🇿🇼 Zimbabwe mining boss arrested for fraud
The president of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has been arrested for fraud after allegedly attempting to sell three mines she doesn't own.
Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi told local media that Henrietta Rushwaya had been taken into police custody after a complaint had been received about mining transactions.
Nyathi added that Rushwaya was "assisting police with investigations".
She appeared in court on Wednesday and the state prosecutor opposed bail.
Last year Ms Rushwaya was convicted of trying to smuggle gold worth over $330,000 out of Zimbabwe in 2020.
She was a central figure in the Al-Jazeera Gold Mafia documentary which exposed how huge amounts of gold had been smuggled out of Zimbabwe to the United Arab Emirates.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
The president of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation (ZMF) has been arrested for fraud after allegedly attempting to sell three mines she doesn't own.
Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi told local media that Henrietta Rushwaya had been taken into police custody after a complaint had been received about mining transactions.
Nyathi added that Rushwaya was "assisting police with investigations".
She appeared in court on Wednesday and the state prosecutor opposed bail.
Last year Ms Rushwaya was convicted of trying to smuggle gold worth over $330,000 out of Zimbabwe in 2020.
She was a central figure in the Al-Jazeera Gold Mafia documentary which exposed how huge amounts of gold had been smuggled out of Zimbabwe to the United Arab Emirates.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
🇿🇼🇨🇩 Zimbabwean trucker detained in DRC
A Zimbabwean truck driver employed by SMI Bulk Transport of South Africa is reportedly detained by authorities following a tragic accident in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while en route to Mokambo.
The driver, Jeremiah Kamuterera hailing from Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, is said to have been involved in a fatal crash that claimed 18 lives, leaving six others seriously injured.
Reports suggest that Kamuterera, since the incident, has been grappling with his situation alone in a foreign land, with alleged lack of assistance from his employers. Urgent financial support is being sought to secure his release.
#Zimbabwe #DRC
@africaintel
A Zimbabwean truck driver employed by SMI Bulk Transport of South Africa is reportedly detained by authorities following a tragic accident in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) while en route to Mokambo.
The driver, Jeremiah Kamuterera hailing from Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West province, is said to have been involved in a fatal crash that claimed 18 lives, leaving six others seriously injured.
Reports suggest that Kamuterera, since the incident, has been grappling with his situation alone in a foreign land, with alleged lack of assistance from his employers. Urgent financial support is being sought to secure his release.
#Zimbabwe #DRC
@africaintel
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe declares state of disaster over severe drought
Zimbabwe has declared a state of disaster over a drought that has left around three million people facing hunger - making it the third country in southern Africa to raise the alarm.
Poor rains have wrought havoc across much of the region, where according to the UN's World Food Programme 20 million people don't have regular access to nutritious food.
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the country needs $2bn to combat the effects of food insecurity within its borders.
Much like in neighbouring Zambia and Malawi, which have also declared states of disaster and emergency, low rainfall has wiped out about half of Zimbabwe's maize crop – the nation's staple food.
The grain shortage has subsequently pushed up food prices.
Zimbabwe now joins the regional scramble to find maize on the international market.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
Zimbabwe has declared a state of disaster over a drought that has left around three million people facing hunger - making it the third country in southern Africa to raise the alarm.
Poor rains have wrought havoc across much of the region, where according to the UN's World Food Programme 20 million people don't have regular access to nutritious food.
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the country needs $2bn to combat the effects of food insecurity within its borders.
Much like in neighbouring Zambia and Malawi, which have also declared states of disaster and emergency, low rainfall has wiped out about half of Zimbabwe's maize crop – the nation's staple food.
The grain shortage has subsequently pushed up food prices.
Zimbabwe now joins the regional scramble to find maize on the international market.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe unveils new currency as depreciation, inflation stoke turmoil
Zimbabwe on Friday launched a new currency to replace its previous one that in recent months has been battered by depreciation, and in some instances rejection by the population. Authorities hope the new measure will halt a currency crisis underlining the country’s yearslong economic troubles.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Gov. John Mushayavanhu said the new currency will be called ZiG, and will be anchored on gold reserves and a basket of foreign currencies. It goes into effect on Monday.
The Zimbabwe dollar has come under sustained pressure in recent weeks, making it one of the world’s worst performing currencies.
Since January, the Zimbabwe dollar lost over 70% of its value on the official market, and was plunging even further on the thriving but illegal black market.
Inflation increased from 26.5% in December last year to 34.8% this January before spiking to 55.3% in March, according to official figures.
Traders were increasingly rejecting lower denominations of the now scrapped currency, with many insisting on payment only in U.S. dollars, which are also legal tender in the southern African country.
“We are doing what we are doing to ensure that our local currency does not die. We were already in a situation where almost 85% of the transactions are being conducted in U.S dollars,” Mushayavanhu told reporters in the capital, Harare. People have three weeks to exchange the old notes with the new currency, he said.
Friday’s announcement is the latest of a cocktail of currency measures undertaken by the Zimbabwean government since the initial spectacular collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar in 2009.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
Zimbabwe on Friday launched a new currency to replace its previous one that in recent months has been battered by depreciation, and in some instances rejection by the population. Authorities hope the new measure will halt a currency crisis underlining the country’s yearslong economic troubles.
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Gov. John Mushayavanhu said the new currency will be called ZiG, and will be anchored on gold reserves and a basket of foreign currencies. It goes into effect on Monday.
The Zimbabwe dollar has come under sustained pressure in recent weeks, making it one of the world’s worst performing currencies.
Since January, the Zimbabwe dollar lost over 70% of its value on the official market, and was plunging even further on the thriving but illegal black market.
Inflation increased from 26.5% in December last year to 34.8% this January before spiking to 55.3% in March, according to official figures.
Traders were increasingly rejecting lower denominations of the now scrapped currency, with many insisting on payment only in U.S. dollars, which are also legal tender in the southern African country.
“We are doing what we are doing to ensure that our local currency does not die. We were already in a situation where almost 85% of the transactions are being conducted in U.S dollars,” Mushayavanhu told reporters in the capital, Harare. People have three weeks to exchange the old notes with the new currency, he said.
Friday’s announcement is the latest of a cocktail of currency measures undertaken by the Zimbabwean government since the initial spectacular collapse of the Zimbabwe dollar in 2009.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
🇿🇼 Here we go again: Zimbabweans forced to use US dollar in absence of new currency ZiG
Zimbabwe’s informal traders who account for about 75% of all employment in the nation have stopped accepting the ZIMdollar also know as RTGS dollar fearing its value has declined.
The new ZIG currency which was supposed to be effective from April 8 was delayed until the April 30th, leaving the US Dollar, dominating the market.
"When you introduce new measures, you will be hoping that, you will bring stability and lower inflation but you need to be disciplined and sincere about the process," economist Happy Zengeni explained.
"The ordinary Zimbabwean does not have the capacity to inject liquidity into the economy but capacity rests with the authorities so they need to be sincere about it."
Before the announcement of the launch of the new gold-backed currency , ZIG, the Zimdollar was trading at 28,720 to 1 US dollar.
Ordinary Zimbabweans like street vendor Mildred Mapfumo are dejected:
"I sell fruits for a living and I had been saving the RTGs Dollar for a while in order to pay tuition for my children but now we woke up to the news that our money is no longer valuable, I don’t even know how I will navigate this."
Zimbabwe is not new to currency change, we have seen the RTGs dollar being rolled and eventually being phased out and before that was the bearers cheques however, Zimbabweans are really worried about the extent to which this new ZiG, will be able to curb inflation that has been going on in the country.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
Zimbabwe’s informal traders who account for about 75% of all employment in the nation have stopped accepting the ZIMdollar also know as RTGS dollar fearing its value has declined.
The new ZIG currency which was supposed to be effective from April 8 was delayed until the April 30th, leaving the US Dollar, dominating the market.
"When you introduce new measures, you will be hoping that, you will bring stability and lower inflation but you need to be disciplined and sincere about the process," economist Happy Zengeni explained.
"The ordinary Zimbabwean does not have the capacity to inject liquidity into the economy but capacity rests with the authorities so they need to be sincere about it."
Before the announcement of the launch of the new gold-backed currency , ZIG, the Zimdollar was trading at 28,720 to 1 US dollar.
Ordinary Zimbabweans like street vendor Mildred Mapfumo are dejected:
"I sell fruits for a living and I had been saving the RTGs Dollar for a while in order to pay tuition for my children but now we woke up to the news that our money is no longer valuable, I don’t even know how I will navigate this."
Zimbabwe is not new to currency change, we have seen the RTGs dollar being rolled and eventually being phased out and before that was the bearers cheques however, Zimbabweans are really worried about the extent to which this new ZiG, will be able to curb inflation that has been going on in the country.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa Won't Pursue Another Presidential Term
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced his readiness to retire and pass the presidency to a new Zanu PF leader. This marks the first time Mnangagwa has suggested he plans to leave office since he came to power in a 2017 de facto military coup that ousted the late President Robert Mugabe.
''Our Constitution requires that every five years, we go to Congress to elect a President for two five-year terms. I've completed my first term and was re-elected for a second. This will be my final term, which is nearing its end, and then I will retire,'' said Mnangagwa.
There were reports suggesting Mnangagwa might remain in office beyond his two five-year terms, which will conclude before the 2028 presidential election.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced his readiness to retire and pass the presidency to a new Zanu PF leader. This marks the first time Mnangagwa has suggested he plans to leave office since he came to power in a 2017 de facto military coup that ousted the late President Robert Mugabe.
''Our Constitution requires that every five years, we go to Congress to elect a President for two five-year terms. I've completed my first term and was re-elected for a second. This will be my final term, which is nearing its end, and then I will retire,'' said Mnangagwa.
There were reports suggesting Mnangagwa might remain in office beyond his two five-year terms, which will conclude before the 2028 presidential election.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
🇿🇼 Meals dry up as Zimbabwe’s drought sets in
Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia are among the countries in Southern Africa most affected by malnutrition caused by drought.
A bed of sand and a patch of mud are all that remains of Kapotesa dam in Mudzi district, which once provided the water vital for crops and livestock in this remote part of northeastern Zimbabwe.
The Kapotesa dam dried up in May, a villager saying “Only God knows how we are going to survive until the next harvest next year.”
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia are among the countries in Southern Africa most affected by malnutrition caused by drought.
A bed of sand and a patch of mud are all that remains of Kapotesa dam in Mudzi district, which once provided the water vital for crops and livestock in this remote part of northeastern Zimbabwe.
The Kapotesa dam dried up in May, a villager saying “Only God knows how we are going to survive until the next harvest next year.”
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
🇿🇼Lower growth forecast for Zimbabwe as drought ravages crop yields - finmin
Zimbabwe has revised its economic growth forecast downwards as southern Africa's worst drought in decades ravages crop yields, its finance minister told on Wednesday, but a bounceback in growth is likely in 2025.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said economic growth is forecast at 2% for 2024, down from 3.5% forecast in November, due to an El Niño-induced drought which has led to widespread crop failure.
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon in which surface waters of the central and eastern Pacific become unusually warm, causing changes in global weather patterns.
Zimbabwe is among the hardest hit by drought in the region, impacting crop yields. Neighbours Zambia and Malawi have declared states of disaster as a result of the drought.
Last month, the International Monetary Fund also said it expected Zimbabwe's growth to fall to 2%, down from 5.3% last year.
"We are all downgrading our growth targets for 2024 because of deeper than expected impact on our agriculture, but next year is brighter," Ncube said.
Growth is expected to recover to above 5% in 2025, he added.
In May, the Zimbabwean government forecasted that staple maize production will drop 72% in the 2023/24 season.
Ncube said the drought had affected agriculture output and the country expects to import 1.4 million metric tonnes of grain.
To ease hunger across the country, Zimbabwe received around $32 million drought insurance last week from an African Union agency. Government has also appealed to international donors to assist with food aid.
Ncube will give the mid-term budget review later this month.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
Zimbabwe has revised its economic growth forecast downwards as southern Africa's worst drought in decades ravages crop yields, its finance minister told on Wednesday, but a bounceback in growth is likely in 2025.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said economic growth is forecast at 2% for 2024, down from 3.5% forecast in November, due to an El Niño-induced drought which has led to widespread crop failure.
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon in which surface waters of the central and eastern Pacific become unusually warm, causing changes in global weather patterns.
Zimbabwe is among the hardest hit by drought in the region, impacting crop yields. Neighbours Zambia and Malawi have declared states of disaster as a result of the drought.
Last month, the International Monetary Fund also said it expected Zimbabwe's growth to fall to 2%, down from 5.3% last year.
"We are all downgrading our growth targets for 2024 because of deeper than expected impact on our agriculture, but next year is brighter," Ncube said.
Growth is expected to recover to above 5% in 2025, he added.
In May, the Zimbabwean government forecasted that staple maize production will drop 72% in the 2023/24 season.
Ncube said the drought had affected agriculture output and the country expects to import 1.4 million metric tonnes of grain.
To ease hunger across the country, Zimbabwe received around $32 million drought insurance last week from an African Union agency. Government has also appealed to international donors to assist with food aid.
Ncube will give the mid-term budget review later this month.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
🇿🇼 Desperate Zimbabweans cross Zambia border for cheaper healthcare, medicines
With essential drugs and specialised care expensive or unavailable, poor Zimbabweans opt to travel long distances to seek treatment.
At 5pm at the Victoria Falls border post, Margaret – who has a 24-hour day pass to be in Zambia – is in a rush to return home to Zimbabwe before dusk.
This is not the first time Margaret, 53, has travelled from her rural home, 120km (75 miles) away, to cross into Zambia for the day. It has become a routine trip she makes monthly to buy medication for her husband who has an inflammatory condition that affects the outer covering of the eye.
The prescribed medication is barely available on the shelves of pharmacies in Hwange district, where she lives. Of what is there, the high cost makes it inaccessible to many, she said.
“The same medication is expensive back home. If you add transport and medication costs altogether, it is still cheaper to come to Zambia. Also most times, some of this medication is not readily available which risks the patients’ lives,” said Margret.
Zimbabwe’s economy has been hit hard by decades of economic crises and soaring inflation. Many basics are not as easily available or affordable, and Zimbabweans themselves have lost confidence in the local currency.
At the border, Margret follows a small queue, before officials check her luggage and papers without much trouble and stamp her 24-hour pass – a process that takes less than 10 minutes.
A commuter bus operator who ferries passengers back and forth to the border area, said a significant number of people make the daily trip from Hwange – a community of some 21,300 people – to buy medicines or visit hospitals in Zambia.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
With essential drugs and specialised care expensive or unavailable, poor Zimbabweans opt to travel long distances to seek treatment.
At 5pm at the Victoria Falls border post, Margaret – who has a 24-hour day pass to be in Zambia – is in a rush to return home to Zimbabwe before dusk.
This is not the first time Margaret, 53, has travelled from her rural home, 120km (75 miles) away, to cross into Zambia for the day. It has become a routine trip she makes monthly to buy medication for her husband who has an inflammatory condition that affects the outer covering of the eye.
The prescribed medication is barely available on the shelves of pharmacies in Hwange district, where she lives. Of what is there, the high cost makes it inaccessible to many, she said.
“The same medication is expensive back home. If you add transport and medication costs altogether, it is still cheaper to come to Zambia. Also most times, some of this medication is not readily available which risks the patients’ lives,” said Margret.
Zimbabwe’s economy has been hit hard by decades of economic crises and soaring inflation. Many basics are not as easily available or affordable, and Zimbabweans themselves have lost confidence in the local currency.
At the border, Margret follows a small queue, before officials check her luggage and papers without much trouble and stamp her 24-hour pass – a process that takes less than 10 minutes.
A commuter bus operator who ferries passengers back and forth to the border area, said a significant number of people make the daily trip from Hwange – a community of some 21,300 people – to buy medicines or visit hospitals in Zambia.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe Farmers Struggle Against Illegal Mining and Climate Change
Smallholder farmers in rural Gwanda, a region in Zimbabwe that borders South Africa, have been affected by a double shock – a combination of heat, droughts and floods caused by climate change, and water contamination and damaged land caused by illegal, small-scale mining.
Droughts in Gwanda have significantly affected rural farmers and increased over the past 40 years. This has left many families impoverished after harvests failed. Illegal, small-scale mining for gold in Zimbabwe has resulted in deforestation, land degradation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity in the area, making the problem worse.
Not all small-scale mining in Zimbabwe is illegal. Some artisanal miners have a valid mining claim, a licence to engage in mining activities on an allocated piece of land, and pay taxes to the local authorities and government. Illegal small-scale mining, on the other hand, is mining without permits in any area where the miners suspect that there is gold. There are an estimated 400,000 illegal, small-scale miners in Zimbabwe.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel
Smallholder farmers in rural Gwanda, a region in Zimbabwe that borders South Africa, have been affected by a double shock – a combination of heat, droughts and floods caused by climate change, and water contamination and damaged land caused by illegal, small-scale mining.
Droughts in Gwanda have significantly affected rural farmers and increased over the past 40 years. This has left many families impoverished after harvests failed. Illegal, small-scale mining for gold in Zimbabwe has resulted in deforestation, land degradation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity in the area, making the problem worse.
Not all small-scale mining in Zimbabwe is illegal. Some artisanal miners have a valid mining claim, a licence to engage in mining activities on an allocated piece of land, and pay taxes to the local authorities and government. Illegal small-scale mining, on the other hand, is mining without permits in any area where the miners suspect that there is gold. There are an estimated 400,000 illegal, small-scale miners in Zimbabwe.
#Zimbabwe
@africaintel