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Cabinet considered the Report on the Zimbabwe El Nino-induced Drought: Strategies and Measures for Mitigation and Resilience Building which was presented by the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Honourable Dr AJ Masuka.
The nation is informed that Zimbabwe has adopted a double-pronged approach to climate-proofing agricultural production since 2020, which has seen the country returning to national cereal sufficiency in normal rainfall years. At the small-holder level, the sustainable intensive conservation model, Pfumvudza/Intwasa, with the attendant agro-ecological matching of crops, launched in the 2020/2021 summer season, has largely worked well but it too is ultimately a rain-fed practice, relying on rainfall for its success. At the national level, Cabinet therefore approved the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan in 2021, with the aim of developing 350 000 hectares for summer irrigation by 2025, in order to produce 1,8 million tonnes summer cereals annually, enough to feed the nation and generate a surplus.
The nation will recall that Cabinet in 2023 also approved the designation of Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) as the country’s food security agent, with a target to annually produce 500 000 tonnes of summer cereals from its 100 000 hectares irrigable area and 300 000 tonnes of winter cereals from the 60 000 hectares irrigable area.
Following this devastating 2023/2024 summer season El Nino-induced drought, HE the President declared a National State of Disaster on the 3rd of April, 2024, covering an indicative resource requirement of USD2 billion for mitigation and USD717 million for resilience building.
Zimbabwe should, therefore, emerge from this drought stronger and better-able to withstand future climate-induced shocks. To this end, the country has initiated interventions focused on mitigation and resilience-building classified into five pillars namely:
a) Cereals;
b) Horticulture;
c) Livestock;
d) Fisheries and;
e) Water and Irrigation.
Generally the resilience-building plan entails 100 percent agro-ecological matching of crops together with 100 percent adoption of Pfumvudza/Intwasa with supplementing irrigation where possible at critical stages by all households; and capacitation of institutions, workers and farmers. Regarding contingency mitigation measures for cereals, the Government will import 300 000 tonnes of maize, while grain movement from areas with surplus to areas with deficit will be facilitated by the Grain Marketing Board. This in addition to the wheat-based food security strategy which will contribute over 500 000 tonnes to the strategic grain reserve contributing to the maximum social welfare requirements of 780 000 tonnes.
Pertaining to Horticulture, the focus will be on the development of the 10 000 Village Business Units across all provinces. To this end, drilling rigs have been re-distributed according to the number of villages by province. To date, 1 329 128 of the 3,5 million vegetable packs have been distributed, 1 294 000 sweet potato virus-free elite vines have been distributed to 72 520 farmers and 229 of the targeted 10 000 Village Business Units established.
Livestock Mitigation and Resilience Strategies include the private sector importing 400 000 tonnes of maize for stock feed; and construction of 1 620 water troughs in 1 620 rural Wards. To date, 1 464 756 hay bales have been produced. Going forward, 1 000 dip tanks will be rehabilitated, while the distribution of 18 million indigenous chickens and 1,8 million goats will be accelerated under the Presidential Poultry and Goat Schemes. Concerning Fisheries, the country has 59 dams stocked with 465 000 fingerlings. Commercial cage fishing will be promoted as a business on 134 dams. It is expected that 20 000 fish ponds will be established on 10 000 Village Business Units by November 2024, while the Government production of fingerlings is expanded annually by 60 percent.
Regarding Water Resources and Irrigation Development, it is noted that Zimbabwe is endowed with good water resources. The country has a total of 10 600 dams with potential to irrigate 1,46 million hectares. If the country taps into transboundary waters of the Zambezi river around Mlibizi and Kanyemba areas, an additional 450 000 hectares can be irrigated.
Cabinet notes that there has been a four-fold increase in the annual area under irrigation developed since 2020, when the Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Plan was launched cumulatively 219 000 hectares is now irrigable, of the targeted 496 000 by 2026. An irrigation investment conference will be held on July 5, 2024 to accelerate investments in irrigation.
Pertaining to mechanisation, the number of tractors has increased by 60 percent and combine harvesters by 45 percent since the launch of the Agricultural Food Systems and Rural Transformation Strategy in 2020.
To date, the Belarus facility has provided the country with 1 337 tractors while a further 3 161 tractors and 80 combine harvesters are expected, while Bain New Holland will avail 700 tractors, and John Deere will avail 1 300 tractors, 80 combine harvesters, 600 planters, and 200 boom sprayers.
The nation is also informed that the Government has solid strategies and measures for drought mitigation and resilience building. There are adequate grain stocks in the Strategic Grain Reserve to last until year end.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN OF THE HERITAGE-BASED EDUCATION CURRICULUM
Cabinet considered and approved the Implementation Plan of the Heritage-Based Education Curriculum as presented by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Honourable Professor A Murwira, as Chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on Human Capital Development, Skills Application and Employment Creation.
The nation is informed that Cabinet approved the Heritage-based Education 2024-203 Policy on February 27, 2024. This plan seeks to provide the framework and timelines for the implementation of the Policy. Cabinet informs the nation that the Implementation Plan will commence in May 2024 and is anchored on the five main pillars, namely:
1. Programmes/ Curriculum infrastructure;
2. Staffing or workforce infrastructure;
3. Physical and digital infrastructure;
4. Regulatory and legal infrastructure; and
5. the Financial infrastructure.
In the spirit of leaving no-one and no place behind, a robust monitoring and evaluation system has been appropriately incorporated in the Plan.
Regarding the implementation of the Curriculum or Programmes infrastructure, the Cabinet wishes to highlight that the Implementation Plan for the Heritage-Based Education 2024-2030 Curriculum Framework provides guidance in the delivery of a coherent and inclusive quality primary and secondary education. This includes the printing and distribution of the Curriculum documents by June 30, 2024; unpacking of the Heritage-Based Curriculum Framework which is ongoing up to May 31, 2025; and the review of learning area syllabi that is, (rationalisation of content in learning areas) commencing October 1st, 2024; and the review of the Assessment Tools by October 30, 2024. Already, continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA) have been rationalised to school-based projects and are to be undertaken at school, while the summative evaluation at Grade 7, O-Level, and Advanced Level has been set at 80 percent summative examinations and 20 percent continuous assessment for purposes of grading and certification, in line with what is prevailing at institutions of higher learning in the country. The assessment of non-formal learners shall follow that of the mainstream regimen with the continuous assessment marks having a shelf life of three years.
Pertaining to the issue of pathways, learners are categorised accordingly as they enter secondary level, and the projects they pursue for assessment will be according to their areas of interest. The pathways, whose learning areas are given in the framework, are Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Visual and Performing Arts; Humanities; Technical/ Vocational Education and Training (TVET); and Commercials.
In terms of teacher capacity development, the Ministry will roll out the unpacking of the curriculum and syllabi to teachers through workshops, circulars, and various media for the rationalised learning areas as well as the implementation modalities by December 31, 2024. Provision of adequate and appropriate infrastructure will continue, including classrooms; workshops; laboratories; internet connectivity; technical equipment; and teachers’ houses, in order to achieve the intended goals by 2030.
The nation is also advised that in order to actualise the aims of our education system, a review of the legal and regulations infrastructure will be undertaken. This shall include establishing a participatory structure for continuous Heritage-Based education refinements, such as the establishment of learning area associations and panels at school, district, provincial and national levels by July 31, 2025. Particular focus will be on checking for compliance in the implementation of the curriculum through monitoring and evaluation that promotes strengthening school based continuous assessment and documentation of best practices, which is currently ongoing to December 31, 2030. There will also be continuous harmonisation of the Primary and Secondary Education Curriculum with the Higher Education Curriculum.
Education is an investment that requires human, material and financial resources support. Currently, Treasury has allocated 8 percent of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Budget towards the Heritage-Based Education Curriculum 2024-2030 and shall continue to support the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in achieving the goals of this transformation.
PROGRESS REPORTS ON THE FIRST 100-DAY CYCLE OF 2024
Cabinet received reports on progress made in the implementation of priority projects for the First 100-Day Cycle of 2024, as presented by the Ministers of Skills Audit and Development; and Mines and Mining Development.
The Minister of Skills Audit and Development, Honourable Professor Paul Mavima reported progress on projects under his purview as follows:
i.) 1 000 participants attended 27 Stakeholder Consultative Workshops that were held to develop a roadmap on issues covered under the Ministry’s mandate;
ii.) the Terms of Reference for the evaluation of National Scholarships were developed;
iii.) skills needs assessments in the Mining; and Tourism and Hospitality Industries sectors were conducted; and
iv.) key findings of the National 2018 Critical Skills Audit report were unpacked during stakeholder workshops and media engagements.
The Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Honourable Wiston Chitando reported progress on projects under his purview as follows:
i.) construction of the Platinum Group of Minerals Concentrator at Karo Platinum mine is 40 percent complete;
ii.) the Dinson Iron and Steel Company Carbon Steel Plant is 95 percent complete; the Raw Materials Complex and the Sintering Plant are 100 percent complete; the Blast Furnace is 90 percent complete; while the Steel Mill is 60 percent complete;
iii.) the Coke Oven Battery at Dinson Colliery is 90 percent complete;
iv.) construction of Furnace 7 at ZIMASCO High Carbon Ferrochrome Smelter is 100 percent complete, while Furnace 8 is at 80 percent of completion. Construction of the Aglomaration Plant is 60 percent complete; and
v.) the redevelopment of the Burnett and Southwell Shafts at Pickstone Peerless Mine is at 20 percent of completion.
REPORT ON THE VISIT BY VITRONIC MACHINE VISION MIDDLE EAST TO ZIMBABWE ON A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SMART TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN ZIMBABWE
Cabinet received a Report and approved the engagement of Vitronic Machine Vision Middle East in implementing a Smart Traffic Management System in Zimbabwe as presented by the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Honourable Kazembe Kazembe.
Vitronic Machine Vision Middle East, a Dubai based company that specializes in Smart Traffic Management Systems, visited Zimbabwe from 12 to 16 May, 2024 and held discussions with key stakeholders. The company has installed similar systems in a number of countries including Morocco, Rwanda, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany and Belarus.
The installation of the Smart Traffic Management System will benefit Zimbabwe in a number of ways including the following:
a) enforcement of the law by bringing to book all traffic regulation violators;
b) reduction of road carnage;
c) reduction of traffic congestion in the Central Business District;
d) reduction in corruption as there will be minimal human intervention;
e) improved revenue streams for Government which will be used to improve policing; and
f) improved national security as intelligent cameras will be installed and linked to the database of stolen vehicles and wanted criminals.
Vitronic Machine Vision Middle East will invest between 60 to 80 million United States dollars as an initial investment outlay. The project will be implemented under a Public-Private-Partnership model and will, at inception, be implemented in Harare and Bulawayo Metropolitan provinces.
The company will recover its investment from fines paid for traffic violations through a revenue sharing arrangement.
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