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Robbers prey on mistrust of Zimbabwe’s financial system

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BY GAMUCHIRAI MASIYIWA AND VIMBAI CHINEMBIRI

Tariro remembers hearing a sudden bang on her kitchen door, the kind that produces shivers.

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She peeked through the window and saw 10 men armed with iron crowbars. They wanted to enter.

The 54-year-old ran into her bedroom shouting “mbavha,” Shona for thieves, as the men knocked down the door.

“They tied my mouth with a top I was wearing before bathing and said that I should cooperate, or they would kill me,” said Tariro, who asked to use only her middle name out of fear of being targeted again.

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They found $700 in her church uniform, as if they knew exactly where to look. Then they left.

Tariro believes the robbers came after her because she used to work at a non-governmental organisation and earned United States dollars.

“They assumed I had a lot of money in my house,” she said, still shaking at the memory.

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Her decision to hoard cash stems from Zimbabwe’s cratering economy and rapid currency changes over the past two decades that have decimated the country’s monetary system and made keeping money under the bed more palatable than putting it in the bank.

Not only has such stockpiling affected Zimbabweans’ ability to grow a savings account, it also has made an increasing number of people targets for robberies.

In 2009, Zimbabwe introduced a multicurrency system that made it possible for residents to use the US dollar, the South African rand and other currencies.

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But inflation rose so much that, a decade later, the government returned to the local currency.

Officials introduced a separate account to deposit foreign currency, but all bank balances that held US dollars were converted into Zimbabwean dollars (ZWL).

Nearly overnight, people’s money was worth much less.

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Zimbabweans like Tariro stopped trusting banks.

Fearing additional changes in policy, many people started keeping their foreign currency — which depreciates slower than the ZWL — at home.

“There’s no incentive to keeping money in the bank,” said Farai Mutambanengwe, founder and executive officer of the Small and Medium Enterprises Association of Zimbabwe, a lobbying organization that promotes access to markets.

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As a pandemic measure, the government started allowing official transactions in foreign currency again in March 2020.

But residents remain wary of unpredictable fluctuations.

Even those paid through the banking system distrust it.

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Some prefer to buy foreign currency on the black market to preserve the value of their money.

Harrison Dumba, who works as a chef at a local restaurant, says he gets paid in local money through a bank transfer but immediately buys US dollars on the black market because they don’t lose value as quickly.

“I do not see the benefit of keeping my money in the bank,” said the 36-year-old. “It can lose value while you think you are saving money.”

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The coronavirus has caused even further economic hardship, as lockdowns and decreased travel affect jobs.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police national crime office recorded nearly 3,500 robberies last year.

Between January and March of this year, police had already counted more than 2,300 burglaries.

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The US Department of State has pointed to money stuffed in pillows and pockets as a motivator for robberies.

“Criminals have specifically targeted businesses and residences known to house or store large sums of cash,” according to an April 2020 safety report.

Zimbabwean officials acknowledge the rise in crime but play down its connection to a flailing monetary system.

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Ruth Mavhungu-Maboyi, deputy minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, attributed the surge in violence to an increasing availability of guns and a lack of police vehicles.

She points to a spate of recent arrests — including those of seven suspects in recent burglaries — as signs that authorities are working to curb crime. But she also emphasizes the need for residents to trust banks.

“Does keeping your money at home really bring something?” she said. “Instead, it can get stolen. Encouraging people to keep money in the banks is an issue of safety.”

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The uptick in crime hasn’t had only financial consequences; it’s had psychological ones.

Since the attack in her home, Tariro finds it hard to trust people.

“My life has not been normal since then,” she said.

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She has rented her house out to other families, so she doesn’t have to live alone.

She panics when dogs bark. And she spends money immediately because she doesn’t feel comfortable saving it anymore. – Global Press Journal

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National

Zimbabwe on track for 6% growth as economy recovers from drought

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BY REUTERS

Zimbabwe is on track to achieve a forecasted 6% economic growth in 2025 helped by good agricultural output and strong commodity prices, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said on Thursday.

The Southern African country’s economy has shown signs of recovery in the first half of the year following a severe drought and currency turbulence in 2024 that pushed GDP growth down to 2%.

“Given the positive economic developments during the period January to June, we are confident that the projected economic growth of 6% alluded to in the 2025 National Budget is achievable,” Ncube told parliament in a mid-year budget review.

“All sectors of the economy are expected to record positive growth in 2025, mainly on account of a favourable agriculture season, improved electricity generation, stable exchange rate and inflation rate,” he said.

He did not give an update on the budget deficit, which was seen at 0.4% of gross domestic product in 2025 during the budget forecast last November.

Zimbabwe’s fiscal position remains under strain from grain imports, drought relief spending and the public sector wage bill. While the government has collected more revenue than in the same period last year, analysts say containing the deficit may prove difficult without new fiscal measures.

The local currency, the ZiG, launched in April 2024 to replace the Zimbabwe dollar, has largely remained stable against the U.S. dollar but is still overshadowed by widespread use of the dollar in everyday transactions.

Ncube reiterated the government’s commitment to the gold-backed unit and said the currency had benefited from tight monetary and fiscal policies.

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Malaria cases surge in Zimbabwe

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe is experiencing a dramatic surge in malaria cases, with 111 998 cases and 310 deaths reported as of epidemiological week 23 in 2025.

This is a significant increase from the same period in 2024, which saw 29 031 cases and 49 deaths.

According to Dr Memory Mapfumo, an epidemiologist at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), “This surge is no coincidence. Prolonged rains have fueled mosquito breeding, while activities like gold panning, fishing, and artisanal mining are exposing more individuals to risk, especially during peak mosquito activity hours.”

The situation is worsened by the low use of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), leaving communities exposed and placing further strain on already stretched health systems. Across Zimbabwe, 115 out of 1 705 health facilities have been affected, highlighting the widespread impact of the disease on healthcare infrastructure.

Mashonaland Central Province has accounted for 32% of all malaria cases, while Manicaland reported 25% of the malaria-related deaths. The interconnectedness of the countries in the region has also contributed to the spread of the disease.

Zimbabwe’s malaria outbreak is part of a broader regional trend. Other countries in southern Africa, including Botswana, eSwatini, and Namibia, are also experiencing significant increases in malaria cases.

In Botswana, 2 223 cases and 11 deaths have been reported, with Okavango being the hardest hit. eSwatini has recorded 187 cases, with children under 15 and farmers being particularly affected. Namibia has seen over 89 959 cases and 146 deaths, with the majority of cases being local transmissions.

The Africa CDC emphasizes the need for continued vigilance and investment in malaria control. Governments must enhance their efforts to improve the use of ITNs, strengthen community engagement, and address environmental and social factors driving the outbreaks.

Dr Merawi Aragaw, head of Africa CDC’s Surveillance and Disease Intelligence, notes that “as climate change accelerates, we are witnessing shifts in temperature and rainfall that are expanding the range of malaria-carrying mosquitoes, introducing vectors into previously unaffected regions.”

According to Dr Aragaw, “sustained vector control measures – including environmental management, strengthening surveillance, drug and diagnostic resistance monitoring, and fostering cross-border collaboration – will be critical in mitigating the growing threat of vector-borne diseases, especially malaria.”

The regional surge underscores a broader global trend, with malaria cases worldwide climbing to 263 million in 2023, up from 252 million the previous year, and Africa accounting for 95% of all malaria-related deaths.

Despite these alarming figures, there have been significant successes: Cabo Verde was certified malaria-free in 2023, and Egypt is poised to achieve the same in 2024. Yet for many countries in southern Africa, the road to elimination remains steep, with outbreaks threatening to reverse years of progress.

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Government unveils plan to curb road accidents

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services, Jenfan Muswere, has outlined a series of measures to combat the rising tide of road traffic accidents in the country.

Zimbabwe has been witnessing a worrying surge in road traffic accidents, with the latest incident claiming 17 lives last week, along Seke road.

Yesterday, Muswere addressed the cabinet, outlining measures to curb road traffic accidents. Below is his statement, word for word:

“So capacitation of the vehicle inspection is ongoing and the sourcing of the vehicle inspection department. Compliance to legislation is also one of the parameters that we are utilising.Standardisation in terms of driving schools, the training of drivers, speed limits as a governance to traffic monitoring, the utilisation of traffic management, the utilisation of cameras for number plate recognition and facial recognition in order to curb over speeding and traffic offences. The capacitation of the Zimbabwe Republic Police in order to apprehend and also deal with traffic offences. Legislation amendments that are taking place in order to ensure that our roads are safe. As the minister (Felix Mhona) has also highlighted that the Civil Protection Unit is being capacitated in order to deal with the challenges that we might not have been able to deal with as part of an architecture under the hall of government approach.”

Background statistics from the Zimbabwe Republic Police reveal a concerning trend. During the first six months of 2025, the country recorded 28 159 road traffic accidents, up from 25 968 in the same period last year. Fatal crashes also increased by 11% from 784 to 870, while road deaths rose by 4.9% from 1 037 to 1 088. The majority of accidents occur in known danger zones, often due to commuter congestion and erratic driving by public transport operators.

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