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Julius Malema: We want Zimbabweans to work in South Africa

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BY NONKULULEKO NJILO

EFF leader Julius Malema has appealed to employers to give South Africans preference as the country faces an all-time high youth unemployment rate of 66.5 percent.

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“We want to make an emphasis to the owners of restaurants that no-one should stop employing Zimbabweans and say the EFF said they don’t want them,” he said on Wednesday.

“We want Zimbabweans to work in SA. It is their home.

“They should make no apologies about hiring Zimbabweans or any other African brother or sister.

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“In doing so, they must be considerate that there are locals who must at all times be given preference.”

He was speaking to journalists after visiting restaurants in the Mall of Africa in Midrand.

Shortly after arriving with a handful of supporters, he was declined entry at Kream restaurant.

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A manager told Malema he would not be allowed inside and handed him a letter.

Malema, however, would not take no for an answer and stood at the door until he was allowed inside.

“Kream leadership apologised for their misbehaviour and blamed it on their legal department, that someone gave them a legal letter not to engage us. But after engaging us outside the restaurant, they realised there is no need not to engage,” said Malema.

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“I don’t understand why they were refusing to engage because they all had their facts in order.

“They were ready to prove to us they are indeed compliant, trying to employ as many South Africans [as possible].”

Malema said Kream’s conduct was unfortunate but he accepted their apology.

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“Ours is to ensure the rights of workers are protected and South Africans are given priority when it comes to employment. But that does not mean our Zimbabwean, Lesotho, eSwatini and fellow African brothers and sisters should not be employed.”

He also visited Ponto and Doppio Zero restaurants and expressed satisfaction with their levels of compliance in employing as many South Africans as possible.

The party also raised the issue of compensation, particularly around tips. Malema was thrilled to learn all three restaurants were paying workers more than the minimum national wage.

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“Workers must be guaranteed a salary. They must know how much are they earning.”

The party vowed to visit more businesses to ensure fair representation in the workplace.

Malema said though they were pro-African, the party had a responsibility to ensure the interests of their electorate were prioritised.

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In the event where African nationals were not hired, Malema said he would intervene.

“We will be the first [to intervene] if we hear Zimbabweans are not being hired in SA, but there cannot be an exclusive situation which excludes South Africans.

“That point has been received well, and we all agree we have a problem of high unemployment and poverty and it can only be resolved through employment.

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“We are highly encouraged that we are singing from the same hymn book and we have our eyes and ears on the ground to inform us when things are not going accordingly.” – TimesLive

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National

Econet unveils new home and business data packages

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has launched new ‘Smart-Suite’ Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) data packages consisting of six plans tailored to address the data needs of different customers – from the ‘SmartLite’ plan, offering 50GB of data (best for light users) and retailing for $30, to ‘SmartPro’, offering 800GB of data (ideal for established SMEs) and retailing at $170.

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In between are ‘SmartPlus’, offering 75GB at $40 (targeting families); ‘SmartMax’, offering 100GB at $50 (ideal for bigger homes and freelancers); ‘SmartFlex’, offering 200GB at $70 (tailored for flexible scaling and small offices) and ‘SmartUltra’, offering 400GB at $99 (suitable for heavy, multi-users and SMEs).

Introducing the SmartSuite packages on multiple media channels, Econet said the new data packages will be easy to upgrade and will offer flexible plans “that grow with your needs”.

To ensure optimized and stable performance within a customer’s premise and network coverage area, the new packages will be geo-locked to a customer’s location, and accessible using a 4G or 5G CPE (customer premises equipment) router.

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Geo-locking – a term used to describe the restriction of access to a product or service to a specific geographical location – ensures customers get the best possible usage experience while enabling service providers like telcos and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to ringfence critical resources such as bandwidth, making certain they are utilized by the intended users.

Econet said the SmartSuite packages will be available through its Econet Shops across the country where the company enjoys the largest network coverage, adding that CPE routers will also be available for sale in its shops – starting from US$48 per unit. The company noted though that customers will be free to use their existing CPEs, or to purchase CPEs anywhere elsewhere, as long as they were compatible with Econet’s SmartSuite product specifications.

Econet, which is the largest mobile network operator in Zimbabwe, enjoys the widest 4G (LTE) network coverage in the country. With 300 5G base stations deployed in the country’s major cities and towns, it is by far the market leader in 5G technology in Zimbabwe.

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The launch of the new SmartSuite packages follows a notice to customers of the former SmartBiz packages from Econet a month ago, notifying them that it would soon launch new data packages offering more choice and flexibility, and tailored to different customer needs.

Customers registered to the old SmartBiz service and who already have a CPE, can simply dial *143, choose a package of their choice and credit their new SmartSuite package. New subscribers to the SmartSuite packages will however need to buy a new SmartSuite SIM from an Econet Shop, as well as a CPE, for them to be able to connect to the new packages. If they own a CPE that meets Econet’s specifications, they will be able to use it for their SmartSuite package.

Along with the new SmartSuite data packages, Econet continues to offer its all its customers the choice of a wide range of mobile data products, accessible ‘on the go’ throughout the country via the customer’s mobile device or smartphone.

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Parliament advocates for youth employment quota amidst growing crisis

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The Parliament convened on Tuesday to discuss a crucial motion demanding the establishment of a quota system for youth employment in the public sector.

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This motion is in response to alarming statistics revealing that over 62% of Zimbabwe’s population is under the age of 35, yet these young people face significant challenges in accessing job opportunities.

MP Ropafadzo Makumire, who moved the motion, stated, “I rise today to move this motion in my name with respect for this House and with deep concern for the future of young people.” He articulated the urgency of addressing youth unemployment, citing Section 20 (1) (c) of the Constitution, which mandates that the Government “at every level must take reasonable measures to ensure that the youths are given opportunities for employment and economic development.”

Makumire expressed his concern regarding Statutory Instrument 201 of 2024, which raised the pensionable retirement age for civil servants from 65 to 70 years, declaring, “This unintentionally reduced opportunities for young Zimbabweans entering the workforce.” He emphasized the struggle of the youth, stating, “Every year, over 30 000 graduates leave our universities and colleges. Many struggle to find meaningful jobs… the majority are struggling to meet even basic needs.” He also pointed out that many graduates resort to street vending: “If we can take a sample of street vendors in the streets eof Harare… you are going to realise that the majority of them are graduates. This is a sign that this country is in jeopardy.”

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Mutsa Murombedzi seconded the motion and echoed the urgency for action. He remarked, “Our Constitution is clear. Section 20 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe obligates the State to take measures to ensure that youth are afforded opportunities for employment… The Government raised the retirement age for civil servants… it acted in a manner that is inconsistent with this constitutional principle.” He expressed deep concern: “If we do not give the youth jobs, we bury them either in graves of addiction or in airports as they flee this country.”

During the debate, another legislator acknowledged the global unemployment issue, stating, “The issue of unemployment is a global phenomenon… inasmuch as I acknowledge that we have over 62% of youths between the ages of 15 to 35… there are a number of initiatives that have been put forward by our Government to make sure that our youths participate in the mainstream economy.” He mentioned vocational training efforts as critical steps forward: “We have localised some of these programmes that have been implemented… with young people who are taking up vocational training courses.”

Joseph Mapiki raised concerns about the context of employment: “What is happening in the country is totally different from what is happening in other countries… we came up with the law that someone must be able to employ someone, not waiting for someone to employ you.” He highlighted initiatives to empower young entrepreneurs, stating, “We are happy that the Government managed to sign an MoU called India Zimbabwe… where they are purchasing low-priced machines.”

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Dexter Malinganiso partially supported the motion, recognizing the demographic dividend of the youth. “It is evident that we have in Zimbabwe a very good demographic dividend that is still energetic, agile, educated and willing to partake in nation building,” he said, while also acknowledging government efforts to create opportunities for youth.

Finally, Tanatsva Mukomberi emphasized the need for progressive solutions. He stated, “It is key to note that solutions come from proper cause and effect analysis. To analyse what actually causes high rates of youth graduates’ unemployment, not just focusing on unemployment per se.” He highlighted the importance of exploring sustainable solutions that enable young people to thrive rather than simply identifying the problem.

 

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Government rolls out business reforms to boost agriculture sector

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The government has undertook reforms  to ease doing business in the country, starting with the agriculture sector, specifically targeting livestock, dairy farming, and stockfeed sub-sectors.

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Quoting from the press statement by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion on Wednesday: “The initiative seeks to enhance the investment climate, encourage domestic production, and attract foreign direct investment.”

Minister of Finance, Mthuli Ncube, announced these reforms which are “a product of a multi-stakeholder process led by the Office of the President and Cabinet, with support from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, and technical assistance from the World Bank.”

The reforms aim to cut through “excessive regulations, high compliance costs, and duplication of responsibilities across institutions” that have constrained the agriculture sector. For instance:
– “Dairy farmers previously required up to 25 permits across 12 agencies.”
– “Feed manufacturers needed 23 permits from 10 departments.”
– “Beef cattle farmers faced 18 requirements, while abattoirs required 20, dairy processors 21, and feed processors 23.”

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Key reforms introduced include:
– “Agriculture Marketing Authority (AMA) farm registration fees cut to $1 flat fee.”
– “Dairy processor registration reduced from $350 annually to a one-time $50 fee.”
– “Feed manufacturing registration cut from $150-$250 to $20 flat fee.”
– “Livestock movement clearance reduced to $5 per herd (down from $10 per beast).”
– “Import permit for livestock genetics (heifers, bulls, semen) reduced from $100 to $20.”

Ncube emphasized the government’s commitment “to creating a modern, efficient, and business-friendly regulatory system that drives inclusive economic growth and positions Zimbabwe as an Upper Middle-Income Society by 2030.”

 

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