1.0 REVIEW OF LEVIES, LICENCES FEES AND PERMITS LEVIED ON BUSINESS BY MINISTRIES, DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES (MDAs) : THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
In fulfillment of last week’s Cabinet directive and His Excellency the President’s instruction, Cabinet considered and approved the Review of Licences, Permits, Levies and Fees subject to further refinements in the Agriculture Sector focusing on Livestock, Dairy Farming and Stock-feeds Sub-Sectors. This is also in line with the implementation of the on-going case of ease-of-doing business reforms which aims to reduce the cost of doing business and enhancing growth in the Zimbabwean economy.
2.0 UPDATE ON PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2025 HEROES AND DEFENCE FORCES DAYS COMMEMORATIONS
Cabinet received updates on Preparations for the 2025 Heroes Day Commemorations and Defence Forces Day Celebrations, as well as Preparations for the 46th Independence Day and Children’s Party Celebrations.
Final preparations for the 2025 Heroes Day Commemorations are underway and the main event will be held at the National Heroes Acre in Harare and as is customary, provincial commemorations will also be held in all provinces across the country. Two hundred and twenty-three (223) families of fallen heroes and heroines will attend this year’s main event in Harare. His Excellency the President will present national flags to the family representatives of four National Heroes who were posthumously declared as such: Cde. Benjamin Burombo; Brigadier-General (Rtd.) Lameck Francisco Mutanda; Cde. John Mbedzi; and Cde. Jairos Jiri.
The 2025 Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) Day Celebrations will be held on August 12, 2025, at Rufaro Stadium. Cabinet agreed to change the theme “Zimbabwe Defence Forces: Guaranteeing Peace and Stability for the Attainment of Vision 2030”, from the one previously publicised. Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Day Community Assistance Week commenced on July 28, 2025 and will end on August 7, 2025. Rehearsals for military parade and military displays are currently underway at Rufaro Stadium. Selected entertainment groups will also perform during the event; while soccer match between the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Select Team and the reigning Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League Champion, Simba Bhora Soccer Team will crown the celebrations. Meanwhile, significant progress has been made in preparing for the 46th Independence Day and Children’s Party Celebrations at Maphisa in Matobo District, Matabeleland South Province. Initial venue preparations have commenced, and Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have been directed to ensure project completion in time for the celebrations scheduled for April 2026.
3.0 UPDATE ON 2025 HONOURS AND AWARDS
Cabinet considered and approved the Proposed Honours and Awards for 2025. More specifically, and in addition to the medals to be awarded veterans of the liberation Struggle, the Government of Zimbabwe has shortlisted three exceptional individuals for conferment with honours and awards at this year’s ceremony, which will coincide with the National Heroes Day commemorations. The recipients include Prof. Vladimir Gennadyevich Shubin, former Secretary of the Soviet Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee and Head of the Africa Section of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union’s International Department, who will receive the Zimbabwe International Friendship Award; Inasem-L Chitutu, a teenager who bravely rescued two children from a burning house in Bindura, will be awarded the Silver Cross of Zimbabwe; and Dr. Madeline Nyamwanza, the first female African Medical Doctor in Zimbabwe, will receive the Robert Gabriel Mugabe Commendation Award for Service in Human Capital Development.
4.0 PRINCIPLES OF THE STATE SERVICE (DISABILITY BENEFITS), BILL
Cabinet approved the Principles of the State Service (Disability Benefits), Bill which seeks to align the current Act with the Constitution as well as to address administrative bottlenecks and to redefine the scope of coverage in the current Act. The amendment will also remove prescriptive amounts in the current Act and replace them with percentages and ratios for ease of administration, especially during inflationary periods and currency changes.
5.0 REPORTS ON PROJECTS AS AT DAY 50 OF THE 2ND 100-DAY CYCLE OF 2025
i. In terms of the Economic Growth pillar of the National Development Strategy 1, the Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion highlighted that the mobilisation of tax revenue and Non- Tax Revenue has surpassed the set target.
ii. Under the Economic Growth and Stability Pillar, the Tax and Revenue Management System being implemented in three phases and has achieved the following: the projected active taxpayer target was surpassed due to nurturing activities for new registrants and also intensified follow up on already registered taxpayers; a strategy to engage associations and other stakeholders who deal with unregistered taxpayers has been put in place; and there was improvement from the First Quarter performance of 25.25% on-time compliance rates.
iii. Under the civil works projects, the ZIMRA Maitengwe Staff Houses in Matabeleland South Province have been completed; and the ZIMRA Chiredzi block office in Masvingo Province is nearing completion. Works on the IDBZ Gutu Solar Project in Masvingo Province and IDBZ Kadoma Cluster Housing Development in Mashonaland West Province are underway.
iv. Under the Governance Thematic Area, the Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Project performed as follows: 7 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) were trained in Enterprise-wide Risk management, against a target of 3 MDAs, with 30 Directors and 260 Deputy Directors having been trained.
v. Under Conferences, the Masvingo Investment Conference was held in July 2025. The Masvingo Investment Compendium was completed. The Nation-wide Venture Capital Fund Investment projects are progressing well. The Eagle Real Estate Investment Trust was listed on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange on 16th May 2025; and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS 2) macroeconomic framework has been developed.
5.1 Regarding Health and WellBeing pillar of the National Development Strategy 1, the Minister of Health and Child Care highlighted the following achievements under his purview:
i. The installation of an oxygen plant at Lupane Provincial Hospital in Matabeleland North Province has reached 80% of completion;
ii. Chinotimba Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Victoria Falls in Matabeleland North Province was completed and is now operational; while Wilkins Drug Rehabilitation Centre has reached 95% of completion;
iii. Eight Mobile Clinic Trucks have been procured for all provinces, and the expected date of delivery is end of August 2025;
iv. Renovation of Binga District Hospital mortuary has been completed.
v. Works on the Rolling out of Electronic Logistics management Information System have reached 56% of completion, with health workers from 124 health facilities having been trained on the use of the system in the following areas: Gwanda in Matabeleland South Province; Mazowe in Mashonaland Central Province; Mwenezi in Masvingo Province; Murehwa in Mashonaland East Province; and Zvimba in Mashonaland West Province. Tablets and computers were procured to roll-out the system;
vi. A total of 22 271 women were screened for cervical cancer. Of the women screened, I 435 tested positive and 583 were treated.
5.2 In terms of the Digital Economy pillar of the National Development Strategy 1, the Minister of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services highlighted the following achievements under her purview:
i. Digital Skills training of 6 500 citizens. Of this number, 2 500 were trained under the Government Experience and Exchange Programme (GEEP);
ii. Migration of internet connectivity to Starlink at 20 Digital Centres in the following provinces: Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands, Masvingo and Manicaland;
iii. Establishment of 10 ICT Laboratories in all provinces;
iv. Regarding the establishment of a Technology Park in Harare, a policy on the Digital centres or Community Information Centres, and software hubs is being developed; while deployment of Base Stations or Broadband Network Expansion is ongoing in the following provinces: Mashonaland East, Midlands, Masvingo, Manicaland and Matabeleland South;
v. Deployment of E-learning platforms to 20 schools in Bulawayo Central, Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, and Buhera and Chimanimani in Manicaland Province; while the Fibre to the Home Project in Hillside, Eastlea, Uplands in Harare Metropolitan Province is on course;
vi. Eight Base Stations under the Long-Term Evolution Project have been commissioned in the following provinces: Harare, Mashonaland West, Midlands and Bulawayo;
vii. Development of the ZIMPOST portal and its website has been completed and is now in the public domain;
viii. Drafting and designing of the framework for Government Applications Procurement has been done;
ix. The ‘Digitise Zimbabwe’ expo campaign was conducted in Mutare, Manicaland Province, with thirty-eight Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and private players showcasing milestones achieved after the adoption of digital technology in operations.
x. The Digital Economy Conference was convened in Bulawayo, Bulawayo Metropolitan Province to explore strategies for achieving a fully digital economy by 2030; while a conference on Bridging all Divides for an Inclusive Digital Transformation under Girls in ICT was held in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West Province; and
xi. The World Telecommunications Day was successfully held in Marondera, Mashonaland East Province.
5.3 Under the Infrastructure and Utilities pillar of the National Development Strategy 1, the Minister of State for National Security highlighted the following achievements under the Rural Infrastructural Development Agency (RIDA):
i. Overall progress on the rehabilitation of the Chadzire bridge, in Buhera, Manicaland Province has reached 65%; while overall progress on the regravelling of a 3km stretch of the SamhutsaNgaone Road, in Chipinge in the same province is at 60% of completion;
ii. Overall progress of the rehabilitation of Pohwe Bridge, Gokwe South in Midlands Province is at 60%;
iii. Overall progress of the rehabilitation of Makugwe Bridge in Mwenezi, Masvingo Province is at 70%; Page 9 of 10
iv. Overall progress on borehole siting, drilling and installation of solar powered piped water scheme in Gutu, Masvingo Province is at 70%; while a similar project in Manama, Gwanda, Matabeleland South is at 60%;
v. A total of 37 boreholes were drilled across all provinces, against a target of 20. In terms of borehole maintenance, a total of 535 boreholes were attended to, against a target of 500. Meanwhile, Phase 1 of the Presidential Rural Solarisation Project is underway; and
vi. Other projects that are ongoing include Kambanje Bridge in Mudzi and Dudzu Irrigation in Goromonzi, Mashonaland East Province, Mabori Armco Structure and Phoenix Irrigation in Mberengwa, Midlands Province.
6.0 REPORT ON HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT’S ATTENDANCE AT THE SADC/EAC MEETING IN NAIROBI, KENYA
His Excellency the President, Dr. Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa attended the Joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) Co-Chairpersons Meeting with the Panel of Facilitators held on 1st August, 2025. The President cochaired with his Kenyan counterpart who is also the Chairperson of the EAC, His Excellency William. S. Ruto.
Four of the Facilitators attended the meeting physically, namely: His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta; H.E. Dr. Mokgweetsi. E.K. Masisi; H.E. Cathrine Samba-Panza; H.E. Sahle-Work Zewde; while H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo attended the meeting virtually. The purpose of the meeting was to give direction to the Panel of Facilitators, finalise and formalize their appointment, and to endorse and share their Terms of Reference and other working documents related to the merging of the Luanda and Nairobi processes.
The meeting adopted the following documents: Terms of Reference for the Five-Member High-Level Facilitators appointed by the Joint EACSADC Summit, Framework for the Merger of the Nairobi and Luanda Processes, Process Design for an Inclusive Mediation Process in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Resource Mobilisation Framework for supporting the Joint Initiative, and the Proposed Structure of the Independent Secretariat to support the Facilitators Process.
