Environmental Impact Assessments as the Mining and Environmental Litigation Flashpoint

By Shamiso Mutisi Case Note: Shangani Holistic (Pvt) Ltd v Pearline Mineral Exploration (Pvt) Ltd HC 4074/22 The facts  On June 30, 2022, High Court Judge Musithu J, granted an interim interdict that prohibited Pearline Mineral Exploration from conducting an aeromagnetic survey over Shangani Ranch in Insiza District before carrying out an Environmental Impact Assessment…

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NAYO appears before Parliament over youth service programme reintroduction petition

The National Association of Youth Organisations today submitted Oral Evidence to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Youth, Sports, Arts, and Recreation on the reintroduction of the National Youth Service Programme by the Executive arm of the Government. NAYO was represented by its programmes officer, MacDonald K Munyoro. Below, Spiked Online Media shares the submission by…

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Marian Chombo tops constituency and parliament participation index

By Staff Writer The Community Democracy Engagement Organization has launched a Constituency and Parliament Participation Index that has seen Hon Marian Chombo, the legislator for Zvimba North, coming on top of the list. The organisation said a decision by Treasury to introduce a constituency visit allowance is set to encourage legislators’ constant interaction with communities…

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Chief Charumbira’s PAP leadership prevailed over opposing forces: Shamu

By Elvis Dumba Banket – Efforts to scuttle Zimbabwe’s efforts to clinch the Pan Africa Parliament (PAP) Presidency fell by the wayside after a Southern African country delegate was paid to contest for the same post at the last minute despite initially agreeing to rally behind Zimbabwe’s delegate Chief Fortune Charumbira. ZANU PF Chegutu East…

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Give youths priority in development programmes: Temba Mliswa

Hon Temba Mliswa, the independent legislator for Norton has called on the government and critical stakeholders to put the youth at the centre of sustainable development programmes. He was contributing to the motion moved by Hon Mathias Tongofa on 21 June 2022 who had encouraged youth to be well acquainted with youth-centred policies, especially the…

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PAP’s 5th President Hon Charumbira sets tone for addressing Africa’s challenges

Honourable Chief Fortune Charumbira was yesterday elected as the 5th President of the Pan African Parliament upon which he called for collective interventions and a united front to address the myriads of challenges confronting the continent. In his acceptance speech on the occasion of his election, Hon. Charumbira urged parliamentarians  to speak with one voice…

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ZELA launches Study on the Protection of Property and Mining Rights Research

The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) will today, the 29th of June 2022 launch a study on the Protection of Property and Mining Rights in Zimbabwe. The study critically analyses the property rights regime and the regulatory framework in Zimbabwe which is supposed to play a catalytic role in mining investments in the country. The…

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Veritas adds a voice on International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

By Veritas June 26th has been declared as the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture by the United Nations General Assembly.  This day was institutionalised in the hope that there will be a world free from torture or other cruel, degrading, and inhuman treatment inflicted on our fellow human beings. Torture Torture is…

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Stock theft: Former mines minister Walter Chidakwa drags employee to court

By Elvis Dumba Banket – Former Minister of Mines and Mining Development Walter Chidakwa was at Banket Magistrate Courts over a stock theft case. Chidakwa (47) was a complainant in a case where his Australian-based brother Augustine Chihuri (49) lost ten cattle on different occasions to his farm manager at his Nyabira Farm. John Issa…

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The Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill: The Minister’s Proposed Amendments

By Veritas The Private Voluntary Organisations Amendment Bill [link] was published in November last year and aroused a storm of protest from civil society.  Veritas analysed it in Bill Watches 72/2021 of the 11th November 2021 [link] and 74/2021 of the 15th November 2021 [link], and found the Bill to be unconstitutional, inimical to freedom of association, ill-conceived and badly…

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Newly registered collecting society seeks to empower Zimbabwe’s performing artists

By Wallace Mawire A newly registered collecting society, the Zimbabwe Artists Benevolent and Copyright Incorporated has been roped into the arts sector in Zimbabwe with the noble aim of empowering performing artists and helping improve their welfare. According to the Founder, Advocate Michael Zinyoni, the Zimbabwe Artists Benevolent, and Copyright Incorporated is a registered entity…

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Moreblessing Ali’s killer suspect arrested

By Elvis Dumba Hurungwe – Pius Jamba, suspected to be behind the heinous murder of Citizens Coalition of Change activist Moreblessing Ali was arrested in Hurungwe. Zimbabwe Republic Police announced that Jamba was arrested in Chidamoyo area near Magunje in Hurungwe District, Mashonaland West “Pius Jamba was arrested in connection with the callous murder of…

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Stakeholders review CSOs Comprehensive Draft Electoral Amendment Bill

By Own Correspondent The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) in collaboration with the Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust (SAPST) and the Parliament of Zimbabwe (POZ) hosted an All Stakeholders Conference in Kariba from Sunday 29 to Monday 30 May 2022 to discuss the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) Comprehensive Draft Electoral Amendment Bill. The objective of…

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Media promotes peace, shapes discourse around transitional justice

The National Transitional Justice Working Group (NTJWG)  has underscored the major role that the media plays in facilitating engagement with the broad national audience to promote peace and shape the discourse around transitional justice. This emerged today at a seminar in Harare that focused on the role of the media in transitional justice with media…

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United Nations Zimbabwe empowers editors, senior journalists on development reporting

In pursuit of empowering communicators on sustainable development, the United Nations in Zimbabwe is undertaking a week-long workshop on development reporting as well as embarking on field visits in Manicaland. Bringing together some 30 editors, sub-editors and senior reporters, and United Nations (UN) officials, the high-powered seminar will be followed by subsequent field visits to…

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Low grain deliveries: Government invokes SI 145 of 2019

By Elvis Dumba Harare – The government has claimed massive side-marketing of grains especially maize and soybeans as evidenced by low deliveries to the Grain Marketing Board (GMB) – a situation that prompted corrective measures against the problem. According to Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary John Basera, about 30…

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Clerk of Parliament endorses APPN Zimbabwe Chapter

By Lloyd Rabaya Clerk of Parliament, Mr. Kennedy Chokuda has endorsed the African Parliamentary Press Network (APPN) Zimbabwe Caucus and pledged the august house’s support of the initiative. This emerged yesterday during the Clerk of Parliament’s meeting with representatives of the APPN Zimbabwe Caucus where they discussed modalities of engagement. Mr. Chokuda said the Parliament…

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Debt cancellation campaign, coups condemnation topical at African Parliaments’ conference

African Parliaments have pledged to spare no effort in discouraging any government installed through unconstitutional means on the Continent. This is one of the resolutions made by the Conference of Speakers and Heads of African Parliaments (CoSAP) held in Abuja Nigeria to mobilise legislatures to throw their full weight behind the post-Covid-19 recovery plans. The…

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Human capital development provides solutions to global challenges: Mudenda

Human capital development is central to the overall socio-economic development matrix, Hon Jacob F. N. Mudenda, the Speaker of Parliament of Zimbabwe has said. He made the remarks during the Plenary Session on “Investing in Human Capital Development: Legislative Priorities in the COVID-19 Era” at the conference of Speakers and Heads of African Parliaments held…

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Expedite the implementation of updated disability policy into Act: PWDs

By Elvis Dumba Zvimba – Persons with disabilities are urging Parliament to speed up the enactment of the updated National Disability Policy into an Act since the current one has many gaps. A National Disability Bill is currently before the august house to replace the 1992 Act. Terrence Nyamazani, Founding Director of The Faith, Love,…

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A social and economic justice analysis of the Health Service Amendment Bill

By Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) Introduction The March Policy Digest examines the Health Service Amendment Bill (HSAB) from a social and economic justice perspective. It seeks to determine if the Bill promotes health equity as well as value social and economic justice for all citizens. According to the government, the bill seeks…

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Supreme Court acquits the Natpharm board, directors

The Supreme Court acquitted the former board members and directors of the National Pharmaceutical Company (Natpharm) who were being charged with criminal abuse of duty. According to the recently established Public Entities Corporate Governance Act (Chapter 10.31) that is administered by the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC)’s Corporate Governance Unit, the Natpharm board…

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Implement electoral reforms to domesticate ACDEG: ZESN

By the Zimbabwe Election Support Network As Zimbabwe readies for the 2023 harmonized elections, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) implores the government of Zimbabwe to implement electoral reforms in line with the dictates of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance (ACDEG). Some of these reforms include; the need to create a conducive…

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International Women’s Day 2022: “Breaking The Bias: Realising Women’s Rights”

By Linda Masarira International Women’s Day is a day set aside every year on the 8th of March to celebrate women’s achievements in all spheres of life. This year’s theme is a clarion call to all women to ensure that they play a participatory role in advocating for gender equality and ensuring the protection of…

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The Necessity of Legal and Institutional Reforms for Economic Development

By Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) Case of Mines and Minerals Bill 1.         Introduction This Policy Digest seeks to examine the current state of the mining sector in Zimbabwe and call for the fast-tracking of the Mines and Minerals Bill (MMB). The Bill was introduced in 2015 with the intention of amending the…

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Parliament on the right track towards fulfilling its role: Clerk

By Lovemore Chazingwa in Kadoma Clerk of Parliament, Kennedy Chokuda, has given a thumbs up to the performance of their current cycle. The man within the corridors of power at Parliament of Zimbabwe (PoZ), made the revelations last week during a strategic planning workshop held at Kadoma Hotel and Conference Centre. “We are doing very…

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ICT uptake reduces time, cost of litigation

Dr. Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and courier services has said that embracing e-skills has the potential to modernise the justice delivery system and reduce the duration of litigation and attendant costs. He made the remarks yesterday in Harare during the e-skills training certification for Honourable Judges from the superior…

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Not guilty: Prophet T Freddy acquitted on fabricated rape and assault charges

Court Reporter Harare magistrate Gloria Takundwa has acquitted prominent clergy, Prophet T Freddy of rape and assault charges levelled against him by a bitter ex-lover who was obsessed with the idea of revenge, ruling that the State has failed to prove a prima facie case against him. The complainant, a 33-year old ZBC presenter, had…

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Churches raise red flag on some aspects of proposed PVO Bill

Church leaders under the banner of the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD) have expressed concern over some aspects of the proposed Private Voluntary Organization’s Amendment (PVO) Bill. The ZHOCD made up of the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC), Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), and Union for Development of Apostolic and…

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Brendan Taylor banned under ICC Anti-corruption Code and Anti-doping Code

Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has been banned from all cricket for three and a half years after he accepted breaching four charges of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code and, separately, one charge of the ICC Anti-Doping Code. Mr. Taylor admitted to being in breach of the following provisions of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code: Article 2.4.2 – Failing…

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T Freddy, rape accuser had a consensual sexual relationship: key state witness

Court Reporter  A key state witness in the trial of Goodness and Mercy Ministries visionary and founder, Prophet T Freddy on rape accusations has told the court that there was nothing worth arresting the accused for when police officers were called to a meeting at Chief Chikwaka’s homestead because from the discussion it was clear…

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Chitrest sues Chitungwiza Municipality

By Ronnie Chisamba The Chitungwiza Residents Trust (Chitrest) is suing the Chitungwiza Municipality for contempt of court following the destruction of illegal vending and other business structures in Zengeza earlier last week – in total disregard of a court order which ruled against the demolition process. Speaking on behalf of Chitrest, Alice Kuvheya (the organization’s…

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T Freddy trial: Chief Chikwaka conceals details of the alleged rape incident

Court Reporter The trial of Goodness Mercy Ministries leader Tapiwa Freddy on rape charges took a new twist today with second witness Chief Chikwaka acknowledging in court to have concealed crucial evidence and giving a false narrative of the alleged rape incident in a recorded interview with an online news publication. Defence counsel, Everson Chatambudza…

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T-Freddy rape trial: Accuser claims ignorance of meaning of word “consent”

Court Reporter The trial of prominent cleric and musician Tapiwa Freddy on rape charges kicked off Thursday (yesterday) at the Harare Magistrates Courts with the defence team cross examining the alleged victim on details of the alleged rape. Freddy, who is accused of raping a 33-year old ZBC presenter under controversial circumstances as well as…

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Campaigners petition government to commit to disability rights

A new campaign and petition calling on the Zimbabwe Government to make lasting commitments to people with disabilities were launched last month ahead of the second Global Disability Summit. The Summit will be held in February 2022 in Norway, to address the global needs of people with disabilities and ensure they are integrated into policies…

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