Power-sector rules are getting ripped open as Zimbabwe bets private money and regional teamwork can drag electricity access to everyone by 2030.
Energy market liberalization push
Vice President Dr. Constantino Chiwenga announced deeper sector liberalization in Victoria Falls.
Chiwenga represented President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the SADC Sustainable Energy Week.
The government plans to open generation to Independent Power Producers.
Direct power purchase agreements and private grid participation are being enabled.
Universal access and rural gap
Vice President Dr. Constantino Chiwenga tied reforms to universal access by 2030.
Current electricity access sits near 62 percent nationwide.
Rural communities have just above 20 percent...
A massive health lifeline just got pulled off the table after Zimbabwe walked away from a five-year US-backed funding deal worth $367 million.
US reacts to MOU withdrawal
The United States of America labeled Zimbabwe’s exit from the proposed agreement regrettable.
The deal would have spanned five years and totaled $367 million.
U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela Tremont confirmed assistance will be wound down.
Tremont described the package as the largest potential health pledge by any international funder.
Health programs affected
The United States of America had planned support for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria efforts.
Maternal and child health initiatives were part of the arrangement.
Disease outbreak preparedness also sat...
Southern Africa’s long-stalled Batoka dam just got fresh momentum after Egypt signaled it might jump in with cash and construction muscle.
Egypt eyes Batoka partnership
Egypt is weighing investment in the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme.
The project is a Zimbabwe and Zambia joint venture.
Interest surfaced during talks between Mayada Essam Abdel Rahman and Makozo Chikote.
Rahman pointed to Egypt’s hydropower track record across Africa.
Tanzania project as a proof point
Egypt’s Arab Contractors Osman A Osman and Co teamed with Elsewedy Electric in Tanzania.
That joint venture delivered the 2,115 MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant.
The engineering, procurement, and construction contract was valued at nearly US$2.9 billion.
Rahman...
Global tourism heavyweights are about to land in Victoria Falls, and the government is pushing women in the sector to show up and claim space at the table.
Victoria Falls UN tourism lineup
The Government of Zimbabwe is hosting three United Nations tourism gatherings in April.
Events include the 23rd United Nations Committee on Tourism and Sustainability.
A linked Pilot Capacity-Building Workshop follows right after.
The 2nd United Nations Tourism Regional Congress on Women Empowerment in Tourism in Africa rounds it out.
Call for women to step in
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi urged women in tourism to participate.
Rwodzi made the appeal during a post-Cabinet media briefing.
She wants strong female...
Exam fees meant for Cambridge got pocketed instead, leaving a parent thousands of dollars lighter and a fake-college operator staring at fraud convictions.
Fraud case against Richmore Sairos
Richmore Sairos ran an unregistered outfit called Shekinah Elite Academy in Mbare.
Harare magistrate Nyaradzo Manokore found him guilty on three counts.
Charges covered fraud and theft tied to Cambridge Ordinary Level fees.
Prosecutor Takudzwa Mutyavaviri laid out the paper trail in court.
First child registration scam
Richmore Sairos collected US$700 in April 2022 for one learner.
That cash was meant for a Nostro transfer to the British Council.
Instead, Sairos kept the funds and cooked up a fake statement.
Trouble surfaced before the June...
Energy shortages keep dragging the grid down, and investors are basically saying fix the rules first before they wire serious cash into Zimbabwe’s power game.
Capital is waiting for clearer rules
Old Mutual Zimbabwe group chief executive Sam Matsekete said money exists for IPPs.
Investors want steady policies and solid offtake deals before committing.
Victoria Falls hosted the SADC Energy Week, where he laid this out.
Financiers argue that bankable structures matter more than raw liquidity.
Bankability over buzzwords
Old Mutual Zimbabwe group chief executive Sam Matsekete flagged weak project design as a blocker.
Structural gaps and shallow long-term savings pools are slowing scale.
Demand for energy funding outstrips available...
Infighting over empowerment cash just forced ZANU PF to slam the brakes before its own money machine tore the party apart.
Empowerment freeze sparks internal blowback
ZANU PF national political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha admitted the cash schemes fueled internal beef.
Suspension of the programs was framed as damage control, not surrender.
Machacha argued that unchecked payouts were driving members to turn on each other.
Fresh rules are being drafted before the tap gets switched back on.
Manicaland factional heat
ZANU-PF is watching Manicaland tensions spill into public view.
Provincial heavyweights reportedly locked horns over who steers empowerment funds.
Allegations about patronage and misuse are swirling around local...
A massive land play just got tossed to investors, as Zimbabwe’s forest authority is basically saying come build money-making eco empires on prime wilderness.
Forest investment pitch across Zimbabwe
The Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe rolled out a deal-book targeting global and local capital.
That document dangles timber, eco-lodges, and hybrid real-estate plays near Victoria Falls, Lake Kariba, and Harare.
Private-sector players are being courted under ESG-aligned, investor-friendly setups.
Zimbabwe’s Special Economic Zone rules are baked into the pitch.
Ten-asset portfolio breakdown
The Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe stacked 10 named sites into one mega portfolio.
Among them are Sijarira Forest, Gwaai Forest, and Mvutu Forest...
Empty desks are gutting Zimbabwe’s city centers while suburban blocks cash in on the office exodus.
CBD slump and investor exit
Knight Frank flags Harare CBD vacancies hovering near 60 percent.
Bulawayo’s core is not far behind, sitting around 40 percent.
Rising crime and busted infrastructure are pushing investors to dump towers.
Multiple multi-storey buildings are circulating for sale as landlords tap out.
Suburbs eat the CBD’s lunch
Knight Frank shows suburban offices pulling about 9 percent yields.
CBD properties lag around 6 percent, trailing Zambia and South Africa.
Nodes like Newlands and Mt Pleasant are pulling in corporate tenants.
Companies are chasing shorter commutes and lighter municipal headaches.
Why companies are...
