Zimbabwe’s conflict lithium and the marginalization of locals
Clayton Shereni The plunder of diamonds in Chiadzwa by government officials and security officials who work in collaboration with Chinese firms, the gold rush at Hwendedzo and the lithium rushes in Bikita, Goromonzi and Mberengwa may all amount to the resource curse that has come to characterize mining operations in Zimbabwe. With 80 percent of export receipts reportedly coming from the mining sector, according to authorities, the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa is banking on the mining sector to change fortunes of citizens and revive its bedridden economy which has been on life support system since turn of the millennium. […]
Partland Engines & Gearbox: ordinary woman rises to become auto parts queen
Moses ZiyambiIn a patriarchal society, the business of selling car parts, especially engines and gearboxes, is ordinarily a preserve for men, but one young woman in Masvingo has defied the odds and went on to dominate the field.Growing up in Masvingo, Primrose Chirongoma had a humble upbringing, and she most probably never imagined making the phenomenal achievements she has made at a young age.At 30 years of age, Chirongoma is the director of Partland Engines and Gearbox which she built from scratch. The company operates two branches in Masvingo town, one in Chiredzi, one in Kadoma and yet another one […]
Communities explore new farming practices to conserve land, grazing
Samson Cader A local community based organisation, Centre for Gender and Community Development in Zimbabwe (CGCDZ) and its partner communities in Masvingo province are introducing innovative agricultural practices that promote land and livestock management.The stakeholders believe that the movable kraal concept and the holistic land and livestock management can address some long-standing conservation challenges in rural areas.The initiatives are being rolled out in Mbetu and Chipo Gardens in Masvingo district Ward 11, as well as in Chinyika village in Gutu district Ward 10.Under the movable kraal concept, community members pool their cattle into a single herd which is then accommodated […]
Budding auto manufacturer Mureza contemplates green future
Moses Ziyambi Fledgling Pan-African car manufacturer Mureza Auto is already envisioning its place in a greener auto future as the industry trudges away from internal combustion engines towards electrical vehicles, EnviroPress can report. The car maker has for several times postponed the launch of its groundbreaking brands including the much publicized Prim8 edition ostensibly to improve designs and give room for product testing. The much-anticipated Prim8 – pronounced Primate – was initially expected to hit the market as early as 2021. EnviroPress recently caught up with Tatenda Mureza, the South Africa-based Zimbabwean entrepreneur Tatenda Mungofa who, together with two South […]
Resilient women sweat it out in difficult mining sector
Moses Ziyambi ‘After my business collapsed – I accepted defeat, I knew I h’d done everything in my power to make it work. I knew that the collapse of my business had nothing to do with me but rather – whatever had taken place had everything to do with the environment I was operating in’ wrote Namatai Chipunza on X (formerly Twitter) on August 08, 2023.A small scale artisanal miner who found the going getting tougher by the day despite her best of efforts over several months, Chipunza finally decided to call it quits. Chipunza’s story, though very common in […]
GZU launches programme to incentivize traditional grains farming
Moses Ziyambi The Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) has launched a traditional grains contract farming programme in the Chibwedziva area of Chiredzi district in Masvingo province as part of efforts to introduce adaptable agriculture to vulnerable communities The programme is being implemented by the university’s Gary Magadzire School of Agriculture, with support from the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Innovation, Science and Technology Development. The occasion was graced by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development Professor Amon Murwira. Under the programme, GZU will provide farmers with all the necessary inputs and technical assistance, […]
Call for coal investments as energy transition eludes Zimbabwe
Moses Ziyambi Prospects for quicker energy transition in Zimbabwe have faded after President Emmerson Mnangagwa clearly stated that coal will continue to underpin the drive to energy security. While commissioning the new Muchesu Coal Mine in Binga on July 31, President Mnangagwa said the country planned to continue growing the coal mining sector of the economy. “Today’s commissioning is an achievement in line with the projected target of achieving a US$1 billion coal sub-sector by 2023 and will contribute towards the attainment of a US$12 billion mining sector economy by the end of this year,” Mnangagwa said. According to communications […]
Clare Mukankusi will make you geek out on beans
Beans are a staple crop in Uganda. This plant breeder is working to make them more nutritious and easier to grow. Read original article on Bill Gates’ blog https://www.gatesnotes.com/Heroes-in-the-Field-Clare-Mukankusi?WT.mc_id=20230719100000_HITF-Clare-Mukankusi_BG-EM_&WT.tsrc=BGEM Bill Gates What’s your favorite way to eat beans? Mine is in chili. I know that’s a controversial opinion in some parts of the United States, but in my family, we grew up eating bean chili. It was such a delicious, filling meal that I still enjoy today. I am a big fan of beans, but my love for them cannot touch Clare Mukankusi’s. She has devoted her whole career to creating more […]
UNDP Zimbabwe in ambitious biogas project
Upenyu Chaota The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Zimbabwe, in collaboration with UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and the Rural Electrification Fund (REF), has launched a clean energy biogas project which will see a total of 150 digesters being installed in three districts across the country. The initiative will be undertaken in Chipinge, Masvingo and Insiza districts of Zimbabwe. In a statement, UNDP Zimbabwe said the initiative was aimed at helping to address the pressing energy and environmental challenges faced by Zimbabwe. “In an ambitious endeavor to bring clean cooking energy to rural communities, the largest initiative of […]
Six districts reap dividends of FAO beekeeping programme
…initiative is part of efforts to help create new green jobs Moses Ziyambi An innovative Bee Farmer Field School (BFFS) project being implemented in Zimbabwe by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is improving the livelihoods of 300 young people in six districts of the country. The initiative, which runs under the Green Jobs for Rural Youth Employment (GJ4RYE) project, has seen young people in Chegutu, Chimanimani, Kariba, Kwekwe, Marondera and Mazowe receiving soft skills training and attending the field schools to gain skills in apiculture. Beneficiaries engage in both theoretical and practical aspects of apiculture; building apiaries thereby gaining […]
ZERA in drive to promote net metering, energy efficiency
Moses Ziyambi The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Agency (ZERA) on May 31 hosted a net metering and energy efficiency workshop in Masvingo where industry players called upon businesses and households to install solar systems in order to help reduce the country’s energy deficit. Speaking to EnviroPress on the sidelines of the workshop, ZERA CEO Edington Mazambani said the people should be made to appreciate the benefits of net metering to families, businesses and to the country. “Since you are generating your own solar energy part of which you feed into the national grid, it basically means you have reduced your energy […]
Centre for Dryland Agriculture to improve resilient agriculture in Chivi
EnviroPress Reporter Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) has plans to turn its Innovation Centre for Dryland Agriculture in Chivi into an international centre for agro-innovation projects once completed. The centre sits on 135 hectares of virgin land in Chivi Ward 8 under Headman Madyangove near Mashava. Chivi is in climate region five with little to no rainfall. During a recent tour of the place, GZU Gary Magadzire School of Agriculture and Engineering Dean Dr Xavier Poshiwa said the institution is being built in three phases. He said the first phase is 40 per cent complete and was expected to be completed […]