HARARE
–
Telecel
Zimbabwe,
the
country’s
smallest
mobile
network
operator,
has
placed
itself
under
voluntary
corporate
rescue,
a
last-ditch
move
that
gives
the
struggling
company
temporary
protection
from
its
creditors
while
it
attempts
to
revive
operations.
The
decision,
effective
October
27,
2025,
was
lodged
with
the
Master
of
the
High
Court
and
the
Registrar
of
Companies
under
Section
122
of
the
Insolvency
Act,
the
company’s
board
said
in
a
statement.
Telecel
will
be
shielded
from
lawsuits
or
asset
seizures
for
the
duration
of
the
process,
giving
it
vital
breathing
room
to
attempt
a
turnaround.
Telecel
said
the
process
was
aimed
at
“rehabilitating
the
business
and
did
not
signify
any
intention
to
liquidate”
in
what
observers
see
as
a
bold
attempt
to
buy
time
and
hold
off
creditors
a
little
longer.
The
corporate
rescue
framework
allows
a
financially
distressed
company
to
operate
under
the
supervision
of
a
court-appointed
practitioner
while
plans
are
made
to
restructure
its
debt,
restore
viability,
and
attract
new
investment.
Once
Zimbabwe’s
second-largest
mobile
operator,
Telecel
has
in
recent
years
been
crippled
by
chronic
under-investment
and
shareholder
disputes,
culminating
in
the
government
taking
a
60
percent
stake
through
the
state-owned
Zarnet.
That
ownership
saga,
combined
with
the
company’s
deteriorating
network
infrastructure
and
loss
of
customers,
has
left
it
with
a
fraction
of
the
market
it
once
commanded.
Telecel
now
has
just
319,548
active
subscribers,
representing
less
than
two
percent
of
the
mobile
market.
It
handles
only
0.02
percent
of
all
voice
calls,
compared
to
Econet’s
87.61
percent
and
NetOne’s
12.3
percent,
and
carries
a
mere
0.16
percent
of
internet
traffic.
The
company
operates
just
17
LTE
base
stations,
against
Econet’s
1,700,
and
has
no
5G
coverage.