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Victoria Falls smuggler faces new charges after ivory stash is found in seized car

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A Victoria Falls smuggler, who was convicted for smuggling in 2019, is back in court after his car that was forfeited by the State was found with three pieces of ivory stashed in the boot almost two years after he was initially arrested.

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Stanely Takavada (46) from Mkhosana suburb was arrested on June 10, 2019 at a police road block along the Kazungula-Victoria Falls road after he was found in possession of smuggled goods.

Takavada was convicted of smuggling and the smuggled goods as well as the vehicle were seized by the State..

He is now facing new charges of possession of ivory without a permit.

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On Tuesday, Takavada pleaded not guilty to the charges through his lawyer Charity Mandeya of Mhaka Attorneys, who appeared before resident magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa.

Prosecutor Audrey Mukanganya told the court that on June 10, 2019 at around 3PM, the accused, who was driving a Toyota Gaia was arrested at a police roadblock along the Kazungula-Victoria Falls road for carrying smuggled and restricted goods that he had brought into the country through the Kazungula border post, leading to the seizure of his car.

On October 5, last year Jephat Siziba from Beitbridge bought Takavada’s former car through a Zimbabwe Revenue Authority public auction held at the Victoria Falls border post

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Siziba could not immediately drive off the car because it had flat tyres and other faults.

He took it to a backyard garage to have it fixed.

Mukanganya said when Siziba opened the spare wheel compartment, he discovered a white sack containing two elephant tusks wrapped with a black jacket and filed a police report on the same day.

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Takavada was arrested the following day as he tried to collect the elephant tusks without any permission after a trap was laid by detectives.

Siziba told the court that Takavada tried to block him from buying the car, arguing that it was still his.

He said when he won the bid, Zimra officials asked Takavada to open the car in his presence.

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“I then drove the car to Tatenda Lodge and immediately took it to a mechanic near the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) following the accused’s promise to get me the contacts for a mechanic, which he had failed to fulfil,” Siziba said.

“I immediately opened the boot to check if it had a spare wheel and that’s when I discovered two elephant tusks and I went back to Zimra so that the could direct me to a police station to make a report.”

Sizaba said Takavada kept calling him saying he wanted to collect some tools that were in the car.

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“Investigating officers advised me to call him after we had brought back the tusks to the car and placed them exactly where they were, and when he gave me directions of where I was supposed to pick him at some shops I went with him to the vehicle and five police officers were present.

“They wore work suits pretending to be the mechanics,” he said.

“Upon disembarking, he went straight to the Gaia and he picked the spanners that were under the pedals and proceeded to the spare wheel compartment and took the white sack before proceeding to the front seat to collect another plastic bag that had one tusk.

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“This led to his arrest.”

Mayeza argued that her client had nothing to do with the ivory.

She said they were ready to prove in court that when her client surrendered the car in 2019, it was thoroughly searched by the police and there was no ivory.

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During cross examination, Mayeza told Siziba that he was trying to frame Takavada to cover his own tracks.

However, Siziba insisted that Takavada reached to the stash without any duress which was proof that he knew about the tusks.

The trial was adjourned to Thursday where police officers who arrested Takavada will give their testimony.

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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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