National

Zimbabwe eases Covid-19 curbs, sporting activities return after nearly three months

Published

4 years ago

September 1, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe has further relaxed lockdown measures to control the spread of Covid-19 by allowing sporting activities to return after a nearly three-month hiatus as cases continue to decline.

The southern African country on Tuesday said it will also stop compulsory quarantine for people arriving from countries that were considered to be high risk for the transmission of the Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus such as India.

Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists in Harare that the quarantines were no longer necessary as the Delta variant was now behind 98 percent of the Covid-19 cases in Zimbabwe.

The biggest beneficiaries of the relaxation of the lockdown measures, however, are sports associations and sports people whose activities have been frozen since June when the third wave of the Covid-19 outbreak first hit Zimbabwe.

Gyms and sports spas will only be allowed to open subject to strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols and all workers should be vaccinated, Mutsvangwa said.

“Following representations from the various sectors of the economy, Cabinet resolved and wishes to inform the nation that gymnasia, health spas and fitness centres be allowed to open only to vaccinated clientele; and that all sports clubs must ensure that their coaches, managers and any support staff are vaccinated, ” she said.

For children below the age of 14, they must be screened for Covid-19 symptoms before being let in to conduct their sporting activities.

For athletes between the ages of 14 and 18, government said they should be vaccinated before they resume sporting activities.

“For all local activities in which the participants are below the age of 14, they shall, in all cases be checked for Covid-19 symptoms, have regular temperature checks and follow social distancing protocols,” Mutsvangwa said.

“Athletes/children aged 14 to 18 years are highly recommended to get vaccinated, and the national sports associations can work with the Sport and Recreation Commission to get this done.”

She said the decision to resume sporting activities was taken after a realisation that there has been a 30 percent decrease in the number of Covid -19 infections in the past week.

There were 1 785 new infections in the past seven days compared to the 2 564 reported the previous week.

“This reflects that the infection control measures being implemented by government are yielding results,” Mutsvangwa said.

“There has also been a corresponding decrease in the number of people in need of hospitalisation for Covid-19 positive

“The bed occupancy rate was 14.5% during the review week, compared to the 17.8% reported previously.”

Cinemas, theatres, and national art galleries are also now allowed to have 50 percent sitting capacity, but only for vaccinated clients.

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

3 weeks ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

2 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.

National

Retailers send Mnangagwa SOS as shops continue shutting down over operational woes

Published

2 months ago

January 27, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY ZIMLIVE

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has implored President Emmerson Mnangagwa to intervene and save the sector which has seen various formal retail and wholesale businesses closing shop countrywide due to operational challenges.

In a statement on Sunday, CZR president Denford Mutashu said the continued closure of formal retail and wholesale businesses is a direct consequence of the tough economic environment that has consistently failed to support formalised sector players who face stiff competition from informal businesses and vendors the majority of whom have no tax obligations to deal with.

Mutashu said his association was concerned that authorities continue to downplay the crisis.

“The recent closure of several outlets under the N. Richards Group, coupled with Spar Zimbabwe’s painful decision to shut down Queensdale Spar, Choppies Zimbabwe’s exit from the market, and Mahommed Mussa’s significant reduction of shop space by 60%, highlights the growing crisis.

“As the representative association for these and other brands, CZR is alarmed that while formal businesses face enormous challenges, the authorities continue to present a different picture of the operating environment,” he said.

Given the situation, Mutashu said, only President Mnangagwa can rescue the troubled sector.

“CZR therefore calls for urgent intervention from His Excellency, President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, to rescue what remains of the formalized retail and wholesale sector,” said Mutashu.

He said the sector was in urgent need of rescue.

“While CZR acknowledges the continued support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, it is clear that the root causes of these challenges are fiscal and monetary in nature. These require urgent and decisive action to ensure the survival of formal businesses.

“CZR therefore appeals to the Presidium to prioritize interventions aimed at saving jobs and mitigating the ongoing wave of shop closures and retrenchments,” he said.