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Zimbabwe’s tobacco rebounds amid worries over health, labour

Published

4 years ago

April 27, 2022

BY FARAI MUTSAKA

Zimbabwe, Africa’s biggest tobacco grower and one of the world’s top exporters of the nicotine leaf, has opened its selling season for the crop amid pledges to fight deforestation and child labour in response to pressure from rights groups, environmentalists and international buyers.

Tobacco is on a rebound in this southern African nation where production plummeted from a peak of 260 million kilogrammes in 1998 to less than 50 million kilogrammes a decade later following the eviction of several thousand white farmers who accounted for the majority of growers.

In recent years Zimbabwe has rapidly increased the size of its crop, regaining its spot as one of the world’s top five exporters of tobacco.

It exported just over 200 million kilograms (220,000 tons) of tobacco in 2021, according to the Tobacco Industry Marketing Board.

This year’s crop is expected to be about 10 percent and 15 percent smaller due to unfavourable weather, according to one of the country’s biggest merchants TSL Limited.

Tobacco is one of Zimbabwe’s biggest earners of foreign currency alongside minerals such as gold and funds sent by Zimbabweans living outside the country.

Tobacco earned Zimbabwe about US$1.2 billion in exports last year and the government would like to see that increase “into a US$5 billion industry by 2025,” Agriculture Minister Anxious Musuka said at the opening of the tobacco auction season at the end of March.

The government hopes to encourage an increase in the size of the tobacco crop to 300 million kilogrammes annually by providing more local funding to farmers, Musuka said.

With tobacco’s proven role in causing cancer, international marketers are urging Zimbabwe to avoid any other controversy by producing the crop in ways that don’t harm the environment or use child labour.

Most of Zimbabwe’s tobacco is exported to Asian countries, with China the largest single buyer.

China has been integral to Zimbabwe’s tobacco boom by establishing a grower contract system run by the state-owned China National Tobacco Corporation, the world’s biggest cigarette producer.

Under the system, the firm loans seeds, fertilizers, food, and money for labour and wood to farmers, who in turn are obligated to sell their crop to the firm or its agents.

The bulk of Zimbabwe’s flue-cured tobacco crop now comes from more than 100,000 small-scale black farmers, many resettled on formerly white-owned farms. Small-scale farmers produced 133 million kilogrammes, about 63 percent of the total crop of 211 million kilogrammes sold last year, according to the tobacco marketing board.

This massive shift away from large-scale commercial farming has changed who does the work producing the labour-intensive crop.

The big white-owned commercial farms used to employ scores of full-time workers but now the small farms are mostly family operations that often rely on child labour, say rights activists.

Another problem is that many of the new smaller tobacco growers can’t afford the electricity or coal needed to cure the tobacco leaves so they cut down nearby trees, causing Zimbabwe’s forests to decline by about 15 percent to 20 percent annually in recent years, according to researchers.

Under international pressure, Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry is trying to reduce these problems, Meanwell Gudu, CEO of the tobacco marketing board, told The Associated Press.

“Many blue-chip companies who are our customers have developed a code that they refer to as the sustainable tobacco programme.

“As a supplier we need to comply with that code, which lists deforestation and child labour as some of the undesirable practices,” Gudu said.

The country has been on “a blitz of afforestation” that includes farmers receiving tree seedlings to establish woodlots in their areas, claimed Gudu.

“We are planting a lot of trees so that we can be like our competitors.

“For example, if you look at Brazil, farmers there cure their tobacco from woodlots that they have established and not from indigenous trees … that’s what we want to do,” said Gudu.

Reducing the use of child labour could be a harder task because many families have been doing that for generations, some farmers said.

Children as young as five work in the fields with their parents as part of their normal upbringing to help meet family costs, they said.

A 2018 report by Human Rights Watch stated that children on Zimbabwean tobacco farms “work in hazardous conditions, performing tasks that threaten their health and safety or interfere with their education.”

The report noted that “child workers are exposed to nicotine and toxic pesticides, and many suffer symptoms consistent with nicotine poisoning from handling tobacco leaves.”

Zimbabwean law sets the minimum age for employment at 16 while banning children under 18 “from performing hazardous work,” but does not specifically ban children from handling tobacco.

“I worked in the maize (corn) fields as a child. Everyone did that and there was nothing wrong because it is the norm,” said tobacco farmer Berrington Mupande, 37.

“However, I think the tobacco environment is too tough for children,” he said. “But we see people still working with their children or young relatives because they have no money to pay for labour.” – AP

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National

Government to reward top-performing schools nationwide

Published

3 hours ago

January 27, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOSIZO MPOFU

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has launched a new national initiative to promote and reward academic excellence across Zimbabwe’s education system, Minister Torerayi Moyo has announced.

In a post on X, Minister Moyo said the programme will recognise and award the top 10 best-performing schools in each province, based on their 2025 pass rates at Grade Seven, Ordinary Level and Advanced Level.

“The recognition is a celebration of high-performing schools that have consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to academic achievement and the holistic development of learners,” said Moyo. He added that the initiative aligns with the Government’s commitment to providing equitable, inclusive and quality education, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).

In addition to provincial awards, the ministry will also identify and reward the top five best-performing schools nationally in the 2025 Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) and Cambridge examinations. These schools will be honoured on 20 March 2026.

According to the minister, the recognised institutions will serve as “beacons of excellence and inspiration,” setting benchmarks for quality education and academic performance across the country.

Minister Moyo also called on individuals, corporates, well-wishers and development partners to support the initiative through sponsorships, awards, grants and other forms of assistance.

“This support will go a long way in motivating our hardworking teachers and headmasters,” he said.

Those interested in supporting the programme have been advised to contact the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Head Office through official communication channels.

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Painted Dog Conservation raises alarm over road detour threatening wildlife near Hwange

Published

1 day ago

January 26, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) has raised serious concerns over a road rehabilitation detour near Hwange National Park, warning that the route now passing through a sensitive wildlife area poses an immediate threat to painted dogs and other species.

In a statement shared on its official Facebook page, PDC said while it supports Zimbabwe’s ongoing road rehabilitation programme, the decision to divert heavy commercial traffic through an ecologically critical landscape is placing wildlife and people at risk.

The organisation said it had, together with other conservation groups and tourism operators, raised concerns with the relevant authorities, the responsible ministry and the contractor from the early stages of the project, warning of potential ecological damage. However, those concerns were not acted upon, and the detour is now in active use.

According to PDC, the increased traffic volume and speeding trucks along the route leading to Hwange National Park have created a “grave and immediate danger” to painted dogs, one of Africa’s most endangered carnivores, as well as to other wildlife and road users.

“With the detour now in place, the reality on the ground is worrying,” the organisation said.

PDC revealed that its teams, alongside other conservation stakeholders, are taking emergency measures to reduce wildlife fatalities during the period. These include actively guiding painted dogs away from the road and, in some cases, chasing them to safety when trucks approach. Staff have also been stationed along the road holding “Slow Down” placards to alert motorists.

“These are not ideal or sustainable solutions, but they are necessary right now to save lives,” the organisation said.

Painted Dog Conservation has called on authorities to urgently install additional wildlife warning signage and more speed humps to calm traffic through the sensitive area. The organisation also appealed directly to motorists to exercise caution.

“We respectfully urge all road users to slow down, stay alert, and remember that this is a shared landscape. Development and conservation must go hand in hand, especially in areas of such high ecological importance,” PDC said.

The organisation stressed that wildlife cannot speak for itself and vowed to continue intervening until safer, long-term solutions are implemented.

PDC has also urged the public to share the message widely in a bid to help protect Hwange’s wildlife.

National

79 dead as floods hit communities

Published

5 days ago

January 22, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

As the Zimbabwe enters the peak of its rainy season from January to March, communities across the country are being urged to remain on high alert following the deaths of 79 people due to flooding and rain-related disasters since October last year.

Speaking to the Herald newspaper, Department of Civil Protection Chief Director Nathan Nkomo said the department is closely monitoring the situation as more severe weather is expected in the coming weeks.

“We anticipate significant rainfall during this period. It’s crucial for everyone to stay informed and take necessary precautions,” Nkomo said.

According to the Department of Civil Protection, many of the deaths and injuries recorded since the start of the 2025/2026 rainfall season resulted from people attempting to cross flooded rivers and mining-related accidents, particularly involving artisanal miners operating near waterways.

“The statistics reveal a worrying trend of fatalities and injuries during this rainfall season,” Nkomo said.

Infrastructure worth more than US$1 million has also been damaged, disrupting livelihoods and access to essential services in several communities.

In response, Government has released funding towards disaster management and emergency response through a coordinated, multi-sectoral approach, involving security services and other stakeholders as outlined in the Civil Protection Act. Nkomo said the initial tranche of funds has already strengthened rescue operations.

“The money that was availed is not enough, but it is the first tranche. We are expecting another tranche from Treasury later this month to bolster our disaster response capabilities,” he said.

Authorities are urging communities to take an active role in disaster preparedness by monitoring weather forecasts, avoiding flooded areas, and implementing local emergency plans. Schools and community organisations have also been encouraged to conduct safety drills and ensure emergency procedures are well communicated.

With heavy rains expected to continue, officials warn that community vigilance and preparedness will be key in preventing further loss of life.

SOURCE: HERALD