Author: TSA Press

The
measures,
unveiled
as
part
of
the
country’s
Ease
of
Doing
Business
programme,
include
slashing
or
abolishing
dozens
of
permits
and
fees
that
farmers
and
processors
were
previously
required
to
pay.

Finance
Minister
Professor
Mthuli
Ncube
said
the
changes
would
remove
duplication,
simplify
compliance,
and
promote
competitiveness
in
agriculture.

“These
reforms
are
about
lowering
the
cost
of
doing
business,
especially
for
small
and
medium
enterprises,”
Ncube
said.
“By
streamlining
fees
and
removing
unnecessary
requirements,
we
are
creating
a
business
environment
that
is
affordable,
transparent
and
supportive
of
growth.”

The
new
framework
sees
farm
registration
fees
under
the
Agricultural
Marketing
Authority
(AMA)
reduced
to
a
$1
flat
rate,
while
small
and
medium-sized
farmers
will
no
longer
need
farm
registration
certificates.
Large-scale
farmers
will
now
pay
$50
instead
of
previous
higher
charges.

Dairy
processors,
who
previously
paid
$350
annually,
will
now
pay
a
one-off
$50
fee.
Feed
manufacturers
will
pay
$20,
down
from
between
$150
and
$250.

On
livestock
permits,
duplicate
local
authority
requirements
have
been
scrapped,
while
movement
clearance
has
been
reduced
to
$5
per
herd,
down
from
$10
per
beast.
Export
fees
have
also
been
slashed,
with
dairy
product
export
registration
falling
from
$900
to
$10,
and
meat
export
registration
reduced
from
$500
to
$100
annually.

Professor
Ncube
said
the
reforms
would
have
a
direct
impact
on
farmers’
livelihoods.
“Agriculture
supports
65%
of
our
people’s
livelihoods
and
remains
the
mainstay
of
our
exports,”
he
said.
“Excessive
regulations
and
high
compliance
costs
have
held
back
growth.
This
package
of
reforms
is
designed
to
free
up
our
farmers
and
processors
so
they
can
focus
on
production,
not
paperwork.”

Environmental
and
utility
charges
have
also
been
cut,
with
the
Environmental
Management
Agency’s
(EMA)
effluent
and
waste
disposal
fee
for
dairy
farmers
reduced
from
$800
to
$100
annually.
Borehole
abstraction
and
water
use
fees
charged
by
ZINWA
have
been
abolished,
and
environmental
impact
assessment
licences
have
been
lowered
from
1.5%
of
project
value
to
0.05%,
capped
at
$100,000.

Ncube
said
the
changes
were
part
of
a
wider
government
strategy
to
modernise
the
economy.
“This
is
only
the
first
phase,
focusing
on
agriculture,”
he
said.
“We
will
extend
these
reforms
to
tourism,
transport,
retail
and
other
sectors.
Our
goal
is
to
position
Zimbabwe
as
a
leader
in
creating
a
conducive
environment
for
business
growth,
job
creation
and
competitiveness.”

He
added
that
all
future
regulations
would
undergo
strict
assessment
to
ensure
they
do
not
undermine
investment.
“Government
remains
committed
to
building
a
modern,
efficient,
and
business-friendly
regulatory
system
that
drives
inclusive
economic
growth
and
positions
Zimbabwe
as
an
upper
middle-income
society
by
2030,”
Ncube
said.

By
Simelokuhle
Nyathi

The
Board
for
World
Missions,
a
key
arm
of
the
Brethren
in
Christ
Church,
raises
funds
to
support
various
church
departments,
while
Friends
of
Mtshabezi
is
a
local
community-based
group
dedicated
to
improving
services
at
the
hospital.

Hospital
administrator
Rich
Ndlovu
welcomed
the
donation,
describing
it
as
timely.

“This
ambulance
has
come
at
the
right
time.
Our
old
ambulance,
bought
in
2002,
had
become
unreliable,
costly,
and
frequently
broke
down.
This
created
serious
challenges
in
transporting
patients
safely
to
and
from
the
hospital
and
referral
centres,”
Ndlovu
said.

He
explained
that
the
new
ambulance
will
improve
patient
transfers
to
referral
hospitals
in
Gwanda
and
Bulawayo,
as
well
as
serve
nine
surrounding
clinics.

“The
ambulance
will
save
lives
by
reducing
delays
during
emergencies,
cut
down
costs
caused
by
repeated
breakdowns
of
the
old
vehicle,
and
build
trust
and
confidence
between
the
hospital
and
the
community
we
serve,”
he
said.

The
ambulance
is
also
fitted
with
a
tracking
device
to
ensure
proper
monitoring
and
accountability.

“We
thank
our
partners
for
this
generous
gift.
This
ambulance
is
not
just
a
vehicle,
it
is
a
lifeline
for
our
patients,
our
hospital,
and
the
community,”
Ndlovu
added.

Community
members
said
the
donation
has
strengthened
their
trust
in
the
hospital’s
ability
to
respond
to
emergencies.

“We
now
feel
confident
in
the
hospital’s
ability
to
provide
quality
care
during
emergencies,”
said
one
resident.

Locals
added
that
the
ambulance
would
particularly
benefit
vulnerable
groups,
including
pregnant
women,
children,
the
elderly
and
people
living
with
disabilities.

For
Kayleen
and
many
other
residents
of
Cowdray
Park
in
Bulawayo,
toxic
smoke
from
the
city’s
main
dumpsite
has
become
an
unavoidable
part
of
life.

“Children
and
the
elderly
are
the
most
affected,
and
sometimes
we
cannot
even
open
our
windows
because
of
the
smell,”
she
said.
“At
night
the
smoke
is
worse,
it
covers
the
whole
area
and
we
are
forced
to
breathe
it
in
while
we
sleep.
Many
people
now
have
constant
coughs,
headaches,
and
chest
pains.
We
are
living
in
fear
because
we
do
not
know
what
this
smoke
will
do
to
our
health
in
the
future.”

Ngozi
Mine
is
now
Bulawayo’s
biggest
landfill,
but
its
poor
management
has
turned
it
into
a
health
hazard.
Thick
smoke
and
recurring
fires
engulf
nearby
homes,
leaving
families
to
live
in
conditions
residents
say
would
not
be
tolerated
elsewhere
in
the
city.

“We
keep
hearing
promises
but
nothing
changes,”
said
Memory
Ncube,
another
resident.
“The
smoke
is
dangerous,
people
have
asthma
and
chest
problems
now,
and
still
there
is
no
action.
For
years
we
have
been
told
that
the
council
will
fix
this
problem,
but
every
time
they
say
something,
nothing
is
done.
It
feels
like
we
are
forgotten
people…
We
are
also
citizens
who
deserve
clean
air
and
a
safe
environment.”

Residents
say
the
situation
has
persisted
because
the
dumpsite
lacks
the
proper
equipment
and
infrastructure
to
manage
waste
safely.

Without
compactors,
firebreaks,
or
proper
waste
separation,
fires
are
reignited
frequently,
often
by
scavengers
burning
rubbish
to
extract
metals,
while
methane
gas
from
decomposing
waste
fuels
further
combustion.

Michael
Ndlovu,
who
is
raising
his
family
near
the
dumpsite,
said
living
conditions
had
become
unbearable.

“People
are
struggling
because
of
the
pollution.
We
are
breathing
in
toxic
air
every
day,
and
the
fires
at
Ngozi
Mine
never
stop.
Our
children
are
growing
up
in
a
dangerous
environment
and
the
council
must
take
this
seriously,”
he
said.

Ward
28
councillor
Ntandoyenkosi
Ndlovu
has
acknowledged
the
scale
of
the
problem,
describing
it
as
a
major
health
hazard.

“We
don’t
know
the
long-term
effects
of
the
smoke
from
Ngozi
Mine,
and
we
need
a
lasting
solution.
We
proposed
to
the
city
council
that
if
the
mine
is
causing
problems,
it
should
be
relocated
away
from
residents,
but
they
said
it
would
cost
about
US$4
million.
Environmentalists
suggested
that
we
focus
on
compacting
the
waste
at
the
mine.
We
support
this,
as
proper
waste
management
will
reduce
burning
and
smoke,
protecting
residents’
health,”
he
said.

The
councillor
also
pointed
to
opportunities
in
reimagining
the
landfill
as
an
energy
resource.

“There
is
methane
gas
at
Ngozi
Mine,
and
over
the
years
burning
waste
has
only
made
the
problem
worse.
But
if
we
do
proper
waste
separation,
recycling,
and
set
up
a
waste-to-energy
plant,
the
site
has
the
potential
to
produce
a
lot
of
electricity.
Whatever
investment
comes
must
also
benefit
the
community,”
he
added.

Environmental
experts
have
urged
the
city
to
pursue
a
mix
of
immediate
and
long-term
solutions.
In
the
short
term,
compacting
waste,
covering
it
with
soil,
and
creating
fire
suppression
systems
could
reduce
smoke
levels.

Longer-term
strategies
include
developing
a
waste-to-energy
facility
and
gradually
relocating
the
landfill
to
a
safer
distance
from
residential
areas.

A
recent
report
from
the
Health,
Housing
and
Education
Committee
indicated
that
the
Town
Clerk
Christopher
Dube,
had
advised
councillors
that
central
government
had
issued
directives
for
all
local
authorities
to
manage
landfill
sites,
following
Harare’s
Pomona
model.

“Local
Authorities
were
required
to
copy
the
City
of
Harare
landfill
site
model
being
managed
by
POMONA
(pvt)
Ltd.
Energy
was
being
generated
from
waste
at
Pomona
landfill
site.
A
lot
of
companies
had
indicated
an
interest
in
the
management
of
the
City’s
landfill
site
at
Richmond.
The
issue
would
be
tendered
out
inline
with
PRAZ
and
ZIDA
regulations.
Once
the
tendering
process
was
done
and
finalised,
the
landfill
site
would
be
properly
managed,”
the
report
read.

Health
authorities
insist
that
the
measure
is
crucial
to
preventing
new
outbreaks,
especially
in
countries
where
the
virus
continues
to
pose
a
serious
risk.

The
decision
was
announced
by
the
Emergency
Consultative
Group
(ECG),
an
advisory
body
to
the
Director
General
of
the
Africa
Centres
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
(Africa
CDC).

The
group
urged that
lifting
the
emergency
status
now
would
undermine
vigilance,
weaken
political
commitment,
and
slow
resource
mobilization-factors
that
are
still
urgently
needed
to
curb
the
spread
of
mpox
on
the
continent.

This
came
after
the
World
Health
Organisation
declared
the
disease
to
be
nolonger
an
International
Health
Emergency
early
this
month,
following
reports
of
a
decline
in
cases
in
areas
that
are
hotspots
in
Africa.

Director-General
of
the
World
Health
Organization,Tedros
Adhanom
Ghebreyesus,
said
the
decision
to
lift
the
status
was
made
based
on
sustained
declines
in
cases
and
deaths
in
the
DRC
and
other
affected
countries,
including
Burundi,
Sierra
Leon
and
Uganda.

“Over
a
year
ago
I
declared
a
public
health
emergency
of
international
concern
in
Africa
on
the
advice
of
an
emergency
committee
convened
under
the
International
Health
Regulations,”
he
said.

“They
recently
met
again
and
advised
me
that
in
its
view,
the
situation
nolonger
represents
an
International
Health
Emergency
and
I
have
accepted
that
advice.
We
also
have
a
better
understanding
of
the
drivers
of
transmission,
the
risk
factors
of
severity,
and
the
most
affected
countries
have
developed
a
sustained
response
capacity.

“Of
course,
lifting
the
emergency
declaration
capacity
does
not
mean
that
the
threat
is
over,
nor
that
our
response
will
stop
and
we
note
the
Africa
CDC’s
decision
yesterday
that
mpox
remains
a
continental
emergency”

But
the
ECG
noted
that
lifting
the
status
may
fuel
negligence
in
areas
where
the
disease is
still
prevalent.

The
group
argued
that
maintaining
the
declaration
is
essential
to
preserve political
will,
mobilise
resources,
and
keep
countries
on
high
alert.
Members
warned
that
lifting
the status
prematurely
could
trigger
complacency,
reduce
funding,
and
increase
the
risk
of
resurgence.

According
to
a
detailed
review
of
the
mpox
situation,
weekly
confirmed cases
declined
by
52
per
cent
between
weeks
17–22
and
weeks
27–32
of
2025.

However,
surges
emerged
in
Ghana,
Liberia,
Kenya,
Zambia,
and
Tanzania,
with
fresh
introductions
of
the virus
reported
in
Malawi,
Ethiopia,
Senegal,
Togo,
The
Gambia,
and
Mozambique.

In
Ethiopia
and
the
Central
African
Republic,
there
were
reports
of
infant
deaths,
while
several
countries
such
as
Sierra
Leone,
Congo,
Malawi,
Zambia,
Kenya,
CAR,
Ethiopia,
South
Africa,
and
Cameroon continued
to
register
case
fatality
rates
above
one
per
cent.
The
overall
continental
case
fatality rate
stood
at
0.5
per
cent.

Power
utility
ZESA
Holdings
has
secured
a
US$210
million
facility
from
Afreximbank
to
boost
its
infrastructure
network
and
support
electricity
imports.
The
agreement
was
concluded
on
the
sidelines
of
the
IATF2025.

According
to
Fredy
Mazana,
finance
director
of
the
Zimbabwe
Electricity
Transmission
and
Distribution
Company
(ZETDC),
US$50
million
of
the
facility
will
go
towards
importing
power
from
Mozambican
supplier
Hidroeléctrica
de
Cahora
Bassa
(HCB).
Said
Mazana:

“We
are
also
going
to
use
it
to
upgrade
our
network
and
the
transmission
and
distribution
system.
We
are
going
to
use
about
U$50
million
for
that.”

Part
of
the
funds
will
be
used
to
purchase
materials
for
the
manufacture
of
transformers,
complemented
by
supplies
from
private
companies.

Mazana
said
ZESA
would
also
channel
some
of
the
resources
towards
speeding
up
the
smart
metering
project,
which
promotes
more
efficient
use
of
electricity.

The
initiative
will
see
smart
meters
installed
for
large-scale
consumers.
In
addition,
the
power
utility
plans
to
replace
transformers
that
have
been
damaged
through
vandalism.
Said
Mazana:

“A
number
of
customers
are
off
supply
because
the
infrastructure
has
been
vandalised.
So
we
are
going
to
buy
cables
and
transformers.”

He
said
a
portion
of
the
funds
would
be
used
to
upgrade
the
Supervisory
Control
and
Data
Acquisition
(SCADA)
system,
which
helps
identify
fault-prone
areas.

The
move
is
part
of
an
ongoing
review
of
licences,
permits,
levies
and
fees
in
the
transport
sector.

As
part
of
the
reforms,
the
cost
of
vehicle
number
plates
has
also
been
slashed
from
US$500
to
US$50.

Speaking
after
Tuesday’s
Cabinet
meeting
in
Harare,
Information,
Publicity
and
Broadcasting
Services
Minister
Jenfan
Muswere
said
the
Government’s
focus
was
on
removing
regulatory
overlaps,
cutting
unnecessary
fees
and
making
it
easier
for
businesses
to
operate.

Finance,
Economic
Development
and
Investment
Promotion
Minister
Mthuli
Ncube
added
that
Cabinet
had
reviewed
a
range
of
charges
that
were
considered
excessive.

For
example,
the
electronic
cargo
system
fee
of
US$30
has
now
been
scrapped,
bringing
Zimbabwe
in
line
with
regional
standards.

Parking
fees
at
the
Forbes
Border
Post
in
Mutare
have
also
been
abolished.

Ncube
further
revealed
that
the
recently
introduced
presumptive
tax
on
the
transport
sector
is
currently
under
review
as
part
of
efforts
to
create
a
more
business-friendly
environment.
He
said:

“The
impact
of
reducing
and
cutting
these
fees
and
levies
will
be
instant.
The
issue
of
number
plates,
where
you
were
paying
US$500,
we
have
reduced
that
to
US$50
and
the
person
producing
the
number
plates
is
still
making
a
profit
with
the
US$50
charge.

“The
parking
fees
of
local
authorities,
we
have
reduced
them
by
50
percent
of
what
they
are
currently
charging.

“The
presumptive
tax
on
the
transport
sector
will
be
re-examined.
We
are
in
a
cutting
mode.

“We
might
collect
more
revenue
because
increasing
the
profitability
of
these
enterprises,
right
across
the
economy,
will
spur
growth.

“We
do
not
want
people
to
be
discouraged
by
the
cost
of
doing
business.”