National

Zim hosts 7 000 children, regional delegates for World Children’s Day

Published

1 year ago

November 15, 2024

BY LEONARD NCUBE

Part of the over 7 000 children and delegates from across Southern Africa who are expected to attend the World Children’s Day celebrations in Victoria Falls tomorrow have started arriving in the resort city, which is already experiencing huge vehicular and human traffic.

The Chronicle, reports that, Zimbabwe, in partnership with Unicef, is hosting the children from seven SADC countries — Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, for the World Children’s Day.

The day is observed every November 20 but celebrations will be held tomorrow at Baobab Primary School so that the programme does not disturb learning and examination processes.

High ranking delegates from Namibia, and children from five of the countries had arrived yesterday, with the majority expected today and tomorrow.

Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister July Moyo, his Permanent Secretary Mr Simon Masanga, Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary Ms Sithandiwe Ncube plus officials from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education are already in Victoria Falls coordinating preparations for a successful event.

Proceedings will start this morning with a golf and chess tournament for children at Elephant Hills Golf Course and Mosi-oa-Tunya High School.

This will culminate in a prize-giving ceremony for winners of the two tournaments at a dinner to be hosted by the First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, this evening at Elephant Hills Resort.

According to update reports at the preparatory meeting chaired by Minister Moyo yesterday, the golf and chess tournaments will start this morning with junior golfers teeing off and those playing chess also taking part.
There will also be about 200 non-golfers who will also be taken to the golf course so they learn the sport.

The main event will take place tomorrow where President Mnangagwa is expected to be joined by his counterparts and their representatives from the six SADC countries that are part of the programme.

Proceedings will start with a road march by children between 7am and 9am ahead of the main programme.
After the proceedings and lunch, a total of 570 children will be taken for a tour of the Victoria Falls Rainforest, a Unesco designated World Heritage Site and one of the Natural Wonders of the World.

Transport, accommodation and feeding logistics for all the children have been arranged so that they enjoy their day.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Moyo said he was impressed by the Whole of Government approach exhibited by various ministries and departments, in partnership with Unicef, which is co-hosting the event with Zimbabwe.

“We will assembly at the Elephant Hills where the First Lady and other delegates will participate at the children’s dinner. Some have started arriving so we will end the dinner early so that the children go and rest,” he said.

“On Saturday they will march from 7am so that they arrive at the venue by 9am. After the programme, 570 children are what we are going to cater for at the Rainforest.

“In the evening there will be a monumental lighting of the Flame of Hope on the ‘No Man’s Land’ on the Victoria Falls Bridge officiated by Vice-President General (Retired) Dr Costantino Chiwenga. That is the broad outline of the programme,” said Minister Moyo.

Matabeleland North will provide the bulk of the 7 470 children expected at the event.
According to the organising committee, 450 will come from the country’s nine provinces other than Matabeleland North who will provide 7 020. About 1 200 of these will come from the six Matabeleland North districts while 5 820 will come from Hwange District.

Of these Hwange children, 4 520 will arrive early tomorrow morning while 1 300 are coming today.
The children will be staying at Rest Camp and several schools that have been designated as villages for them.

The Environmental Management Agency has identified 60 volunteer litter pickers and still wants 40 more, the mop out litter during the course of the two days.

The venue is almost ready will tents set, chairs set and final touches being done.
If anything, Baobab Primary School, looking more like a mini-city because of the set-up, are the biggest beneficiaries of the programme considering the amount of rehabilitation work being done at the school.

Classroom and administration blocks have been repainted, landscaping done on the school grounds while a perimeter fence is being erected and a new gate opened.

A borehole is to be drilled at the school and Minister Moyo yesterday said the facility should be allowed to run a tuck-shop during the event so they benefit from hosting the crowds. There will also be various exhibitors at the event while a roadshow will also be done to publicise the event.

Unicef country director, Ms Etona Ekole, appreciated work done by the organising committee so far.
“Thank you for the organisation and dedication you have shown. We are impressed by the commitment and I think we are going to have incredible celebrations,” she said.

The 2024 Regional World Children’s Day commemorations will build on the Calls-for-Action of children and the commitments by the Heads of State made at the previous celebrations, which focused on education, climate, children with disability and the need for society to be inclusive and uphold children’s rights.

The children from the participating countries will present an updated call for action and hold their governments accountable for the commitments made to promoting children’s rights.

Every 20 November, the world celebrates World Children’s Day, which highlights the right to participation, which is one of the underpinning principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Since 2021, four countries — Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe — have come together to celebrate the Regional World Children’s Day jointly, and this year Zimbabwe hosts the programme building on the momentum created by the commemorations in Botswana in 2021, Zambia in 2022 and Namibia last year.

Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa have been invited to join the commemorations making seven attending countries.

SOURCE: THE CHRONICLE

National

Government extends Victoria Falls Border Post operating hours to 24 hours

Published

5 days ago

November 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

The government has officially extended the operating hours of the Victoria Falls Border Post to a full 24-hour schedule, according to an Extraordinary Government Gazette published on Thursday.

The change was announced under General Notice 2265A of 2025, issued in terms of section 41 of the Immigration Act [Chapter 4:02]. The notice states that the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage has approved the extension with immediate effect from the date of publication.

The Gazette declares:

“It is hereby declared that in terms of section 41 of the Immigration Act [Chapter 4:02], the Minister has extended the operating hours for the Victoria Falls Border Post to twenty-four (24) hours on a daily basis, with effect from the date of publication of this notice.”

The move is expected to boost tourism, trade, and regional mobility along one of Zimbabwe’s busiest tourist corridors, which connects the country to Zambia and the broader SADC region.

Stakeholders in tourism and logistics have long advocated for extended operating hours, citing increased traffic through Victoria Falls and the need to align with neighbouring countries that already run round-the-clock border operations.

National

Zimbabwe moves to establish tough drug control agency amid rising substance abuse crisis

Published

4 weeks ago

October 22, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

As Zimbabwe battles a surge in drug and substance abuse, the government has tabled a new Bill in Parliament seeking to establish a powerful agency to coordinate enforcement, rehabilitation, and prevention programmes across the country.

The National Drug and Substance Abuse Control and Enforcement Agency Bill (H.B. 12, 2025) proposes the creation of a dedicated agency mandated to combat the supply and demand of illicit drugs, provide rehabilitation services, and strengthen coordination between law enforcement and social service institutions.

According to the explanatory memorandum of the Bill, the agency will operate under two main divisions — a Social Services Intervention Division to focus on prevention, treatment and community rehabilitation, and an Enforcement Division to target supply chains, trafficking networks, and related financial crimes.

The legislation describes drug abuse as “a grave internal national security threat” and “a public health crisis” that fuels organised crime, corruption and violence. It notes that drug profits have enabled criminal cartels to “purchase the instrumentalities of crime, including weapons,” and to corrupt both civilian and non-civilian public officials.

Under the new framework, the agency will have powers to:

Investigate and arrest individuals involved in drug trafficking and production;
Work jointly with the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, and Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe;
Establish checkpoints at ports of entry and exit to intercept harmful substances; and
Expand the legal definition of “harmful drugs” to include emerging synthetic substances, in consultation with the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe.

The Social Services Division will lead prevention campaigns, develop demand-reduction programmes, and facilitate the creation of rehabilitation and detoxification centres nationwide. It will also introduce a monitoring system requiring schools, employers, and local authorities to adopt anti-drug awareness and intervention programmes within 90 days of the Act’s commencement.

Each province and district will host offices of the agency to decentralise services and ensure community-level engagement, while traditional leaders will help devise local prevention strategies.

The Bill further empowers the agency to employ prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority to handle drug-related cases, signalling a shift toward specialised prosecution of narcotics offences. It also introduces a new, stricter “standard scale of fines” and penalties for drug crimes — higher than those prescribed under existing criminal laws.

In a major development, the proposed law integrates the agency into Zimbabwe’s Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act, allowing it to pursue unexplained wealth orders and seize assets linked to drug cartels.

The Bill stresses rehabilitation and social reintegration as key pillars. It obliges the agency to support affected individuals through psychosocial counselling, vocational training, and community wellness programmes aimed at helping addicts rebuild their lives.

If passed, the National Drug and Substance Abuse Control and Enforcement Agency will replace fragmented anti-drug efforts currently scattered across ministries and law enforcement agencies, creating a central authority to drive national strategy and coordination.

Parliament is expected to debate the Bill in the coming weeks amid growing concern over youth addiction to crystal meth, cough syrups, and other illicit substances that have taken root in both urban and rural communities.

National

Hwange unit 8 breaks down, deepening Zimbabwe’s power supply challenges

Published

4 weeks ago

October 21, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

ZESA Holdings has announced that Hwange Unit 8 has been taken off the national grid following a technical fault, a development expected to worsen Zimbabwe’s persistent electricity shortages.

In a statement released on Monday, the power utility said the unit would be out of service for ten days while restoration work is carried out.

“Hwange Unit 8 has been taken off the grid due to a technical fault. The unit will be out of service for 10 days while restoration work is carried out,” ZESA said.

The company said Hwange Unit 7 remains operational, generating 335 megawatts (MW) to support system stability, while power generation at Kariba South Power Station has been ramped up with “careful management of water allocations” to compensate for the temporary shortfall.

ZESA apologized for the inconvenience and appealed for public understanding as engineers work to restore the unit.

Zimbabwe has faced recurring electricity supply challenges over the past two decades, driven by ageing infrastructure, limited generation capacity, and low water levels at Kariba Dam. While the commissioning of Hwange Units 7 and 8 in 2023 brought some relief, frequent breakdowns have continued to disrupt supply, forcing industries and households to endure prolonged load-shedding.

The latest fault at Hwange comes at a time when power demand is surging across the country, particularly during the hot season when air conditioning and irrigation systems increase pressure on the grid.

Energy experts say the outage highlights the need for greater investment in maintenance, renewable energy, and grid modernization to stabilize Zimbabwe’s power supply in the long term.