Writes Elvis Dumba Banket – Concerned residents of Banket have raised alarm over the devastating impact of artisanal mining on the environment, with authorities accused of turning a blind eye to the destruction. Artisanal mining has become a significant threat to Zimbabwe’s environment, with many miners operating outside ecological rules, leaving hazardous pits and toxic…
Old Mutual Zimbabwe has launched the Old Mutual Renewable Energy Fund, a private equity fund dedicated to fostering renewable energy investments in the country. The fund is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission with Old Mutual, the Government of Zimbabwe, and various UN agencies as its key initial investors. The Old Mutual…
His Excellency Mr. Edward Kallon, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator has said the launch of the Renewable Energy Fund was a significant milestone for Zimbabwe’s journey toward a sustainable and prosperous future. He made the remarks at the launch of the Renewable Energy Fund on 20 September 2024 at the Old Mutual…
Byron Adonis Mutingwende As Southern Africa faces escalating climate challenges, the urgency for enhanced climate finance in 2024 has never been more critical. With increasing temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and extreme weather events, the region is at a pivotal moment where proactive measures can shape its future. Southern Africa is uniquely vulnerable to climate…
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Dr. Anxious Masuka has said lessons from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Scientific Forum 2024, themed ‘Atoms4Food: Better Agriculture for a Better Life’, should be harnessed to promote food and nutrition security in the country. He revealed that in a panel discussion of a…
Climate-wrecking fossil fuel and industrial agriculture sectors are squeezing climate-hit countries for over US$600 billion in public subsidies every year. ActionAid’s groundbreaking new report on the corporate capture of public finance finds that climate-destructive sectors are benefiting from subsidies amounting to an average of US$677 billion in the Global South every year, money that could…
Dr Anxious Jongwe Masuka, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, shared opportunities and insights that stakeholders could utilize to improve food security. He was speaking during the 68th International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Scientific Forum being held under the theme “Atoms4Food: Better Agriculture for a Better Life”, running from 17…
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Scientific Forum 2024, themed Atoms4Food: Better Agriculture for a Better Life, opened alongside the 68th IAEA General Conference, focusing on how nuclear technology can help tackle global food insecurity. With an audience of over 260 participants, including high-level speakers and ministers from various countries, the opening session was filled…
Writes Dr Ayodele Odusola, UNDP Zimbabwe Resident Representative Zimbabwe stands at a pivotal moment in its development journey, facing the dual challenge of climate change and economic transformation. The recent Zimbabwe Economic Development Conference (ZEDCON) in Victoria Falls underscored the urgency of addressing these intertwined issues, highlighting both the vulnerabilities we face and the…
By: Dr. Ayodele Odusola, UNDP Resident Representative, Zimbabwe Dr. Solomon Mutambara, Project Manager Climate Adaptation, Water and Energy Programme, United Nations Development Programme Zimbabwe The Climate Adaptation Water Energy Programme (CAWEP) stands as a testament to the power of strategic intervention and community-driven development in building resilience in the face of climate change. Funded by…
Writes Admore Mbonda Kariba – Residents of Kariba are living in fear as baboons increasingly invade their neighborhoods, with some even making their way into the Kariba District Hospital, where they are stealing food from the wards. Residents report that baboons have become a common sight, particularly in the mornings, as they roam freely through…
In pursuit of realizing the nation’s 2030 vision to become an upper-middle-income society, the 2024 Zimbabwe Economic Development Conference in the resort city of Victoria Falls is focusing on building resilience to climate change. The Conference is running under the theme ‘Building Resilience and Driving Economic Transformation under Climate Change’ from 14-18 September 2024…
Byron Adonis Mutingwende As the world heads towards COP 29, the issues of climate finance and a fossil fuel phase-out towards a just energy transition are ever more critical for climate action. The upcoming UN General Assembly, the UN Summit of the Future, and the Global Renewables Summit all taking place one after the…
OWN CORRESPONDENT Cuiabá (Brazil) – African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko today defended the need for climate-resilient agricultural practices, climate information services, and agricultural insurance programmes to support farmers in Chapada dos Guimarães in central Brazil, 62 km from the city of Cuiabá, capital of the state of Mato Grosso. Speaking at the G-20…
Today, Friday 13 September 2024, climate activists are mobilising across the globe in more than 150 events, spanning over 50 countries on all continents, calling on their governments to urgently implement a fast, fair, and funded phase-out of fossil fuels to prevent further climate catastrophe. Wellington Madumira, the coordinator of Climate Action Network Zimbabwe…
Hon Richard Tusabe, the Minister of State in Charge of the National Treasury for Rwanda has said there is a need to finance the agriculture sector on the African continent to ensure food and nutrition security. He was speaking during a side event for parliamentarians that was moderated by Dr. Fatimata Lovetta Sesay, the…
The Word Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed a contribution of US$1 million from the Republic of Korea to meet the nutrition needs of 22,000 people adversely impacted by the El Niño-induced drought, which has exacerbated food insecurity across Zimbabwe. An estimated 5.9 million people living in rural Zimbabwe and 1.7 million in urban areas are…
In a significant gathering at the Rainbow Towers in Harare yesterday, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development for Zimbabwe, Dr. Anxious Jongwe Masuka, delivered a powerful address at the Zimbabwe Agriculture Resilience Symposium and Drought Action Committee (DAC) feedback report meeting. The event brought together key stakeholders, including government officials, representatives…
Prof Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR) System Board Chairperson has said that the institution’s vision for adopted crops and soils for Africa is to build resilient agrifood systems by leveraging opportunity crops and building healthy soils to enhance agricultural resilience to climate change and improve diets. She was…
Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has urged ministers responsible for agriculture on the African continent to drive real change in the food systems in the face of climate challenges. She raised the issue during a ministerial roundtable held on 4 September 2024 at the…
The 2024 Africa Food Systems Forum has emerged as a mechanism for the implementation of various initiatives and a tool for action in pursuit of achieving improved agricultural production and productivity and attaining food and nutrition security on the continent. This was revealed by Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the President of the Alliance for a…
At least 4.4 million hectares of productive land are lost to desertification every year, leading to the malnutrition of some 68 million people in Africa, African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko said today in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The diplomat, who was speaking at the Tenth Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the…
Zimbabwe demonstrated a scalable innovative food system policy through its 1-hectare irrigation model during a plenary session on the official opening yesterday of the Africa Food Systems Forum running from 2 to 6 September 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda. Addressing participants during a room discussion on scalable innovative food systems policies and the financing needed…
In her keynote address during the official opening of the Indonesia-Africa Parliamentary Forum in Bali, Indonesia on 1 September 2024, Her Excellency, Dr. Puan Maharani, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia, said there is a need for strategic cooperation between Indonesia and Africa in the arena of renewable energy, food…
The provision of extension services tied to research and development will improve the capacity of smallholder farmers to increase agricultural production and productivity. This came to the fore yesterday during a side meeting of extension base actors held at the Lemigo Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda at the African Food Systems Forum running from the…
Accelerating food systems transformation, particularly in a changing climate within a digital era, requires careful consideration of the needs, priorities, and capabilities of a diversity of men and women to contribute and benefit from agrifood systems. These were the remarks of Deogratius Magero, the Youth Engagement Manager at the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience…
Clayton Masekesa With furtive glances over his shoulder, Samson Muchibo (not his real name), the firewood poacher, creeps through the Burma Valley forest in Mutare South constituency, his worn axe slung over his shoulder. He knows the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Environmental Management Agency (EMA), and Zimbabwe Forestry Commission authorities are on the lookout for him,…
Her Excellency Charity Manyeruke, Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe to the Republic of Rwanda and Chairperson of the Heads of Diplomatic Missions Group (HDMG) of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has said the regional economic group is driving sustainable development despite the threats of natural disasters negatively impacting human and food security. …
As the 2024/2025 agricultural season approaches, National Tested Seeds is poised to support farmers with a wide portfolio of high-quality seeds for both field crops and vegetables. This is also complimented by the company’s wealth of expert agronomic and agri-business management services. Speaking to this publication at the Zimbabwe Agriculture Society (ZAS), the Head…
Mr. Aubrey Julius Taulo on the 1st of July 2024 showcased his innovation which uncovered the hidden treasure that is within the Luffa plant. He discovered that luffa can replace polythene tubes due to its strong fibers and eco-friendly qualities it possesses. According to the innovation, it has also shown that luffa is one of…
Hon Kasauta Saiti Michelo, a Member of the National Assembly for Bweengwa Constituency in Zambia who is also the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Lands, and Natural Resources, has urged African legislators to formulate laws that support the implementation of the Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). He was speaking at the just-ended post-Malabo…
The next Kampala Declaration which will drive the post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) agenda has promised to focus on food sovereignty as a key aspect of the continent’s agricultural transformation. Speaking to Spiked Online Media on the sidelines of the post-Malabo Validation Workshop of the Ten-Year Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035) for…
Tongaat Hulett is set to build its power-generating sites, in response to the ongoing El Niño-induced drought. This development is expected to bolster the company’s resilience in the face of severe electricity supply deficits. In an exclusive interview with this publication, Patience Chuma, Head of Public Relations at Tongaat Hulett confirmed the initiative, emphasizing…
The post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) agenda is premised on the need to tackle persistent challenges, unfinished business in achieving the Malabo declaration targets, adapting to the changing global context, aligning with Agenda 2063, and leveraging new opportunities for agricultural transformation and inclusive growth. This has been the overarching theme at the…
Non-state actors (NSAs) under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) have hailed the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035) for putting in place mechanisms to advance Africa’s Agri-Food Systems while proffering inclusive recommendations for a holistic approach. This came to the fore during the 3-day Validation Workshop of the Ten-Year CAADP Strategy and…
The Continent must create robust seed systems because they form the basis of agriculture, and determine productivity, resilience and food sustainability, argued African Union Commissioner Josefa Correia Sacko today in Addis Ababa. Ambassador Josefa Sacko is the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment at the African Union…
His Excellency, Mr. Edward Kallon, the United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator for Zimbabwe has rallied African First Ladies to spearhead environmental stewardship for the greater good of society. Addressing delegates at the First Ladies Advocacy Event on Climate Change and the Environment on the sidelines of the 44th Southern African Development Community (SADC) IN…
Writes Dr. Million Belay I arrived at the Lukenya Getaway around midnight, exhausted, angry, and famished. My journey from Lusaka had been mentally exhausting, after a frustrating meeting on the Post-Malabo process. Lukenya Getaway, located on the outskirts of Nairobi in the Machakos region, is known for its outdoor activities and wildlife, a stark…
Ahead of the Summit of Heads of States of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on 17 August in Harare, Zimbabwe, the SADC secretariat initiated a regional initiative to bolster climate resilience and water security in the region through the SADC Regional Climate Resilient Water Investment Programme (SADC -AIP). The programme is in collaboration…
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has assumed the chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), promising a raft of measures to ensure sustainable development in the regional economic community. In his keynote address, the president of the Republic of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community, His Excellency, Dr E. D. Mnangagwa at…
Sherpard Zvigadza, the Coordinator of the Southern Africa Region Climate Action Network (SARCAN) is urging the Southern African Community Development (SADC) Heads of State to demand wealthy and polluter nations to pay up their historic and climate debts. He was speaking to Spiked Online Media on the sidelines of the 4th Regional Dialogue for…
Writes Baboloki Semele In a pivotal discussion on Africa’s role in the global energy transition, Antonio Pedro, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), underscored the critical need for transparent and fair-trade practices to ensure a just energy transition across the continent. Speaking at an African Consultative Webinar on Critical…
Over and over, we have seen how the Southern African region, like many countries in the Global South, is paying the heavy price for historical emissions by the industrialized North. The manifestation of the climate crisis continues to impact food security and livelihoods, with young women in particular facing increasing and deepening protection risks such…
Her Excellency Boemo Ndu Sekgoma, the Secretary General of the SADC Parliamentary Forum (SADC-PF), who is also the Patron of the Southern Africa Youth Forum has called for the the consolidation of policy and legal frameworks to empower the youth through innovative education, in line with the theme of the African Union for this year….
Youth in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are implementing initiatives through innovations in agribusiness to promote sustainable agriculture on the African continent. Guided by the Malabo Declaration regarding the development of African youth, the African Union has developed several policies and frameworks including the African Plan of Action for Youth Empowerment (APAYE) 2019-…
