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10th March, 2020

1. Progress Report on Alignment of Statutes to the Constitution

Cabinet received and noted with satisfaction a progress report on the status of Bills under review for constitutional alignment from the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, as Leader of Government Business in Parliament.

The laws to be aligned have been categorised into 10 clusters, namely: Media and Information; Security; Citizenship and Movement of People; Local Government; Social Services; Environmental and Natural Resources; Justice Delivery; Economic Services; Political and Civil Rights; and Cross-Cutting.

To date, out of a total number of 183 statutes to be aligned with the Constitution, 144 have been amended, leaving a balance of 39.

Over and above the 183 statutes which required alignment, there were 19 statutes identified as requiring enactment. Of those 19 new statutes, 14 have since either been enacted into law or have Bills which are undergoing parliamentary processes. Government will continue to work hard in order to ensure that the alignment of the country’s laws to the Constitution is completed in the shortest possible time.

2. Preparations for the 40th Independence Anniversary Celebrations and the Children’s Party.

Cabinet considered and approved a report by Honourable Vice President K.C.D. Mohadi as chairman of the Cabinet Committee on State Occasions and National Monuments on the preparations for the 40th Independence Anniversary celebrations and the Children’s Party.

The 2020 Independence Anniversary will be unique in that it will be the first to be held outside Harare on a national scope. The celebrations will be held at Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo. Participants will be drawn from Zimbabweans at home and in the Diaspora.

The celebrations will, therefore, reflect the values and ethos of Vision 2030, which entail national unity, and social and economic inclusivity. The theme for the 2020 Independence Day celebrations is: “Zim @ 40 — Defining the Decade Towards the Golden Jubilee”.

The theme is premised on the fact that at 40, Zimbabweans are mature and can look ahead with pride as a nation shaping its own destiny.

The Children’s Party will be held on 17th April, 2020 at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair Grounds Hall No. 2 in Bulawayo. A total of 550 children have been invited from provinces through their respective schools. The children will arrive in Bulawayo on 15th April 2020, and rehearsals will commence on 16th April 2020, at the venue.

3. Progress Update on the Implementation of the 5th 100-Day Cycle Priority Projects
4. Mines and Mining Development

Cabinet noted the progress which has been made in the following priority areas:

Expansion of coke oven production;

Expansion of ferrochrome production;

Construction of a plant to manufacture explosives for use in mining activity;

Establishment of five gold milling centres which will be followed by an additional 20 centres;

Implementation of an MMCZ credit scheme for small-scale miners to be unveiled soon.

The Minister further tabled proposals for the re-allocation of chrome mining claims which were ceded by ZimAlloys.

These claims will be re-allocated to other companies which will receive mining claims to sustain and expand ferrochrome production.

As per Government policy, 20 percent of the ceded claims, being 2 348 hectares of the total ceded claims which are a total of 11 747 hectares, will be allocated to war veterans. The modus operandi of the distribution of claims to war veterans will be announced in due course.

2) Energy and Power Development

Progress has been registered on the projects outlined as follows:

The Hwange 7 and 8 expansion projects are well on course, to meet set targets, though currently experiencing challenges from the COVID-19 which is affecting movement of experts in and out of China;

The Kanyemba Electrification Project is 50 percent complete;

The 150 Transformer Manufacturing Project has seen 25 transformers being manufactured, which is 16 percent of the expected target;

Of the 6 000 prepaid meters targeted under the Prepaid Metering Project, a total of 2 897 have been installed to date, representing 48 percent of the targeted scope;

Under the Grid Extension Project, which targets rural electrification of 35 institutions, a total of nine institutions were electrified, constituting 26 percent of the target.

3) Transport and Infrastructural Development

Progress has been registered on the projects outlined as follows:

The overall progress for the construction of concrete structure for the South Wing of the Terminal Building of the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport stands at 80 percent completion;

The Cyclone Idai Skyline-Chimanimani Road Rehabilitation Project is 60 percent complete;

The Chivhu 5km section base construction works for the Harare-Beitbridge Road upgrading have been completed. The 100 km being constructed by private contractors is at various stages, but all have completed the construction of detours and are currently working on rehabilitation works on the main road.

4) Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement

The Minister informed Cabinet as follows:

that approval of beneficiary farms under the Centre Pivot Irrigation Facility is almost complete and that a feasibility study for the Tugwi Mukosi Irrigation Development Project is in progress;

that equipment for assembling tractors, combine harvesters, disc harrows and planters under the John Deere Facility is expected to arrive on 18th March 2020. Farmers can access them through Agribank;

that a total of 175 290 farmers out of the 500 000 farmers had mulched their crops to date;

that 155 000 cattle out of the targeted 600 000 cattle had been vaccinated against the foot and mouth disease in high-risk areas;

that 126 000 cattle of the targeted 400 000 cattle had been vaccinated against anthrax in high risk areas;

that 200 A1 Permits had been issued to farmers in Chikomba District, Mashonaland East.

With respect to livestock development, the Minister reported that while the routine herd health programmes are in progress, the Central Veterinary Laboratory in liaison with other research institutions is in the process of producing vaccines for such diseases as theleriosis as an import substitution measure. Other interventions to improve drought resilience for smallholder livestock farmers include establishing pasture production sites and seed multiplication centres to improve livestock productivity.

Regarding the reported slaughter and sale of contaminated cattle, the Minister advised that as per procedure, the Veterinary Services Department supervises the slaughter of all livestock, while the distribution is supervised by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.

However, the reports are being investigated and members of the public with further information are urged to report to relevant authorities.

4. Report on the SADC Meeting for the Committee on Ministers Responsible for Disaster Risk Management: 18 to 21 February, 2020, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

The Minister of Local Government and Public Works updated Cabinet on the SADC Meeting for the Committee on Ministers responsible for Disaster Risk Management held from 18th to 21st February 2020 in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Cabinet was informed that some of the decisions adopted by the ministers included the following:

that member states should timeously share early warning information on weather and climate for effective decision-making by climate sensitive sectors such as Agriculture and Food Security, Water and Energy, Disaster Risk Management and Health;

that the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services be capacitated to take advantage of the equipment provided by the Climate Services Centre to enhance early warning and preparedness for disasters;

that there is need to enhance the capability of the SADC Climate Services Centre to undertake highly downscaled weather and climate projection so as to effectively contribute in planning regional adaption and mitigation measures;

that member states should continue to support vulnerable communities that have been affected by disasters;

that there was need for member states to put in place response measures to mitigate the impact of cyclones, floods and droughts on both human life and infrastructure in the region;

that member states should remain vigilant, work together and share information, to jointly control the advance of migratory pests that could have serious implications for the food security of the region; and that members should step up preventive and preparedness measures against the new coronavirus and other major disease outbreaks, including new and neglected tropical diseases.