Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

Source: Government intensifies fight against drug supply chains – herald

Sukuwenkosi Dube-Matutu sukulwenkosi.dube@chronicle.co.zw

GOVERNMENT has intensified efforts to combat drug and substance abuse, with renewed focus now being placed on dismantling supply networks responsible for bringing harmful substances into communities.

Vice President Kembo Mohadi said authorities will not rest until the root causes of the scourge, particularly the supply of illicit drugs, are addressed.

Speaking recently during the Zanu PF Matabeleland South’s National People’s Conference fundraising luncheon in Gwanda, VP Mohadi said while progress had been made in awareness campaigns, rehabilitation and law enforcement, drug supply remained a major challenge.

“Week in and week out we get reports of people being arrested either for the consumption of drugs, possession and related offences. The National Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse is looking into this and I can say that we have recorded some positive results here and there.”

The Vice President said the supply part is still a problem as some of the drugs come from outside the country.

“As Government we will not relax on that but we will fight until we win. We need to address the issue of supply. We need to know where these harmful substances are coming from and who is supplying them,” he said.

Drug and substance abuse has emerged as one of the country’s most pressing public health and socio-economic challenges, particularly among young people.

In response, Government developed the Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral National Action Plan on Drug and Substance Abuse (2024-2030), a comprehensive framework aimed at tackling the problem through prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, law enforcement, policy reform and community participation.

A National Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse has also been established to spearhead the response through a multi-pronged approach guided by key pillars that include supply reduction, demand reduction, harm reduction, treatment and rehabilitation, legal and policy reforms, community reintegration, media and communication, and resource mobilisation.

VP Mohadi said there was also a need to strengthen efforts to reduce drug consumption while expanding treatment and rehabilitation services for those already affected.

He said young people, who constitute a significant proportion of the population and represent the country’s future workforce and leadership, needed protection from the devastating effects of drugs.

The Vice President said President Mnangagwa’s development philosophy, “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo”, places young people at the centre of national development.

“Youths have a critical role in developing the nation as future leaders, but they will not be able to fulfil this responsibility if they are constantly under the influence of drugs and harmful substances,” he said.

VP Mohadi also called on traditional leaders to play a more active role in identifying drug peddlers and mobilising communities against the scourge.

Chief Masuku of Gwanda said the activities of drug dealers were causing extensive social and economic harm.

“It’s concerning to see the level of damage which is being caused by drug and substance abuse in our communities. Our children and even adults are always high because of drugs. They can’t contribute to the development of their communities because of the state that they will be in,” he said.

Chief Masuku said rehabilitation efforts alone will not be sufficient if drugs remained readily available in communities.

“There is also a need for deterrent sentences for culprits to discourage such illegal activities. Even if we establish rehabilitation centres and admit people, as long as they are released and get exposed to drugs again, we will continue facing this challenge,” he said.

Zimbabwe, like many countries across the world, has witnessed a rise in drug use, misuse and abuse, with youths being among the most affected groups.

To strengthen the national response, President Mnangagwa launched the Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan (2024-2030), which seeks to tighten enforcement of anti-drug laws, disrupt supply chains and expand prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services.

Government has also mainstreamed anti-drug programmes from national level down to provinces, districts, wards and villages to ensure communities actively participate in combating the scourge.

Provinces have been tasked with developing local strategies, including mobilising resources to support anti-drug interventions, following the launch of the National Drug and Substance

Response Resource Mobilisation Programme by President Mnangagwa in July last year.

Government has already allocated ZWG$865 million towards the programme, while individuals, companies and development partners have been called upon to contribute through partnerships and donations.

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Source: Kariba ferry disaster becomes Zimbabwe’s deadliest with 92 confirmed – herald

Walter Nyamukondiwa in Kariba

THE death toll from the Rida Mbuya Nehanda ferry disaster has risen to 92, making it the country’s deadliest transport tragedy and surpassing the 1991 Nyanga bus disaster, which claimed 89 lives, mostly schoolchildren.

Yesterday, divers recovered eight more bodies as search and recovery operations continue.

Bodies are now being recovered further away from the accident scene, including near Long Island and King’s Camp, with some drifting towards the boundary with Zambia.

It also emerged yesterday that six bodies remain unidentified, with Government appealing to relatives to come forward to assist with the identification process.

Mashonaland West Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Marian Chombo, said the decomposed state of some of the bodies being recovered was making identification increasingly difficult.

“As the search and recovery effort continues, we have been able to identify all but six of the bodies recovered so far, with 67 people rescued,” said Minister Chombo.

“It will be very difficult to identify the bodies that are being recovered. So far, people are relying on identifying clothes and other features, but we are running out of time and DNA may now be needed to assist in the identification process.”

As of yesterday, about nine families were still waiting to identify and collect the bodies of their loved ones.

Taken together, the figures put the estimated number of passengers aboard the ferry at 168 — a figure that could rise further as the count excludes lone travellers, particularly traders, who may not have informed relatives that they were on the ferry.

The vessel was carrying parents taking children to their rural homes for the holidays, traders restocking their wares at fishing camps along the Kariba-Chalala route, and buyers travelling to buy fish for resale in different parts of the country.

The ferry provides a cheaper mode of transport for communities along the route, with passengers paying as little as US$10, compared to about US$20 for a road trip to Siakobvu and a further US$20 to Mola.

Travellers from Harare pay US$13 to reach Kariba before boarding the ferry.

Of the 92 confirmed dead, at least 53 are from Mola in Nyaminyami Rural District, with about 47 coming from Wards 1 and 3 under Chief Mola.

Ward 3 Councillor Tight Bhusumani, who lost a child and a niece in the disaster, said some families had been waiting for six days for the recovery of their relatives and had run out of food.

“The situation has been dire for some families because they have run out of food as they gather waiting for bodies to be recovered and transported for burial,” said Clr Bhusumani.

“We have full confidence that the Second Republic will timeously address the challenges we are facing. “We would like to thank our shadow Member of Parliament Cde Nigel Shamu, who has drawn from his own pocket to assist affected families.”

Clr Bhusumani said the impact of the tragedy on children had been particularly severe, with some left without parents.

“We have distressing cases where a child lost both parents and other siblings, leaving them as the only surviving member of the family.

“There is the case of a 10-year-old who lost both parents and two siblings. They have no one to look after them hence neighbours and well-wishers are assisting,” he said.

The Kariba tragedy now ranks among the country’s most devastating disasters.

By yesterday, it had surpassed the Nyanga bus disaster of 1991, in which 89 people, mainly schoolchildren, were killed when a bus plunged into the Nyanga Mountains.

It also joins the Hwange Colliery Mine disaster of 1972, commonly known as Kamandama mine disaster, when an underground explosion at Wankie Colliery killed 427 mineworkers.

The Kariba ferry disaster has also surpassed the 86 workers who died during the construction of Kariba Dam between 1956 and 1960.

With recovery operations still underway, the death toll from the ferry tragedy could rise further.

Authorities continue searching the lake and surrounding areas for missing passengers.

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Source: Capitalise Sadc Fund: President – herald

Kudakwashe Mugari in DURBAN, South Africa

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday urged SADC member States to operationalise and adequately finance the SADC Regional Development Fund as he officially handed over the chairmanship of the regional bloc to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

For the past year, Zimbabwe and South Africa have been sharing the SADC leadership responsibilities after political tensions in Madagascar, and yesterday President Ramaphosa was officially handed over the reins of the SADC Chairmanship by the outgoing Chair, President Mnangagwa.

Addressing the 46th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government here, the President said the Fund was central to financing infrastructure, energy and water projects without compromising the region’s sovereignty.

“The operationalisation of the SADC Regional Development Fund is timely and remains a cornerstone for our developmental strategy. I commend the progress realised to-date and appeal to those Member States who are yet to sign or ratify this critical protocol to do so,” President Mnangagwa said.

Yesterday’s summit was held under the theme: “Resilient, Sustainable and Inclusive Industrialisation through Infrastructure Development, Agricultural and Critical Minerals Transformation in Pursuit of a Just World”, which seeks to ensure value addition to the region’s resources.

“The primary goal of this theme is, among others, to ensure that we add value to our heritage-based resources, and move away from exporting raw minerals, by building local processing, refining, and manufacturing capacities across Southern Africa,” President Mnangagwa said.

“By processing our minerals, we create jobs, foster innovation, and retain the value that rightfully belongs to our people.”

On education, the President said Zimbabwe’s Heritage-Based Education 5.0 Model was producing graduates who can drive industrialisation.

“This is further ensuring that our talented young people look at their rich heritage, not as a relic of the past, but as a solid foundation to build a more prosperous future,” he said.

Turning to peace and security, President Mnangagwa commended outgoing Organ Chairperson Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and welcomed incoming Chairperson His Majesty King Mswati III of Eswatini.

He also expressed concern over the conflict in Eastern DRC and welcomed mediation efforts in Madagascar.

“The Organ remains the backbone of our collective pursuit of peace and stability,” President Mnangagwa said.

On global diplomacy, the President expressed gratitude for Zimbabwe’s election to a Non-Permanent Seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2027-2028.

“On behalf of the people and Government of Zimbabwe, may I express my profound gratitude for the unequivocal support towards Zimbabwe’s election for a Non-Permanent Seat in the United Nations Security Council,” he said.

“This seat is not for Zimbabwe alone, it is a seat for the SADC region along with the broader African continent and Global South. We shall serve our tenure with integrity and use the opportunity to advance peace and justice.”

President Mnangagwa also thanked SADC for supporting Zimbabwe’s fight against illegal Western sanctions and paid tribute to the late former Presidents Festus Mogae of Botswana and Guy Scott of Zambia, who died this year.

In closing, he handed over leadership of SADC to President Ramaphosa.

“Allow me now to officially hand over the mantle of leadership of our Organisation to His Excellency, President Cyril Matamela Ramaphosa. I am confident that under his astute leadership we will overcome any challenges towards building the future our people deserve,” President Mnangagwa said.

Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa returned home last night after attending the SADC Summit.

He was welcomed at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by Vice Presidents Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Dr Kembo Mohadi, Cabinet ministers, service chiefs and other senior Government officials.

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Source: Regulations to establish coroner’s office developed – herald

Ivan Zhakata

Herald Correspondent

THE Government has started crafting regulations to operationalise the Coroner’s Office, with the new legal framework expected to strengthen the investigation of reportable deaths, improve accountability and enhance public confidence in the administration of justice.

The regulations are being developed during a week-long write-shop in Domboshava attended by legal drafters, forensic pathologists, police investigators, prosecutors, medical practitioners, administrators and policy experts.

Opening the write-shop yesterday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mrs Vimbai Nyemba said the regulations were critical to the effective implementation of the Coroner’s Office Act.

She said the regulations should ensure that deaths requiring investigation were handled through a transparent, professional and evidence-based process.

“These Regulations must ensure that, whenever a death occurs in circumstances that call for investigation, the law provides a clear, fair and dignified pathway to the truth,” Mrs Nyemba said.

“They must enable the circumstances surrounding each death to be properly established, protect the rights and legitimate interests of those affected, and uphold the dignity of every person touched by such loss.”

Mrs Nyemba said the enactment of the Coroner’s Office Act marked a major milestone in modernising Zimbabwe’s coronial and forensic justice system, replacing a framework that has for decades relied on the Inquests Act.

She said the regulations should clearly spell out procedures for mandatory notification of deaths within the prescribed 48-hour period, preservation of scenes, handling of forensic evidence and effective coordination among the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), health institutions, forensic pathologists, the National Prosecuting Authority and the Judiciary.

Mrs Nyemba said the regulations should also position the Coroner’s Office as a proactive institution capable of identifying systemic failures and recommending measures to prevent avoidable deaths.

“Your office must not simply record deaths after they occur. It must serve as a proactive early-warning institution, capable of identifying systemic risks and failures in areas such as public health, workplace safety and custodial care,” she said.

Mrs Nyemba said strengthening the coronial system was in line with Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2, particularly efforts to build strong institutions, uphold the rule of law and improve public confidence in the justice delivery system.

Acting Coroner-General Dr Innocent Zimbwa said the regulations will provide the operational framework required for the effective functioning of the newly established office.

“The Coroner’s Office is still a young institution,” Dr Zimbwa said.

“Its establishment marks an important development in Zimbabwe’s death investigation framework, but legislation alone does not create an effective institution. We must now put in place the systems, procedures and standards necessary for the Office to discharge its mandate effectively and consistently.”

Dr Zimbwa said the regulations will cover procedures for reporting deaths, preservation of scenes, handling of bodies, collection and custody of forensic evidence, coronial inquests, record management and institutional coordination.

He said the drafting process has been informed by comparative studies of coronial systems in England and Wales, Canada, Australia, the United States, Kenya and Nigeria.

“Our responsibility is, therefore, not to copy another jurisdiction. It is to identify relevant international standards and good practices and adapt them to Zimbabwe’s constitutional, legal and institutional context,” said Dr Zimbwa.

He urged participants to critically examine the draft regulations to ensure they were practical, coherent and capable of effective implementation across the country.

“The true test of these Regulations will ultimately be their practical application. They must be sufficiently clear to guide practice, sufficiently precise to promote consistency, and sufficiently responsive to legitimate operational realities,” Dr Zimbwa said.

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Source: Gachegache road rehab gets priority – herald

Freeman Razemba in Kariba

PLANS to reconstruct the Chalala-Kanyati Road, commonly known as Gachegache Road, are at an advanced stage.

The 105-kilometre route will connect Kariba Urban and Rural, offering a long-awaited land alternative to the lake ferry that has historically been the area’s primary transport link.

The move comes after at least 92 bodies were recovered from Lake Kariba following the capsizing of a passenger vessel last Tuesday.

Formerly operated by the District Development Fund and now run by RIDA, the ferry was hit by strong local winds — known as the “Binga Wave” — while travelling from Kariba town to Chalala Fishing Camp.

For years, most residents have preferred the 70‑kilometre lake crossing between Kariba Urban and Rural over the much longer road alternative via the Karoi‑Binga Road, which stretches 427 kilometres. With the planned reconstruction, the new road distance will be 313 kilometres — still longer than the water route, but a significant improvement over the existing land detour.

Yesterday, Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona, Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs Minister Marian Chombo, and senior Government officials toured the road and met with engineers.

The visit followed a directive from President Mnangagwa instructing Minister Mhona to mobilise resources for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Karoi‑Binga Road, which would also improve access to Chalala, Mola, Siakobvu, and surrounding areas that depend heavily on lake transport.

In an interview after the tour, Minister Mhona said the inspection was aimed at finding lasting solutions for community mobility.

“We are seeing this road, which is about 105 kilometres, and the idea is to see how we can move with speed to promote accessibility and ensure the road is trafficable,” he said.

He emphasised that the project fits into the broader regional connectivity vision championed by President Mnangagwa, linking Zimbabwe to neighbouring countries through the Beira Corridor and the North‑South Corridor.

“The bigger picture is to connect with our neighbours – Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi and the DRC – enhancing trade and tourism,” he added.

Minister Mhona said the rehabilitation would pave the way for the reintroduction of public transport, offering communities a reliable alternative to the boat service.

“Above all, we also think of how we can substitute the boat that was shortening the distance by over 200 kilometres. This is very important to make sure that no one and no place is left behind,” he said.

He revealed that his ministry has already engaged private operators and partners in Kariba to quickly provide another boat to ply the same route, ensuring continued lake access while the road is being developed.

Minister Chombo echoed the urgency, appealing for the immediate release of a replacement vessel — even a smaller one.

“It’s only 80 kilometres, and it links residents to their livelihood, which is fishing. There are many islands along the lake where they go to buy or catch fish. Although we are going to provide this road network, it will not resolve all problems immediately,” she said.

She pledged her office’s full support for any Government initiative aimed at improving service delivery for the people of Kariba.

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