Category: News Feeds

Delivering
the
State
of
the
Nation
Address
(SONA)
at
the
New
Parliament
Building
in
Mt
Hampden
on
Tuesday,
President
Mnangagwa
said
the
country’s
growth
was
anchored
on
“the
unity,
peace
and
resilience
of
our
people”
despite
the
continued
impact
of
international
sanctions.

“The
unity,
peace
and
resilience
of
our
people
have
been
the
pillar
of
economic
development
of
our
country
in
the
face
of
illegal
sanctions,”
he
said.
“Let
us
remain
focused
and
disciplined
as
we
entrench
economic
stability
and
growth
in
our
march
towards
Vision
2030.”

Mnangagwa
highlighted
major
gains
in
agriculture,
citing
record
harvests
of
tobacco,
maize
and
wheat,
supported
by
the
Pfumvudza/Intwasa
Programme,
which
has
benefited
more
than
three
million
households.

He
said
livestock
production
had
also
improved,
with
the
national
herd
now
at
5.7
million
and
milk
output
increasing
from
76.7
million
litres
in
2019
to
115
million
litres
in
2024.
The
President
added
that
irrigation
coverage
had
expanded
to
221,000
hectares,
with
a
target
of
reaching
496,000
hectares
as
part
of
efforts
to
build
climate
resilience.

Turning
to
the
energy
sector,
the
President
said
government
was
scaling
up
the
Rural
Electrification
Programme
to
improve
access
for
communities
across
the
country.
“Independent
Power
Producers
and
industrial
players
have
been
licensed,
increasing
our
national
power
supply.
The
Rural
Electrification
Programme
that
is
electrifying
both
public
institutions
and
homesteads
is
improving
access
to
energy
for
our
rural
communities,”
he
said.

Ironically,
a
power
outage
plunged
the
Parliament
chamber
into
darkness
with
the
president
forced
to
continue
his
speech
by
torchlight.

“We
should
never
get
tired
of
preaching
hope,
unity
and
peace,
as
one
indivisible
nation,”
he
said.
“A
better
quality
of
life
for
all
our
people
is
at
the
core
of
the
policies
and
projects
of
my
administration.”

Mnangagwa
said
government’s
monetary
and
fiscal
policies
had
stabilised
the
economy
and
the
local
currency,
the
ZiG,
while
foreign
currency
inflows
reached
US$10.4
billion
by
August
2025,
up
from
US$8.3
billion
during
the
same
period
last
year.

“Going
into
the
future,
the
trend
in
macro-economic
stability
is
expected
to
become
the
status
quo
in
our
country,”
he
said.

He
announced
that
foreign
reserves
had
risen
to
US$900
million
as
of
September,
up
from
US$700
million
in
June,
and
highlighted
the
World
Bank’s
recognition
of
Zimbabwe
as
one
of
the
top
10
countries
globally
that
had
made
the
most
progress
in
building
reserves.

The
President
also
set
out
an
ambitious
legislative
agenda
for
the
Third
Session
of
the
Tenth
Parliament,
calling
for
greater
efficiency
in
passing
delayed
Bills.
“The
total
backlog
of
outstanding
Bills
is
unacceptable,”
he
said.
“Parliament
must
do
more
to
ensure
these
Bills
are
brought
before
the
House
and
finalised.”

Among
the
new
Bills
to
be
tabled
are
the
National
Productivity
Institute
Bill,
Disaster
Risk
Management
Bill,
and
amendments
to
the
Competition
Act,
Mines
and
Minerals
Act,
and
Broadcasting
Services
Act.

Mnangagwa
said
fiscal
capacity
had
allowed
government
to
extend
social
protection
to
vulnerable
groups
through
programmes
such
as
the
Food
Deficit
Mitigation
Programme
and
the
Basic
Education
Assistance
Module.

He
also
outlined
progress
in
health
and
education
reforms,
including
digital
health
services
and
the
recently
adopted
Zimbabwe
National
Artificial
Intelligence
Strategy,
aimed
at
fostering
innovation
and
youth
empowerment.
“We
must
continue
to
drive
innovation
for
national
growth
and
deliver
a
beneficial
knowledge
economy,”
he
said.

In
his
closing
remarks,
Mnangagwa
reiterated
his
Vision
2030
mantra,
calling
for
collective
national
effort
to
build
Zimbabwe.
“We,
the
people
of
this
great
nation,
are
building
our
motherland,
Zimbabwe,
step
by
step,
brick
by
brick
and
stone
upon
stone,”
he
said.
“There
is
no
turning
back.
Victory,
success
and
prosperity
are
certain.
Forward
ever,
backward
never.”

By
NewZimbabwe.com

The
unexpected
blackout
disrupted
proceedings
for
several
minutes,
leaving
the
National
Assembly
in
confusion.

Some
ruling
party
legislators
shouted
that
the
incident
was
an
act
of
sabotage,
while
others
murmured
in
disbelief.

Unfazed,
Mnangagwa
continued
reading
his
speech
for
nearly
10
minutes
in
the
dark,
earning
applause
from
ZANU
PF
lawmakers
for
his
composure.

Power
was
restored
shortly
after
Mnangagwa
concluded
his
speech.

It
was
not
immediately
clear
whether
the
power
outage
was
caused
by
load-shedding
or
a
technical
fault.

“We
see
it
proper
that
we
apologise
to
the
President
for
the
power
outage.
We
shall
go
beyond
and
chase
the
culprit

“The
person
who
switched
off
electricity
while
the
President
was
speaking
will
regret
the
day
he
was
born,”
the
Speaker
of
Parliament,
Jacob
Mudenda,
said.

This
is
the
second
time
such
an
incident
has
occurred
during
the
President’s
address.

The
General
Purposes
Committee
is
one
of
Bulawayo’s
most
influential
committees,
overseeing
key
administrative
functions,
including
human
resources,
governance
and
oversight
of
the
Town
Clerk’s
office.

Sources
said
its
recent
refusal
to
extend
Dube’s
contract
reportedly
angered
sections
of
City
Hall.

The
motion
to
dissolve
the
existing
General
Purposes
Committee
was
submitted
by
Ward
6
Councillor
Nkosinathi
Hove
Mpofu
dated
October
24,
2025,
seeking
to
replace
its
members
with
a
new
line-up
of
councillors.

The
proposal
also
recommends
a
sweeping
reshuffle
of
chairpersons
across
multiple
committees,
including
the
Finance
and
Development,
Environmental
Management,
and
Health,
Housing
and
Education
committees,
including
himself
as
Vice
Chairperson
of
the
Future
Water
Supplies
and
Water
Action
Committee.

The
proposed
changes
would
see
new
chairpersons
appointed
to
six
key
committees:

Finance
and
Development
Committee:
Cllr
Dumisani
Nkomo,
Environmental
Management
Committee:
Cllr
Donaldson
Mabuto,
Town
Lands
and
Planning
Committee:
Cllr
Ashton
Mhlanga,
Future
Water
Supplies
Committee:
Cllr
Thandiwe
Moyo,
Health
Housing,
Education
Committee:
Cllr
Sikhululekile
Moyo
and
Audit
Committee:
Cllr
Aleck
Ndlovu.

Cllr
Mpofu’s
motion
was
supported
by
these
councillors,
Sikhululekile
Moyo
(WARD
17), Nokuthula 
Sibanda
(PR
CLLR), Josiah
Mutangi 
(Ward
1), Tavengwa
Zidya
Ward
24, Metelliah
Matunha (PR
CLLR)
Felix
Madzana
(WARD
18), Muziwakibo
Masuku 
(WARD
12), Mmeli
Moyo
(WARD
22), Lezina
Mohamad
(PR
CLLR), Donaldson
Mabutho 
(Ward
8),
Adrian
Rendani
Moyo
(WARD
9), Aston
Mhlanga
(WARD
15), Mxolisi
Mahlangu
(WARD
3), Susan
Sithole
(WARD
11), Tinevimbo
Maposa
(WARD
21)
and Lovewell
Mwinde
(Ward
13).

However,
some
councillors
and
council
insiders
view
the
move
as
part
of
a
calculated
effort
to
neutralise
dissenting
voices
following
the
committee’s
earlier
refusal
to
endorse
the
Town
Clerk’s
contract
renewal.

A
confidential
report
from
the
Chamber
Secretary’s
Department,
dated
27
October
2025,
highlights
a
major
procedural
flaw
in
Mpofu’s
motion,
also
noting
that
a
council
resolution
passed
on
7
August
2024,
extended
committee
terms
to
five
years
with
performance
reviews
after
two
years.

The
department
cautioned
there
is
a
significant
legislative
gap
in
the
Urban
Councils
Act
that
complicates
the
process
of
reviewing
and
reconstituting
standing
committees.

According
to
the
chamber
secretary’s
legal
analysis
presented
to
council,
Section
103
of
the
Urban
Councils
Act
was
amended,
removing
the
provision
that
previously
allowed
councils
to
review
and
reappoint
standing
committees
“in
August
in
any
year
in
which
the
general
election
of
Councillors
is
not
held.”

“I
am
of
the
view
that
this
is
a
very
serious
omission
by
the
Legislature,” 
stated
the
Chamber
Secretary
in
the
report.

“I
do
not
think
that
it
was
the
intention
of
the
Legislature
not
to
have
a
review
of
the
work
of
standing
committees
in
every
year
once
appointed.”

The
Chamber
Secretary 
reveals
that
Section
96(8)
of
the
Act,
which
mandates
annual
review
of
standing
committees’
work,
remains
in
force
but
now
refers
to
a
repealed
section
of
the
Act,
creating
an
impractical
situation
for
municipal
governance.

The
report
adds:
“The
appointment
of
Chairpersons
is
done
by
the
committee
concerned
and
not
Council.
If
all
committees
agreed
that
there
is
a
need
to
change
the
Chairperson,
then
they
should
follow
Section
96(6)
and
(7)
of
the
Urban
Councils
Act.
That
section
clearly
spells
out
how
a
chairperson
can
be
removed.”

According
to
Section
96(6)
of
the
Act,
“Every
Standing
Committee
shall,
at
its
first
meeting
after
the
appointment
of
the
members
thereto,
elect
one
of
its
members
to
be
Chairman
and
one
of
its
members
to
be
Vice-Chairman
thereof,
and
may
at
any
time,
if
the
person
elected
as
Chairman
or
Vice-Chairman
ceases
to
be
a
member
of
the
committee,
elect
a
member
to
replace
him.”

In
essence,
the
Chamber
Secretary’s
legal
interpretation
suggests
that
Council
itself
does
not
have
the
power
to
dissolve
or
replace
committee
chairpersons
at
will,
and
that
any
such
reshuffle
must
originate
from
within
the
committees
themselves.

In
his
submission,
Cllr
Mpofu
couched
the
motion
in
the
language
of
leadership
development
and
governance
reform.

“The
rotation
of
leadership
roles
amongst
Councillors
serves
as
a
salutary
mechanism
for
fostering
a
cadre
of
versatile
and
adept
leaders,
imbued
with
the
acumen
and
experiential
wisdom
garnered
through
active
participation
in
committee
work,”
he
said.

Mpofu
argued
that
regularly
rotating
councillors
between
leadership
positions
“cultivates
an
ethos
of
collective
capacity-building
and
personal
development,
thereby
enhancing
the
overall
efficacy
and
resilience
of
our
governance
structure.”

Despite
Mpofu’s
justifications,
the
Chamber
Secretary’s
comments
point
to
a
deeper
conflict
between
Council’s
political
ambitions
and
the
legal
boundaries
set
by
the
Urban
Councils
Act,
highlighting
the
council
can
make
recommendations
as
long
as
it
does
not
breach
the
Act.

The
controversy
is
further
complicated
by
events
from
August
7,
2024,
when
the
council
resolved
that
committee
memberships
and
chairpersons
would
serve
five-year
terms,
with
performance
reviews
every
two
years.
That
decision
stemmed
from
a
motion
by
Councillor
Ashton
Mhlanga,
which
was
supported
by
more
than
20
councillors.

At
that
meeting,
several
councillors
such
as
Moyo,
Mabuto,
Sibindi,
Mabeza,
Ndlovu,
including
Mpofu
himself,
debated
whether
long
tenures
improved
efficiency
or
entrenched
power.

The
Mayor,
Senator
David
Coltart,
at
that
meeting
highlighted
that
the
Urban
Councils
Act
did
not
mention
anything
on
the
term
of
Council
Committee
Chairpersons.

“It
should
also
be
noted
that
a
circular
or
directive
was
not
law.
Council
could
make
a
recommendation
as
long
as
it
was
not
in
breach
within
the
Urban
Councils
Act
Chapter
29:15.
Coltart
suggested
that
Committee
Chairpersons
be
evaluated
after
every
two
years,”
said
the
confidential
council
minutes.

Thereafter
the
council
resolved:
“(i)
That
the
term
of
office
for
Council
Committee
membership
and
Committee
Chairpersons
be
reviewed
to
a
period
of
five
years.
(ii)
That
Committee
Chairperson’s
performance
be
reviewed
after
every
two
years.”

These
confidential
minutes,
which
were
ordered
to
be
kept
off
public
record
“and
not
open
for
inspection
by
any
person
other
than
a
councillor
or
a
council
official” 
now
form
the
backdrop
against
which
Mpofu’s
latest
motion
is
being
interpreted,
not
as
a
governance
reform
effort,
but
as
a
politically
charged
counter-move.

Delivering
the
2025
State
of
the
Nation
Address
(SONA)
before
Parliament
in
Harare,
Mnangagwa
warned
that
his
administration
would
act
against
investors
and
mining
operators
who
degrade
the
environment
or
harm
local
communities.

“My
Government
is
committed
to
weeding
out
irresponsible
mining
stakeholders
who
cause
pollution,
degrade
the
environment
and
damage
critical
infrastructure.
As
we
welcome
investors,
we
expect
them
to
respect
our
Constitution,
laws,
and
communities,”
he
said.

He
noted
that
the
Mines
and
Minerals
Amendment
Bill,
already
gazetted
and
expected
to
be
finalized
during
this
parliamentary
session,
will
strengthen
enforcement
mechanisms
and
hold
companies
accountable
for
environmental
rehabilitation
after
mining
operations.

Mnangagwa
said
investment
in
gold,
lithium,
iron
and
steel
projects
had
grown
significantly,
contributing
to
economic
expansion,
but
emphasised
that
such
growth
must
not
come
at
the
expense
of
ecological
integrity.

Turning
to
climate
change,
the
President
outlined
a
range
of
measures
aimed
at
improving
resilience
to
droughts,
floods,
and
other
extreme
weather
events.

“Through
the
Rural
Development
8.0
initiative,
the
drilling
and
rehabilitation
of
boreholes
is
improving
access
to
water
for
production,
village
business
units,
and
domestic
use,”
he
said.

According
to
Mnangagwa,
Zimbabwe’s
irrigation
coverage
has
increased
from
151,000
hectares
in
2019
to
221,000
hectares
in
2024,
with
a
national
target
of
496,000
hectares
to
safeguard
food
production
against
climate
shocks.

He
also
announced
the
adoption
of
the
National
Climate
Change
Adaptation
Plan
and
the
Carbon
Trading
Framework
and
Registry
under
Statutory
Instrument
48
of
2025,
which
he
said
would
mobilise
climate
finance
and
support
green
investments.

“In
response
to
climate
change,
my
Government
has
adopted
the
National
Climate
Change
Adaptation
Plan.
The
Carbon
Trading
Framework
and
Registry
will
help
attract
climate
finance
and
promote
mitigation
efforts
across
sectors,”
he
said.

Mnangagwa
further
underscored
the
need
for
greater
water
security,
describing
it
as
critical
to
energy
generation,
agriculture,
and
community
well-being.

“My
Government
is
scaling
up
integrated
water
resource
management
and
related
investments,”
he
said.

He
also
cited
ongoing
renewable
energy
initiatives,
including
Independent
Power
Producer
(IPP)
projects
and
the
Rural
Electrification
Programme,
which
he
said
are
expanding
access
to
clean
power,
particularly
in
rural
areas.

The
Bulawayo
gathering,
titled “Constitutional
Crossroads:
Citizens
Respond
to
Zimbabwe’s
Constitutional
Crisis” was
shut
down
when
police
officers,
Zanu
PF
supporters
and
hired
bouncers
stationed
themselves
at
the
entrance
of
the
Bulawayo
Club,
preventing
journalists
and
invited
guests
from
entering.
Police
vehicles
were
also
seen
parked
outside
the
venue.

The
meeting
had
been
expected
to
feature
prominent
political
and
civic
figures,
among
them
ZAPU
leader
Sibangilizwe
Nkomo,
war
veterans’
representative
Ethan
Mathibela,
opposition
politicians
Prince
Dubeko
Sibanda
and
Lovemore
Moyo,
Mfulongatshi
Mpofu
of
the
Mthwakazi
Republic
Party,
Patrick
Tayiya
of
the
Democratic
Official
Party,
and
activists
Mbuso
Fuzwayo,
Thando
Gwinji,
Samkeliso
Tshuma,
Benon
Ncube
and
Silenkosi
Moyo.

Hours
earlier,
the
Southern
African
Political
Economy
Series
(SAPES)
Trust
offices
in
Harare,
where
a
parallel
event
was
scheduled,
were
gutted
in
a
suspected
arson
attack
shortly
after
midnight.

According
to
organisers,
unidentified
men
hurled
petrol
bombs
into
the
building,
destroying
the
seminar
room
where
the
press
conference
was
due
to
take
place.
The
assailants
reportedly
abducted
the
night
guard
and
locked
the
property’s
gates
with
new
padlocks
before
fleeing.

Later
in
the
morning,
another
fire
broke
out
at
the
Highfield
home
of
Gilbert
Bgwende,
a
member
of
the
Constitutional
Defence
Forum,
deepening
fears
of
a
wider
campaign
to
intimidate
voices
critical
of
the
government.

The
Harare
press
conference
was
to
be
addressed
by
opposition
and
civil
society
leaders
including
Job
Sikhala,
Tendai
Biti,
Jacob
Ngarivhume,
and
Jameson
Timba.
They
were
expected
to
condemn
what
they
describe
as
a
Zanu
PF-driven
attempt
to
unconstitutionally
extend
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s
term
beyond
2028.

The
developments
come
just
weeks
after
the
ruling
party’s
annual
conference
in
Mutare
passed
a
resolution
directing
Parliament
to
consider
legislative
amendments
allowing
Mnangagwa
to
remain
in
office
until
2030,
a
move
that
has
triggered
widespread
political
and
public
backlash.

In
a
strongly
worded
statement,
the
Zimbabwe
Communist
Party
(ZCP)
condemned
the
bombings
and
blockades
as
“cowardly
acts”
and
“an
assault
on
the
working
class
and
peasantry’s
right
to
organise
and
express
themselves.”

“The
Zimbabwe
Republic
Police
must
immediately
investigate,
arrest,
and
prosecute
those
responsible,”
the
ZCP
said.
“The
working
class
and
peasantry
have
every
right
to
engage,
assemble
and
speak
on
matters
that
affect
their
lives.”

The
party
also
rejected
the
proposal
to
extend
Mnangagwa’s
presidency,
calling
it
“a
manipulation
of
the
Constitution
to
prolong
the
rule
of
a
corrupt
elite.”

“Zimbabwe
is
not
Zanu
PF.
The
power
to
rule
does
not
come
from
a
party
or
a
person
but
from
the
working
class
and
peasantry
whose
labour
sustains
the
nation,”
the
statement
read.

“Two
more
years
will
not
rebuild
Zimbabwe;
it
will
only
prolong
the
suffering
of
ordinary
people.
Our
struggle
is
not
about
personalities
—
it
is
about
class
power.
It
is
a
struggle
between
those
who
produce
and
those
who
plunder.”

The
ZCP
urged
citizens
to
unite
“in
defence
of
their
democratic
right
to
elect
their
representatives”
and
to
“complete
the
liberation
struggle
by
dismantling
the
neo-colonial
and
feudal
systems
that
continue
to
oppress
them.”