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Cabinet received and noted the report on the Food Deficit Mitigation Strategy and Urban Cash Transfer Programme, as presented by Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Honourable July Moyo.
Grain distribution is progressing well in most districts with grain stocks being replenished at local Grain Marketing Board depots that had diminished stocks.
During the period 16 to 24 July, 2024 a total of 14 364.43 metric tonnes of grain was distributed bringing the cumulative total for the months May to June 2024 to 101 170.04 tonnes, out of the expected 138 170.79 tonnes.
Under the Urban Cash for Cereal Programme, training for both officials and community child care workers has commenced. Meanwhile registration of beneficiaries is expected to be complete by the end of this month, paving way for the commencement of cash disbursements in August.
The Government has approved its final implementation plan as well as the plans for the Replica Partners, World Food Programme (WFP) and the Start Network in line with the requirements of the Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding signed between the three parties.
ZIMBABWE’S NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN 2024-2030
Cabinet considered and approved Zimbabwe’s National Climate Change Adaptation Plan: 2024-2030 as presented by the Minister of Local Government and Public Works, Honourable Daniel Garwe, as chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Environment, Disaster Prevention and Management.
The extreme weather patterns such as droughts, floods, prolonged mid- season dry spells, heat waves, violent storms and tropical cyclone activities occasioned by climate change pose serious risk to food security and negatively impact socio-economic development.
Zimbabwe is bearing the brunt of climate variability and change, hence the need for a coordinated approach to address related vulnerabilities and risks caused by these extreme weather events.
The National Climate Change Adaptation Plan seeks to address these unprecedented impacts of climate change. It provides guidance on the steps to be followed in mainstreaming climate change in development planning for the period 2024-2030, in order to build a climate-resilient and low carbon economy.
The plan will enhance the country’s capacity and effectiveness to plan, integrate, implement, monitor and evaluate adaptation plans and programmes for climate change and will be the anchor document for the development of sectoral plans.
The sector plans will highlight how climate change will be mainstreamed into all sectors and pillars of the economy towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient trajectory.
The plan is informed by other Government policy frameworks, namely: Vision 2030; National Development Strategy 1(NDS 1) 2021-2025; the National Climate Policy, 2017; the Zimbabwe National Climate Change Response Strategy, 2014; the Zimbabwe Climate Gender Action Plan, 2021; the Zimbabwe Livelihoods Assessment Committee reports; and the National Communication Reports to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
It also includes incentives such as duty waivers on the localisation of electric vehicles manufacturing. The incentives and duty waiver would also apply to local production and/or importation of equipment and gadgets used in mitigating the effects of climate change.
THE STATE OF THE LOCAL INDUSTRY
Cabinet considered the report on the state of the local industry, as presented by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Honourable Mangaliso Ndlovu.
The report centred on the manufacturing sector’s performance under the Second Republic, specifically focusing on the sector’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), capacity utilisation, employment, exports, and investments among other performance indicators.
Furthermore, the report highlights the challenges faced by the manufacturing sector and proffers some policy interventions required to support the growth and development of local industry. The manufacturing sector remains highly diversified consisting of 94 sub-sectors that produce over 7 000 products.
A programme will be implemented that will ensure the identification and utilisation of factory shells and other industry infrastructure is put in place.
The manufacturing sector capacity utilisation has been on an upward trend over the past years. In 2023, there were significant capital equipment investments hence available capacity actually increased.
The manufacturing sector has the greatest multiplier effect in terms of employment through the creation of downstream jobs. In order to foster growth opportunities in the manufacturing sector, the Government is in support of import substitution and targeting local production as well as supporting investments in the sector.
In line with the devolution thrust and the rural industrialisation, the ministry is working with other sister ministries and local authorities on value addition and beneficiation of industries in provinces and districts where resource endowments are domiciled. The local industrial sector remains a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s economic development.
PRINCIPLES OF THE LEGAL METROLOGY BILL
Cabinet considered and approved the principles of the Legal Metrology Bill as presented by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Honourable N. Mangaliso Ndhlovu.
The Legal Metrology provides for the administration and enforcement of legal metrology technical regulations in order to promote fair trade as well as provide for the protection of the public through the use of accurate measurements.
The Bill also establishes the Legal Metrology Agency with the following functions among others: establishing and making recommendations to the minister with regard to the declaration of legal metrology technical regulations; ensuring that the recommendations are only for compelling reasons such as promoting fair trade practices and safeguarding the public; administering and maintaining legal metrology technical regulations; developing codes of practice and guidelines for regulatory impact and risk assessment; and carrying out market surveillance in order to monitor and enforce compliance with legal metrology technical regulations.
A board of the agency will be constituted, in line with corporate governance principles, to oversee the strategic directions of the Legal Metrology Agency.
Furthermore, the agency shall appoint inspectors, verification officers and examiners as well as support staff who shall be responsible for the application and enforcement of the law.
PROGRESS REPORTS ON THE 2ND 100-DAY CYCLE OF 2024
Cabinet received reports on progress made in the implementation of priority projects for the 2nd 100-Day Cycle of 2024, as presented by the Ministers of Mines and Mining Development; and Transport and Infrastructural Development.
The Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Honourable Winston Chitando reported progress on projects under his purview as follows:
- Construction of the concentrator plant at Karo Platinum Mine, in Mashonaland West is 39 percent complete;
- Construction of carbon steel plant is 100 percent complete;
- Construction of coke oven battery Phase 4 at Dinson Colliery, Hwange, Matebeleland North Province is now complete. The capacity of the coke oven battery is 200 000 tonnes per annum;
- Construction of the high carbon ferrochrome furnace at Zimasco in Kwekwe is complete, while construction of the agglomeration plant is 60 percent complete; and
- The Burnett and the Southwell shafts redeveloment, under the Pickstone, Peerless Mine expansion project in Chegutu, Mashonaland West Province, is at 32 percent and 45 percent complete respectively.
The Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Honourable Felix Tapiwa Mhona, reported progress on projects under his purview as follows:
- Construction of a new VVIP Pavillion at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport is at 99 percent of completion;
- Construction and upgrade of 16 km of the targeted 25 km along the Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge road is complete;
- Construction of the Mbudzi Interchange is 68 percent complete;
- The Harare-Kanyemba Road upgrading in Harare and Mashonaland Central Provinces is at 84.4 percent of completion. The project will be completed ahead of the SADC Summit;
- Construction of 10 km of the targeted 20 km under the Shurugwi-Mhandamabwe Road Rehabilitation in Midlands Province has been completed. The 10km stretch was commissioned and opened to traffic on 1 July; and
- Construction of 25 km road under the New Parliament access roads construction programme is now complete. The entire Project is expected to be complete by July 31.
REPORT ON THE 112TH SESSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR CONFERENCE: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: JUNE 3 TO 14
Cabinet received and noted the report on the 112th session of the International Labour Conference: Geneva, Switzerland: June 3 to 14 , as presented by the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare, Honourable JG Moyo.
Cabinet advises that Minister Moyo led the tripartite delegation to the conference which was a special one for Zimbabwe, as he was elected vice president of the conference. The election followed Zimbabwe’s nomination by the Africa Group and is evidence of the confidence that Africa has on Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwean delegation in the true spirit of tripartism participated in all committees, namely: the committee on decent work and the care economy; on fundamental principles and rights at work; and on the application of standards.
Cabinet is pleased to report that Zimbabwe this year did not appear before the Committee on Application of Standards for violations of ratified conventions and failure to submit reports as prescribed by the ILO regulations.
The non-inclusion of Zimbabwe on the list this year is a result of extensive engagement at the national, regional and international fora with the worker organisations.
REPORT ON CHOLERA
The Minister of Health and Child Care would like to advise the nation that the country has not witnessed any case of Cholera in the past 30 days.
This means that the country is now free from cholera. However, the public is encouraged to continue observing hygiene and sanitation at all times.
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