Author: TSA Press

Mauritius
remains
Africa’s
most
“economically
free”
country,
according
to
the
“Economic
Freedom
of
the
World
2025”
report
released
on
September
25,
2025,
by
the
Fraser
Institute,
a
Canadian
think
tank.
The
report
assesses
the
state
of
economic
liberty
across
165
countries
and
territories
based
on
45
distinct
indices
grouped
into
five
broad
categories.

The
categories
measured
are:
Size
of
Government
(including
tax
rates,
public
ownership,
and
government
investment);
Legal
System
and
Property
Rights
(judicial
independence,
military
interference,
and
police
effectiveness);
Sound
Money
(money
supply
growth,
inflation,
and
foreign
currency
accounts);
Freedom
to
Trade
Internationally
(average
tariff
rates,
capital
controls,
and
trade
barriers);
and
Regulation
(bank
ownership,
interest
rate
controls,
and
labor
market
rules).

Each
index
is
scored
from
0
(least
free)
to
10
points
(most
free).
These
scores
are
then
equally
weighted
and
aggregated
to
create
a
value
for
each
of
the
five
major
categories.
A
country’s
overall
score,
which
also
ranges
from
0
to
10,
is
the
average
of
the
five
category
scores.
Mauritius
ranked
21st
globally
with
an
overall
score
of
7.76
points.
The
Indian
Ocean
island
nation
achieved
its
best
performance
in
Freedom
to
Trade
Internationally
(8.76
points)
and
Sound
Money
(8.61
points).

With
a
score
of
7.58
points,
the
Seychelles
ranked
second
in
Africa
and
31st
globally.
They
were
followed
by
Cape
Verde
(44th),
Gambia
(68th),
Botswana
(69th),
Uganda
(72nd),
Kenya
(81st),
and
South
Africa
(83rd).
Morocco
and
Namibia
tied
for
94th
place
in
the
global
ranking,
completing
the
African
Top
10.
The
continent’s
least
economically
free
countries
were
Chad
(156th
globally),
Libya
(157th),
Algeria
(162nd),
Sudan
(163rd),
and
Zimbabwe
(164th).

Globally,
Hong
Kong
maintained
its
position
as
the
freest
economy
with
a
score
of
8.85
points,
ahead
of
Singapore,
New
Zealand,
Switzerland,
and
the
United
States.

The
ranking
also
highlighted
a
strong
statistical
correlation
between
a
nation’s
level
of
economic
freedom
and
both
its
GDP
growth
rate
and
average
income
level.
This
correlation
is
attributed
to
the
fact
that
economic
agents
operate
more
efficiently
when
they
have
the
right
to
initiative
and
are
motivated
to
innovate,
work,
and
save.

Walid
Kéfi

African
Countries
Ranked
by
Economic
Freedom,
2025

Rank in Africa	Country	Global Ranking
1	Mauritius	21
2	Seychelles	31
3	Cape Verde	44
4	Gambia	68
5	Botswana	69
6	Uganda	72
7	Kenya	81
8	South Africa	83
9	Morocco	94
10	Namibia	94
11	Rwanda	97
12	Benin	98
13	Somalia	101
14	Burkina Faso	102
15	Tanzania	102
16	Zambia	104
17	Mozambique	105
18	Senegal	107
19	Liberia	109
20	Djibouti	110
21	Mauritania	111
22	Ivory Coast	113
23	Togo	115
24	Madagascar	117
25	Lesotho	121
26	Nigeria	123
27	Tunisia	124
28	Guinea	125
29	Niger	125
30	Ghana	128
31	Mali	130
32	Cameroon	133
33	Sierra Leone	135
34	Comoros	136
35	Eswatini	140
36	Guinea-Bissau	142
37	Gabon	143
38	Angola	146
39	Malawi	147
40	Egypt	149
41	Democratic Republic of the Congo	151
42	Burundi	152
43	Ethiopia	152
44	Central African Republic	154
45	Republic of the Congo	155
46	Chad	156
47	Libya	157
48	Algeria	162
49	Sudan	163
50	Zimbabwe	164

At
around
12.55
on
Tuesday
afternoon,
the
lights
flickered
and
then
failed
across
Zimbabwe
and
Zambia.
This
synchronised
blackout,
the second in
recent
weeks,
was
triggered
by
cascading
failures
in
the
Southern
African
Power
Pool
(SAPP)
—
a
cooperative
framework
meant
to
bolster
regional
energy
resilience.

Towards
the
end
of
November,
another
such
blackout
occurred
which
was attributed to
“an
unexpected
development
on
the
Zambia-Zimbabwe interconnector”.

The
National
Transmission
Company
of
South
Africa
(NTCSA)
—
a
wholly
owned
subsidiary
of
Eskom
—
told
Daily
Maverick
that
Tuesday’s
incident
was
not
a
“power
surge”,
but
rather
an
“incident,
event
or
fault”.

“The
tripping
of
lines
occurs
automatically
to
protect
the
power
system
and
power
equipment,
and
it
is
misleading
to
suggest
that
Eskom
took
a
decision
to
disconnect
the
SAPP
region.”

SAPP
SADC
grid
map. (Source: SAPP)

The
Zimbabwe
Electricity
Transmission
and
Distribution
Company
(ZETDC)
said
an
“imbalance
in
power
on
the
international
connections”
caused
the
blackout.

In
a statement,
the
ZETDC
said,
“[Zimbabwe
Electricity
Supply]
Holdings
would
like
to
advise
its
valued
customers
that
the
national
grid
experienced
a
system
disturbance
which
resulted
in
a
national
blackout
on
Tuesday,
December
17,
2024,
at
1255
hours.
This
incident
was
caused
by
an
imbalance
in
power
on
the
international
connections
which
affected
the
national
grid
of
Zimbabwe
and
some
parts
of
the
region.

“Restoration
to
most
parts
of
the
country
has
been
completed,
except
for
areas
under
load
shedding.”

The
incident
is
being
investigated
by
the
SAPP
Coordination
Centre
based
in
Harare.

The Lusaka
Times
reported that
on
Monday,
a
day
before
the
blackout,
Zimbabwe’s
power
generation
plummeted
to
its
lowest
level
in
more
than
12
months,
with
daily
electricity
production
hitting
736MW.
For
context,
just
one
of
Koeberg
Nuclear
Power
Station’s
two
units
can
produce
970MW.

Eskom
is
Africa’s
largest
electricity
producer,
supplying
nearly
30%
of
the
continent’s
power.
Accordingly,
it
plays
a
critical
role
in
the
SAPP.

Complementing
this
is
the
NTCSA,
which
operates
under
a
National
Energy
Regulator
of
South
Africa-issued
licence
which
allows
the
NTCSA
to
manage
imports,
exports
and
the
trade
of
electricity
within
the
SAPP,
ensuring
the
interconnected
grid
functions
smoothly
and
efficiently. DM

Post
published
in:

Featured

Dr
Siamuchembu
stresses
that
expanding
healthcare
infrastructure
is
essential
to
achieving
universal
access
to
health
in
Bulawayo.

In
an
interview
with
CITE,
the
PMD
said
the
current
system
forces
central
hospitals
to
operate
like
large
district
hospitals,
limiting
their
capacity
to
handle
complex
medical
cases.

“Basically,
the
central
hospitals
are
working
like
big
district
hospitals.
At
night,
everybody
flocks
to
Mpilo
and
UBH
because
all
the
clinics
are
closed,”
he
said.

The
solution,
according
to Dr
Siamuchembu lies
in
establishing
more
district-level
and
provincial
health
facilities.

“We
think
that
our
central
hospitals
–
Mpilo,
UBH
and
Ingutsheni
are
swamped
by
sicknesses
and
illnesses
that
should
be
managed
at
lower
level
health
facilities,”
he
said.

“So
to
decongest
the
central
hospitals,
I
would
like
to
have
three
district
level
hospitals
and
one
provincial
level
hospital.
Yes,
one
provincial
hospital,
three
district
hospitals.”

Dr
Siamuchembu
explained
that
Bulawayo
Metropolitan
Province
has
three
administrative
districts
under
the
Ministry
of
Health
and
Child
Care,
which
are
Emakhandeni,
Nkulumane
and
the
Northern
Suburbs,
with
each
of
those
needing
a
district
hospital.

“Then
I
think
we
need
a
provincial
hospital,
where
the
district
hospitals
can
be
referring
to,
before
patients
are
referred
to
the
Apex
hospitals,
which
are
the
central
hospitals,”
said
the
PMD.

He
also
stressed
having
additional
hospitals
would
allow
Mpilo,
UBH,
and
Ingutsheni
to
focus
on
specialised
care
and
complex
cases.

“That
would
leave
the
central
hospitals
to
provide
just
the
specialised
care
or
cater
for
complex
management
of
conditions,”
he
said.

Dr
Siamuchembu
said
he
has
engaged
the
Ministry
of
Health
and
Child
Care,
which
is
still
assessing
the
proposal
and
trying
to
secure
funding,
adding
that
as
a
medical
professional
he
hopes
the
plan
comes
to
fruition
and
welcomes
support
from
well-wishers.

“Yes
I
have
engaged
with
our
parent
ministry
and
they
are
looking
at
it.
They
are
still
trying
to
find
money
for
that.
Yes,
it’s
something
that
they’re
still
assessing.
This
is
something
that
I
hope
comes
true.
So
if
we
can
push
well
wishers,
good,”
he
said.

Although
funding
remains
a
challenge,
the PMD
hoped
the
Ministry
of
Finance
will
allocate
necessary
resources
for
the
province
to
achieve
universal
health
access
by
2030.

Dr
Siamuchembu
also
said
that
his
role
as
PMD
involves
assessing
the
healthcare
needs
of
Bulawayo
residents
and
communicating
them
to
the
government.

“I
am
a
provincial
medical
director
and
my
job
is
to
assess
the
needs
of
the
citizens
or
the
residents
of
my
province
and
tell
government
that
for
us
to
achieve
universal
access
to
health
by
2030,
this
is
what
we
need
in
Bulawayo
Metropolitan
Province.”

As
for
the
location
for
the
new
facilities,
the
PMD
said
these
were
still
under
consideration.

“We
will
have
to
assess
and
decide
which,
what
location
is
best.
One
of
our
dreams
is
to
integrate
mental
health
services
with
other
clinical
services
at
Ingutsheni.
So
Ingutsheni
is
a
possible
location
for
the
provincial
hospital.
Yeah.
But
we’ll
have
to
consult
with
all
the
stakeholders
and
agree
what
the
best
location
is.”

Dr
Siamuchembu
said
he
has
also
engaged
private
partners
on
this
initiative.

“Yes,
there
is
a
trust
or
an
organisation
that
came
to
my
office.
They
said
they
wanted
to
build
a
hospital
in
Nketa
in
memory
of
someone
important
to
them.
They
wanted
my
advice
and
I
told
them,
what
would
work
is
if
they
looked
at
the
provincial
desires
and
build
the
hospital
in
line
with
these
desires,”
he
said.

“So
they
said
they
were
going
to
look
at
it
and
come
back
to
me.
I’m
still
waiting
for
them
to
come
back.
It’s
been
maybe
two
months
ago.“

The
PMD
clarified
that
while
central
hospitals
are
not
overwhelmed,
minor
ailments
dominate
patient
visits.

“I
don’t
have
the
statistics
off
my
head
as
to
how
many
patients
pass
through
the
central
hospitals
but
understand
that
I
did
not
say
Mpilo
or
UBH
overwhelmed.
I
said
they
are
swamped
by
minor
ailments,”
he
said.

HARARE
–
Treasury
has
announced
sweeping
new
measures
to
rein
in
government
spending,
including
a
freeze
on
recruitment,
a
25
percent
cut
in
fuel
allocations,
a
ban
on
workshops
in
hotels,
and
restrictions
on
foreign
travel.

The
directive,
contained
in
Treasury
Circular
Number
10
of
2025
signed
by
finance
secretary
George
Guvamatanga,
is
aimed
at
enforcing
fiscal
discipline
after
years
of
unbudgeted
expenditures
that
have
undermined
budget
credibility
and
widened
the
deficit.

With
immediate
effect,
ministries,
departments
and
agencies
(MDAs)
are
prohibited
from
entering
into
contracts
above
US$2
million
without
written
approval
from
treasury.
Any
agreements
signed
outside
the
new
vetting
process
will
be
declared
void,
the
circular
warned.

“All
accounting
officers
are
required
to
abide
by
the
constitution
and
the
Public
Finance
Management
Act
on
the
management
of
public
resources,
with
treasury
enforcing
penalties
on
non-compliance,”
Guvamatanga
said.

To
cut
operational
costs,
government
has
ordered
that
all
domestic
workshops
be
suspended
for
the
remainder
of
2025,
except
for
statutory
and
strategic
planning
meetings,
which
must
be
held
at
government
training
centres
such
as
the
Zimbabwe
Institute
of
Public
Administration
and
Management
(ZIPAM).

Foreign
trips
will
only
be
authorised
if
fully
funded
by
external
partners.

Special
allowances
for
travel
have
also
been
scrapped,
with
civil
servants
directed
to
use
standard
per-diem
rates.
Hiring
of
vehicles
by
ministries
has
been
banned,
while
government
pool
cars
will
now
be
closely
monitored
through
log
books
and
barred
from
being
taken
home
after
hours
or
on
weekends.

In
a
major
shift,
treasury
has
frozen
new
recruitment
in
the
public
sector,
except
for
essential
posts
in
health,
education
and
security
that
are
already
budgeted
for
in
2025.

Institutions
funded
from
the
Consolidated
Revenue
Fund
must
also
migrate
to
the
Salary
Service
Bureau
platform
for
payroll
management
to
improve
transparency
and
curb
leakages.

Fuel
allocations
for
operations
are
being
slashed
by
25
percent,
while
purchases
of
vehicles,
furniture
and
equipment
have
been
deferred
to
the
2026
budget.

Only
high-impact
capital
projects
and
those
with
running
payment
commitments
will
receive
funding
for
the
rest
of
the
year.

“These
expenditure
rationalisation
measures
are
effective
immediately,”
Guvamatanga
wrote,
adding
that
MDAs
should
negotiate
long-term
settlement
plans
with
service
providers
to
ensure
sustainability.

The
government’s
belt-tightening
comes
amid
mounting
pressure
to
restore
fiscal
stability
as
the
economy
battles
high
inflation,
currency
volatility
and
rising
debt.

Shingai
Nyoka
/
BBC

The
Washington
Post
via
Getty
Images

Shingai
Nyoka
/
BBC

Post
published
in:

Agriculture

A
week
later
on
the
21st,
President
Mugabe
turned
in
his
resignation
letter
just
as
the
impeachment
process
in
Parliament
began.
I
watched
all
this
from
my
dorm
room,
terrified
that
the
bloodshed
and
pillage
that
I
had
seen
in
other
countries
like
Syria,
Somalia
and
Egypt
had
come
to
my
home.
I
feared
for
the
safety
of
my
family
back
home.
The
army,
however,
was
quick
to
put
out
the
disclaimer
that
its
actions
were
not
a
coup
and
news
from
my
family,
friends,
and
other
countrymen
mirrored
these
sentiments.
Watching
the
events
unfold,
the
peace
that
pervades
Zimbabwean
atmosphere
right
now
and
the
hope
for
a
future
without
Mugabe
has
me
reflecting
on
some
of
the
things
that
characterized
my
21
years
living
under
the
Mugabe
regime.

The
Cult
of
Personality

Whenever
people
who
know
the
political
situation
of
Zimbabwe
find
out
my
nationality,
they
always
ask
what
is
it
like
to
have
a
93-year
old
president.
While
my
American
classmates
have
lived
through
three
or
four
presidencies,
I
have
only
known
one.
Years
of
propaganda
and
Mugabe’s
charisma
have
not
left
me
unscathed.
Listening
to
his
speeches
had
the
same
effect
as
listening
to
Obama
speak
has
for
many
Americans.
Mugabe
is
charming,
energetic,
articulate,
funny,
and
smart.
He
has
a
way
of
working
a
crowd
such
that
you
can’t
help
but
feel
a
fondness
for
him.
I
was
part
of
the
population
in
my
country
that
even
believed
that
Mugabe
was
infallible,
almost
immortal.
Indeed,
there
are
several
myths
of
immortality
surrounding
him,
one
of
the
most
popular
being
that
Mugabe
ate
the
heart
of
a
tortoise
and
so
will
live
the
same
life
span
as
a
turtle,
which
can
live
up
to
200
years.
This
is
ridiculous,
of
course,
but
that’s
the
effect
of
the
Cult
of
Personality.

Fear
of
Speaking
Out

I
cannot
stress
the
level
of
anxiety
I
have
writing
this
article
right
now.
Even
though
Mugabe
has
resigned
and
seems
to
have
lost
his
political
clout,
I
am
still
afraid
of
him.
I
am
afraid
that
tomorrow
I
will
wake
up
and
be
charged
for
treason
for
even
putting
these
thoughts
down.
That’s
what
speaking
out
in
Zimbabwe
entailed
under
Mugabe
–
being
charged
with
“subverting
the
authority
of
a
constitutionally
elected
government.”
While
studying
abroad
I
have
often
been
envious
of
how
people
in
the
US
can
easily
express
their
dissatisfaction
and
not
expect
any
repercussions.
Coming
from
a
country
with
state
owned
media,
a
ruthless
secret
police,
and
a
highly
trained
riot
police,
organizing
and
attending
protests
is
not
as
easy
as
it
is
here.
Even
writing
an
op-ed
can
land
you
in
jail.

Loss
of
Hope

I’ve
lived
through
holding
a
10
billion
dollar
note
in
my
hand
that
couldn’t
buy
a
loaf
of
bread.
I’ve
lived
through
water
shortages
and
food
shortages
and
the
adoption
of
a
chaotic
multi-currency
system
in
which
you
buy
goods
in
one
currency
and
receive
change
in
another.
My
country
currently
has
one
of
the
highest
unemployment
rates
—
I
know
more
than
20
degreed
and
highly
educated
people
who
have
no
jobs.
This
made
me
and
many
others
my
age
lose
hope.
Most
of
us
looked
for
opportunities
beyond
borders;
many
Zimbabweans
are
in
South
Africa,
Canada,
Ireland,
and
the
US.
Those
who
remain
hope
to
leave
soon,
too.
Nobody
chooses
to
leave
the
familiarity
of
their
home
out
of
a
whim
—
all
Zimbabwean
immigrants
were
forced
beyond
their
borders
and
yearn
for
home.

While
Zimbabweans
wait
anxiously
to
see
how
Mugabe’s
successor
will
fair,
we
hope
that
after
this
cut-off
head
falls
down,
another
won’t
sprout
in
its
place.
The
experiences
I
have
detailed
are
not
at
all
exhaustive.
they’re
just
the
surface
of
a
very
rotten
regime.
Even
though
there
is
uncertainty
at
the
moment
in
my
country
and
in
the
diaspora,
this
is
the
first
time
in
37
years
that
Zimbabweans
have
hope
for
a
change.
As
we
move
into
a
new
era,
I
hope
we
can
consolidate
the
gains
of
this
“non-coup”
and
usher
in
a
stable
democracy
and
economic
prosperity.

Source:


THE
ELEPHANT
IN
THE
ROOM
|
21
Years
Living
Under
a
Dictatorship
–

The
Cornell
Daily
Sun

Post
published
in:

Featured

Speaking
at
a
National
Residents’
Summit
in
Bulawayo
on
Thursday,
hosted
by
the
Bulawayo
Progressive
Residents
Association
(BPRA),
Cllr
Coltart
said
national
policies
and
laws
were
running
contrary
to
the
principle
of
devolution
enshrined
in
the
constitution.

“Although
we
have
strong
constitutional
provisions
that
should
promote
devolution,
the
reality
on
the
ground
is
that
there
are
measures
in
place
which
are
accosted
to
devolution,”
he
said.

He
cited
road
maintenance
as
one
of
the
areas
affected,
saying
funds
previously
allocated
to
councils
through
vehicle
licence
fees
were
now
controlled
by
the
Zimbabwe
National
Road
Administration
(ZINARA).

“That
money
now
goes
to
ZINARA
and
we
literally
have
to
beg
to
get
some
of
our
money
back
to
repair
roads.
That
is
contrary
to
the
principle
of
devolution,”
he
added.

The
mayor
also
criticised
the
government’s
takeover
of
Bulawayo’s
water
infrastructure.

“Ratepayers
of
this
city
over
decades
built
our
own
dams
and
our
own
water
infrastructure.
But
those
dams
were
unilaterally
taken
over
by
the
Zimbabwe
National
Water
Authority
(ZINWA)
decades
ago
and
we
now
have
to
buy
our
own
water
back,”
he
said.

Cllr
Coltart
further
accused
central
government
of
directing
how
devolution
funds
should
be
spent,
citing
the
purchase
of
fire
engines
from
Belarus
at
US$400,000
each.

“We
could
have
got
top-of-the-range
Mercedes
Benz
or
Volvo
fire
engines
for
two-thirds
the
price.
It
is
another
example
of
how
we
pay
lip
service
to
the
principle
of
devolution,”
he
said.

The
mayor
also
raised
alarm
over
Bulawayo’s
worsening
water
crisis,
with
the
city
currently
on
a
130-hour
water
shedding
schedule.
Some
residents
report
receiving
water
only
once
every
two
or
three
weeks.

“Our
water
structure
is
groaning.
It
is
over
40
years
old
and
way
beyond
its
economic
lifespan.
Ncema
Dam’s
water
treatment
works,
built
in
the
1940s,
are
in
dire
need
of
complete
rehabilitation,”
he
said.

Cllr
Coltart
warned
that
without
urgent
investment
in
new
dams
and
infrastructure,
Bulawayo’s
water,
sanitation
and
hygiene
systems
would
remain
in
a
“critical
state.”

MUTARE
–
Police
on
Monday
said
they
were
holding
two
schoolboys,
both
aged
16,
after
a
viral
video
of
them
allegedly
raping
a
fellow
pupil
was
leaked
online.

The
three
pupils
are
from
Masasi
High
School
in
Marange,
Manicaland
province.

National
police
spokesman
Commissioner
Paul
Nyathi,
in
a
briwf
statement,
said:
“The
ZRP
has
located
the
complainant
(17)
and
the
two
suspects,
both
aged
16.
More
details
will
be
released
as
inquiries
continue.”

Unverified
commentary
surrounding
the
video
posted
online
claimed
that
the
two
boys
took
turns
to
sexually
assault
the
victim
while
filming
themselves.
The
two
lads
are
also
seen
laughing.