By Simbarashe Namusi Zimbabwe appears to have developed a peculiar fascination with cleaning up things that never seem to stay clean. Every few years, we embark on another grand campaign to restore order to our cities. Vendors are chased from pavements. Illegal structures are demolished. Informal settlements are cleared. Streets are emptied. Officials issue stern statements. Pictures of bulldozers doing their work circulate on social media. For a brief moment, it looks like something has been achieved. Then, months or years later, we are back where we started. The Cycle of Displacement Zimbabwe needs clean-ups. Of course our cities need order. Streets should be passable. Buildings should comply with planning regulations. Trading spaces should be properly designated. Waste should be collected. The real issue is what our clean-ups have actually achieved. Consider Operation Murambatsvina of 2005. It was presented as an exercise to restore order and eliminate illegal structures and informal trading. Yet the underlying pressures that produced informal settlements and informal economic activity did not disappear. People still needed somewhere to live. People still needed somewhere to trade. People still needed to earn an income. And so the informal economy, like water finding a crack in a wall, simply found another route. Mai Chiedza was one of the vendors swept off Julius Nyerere Way in 2005. She sold tomatoes and onions from a wooden table near the old bus terminus. The bulldozers came, the table was confiscated, and for a few weeks the pavement stayed empty. Then she found a spot two streets over, outside a hardware shop whose owner didn't mind. She was moved again ahead of the 2024 SADC Summit when Harare cleared its pavements to present a pristine image for visiting heads of state. Mai Chiedza relocated to a side street near a church, out of sight of the main delegation routes. She has been swept up again this year in the clean-up currently under way in the Harare CBD—framed around the government's Vision 2030 ambitions. And with Zimbabwe set to host the COMESA Summit on October 22, 2026, she will likely be moved a fourth time so Harare looks its best for another visiting delegation. Twenty-one years later, she is still selling the same tomatoes. Only the pavement, and the occasion for moving her off it, keeps changing. Twenty-one years later, we are still demolishing structures and chasing vendors. Symptoms vs. Systemic Solutions If the same problem keeps returning after every clean-up, the problem is unlikely to be the people being cleaned up. It is more likely the system. We seem particularly comfortable dealing with symptoms: Visible Symptoms: A vendor occupying a pavement, a house built on undesignated land, or a crowded market. Invisible Root Causes: Structural unemployment, affordable housing shortages, failing urban planning systems, unserviced land, and municipal failure to provide formal trading spaces. Fixing root causes takes considerably more effort than sending in a bulldozer. There is also something politically attractive about a clean-up. It produces photographs. It produces headlines. It allows authorities to demonstrate decisive action. A demolished structure is immediate evidence of work; a cleared pavement looks impressive on social media. Building affordable housing, reforming municipal governance, creating functioning markets, and expanding employment opportunities take years, patience, investment, and economic transformation. None of it photographs well. A Clean-Up Without an Alternative is Displacement Remove the vendor without providing a viable trading space and the vendor will eventually return, the way Mai Chiedza did, three times over. Demolish the informal house without providing affordable accommodation and the family will build somewhere else. Clear an informal settlement without addressing housing demand and another settlement will emerge. The location changes; the problem doesn't. There is nothing inherently wrong with enforcing planning laws—a functioning city depends on them. But enforcement must be accompanied by functioning systems: Accessible Trading Spaces: Affordable, serviced areas for vendors to operate legally. Serviced Residential Land: Affordable land for legitimate homebuilders. Formal Housing Supply: Adequate housing stock to eliminate the demand for informal settlements. Otherwise, we are simply playing an elaborate game of urban whack-a-mole. Zimbabwe should stop measuring the success of a clean-up by how many vendors were removed, how many structures were demolished, or how empty the streets looked the following morning. Success should be measured six months later: Whether Mai Chiedza is still trading illegally. Whether displaced families have decent alternative accommodation. Whether the underlying problem has actually disappeared. If the answer is no, then we need to stop congratulating ourselves for cleaning up. We may simply be getting better at moving the mess around. Simbarashe Namusi is a media, peace, and governance scholar writing in his personal capacity. Zimbabwe urban clean ups

By Staff Reporter | Harare The City of Harare has deployed at least 300 municipal police officers as authorities intensify a crackdown on illegal vending, pushcarts and other unauthorised activities in the capital’s central business district. The operation, code-named Operation Chenesa Harare, began on Wednesday, with enforcement initially focused around the intersection of E.D. Mnangagwa Road, formerly Enterprise Road, and Samora Machel Avenue. Authorities say the campaign will see informal traders operating from undesignated areas moved to approved trading sites as Government and council seek to restore cleanliness, order and ease of movement in the city. The deployment follows a seven-day Government directive giving vendors operating from unauthorised sites until September 9 to relocate. Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume said the council was also moving towards 24-hour municipal police patrols to prevent traders and other unauthorised activities from returning after officers finish their normal shifts. “We have noticed that there is a lacuna where our police officers are finishing their work at 5 pm,” Mafume said. “We are going to institute 24-hour patrols and regular patrols around the city so that there will be continuous policing 24/7.” The mayor said municipal police could not continue operating only during daytime hours while illegal activities resumed after officers had left. Mafume previously said the number of officers deployed could be increased beyond 300 depending on conditions on the ground. The initial approach, he said, would focus on encouraging vendors to move to designated trading areas before stronger enforcement measures were applied. Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said Operation Chenesa Harare was part of a broader Government programme to improve cleanliness, public order and healthy living standards. He rejected suggestions that the operation was being conducted primarily to prepare Harare for an upcoming international event. “This programme is not targeted for any major event that is likely to come,” Garwe said. “This is the life that we must now be accustomed to, of cleanliness, of orderliness, of reorganising.” The minister said the operation would begin in the CBD before extending to other areas, including Samora Machel Avenue, Julius Nyerere Way, Leopold Takawira Street and the Avenues. Pushcarts are also being targeted, with Garwe arguing that they contribute to congestion and obstruct the movement of vehicles and pedestrians. “No to selling mangoes, oranges, clothes or shoes. No to plying trade in the central business district. And no to pushcarts in the central business district,” he said. The authorities' position has, however, been balanced by acknowledgement that informal trading provides livelihoods for thousands of Zimbabweans. Garwe said Government recognised the economic circumstances that had driven many people into vending and insisted that the operation was not intended as a “declaration of war” against vendors or formal traders. The Zimbabwe National Vendors Association has also urged its members to comply with the directive and operate from designated areas. Meanwhile, concerns remain over whether alternative trading locations have sufficient customer traffic and facilities to support traders who depend on busy CBD locations. ZBC reported that some designated vending areas remain underutilised, while its reporting also highlighted concerns from traders that moving away from established customer concentrations could affect their incomes. The council has pointed to existing markets, including Mbare, as evidence that designated trading infrastructure is available. Mafume has argued that vendors should make use of council-provided facilities rather than occupying pavements and roadways. The latest crackdown is therefore not simply about removing vendors from the streets but also about maintaining cleared areas once enforcement officers leave. The introduction of round-the-clock patrols is intended to close that enforcement gap and prevent vendors from returning to previously cleared locations. The government has indicated that the campaign will eventually extend beyond Harare as authorities seek to establish common standards of cleanliness and urban order across Zimbabwe. For Harare, the immediate challenge will be balancing the restoration of public spaces with the livelihoods of thousands of informal traders who rely on the city’s busiest areas for customers. The success of Operation Chenesa Harare will ultimately depend not only on enforcement, but also on whether designated markets can provide traders with accessible, viable, and properly serviced alternatives. Harare has deployed at least 300 municipal police officers and introduced 24-hour patrols to enforce a crackdown on illegal vending and pushcarts. Operation Chenesa Harare

y Staff Reporter | Harare Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has come under scrutiny after appearing to dismiss a motorist’s complaint over two council fines totalling US$70, including a penalty issued after an unauthorised car wash allegedly took place while the vehicle was parked in the central business district. The motorist, who raised the matter through Crime Watch, said he had parked his vehicle along Inez Terrace, facing the Ximex parking lot, and paid for three hours of parking. According to his account, he returned after about two hours and found two tickets attached to his vehicle, one imposing a US$20 penalty for car washing and another imposing a US$50 penalty for allegedly disposing of litter in a public place. The motorist said he was surprised by the car-washing charge because he had neither hired nor authorised anyone to wash his vehicle. “So, I parked along Inez Terrace, facing the Ximex parking lot, and paid for three hours of parking. I returned after about two hours, only to find two tickets on my car,” he said. He said a parking attendant told him that someone had been washing his vehicle and had subsequently been apprehended by council police. However, the motorist questioned why he should be held responsible for the alleged offence if he had not requested the service. He said he approached council police seeking clarification but was allegedly told that they could not provide him with the identity of the person who had been washing the vehicle. The motorist further complained that attempts to challenge the fines through senior officials at Trafalgar Parking were unsuccessful. He claimed he ultimately paid more than US$70 despite maintaining that he had neither committed nor authorised the alleged offences. He also questioned the payment arrangements, saying he was unable to settle the tickets at the location where they were issued and was instead directed to another payment point outside the central business district. “It is sad that vehicle owners are held responsible for the actions of someone they never hired or authorised to wash their car,” the motorist said. Mafume responded to the complaint in a social-media post, but rather than addressing the specific questions about how responsibility for the alleged car washing was established, his response appeared to dismiss the motorist’s explanation. “There was a time I used to reason like this with my wife. I now understand why she never believed me when I said I found passengers in my car without my consent,” Mafume wrote. The remark has the potential to fuel further debate about how motorists are treated when disputing municipal fines, particularly where an alleged offence was committed by another person. At the centre of the complaint is a basic question of accountability: whether the owner or driver of a parked vehicle can reasonably be held responsible for conduct allegedly carried out by a third party without the owner's knowledge or consent. The motorist's account, however, does not by itself establish whether the council's officers correctly issued the fines or whether the penalties were subsequently cancelled, upheld or paid under protest. Harare City Council has previously faced public pressure over enforcement measures in the CBD, including parking management, street trading, littering and other municipal offences. The controversy also comes amid wider efforts by the city to enforce municipal by-laws and improve cleanliness and order in central Harare. For motorists, however, the incident highlights the importance of transparent enforcement procedures, including identifying the alleged offender, recording the circumstances surrounding an offence and providing an accessible mechanism for appealing disputed penalties. Neither the motorist's account nor the mayor's response, on their own, establishes whether the US$20 and US$50 penalties were lawfully imposed. The City of Harare would need to clarify the legal basis for the fines and explain what evidence is required before a vehicle owner can be held responsible for an offence allegedly committed by another person. The matter has nevertheless triggered discussion online about municipal enforcement, motorists' rights and the relationship between city authorities and residents. Harare mayor US$70 fine

By Staff Reporter | Gweru A former Nando’s till operator in Gweru has been sentenced to 40 months in prison after being convicted of defrauding the fast-food outlet of more than US$15,000 through fraudulent point-of-sale transactions. Cynthia Jongwe, 28, of Jairos Jiri Road in Riverside, Gweru, was convicted of fraud by the Gweru Magistrates’ Court after she allegedly manipulated the restaurant’s payment records to make cash transactions appear as electronic payments. The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said Jongwe was sentenced to 40 months in prison. Five months of the sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while a further 24 months were suspended on condition that she restitutes the money stolen from her former employer. The remaining 11 months were suspended on condition that Jongwe performs community service. The case centred on the manipulation of transactions processed through the restaurant's point-of-sale system. Jongwe was employed as a till operator at Nando’s Gweru when she allegedly received cash from customers but generated receipts indicating that the customers had paid through electronic swipe transactions. A court report published during the prosecution of the case said the purported transactions were reflected through payment platforms including the company’s CBZ Bank terminal, TN CyberTech Bank terminal and InnBucks. However, the transactions could not subsequently be verified against the relevant banking records. According to the prosecution, the scheme was uncovered during an internal audit of Jongwe’s transactions. The audit team reportedly examined the receipts and transaction records generated during her shifts and found discrepancies between the payments recorded at the restaurant and corresponding deposits or electronic transactions. The restaurant then approached the relevant financial institutions to establish whether the purported payments had actually been processed. Bank records obtained during the investigation allegedly confirmed that the funds had not been credited to Nando’s Gweru. Investigators subsequently calculated the restaurant’s total financial prejudice at US$15,482.75. The money had not been recovered at the time of the case. The prosecution alleged that Jongwe’s method involved accepting cash from customers while recording the transactions as if they had been settled electronically. This allowed receipts to be generated showing that customers had paid, while the corresponding funds were never transferred to the restaurant. The case highlights the financial risks businesses face when internal point-of-sale records are not routinely reconciled against bank and payment-platform statements. POS systems are increasingly central to retail and hospitality businesses, where electronic payments, cash transactions and multiple payment platforms can operate simultaneously. For businesses, discrepancies between till records and actual bank receipts can be an early warning sign of fraud, particularly where employees have access to both customer transactions and payment-processing systems. Jongwe’s conviction followed the presentation of evidence linking the disputed transactions to the financial records of the restaurant and the relevant payment platforms. The court ultimately imposed a custodial sentence, with part of the term suspended on conditions including restitution and community service. The NPAZ did not indicate in its statement whether the outstanding US$15,482.75 had subsequently been recovered. The conviction brings the case to a conclusion at magistrates’ court level, subject to any appeal rights available to the accused. Nando’s Gweru fraud

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has extended Zimbabwe’s condolences to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan following the death of her husband, Hafidh Ameir Hassan. By Staff Reporter HARARE —President Emmerson Mnangagwa has extended condolences to Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan following the death of her husband, Hafidh Ameir Hassan, describing his passing as a tragedy shared by Zimbabwe and Tanzania. Hafidh, Tanzania’s First Gentleman, died on Monday while receiving treatment at Emilio Mzena Memorial Hospital in Zanzibar. He was reportedly suffering from a heart condition. Tanzania’s Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi announced his death, saying Hafidh died at 8 am local time. He was buried on Monday evening at his family residence in Kizimkazi, a village on Zanzibar, according to reports. In a condolence message to President Samia, Mnangagwa expressed “deep shock and profound sadness” over the death and conveyed sympathy on behalf of the Zimbabwean Government and people. “On behalf of the Government and the people of the Republic of Zimbabwe, my family and indeed on my own behalf, I extend to you, Your Excellency, and your family, our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences,” Mnangagwa said. The Zimbabwean President said the country stood in solidarity with Tanzania during the period of mourning, with the thoughts and prayers of Zimbabweans directed towards President Samia, her family and the Tanzanian people. Mnangagwa also paid tribute to Hafidh’s contribution to Tanzania’s development, particularly in agriculture. “As Zimbabwe, we will forever remember the lasting contributions which the First Gentleman made to the development of the United Republic of Tanzania, especially in the field of agriculture,” he said. Hafidh, an agricultural academic, largely maintained a low public profile during his wife’s political career. He became Tanzania’s first First Gentleman when Samia assumed the presidency in March 2021 following the death of President John Magufuli. The couple married in 1978, before Samia entered national politics, and had four children — three sons and a daughter. Their daughter, Wanu Hafidh Ameir, is a politician who serves in Zanzibar’s House of Representatives. Hafidh was rarely seen alongside President Samia at public engagements, making only occasional appearances at official events. News of his death prompted condolences from leaders across the region. Kenyan President William Ruto said he received the news with “deep sorrow”, describing Hafidh as a lifelong companion to President Samia, a father and a distinguished Tanzanian. Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema also expressed solidarity with the Tanzanian First Family and the people of Tanzania during the period of mourning. Burundi President Évariste Ndayishimiye offered his condolences and prayed for comfort and strength for President Samia and her family. Hafidh’s death comes as Tanzania continues to mourn a figure who, despite his association with the country’s highest office, largely remained outside the political spotlight. For Zimbabwe, Mnangagwa’s message underscored the longstanding ties between the two countries, which have maintained close relations dating back to the liberation struggles in southern Africa. Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe shared Tanzania’s grief and hoped that President Samia, her family and the Tanzanian people would find comfort during the difficult period. The death of the First Gentleman marks a deeply personal loss for President Samia, who has led Tanzania since 2021 and became the country’s first female president. Hafidh Ameir Hassan death

By Staff Reporter | Harare Police are investigating after an amputated human leg, partially burnt and wrapped in bandages, was discovered at a dumping site in Chitungwiza on Tuesday, raising serious questions about the handling and disposal of medical waste. The human body part was found among rubbish at the municipal dumping site by a woman who had gone there to collect recyclable plastics, according to police and reports from the scene. Used syringes, gloves, bandages and other suspected clinical waste were reportedly scattered nearby, prompting investigators to examine whether the remains and medical materials had been improperly disposed of. Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza confirmed the incident and said investigations were under way. “Police are investigating a case involving a human body part dumped at a dumping site in Chitungwiza,” Chakanza said. “On the scene, police found a human leg wrapped with bandages.” He said preliminary observations suggested that the leg belonged to an adult and had been partially burnt. “The observations indicate that someone responsible for disposing of clinical residue decided to dump and burn it at the dumping site,” Chakanza said, adding that the human leg was under police guard while investigations continued. Police have not publicly named any hospital, clinic or individual in connection with the incident. The discovery has nevertheless raised concerns about the potential dangers faced by waste pickers and other people who come into contact with rubbish at municipal dumping sites. According to reports from the scene, the woman who discovered the limb alerted an attendant at the site, who then contacted the authorities. Police officers subsequently attended the scene and secured the remains. Zimbabwean law provides for the management of healthcare waste generated by health institutions. Section 113 of the Public Health Act states that the Ministry of Health and Child Care is responsible for prescribing how healthcare waste should be managed in healthcare delivery institutions, including waste involving hazardous substances and materials of public health importance. The Environmental Management Act also prohibits the disposal of waste in a manner that causes environmental pollution or poses a risk of ill health to people. The law further provides for standards governing the handling, storage, transportation, segregation and destruction of waste. While speculation at the scene has linked the discovery to the possible improper disposal of clinical waste, investigators are yet to publicly establish where the leg came from or who was responsible for dumping it. The presence of medical items around the remains forms part of the circumstances police are investigating. The case is particularly disturbing because municipal dump sites are frequented by informal waste pickers searching through refuse for plastics, metals and other recyclable materials that can be sold. Police are expected to establish the origin of the human remains and whether any laws governing healthcare or hazardous waste disposal were violated. The investigation was still ongoing at the time of publication. Chitungwiza human leg found

By Staff Reporter HARARE — Zimbabwe is moving closer to introducing a penalty-points system that could see repeat traffic offenders have their driving licences suspended or cancelled, as authorities strengthen road-safety enforcement through technology. The Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) says the proposed system will be integrated with the Government’s smart traffic management system, which uses cameras and other technology to detect traffic offences and improve enforcement. Acting CVR registrar Saston Muzenda told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development that Zimbabwe had already professionalised its driver-licensing system and was now strengthening enforcement against motorists who repeatedly break traffic laws. Muzenda was responding to a petition by Drivers Association of Zimbabwe president Nicholas Mabwe, who has called for driving to be formally recognised and regulated as a profession. Mabwe argued that some motorists lacked adequate road ethics and proposed that professional drivers should be required to have at least five O-Level passes. Muzenda rejected the suggestion that Zimbabwe’s existing licensing system was inadequate, saying drivers undergo rigorous testing before being issued with licences. “The process our drivers go through is internationally recognised and is one of the best in terms of practice,” Muzenda said. He said Zimbabwean drivers were recognised within the region and internationally, while professional drivers faced additional legal requirements because of the nature of their work. The Government’s focus, he indicated, was therefore shifting towards monitoring driver behaviour after licences had been issued. Under the proposed penalty-points system, motorists who repeatedly commit offences would accumulate points and could ultimately have their licences suspended or cancelled. The precise number of points that would trigger suspension or cancellation has not yet been announced, and the system is still being developed. Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona recently told Parliament that Government was conducting investigations to establish the legal framework for a formal demerit system. The proposed penalties are expected to work alongside the smart traffic management system, which uses cameras to identify traffic violations. Zimbabwe’s home-grown smart traffic system is designed to integrate information from databases including the CVR, ZINARA and the Civil Registry. Government documents say the system can detect offences such as speeding, running red lights, illegal parking, wrong-way driving, improper lane changes and failure to wear seat belts. The technology is intended to provide authorities with a more consistent way of identifying traffic offences and linking them to vehicles and their owners. Muzenda also said the Government was working to make the learner’s licence test more accessible, while maintaining competency testing as the basis for issuing driving licences. The debate over driver qualifications follows increasing concern about road safety and the conduct of some motorists, particularly in the public transport sector. Mabwe’s petition seeks a broader professional framework for drivers, including stronger regulation, training and accountability. However, the proposed requirement for five O-Level passes is not currently a requirement for obtaining a professional driving licence. Parliament is considering the petition, meaning any change to the entry requirements would require further policy and legislative action. Muzenda also said Zimbabwe had complied with the Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme, which seeks to harmonise transport policies, laws and standards across SADC, COMESA and the East African Community. He said Zimbabwe had adopted the necessary legal instruments to support a regional driver trade-free area, allowing Zimbabwean drivers to be recognised across participating regional markets. The CVR’s position effectively shifts the current debate away from academic qualifications and towards competency, enforcement and driver behaviour. For motorists, the immediate change is therefore not a new educational requirement, but the prospect of greater technological monitoring and tougher consequences for repeat traffic offenders. If the proposed penalty-points framework is enacted, drivers who repeatedly disregard road rules could face progressively more serious sanctions, including losing their licences. The Government has yet to publish the final legislation, offence-by-offence points schedule or threshold at which a licence would be suspended or cancelled. Zimbabwe driver penalty points

By Valerie Mpundu While many sculptors choose elders and ancestors, Chris Tigere looked to youth. In green verdite, he found a prince and a fresh voice for Zimbabwean stone sculpture. He is young. He is proud, and he is smiling. Carved from a single block of deep green verdite, the prince wears a feathered crown and a traditional necklace of claws. His hand rests near his head in a gesture of contemplation or quiet greeting. “The piece took three months to work, breaking the block, carving the face and crown, then weeks of polishing. Hard work, perseverance, commitment, and green verdite rock brought the prince to life,” Chris says. The Mastery of "Green Gold" Verdite stone is notoriously dense, hard, and unforgiving. Mined predominantly in northern and eastern Zimbabwe as well as parts of South Africa, stone carvers often refer to it as "green gold" due to the luminous way it captures light once polished. “Verdite is not easy,” Chris explains. “It fights you. But when it’s done right, the green goes deep. It looks alive.” For generations, the medium has been utilized in Shona stone sculpture to depict tribal elders, spirit birds, and ancestral motifs. However, Tigere chose to utilize this precious medium for a different subject entirely: a young man. The rich green coloration amplifies every detail the intricate crown, the smooth skin contours, and the subtle smile. With verdite, an artist does not simply carve a face; they carve patience. A Focus on the Next Generation In artisan workshops across Zimbabwe, stone carvers are celebrated for depicting village elders, chiefs, and spiritual forebears. Tigere deliberately chose a different path by focusing on youth culture and leadership. “This is the story behind the figure,” he explains. “Often sculptors mostly do older male figures. Well, with this one, I chose a younger generation representing the youth. Hence, a prince being the object of my affection.” For Chris, the prince does not dwell on historical nostalgia he embodies future potential. “Choosing a young figure was deliberate,” he notes. “Most workshops still carve elders. But the prince is not looking back. He is looking forward. He represents hope, energy, and the next generation of Zimbabwe.” Dreams, Vision, and Market Recognition The concept for the sculpture emerged long before the chisel touched the stone, originating in dreams and internal narration. “My figures are mostly inspired by dreams. Certain images come to me either through voices in detailed narration, or they repeatedly appear to me. Visual arts speak loudly, yet silently. With that, I combine creativity for that finer detail.” He remains optimistic about the trajectory of the local and international visual arts market, “As a visual artist, I would gladly say our type of art is getting the recognition it deserves. It is covering the much-desired ground and has received overwhelming support from clients and people interested in visuals.” This prince does not need to shout. Preserved in rich green stone, his quiet presence speaks loudly enough. Chris Tigere verdite stone sculpture

By Valerie Mpundu In Harare’s Rugare Granites, livelihoods depend directly on human loss. Here, carvers negotiate prices while grieving clients pray over freshly cut granite. It is called business yet nothing about the day-to-day work feels ordinary. Chisels ring out at dawn, and white stone dust hangs thick in the air. To Carver X, Rugare Granites is simply a workplace. But for the families who walk through the gate, it represents the final physical touchpoint with a lost loved one. That emotional and practical tension is something he navigates every single day. In 2023, after losing his job as a security guard, he arrived at the yard with nothing but his hands. He started as a general hand moving slabs, loading delivery trucks, and watching experienced men carve names into stone. "Ndakatanga kushanda paRugare Granites ndadzingwa basa re security guard. Maive muna 2023. Ndakatanga ndiri general hand ndichiita loading nekuburitsa matombo evamwe [I started working at Rugare Granites after being fired as a security guard in 2023. I began as a general hand loading and moving stones for others]," he recalls. Today, he manages orders himself, negotiates prices, and delivers dignity—one tombstone at a time. The Business and the Spiritual Weight of Stone On paper, the commercial process is straightforward: advertise, quote, collect a 50% to 75% deposit, deliver the final piece, and collect the balance. "I believe it is a normal business that does not need rituals," he says. Yet, in this environment, stone is rarely just physical material. "Pane imwe time ndakave nema clients vakasvikotanga kuomberera matombo avo vachitaura mashoko ekukumbira [At one point I had clients who began clapping their hands in reverence over their stones, speaking words of supplication]," he recalls. "They stood over the granite and talked to someone who wasn’t there." He remembers their exact words: "Takutsvagirai chishongo chepamusha wenyu sezvavakuitwa mazuvano. Kuisa mucherechedzo wepamakaradzikwa wedombo. Saka titungamirireiwo tifambe zvakanaka, tinosvika toita basa redu zvakanaka sezvirikuitirwawo vamwe! [We are securing an ornament for your resting home as is done these days, putting a marker where you lie. So guide our journey so we travel safely and accomplish this work properly, just as it is done for others!]" They then loaded the tombstone to traditional songs and ululations. For many Zimbabweans, a headstone is chishongo chepamusha, the honorific ornament of the family home. While Carver X does not lead the prayers, he pauses his work and gives families their space. The yard itself holds quiet stories of profound loss. "At night, you’d sometimes find people sleeping naked on top of grave markers," he says softly. "Grief makes people do unexpected things." Financial Realities and the Future of the Craft The spiritual weight is matched by steep economic pressures. "Most clients want our products to be very cheap," he explains. Cash flow management and timing remain constant challenges, "Zviya zvekuti ndotora mari ya client B ndogadzira dombo re client A anticipating client A would come collect his dombo early. Then client B came first [The issue of taking Client B's money to finish Client A's stone, expecting Client A to collect early only for Client B to arrive first]." In the trade, they call it "double crossing orders." A single financial miscalculation leaves two grieving families waiting. As modern technology evolves, automation is slowly reaching the stone trade. "Technology may improve the quality and impression of our job as more speed and accuracy can be achieved through the evolution of A.I. if applied positively," he observes. For now, the work remains rooted in manual labor: sweat, steel tools, and airborne dust. Young apprentices learn the trade, widows select typography, and children trace carved letters with their fingers. At Rugare Granites, economic survival and ancestral remembrance exist on the very same slab. “You don’t need to understand everything,” he says, wiping white stone dust from his hands. “You just need to do the work and respect the people.” Rugare Granites Harare tombstones

By Staff Reporter HARARE — Veteran Zimbabwean music producer Clive “Mono” Mukundu has escalated his public dispute with gospel singer Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave, suggesting she could be suffering from dementia after she challenged his account of his contribution to her music catalogue. Mukundu made the controversial remarks as the two musicians traded accusations over production credits, studio contributions and the wider dispute surrounding cover bands performing established Zimbabwean musicians’ songs. “For someone to forget such a well-documented history could be due to dementia, so we must pray for her recovery,” Mukundu told Zimpapers Arts Hub. The claim has not been supported by any medical evidence and should not be interpreted as a diagnosis. Mukundu said his professional relationship with Fungisai began on January 7, 2001, when they recorded Tinokutendaishe Volume 1, which included the song Vanogona Mwari. He said they subsequently recorded Toite Zvedenga on February 7, 2002, before working together on another five or six albums. “All of them produced hits,” he said. Mukundu also claimed the pair worked together on live performances between 2001 and 2005 and said their most recent collaboration was in 2023, when he produced Vana Vapera, a collaboration between Fungisai and Silent Killer, at his studio. The veteran producer has previously spoken publicly about his extensive work in Zimbabwean gospel music, including collaborations with Fungisai and other leading gospel musicians. Fungisai, however, has challenged the basis of Mukundu’s claims, arguing that production credits should be determined by documentary evidence rather than recollections made decades after recordings were released. “Information about music production isn’t a matter of opinion to be debated on podcasts 24 years later,” she said. “It is a matter of record, permanently etched onto the album sleeve.” She also drew a distinction between a producer and a musician hired to reproduce arrangements or musical parts created by someone else. “There is a difference between being a producer and a hired session artist who learns and recreates what the producer has already put together for the purposes of establishing a live band,” she said. In a Facebook post, Fungisai accused unnamed individuals of becoming consumed by what she described as “their own lies, pure bitterness and hatred”. She also referred to “classic Histrionic Personality Disorder”, although there is no indication that she was making a clinical diagnosis. The increasingly personal exchange is rooted in a much wider dispute over Zimbabwe’s rapidly growing cover-band culture. Fungisai has criticised performers whom she says reproduce not only musicians’ songs but also their clothing, choreography, mannerisms and stage identities for commercial purposes. The debate intensified after concerns were raised about The Intotal Band, a young group known for performing covers of established Zimbabwean songs. Mukundu has defended the band and previously clarified that he is its mentor rather than its owner. The controversy has also drawn in musicians including Thomas “Mukanya” Mapfumo, Alick Macheso and Dino Mudondo, with artists questioning whether cover bands are undermining the commercial value of original musicians’ catalogues. Mudondo, for example, recently complained after another band allegedly performed several of his songs at a wedding before his own scheduled performance. He argued that musicians invest heavily in recording, marketing and promoting their work while some cover bands can offer promoters cheaper entertainment by relying on established hits. The dispute has consequently moved beyond personalities to questions about copyright, licensing, royalties and the distinction between performing a cover and commercially reproducing an artist’s broader creative identity. For Zimbabwe’s music industry, the Mono-Fungisai clash has exposed an old problem: the contribution of producers, arrangers, session musicians and performers is not always clearly understood or documented. The immediate feud may eventually be settled through album credits and other production records. But the broader debate over how artists are credited, licensed and paid is likely to continue. What began as an argument over who did what more than two decades ago has become part of a much larger conversation about who owns Zimbabwean music and who gets paid when that music continues to generate commercial value. Mono Mukundu Fungisai feud Mono Mukundu and Fungisai Zvakavapano are locked in a dispute over music credits as Zimbabwe’s wider cover-band and copyright debate intensifies.

By Staff Reporter HARARE — September 8, 2026 — The City of Harare has tightened requirements for new fuel service stations, introducing a minimum 1.5km separation between stations, mandatory public notices and environmental assessments before construction can begin. The new guidelines were disclosed during a tour of fuel service stations by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy and Power Development, amid growing concern over the rapid expansion of fuel stations, particularly in residential areas. Acting director of Urban Planning Samuel Nyabezi told the committee that the measures were designed to bring greater order, safety and public participation to the approval of new service stations. Under the new requirements, developers must have a stand measuring at least 2,000 square metres before a service station can be considered. The larger minimum stand size is intended to provide sufficient space for the station and associated ancillary facilities. The council will also require a minimum distance of 1.5km between service stations. Developers seeking approval will be required to erect a billboard at the proposed site displaying details of the development and relevant plans. The notice must also inform members of the public and neighbouring property owners of their right to lodge objections or make representations to the local planning authority. Those objections will form part of the council's consideration before a final decision is made on an application. The new requirements also place greater emphasis on environmental and regulatory approvals. Developers will need an Environmental Impact Assessment approved by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), as well as approval from the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), before construction can proceed. The measures are particularly significant for developments close to residential properties, where fuel storage and dispensing infrastructure can create safety and environmental concerns. According to the council, minimum separation requirements will apply between fuel infrastructure and residential properties. Where a proposed service station shares a boundary with residential stands, developers will also be required to construct specified boundary walls. Nyabezi said applications would continue to be considered individually under the new guidelines rather than being approved automatically once the basic requirements had been met. The announcement comes as Harare faces increasing pressure over land-use planning and the location of commercial developments within established residential neighbourhoods. During the committee's tour, legislators questioned council officials over why some existing service stations had been approved in locations close to homes. The questions put the spotlight on the distinction between regulating future developments and addressing stations that were approved under previous planning arrangements. The committee's visit is expected to contribute to wider discussions on fuel station development, planning approvals and public safety in Zimbabwe's urban areas. For Harare residents, the new public-notice requirement could also provide an important avenue for communities to raise concerns before construction begins, particularly where proposed developments are located close to homes, schools or other sensitive sites. The effectiveness of the new measures, however, will depend on consistent enforcement by the council and compliance with environmental and energy-sector regulations by developers. Harare fuel stations

By Anna Miti On 5 September 2026, the United Nations General Assembly voted to change how the world sees Africa. By 164 votes to one, with six abstentions, member states adopted the "Correct the Map" resolution, put forward by Togo on behalf of the African Group and the African Union, and co-sponsored by the Bahamas. It calls on governments, schools, media houses and tech companies to move away from the Mercator projection, the default map in classrooms, textbooks and navigation apps, in favour of equal-area projections like Equal Earth, developed in 2018. On the Mercator map, Africa looks about the same size as Greenland. In reality, it is fourteen times larger, big enough to hold the United States, China, India, Japan and most of Europe combined, with room to spare. The projection was designed in the 16th century to help European sailors cross oceans. The Mercator map was designed in 1569 by the Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator to help European explorers navigate across the world. The distortion of his map is a result of the fact that it is impossible to accurately represent the surface of a globe on a two-dimensional chart. The Mercator map accommodates the curvature of the Earth by making countries near the equator seem smaller than they are, with countries nearer the poles appearing larger. In an effort to address this, a team of cartographers in 2018 created an equal-area map they called the Equal Earth projection. In February, the AU's 54 member states adopted it and said it "more accurately represents the sizes of all continents, particularly Africa". Although the resolution is not binding and bans nothing, it is a statement of intent, and the first step towards correcting a lie and injustice that has stood for 457 years. Why a map is never just a map Reactions online have been mixed, and sometimes dismissive. Some called the resolution a waste of time that changes nothing. Others said the UN has bigger problems to worry about. But this resolution is not just symbolic housekeeping. Symbols have meaning and show intent. Symbols are also the basis in which perception is built, and perception shapes policy, investment, and imagination long before any treaty does. A child who spends twelve years looking at a map where Africa is no bigger than Greenland learns something that has nothing to do with geography, that Africa is small, peripheral, an afterthought. That lesson does not stay in the classroom. It shows up in newsrooms that treat fifty-four countries as one undifferentiated crisis zone. It shows up in boardrooms deciding where to place a factory or a clinical trial. It shows up in the rooms where global bodies decide whose voice carries weight. Correcting the map, as its backers put it, is an act of "cognitive justice." Repeat a distortion for long enough, and it starts to feel like fact. Cognitive justice is the work of prying the two apart again. The resolution is also a Pan-Africanist question. Africa has the right to determine how it is seen and should not accept distortion, however small it looks. Just as Zimbabweans would not accept a lie about who built Great Zimbabwe, we should not accept a lie about the size of our continent either. Colonial cartography (the art, science, and technology of making and studying maps) was never neutral. It was drawn by the powerful, for the powerful, and it built a hierarchy of importance into the shape of the world. Reclaiming an accurate map is part of the same project as reclaiming accurate data, the first step toward Africa's story being told at its true scale, not the scale that suited someone else four and a half centuries ago. African nations now have a responsibility to make sure this moment does not end at the map's edge. An accurate map means little hanging in a classroom that still teaches African history as a footnote to Europe's, or a newsroom that still tells African stories through non-African eyes. Correcting the map should be the opening move towards correcting injustices and towards decolonization. UN Correct the Map resolution