ON 12 July 2025, African governments took a decisive step toward transforming the continent’s environmental governance with a landmark One-Day Regional Consultative Meeting of African MEA Focal Points and Chemicals Focal Points held in Nairobi, Kenya. Convened by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with support from the European…
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – 07 July 2025 – The Usawa Institute, a grassroots non-profit organization from Zimbabwe, has been named one of the winners of the 2025 World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes. The award was presented during the International Telecommunication Union’s WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva, Switzerland. The Usawa Institute’s flagship initiative, Girls…
Dr Tabani Moyo (MISA Regional Director – Southern Africa) Mbabane, Eswatini – 2 July 2025 – When I first arrived at a meeting in a new cultural setting, I didn’t realize my simple habit would carry so much weight. I sat comfortably, my Pan-African cap draped over my shoulders—a symbol I have worn proudly. Within…
Mbabane, Eswatini – 2 July 2025 – In the battle to protect Africa’s ecosystems, the challenge is no longer just environmental degradation—it is the legal and institutional maze that comes with holding perpetrators accountable. From raw sewer dumped into Lake Chivero to ivory smuggled out of Botswana, the complexity of environmental litigation is leaving enforcers…
…Lessons from a Negotiation Training Room Mbabane, Eswatini – 1 July 2025 – Inside a modest training room, a group of African journalists leaned in as their facilitator posed a deceptively simple question: “What’s the difference between an interest and a position?” A participant ventured an answer: “Interest is the intention—where states show they share…
Mbabane, Eswatini, 1 July 2025 – International negotiations—from climate change to biodiversity—are complex, highly choreographed affairs. Yet many journalists covering them don’t really know how these processes work. That lack of understanding risks undermining African positions, fuelling division, and weakening the continent’s negotiating power. This was the sobering message delivered today at the media training…
Mbabane, Eswatini – As journalists from across Africa gather for training on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), one treaty stands out for both its importance and its complexity: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Yet for many reporters, even those covering environmental beats, CITES remains misunderstood. It is…
Mbabane, Eswatini – The Kingdom of Eswatini this week welcomed delegates from across Africa for a landmark training workshop on reporting Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), reaffirming its commitment to environmental stewardship, sustainable development, and regional cooperation. Speaking at the opening of the event, the representative of the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and…
Mbabane, Eswatini – 30 June 2025 – Stakeholders from across Africa have gathered in Eswatini’s capital, Mbabane, for a landmark three-day Media Training on Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEA) Reporting, signalling a new era in empowering African media to actively shape the continent’s environmental narrative. Organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) Sustainable Environment and Blue…
Writes Lloyd Rabaya Under the fierce sun in Zvimba, about 95km northwest of Harare, Taurai Chikaka’s garden flourishes with life beneath the shade of a large mango tree. The secret to this thriving oasis? Agroecology—a farming approach that works with nature rather than against it. Beneath the mango tree lie neatly tended sweet potato beds….
Harare, Zimbabwe, 23 June 2025 – The Climate Resilient Livelihoods (CRL) Project, being supported by the Government of Zimbabwe, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is convening a series of Innovation Platform (IP) Market Dialogue Workshops from 23 to 28 June 2025. The dialogues will offer a rare…
Rwanda has launched a new Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) investment plan, laying the groundwork to attract over $335 million (approximately Rwf449.7 billion) in private sector investment into sustainable agriculture projects across the country. Launched on Tuesday, June 18, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources in collaboration with Rwanda Green Fund and the…
From Malawi and Mozambique to Zambia and Zimbabwe, down to Namibia and across to the grain belt of South Africa, a combination of the effects of climate change and the El Niño weather phenomenon has been causing drought, hunger and misery for months. The region, already vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, received only 80 percent of expected…
Smallholder farmers in Chiredzi and Mwenezi districts are adopting climate-smart agriculture to enhance food security and strengthen resilience to climate change, through the project Strengthening Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Southern Zimbabwe—a partnership between the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, the United Nations Development Programme, and the Green Climate Fund. …
07 June 2025, Maputo, MOZAMBIQUE – The Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM) will convene a special basin-wide meeting on 10-12 June 2025 in Bilene, Gaza Province of Mozambique for its Member States to consider and approve the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) Report for the Limpopo River Basin (LRB). This follows the successful validation of the…
The Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) Strategic Plan (2025-2035) lays out not only its strategic priorities – ranging from climate change resilience, nutrition, and sustainable livelihoods to trade, innovation, and social inclusion but also it shows how the network delivers through robust evidence generation, knowledge management, and partnerships. These were…
Writes Edgar Gweshe Community stewardship is a powerful model for wetlands protection which fosters local ownership and engagement leading to more sustainable and effective conservation efforts. Community involvement in wetlands protection ensures that locals become the primary stewards of wetlands thus promoting long-term sustainability and positive change. Community stewardship promotes increased awareness, collaboration, and partnerships,…
Bonteheuwel, Cape Town – On 24 May 2025, the streets of Bonteheuwel resonated not with fear, but with hope, as more than 130 participants gathered to commemorate the 12th Anniversary of HWPL’s Declaration of World Peace through a community clean-up and peacebuilding campaign. Jointly hosted by HWPL, Gun Free South Africa, the Lerato Family…
G20 Agricultural Chief Scientists (G20-MACS), held from 26-28 May 2025 in Polokwane, under South Africa’s G20 Presidency identified actionable science, technology, and innovation actions to advance the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the Africa Common Position on Food Systems. In her address, Nakedi Kekana,…
On 28 May 2025, Mr Gwinyai Muti, the International Coordinator for the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA) presented to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas Conservation Specialist Group detailing the process of how Transfrontier Conservation Area has established a model transboundary and governance structure and joint planning…
A new joint research initiative is bringing together experts from Australia and France to enhance wheat yields amid a changing climate. The International Associated Laboratory “Wheat Adaptation to Changing Environments” (WheatACE) unites researchers from The University of Queensland, France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE), and the University Clermont Auvergne….
Writes Edgar Gweshe Harare is losing its headwater wetlands – sources of water for the capital- at an alarming rate. According to the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), 82% of the country’s wetlands are moderately to severely degraded, with only 18% remaining in a relatively undisturbed state. Statistics show that over the last two…
A significant occasion, Africa Day honors the achievements, diversity, and solidarity of the continent. With the assistance of My Food is African, a regional campaign for My Food is Zimbabwe, the Mbare community has utilized the celebration this year to highlight the importance of agroecology in tackling climate change, a significant issue affecting agriculture and…
The shared commitment to regional cooperation and integration, environmental stewardship, and sustainable development as espoused under the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) should put communities at the forefront, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said. President Mnangagwa made the remarks at the close of the historic inaugural SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) Conference and Summit which…
During the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas International Conference held in Harare, Zimbabwe over the period 19 – 21 May 2025, the International Coordinator for the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, Mr. Gwinyai Muti mentioned that the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM) and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier…
The Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) Framework under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) complements regional strategies in eco-tourism, climate resilience, and rural development, and contributes meaningfully to national goals of equity and shared prosperity. This came to the fore in opening remarks by Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Chairperson of…
Story by Violet Mashonga Chinhoyi, nestled in Zimbabwe’s Mashonaland West Province, is grappling with a severe refuse collection crisis that has left its residents in a precarious situation. The local authority’s failure to collect refuse has resulted in streets being littered with garbage, creating an eyesore and a serious health hazard. The crisis, which…
Zimbabwe convened a meeting of the Ministers responsible for Environment, Natural Resources, and Tourism on the sidelines of the historic inaugural SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA) Conference and Summit as a testament to the southern region’s commitment to conservation, sustainable development, and regional integration. These sentiments were captured in the remarks by the Minister…
As Zimbabwe is hosting the SADC Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) Summit from 19–23 May 2025 at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) Zimbabwe, non-state actors have outlined their expectations under the initiative. The summit is under the theme “25 Years of Cooperation for Regional Integration and Sustainable Development.” Leaders and experts will come…
Agroecology has been identified as one of the most important pathways to climate resilience and sustainable food systems transformation in Africa. The approach integrates ecological and social principles into farming practices to address food insecurity, environmental degradation, and poverty, leading to food security, environmental sustainability, and economic development. The second Conference on Agroecology…
Member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have been urged to uphold collective commitment to transboundary cooperation under the regional bloc’s Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs). Addressing the SADC TFCAs International Conference at the Rainbow Towers Hotel in his welcome remarks in Harare today, Ambassador Tadeous Tafirenyika Chifamba, the Permanent Secretary for Environment,…
The Southern African Development Community (SADC)’s revised regional agricultural investment plans (RAIPs) position the regional bloc as a continental leader in working towards an agri-food transition that responds to the multi-faceted impacts of climate change by adopting sustainable approaches (agroecology); empowering smallholder farmers (particularly women, youth, and vulnerable people); supporting the use of indigenous knowledge;…
President Ruto calls for a reimagined Sino-African partnership focused on infrastructure, industrial value chains, and minerals beneficiation. His vision aligns with SADC’s priorities for trade-based development and inclusive growth through value addition in mineral-rich economies. China is now Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest trading partner. Over 3,000 Chinese companies operate in Africa, most from the private sector….
The Official Launch of the Schools’ SDGs Competitions by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education aligns educational reforms with the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 by equipping learners to address global challenges through local action. “It is my privilege to deliver the keynote address at the Official Launch of the Schools SDGs Competitions….
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Regional economic communities (RECs) and farmer organisations have welcomed the official launch of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan and Kampala Declaration following its approval by the African Union Head of State and Government in January 2025 wherein they pledged to contribute their expertise to the…
The streets of Harare were alive with action early Friday morning as hundreds of NetOne and Harare City workers came together, brooms in hand, to answer President Mnangagwa’s call for a cleaner nation. Under the National Cleanup Day initiative—observed every first Friday of the month—the teams set out to transform the city, one street at…
The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) and the Wildlife Conservation Network are partnering to launch a new wildlife leadership program focusing entirely on rhino conservation practitioners. The program will begin in May. This transformative program—Rising Wildlife Leaders: Careers—will equip local conservationists in the countries where rhinos live with the skills, mentorship, and career support they need to make a lasting…
As the impacts of climate change become increasingly evident, the role of faith leaders in climate adaptation has gained significant importance. Faith communities, guided by their values and teachings, have the potential to influence public opinion, mobilize resources, and foster community resilience. On 23 April 2025, the Methodist Development and Relief Agency (MeDRA), in partnership…
On Wednesday, a Spiked Online Media correspondent visited the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Zimbabwe stand at the 2025 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) to get insights about the UN agency’s work in the country. Below are excerpts from the interview: Question 1: What is the overarching goal of UNDP Zimbabwe’s work? Answer: At…
Writes Sam Matsekete Old Mutual’s interest in renewable energy has been established over a period now, and we continue that commitment. Firstly, within the Old Mutual operations themselves, we seek to uphold responsible business practices, and we are looking at how we can ensure that we are climate-friendly in the ways that we conduct…
Forty-five years after Zimbabwe attained independence, the country has witnessed several developmental initiatives, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said. In his address today, 18 April 2025, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, His Excellency, Dr E. D. Mnangagwa in Gokwe, Nembudziya in the Midlands Province said central to the country’s development is the commitment…
The Government of Japan provides support, in partnership with UNICEF, UNDP, WFP, and UNOPS, to the Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe, and has launched five transformative projects under Japan’s 2024 Supplementary Budget and the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). These initiatives aim to strengthen maternal and child health, prevent malnutrition, modernize medical…
Writes Sirak Gebrehiwot 16 April 2025, Harare – The Atlas Transnational Roadshow launched today with an array of significant events designed to transform Africa’s role in the global economic arena. Together with government officials, the United Nations, industry experts, and policymakers, the roadshow highlighted Africa’s vast potential and its strategic path towards sustainable economic growth…
NetOne, in collaboration with the City of Harare, led a vibrant clean-up campaign in the heart of Harare’s Central Business District (CBD), aimed at promoting a cleaner, greener, and healthier urban environment. The initiative, held on the first Friday of the month in line with the national clean-up programme, brought together NetOne staff, City…
If you look around a Senegalese village, you will see the connection. Farmers under a mango tree drinking the afternoon pot of attaya (tea). A cluster of children from all corners of the community magnetically gathered around a soccer ball like Mecca and the idea that they could be the next Sadio Mané. Or a…
