Author: TSA Press

Harare,
Zimbabwe
– Zimbabwe’s
real
estate
and
farming
sectors
are
seeing
a
surge
in
diaspora-driven
investment,
with
two
young
content
creators
quietly
emerging
as
unexpected
influencers
shaping
the
trend.

Kundai
Chitima,
31,
and
Kelvin
Birioti,
20,
each
running
their
own
social
media
channel,
have
built
followings
that
seem
to
influence
a
growing
number
of
Zimbabweans
abroad
considering
return
or
investment.

On
YouTube
and
Instagram,
they
share
short
videos
and
posts
highlighting
opportunities
in
Zimbabwe.
Their
popular
content
ranges
from
property
tours
and
agricultural
tips
to
market
trend
analysis.

For
some
in
the
diaspora,
decisions
about
returning
or
investing
increasingly
appear
to
be
shaped
less
by
official
narratives
and
more
by
social
media
content
offering
on-the-ground
perspectives
of
life
in
Zimbabwe.

One
of
those
influenced
is
Catherine
Mutisi,
who
spent
17
years
living
in
the
United
Kingdom
working
as
an
accountant.
During
that
time,
she
had
already
begun
investing
in
Zimbabwe,
building
two
houses,
buying
a
small
plot
and
starting
a
business.

She
said
her
thinking
shifted
after
coming
across
Birioti’s
content
during
construction.

“Gradually,
my
mind
and
plans
shifted
from
just
visiting
Zimbabwe
towards
wanting
to
permanently
relocate,”
she
said.

Mutisi
said
earlier
narratives
about
Zimbabwe
had
made
her
cautious,
but
online
content
presented
a
different
perspective.

“Previously,
I
was
just
building
my
houses
for
my
family
to
get
some
money.
But
after
watching
the
videos,
my
eyes
opened,”
she
told
Al
Jazeera.

Her
experience
is
not
isolated.
Both
Chitima
and
Birioti
say
they
hear
similar
accounts
from
the
Zimbabwean
diaspora
reassessing
their
long-term
plans.

UK-based
Zimbabwean
Nyashadzashe
Nguwo,
an
Africa
market
entry
and
global
expansion
adviser,
said
many
people
like
Mutisi
are
relocating
to
Zimbabwe
due
to
what
he
described
as
a
combination
of
emotional
and
lifestyle-driven
factors.

“There’s
a
strong
desire
among
many
in
the
diaspora
to
reconnect
with
their
roots
and
contribute
meaningfully
to
national
development.
For
some,
the
lower
cost
of
living
and
the
opportunity
to
build
something
impactful
at
home
outweigh
concerns
about
economic
instability,”
Nguwo
told
Al
Jazeera.

Two
influencers

After
growing
up
in
Chinhoyi,
a
town
in
northern
Zimbabwe
about
120km
(75
miles)
northwest
of
the
capital,
Harare,
Birioti
sought
a
new
start
and
enrolled
at
Zimbabwe
Ezekiel
Guti
University
(ZEGU)
in
Bindura.
He
dropped
out,
however,
due
to
financial
challenges
and
decided
to
move
to
Harare.

There,
he
met
Chitima
and
began
learning
content
creation.
From
the
outset,
he
said
he
avoided
entertainment-style
content,
instead
focusing
on
what
he
saw
as
an
information
gap.

“I
saw
a
gap:
the
diaspora
community
was
being
scammed.”

He
built
his
platform
about
real
estate,
rural
development
and
farming
projects,
often
working
with
diaspora
Zimbabweans
who
granted
access
to
their
properties
for
documentation.

On
the
other
hand,
Chitima
worked
as
a
teacher
in
South
Africa
before
returning
to
Zimbabwe
in
2015.

He
said
workplace
inequality
influenced
his
choice:
“We
were
earning
lower
than
my
South
African
colleagues.
I
thought
of
my
dignity
and
made
a
decision
to
return
home.”

Chitima
returned
to
Zimbabwe
with
limited
resources
and
a
pregnant
wife,
entering
a
very
different
economic
environment
from
the
one
he
had
left.

Before
his
time
in
South
Africa,
he
had
worked
as
a
civil
servant.
After
returning,
he
gradually
moved
into
content
creation,
beginning
in
2015
and
later
training
younger
creators
who
went
on
to
build
large
audiences.

Today,
he
reflects
on
his
platform
as
both
educational
and
protective
for
diaspora
audiences.

“I
receive
calls
from
people
crying
…
they
have
been
scammed.”

He
says
his
content
aims
to
replace
uncertainty
with
grounded
information
about
the
realities
and
opportunities
in
Zimbabwe.

Economic
pressure
and
unemployment

While
no
official
figures
are
publicly
available
on
the
exact
number
of
Zimbabweans
leaving
the
country
or
their
reasons
for
doing
so,
reports
from
the
International
Organization
for
Migration
and
independent
migration
studies
indicate
consistent
migration.

The
Zimbabwe
National
Statistics
Agency
(Zimstat)
reported
a
21.8
percent
unemployment
rate
in
the
third
quarter
of
2024,
based
on
strict
International
Labour
Organization
definitions.

Between
76
percent
and
80
percent
of
workers
are
in
the
informal
sector,
relying
on
subsistence
or
unregulated
employment.
Youth
unemployment
is
particularly
acute:
a
2025
World
Bank
report
estimates
it
at
76.8
percent.

For
many
young
people,
stable
employment
is
increasingly
difficult
to
secure.

Susan
Sibanda,
26,
describes
moving
between
short-term
and
informal
work.

“I
have
been
switching
from
one
casual
job
to
the
next,”
Sibanda
said.

Her
experience
reflects
a
wider
labour
market
where
formal
employment
continues
to
shrink.
In
recent
years,
several
big
retailers,
including
Choppies,
Truworths,
OK
Zimbabwe,
and
N
Richards,
have
downsized
or
closed
operations.

Emigration
pressures
remain
strong

Against
that
backdrop,
migration
still
features
heavily
in
the
decisions
of
young
Zimbabweans.

Sibanda
said
she
now
considers
that
“leaving
Zimbabwe
is
in
my
best
interest”.

Economist
Tashinga
Kajiva
said
the
story
of
emigration
from
Zimbabwe
has
largely
remained
high,
driven
by
a
combination
of
push
and
pull
factors
that
encourage
people
to
seek
what
they
see
as
greener
pastures.

“Zimbabwe’s
economy
is
marked
by
complex
and,
some
would
say,
difficult
dynamics.
For
ordinary
citizens,
disposable
income
remains
low
while
the
cost
of
living
continues
to
rise.
The
marginal
propensity
to
save
among
working-class
citizens
is
also
low,
as
many
are
living
hand
to
mouth,”
he
told
Al
Jazeera.

Zimbabwe’s
diaspora
is
concentrated
in
South
Africa,
the
United
Kingdom,
Australia,
Canada,
New
Zealand
and
the
United
States,
according
to
government
figures.

Keeping
ties
alive
from
abroad

The
economic
link
between
Zimbabwe
and
its
diaspora
remains
strong.

According
to
real
estate
agents,
diaspora
buyers
now
account
for
a
significant
share

They
state
that
up
to
50
percent
of
high-end
residential
properties
sold
were
purchased
by
Zimbabweans
living
abroad
in
recent
years.
In
some
regions,
land
prices
have
risen
by
20–30
percent
year-on-year,
a
surge
partly
attributed
to
diaspora
buyers.

Diaspora
investment
is
also
noticeable
in
agriculture.
Reports
from
the
Zimbabwe
Farmers
Union
indicate
that
about
10-15
percent
of
new
farm
leases
over
the
past
two
to
three
years
involve
diaspora
investors,
with
activity
concentrated
in
Mashonaland
Central
and
Matabeleland
regions.

Remittances
reached
$1.7bn
in
2023
and
continue
to
rise.
In
2025,
Zimbabweans
abroad
sent
$2.45bn
home,
with
the
UK
and
South
Africa
the
largest
sources,
according
to
government
data. A
significant
portion
of
these
funds
is
reportedly
invested
in
real
estate,
agriculture,
and
small
businesses.

This
reflects
both
practical
necessity
and
emotional
attachment
to
home,
as
well
as
a
preference
for
investing
in
familiar
environments,
according
to
economists.

Still,
return
seems
to
generate
mixed
reactions.

Some
diaspora
Zimbabweans
appear
cautious,
citing
political
developments
and
recent
protests
abroad
over
governance
concerns.

For
them,
financial
ties
to
Zimbabwe
are
still
strong,
but
physical
return
remains
uncertain.

With
social
media
reshaping
perceptions
of
life
in
Zimbabwe,
many
in
the
diaspora
remain
caught
between
investment
opportunities
and
the
country’s
economic
realities.

As
content
creators
like
Chitima
and
Birioti
reshape
how
some
see
opportunity
in
Zimbabwe,
domestic
economic
pressures
appear
to
be
pushing
others
away,
leaving
the
country’s
relationship
with
its
diaspora
open-ended
and
still
evolving.

“For
many
Zimbabweans
living
abroad,
investing
back
home
is
not
just
about
profit
–
it’s
about
staying
connected
to
their
roots
and
shaping
the
future
of
their
communities,”
said
Chitima.

Harare,
Zimbabwe
– Elvis
Sitshela
remains
deeply
unsettled
by
the
sudden
departure
of
his
brother,
Dumisani,
to
Russia
in
early
2026.
Dumisani
left
in
complete
secrecy,
without
telling
the
family,
until
a
shocking
text
arrived
from
an
international
number.

“Hi,
brother,
I
am
in
Russia
now.
It’s
me,
Dumisani,”
recalled
Elvis,
who
requested
his
real
name
be
withheld
for
safety.

“He
was
unemployed
for
a
long
time
and
tried
to
settle
in
South
Africa,
but
it
didn’t
work
out;
he
returned
home
last
December.
By
January,
he
was
gone,”
Elvis
said.

Weeks
later,
the
family
received
more
troubling
news:
A
neighbour
who
had
travelled
with
Dumisani
was
killed
in
Ukraine,
where
Russia
has
been
waging
a
full-scale
war
for
the
past
four
years.

“I
am
appealing
to
the
Zimbabwean
and
Russian
governments
to
work
together
to
bring
our
brothers
home,”
he
added,
urging
officials
in
Harare
and
Moscow
to
act
before
it
is
too
late.

Trafficking
charges

In
late
March,
four
people
appeared
before
Harare
Magistrates’
Court
facing
human
trafficking
charges.

The
group
is
accused
of
sending
Zimbabweans
to
Russia,
where
the
victims
were
allegedly
forced
to
participate
in
Moscow’s
war
on
Ukraine.

The
accused
–
Obert
Hlavati,
Tonderai
Maphosa,
Tanaka
Malcon
Gwarada,
and
Edson
Dudzayi
Nyamudeza
–
were
not
asked
to
plead
during
their
appearance
before
Magistrate
Jessi
Kufa.

According
to
the
prosecution,
the
four
conspired
with
a
Russian
national
named
Ivan
to
traffic
six
Zimbabweans
to
Russia.

Separately,
a
few
days
ago,
security
officials
at
the
Joshua
Mqabuko
Nkomo
international
airport
intercepted
two
brothers
attempting
to
board
a
flight
to
Russia.
Although
the
pair
claimed
they
were
travelling
to
attend
a
university
open
event
in
Moscow,
authorities
grew
suspicious
and
prevented
them
from
leaving.

While
these
incidents
remain
isolated,
the
larger
problem
persists:
Zimbabweans
continue
dying
in
Russia’s
war.

State
intervention

Elvis’s
plea
to
the
Zimbabwean
and
Russian
governments
to
bring
his
brother
home
comes
as
Zimbabwean
authorities
confirm
that
a
growing
number
of
citizens
have
died
while
serving
with
Russian
forces.

Government
spokesperson
Nick
Mangwana
said
Harare
is
working
to
repatriate
four
citizens
killed
in
Ukraine.

“Zimbabweans
have
been
trafficked
as
foreign
fighters.
Eighteen
have
died
abroad,
yet
the
government
can
repatriate
only
four;
the
others
are
held
up
by
documentation
problems,”
Mangwana
said
on
X.

Minister
of
Information
Zhemu
Soda
blamed
predatory
employment
agencies
that
promise
high
salaries
and
secure
work
to
lure
desperate
job
seekers
into
conflict
zones.

Zimbabweans
have
been
trafficked
as
foreign
fighters.
Eighteen
have
died
abroad,
yet
the
government
can
repatriate
only
four;
the
others
are
held
up
by
documentation
problems

by Nick
Mangwana,
government
spokesperson
of
Zimbabwe

“Our
citizens
are
being
preyed
upon
by
unscrupulous
networks
who
operate
with
complete
disregard
for
human
life,”
Soda
told
a
news
briefing
in
Harare
on
March
25.
He
warned
that
traffickers
use
social
media
to
target
young
people.

Former
Senator
Tshepiso
Helen
Mpofu
urged
people
to
be
cautious
of
job
advertisements
circulating
online.

“Our
young
people
must
verify
opportunities
before
applying,
especially
those
abroad,
and
not
fall
for
schemes
that
promise
wealth
or
stability,”
Mpofu
said.

She
called
on
the
government
to
focus
on
economic
empowerment
and
genuine
job
creation
while
engaging
Russia
to
prevent
citizens
from
being
exploited
in
military
service.

Forced
enlistment

“Upon
arrival
in
Russia,
recruits
are
reportedly
met
by
men
in
military
uniform.
They
are
placed
on
buses
and
taken
to
army
barracks,
where
the
process
quickly
turns
dangerous,”
explained
veteran
journalist
Ezra
Sibanda,
whose
investigation
into
recruitment
networks
gained
traction
in
early
March.

“At
the
barracks,
they
are
processed,
fingerprinted,
and
pressured
into
signing
military
contracts.
Their
passports
and
phones
are
confiscated,
and
they
undergo
brief
training
lasting
10
days
to
a
month,”
Sibanda
said.

Through
live
Facebook
broadcasts,
Sibanda
confronted
Zimbabweans
on
the
front
lines
and
their
alleged
recruiters.
His
investigation
revealed
a
sophisticated
cross-border
network
that
lures
recruits
with
financial
incentives,
targeting
those
struggling
economically.

“A
Zimbabwean
known
as
‘Tshaka
the
Zulu,’
originally
from
the
Matobo
region
and
formerly
based
in
South
Africa,
is
operating
out
of
Moscow,
alongside
a
Russian
national
known
as
‘Poma’,”
Sibanda
told
Al
Jazeera.

“They
are
the
ringleaders.
Their
networks
across
Zimbabwe
and
South
Africa
are
secretive
and
decentralised,
making
it
nearly
impossible
to
determine
how
many
people
have
been
sent
to
the
front
lines.”

Sibanda
noted
that
the
network’s
activities
are
contributing
to
the
continuing
casualties
among
Zimbabweans
deployed
abroad.

Efforts
by
Al
Jazeera
to
reach
“Tshaka
the
Zulu”,
“Poma”,
and
other
alleged
recruitment
agents
in
Zimbabwe
and
South
Africa
were
unsuccessful,
with
multiple
calls
and
text
messages
going
unanswered.

Enticing
wages

Sibanda
noted
that
Zimbabweans,
particularly
those
living
in
South
Africa,
are
being
enticed
by
life-altering
sums,
a
reported
sign-on
bonus
of
up
to
$37,000,
followed
by
monthly
wages
of
approximately
$4,000.

However,
the
job
advertisement
is
often
a
deadly
bait-and-switch.
Some
believe
they
are
joining
the
military;
others
are
misled
into
thinking
they
will
work
as
truck
drivers
or
in
construction,
only
to
discover
the
truth
once
it
is
too
late.

“Most
of
the
promises
made
to
them
are
not
fulfilled.
In
some
cases,
a
small
amount,
around
$2,000,
is
reportedly
sent
to
their
families
back
home
via
South
Africa,
but
thereafter,
many
receive
nothing
further,”
Sibanda
added.

Recognising
the
urgency,
Sibanda
began
engaging
the
Zimbabwean
government
directly.

The
impetus
came
from
the
soldiers
themselves,
he
said.
Multiple
Zimbabweans
stationed
on
the
front
lines
had
reached
out
to
him
with
a
desperate
request
to
see
if
their
government
could
intervene
and
help
them
return
home.

“I
have
engaged
the
government
of
Zimbabwe
on
this
matter
and
am
happy
with
their
positive
response,”
said
Sibanda.

“They
have
shown
interest
to
assist,
and
are
currently
working
on
compiling
details
of
Zimbabweans
who
may
have
been
recruited
into
these
mercenary
operations
linked
to
the
Russian
army,
so
I
will
provide
them
to
the
authorities,”
he
said.

“It
is
important
to
note
that
many
of
these
individuals
left
to
join
without
the
knowledge
or
approval
of
Zimbabwean
authorities.
The
situation
is
further
complicated
by
the
fact
that
recruitment
is
reportedly
taking
place
in
South
Africa,
making
it
difficult
for
the
government
to
monitor
or
protect
its
citizens,
as
there
is
no
clear
oversight
or
record
of
the
agencies
involved.”

The
issue
was
raised
in
Parliament
after
MP
Zivai
Mhetu
questioned
why
some
motorists
were
allegedly
being
arrested
for
driving
vehicles
without
spare
wheels,
particularly
newer
imported
models
designed
without
storage
space
for
them.

“There
are
some
motorists
who
are
being
arrested
for
not
having
a
spare
wheel,
but
when
these
cars
are
being
imported
from
other
countries,
they
have
no
space
for
a
spare
wheel,”
Mhetu
said.
He
asked
what
government
policy
applied
to
such
vehicles
and
how
authorities
were
ensuring
drivers
were
not
unfairly
penalised.

Responding
in
Parliament,
Mhona
said
the
law
requiring
motorists
to
carry
spare
wheels
remained
important
in
the
event
of
punctures
or
other
tyre-related
emergencies.

“Sometimes
this
law
is
very
important
for
us
as
road
users,”
he
said.
“When
we
face
a
challenge
with
a
wheel,
maybe
due
to
low
pressure
or
a
puncture,
we
use
the
spare
wheel
to
alleviate
the
problem.”

He
urged
drivers
of
newer
vehicle
models
to
find
ways
of
carrying
spare
wheels,
even
if
the
cars
were
not
originally
designed
with
dedicated
storage
space.

“For
the
latest
cars
being
imported
without
space
to
put
a
spare
wheel,
I
really
encourage
drivers
to
have
a
place
to
put
that
wheel
because
it
is
very
important
when
they
are
travelling,”
Mhona
said.
“Everyone
needs
to
find
a
place
to
put
that
spare
wheel.”

However,
MP
Leslie
Mhangwa
challenged
the
minister’s
position,
arguing
that
some
modern
vehicles
are
fitted
with
run-flat
tyres,
which
are
designed
to
allow
a
vehicle
to
continue
travelling
for
up
to
100km
after
a
puncture.

“The
design
of
these
new
cars
is
that
they
run
on
what
is
called
run-flat
tyres,”
Mhangwa
said.
“So
forcing
such
cars
to
have
a
spare
wheel,
would
we
not
be
fighting
technological
advancement?”

In
response,
Mhona
said
that
while
run-flat
tyres
offered
temporary
mobility,
they
could
still
fail
completely
in
certain
circumstances.

“You
can
only
talk
of
a
flat
tyre
when
it
is
the
normal
course
of
business.
If
it
ruptures,
you
need
to
replace
it,”
he
said.

The
minister
maintained
that
the
requirement
was
intended
to
protect
motorists
rather
than
serve
as
a
policing
measure.

“This
is
for
your
own
safety,”
he
said.
“We
are
saying
to
the
people
of
Zimbabwe,
you
need
to
carry
this
in
the
event
that
the
other
tyre
is
ruptured.
It
is
not
for
the
police,
it
is
for
us.”

These
latest
acquittal
figures
expose
broader
governance
challenges
surrounding
the
management
of
public
funds
and
oversight
by
Parliament
itself
since
118
constituencies
are
yet
to
account
how
they
used
the
money.

This
was
revealed
at
the
National
Assembly
on
Thursday,
after
Speaker,
Jacob
Mudenda,
expressed
concern
over
the
low
compliance
rate
by
legislators
despite
repeated
reminders
from
Parliament.

“Following
the
announcement
made
on
18
February
2026,
reminding
Hon.
Members
of
the
requirements
to
submit
Constituency
Development
Fund
(CDF)
acquittals,
I
noted
with
concern
that
only
52
out
of
the
170
constituencies
that
accessed
funding
in
2025
have
submitted
their
acquittals,”
Mudenda
said.

“The
Hon.
Members
who
have
not
submitted
their
acquittals
should
do
so
without
exception
by
29
May
2026
in
terms
of
Article
14
of
the
CDF
Constitution.”

The
development
places
the
spotlight
back
on
the
CDF
programme,
which
over
the
years
has
been
plagued
by
allegations
of
delayed
disbursements,
weak
accountability
and
political
grandstanding
over
projects
funded
through
the
initiative.

The
CDF,
introduced
in
2010
and
later
formalised
through
the
Constituency
Development
Fund
Act
of
2022,
was
designed
to
decentralise
development
and
allow
communities
to
identify
and
implement
priority
projects
through
their
elected
representatives.

Each
constituency
is
allocated
US$50
000
or
ZiG
equivalent
meant
for
projects
such
as
classroom
blocks,
clinics,
boreholes,
bridges
and
other
community
infrastructure.

Although
Parliament
is
demanding
acquittals
from
MPs
who
received
the
funds,
some
legislators
previously
complained
that
they
had
not
received
any
allocations
at
all.

On
18
February
this
year,
during
parliamentary
proceedings,
lawmakers
questioned
how
they
could
be
expected
to
submit
acquittals
for
money
they
had
not
accessed.

“I
also
have
to
inform
the
House
that
all
Hon.
Members
who
accessed
the
Constituency
Development
Fund
in
2025
are
required
to
submit
their
acquittals
and
returns
in
terms
of
Article
14
of
the
Constituency
Development
Fund
Constitution,
as
read
together
with
Article
18
of
the
Accounting
Officer’s
Manual,”
the
Acting
Speaker
told
Parliament
then.

“This
is
in
preparation
for
accessing
the
2026
allocations.
Hon.
Members
who
do
not
submit
their
returns
will
not
be
able
to
access
any
new
funding.”

This
was
challenged
by
Warren
Park
MP
Shakespear
Hamauswa,
who
argued
that
some
constituencies
had
not
received
the
money.

“The
point
of
privilege
is
emanating
from
the
fact
that
if
we
do
not
acquit,
we
are
not
given
money.
For
some
of
us,
we
do
not
have
anything
to
acquit
because
we
did
not
receive
any
funds,”
Hamauswa
said.

“As
you
are
sitting
on
that
Chair,
can
you
help
us
by
investigating
so
that
we
get
the
funds
that
we
are
supposed
to
get
to
our
constituencies
because
our
constituents
are
asking
for
those
funds?”

The
Acting
Speaker
responded
by
promising
to
engage
the
Ministry
of
Finance
over
the
delays.

“Your
funds
should
come.
I
will
engage
Finance
so
that
you
get
your
money.
There
is
nothing
that
is
stopping
it,”
he
said.

Despite
such
assertions,
tensions
surrounding
the
fund
are
not
new.

Last
year,
disputes
over
delayed
disbursements
reignited
debate
over
whether
the
Treasury
was
undermining
local
development
and
public
trust.

Emakhandeni-
Luveve
MP,
Descent
Bajila,
accused
the
Treasury
of
fuelling
frustration
in
communities
after
some
constituencies
reportedly
went
years
without
receiving
allocations.

“Some
constituencies
have
not
received
CDF
since
2022
and
this
is
the
time
citizens
who
are
affected
to
take
action
against
Treasury,”
Bajila
said
at
the
time.

“When
MPs
consult
citizens,
their
expectations
on
development
grow.
Delays
cause
a
lot
of
despair
and
mistrust.
Treasury
must
be
called
out
for
fuelling
public
mistrust
on
state
processes
and
citizens
must
lead
that
process.”

Meanwhile,
the
matter
also
exposed
growing
political
tensions
within
Parliament
over
how
the
CDF
is
publicly
framed
and
who
ultimately
gets
credit
for
development
projects
funded
through
the
programme.

During
Thursday’s
parliamentary
sitting,
Zaka
North
MP
Ophias
Murambiwa
praised
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
for
various
infrastructure
and
development
projects
in
his
constituency,
including
projects
funded
through
CDF
and
devolution
allocations.

“Right
now,
we
are
preparing
for
the
official
opening
of
Chinyazvivi
Clinic,”
Murambiwa
said.

“All
these
things
were
built
through
the
CDF,
which
was
allocated
to
the
constituency
and
we
also
use
the
devolution
funds
for
all
these
projects.”

He
said
people
in
his
constituency
had
asked
him
to
thank
Mnangagwa
for
developmental
projects
taking
place
across
the
country.

However,
his
remarks
triggered
objections
from
opposition
legislator
Corban
Madzivanyika,
who
warned
that
excessive
praise
of
the
President
risked
undermining
Parliament’s
oversight
role.

“As
much
as
we
should
acknowledge
the
President
of
the
country,
it
is
not
wise
to
just
drop
the
name
of
the
President
in
vain,”
Madzivanyika
said.

“Remember
Mr.
Speaker
Sir,
we
are
an
oversight
institution.
Our
mandate
is
to
bring
the
President
and
the
Executive
to
account.”

He
added
that
constant
praise
could
create
the
perception
that
Parliament
had
been
“captured
by
the
Presidium”.

The
Speaker
however,
dismissed
the
concerns,
saying
there
was
nothing
wrong
with
acknowledging
national
development
under
the
leadership
of
the
Head
of
State.

“I
do
not
see
any
Standing
Order
that
has
been
violated
by
the
national
development,”
Mudenda
ruled.

“In
fact,
the
Head
of
State
in
Government
is
the
Head
of
State
of
all
people
of
Zimbabwe,
regardless
of
their
political
affiliation.”

HARARE
–
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa
quietly
slipped
out
of
the
country
late
on
Wednesday
without
the
usual
airport
fanfare
of
blaring
sirens
and
ministers
to
see
him
off,
ZimLive
has
established.

The
Zanu
PF
leader,
83,
flew
to
Belarus
on
an
unexplained
trip
so
significant,
it
appears,
that
he
missed
a
farewell
dinner
in
honour
of
the
departing
Chief
Justice
Luke
Malaba
at
a
Harare
hotel
on
Thursday
evening.

Vice
President
Kembo
Mohadi
attended
the
event
as
guest
of
honour
“on
behalf
of…
Mnangagwa,”
government
spokesman
Ndavaningi
Mangwana
said.

Vice
President
Constantino
Chiwenga
also
attended
and
spoke
at
the
farewell.

Presidency
spokesman
George
Charamba
had
not
responded
to
questions
sent
to
him.

A
senior
government
source
who
spoke
to
ZimLive
revealed
it
was
not
the
first
time
Mnangagwa
had
left
the
country
without
ceremony.

“He
has
in
fact
made
this
exact
trip
[to
Belarus]
before,
leaving
late
at
night
and
returning
early
morning
after
a
couple
of
days.
It’s
just
that
this
time
someone
caught
onto
it,”
the
official
said.

Mnangagwa
enjoys
close
ties
with
Belarusian
strongman
Aleksandr
Lukashenko.

The
president’s
unexplained
absence
comes
as
parliament
braces
to
debate
the
Constitutional
Amendment
(No.
3)
Bill,
which
would
extend
his
second
and
final
term,
currently
due
to
end
in
2028,
to
2030.

The
bill
would
also
extend
parliament’s
term
by
two
years,
and
remove
the
direct
election
of
the
president,
who
would
instead
be
voted
in
by
MPs.

Critics
and
legal
experts
say
the
changes
cannot
be
implemented
without
a
referendum,
and
even
then
an
incumbent
cannot
benefit.
The
government
denies
this
and
appears
determined
to
force
through
the
proposal
which
has
reportedly
caused
ructions
in
Zanu
PF
amid
revelations
that
Chiwenga
is
stridently
opposed.

Catholic
bishops
warned
this
week
that
the
bill
would
“undermine
foundational
constitutional
principles,
weaken
institutional
independence,
diminish
direct
democratic
participation,
and
erode
constitutional
safeguards
against
the
concentration
and
abuse
of
power.”