Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Mana Pools restores hope for endangered elephants –Newsday Zimbabwe

AFRICA’S forest elephants remain critically endangered, but new data reveal a glimmer of hope where protection, science and community partnerships converge.

Zimbabwe has stepped up conservation efforts, deploying six newly-graduated Akashinga Rangers to Mana Pools National Park in the Zambezi Valley, a Unesco World Heritage site famed for its wildlife and cultural significance.

The rangers, part of an all-female anti-poaching unit, graduated recently in Chinhoyi through a joint programme with the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks).

“Following their pass-out parade, a cohort of 6 Akashinga Rangers has officially been posted to Mana Pools,” Akashinga announced recently. “The posting fulfils our partnership with ZimParks to support the protection of one of Zimbabwe’s most iconic wilderness areas and the communities that surround it.”

The deployment underscores a broader push to safeguard elephants whose migratory routes have been fractured by human development.

Experts said protecting wildlife required more than isolated reserves; it demanded low-impact landscapes and functional corridors that connected resource-rich areas.

The initiative also highlights the growing role of local communities and female-led ranger units in wildlife conservation, combining law enforcement with sustainable development.

Mana Pools stands as a lifeline for elephants and other large mammals whose migratory routes have been fractured by human development.

Keep Reading

•  Mana Pools restores hope for endangered elephants

According to Byron du Preez, Akashinga’s director of science, conservation must move beyond isolated protected zones.

“Landscapes do not need to be pristine to support wildlife; they need low human impact and space for animals to move between resource-rich areas,” he said. “Reconnecting protected areas through functional wildlife corridors is one of the most effective solutions.”

Akashinga Rangers are part of an all-female anti-poaching unit founded by former Australian special forces soldier Damien Mander.

They are not only guardians of the land but also agents of change in their communities, promoting coexistence and sustainable livelihoods.

According to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), an estimated 135 690 elephants were surveyed across the continent and illegal killing began to decline since 2018, but the trend is uneven. It also said Central Africa, home to 96% of the remaining forest elephant population, showed that coordinated investment could stabilise numbers, while West Africa had experienced a critical decline.

“Forest elephants are more than a species at risk; they are indicators of Africa’s ecological health,” AWF said in its latest report.

The organisation is doubling down on anti-poaching systems, ecological monitoring and habitat protection across key Congo Basin landscapes, while championing African leadership in biodiversity stewardship.

“AWF is actively driving this momentum by investing in anti-poaching systems, ecological monitoring, community-led conservation and habitat protection,” the report said.

“Our work directly responds to the threats highlighted in the report — poaching, habitat loss and human-elephant conflict while elevating African leadership in biodiversity stewardship.”

The post Mana Pools restores hope for endangered elephants  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE Government has unveiled an ambitious housing drive aimed at breaking long-standing barriers to home ownership by recapitalising the Housing Guarantee Fund and the National Housing Fund, a move expected to unlock mortgage finance and accelerate the delivery of affordable homes.

At the heart of the strategy is the recapitalisation of the Housing Guarantee Fund and the National Housing Fund — twin interventions expected to unlock long-term mortgage finance, de-risk lenders and accelerate the delivery of affordable homes for low and middle-income earners.

For decades, rapid urbanisation, population growth and limited access to housing finance have combined to overwhelm formal housing delivery systems. Thousands of families have been pushed into informal settlements and overcrowded accommodation, while local authorities — burdened by weak balance sheets, ageing infrastructure and limited borrowing capacity — have struggled to service land. Financial institutions, meanwhile, have remained cautious, citing currency volatility, low household incomes and high lending risks.

Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the new approach marks a clear departure from incremental housing delivery towards a large-scale, finance-driven model that prioritises affordability, access and modern standards.

“Under NDS2, housing development will be a key national priority aimed at overcoming the national housing backlog of two million units, thereby ensuring access to affordable, decent and modern housing and social amenities such as water, sanitation, electricity, education and health facilities,” said Prof Ncube.

Through the recapitalised Housing Guarantee Fund, the Government will act as a guarantor for individuals seeking mortgages from banks and building societies — a move designed to reduce lending risk and expand access to housing finance for groups traditionally excluded due to stringent collateral requirements.

Complementing this is the revitalisation of the National Housing Fund, which will directly finance the construction of new housing units, particularly targeting low- and middle-income households. Authorities believe the fund will stimulate large-scale developments, reduce construction costs through economies of scale and ultimately improve affordability.

Beyond financing, the housing drive places strong emphasis on the regularisation of informal settlements and the provision of essential social services, aligning housing delivery with constitutional obligations on access to basic amenities.

The programme is also underpinned by sweeping legislative reforms aimed at modernising Zimbabwe’s housing framework. Prof Ncube said the Government will review and enforce updated building codes, land-use policies and housing regulations to improve safety, resilience and inclusivity.

Key laws earmarked for overhaul include the Housing and Buildings Act and the Housing Standards Control Act. Outdated instruments such as the Model Building By-Laws of 1977 and Building Codes of 1932 will be revised to accommodate modern construction technologies, environmental sustainability and climate-resilient designs.

In addition, Statutory Instrument 32 of 2007 on rent regulations will be reviewed to strengthen tenant protections and promote affordability, while the Zimbabwe National Human Settlements Policy will be enhanced to better manage rapid urbanisation.

To speed up housing delivery, approval processes will be streamlined under broader ease-of-doing-business reforms. Addressing chronic shortages of serviced land, NDS2 prioritises infrastructure provision through structured public-private partnerships (PPPs).

Under this framework, private developers will service land they own, while PPPs will be deployed on State or local authority land, with private investors funding infrastructure and recovering costs through stand sales under the oversight of local authorities.

“For State-owned or local authority land, a public-private partnership model will be employed, where a private investor funds the infrastructure and recoups the investment through the sale of stands, with local authorities providing crucial oversight and ensuring compliance with development standards,” said Prof Ncube.

Government has also stressed that no construction will proceed without approval of minimum development standards to safeguard quality and public safety.

Over the NDS2 period, Zimbabwe is targeting the delivery of one million houses and serviced stands in both urban and rural areas at an estimated cost of US$15 billion. Funding will be mobilised from a mix of fiscal resources, private-sector investment and long-term capital from insurance companies, pension funds and other financial institutions.

In a targeted intervention, the Public Service Pension Fund will be leveraged to expand housing facilities for civil servants, with plans to deliver 1 200 units during the strategy period.

While welcoming the initiative, rural and urban planning expert Dr Nicholas Muleya cautioned that strong regulation and monitoring would be critical, particularly where private developers are involved in joint ventures on State land.

“Developers must be strictly regulated to ensure they deliver fully serviced stands and houses. They must not be allowed to sell unserviced or partially serviced stands, as some abandon projects after people have paid their hard-earned cash,” he said.

Dr Muleya also urged the Government to support struggling local authorities, especially in areas where developers have defaulted, leaving residents in completed houses without sewer or water connections.

“If Government assists local authorities in such cases, developers must be held accountable for their failures. At the same time, a conducive environment should be created for responsible private players to contribute meaningfully to housing delivery,” he said.

The programme represents one of the most comprehensive attempts in recent years to align finance, regulation and private capital in tackling Zimbabwe’s prolonged housing shortage — with the Government betting that access to mortgages will finally turn policy promises into roofs over people’s heads.

The post Bold housing finance push to tackle two-million-unit deficit appeared first on herald.

The post Bold housing finance push to tackle two-million-unit deficit appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter

THE Government has unveiled an ambitious housing drive aimed at breaking long-standing barriers to home ownership by recapitalising the Housing Guarantee Fund and the National Housing Fund, a move expected to unlock mortgage finance and accelerate the delivery of affordable homes.

At the heart of the strategy is the recapitalisation of the Housing Guarantee Fund and the National Housing Fund — twin interventions expected to unlock long-term mortgage finance, de-risk lenders and accelerate the delivery of affordable homes for low and middle-income earners.

For decades, rapid urbanisation, population growth and limited access to housing finance have combined to overwhelm formal housing delivery systems. Thousands of families have been pushed into informal settlements and overcrowded accommodation, while local authorities — burdened by weak balance sheets, ageing infrastructure and limited borrowing capacity — have struggled to service land. Financial institutions, meanwhile, have remained cautious, citing currency volatility, low household incomes and high lending risks.

Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said the new approach marks a clear departure from incremental housing delivery towards a large-scale, finance-driven model that prioritises affordability, access and modern standards.

“Under NDS2, housing development will be a key national priority aimed at overcoming the national housing backlog of two million units, thereby ensuring access to affordable, decent and modern housing and social amenities such as water, sanitation, electricity, education and health facilities,” said Prof Ncube.

Through the recapitalised Housing Guarantee Fund, the Government will act as a guarantor for individuals seeking mortgages from banks and building societies — a move designed to reduce lending risk and expand access to housing finance for groups traditionally excluded due to stringent collateral requirements.

Complementing this is the revitalisation of the National Housing Fund, which will directly finance the construction of new housing units, particularly targeting low- and middle-income households. Authorities believe the fund will stimulate large-scale developments, reduce construction costs through economies of scale and ultimately improve affordability.

Beyond financing, the housing drive places strong emphasis on the regularisation of informal settlements and the provision of essential social services, aligning housing delivery with constitutional obligations on access to basic amenities.

The programme is also underpinned by sweeping legislative reforms aimed at modernising Zimbabwe’s housing framework. Prof Ncube said the Government will review and enforce updated building codes, land-use policies and housing regulations to improve safety, resilience and inclusivity.

Key laws earmarked for overhaul include the Housing and Buildings Act and the Housing Standards Control Act. Outdated instruments such as the Model Building By-Laws of 1977 and Building Codes of 1932 will be revised to accommodate modern construction technologies, environmental sustainability and climate-resilient designs.

In addition, Statutory Instrument 32 of 2007 on rent regulations will be reviewed to strengthen tenant protections and promote affordability, while the Zimbabwe National Human Settlements Policy will be enhanced to better manage rapid urbanisation.

To speed up housing delivery, approval processes will be streamlined under broader ease-of-doing-business reforms. Addressing chronic shortages of serviced land, NDS2 prioritises infrastructure provision through structured public-private partnerships (PPPs).

Under this framework, private developers will service land they own, while PPPs will be deployed on State or local authority land, with private investors funding infrastructure and recovering costs through stand sales under the oversight of local authorities.

“For State-owned or local authority land, a public-private partnership model will be employed, where a private investor funds the infrastructure and recoups the investment through the sale of stands, with local authorities providing crucial oversight and ensuring compliance with development standards,” said Prof Ncube.

Government has also stressed that no construction will proceed without approval of minimum development standards to safeguard quality and public safety.

Over the NDS2 period, Zimbabwe is targeting the delivery of one million houses and serviced stands in both urban and rural areas at an estimated cost of US$15 billion. Funding will be mobilised from a mix of fiscal resources, private-sector investment and long-term capital from insurance companies, pension funds and other financial institutions.

In a targeted intervention, the Public Service Pension Fund will be leveraged to expand housing facilities for civil servants, with plans to deliver 1 200 units during the strategy period.

While welcoming the initiative, rural and urban planning expert Dr Nicholas Muleya cautioned that strong regulation and monitoring would be critical, particularly where private developers are involved in joint ventures on State land.

“Developers must be strictly regulated to ensure they deliver fully serviced stands and houses. They must not be allowed to sell unserviced or partially serviced stands, as some abandon projects after people have paid their hard-earned cash,” he said.

Dr Muleya also urged the Government to support struggling local authorities, especially in areas where developers have defaulted, leaving residents in completed houses without sewer or water connections.

“If Government assists local authorities in such cases, developers must be held accountable for their failures. At the same time, a conducive environment should be created for responsible private players to contribute meaningfully to housing delivery,” he said.

The programme represents one of the most comprehensive attempts in recent years to align finance, regulation and private capital in tackling Zimbabwe’s prolonged housing shortage — with the Government betting that access to mortgages will finally turn policy promises into roofs over people’s heads.

The post Bold housing finance push to tackle two-million-unit deficit appeared first on herald.

The post Bold housing finance push to tackle two-million-unit deficit appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Raymond Jaravaza, ray.jaravaza@chronicle.co.zw

BULAWAYO’S road network has reached a breaking point, with nearly 70 percent of the city’s 2 400-kilometre grid now classified as being in “poor condition,” leaving motorists to navigate a hazardous and costly landscape of decay.

Despite a 66 percent utilisation of its ZWG22 million road fund allocation from the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara), the City of Bulawayo is struggling to contain the crisis. Heavy rains have further crippled the aging infrastructure, forcing commuter omnibus operators to abandon routes and leaving thousands of residents across the city’s 29 wards stranded.

Passengers who once enjoyed being dropped off near their homes are now forced to walk long distances, often late at night, exposing them to the risk of muggings and other crimes. Driving in the city centre has become a nightmare for many motorists.

“The intersection at Joshua Mqabuko Street and Fourth Avenue is very bad. When it rains, the situation gets worse as the potholes grow deeper and bigger,” said Mr Gibson Malunga, a motorist.

In several western suburbs, kombis that previously serviced multiple neighbourhood stops now terminate at a single point, forcing commuters to trek home on foot.

For Old Magwegwe resident Mr Landile Ndlovu, who buys green mealies for resale in the early hours of the morning, daily routines have become a gamble.

“In the past, I used to board a kombi near my house, which meant I didn’t have to walk in the dark. Now I walk about two kilometres to the nearest bus stop because kombis no longer come close to our homes,” he said.

Vendors and informal traders who rely on early morning travel say the deteriorating roads have compounded their hardships.

“We are forced to walk long distances because kombis avoid these bad roads. It’s not safe, especially before dawn,” said Mr Ndlovu.

The worsening state of Bulawayo’s roads has not gone unnoticed by city authorities. Acting Mayor Councillor Edwin Ndlovu said council was aware of its responsibility.

“The city council has a mandate to ensure that roads are trafficable at all times, and we will use all available resources to keep our roads in good shape going into the New Year,” he said.

However, commuter transport operators paint a grim picture. Bulawayo United Passenger Transporters Association (Bupta) chairman Mr Morgan Msipa, whose organisation operates about 1 300 kombis, said the damage to vehicles was becoming unsustainable.

“There’s a road in Richmond called Glenvire Road and it’s terrible. I feel sorry for vehicle owners who have to use it. Kombi operators are not avoiding certain routes out of malice; they simply cannot afford constant repairs,” he said.

The crisis extends into the CBD itself. At the intersection of Lobengula Street and 3rd Avenue, a crater-like pothole has for months forced drivers into dangerous manoeuvres as they dodge oncoming traffic.

BCC has since begun repairs at the intersection, with the Department of Roads estimating the cost at US$1 million. Works are still ongoing.

Council statistics indicate Bulawayo now has more than 2 400 kilometres of roads, most of which require urgent rehabilitation.

While patchwork repairs have been carried out in some areas, authorities admit that many roads need complete reconstruction to restore them to usable standards.

As the rains continue, residents fear the city’s battered road network will deteriorate further, deepening the daily struggles of motorists, commuters and businesses alike.

The post Potholes & delays. . .Bulawayo roads crumble under heavy rains appeared first on herald.

The post Potholes & delays. . .Bulawayo roads crumble under heavy rains appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Zvamaida Murwira

Senior Reporter

ACTING President Dr Kembo Mohadi has called for closer collaboration and coordination among national security organs, saying unity of purpose is critical to sustaining peace, stability and national development.

The Acting President made the remarks during a courtesy call by newly-appointed Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) Commander, Lieutenant-General Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi, at his offices in Harare yesterday.

Speaking after the meeting, Lt-Gen Tapfumaneyi said the Acting President emphasised the importance of enhanced cooperation among all security agencies, including the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service and the Central Intelligence Organisation.

He said effective coordination among security leaders was the foundation upon which lasting peace and national stability could be guaranteed.

“As you know, I was recently appointed Commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, and it is part of our tradition to pay courtesy calls on the appointing authorities,” said Lt-Gen Tapfumaneyi.

“We start with the President, then the Vice Presidents, and proceed to my superiors, including the Minister of Defence and the Secretary for Defence.

“So, this is part of that process where we are having those interactions.”

Lt-Gen Tapfumaneyi said discussions with Acting President Mohadi focused on expectations surrounding his new role and the need for close cooperation among commanders of the country’s security forces.

“The Acting President emphasised coordination and cooperation among commanders of the security forces — the army, air force, police, prison services and the Central Intelligence Organisation,” he said.

“That was the main emphasis  . . . since I am new and since the Commander Defence Forces is also new in his job, coordination is very important so that we secure the stability of this country; so that the people of Zimbabwe can sleep well while we are safeguarding them.”

Lt-Gen Tapfumaneyi assumed command of the ZNA last month, taking over from General Emmanuel Matatu, who was elevated to the position of Defence Forces Commander.

Gen Matatu succeeded General Philip Valerio Sibanda, who retired from service after a distinguished military career.

The handover and takeover parade between Gen Matatu and Lt-Gen Tapfumaneyi was witnessed by Minister of Defence, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri.

Addressing the ceremony, Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri described the change of command as another important milestone in the history of the Zimbabwe National                                                                   Army.

She noted that both officers boast illustrious military careers spanning the liberation struggle and post-independence service, having joined the armed struggle at a young age and rising through the ranks after the integration of forces at independence.

The Defence Minister praised their discipline and patriotism and urged them to continue safeguarding peace and stability in the country.

The post Security organs must coordinate, collaborate — Acting President appeared first on herald.

The post Security organs must coordinate, collaborate — Acting President appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.