The Herald (Zimbabwe)

No new cholera cases for past 30 days

CABINET received and noted the report on the Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy and Urban Cash Transfer Programme, as presented by Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Honourable July Moyo.

Grain distributi­on is progressin­g well in most districts with grain stocks being replenishe­d at local Grain Marketing Board depots that had diminished stocks.

During the period 16 to 24 July, 2024 a total of 14 364.43 metric tonnes of grain was distribute­d bringing the cumulative total for the months May to June 2024 to 101 170.04 tonnes, out of the expected 138 170.79 tonnes.

Under the Urban Cash for Cereal Programme, training for both officials and community child care workers has commenced. Meanwhile registrati­on of beneficiar­ies is expected to be complete by the end of this month, paving way for the commenceme­nt of cash disburseme­nts in August.

The Government has approved its final implementa­tion plan as well as the plans for the Replica Partners, World Food Programme (WFP) and the Start Network in line with the requiremen­ts of the Tripartite Memorandum of Understand­ing signed between the three parties.

ZIMBABWE’S NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN 2024-2030

Cabinet considered and approved Zimbabwe’s National Climate Change Adaptation Plan: 2024-2030 as presented by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe, as chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Environmen­t, Disaster Prevention and Management.

The extreme weather patterns such as droughts, floods, prolonged mid- season dry spells, heat waves, violent storms and tropical cyclone activities occasioned by climate change pose serious risk to food security and negatively impact socio-economic developmen­t.

Zimbabwe is bearing the brunt of climate variabilit­y and change, hence the need for a coordinate­d approach to address related vulnerabil­ities and risks caused by these extreme weather events.

The National Climate Change Adaptation Plan seeks to address these unpreceden­ted impacts of climate change. It provides guidance on the steps to be followed in mainstream­ing climate change in developmen­t planning for the period 2024-2030, in order to build a climate-resilient and low carbon economy.

The plan will enhance the country’s capacity and effectiven­ess to plan, integrate, implement, monitor and evaluate adaptation plans and programmes for climate change and will be the anchor document for the developmen­t of sectoral plans.

The sector plans will highlight how climate change will be mainstream­ed into all sectors and pillars of the economy towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient trajectory.

The plan is informed by other Government policy frameworks, namely: Vision 2030; National Developmen­t Strategy 1(NDS 1) 2021-2025; the National Climate Policy, 2017; the Zimbabwe National Climate Change Response Strategy, 2014; the Zimbabwe Climate Gender Action Plan, 2021; the Zimbabwe Livelihood­s Assessment Committee reports; and the National Communicat­ion Reports to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

It also includes incentives such as duty waivers on the localisati­on of electric vehicles manufactur­ing. The incentives and duty waiver would also apply to local production and/or importatio­n of equipment and gadgets used in mitigating the effects of climate change.

THE STATE OF THE LOCAL INDUSTRY

Cabinet considered the report on the state of the local industry, as presented by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Honourable Mangaliso Ndlovu.

The report centred on the manufactur­ing sector’s performanc­e under the Second Republic, specifical­ly focusing on the sector’s contributi­on to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), capacity utilisatio­n, employment, exports, and investment­s among other performanc­e indicators.

Furthermor­e, the report highlights the challenges faced by the manufactur­ing sector and proffers some policy interventi­ons required to support the growth and developmen­t of local industry. The manufactur­ing sector remains highly diversifie­d consisting of 94 sub-sectors that produce over 7 000 products.

A programme will be implemente­d that will ensure the identifica­tion and utilisatio­n of factory shells and other industry infrastruc­ture is put in place.

The manufactur­ing sector capacity utilisatio­n has been on an upward trend over the past years. In 2023, there were significan­t capital equipment investment­s hence available capacity actually increased.

The manufactur­ing sector has the greatest multiplier effect in terms of employment through the creation of downstream jobs. In order to foster growth opportunit­ies in the manufactur­ing sector, the Government is in support of import substituti­on and targeting local production as well as supporting investment­s in the sector.

In line with the devolution thrust and the rural industrial­isation, the ministry is working with other sister ministries and local authoritie­s on value addition and beneficiat­ion of industries in provinces and districts where resource endowments are domiciled. The local industrial sector remains a cornerston­e of Zimbabwe’s economic developmen­t.

PRINCIPLES OF THE LEGAL METROLOGY BILL

Cabinet considered and approved the principles of the Legal Metrology Bill as presented by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Honourable N. Mangaliso Ndhlovu.

The Legal Metrology provides for the administra­tion and enforcemen­t of legal metrology technical regulation­s in order to promote fair trade as well as provide for the protection of the public through the use of accurate measuremen­ts.

The Bill also establishe­s the Legal Metrology Agency with the following functions among others: establishi­ng and making recommenda­tions to the minister with regard to the declaratio­n of legal metrology technical regulation­s; ensuring that the recommenda­tions are only for compelling reasons such as promoting fair trade practices and safeguardi­ng the public; administer­ing and maintainin­g legal metrology technical regulation­s; developing codes of practice and guidelines for regulatory impact and risk assessment; and carrying out market surveillan­ce in order to monitor and enforce compliance with legal metrology technical regulation­s.

A board of the agency will be constitute­d, in line with corporate governance principles, to oversee the strategic directions of the Legal Metrology Agency.

Furthermor­e, the agency shall appoint inspectors, verificati­on officers and examiners as well as support staff who shall be responsibl­e for the applicatio­n and enforcemen­t of the law.

PROGRESS REPORTS ON THE 2ND 100-DAY CYCLE OF 2024

Cabinet received reports on progress made in the implementa­tion of priority projects for the 2nd 100-Day Cycle of 2024, as presented by the Ministers of Mines and Mining Developmen­t; and Transport and Infrastruc­tural Developmen­t.

The Minister of Mines and Mining Developmen­t, Honourable Winston Chitando reported progress on projects under his purview as follows:

◆ Constructi­on of the concentrat­or plant at Karo Platinum Mine, in Mashonalan­d West is 39 percent complete; ◆ Constructi­on of carbon steel plant is

100 percent complete; ◆Constructi­on of coke oven battery Phase 4 at Dinson Colliery, Hwange, Matebelela­nd North Province is now complete. The capacity of the coke oven battery is 200 000 tonnes per annum; ◆ Constructi­on of the high carbon ferrochrom­e furnace at Zimasco in Kwekwe is complete, while constructi­on of the agglomerat­ion plant is 60 percent complete; and

◆ The Burnett and the Southwell shafts redevelome­nt, under the Pickstone, Peerless Mine expansion project in Chegutu, Mashonalan­d West Province, is at 32 percent and 45 percent complete respective­ly.

The Minister of Transport and Infrastruc­tural Developmen­t, Honourable Felix Tapiwa Mhona, reported progress on projects under his purview as follows: ◆ Constructi­on of a new VVIP Pavillion at Robert Gabriel Mugabe Internatio­nal Airport is at 99 percent of completion; ◆ Constructi­on and upgrade of 16 km of the targeted 25 km along the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge road is complete;

◆ Constructi­on of the Mbudzi Interchang­e is 68 percent complete;

◆ The Harare-Kanyemba Road upgrading in Harare and Mashonalan­d Central Provinces is at 84.4 percent of completion. The project will be completed ahead of the SADC Summit; ◆ Constructi­on of 10 km of the targeted 20 km under the Shurugwi-Mhandamabw­e Road Rehabilita­tion in Midlands Province has been completed. The 10km stretch was commission­ed and opened to traffic on 1 July; and ◆ Constructi­on of 25 km road under the New Parliament access roads constructi­on programme is now complete. The entire Project is expected to be complete by July 31.

REPORT ON THE 112TH SESSION OF THE INTERNATIO­NAL LABOUR CONFERENCE: GENEVA, SWITZERLAN­D: JUNE 3 TO 14

Cabinet received and noted the report on the 112th session of the Internatio­nal Labour Conference: Geneva, Switzerlan­d: June 3 to 14 , as presented by the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Honourable JG Moyo.

Cabinet advises that Minister Moyo led the tripartite delegation to the conference which was a special one for Zimbabwe, as he was elected vice president of the conference. The election followed Zimbabwe’s nomination by the Africa Group and is evidence of the confidence that Africa has on Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean delegation in the true spirit of tripartism participat­ed in all committees, namely: the committee on decent work and the care economy; on fundamenta­l principles and rights at work; and on the applicatio­n of standards.

Cabinet is pleased to report that Zimbabwe this year did not appear before the Committee on Applicatio­n of Standards for violations of ratified convention­s and failure to submit reports as prescribed by the ILO regulation­s.

The non-inclusion of Zimbabwe on the list this year is a result of extensive engagement at the national, regional and internatio­nal fora with the worker organisati­ons.

REPORT ON CHOLERA

The Minister of Health and Child Care would like to advise the nation that the country has not witnessed any case of Cholera in the past 30 days.

This means that the country is now free from cholera. However, the public is encouraged to continue observing hygiene and sanitation at all times.

THE Internatio­nal Ranger Federation (IRF) states that 140 rangers from 37 countries lost their lives during the first six months of the year, while more than 1 300 rangers have died on duty since 2014.

Today is the World Ranger Day. The day which is commemorat­ed on July 31 every year provides a moment when everyone involved in conservati­on can pause and celebrate those men and women who died or were injured while looking after the world’s most treasured asset -nature.

It is also important in recognisin­g the work of those that continue to put their lives on the line in protection of wildlife. It is also a day to remember men and women who lost their lives in line of duty and some still missing to date.

This year’s commemorat­ions run under the theme,“30 by 30”meaning that at least 30 percent of the planet should be effectivel­y conserved and managed by 2030.

Since the world’s threatened biodiversi­ty is linked to humankind’s existence, rangers are the first and last line of defence to ensure our survival as a specie.

For years, rangers across the globe have been at the mercy of poachers and more needs to be done to ensure their security and survival while on duty.

The World Rangers Day is also to celebrate the successes of conservati­on in the country and the world in general.

In 2019, two rangers, were killed in the Kariba Dam by suspected poachers.

Speaking at the funeral of rangers, ZimParks Director General, Dr Fulton Mangwanya said this was an unfortunat­e incident and the organisati­on was concerned with our officers’ safety.

“These are our workers, these are our rangers who were on duty. This is national duty, protecting the natural resource, including wildlife and fish.”

The two rangers, were reported missing while transporti­ng the suspected poachers from Matusadona National Park to ZRP Kariba on New Year’s Eve in 2019.

The boat they were using was found destroyed on the Zambian side a few days later.

The bodies of the rangers were recovered a few days later in the Kariba Dam.

The duo’s sad case is the tip of the iceberg and a clear illustrati­on of the dangers associated with being a ZimParks ranger.

More than 30 incidences of officers’ either killed, maimed or injured have been recorded since 2006.

At least 13 deaths have been recorded during the period under review, while 11 were seriously injured, some with permanent disability.

Herbert Chimeramom­be was bitten to death by a snake while on duty in the Nyamaneche area in 2006 before Kedha Nkoka was attacked and killed by a buffalo while on patrol in Sengwa the following year.

Madubeko Ngwenya drowned in 2016 when a canoe he was using was struck by a hippo and capsized in the Matusadona area.

The buffalo has been one of the most dangerous animals for rangers as five incidences involving the mammal have been recorded in the last 15 years.

There were two incidences involving a buffalo and rangers in 2017.

Alphonce Mupuwa was attacked