The Catholic Lawyers Guild in Zimbabwe is going hard against some last-minute changes to a health bill. They call it a backdoor move to loosen abortion rules without letting the public have a say. The guild points out that an opposition MP, Edwin Mushoriwa, only brought these tweaks up during a committee meeting. The lawyers argue that the whole method is shady and goes against the Constitution.
Their big issue is what the changes would actually do. They claim it would basically allow abortion for any reason within the first twelve weeks. It would also add mental health or serious injury as legal grounds, and let minors get abortions in emergencies without a parent's okay. The guild says this is a huge deal in a conservative country...
So this gold mine, Eureka, up in Guruve district, just dropped over two million dollars this year on community stuff. That's their total social spending since they started, hitting around five million. The mine's general manager, Nelson Banda, talked about needing a social license to operate, not just government permits. He said they work with local committees and officials to pick projects. Another exec, Tinago Tiango, heads up human capital and laid out their four focus areas: community development, the environment, health and sanitation, and education.
They've been relocating whole villages, Mazhambe and Muroiwa, to a place called Mbome Farm with government backing. Families got new houses with modern setups, water access, a dip...
More than a thousand people had permission to mess with the city of Harare's money systems. Mayor Jacob Mafume addressed the issue during a council meeting, calling the situation chaotic. He confirmed the case is with the police and highlighted how the lack of a proper digital system lets employees exploit weaknesses for theft. A recent example involved five workers who allegedly stole a large sum from residents using fake accounts in just four days.
Mafume stressed the city government is public property, not a personal bank for staff. He blamed human factors for the ongoing theft, citing how individuals created unauthorized accounts and manipulated resident bills. The mayor warned that residents who conspired to pay less to the city...
Conservationists in Zimbabwe are fighting a development approved for the Monavale Wetland, a protected Ramsar site vital to Harare's water supply. The Monavale Trust, represented by George Makings, has filed an appeal against the country's Environmental Management Authority and its director general. Other parties named in the appeal include the Environment Minister, Milblue Investments, and the City of Harare. The group wants a court to cancel an environmental certificate issued for the project.
Their legal challenge claims the environmental impact assessment was fundamentally flawed and illegal. They argue the report fails to properly describe the planned golf course, spa, gym, and other structures. The document also allegedly...
Voter turnout was notably low in a recent parliamentary by-election in Bulawayo's Nkulumane suburb, with only a fraction of registered voters participating. Election officials reported that just under four thousand votes were cast from a roster of nearly twenty-three thousand eligible voters, with many being turned away due to missing registration or invalid identification.
The election, featuring nine candidates including the widow of the deceased incumbent, proceeded peacefully despite allegations from some voters and opponents of vote-buying tactics. Senior citizens constituted a significant portion of the electorate, while youth participation appeared minimal. The final count represents a sharp decline from the over thirteen...
The Transport Ministry plans to implement a nationwide electronic tolling system to combat lost revenue and modernize collections. Minister Felix Mhona announced the initiative, envisioning a network using cameras, RFID tags, and 5G connectivity to allow payments without vehicles stopping.
This push for all-electronic tolling aims to increase transparency and direct more funds toward road maintenance, alongside reducing traffic congestion. The recent expansion of the Norton toll plaza on the Harare-Bulawayo highway is part of this broader effort, which also includes a new program to station emergency medical teams at major plazas for faster crash response.
Opposition lawmakers in Zimbabwe are accusing Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube of quietly inserting a tax exemption for the Mutapa Investment Fund into a broader finance bill. The legislators argue the sovereign wealth fund, which controls over twenty state-owned enterprises, including the major mining group Kuvimba, already operates under unusual secrecy, being exempt from standard public procurement rules.
During parliamentary debate, critics demanded to know why the fund should be spared from income taxes while providing minimal financial transparency, with no audited statements publicly available. In defense, Ncube stated the exemption only applies to the top-level holding fund, not its individual subsidiaries, which he says will...
A surge of new organizations pledging loyalty to President Emmerson Mnangagwa is emerging, widely viewed as an orchestrated effort to build momentum for extending his rule beyond the constitutional limit of 2028. These groups, ranging from teacher and miner associations to more unusual entities like "Former Footballers and Coaches4ED," are seeking affiliate status with the ruling Zanu PF party, often backed by donations from controversial business figures.
Critics and analysts describe the affiliate drive as a patronage system fueled by fear and financial opportunism rather than genuine political support. They argue these structures are designed to create an illusion of popular demand for a third term, access state resources, and...
The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority is walking back its plan to mandate monthly tax clearance certificates following pushback from the business community. In a communication to industry representatives, the authority stated it is now considering a phased system with different validity periods based on a company's size.
Under the proposed transitional framework, large taxpayers would receive certificates valid for six months, while medium, small, and tender-participating businesses would get three-month certificates. The authority cited a need for practical and efficient compliance measures aligned with broader economic goals as the reason for the adjustment, directly responding to concerns about excessive administrative burdens from the...
