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Rebuilding Foundations Caring for People

Meet the remarkable former Zimbabwean farmer turned land restitution activist Ben Freeth, whose victory in a SADC Tribunal court case contesting Zimbabwe’s violent land grab triggered the Mugabe/Zuma axis’s abolition of the highest court for 400 million Southern African Development Community citizens. In this powerful interview with BizNews editor Alec Hogg, unbowed Freeth explains how a recently promulgated South African law has parallels with Zimbabwe’s initially ignored 1992 Act which was the foundation for events that transformed his country from bread basket to basket case.

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Latest News
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UAE becomes Zimbabwe’s biggest export partner

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has overtaken China to become Zimbabwe’s biggest export partner and since 2022 has ploughed US$1.4 billion into everything from gold trading to real estate. Gulf states are increasingly using their petrodollars to build influence in Africa, as China pares back loans to the continent, Europe scales back its presence and the US becomes more domestically focused. This is viewed as a lifeline for Zimbabwe’s ailing economy. The UAE has become the country that routinely pledges the most foreign direct investment into the continent.

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Mnangagwa is a failure and must go now, his 2030 agenda is illegal and treacherous’— say war veterans

A group of veterans of the 1970s war of liberation have come out guns blazing demanding President Mnangagwa’s immediate exit for reneging on the founding virtues of the struggle for independence and for his failed leadership, which has resulted in massive levels of corruption, cronyism and nepotism. “This man and those around him have failed us, they have failed all Zimbabweans, who believed that the [defacto coup] of 2017 would bring an end to nepotism and privatisation of the nation and its people,” said their leader, Blessed Geza. “This is not the Zimbabwe we envisioned when we took up arms.”

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Newsletter from Cathy Buckle in Zimbabwe: Of sugar, sugar tax and passing the buck

This is a letter about sugar….. The first big warning bell of the impact of Zimbabwe’s unceasing economic and currency crisis has just been rung. Triangle Limited, the second largest employer, second only to the government, has just announced that it is to lay off 1,000 workers. Triangle and Hippo Valley Estates make up our sugar capital. Operational since the mid 1930’s they employ 16,000 people, produce half a billion US dollars a year, generate electricity for Lowveld communities, establish and maintain schools, clinics, hospitals and roads and employ over 400 medical staff in their huge sugar business.

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What is Nigeria attempting to learn from Zimbabwe’s agriculture?

Following a visit by Nigeria’s agricultural minister to Zimbabwe, South Africa’s respected agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo writes that, with regards to maize, Nigeria has achieved far better yields than Zimbabwe, which is a net importer of maize.  His graph shows that South Africa, Brazil, Zambia and Nigeria all have higher yields, so Zimbabwe should learn from Nigeria. He also points out that “better seeds are not enough; Nigeria must also consider extending title deeds or tradable leases to farmers and agribusinesses, both vital for attracting investment for the sector’s long-term growth.

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Zimbabwe Government’s newly issued “title deeds” unbankable and worthless

SADC Tribunal Rights Watch is concerned about the Zimbabwe government’s current plans, overseen by the highly controversial and US sanctioned businessman, Kudakwashe Tagwirei, to issue “title deeds” for farms that already have legally issued title deeds owned by former white commercial farmers, small holders, members of the Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (Zipra) whose properties were seized, and others. These title deed owners have not been compensated for their land, despite having final and binding court judgments which confirm that such original title deeds are still bona fide. 

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Lake Kariba water level rise, but still lower than 2024

The water level at Lake Kariba is gradually rising with the ongoing rainy season, though it remains significantly lower compared to the same time last year (2024). Lake Kariba is of major economic importance to both Zimbabwe and Zambia, as the power stations located on either bank of the Zambezi River have the capacity to generate over 1,000 MW of electricity. However, declining water levels have led to a drastic reduction in water allocation for power generation, causing severe power shortages in both countries. Construction of Kariba, the largest man-made lake by volume, was from 1955-1959.

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This is the situation regarding compensation for Zim farmers by Dr Theo de Jager

In this brief overview of the farm invasions, the ensuing fallout and the ongoing compensation saga, Dr Theo de Jager, executive director of the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI), lists three goals for SAAI’s Zimbabwean members: equal citizenship for white farmers regarding land ownership, restitution (restoration of their farms) or compensation for those who no longer wish to farm. One of SAAI's biggest campaigns for 2025 is focused on reviving the regional court of justice, the SADC Tribunal. Dr de Jager notes that legal action will likely be the most important lever to enforce this.

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Zimbabwe’s ZiG set for more volatility, says business body after 43% plunge in September

Companies should brace for further exchange-rate volatility this year following a shock 43% devaluation of the nation’s currency in September, a local commerce group said. The move hit consumers’ disposable incomes, fanned inflation and crimped businesses’ profits. For OK Zimbabwe Ltd it “necessitated a re-evaluation” of working capital and risk-management strategies, the nation’s largest retailer told an analyst briefing in late December. “To plan using the local currency is to plan to fail,” warned the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Executive Officer Christopher Mugaga.

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2024 was tough, cruel: teachers

Teachers in rural areas said 2024 was a tough year due to challenges that included meagre salaries and shrinking democratic space. Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union (Artuz) secretary-general Robson Chere bemoaned the harsh economic conditions which have condemned educators and forthcoming retirees to abject poverty. “This is the year that saw the unjustified continued decrease of real disposable income of teachers, civil servants and the majority of citizens due to low nominal salaries, inflation and an anti-poor tax regime.” Note: Chere was brutally tortured by the regime in August 2024.

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El Niño drought and weak December rainfall delays crop planting in Zimbabwe – 27 December 2024

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) said insufficient soil moisture, caused by the 2024 El Nino drought and weak December rainfall, delayed crop planting. The FAO also noted that while the total rainfall for November, the normal start of the planting season, was near normal across most of the country, it was unevenly distributed. However, rainfall patterns are likely to return to normal. Planting of the summer 2025 cereal crops is underway and is expected to conclude in January, the FAO said.

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Mining sector’s vulnerable groups exposed to physical, emotional and sexual abuse need protection: NGO

Vulnerable groups such as women, girls and those with disabilities are being abused in so many ways in the Zimbabwean mining communities where they live and or work, a local non-governmental organisation (NGO) has warned. “Women face a lot of physical, emotional and sexual abuse … For example, in Mutoko, where granite is being mined, women have spoken about sexual abuse as one of the most disturbing issues affecting them.” Another major challenge has been limited access to finance and the health and safety risks. The equipment they use is not safe.

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Zimbabwe to work with the IAEA and Russian investors to develop nuclear energy

Zimbabwe is working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Russian investors to establish nuclear energy as part of its efforts to end chronic power shortages. However, establishing nuclear power is expensive and complex, said Joseph Siegle, the director of research at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington. “Most economists would argue that those deals cost far more than are warranted for the benefits that they would provide to their economies and to their societies,” Siegle said. The process is also ripe for corruption, he warned, so transparency is critical.

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Power outages wreak economic havoc

Zimbabwe’s power outages are set to persist into the new year, causing massive disruptions to individuals, families and companies – economic and financial losses running into multi-millions – as shown by water supply failures that have affected Bulawayo. Power cuts last up to 20 hours a day. The country’s peak demand for electricity is 1 850MW, but its current capacity is well below 1 200MW. This has resulted in widespread load-shedding which has also badly affected critical services like hospitals and water utilities. There have been power cuts even at State House and the President’s Office.

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