1.0 UPDATE ON PREPARATIONS FOR THE 45TH INDEPENDENCE
DAY CELEBRATIONS AND THE 2025 CHILDREN’S PARTY
Cabinet received an update on Preparations for the 45th Independence
Day Celebrations and the 2025 Children’s Party.
Preparations for the 45th Independence Anniversary and the 2025
Children’s Party have gathered momentum and the nation is gearing up for
the Celebrations. The main celebrations will be held on 18th April, 2025 at
Nembudziya Growth Point, in the Gokwe North District, of the Midlands
Province, while the Children’s Party will be hosted by the First Family at
Nyamuroro High School on 17th April 2025.
Contractors have accelerated works at the Main Arena, Gokwe North Open
Grounds, and phenomenal progress has been achieved in lawn-planting;
terracing; construction of changing rooms; floodlight installation; and
construction of ablution blocks.
The venue of the Children’s Party, Nyamuroro High School, is undergoing
vast transformation through the construction of two ablution blocks and
two students’ hostels, both of which are almost complete. Regarding works
at Nembudziya Government High School, the Gala Site, construction of one
ablution block and 2 classroom blocks; a domestic science laboratory; and
a senior science laboratory have reached wall plate level, with roof
installation being the next phase.
Regarding legacy projects, Government has adopted short and long-term
plans for the Midlands Province in general, and Gokwe districts in
particular. Long-term interventions include the ongoing rehabilitation of
roads and related infrastructure under the Emergency Road Rehabilitation
Programme. The short-term interventions include the re-gravelling and
surfacing of major feeder roads to and from Nembudziya Growth Point, for
completion prior to 17th April, 2025.
A cumulative total of 129 boreholes have been drilled in Gokwe districts,
with 7 boreholes having been drilled at the venue site. A total water
storage capacity of 60 000 litres has been set aside for potable water
during the Celebrations.
Concerning health and wellness, the following services, among others have
been mobilized for the Celebrations: 10 emergency health management
teams; 10 ambulances; an air ambulance, and emergency kits. A VIP ward,
isolation center and 16 telemedicine centers have been established.
Construction of a mortuary and extension of a ward are already underway
at Nembudziya Hospital.
The 2025 Independence Flame route will pass through various centres in
Mberengwa, Gweru, Kwekwe, past the Sikombela former Detention Camp
and Gokwe District until it reaches Nembudziya Growth Point. The
Independence Flame will reach Mutapa Hall on 10th April, 2025 where it will
be lit by Vice President Honourable (Gen.) Rtd. C.G.D.N. Chiwenga.
Thereafter, it will proceed through all the Midlands districts until it reaches
Sikombela former Restriction Camp on 17th April 2025, where it will be
received by Vice President Honourable (Col.) Rtd. K.C.D. Mohadi. It will
then proceed to its final destination at Nembudziya Growth Point.
A total of one hundred and thirty-two (132) graves across heroes’ shrines
in the Midlands Province are being adorned with concrete slabs, while the
construction of a field museum and a memorial plinth at the former
Sikombela Restriction Camp will be completed prior to the 17th of April
2025. Other places of the Liberation Struggle significance such as
Connemara and Mutapa Hall have already been facelifted. A VaShangwe
Cultural Village legacy project will be established at Nembudziya Growth
Point for the 46th Independence Celebrations in Gokwe North District.
2.0 ZIMBABWE MEDIA POLICY
Cabinet considered and approved the Zimbabwe Media Policy.
The objectives of the Policy are: to defend Zimbabwe’s image, sovereignty
and territorial integrity; to achieve a strong and converged digital
economy; to promote the growth and development of a vibrant, diverse
media industry in Zimbabwe; to transform Zimbabwe’s media landscape
through the development of modern, efficient, and sustainable
infrastructure; to promote professionalism and capacitate the industry; to
develop and enforce a comprehensive code of ethics in order to and raise
the standards of media practice in Zimbabwe.
The Policy will also promote media viability and sustainability; nurture and instill national values, ethics and citizenship thereby promoting a shared understanding of Zimbabwe’s
history, vision, and developmental aspirations; advance and protect
Zimbabwe’s national interests and promote the country’s social, economic,
cultural and political well-being. The Policy will assert and maintain
Zimbabwe’s media sovereignty in order to ensuring the country’s
independence and self-determination in the production, dissemination, and
regulation of media content; foster a linguistically inclusive media
landscape in Zimbabwe, where all officially recognized languages are
valued, promoted, and used to reach diverse audiences and communities;
and govern the whole sector, including internet based broadcasting.
The sixth pillar of the Policy, which is Local Content Promotion, addresses
challenges such as funding constraints, limited producer capacity, the
dominance of foreign content, and an inadequate regulatory framework. To
promote local content and counter foreign dominance, the Policy maintains
a 75% local content quota for all broadcasting licensees, except for
specialized ones, which will have a 50% quota. The Policy also introduces
incentives for local content production, protection of intellectual property
rights, and enforcement of regulations limiting foreign content dominance.
Additionally, the Policy supports local cultural preservation, digital
technology uptake and initiatives promoting employment, information
dissemination and access to information.
Thematic Working Groups will be established to focus on specific policy
pillars, while the Ministry will take the lead in coordinating and
implementing the Policy.
3.0 PROPOSED ACCESSION TO THE PROTOCOL INCORPORATING
ARTICLE 3BIS INTO THE CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL
CIVIL AVIATION (CHICAGO CONVENTION)
Under the Legislative Programme, Cabinet considered and approved the
Accession to the Protocol Incorporating Article 3BIS into the Convention
on the International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).
The objective of the Protocol Incorporating Article 3BIS into the
Convention on the International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) is
to ensure the non-use of weapons against civil aviation aircraft in flight,
so that in case of interception, the lives of persons on board and the
safety of aircraft must not be endangered. The benefits of acceding to
the Protocol include enhancement of aviation safety and security
through protection of lives, ensuring smooth aircraft operations,
guaranteed prevention of unlawful interference, and maintenance of
public trust in the sector and airspace. By acceding to the Protocol,
Zimbabwe’s legal framework will conform to the obligations of the
Chicago Convention which most progressive nations of the World are
Party to.
4.0 REPORTS ON PROJECTS AS AT DAY 50 OF THE 1ST
100-DAY CYCLE OF 2025
4.1 Under the Digital Economy pillar of the National Development
Strategy 1, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting
Services highlighted the following achievements under his purview:
i. Establishment of Heritage-Based Educational Radio Channel in
Bulawayo Metropolitan has been completed;
ii. Installation of Digital Media Asset Management System has been
completed, while configuration of the system is underway;
iii. Installation works on the Garahwa Radio Transmitter and
Uninterrupted Power Supply Integration, and the upgrading of the
Radio Zimbabwe FM Transmitter are progressing well;
iv. Civil works for the construction of the four new Radio Studios at
Montrose in Bulawayo are also in progress, while all required
equipment for the Studios has been procured and awaits installation.
4.2 In terms of the justice delivery system under the Cross-cutting
Governance Thematic area of the National Development Strategy 1,
the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs highlighted
the following achievements under his purview:
i. Construction of the Mutawatawa New Magistrate Court has been
completed and awaits commissioning, while Gwanda New Court
Complex is nearing completion;
ii. Construction of the super structure to ring beam and ring beam
concreting of the Kwekwe New Magistrate Court in Midlands
Province, and construction of the super structure to ring beam and
ring beam concreting of Cowdry Park New Magistrate Court in
Bulawayo are progressing well;
iii. Rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates through Agriculture is
progressing well;
iv. Production Projects were successful at Anju, Mazowe, Mutimurefu
and Hurungwe Prison Farms;
v. Rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates through capacitating the
Building Brigade was successfully undertaken through construction
works at Anju, Gwanda, Beit Bridge and Mutare Prison Farms;
vi. Rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates through the MacDonald
Bricks Inmates Employment Programme was also successful, with
five ex-inmates having secured permanent employment at
MacDonald Bricks.
4.3 Under the “Human Capital Development” pillar of the National
Development Strategy 1, the Minister of Primary and Secondary
Education highlighted the following achievements under his purview:
i. Registration of 57 schools across the country;
ii. Construction of a classroom block at E.D. Mnangagwa Secondary
School in Mutoko District, Mashonaland East Province is 80%
complete;
iii. Construction of the new, Gideons Secondary in Gutu, Masvingo
Province is at 82% of completion; while construction of a block at a
new school, Tamuka B Satellite in Bindura, Mashonaland Central
Province has been completed.
iv. Construction of a 10 classroom double-storey block including a
computer laboratory at Harare High School in Mbare, Harare
Metropolitan Province has been completed, while construction of a
double-storey block and computer laboratory at Gangarahwe Primary
School in Hurungwe, Mashonaland East is ongoing;
v. Construction of a 2-storey classroom block at Karoi Junior School in
Hurungwe District, Mashonaland West Province is nearing
completion;
vi. Construction works to upgrade the following schools have reached an
advanced stage: Runyararo Adventist in Masvingo, Masvingo
Province; Sinoia Primary in Makonde District, Mashonaland West
Province; Hozvi Primary, ECD Centre in Bikita, Masvingo Province;
Coban Global Primary in Gweru District, Midlands Province;
Mambodzvuku Secondary in Murehwa District, Mashonaland East;
Seke 2 High in Chitungwiza, Harare Metropolitan Province; Rusitu
High in Chimanimani District, Manicaland Province; and St. Pauls High
in Gokwe South District, Midlands Province;
vii. Construction works on sustainable and affordable boarding facilities
are also nearing completion at the following schools: Progress
College in Gweru, Midlands Province; Gumbonzvanda in Hwedza,
Mashonaland East Province; Tafira High in Murombedzi, Mashonaland
West Province; Howard Secondary in Mazowe, Mashonaland Central
Province; Kadhanya Secondary and Donsa Secondary in Kwekwe,
Midlands Province; and St. Mary’s in Hwedza, Mashonaland East
Province.
4.4 In terms of the “Youth, Sport and Culture” pillar of the National
Development Strategy 1, the Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and
Culture highlighted the following achievements under his purview:
i. Completion of the construction of a Multipurpose Court at
Karigamombe in Zvimba District, Mashonaland West Province, that
will accommodate 3 sport codes;
ii. Work is in progress to install bucket seats as part of the
refurbishment of the National Sports Stadium in Warren Park,
Harare Metropolitan Province, with the VIP area and bays 19/20
and 21 having been installed;
iii. Construction of Nembudziya Stadium in Gokwe South District,
Midlands Province is progressing well;
iv. The Gym Facility in Warren Park, Harare Metropolitan Province has
reached 80% of completion, with commissioning of the facility
expected in April 2025;
v. Translation of a summary version of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage Capacity Building into five languages, namely: Venda,
Sotho, Tonga, Ndau and Sign Language has been completed, and
the project awaits printing and production of booklets;
vi. Works on the establishment of the Victoria Falls Gallery and at the
National Arts Council of Zimbabwe Digital Registration Platform are
ongoing.
5.0 REPORT ON THE SECOND VIRTUAL JOINT EAST AFRICAN
COMMUNITY (EAC) – SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY (SADC) SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE AND
GOVERNMENT
Cabinet received an Update on the Virtual Joint East African Community
(EAC) – Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit of
Heads of State and Government held on 24 March, 2025.
The Virtual Joint Summit was co-chaired by the President of the
Republic of Zimbabwe and Chairperson of SADC, His Excellency
President Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, and His Excellency, President of
the Republic of Kenya and Chairperson of the East African Community,
Dr. William S. Ruto. The Joint Summit adopted the report of the Joint
EAC-SADC Ministerial Meeting held on 17 March, 2025 in Harare. The
Report contained among others, a detailed roadmap, outlining the
short, medium and long-term activities to be jointly implemented, for
the establishment of sustainable peace in the eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo. The Joint Summit appointed the following five
facilitators to lead the mediation processes to find lasting peace in the
eastern Democratic Republic of Congo: Their Excellencies Uhuru
Kenyatta, former President of Kenya; Kgalema Motlanthe, former
President of South Africa; Sahle-Work Zewde, former President of
Ethiopia; Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria; and Catherine Samba-Panza, former President of the Central
African Republic.
6.0 PEACE AND SECURITY MAINTAINED FOLLOWING FLOPED
DEMONSTARTIONS OF 31 MARCH, 2025
Cabinet noted the peace and tranquility that continues to exist in the
country, after cyber terrorists’ attempts were foiled by law abiding
Zimbabweans and the Security Sector.
