goods. Overloading leads to tyre bursts and loss of control,” he cautioned. “Those caught driving under the influence will face the full wrath of the law.”

Echoing the police’s stance, the ZPTO revealed its own monitoring system.

ZPTO Chairperson Dr Sam Nhanhanga said the organisation has acquired vehicles to track its members’ buses and maintains an industry blacklist for serial offenders.

“We will hand over any misbehaving driver to the police,” Dr Nhanhanga said.

“We have seen improvements this year, with less harassment from touts and smoother boarding, which reduces the rush that causes dangerous driving.”

Traveller Ms Tapiwa Nharu, who was heading to Buhera, praised the improvements at the Mbare Musika terminus.

“The strong police presence here gives us confidence. We now know we have a way to report problems directly,” she said.

Comm Nyathi reiterated that the police’s provincial and district commanders across the country have been mobilised to ensure a visible security presence on roads and at transport hubs throughout the holiday period.

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Tadious Manyepo

Zimpapers Sports Hub

MARIAN “MARIO” MARINICA is hurting after seeing his Warriors surrender the lead, rather easily, before losing their opening Africa Cup of Nations Group B match to continental heavyweights Egypt in Agadir, Morocco on Monday night.

It was the closest Zimbabwe had come to breaking a 14-match jinx against the mighty Pharoahs after Tanzania-based striker Prince Dube had put them ahead after 20 minutes.

But after a gallant show in which they seemed to repel everything which the Egyptians threw at them, Marinica saw his charges drop their guard in the second half.

It was in contrast to the disciplined first manner in which they had applied themselves in the opening period, despite also surviving an avalanche of Egyptian attacks in the game’s opening stages.

The Warriors first surrendered when they allowed the North Africans to level matters via Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush’s goal before they eventually conceded a heartbreaking second at the death after skipper Mohamed Salah struck the sucker punch.

This meant the Warriors have once again lost their opening game at the Nations Cup in six appearances at the continental football show-piece.

It is also the third time they have lost to the Pharaohs at the Nations Cup group stage.

With South Africa also beating Angola 2-1 in the opening Group B game, Zimbabwe were left to anchor the standings, albeit, on alphabetical order, at the close of the Match Day One proceedings.

But as they switched bases from Agadir to Marrakech yesterday, so did the Warriors shift their attention to their upcoming decisive Group B assignment against Angola on Friday.

The Warriors will need to shift gears up in their last two games if they are to advance to the Round of 16 in what will be Zimbabwe’s first time to pull through the group stages at the AFCON.

After facing Angola on Boxing Day the Warriors will wrap up their group fixtures with another COSAFA derby clash rivals South Africa on December 29.

Marinica yesterday stressed that after he felt his men had slackened in a match they could have caused a major upset and beat the Egyptians.

The former Liberia and Malawi gaffer said: “To be honest, I was saying to the players in the changing room that sometimes teams that are this small are afraid to win matches.

“They are afraid to push hard like they did in the first half. Even though we shouted and gave instructions, the players still dropped too much, giving too much respect to the opponents.

“You cannot drop off. With these fantastic players like Egypt have, they will beat us, so we had to be aggressive and take our chances and not be fazed.”

While lamenting the lost chance to grab at least a point against the record seven-time African champions on Monday, Marinica still holds onto the firm belief that his Warriors will pull through in their next two games.

“I believe in my players,” he added.

“I believe that the players we put on the pitch could have won, but it is what it is. It is just one match and we are very proud of what we have done.

“Now, we have to move on and get four points from the next two matches (against Angola and South Africa).”

Practically, the Warriors can qualify for the next round with four points in the bag.

Marinica knows that very well after he did so with Malawi at the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.

The Flames clipped third place with four points under their belts in a group topped by Senegal with Guinea (also on four points) taking second place.

Zimbabwe were in the same pool and anchored proceedings with just three points.

And it is the experience that he picked with Malawi that is giving Marinica reason to believe.

With Malawi, just like what happened on Monday, Marinica narrowly lost 1-0 to Guinea in the opening game, in which the Flames defended gallantly before breaking down in the dying stages.

He then won his second game 2-1 against Zimbabwe and he is now looking at beating Angola on Friday to possibly repeat his feat with Malawi.

Skipper Marvellous Nakamba attributed their defeat to a lapse in concentration.

“I think we were almost there against Egypt but then we lapsed a bit.

“It’s quite a painful defeat but we pick the positives and move on.

“The next match will be key. We have to concentrate for the entire 90 minutes,” Nakamba said.

The Warriors and their legion of fans will be hoping to build on the momentum shown in the brave show against the Pharaohs.

Among the key positives from that opener was the assuring performance between the sticks from veteran goalkeeper Washington Arubi and the imperious showing in midfield and down the left channel by Jonah Fabisch and Daniel Msendami.

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Africa Moyo

Deputy National Editor

THE Second Republic is proud of the milestones it achieved this year in several sectors of the economy including agriculture, infrastructure development, economic stability, health improvements and education reforms, Acting President Dr Kembo Mohadi said yesterday.

In an exclusive interview, he said the Government was particularly impressed by the achievements in the agricultural sector, especially the wheat sub-sector and they would want other sectors to emulate the model to ensure the transformation of peoples’ lives.

“In 2025, the Government of Zimbabwe has made noteworthy strides towards an upper-middle-income society, with notable achievements in infrastructure, agriculture, mining, health, and fiscal stability,” said Acting President Mohadi.

Some key successes, he said, included significant investments in transport and energy infrastructure, improving connectivity between rural and urban areas, boosting trade and mobility; and access to essential services.

“The commissioning of the Trababalas Interchange is one of the major highlights in the transport sector.”

In agriculture, Acting President Mohadi said the Government had implemented programmes boosting food security, which were achieved through enhanced modern technology and climate-smart agriculture, commonly known as the Pfumvudza/Intwasa model.

The growth in agricultural output “is not by chance”, particularly wheat production resulting in more than 640 000 tonnes this year, but to a mix of deliberate planning, strong Government support, mechanisation, irrigation and strategic partnerships, among other factors, he said.

“Anchored on the NDS 1, the Government had forward-looking targets and policies.

“The country aimed for self-sufficiency in wheat and prioritisation of local production over imports ensured farmers had guaranteed markets and price stability.

“Investments in mechanisation and technology (through) the strategic partnership with Belarus and Iran, among other countries, made sure farmers have efficient tractors and combine harvesters, which boosted farm production.

“This, together with good agronomic practices, maximised yields and minimised losses. These strategies, collectively, contributed to revitalising the agricultural sector, particularly in wheat production, marking a significant turnaround,” said the Acting President.

Only Zimbabwe and Ethiopia are wheat self-sufficient in Africa.

The year also saw the launch of artificial-intelligence-powered grain silos across the country, which are expected to have a “profound reduction in post-harvest losses experienced in the past”, he said.

Already, AI-powered silos have been commissioned in Kwekwe and Mutare, with more expected in 2026.

In the health sector, healthcare access has ben expanded, especially in rural communities, through the expansion of rural health centres and the digitisation of health records improved access to care.

“There is a marked improvement in the deployment of road and air ambulances within the emergency medical sector in response to road traffic accidents and other emergencies,” said the Acting President.

Fiscal stability consolidation, exchange rate stability and moderated inflation that resulted in investor confidence, “was among our major achievements in 2025”.

“Our ability to moderate the inflation compared to previous years resulted in improved household purchasing power, which is a plus for our people,” said Acting President Mohadi.

In the education sector, there were investments in educational infrastructure and curriculum updates aimed at equipping youths with skills relevant to the job market.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education launched digital learning platforms to expand access to education, especially in rural communities.

Acting President Mohadi said the recent launch of Luzibo FM by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, which is a dedicated educational radio station, is also a milestone.

“Also, our universities are thriving in the production of goods and services for the community; for example, Bindura University of Science Education is finalising the Chiringa M&E Dashboard adopted by the Government to monitor projects,” said the Acting President.

Through the Chiringa M&E Dashboard, Government officials are able to monitor progress of projects from anywhere in the world.

In respect of road infrastructure, the Second Republic continued with most of the projects, with the signature one being the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, on which only 37km are outstanding and should be completed in the first quarter of 2026. This means out of the 585km long highway, 548km have been completed and opened to traffic.

Despite the successes, Acting President Mohadi said there were some challenges, which saw them miss set deadlines on some projects, including the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.

“As a country, we are not receiving much in terms of credit lines; as such, we are financing most of our projects through local resources, and to be able to do that, we have to have great fiscal discipline to attract the few private-public partnerships which are driving our economic growth.

“Given the economic importance of the road to the country and region, completion of the road remains the Government’s priority.

“It is worth noting that over 500km of the 580km highway are already open to traffic, and the final stretches are expected to be finished by the first quarter of 2026,” he said.

Acting President Mohadi said citizens should appreciate that the rehabilitation of roads is being done using local financial resources, “which alone tells you the level of balancing act the Government has to do in allocating resources among competing national priorities”.

Apart from financial challenges, construction of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, has been affected by weather and environmental factors, such as heavy rains in parts of Masvingo and Mwenezi, which damaged temporary works and slowed construction, forcing the rescheduling of certain phases, he said.

Next year, the Government planned to continue with infrastructure projects and social protection measures, to ensure no one and no place is left behind.

Acting President Mohadi then wished Zimbabweans merry Christmas tomorrow and a prosperous New Year.

The post ‘We are proud of our 2025 achievements’ appeared first on herald.

The post ‘We are proud of our 2025 achievements’ appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Africa Moyo

Deputy National Editor

THE Second Republic is proud of the milestones it achieved this year in several sectors of the economy including agriculture, infrastructure development, economic stability, health improvements and education reforms, Acting President Dr Kembo Mohadi said yesterday.

In an exclusive interview, he said the Government was particularly impressed by the achievements in the agricultural sector, especially the wheat sub-sector and they would want other sectors to emulate the model to ensure the transformation of peoples’ lives.

“In 2025, the Government of Zimbabwe has made noteworthy strides towards an upper-middle-income society, with notable achievements in infrastructure, agriculture, mining, health, and fiscal stability,” said Acting President Mohadi.

Some key successes, he said, included significant investments in transport and energy infrastructure, improving connectivity between rural and urban areas, boosting trade and mobility; and access to essential services.

“The commissioning of the Trababalas Interchange is one of the major highlights in the transport sector.”

In agriculture, Acting President Mohadi said the Government had implemented programmes boosting food security, which were achieved through enhanced modern technology and climate-smart agriculture, commonly known as the Pfumvudza/Intwasa model.

The growth in agricultural output “is not by chance”, particularly wheat production resulting in more than 640 000 tonnes this year, but to a mix of deliberate planning, strong Government support, mechanisation, irrigation and strategic partnerships, among other factors, he said.

“Anchored on the NDS 1, the Government had forward-looking targets and policies.

“The country aimed for self-sufficiency in wheat and prioritisation of local production over imports ensured farmers had guaranteed markets and price stability.

“Investments in mechanisation and technology (through) the strategic partnership with Belarus and Iran, among other countries, made sure farmers have efficient tractors and combine harvesters, which boosted farm production.

“This, together with good agronomic practices, maximised yields and minimised losses. These strategies, collectively, contributed to revitalising the agricultural sector, particularly in wheat production, marking a significant turnaround,” said the Acting President.

Only Zimbabwe and Ethiopia are wheat self-sufficient in Africa.

The year also saw the launch of artificial-intelligence-powered grain silos across the country, which are expected to have a “profound reduction in post-harvest losses experienced in the past”, he said.

Already, AI-powered silos have been commissioned in Kwekwe and Mutare, with more expected in 2026.

In the health sector, healthcare access has ben expanded, especially in rural communities, through the expansion of rural health centres and the digitisation of health records improved access to care.

“There is a marked improvement in the deployment of road and air ambulances within the emergency medical sector in response to road traffic accidents and other emergencies,” said the Acting President.

Fiscal stability consolidation, exchange rate stability and moderated inflation that resulted in investor confidence, “was among our major achievements in 2025”.

“Our ability to moderate the inflation compared to previous years resulted in improved household purchasing power, which is a plus for our people,” said Acting President Mohadi.

In the education sector, there were investments in educational infrastructure and curriculum updates aimed at equipping youths with skills relevant to the job market.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education launched digital learning platforms to expand access to education, especially in rural communities.

Acting President Mohadi said the recent launch of Luzibo FM by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, which is a dedicated educational radio station, is also a milestone.

“Also, our universities are thriving in the production of goods and services for the community; for example, Bindura University of Science Education is finalising the Chiringa M&E Dashboard adopted by the Government to monitor projects,” said the Acting President.

Through the Chiringa M&E Dashboard, Government officials are able to monitor progress of projects from anywhere in the world.

In respect of road infrastructure, the Second Republic continued with most of the projects, with the signature one being the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway, on which only 37km are outstanding and should be completed in the first quarter of 2026. This means out of the 585km long highway, 548km have been completed and opened to traffic.

Despite the successes, Acting President Mohadi said there were some challenges, which saw them miss set deadlines on some projects, including the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.

“As a country, we are not receiving much in terms of credit lines; as such, we are financing most of our projects through local resources, and to be able to do that, we have to have great fiscal discipline to attract the few private-public partnerships which are driving our economic growth.

“Given the economic importance of the road to the country and region, completion of the road remains the Government’s priority.

“It is worth noting that over 500km of the 580km highway are already open to traffic, and the final stretches are expected to be finished by the first quarter of 2026,” he said.

Acting President Mohadi said citizens should appreciate that the rehabilitation of roads is being done using local financial resources, “which alone tells you the level of balancing act the Government has to do in allocating resources among competing national priorities”.

Apart from financial challenges, construction of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway, has been affected by weather and environmental factors, such as heavy rains in parts of Masvingo and Mwenezi, which damaged temporary works and slowed construction, forcing the rescheduling of certain phases, he said.

Next year, the Government planned to continue with infrastructure projects and social protection measures, to ensure no one and no place is left behind.

Acting President Mohadi then wished Zimbabweans merry Christmas tomorrow and a prosperous New Year.

The post ‘We are proud of our 2025 achievements’ appeared first on herald.

The post ‘We are proud of our 2025 achievements’ appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.