Current Affairs Zimbabwe

Category: News

  • Zimbabwe opens state-of-the-art honey testing lab to boost European exports

    Zimbabwe opens state-of-the-art honey testing lab to boost European exports

    By Nigel Pfunde

    Harare- ZIMBABWE has commissioned a specialised honey testing laboratory aimed at unlocking European and international market opportunities for the country’s honey industry, officials announced on Wednesday.

    The state-of-the-art facility, established under the Zimbabwe Bee for Economic Empowerment (Zim-BEE) Project, will provide analytical services including pesticide residue analysis, honey adulteration detection, and verification of botanical and geographical origin in line with Codex Alimentarius standards.

    The EUR 1.5 million initiative is funded by the Trade Capacity-Building Program of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and implemented

    by Expertise France in partnership with ZimTrade, Zimbabwe’s national trade development organisation.

    ZimTrade Chief Executive Allan Majuru said the facility addresses growing demands from international buyers who now require certified laboratory reports rather than general quality assurances.

    “International buyers no longer rely solely on general quality assurances but require certified laboratory reports that verify product integrity,” Majuru said.

    “The establishment of this laboratory will enable locally produced honey to meet the requirements of major international markets while supporting rural communities to participate more effectively in global trade.”

    The Department of Veterinary Services will manage the laboratory as the national competent authority, providing testing services aligned with international market requirements.

    Since its launch on March 3 2025, the Zim-BEE Project has supported more than 650 beekeepers across production clusters in Matabeleland North, Mashonaland East and Manicaland through training in modern apiculture techniques, business management, and improved beekeeping equipment.

    AFD Project Manager Lou Cambarrat-Roux said the initiative demonstrates the potential of the honey sector to drive economic resilience.

    “Through this grant, AFD is proud to support the Zimbabwean honey sector that has a strong capacity to be a lever for economic resilience and development,” Cambarrat-Roux said.

    “The Zim-BEE project highlights the importance of building sustainable value chains, paving the way for future high-impact commercial partnerships that deliver positive outcomes for both people and the planet.”

    The laboratory commissioning marks a milestone in developing Zimbabwe’s national quality infrastructure, with officials expecting the facility to support increased honey exports and improve incomes for local beekeeping communities.

    The Zim-BEE Project, running through to 2027, includes Training-of-Trainers programmes in apiculture, support for developing a National Residue Monitoring Plan and the establishment of the testing facility. The initiative aims to strengthen Zimbabwe’s prospects of expanding honey exports to international markets.

  • Air Zim no-show: Mangudya misses London launch for second time as July 1 flight fails

    Air Zim no-show: Mangudya misses London launch for second time as July 1 flight fails

    Staff Reporter

    HARARE —The ambitious revival of the direct Harare-London air link reportedly suffered a major setback yesterday as the highly anticipated inaugural flight failed to depart from Harare International Airport for Gatwick, with sources saying passengers and stakeholders were left reeling from what critics are calling a broken promise by the authorities.

    Mutapa Investment Fund (MIF) Chief Executive Officer Dr John Mangudya had publicly pegged July 1 as the definitive date for the resumption of the route, framing it as a cornerstone of the national airline’s strategic revival. This was the second deadline set by Mangudya, after a previous pledge to relaunch London flights “by June this year, or before June” was missed.

    Despite these high-level assurances, the national carrier failed to deliver, according to sources who told this publication that the expected Air Zimbabwe service did not operate as scheduled.

    The failure to launch marks a humiliating blow to the government’s efforts to reintegrate the national airline into the lucrative international market.

    The route was intended to be operated through a 13-month Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) lease agreement with Spanish carrier Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas. The deal was brokered to bypass the fact that Air Zimbabwe remains barred from European Union and UK airspace due to long-standing safety concerns.

    This latest disruption gives credence to the fragile history of the London-Harare corridor. The national carrier last operated consistent direct flights to London in early 2012, using Boeing 767 aircraft, before the service collapsed under the weight of mounting financial debts and the impounding of aircraft by creditors.

    For over 14 years, the Zimbabwean diaspora and business travellers have been forced to rely on indirect, time-consuming connections through hubs such as Johannesburg, Addis Ababa and Doha.

    Expectations were high that this year’s relaunch would finally address this connectivity gap, with Dr Mangudya having previously touted the route as a primary objective of the Mutapa Investment Fund’s strategy to “resuscitate the national airline to its past glory”.

    With the July 1 deadline now missed, the government faces renewed scrutiny regarding the operational readiness of its state-owned enterprises and the credibility of its public commitments.

    Neither the Mutapa Investment Fund nor Air Zimbabwe had provided an explanation for the grounded flight at the time of writing, leaving travellers who had booked the inaugural service in a state of uncertainty.

    This publication could not get comment at the time of writing. A search of recognised air tracking databases yielded no results.

    There was no public ADS-B/tracking data showing an Air Zimbabwe or Plus Ultra aircraft operating the scheduled Harare-Gatwick service on July 1 2026.

  • *‘When Drums Stop, the Dance Falls Apart’: Mazowe’s New Sabhuku on Truth, Power, and a Village Divided

    By Sabhuku Thomas Chidamba.

     

     

     

     

    Sabhuku Thomas Chidamba says his first _bira_ as village head taught him one lesson: culture will not bend for power.

    The inaugural ceremony last Saturday began with dance and ended with a rebuke to a villager accused of intimidating Chief Chiweshe. Writing on Facebook under Thomas Chidamba Nyamayaro II, the new Sabhuku described the night in three acts: welcome, trial, and reckoning.

    Chief Chiweshe, Tateguru aBungu and Hwata elders filled the hut, turning a family mourning into a public installation, he wrote. Veteran drummer Mdara Diura led rhythms while young and old danced until dust glowed in firelight.

    The ceremony shifted during _kubata masuwo_, the doorpost test. A spirit claiming to be Nehanda failed to speak her lineage or grip the posts.

    “That moment showed me the spine of our culture: no one, spirit or man, stands above truth,” Chidamba posted.

    At sunrise, elders told the Sabhuku of a self-styled kingmaker who had tried to bully Chief Chiweshe over a decision he disliked.

    “It struck me like cold water. We had sung as one body. Yet one man thought he could throw stones at the stool we all sit on,” Chidamba wrote.

    An elder’s verdict summed it up: “Respect for the Chief is respect for all of us. Without it, the dance falls apart.”

    The _bira_ closed with plans for _hwahwa hwemavhura chando_ next week, more songs and beer to keep winter and division out.

    Chidamba’s account lands as Zimbabwe debates the role of traditional leaders in modern governance. For Mazowe, the answer came in drumbeats. Culture, he wrote, is not a relic. It is a referee.

  • Barmlo Construction extends humanitarian aid to Zimbabweans in Cape Town amid mass repatriation drive

    Barmlo Construction extends humanitarian aid to Zimbabweans in Cape Town amid mass repatriation drive

    By Sipiwe Nyoni

    CAPE TOWN — In a major humanitarian intervention, Barmlo Construction Company, led by philanthropist Dr BarnabasMarambire, has provided essential food assistance to hundreds of Zimbabwean nationals camped outside the Zimbabwe Consulate in Cape Town while awaiting repatriation.

    The initiative comes as Zimbabwe battles to repatriate thousands of citizens from South Africa amid rising xenophobic tensions and an unofficial deadline issued by anti-immigrant groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.

    As of June 26, the Zimbabwean government confirmed it had repatriated 3 624 nationals from South Africa. The operation intensified after more than 500 Zimbabweans began gathering outside the Cape Town consulate in District Six seeking government-assisted return.

    Many, including women and children spent nights in the rain and cold before the City of Cape Town, Department of Home Affairs and the Zimbabwean Consulate began relocating them to the Home Affairs Repatriation Site in Epping on June 28.

    The Epping site is now the “sole official site for processing before residents are transported to Beitbridge”.

    Deputy Director of Home Affairs, Almien van der Berg said over 2 500 Zimbabweans had been processed at Epping in two days.

    Despite this, about 1000 Zimbabweans remained at the Epping centre as of late June, awaiting documentation and buses.

    Information Minister Zhemu Soda said President Emmerson Mnangagwa had “directed resources towards ensuring the safe and dignified return of every Zimbabwean who wishes to come back home”. Delays have been attributed to mandatory profiling by South African authorities to check for criminal records.

    To ease reintegration, Treasury has extended a duty-free rebate to returnees, covering one motor vehicle and household goods purchased before December 31 2022.

    Against this backdrop, Dr Marambire’s Barmlow Construction delivered food parcels to those camped at the consulate. Marambire, founder and CEO of Barmlo Group of Companies, is known for philanthropy rooted in his own past as a herdboy who lost his parents at 13. His firm, with interests in construction and brick moulding across Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Rwanda, has previously paid school fees for underprivileged children.

    “I feel honoured to get such recognition for the work that I am doing in helping others,” Marambire has said of his philanthropic work.

    Barmlow was not alone in responding to the crisis as the Tagwirei family donated US$1 million through Bridging the Gap Foundation while Special Advisor to the President Dr Paul Tungwarara provided 50 buses through Zanu PF Manicaland Province.

  • House of Stone Properties rebrands to HSP Realty, eyes global expansion

    House of Stone Properties rebrands to HSP Realty, eyes global expansion

    Staff Reporter

    HARARE — Zimbabwe’s premier real estate firm, formerly known as House of Stone Properties, has officially rebranded to HSP Realty in a strategic move designed to support the company’s aggressive expansion and cement its growing footprint in the international property market.

    The rebranding marks an evolution for the firm and reflects its vision to align the company’s identity with its global ambitions. According to the company, the change will create a sharper, more recognizable brand capable of navigating international real estate complexities while maintaining its deep-rooted commitment to local excellence.

    Brand refreshed: HSP Realty announces new brand as they flip new page to global heights

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Leonita Mhishi, the firm’s Principal Registered Estate Agent, said the change is more than just a cosmetic adjustment.

    “Because the future of real estate is global, we have adopted a shorter, stronger, more memorable brand that reflects our expanding international presence and our commitment to world-class service,” Mhishi said.

    The firm’s new visual identity features signature premium burgundy and gold colours chosen to symbolize trust, prestige, excellence, and opportunity. The shift comes alongside strengthened leadership, enhanced service standards, and a diverse team of professionals positioned to serve both local and international clients with confidence.

    HSP Realty is also leveraging strategic global partnerships to unlock new possibilities for property buyers, sellers, investors, and developers.

    Mhishi put it clear that while the name has evolved, the company’s core commitments remain unchanged.

    All existing agreements and ongoing transactions will continue seamlessly under the new brand.

    Operating under the payoff line “SPOT IT. SEE IT. SECURE IT.”,

    HSP Realty aims to simplify the property journey for clients while delivering world-class results. The company’s head office remains at 21 Harare Drive, Borrowdale in Harare.

    “This is not just a rebrand, it’s a statement of intent,”

    Mhishi added.

    “We are building a real estate company that competes globally but stays grounded in the values that made House of Stone Properties a trusted name in Zimbabwe.”

  • DOV Bernard Mizeki Retreat: Preparations at advanced stage

    DOV Bernard Mizeki Retreat: Preparations at advanced stage

    Staff Writer

    Marondera- PREPARATIONS e are now at an advanced stage as Daughters of Virtue (DOV) prepare for the forthcoming prayer retreat scheduled for this Saturday July 4.

    These annual prayer retreats are synonymous with compassionate arm
    of the ministry.

    In previous years, whenever DOV went to Mutemwa Prayer Mountain, which was the usual venue for the retreat , food items and needs of necessity would be taken to Mutemwa Leprosy Centre for those housed at the centre.

    This year compassionate week before the retreat at Bernard Mizeki saw the distribution food items to more than 100 windows in Glenview suburb in Harare.

    The norm that always follows the ministry is prayer and giving go hand in hand.

    On Saturday at the Bernard Mizeki Shrine , the captivating program will include prayer while guests musicians will be Pastor Tinashe Murigo and Minister Takesure Zamar.
    The will perform under the theme AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH.

    Themes are a weekly norm in Daughters of Virtue as the weekly Wednesday and/or Saturday prayer gathering always run under a theme. The most amazing part of these themes is that they bear fruit weekly as testimonies are received after these gatherings.

    The Saturday, the 4th theme is provoking in that AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH is emphasizing that Jesus Christ was the living word and what can that word which became flesh not achieve.

    Congregates always come with expectations to these gatherings to meet their MAKER as well as worship Him.

    #tikasanamatatinofa

  • Men’s Mental Health Awareness month: The lie behind “I’m fine”

    Men’s Mental Health Awareness month: The lie behind “I’m fine”

    Opinion by Nyari Chuma

    Ask a Zimbabwean man how he is doing, and you will get the same two words almost every time. “I’m fine.” Said quickly, often before the question is finished. It’s reflex more than answer and for a troubling number of men, it’s a lie.

    June is Men’s Mental Health Month a good moment to ask why that lie has become so automatic, and what it’s costing us.

    Where the silence comes from

    Zimbabwean boys grow up learning that strength means not flinching. Provide, endure, don’t complain that’s the job description handed down before most boys can spell their surnames. “Indoda ayikhali,” the saying goes. A man does not cry. Add the imported “man up” and you have got a culture that trains its men to wall off the one thing that might save them the ability to say they are struggling.

    The numbers behind the silence

    Between June and August 2024, Bulawayo recorded 21 suicides 20 of them men. At Mpilo Central Hospital, 38 men attempted suicide in two months earlier this year, more than triple the previous year’s figure.

    These aren’t statistics. They are fathers who didn’t come home, sons their mothers are still waiting on.

    Yet there’s no national programme for men’s mental health. Add Zimbabwe’s brutal unemployment where a man’s worth is measured by what he provides and you get a generation carrying shame they were never equipped to name.

    Why men don’t ask for help

    The barriers are consistent, shame, cultural expectation, fear of job loss, and limited awareness. Many men don’t recognise depression they call it stress, tiredness, a bad patch. Anything but its name.

    Biggest lie: the bottle as a substitute!

    Where there’s no outlet men build their own. Alcohol, mutoriro, Broncleer cheap and easy, they numb pain nobody taught these men to talk about. It works for a while. Then it doesn’t. Dependency, broken marriages, sometimes worse and the original wound sits untouched underneath.
    This challenged of taking the bottle as a sanctuary has permeated all social strata…from the rich to the poor!
    Men take a hypothetical alternative to the harsh realities of life and take to the bottle where they get temporary comfort.

    However, when one gets sober it’s back to reality,the problems remain to that is why it is important to share and not remain silent.
    Silence is not golden in this case!

    The people trying to change this

    Zimpapers’ “Men to Men Indaba” builds platforms for honest talk. The Jathaniel Foundation’s “You Are Not Alone” proves men talking to men, without verdict, can crack open doors. The Friendship Bench shows peer support saves lives at a fraction of formal care costs.

    These programmes work. The problem is reach.

    What needs to happen

    Pastors, traditional leaders, football club owners councillors, MPs all have access to men who will never walk into a clinic. That access is leverage, and it’s mostly going to waste.

    If you are worried about someone who’s gone quiet ask him directly. Sit with the answer, even if it’s “I’m fine.” Ask again next week.

    If you or someone you know is struggling, talk to someone you trust, or reach out to a mental health professional. Nobody has to carry this alone.

    Nyari Chuma is a UK-based mental health expert and certified menopause and andropause coach, supporting clients through hormonal life transitions that affect emotional resilience in both men and women. She writes in her personal capacity. This piece is published during Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month (June) a campaign she actively supports to challenge outdated stigmas and encourage men to view therapy as a tool for strength, not shame.

  • Double trouble for kidnapping, fraud suspect Rondozai

    Double trouble for kidnapping, fraud suspect Rondozai

    Court Reporter

    HARARE- THE trial of a local man accused of defrauding his former employer of nearly US$11,000 opens at the Harare Magistrates Court on July 1, 2026.
    He will simultaneously face a separate trial for kidnapping and assaulting a witness from another fraud case.
    Simbarashe Emmanuel Martin Rondozai (38) will juggle two separate trials on this single day of reckoning after the court ordered a separation of the cases.
    In the first case (CRB2339/26), Rondozai faces charges of theft of trust property as defined under Section 113(2)(e) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
    The State alleges that Rondozai converted US$10,811 to his personal use. The money was held in trust by Wellcash Debt Collectors on behalf of its clients. Mr. Cephas Shingirayi Ngorima is representing the complainant company. None of the embezzled funds have been recovered.
    In the second case (Ref: F261/26), Rondozai faces charges of kidnapping or unlawful detention under Section 93 of the Criminal Law Act.
    The complainant, David Matanda (35), was Rondozai’s subordinate at Real Star Security. Last year, the security firm launched investigations into separate fraud allegations involving Rondozai. Upon learning he was under investigation, Rondozai allegedly plotted to silence Matanda.
    In May 2025, Rondozai and four accomplices (still at large) tracked Matanda to his Zengeza, Chitungwiza home at 9:00 PM.
    Two accomplices knocked on the door posing as police officers. They assaulted Matanda in front of his wife, Cathrine Satande, and brother, Rufaro.
    The men bundled Matanda into a silver Honda Fit, where Rondozai was waiting. They blindfolded Matanda and drove him to a secluded area.
    Matanda was held hostage for eight hours. He was beaten with fists and blunt objects. The captors demanded details about the fraud probe and threatened his life. They claimed political connections and boasted that they were above the law. One suspect stated they were at the exact spot where a well-known political activist had been killed.
    After drinking and smoking in the vehicle, the suspects dumped Matanda by a bridge along the new Chitungwiza Road.
    Fearing for his life, Matanda went into hiding in Concession, Mashonaland Central, in June 2025 before fleeing to South Africa. He returned to Zimbabwe on December 16, 2025.
    In January 2026, the suspects discovered his return. They sent an emissary named “Cloud” (or “Mwendamberi”) to intimidate him into hiding again.
    Refusing to live in fear, Matanda reported the ordeal to the police on February 19, 2026, leading to Rondozai’s arrest.
    Authorities are currently investigating whether Simbarashe Emmanuel Martin Rondozai is the same person as “Emmanuel Nicholas T. Rondozai.” The latter is a director of Aureum Gates (Pvt) Ltd and faces a separate fraud case. Investigators are verifying if the suspect holds dual identity credentials.
    In February 2026, the director allegedly pocketed US$3,600 in rentals from tenants at a Greendale property, failing to remit it to the owner, Augustine Madondo.
    Official records show Aureum Gates (located at 75 Cleveland Road, Greendale) was only incorporated on April 27, 2026. This indicates the firm operated illegally when it collected the rentals.

  • US$3.8 Million Watervlei Burial Park Development gains momentum

    US$3.8 Million Watervlei Burial Park Development gains momentum

    By Nigel Pfunde

    Harare — THE ambitious Watervlei Burial Park project along Seke Road has reached a significant milestone, with developers injecting US$3.8 million into the first phase of an initiative designed to provide a dignified final resting place for liberation war heroes.

    The development sits on 80 hectares and iscearmarked to accommodate approximately 8 000 liberation war heroes whose remains are currently in unmarked graves in neighbouring countries.

    Beyond its commemorative significance, the project is set to provide critical burial capacity for the capital as existing facilities, including the Provincial Heroes Acre at Warren Hills, face mounting pressure. The development is also expected to create over 200 jobs for local residents.

    Project manager Ismail Nanabawa, speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, confirmed that construction commenced in late 2024 and the site is on track to become operational by the final quarter of this year.

    “In terms of total investment for the whole Watervlei Burial Park, we’re looking at investing US$3.8 million for the first phase of the project,” said Nanabawa. “This includes everything, bearing in mind we are putting a massive fence around the entire site. We have a major plant as part of rehabilitating the ground to plant close to 1000 trees.”

    Nanabawa said that significant financial and logistical resources were required to rehabilitate the site, which had suffered extensive environmental damage due to illegal dumping and sand poaching.

    “What has taken us, I can’t put it in words exactly how much time and effort has gone into rehabilitating the sites. When I say illegal dumping, people often think it’s just a smoker, but some of these are higher than this gazebo. So that’s a significant cost for us,” he explained.

    Extensive earthworks were necessary over the past two years to fill pits, introduce quality soil, and ensure proper compaction.

    “The main portion of the works or the highest cost will be the roads. We have an irrigation system we have to build. We have the herse ways we have to build,” Nanabawa added.

    “We also have the traffic circle, or depending on the Ministry of Transport’s final approval, whether we are building access lanes or traffic lights, we have a significant development to do on the intersection as well.”
    The project has secured the endorsement of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) and the Memories of Zimbabwe Armed Struggle Trust (MOZAST).
    In recognition of the sacrifices made for the country’s Independence, developers have donated 8,000 burial plots to MOZAST specifically for the repatriation of veterans.
    The initiative aligns with wider national efforts to address the status of those lost during the struggle.

    “An estimated 30,000 Zimbabwean war veterans are buried outside of the country in unmarked graves and even mass graves, some 45 years after the country’s liberation struggle,” Nanabawa said.

    Meanwhile, the recently tabled Reburial and Memorialisation Bill, once passed, will enable the Government to formally collaborate with the War Veterans, churches, traditional leaders and families in a structured and well-resourced reburial programme.

    Nanabawa further said o preserve history, the development will feature a War Veterans Archway at the entrance of the dedicated section and a Museum within the Remembrance Village to be curated by MOZAST.

    This US$3.8 million investment marks a pivotal step in the national mandate to honour the country’s liberation icons, ensuring that those who fought for Zimbabwe’s sovereignty receive the formal recognition and dignified burial they have long been denied.

  • Midlands Mushroom Academy expands to Zim’ s largest Button & Oyster facility

    Midlands Mushroom Academy expands to Zim’ s largest Button & Oyster facility

    By Desire Tshuma

    Gweru – Midlands Mushroom Academy, founded in 2019 by Shumirai Engelbert Kadiki, is preparing to open what it says will be Zimbabwe’s largest factory for button and oyster mushroom production by year end.

    Kadiki is credited as the driving force behind the initiative. “The whole credit goes to the lady who has been training you, Shumirai Engelbert Kadiki. She is the brains behind this great initiative,” a representative of the Academy said. The business has been operating in the mushroom industry since 2019, and this year launched its own setup and standards for production across the country and abroad.

    The Academy’s production centre is based in Midlands, but the team has been traveling around Zimbabwe offering free workshops to train new growers. Kadiki said the Academy now also supplies mushroom spawn, the material used as mushroom seed, and is running free training programs nationwide to build a network of outgrowers.

    Douglas Mushayavanhu, the Academy’s Procurement and Logistics officer, emphasized the role of efficient supply chains in scaling the operation to meet both local and export demand.

    Beyond domestic supply, the Academy has entered international markets for medicinal mushrooms used in pharmaceuticals. It expects to begin exporting Lion’s Mane mushroom powder by August at US$80 per kilogram.

    Capital remains a key challenge. Kadiki said Zimbabwean banks rarely extend loans to SMEs without collateral or civil service status. “The only challenge that we are currently facing in Zimbabwe is the capital aspect,” he said. “But despite that, mushroom pays very well and if you have discipline you can go higher and higher.”

    She called for more government support to help local SMEs attract investors. “If the government can help us as local SMEs get investors we can do great,” Kadiki said.