…“It’s mostly flour and water, but no manufacturing industry,” Minister says

By Bright Zhou

Zimbabwe is importing around US$40 million per year worth of macaroni and spaghetti mainly from Egypt, a development that depicts the country’s slow pace of industrialization.
Pasta is not even the staple food in Zimbabwe, but has become a household food commodity because of its price, pushing retailers to stock it in bulk, mostly from out of the country.
Minister of Industry and Commerce Mangaliso Ndlovu revealed this while speaking at a workshop for a joint Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce; and the Thematic Committee on Indigenization and Empowerment held at Great Zimbabwe Hotel on May 11, 2024.
Ndlovu said one of the ways the country was losing revenue was through the importation of pasta from Egypt despite the availability of flour and water, which are the main ingredients required for its production, saying the country was looking into reducing the importation as National Foods is anticipated to start manufacturing soon.
“As a country, we are importing annually about US$40 million worth of pasta which is made of flour and water only. National Foods will be the first company to manufacture pasta. I am told and we hope that the import substitution will be up to US$8 and US$10 million but they believe that they have the capacity if they get all the policy support as they have indicated to fully supply the domestic market and even penetrate the export markets.
“They are contracting wheat farmers, milling wheat into flour and that’s what they have been focusing on, they have told us that the moment you move up the value chain the margins begin to increase so they have much higher margins when they are now into pasta and they will also be commissioning a biscuit factory in the next few weeks and the margins become higher.
“This is where our economy stands to benefit more so we will be supporting companies and sectors that are focusing mainly on moving up the value chain,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu further said most of the goods that companies were importing could be manufactured locally and this was resulting in a trade deficit in the country.
“Most businesses tend wanting to import things that we can even begin a conversation of manufacturing locally so the structural transformation I believe is fundamental when we start to focus on manufacturing for manufacturing.
“We generate exports in the range of close to US$10 Billion but we still have a trade deficit because of our appetite to import. We have no problem with foreign currency if we manage it well so that’s why we need as legislators to support the domestic currency and try to come up with better strategies that will promote its uptake. I believe that is our fighting chance than to always think the USD is our savior,” said Ndlovu.
He justified the introduction of the ZimGold (ZiG) currency saying no industry can thrive in a dollarized economy since consumers favor imported goods from other countries rather than buying goods from their industries hence local industries will produce for fewer consumers.
“The country cannot industrialize in a dollarized economy because the currency inevitably gives consumers the appetite to import goods from other countries.
“The ratio of people with cars in the UK is almost four people per car whereas in Zimbabwe we are almost close to two people per car, you will not be surprised to find one household with eight cars and about two people being able to drive.
“It is the appetite for importation that we have and these are the consequences of a dollarized economy. Many people in Zimbabwe have bought cars from UK and this brings an inability to invest in our manufacturing industries because the cost will be much higher in the region while consumers need to import cheaper goods,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu said a country with sanctions will have issues in industrialization for instance access to capital will be expensive or unavailable.
“When you are a country under sanctions there are certain issues that are not available to you when we look at industry perspectives it means your access to capital is either very expensive or not available at all, if you get it the tenure is also very difficult and the market access is minimal, this is what has seen most of our industries suffering,” said Ndlovu.
Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda said parliament should work in hand with people for a better economy and industry. He also said the country will not have a macro-economy if Parliament is not working with the people.
“To have a macro-economy parliament needs to work in hand with people for industrialization and to increase the economy of the country,” said Mudenda.
Chief Director in the ministry of Industry and commerce Florence Makombe said they had to monitor business operations in reserves and Export Market Companies to identify marketing products from Zimbabwe to boost the economy.
“We monitor business operations especially in reserve centres to see what is happening as business is concerned, we also look at the Export Market Companies to identify the marketing products from Zimbabwe, we have done this to boost the country’s economy and industrialization,” said Makombe.

By Tatiana Mhararira

Police in Chiredzi has urged members of the public to continue working with police to curb stock theft as the number of cases of stock theft have decreased owing to the cooperation between communities and the police.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Officer Commanding Chiredzi District Superintendent Robert Chihwerera said this during an anti-stock theft campaign held at Chief Chilonga’s homestead in Chiredzi.
“The only way we can stop these stock thieves is enhancing cooperation between police, chiefs, headmen and the community. If we don’t work together these menaces are going to continue preying on people’s livestock because it will not be easy to apprehend them,” said Chihwerera.
He said this year, through unity among members of the community, police and local leadership stock theft cases had decreased which shows that if people leave individuality behind and work together they can overcome many challenges.
“From 2022 to 2023 there were 360 stock theft cases, in 2023 May to April 2024 we recorded 347 and this shows a drop by 13 in the statistics.
“It is clear from the statistics that if the community work together they can overcome stock theft as well as other challenges because individualism gives room for thieves to pounce on your livestock,” said Chihwerera.
He said in Chiredzi District, 64 people had been arrested for stock theft in 2024.
This year in March, a herd of 13 cattle was stolen and Chilonga community informed police who managed to apprehend the cattle rustlers.
At an anti-stock theft campaign held in Gutu on March 5, 2024, it was revealed that there was an 11 percent increase in cases involving cattle from 560 cases in 2022 to 619 cases in 2023 in the district.
Some of the cases were said to be deboning which was said to be rampant in Gutu and Chatsworth area with 2 550 arrests having been made for other stock theft-related offenses in 2023.

By TellZim Reporter

The Ward 13 community of Masvingo Rural District Council have shown that unity of purpose pays off after successfully establishing two Early Childhood Centres in the ward to lessen the distance travelled by their kids to school.
The first one is called Manoti ECD Centre which is approximately 4km from the nearest Machitenda Primary School, where three-to-five-year-olds used to endure double the distance on daily basis.
Local councilor Sarah Phinias Munemo commended the community for the unity which resulted in what they are now proud of.
The community completed the project within a few weeks after she and the local MP Eddison Zvobgo Junior donated cement and other building material.
“I salute the people from Manoti area, which has two villages with a combined total of 150 households. All ECD learners from those two villages were travelling 8km per day to and from school.
“The road is so bushy and vegetative, which is worsened by the deaths of cattle due to January disease, so the vegetation is so dense and not conducive for kids to walk in,” said Munemo.
She said there were plans through the MP to establish an infant-level school at the ECD centres to cater for young learners in the area.
“During the campaign period I visited the Centre which had one toilet servicing the business centre and the ECD centre as well as a community garden.
“The room was tiny with a very small compartment used as the teachers’ room. By then in March 2023 the enrolment was 25 and after the visit I notified the current MP who quickly donated 5 bags of cement and I added five more which was directed for the refurbishment of the toilet as well as constructing another one.
“The MP promised to work towards the development of the Centre and to apply to council for the establishment of an Infant level school to cater for the very young kids there,” said Munemo.
She said a worse situation was at Masononga which is 5 km away from Gwanha School and 4km from Chikarudzo and the ECD learners had to travel double the distances with their mothers who often escort them.
“We established the same ECD centre in Masononga and when it opened doors on May 7 2024 they had 15 learners but we expect the number to rise,” she said.
The centers are currently community centers which are run by the community with assistance from mother schools and operate from the fees paid by learners and donations from well-wishers.

By Beverly Bizeki

Residents in some parts of Bikita District, Ward 9 have gone for months with dry taps due to blockages in some pipelines connecting to the dam, which is their main source.
Sources who spoke to this publication said some areas in Ward 9 have gone for more than six months without tapped water due to blockages resulting in people overwhelming the school borehole.
“The situation is unbearable and heart-rending. People are suffering. The challenge is that there is no water in the central township and surrounding houses. Dozens of people rely on a borehole at Vushe Primary School, some 800 metres from the township,” said a source.
Ward 9 councilor Surprise Pembere confirmed the ordeal and said he had engaged the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) over the matter and they had promised to address the issue promising him that by next week Wednesday (May 15) services will be restored.
“It has been more than six months without water in some sections. It was brought to my attention last month and I have been engaging ZINWA. They managed to fix blockages and pipe breakdowns tracing the line. Now they are at the tank and I have been assured by next week Wednesday there will be water everywhere. It is a dire situation. Local ZINWA has enlisted regional services and I have spoken to regional engineer,” said Pembere.
Bikita Residents and Ratepayers Association (BIRRA) Spokesperson Lucky Mukomondera said they had been notified about the situation and said there was need to capacitate the responsible authority to enable them to respond to challenges quickly.
“We are informed that council has been assured that the issue will be solved by this coming Wednesday. ZINWA is said to be tracing the whole line since there have been blockages all along. BIRRA has made a follow-up through Cllr Pembere who assured us that all is being done to restore water in Ward 9 area that covers Police and Scomption areas. As residents we still feel much should be done to capacitate ZINWA as most times they take long to attend to the water challenges in Bikita. Water is life and the right cannot be contested.
“Our engagement with ZINWA has exposed that they are failing to find the real problem affecting water flow to the affected areas. ZINWA promised to track the 19.4km pipeline from the dam but it is taking long,” said Mukomondera.
Efforts to get a comment from ZINWA at the time of reporting were fruitless as Masvingo Provincial Spokesperson Obert Muchena said he was waiting for his boss’s approval to give responses.

By Brighton Chiseva

Zaka – Mobile network giant Econet Wireless has started works for the construction of a booster near Jecha Business Centre, in Chief Nhema area after the project was abandoned a few months ago on allegations of clashes between Zanu PF and Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
Work was supposed to have started beginning of November in 2023 but work only started on May 08 2024 to the delight of locals who were bearing the brunt of limited access to mobile networks.
Ward 15 Councillor Simon Chakazani confirmed the latest development and said they were happy with the progress and were hoping that work would be completed early.
“I can confirm that work has started and we are happy as a community that we are finally going to get a network which has been a challenge in the area for some time.
“We hope that it will be completed soon as people can no longer wait to enjoy the connectivity. People used to travel to higher grounds for better communication and often people missed important updates in time because we had no network,” said Chakazani.
Sources had earlier told TellZim News that they suspected Econet could have been put off by political interference where the local headman was accused of having tried to bar a perceived CCC member amongst the contractors.
It was also alleged that the traditional leaders had demanded an undisclosed amount of cash for the booster to be constructed.
Econet engineers were said to have asked if they were going to employ manual workers from homesteads surrounding the site and that is where one Obvious Kwenda was seconded but the local headman went on to report to Zanu PF district officials that Econet had employed a CCC member.
Contacted for comment earlier Kwenda said he was approached by several Zanu PF members who told him that the local party leadership was not happy with him being part of those contracted by the telecoms giant.
“I was approached by several Zanu PF members who told me that they had meetings where I was discussed with the leadership questioning why I was among those nominated to work on the project.
“I am not even sure if I am going to work when they come because we were told that work would start on November 1 but up to now there is nothing and we are still waiting. I am eager to work and this has nothing to do with political orientation,” said Kwenda.
However, sources said Kwenda was among the workers when work resumed at the construction site.
Last year, a highly placed source from Econet however said work was in progress offsite at the time, saying there was some progress and the project was on course with a completion target of April 2024.
“Work is ongoing as we speak, the target is completing the project by April next year. So what happens is people may see no progress on the ground but work is ongoing offsite. Maybe material is being collaged for shipping once, so that work can start once the needed material has been placed on site to avoid ups and downs,” said the source at the time.

By Bright Zhou

Morgenster Mission Hospital in Masvingo District has applauded a US$171 000 cash donation they received from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which has enabled the facility to purchase critical medical equipment.
Speaking during a handover ceremony on April 3, 2024, Morgenster Medical Superintendent Tafadzwa Muchengwa said they were happy to receive the donation which helped them to buy some vital medical equipment to be used at the hospital.
“We are happy with the donation of US$171 000 from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which has enabled us to buy medical equipment including laundry machines, theatre lights, 100KVI generator, solar systems, Auto Cleaving Machines, batteries, incubators. Part of the money was used in paving the whole institution, painting, and building,” said Muchengwa.
Muchengwa said the equipment bought was necessary for attending to patients on time, especially the generator and solar system as these would provide power backup for patients in the theatre.
“The equipment we bought is crucial in saving lives for instance in terms of load shedding the hospital will use the heavy-duty generator for power backup in theatres,” said Muchengwa.
Latter Days Church Country Coordinator, Tatenda Chiwore said they had donated to save lives.
“As a church, we donated cash to Morgenster Mission Hospital because we believe in helping others in society, especially in hospitals where patients die due to lack of medicines and equipment for treatment. The church believes that if we help other people we will be remembered by God which is the best thing to do,” said Chiwore.
Chiwore said the donation came from congregants’ offerings and was part of the church’s donations although it was the first donation made to Morgenster Mission.
“We decided to donate cash to the hospital and the money came from the congregants’ offerings. The church often donates to hospitals across the country but this is our first time at Morgenster Mission Hospital,” said Chiwore.
Reformed Church in Zimbabwe Moderator Reverend Dr. Isaac Pandasvika said some equipment will work at maternity wards like incubators, and dryers and washers will be used for their laundry.
Pandasvika said this helped the hospital to clean used materials after operations to avoid doctors getting in contact with blood and to avoid the spreading of diseases such as cholera.
“We have replaced our outdated laundry machines with new ones, this will help especially doctors to wear clean materials and not get in contact with blood before or after operations. This will also go a long way in preventing the spread of cholera in and around the hospital,” said Dr Pandasvika.
Part of the cash was also used to make brick and concrete pavements around the hospital, painting as well as lighting.
“We paved the whole institution as the hospital often gets muddy when it rains and we put street lights around for patients to easily walk during dark hours. Things were critical in several areas but this donation has helped us improve,” said Dr Pandasvika.