Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

RABAT, Morocco — South Africa and Zimbabwe put on a proper show during an uncharacteristically open match between the two countries in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco. The final result was a 3-2 win for Bafana Bafana, which sealed passage to the round of 16 for Hugo Broos’ men.

Goals from Tshepang Moremi, Lyle Foster and Oswin Appollis did the job for Bafana Bafana. The South Africans had come into the match under pressure to secure a positive result after faltering in their second Group B game against Egypt, where they lost 1-0.

In what turned out to be an extremely frantic encounter overall, Bafana Bafana started on a strong note. Orlando Pirates winger Moremi curled in the opening goal of the high-stakes Group B encounter after just seven minutes.

Bafana Bafana then gradually eased the foot off the accelerator, as they did in their opening match against Angola. This eventually allowed Scotland-based Tawanda Maswanhise enough space to bamboozle the Bafana Bafana defensive line with a mesmerising run that shocked the South Africans.

The two teams went into the second half level after cancelling each other out in the opening stanza. In the second round of their bout, it was a similar blow-by-blow sequence. English Premier League-based striker Foster restored Bafana Bafana’s lead on 50 minutes, following a defensive mix-up by Zimbabwe.

However, Bafana Bafana once again allowed the Warriors back into the match. The Zimbabweans refused to let up, knowing that only three points would guarantee them a place in the knockout phase.

Luck was on their side as a defence-splitting pass by Tawanda Chirewa from deep in the midfield caught South Africa’s defenders sleeping in the 73rd minute.

South African goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams saved Maswanhise’s subsequent strike, but the goalminder could do nothing to prevent Aubrey Modiba’s own goal after the ball bounced off the left-back and flew into the net following the save by Williams. More pressure on Bafana.

South Africa had bemoaned how the match officials treated them in the previous match, with Broos loudly crying foul. Against the Warriors, the video assistant referee (VAR) came to Bafana Bafana’s aid after onfield referee Mustapha Kechchaf had missed Marvelous Nakamba’s blatant diving handball inside the box.

After briefly watching replays at the behest of his VAR colleagues, Kechchaf awarded a penalty to South Africa. Up stepped Appollis to calmly dispatch the spot-kick on 82 minutes, for his second goal of the 2025 Afcon tournament in Morocco.

From then on, Bafana Bafana were able to hold on and claim the crucial three points. They ended their group campaign on six points from three matches.

That haul was only good enough for second place, though, with Egypt claiming first spot with seven points. Mohamed Salah and his teammates were held to a 0-0 draw by Angola, who finished third in Group B.

No tournament vibe

Ahead of the tournament, Bafana Bafana coach Broos said the atmosphere in Morocco has been flat. The Belgian coach is a veteran of two Afcons. He won the tournament in 2017 with Cameroon. The 73-year-old then guided Bafana Bafana to bronze at the 2023 edition.

“I don’t feel the same vibe compared to what I felt in the Gabon (2017) or Ivory Coast (2023) editions,” Broos said.

“I don’t know how to explain it, but in Ivory Coast and in Gabon, you felt you were in a tournament. When we went by bus to train, people were waving and showing off flags. Here, there is nothing,” he added.

Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie was one of the few fans who made it into the 41,000-seater Marrakesh Stadium, in what has indeed been a poorly attended Afcon. The 51-year-old chose to sit among the fans, as opposed to the VIP box.

Bafana Bafana will need to step up their game for the knockout stage, where their opponents are yet to be determined. Their group stage displays were average at best. DM

LONDON – Much of the team’s success is being put down to Emery, the Spanish coach whose savvy tactics, well-timed substitutions and belief in his players leaves no task insurmountable.

Like when Villa trailed — and was being outclassed — at Stamford Bridge at the weekend, before Watkins’ entrance off the bench. Or when Villa twice went behind at West Ham two weeks earlier before winning 3-2. Or when Villa went 2-0 down at Brighton on Dec. 3, only to fight back for a 4-3 victory. Two weeks before that, Villa conceded early at Leeds and rallied for a 2-1 win.

It means Villa goes to Emirates Stadium — where Arsenal hasn’t lost in any competition this season and has taken 25 points from a possible 27 in the Premier League — seeking a sixth straight away win.

The match might be regarded as much a test of Arsenal’s title credentials as Villa’s.

“Not really,” Emery, a former Arsenal manager, replied on Saturday when asked if his team can stay in the title race.

No one will believe him three days later if Villa — most recently English champion in 1981 — racks up another win.

Key matchups

City, which is two points behind Arsenal in second place, doesn’t play until Thursday when Pep Guardiola’s team travels to Sunderland protecting an eight-match winning run.

Liverpool has steadied without being entirely convincing and is looking for a fifth straight win in a home match against Leeds, also on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Chelsea — in fifth place — hosts Bournemouth and sixth-place Manchester United is at home to last-place Wolverhampton, which is still without a win in what is now the worst ever start to a Premier League campaign after 18 games.

Players to watch

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has netted in each of his last six matches for Leeds, making it the best scoring form of his career as he heads to Anfield to play Liverpool. The England hopeful still has a way to go to match Jamie Vardy’s Premier League-record scoring streak of 11 games, from back in 2015 during Leicester’s astonishing title-winning campaign.

Rayan Cherki has settled quickly in English soccer following his summer move to Manchester City from Lyon and is tied for the most assists in the Premier League with seven, having set up one goal before scoring the winner at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Out of action

Arsenal has defensive problems for the match against Villa, with right backs Jurrien Timber and Ben White, left back Riccardo Calafiori and center back Cristhian Mosquera all missing the team’s 2-1 win over Brighton on Saturday. Midfielder Declan Rice was forced to play as an emergency right back for that game.

Mason Mount was hoping his injury issues were behind him after finally establishing himself in Man United’s team. However, Mount came off with an unspecified injury in the 1-0 win over Newcastle on Friday and is being assessed ahead of Wolves’ trip to Old Trafford.

Off the field

The January transfer window is about to open and Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo is set to be a central figure in it.

The Ghana international has been linked with most of the Premier League’s top teams but Manchester City appears to be best-placed to sign him.

Sky Sports reported Monday that City has opened talks with Bournemouth about signing Semenyo, who has a release clause of 65 million pounds ($87 million).

It means the trip to Chelsea might prove to be Semenyo’s final game for Bournemouth, for whom he has scored nine league goals this season.

Source: AP

CHIPINGE – A Zimbabwean journalist who was on internship with the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services was apprehended for allegedly stealing a laptop belonging to Chipinge district offices in May 2024 and sold it to a passerby in Chimoio, Mozambique.

In a statement, Zimbabwe Republic Police’s Manicaland provincial spokesperson, Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka said that the suspect, Livingstone Mtetwa (28) of Chipinge’s Gaza new stands was on the run since May 2024 after allegedly stealing complainant, Zaine Dube’s (of Gaza Township in Chipinge) office laptop who was employed by the Ministry (Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services) as the District Information Officer (DIO). During the commission of the alleged crime, the suspect was (then) employed as a student on industrial internship (attachment) whereupon during the course of investigations, he fled to Mozambique.

“Sometime in May 2024, police in Chipinge received a report on unlawful entry at the District Information Officer’s office where Livingstone Mtetwa was identified as the suspect. Mtetwa was (then) employed by the same office as a journalism student on industrial attachment, and whilst investigations were in its infancy, he fled to an unknown destination and location,” Chinyoka said.

“Acting on a tip-off by an informant to track down the suspect during routine police patrols on 24 December 2025 (after a year and some months later), authorities received information to the effect that the suspect was in the area where they swiftly responded and successfully apprehend him (Mtetwa) at his known residence. Further investigations by our officers led Mtetwa to admit and revealed that he stole the laptop and sold it to an unknown passerby whom he met in Chimoio (Mozambique) whilst on the run,” Chinyoka added.

Meanwhile, Inspector Chinyoka emphasised the importance of integrity, especially for journalists.

“We urge all citizens, including those in the media, to uphold the law and respect others’ property,” Chinyoka said.

The journalist is expected to appear in court soon, with the laptop’s owner (DIO) being informed about the development. This incident raises concerns about professionalism and ethics in journalism.

Source – Byo24News

HARARE — In Zimbabwe, personal financial planning does not exist in isolation from national economic realities. Household budgets, savings decisions and debt burdens are increasingly shaped by the country’s prolonged sovereign debt crisis, restricted access to international capital, and fragile currency regime.

As 2026 approaches, many Zimbabweans are reassessing how to survive — and where possible, progress — in an economy constrained by arrears to multilateral lenders, limited fiscal space and persistent inflation. For households, the challenge is no longer simply how to save or invest, but how to protect income, reduce exposure to debt and build buffers in an uncertain macroeconomic environment.

Financial planners argue that the start of a new year offers an opportunity not for unrealistic resolutions, but for strategic realignment.

“People should not be focused on undoing the past,” says certified financial planner Erica Grundza. “They should focus on what is possible within their current environment, and why money matters to their lives going forward.”

Zimbabwe’s economy remains structurally constrained by over two decades of limited access to concessional financing from institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, following accumulated arrears. This has forced the State to rely heavily on domestic borrowing, short-term instruments and indirect taxation, costs which are ultimately passed on to households.

For individuals, this means income remains vulnerable, social safety nets are thin, and economic shocks are often absorbed privately rather than publicly.

Financial coach Marie-Yolaine Toms argues that in such an environment, financial planning must be grounded in realism.

“Goals must be traceable and adjustable,” she says. “If income is irregular or exposed to policy shifts, your plan must accommodate that reality.”

In Zimbabwe, effective budgeting often requires working with fluctuating incomes, multi-currency pricing, and rising service costs. Rather than rigid monthly targets, many households are adopting rolling budgets that prioritise essentials, manage liquidity carefully, and allow for sudden disruptions such as currency adjustments or fuel price hikes.

Zimbabwe’s household debt crisis reflects the country’s broader sovereign debt problem. Just as the State is locked out of affordable long-term financing due to arrears to the Paris Club, World Bank, African Development Bank (AfDB) and other creditors, individuals are increasingly dependent on high-interest, short-term borrowing.

Salary-based loans, mobile lending platforms and informal credit arrangements have proliferated, often charging punitive interest rates that mirror the risk premiums Zimbabwe faces internationally.

At a national level, Harare is attempting to re-engage creditors through structured dialogue platforms involving: the IMF’s Staff-Monitored Programme framework, the Paris Club of bilateral creditors, the AfDB as a bridge financier and advocate. Engagement with the United States, United Kingdom and European Union, whose policy positions influence debt resolution

Until arrears are cleared, Zimbabwe remains excluded from affordable capital markets — and households face a similar reality: expensive credit with limited relief options.

For individuals, financial advisers recommend treating debt negotiation as a strategy rather than a failure. Renegotiating repayment terms, consolidating obligations, and prioritising high-interest debt can reduce long-term vulnerability. In some cases, asset disposal or restructuring, while painful, may restore liquidity and stability.

The lesson from sovereign debt negotiations is clear: sustainability matters more than appearance.

Saving in an Economy Shaped by IMF Conditionality and Inflation

Savings behaviour in Zimbabwe has been shaped by history — particularly episodes where inflation and policy changes wiped out bank balances. However, economists warn that the absence of savings leaves households dangerously exposed, especially in a context where government support is limited by fiscal constraints and IMF-linked reform commitments.

As Zimbabwe seeks debt relief, reforms aimed at fiscal discipline, subsidy reduction and public sector rationalisation are likely to continue. These measures, while necessary for macroeconomic credibility, often increase short-term pressure on households.

Saving, therefore, becomes a form of self-insurance.

While traditional savings vehicles have lost trust, many Zimbabweans are experimenting with hybrid approaches that combine liquidity, currency protection and accessibility. The goal is not high returns, but capital preservation and readiness.

For younger professionals and entrepreneurs, savings are increasingly linked to strategic exits — migration, education, business expansion or property acquisition — rather than passive accumulation.

Emergency Funds in an Era of Retrenchments and Austerity

The importance of emergency funds has grown as both the public and private sectors adjust to austerity conditions influenced by debt negotiations. Retrenchments, contract work and delayed payments have become structural features of the labour market.

An emergency fund, even a modest one, allows households to absorb shocks without immediately resorting to debt. This is particularly important in a country where healthcare costs, funeral expenses and education fees are often sudden and privately financed.

Financial planners emphasise consistency over size. Regular contributions, however small, gradually rebuild financial confidence and autonomy.

Critically, experts caution against extreme financial restraint that undermines quality of life. Zimbabwe’s economic uncertainty has reinforced the understanding that the future is not guaranteed, yet neither is reckless consumption sustainable.

“You have to plan for tomorrow without destroying today,” says one young professional reflecting on recent economic shocks.

This balance is increasingly being sought through conscious spending, seasonal budgeting, and deliberate lifestyle choices that align expenditure with personal values rather than social pressure.

In Zimbabwe, money management is inseparable from politics, global finance and international diplomacy. Household debt reflects sovereign debt. Income insecurity mirrors macroeconomic exclusion. Savings strategies compensate for weak institutional buffers.

As the country negotiates with the IMF, World Bank, Paris Club, AfDB, the United States, United Kingdom and European Union for re-entry into the global financial system, ordinary Zimbabweans must negotiate their own financial survival at home.

For 2026, the objective is not wealth in the conventional sense, but resilience: the ability to withstand shocks, adapt to change and retain agency in an economy still finding its footing.

In a debt-burdened nation, financial preparedness remains both a personal necessity and a quiet act of economic resistance.

Herald Reporter

ZIMBABWE is preparing to launch into orbit its third satellite, ZimSat-3, a development expected to significantly strengthening the country’s capacity to use space-based technology for environmental management and national development.

Under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), the Government has prioritised the development and deployment of ZimSat-3, building on the foundations laid by the successful launches of ZimSat-1 and ZimSat-2.

The new satellite is expected to enhance Zimbabwe’s satellite-based data capabilities across critical sectors including agriculture, land use planning, mineral exploration, environmental monitoring, climate change adaptation and national security.

“During NDS 2, Government will prioritise the development and deployment of ZimSat-3 as part of the national space programme to enhance satellite-based data capabilities for land use planning, agriculture, mineral exploration, environmental monitoring, climate change adaptation and national security,” reads NDS2.

“The satellite will provide high-resolution imagery and improved remote sensing capabilities, enabling evidence-based decision making across key economic sectors.”

It is envisaged that in agriculture, the satellite will support precision farming by helping monitor crop health, soil moisture and vegetation patterns.

This will in turn help farmers and policymakers improve productivity, manage drought risks and optimise inputs.

In land use planning and urban development, the satellite imagery will allow authorities to map settlements, infrastructure and natural resources more accurately, improving spatial planning and service delivery.

Additionally, in the mining sector, ZimSat-3’s remote sensing capabilities are expected to support geological surveys by identifying surface features and anomalies associated with mineral deposits, reducing the cost and time of exploration.

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