By Southerton Business Times | Harare President Emmerson Mnangagwa has reaffirmed that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives will play a central role in Zimbabwe's drive to attain upper-middle-income status by 2030, describing the sector as one of the country's most important pillars of economic growth. Officially opening the inaugural National MSMEs and Cooperatives Indaba in Harare, the President said the sector contributes more than 60 percent of Zimbabwe's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while providing employment and livelihoods for millions of people across the country. He challenged entrepreneurs to embrace innovation, industrialisation and technology-driven business models to improve productivity and compete in regional and international markets. "MSMEs and cooperatives remain at the heart of Zimbabwe's economic transformation and are key to achieving Vision 2030," President Mnangagwa said. The President urged entrepreneurs to move beyond traditional trading activities by investing in value addition, beneficiation, manufacturing and export-oriented production. He encouraged businesses to leverage digital technologies and innovation to improve competitiveness while taking advantage of opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which provides access to a market of more than 1.4 billion people across Africa. The Head of State said Zimbabwean enterprises should position themselves to supply regional value chains and expand their presence in continental markets. President Mnangagwa outlined a broad Government strategy aimed at strengthening the MSME ecosystem through improved access to affordable finance, infrastructure development, regulatory reforms and entrepreneurship support. Among the initiatives highlighted were: Increased access to affordable financing for small businesses. Recapitalisation of empowerment institutions. Establishment of the National Industrialisation Fund. Development of the Zimbabwe Entrepreneurship Exchange. Modernisation of market infrastructure for informal traders. Expansion of digital technologies and skills development programmes. Implementation of the National Cooperatives Development Policy. The President said these interventions are designed to accelerate business growth, promote formalisation and improve the competitiveness of Zimbabwean enterprises. Mnangagwa reiterated his administration's commitment to creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurship, saying Government reforms are intended to help businesses transition from informal micro-enterprises into sustainable medium and large-scale companies. He urged entrepreneurs to embrace resilience, innovation and productivity as drivers of long-term success. "Our prosperity will be built by Zimbabweans themselves through hard work, innovation and enterprise," he said. The inaugural National MSMEs and Cooperatives Indaba brought together government officials, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, development partners and cooperative leaders to discuss strategies for expanding the sector's contribution to economic development. The MSME sector remains one of Zimbabwe's largest employers, particularly in retail, manufacturing, agriculture, mining, services and transport, and is viewed by Government as critical to achieving the objectives of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and Vision 2030. President Emmerson Mnangagwa

By Southerton Business Times | Harare Eighty-six of Zimbabwe's 92 local authorities did not receive any disbursements from the constitutionally mandated Devolution Fund during 2025, raising concerns over stalled development projects, weakened service delivery and growing uncertainty in local government planning. The latest revelations have prompted local government leaders to urge Treasury to expedite the release of devolution funds, arguing that councils are being forced to suspend key infrastructure projects despite budgeting for the allocations. According to local government officials, only six councils received a portion of their approved devolution allocations during 2025, with disbursements ranging between 5% and 8% of the amounts budgeted. The councils that reportedly received partial funding are: Harare City Council Chitungwiza Municipality Gokwe North Rural District Council Masvingo Rural District Council Chivi Rural District Council The remaining 86 local authorities reportedly received no devolution funding during the financial year. Association of Rural District Councils of Zimbabwe (ARDCZ) Secretary-General Dr Isaac Matsilele said declining devolution disbursements since 2019 have disrupted development planning, particularly for rural councils with limited revenue streams. "The funds received by councils have been decreasing since 2019, and last year most councils didn't get anything. Projects have stalled, and this is affecting planning processes for councils," Matsilele said. He said the situation has been worsened by reduced local revenue following changes to licensing fees and cattle tax collections. "Councils have a right to receive devolution funds. They plan their budgets expecting the money, and failure to disburse the funds creates planning fatigue and conflicts. The urban-rural gap remains wide because rural district councils rely heavily on these funds for development projects." Matsilele added that the ARDCZ is lobbying the Government to ensure timely release of the allocations. Responding in Parliament recently, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said devolution funding is not automatically disbursed, explaining that councils must first submit bankable and implementable project proposals. "It is quite an arduous process. It takes time. We, as Treasury, have tried hard to capacitate local authorities... It is not a mechanical push of resources from Treasury onto local authorities that are not ready," Ncube told Parliament. He said Government aims to improve the proportion of devolution funding released as progress is made towards meeting the constitutional target. Ministry of Local Government and Public Works spokesperson Gabriel Masvora said unutilised or undisbursed allocations cannot be carried forward into the next financial year. Citing Section 31 of the Public Finance Management Act [Chapter 22:19], Masvora said appropriations lapse at the end of each financial year. "Unutilised or undisbursed appropriations are not rolled over into the next financial year, and no balances accrue from one fiscal year to another," he said. For example, Masvingo City Council was allocated ZiG 52,026,600 in devolution funding for 2025, equivalent to about 8% of its annual budget, but reportedly received none of the allocation. The funds had been earmarked for projects including the Mucheke Trunk Sewer rehabilitation and the Mucheke Stadium upgrade, both of which remain outstanding. The 2026 National Budget has allocated ZiG14 billion for devolution, with local authorities hoping that disbursements will improve to accelerate infrastructure development and strengthen service delivery across Zimbabwe. Devolution Fund Zimbabwe

By Southerton Business Times | Buhera At least nine people are feared dead after a commuter kombi reportedly slid into Ruti Dam and became submerged in the early hours of Friday morning while passengers were boarding for a church trip to Murambinda. The incident occurred at around 4am at the Ruti Dam wall in Buhera, Manicaland Province. According to reports from the scene, one body was initially recovered before villagers, using ropes, reportedly retrieved a further eight bodies from the submerged vehicle. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) had not officially confirmed the number of fatalities or the circumstances surrounding the incident by the time of publication. Witnesses said the kombi had been parked near the dam while passengers and their luggage were being loaded for a journey to a church gathering in Murambinda. Preliminary reports indicate that the vehicle suddenly slid into the water before becoming completely submerged. Some of the passengers are believed to have been trapped inside the vehicle as it sank. The exact cause of the incident has not yet been established. Sources at the scene said local villagers immediately launched rescue efforts, using ropes to retrieve victims from the dam before emergency services arrived. A specialised sub-aqua rescue team from Changazi was reportedly expected at the scene to assist with recovery operations but had not yet arrived at the time the latest reports were received. Authorities are expected to determine whether any passengers remain trapped inside the vehicle. Emergency personnel and police were continuing search and recovery operations as investigations into the tragedy got underway. Police had not yet released an official statement confirming the number of deaths, the identities of the victims or the circumstances leading to the incident. Southerton Business Times understands that investigations will focus on how the vehicle came to slide into the dam while stationary. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available from the Zimbabwe Republic Police and emergency services. Ruti Dam accident

By Southerton Business Times | Harare Harare City Council (HCC) has dismissed allegations that it operates a secret payroll, describing the claims as false, malicious and intended to mislead residents. In a statement issued on Thursday, Acting Town Clerk Warren Chiwawa said reports suggesting the local authority maintains a hidden payroll system were inaccurate and did not reflect the council's payroll administration processes. "Our attention has been drawn to a story in the media alleging that the City of Harare runs a secret payroll," Chiwawa said. "This information is false and malicious and intended to deliberately cause unnecessary alarm and confusion among residents." Chiwawa said the City of Harare maintains a single payroll that includes all employees, from executive management to workers covered under the National Employment Council (NEC). "The payroll is structured in such a way that NEC grades are from Grade 16 to Grade 7 and management from Grade 6 to Grade 1," he said. "The payroll is run just as one, from Grade 1 to Grade 16 through the Belina system." Belina Payroll HR is a widely used payroll and human resources management system employed by public and private sector organisations in Zimbabwe to process salaries, statutory deductions and employee records. The acting town clerk said remuneration for council employees is determined through recognised collective bargaining mechanisms. He explained that salaries for management and non-management employees are negotiated through established council structures and the National Employment Council in line with applicable labour regulations. "Salaries are negotiated through established structures at the council level and at the National Employment Council level," Chiwawa said. "Any allegations to the contrary are unfounded and malicious and must be ignored." The council's response comes as Harare City Council continues to face increased public scrutiny over governance, financial management and service delivery, with residents' associations and oversight institutions regularly calling for greater transparency in municipal operations. Payroll management has remained a key area of public interest for local authorities, particularly following previous audits and governance reviews across Zimbabwe that have highlighted the importance of robust financial controls, accountability and compliance with public finance regulations. Harare City Council has not indicated whether it intends to take legal action over the reports but maintains that its payroll system is transparent and administered through a single electronic platform. Harare City Council

By Southerton Business Times | Harare Hundreds of foreign nationals are seeking shelter or preparing to return home after a fresh wave of anti-immigrant violence spread across parts of South Africa's Western Cape Province, with migrants describing scenes of intimidation, looting and fear. The latest unrest comes amid a broader crackdown on undocumented migrants and growing anti-foreigner protests in several South African communities, prompting neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe and Mozambique, to step up repatriation efforts for their citizens. According to Reuters, Mozambican national Lado Amido fled his home in the coastal town of Kleinmond after an angry crowd reportedly went door-to-door ordering foreign nationals to leave the community. The 49-year-old, who moved to South Africa in February in search of work, said he spent two nights hiding in nearby mountains before seeking refuge at Kleinmond Town Hall alongside about 100 other migrants. "On the 31st, people came to my house, knocked on the door, and then took all my belongings," Amido told Reuters. Many of those sheltering at the hall are from Mozambique and Malawi, while others are hoping to join voluntary repatriation programmes organised by their governments. The Mozambican government says five of its citizens were killed during xenophobic attacks in Mossel Bay over the weekend, highlighting the growing humanitarian impact of the unrest. Anti-immigrant violence has periodically flared in South Africa over the past two decades, with foreign nationals often blamed for unemployment, crime and pressure on public services despite studies showing little evidence that migrants are the primary cause of these challenges. Speaking in Parliament this week, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the recent violence while acknowledging that migration remains a complex issue requiring policy attention. "As we work to build a safer and more prosperous society, we need to address the challenge of migration," Ramaphosa said. Grant Cohen, a ward councillor for Kleinmond, said immigration officials had recently conducted inspections at local businesses to identify undocumented workers. However, he stressed that many of the migrants now sheltering at the town hall were legally resident in South Africa. "We've got kids here at the moment who should be in school, who have been in school in Kleinmond, but now want to flee the country out of fear and intimidation," Cohen told Reuters. "I don't believe that residents should take things into their own hands." Another migrant, Michael Markson from Malawi, said he fled an informal settlement after his landlord warned him that protesters intended to attack foreign nationals. "My landlord came telling me that I should evacuate because if they find us, they're going to kill us," he said. Markson said he spent a night hiding in nearby mountains before receiving food from his employer. Although Malawi's weak economy had driven him to seek work in South Africa, he said he would rather return home than continue living in fear. "In our country there's no good economy, but it's better than living in a community where your life is under threat," he said. The latest attacks come as the Zimbabwean Government continues receiving thousands of citizens returning from South Africa through reception centres established in Beitbridge, Bulawayo and other parts of the country. Authorities have expanded humanitarian support, including temporary accommodation, food assistance, counselling and transport, while urging communities to help reintegrate returnees displaced by the violence. South Africa xenophobic attacks

By Southerton Business Times | Bulawayo The Government has pledged to assist in repatriating the body of a young Zimbabwean man who was allegedly shot dead in front of his mother during the recent wave of anti-immigrant violence in South Africa. The announcement was made by Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Judith Ncube during a visit to the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa (UCCSA) reception and transit centre in Njube on Wednesday, where Zimbabweans returning from South Africa are receiving temporary assistance before travelling to their home provinces. Ncube said the deceased's mother was among the latest group of returnees and remains deeply traumatised after witnessing the fatal shooting of her son. "She witnessed the killing of her son and arrived here in a traumatised state. She has since received counselling, and Government will assist the family to repatriate his body to Zimbabwe for burial," Ncube said. The minister did not disclose the identity of the deceased or the circumstances surrounding the shooting, but said authorities were working with the family to facilitate the repatriation process. Ncube said Government, working through several ministries, departments and agencies, continues to provide humanitarian assistance to Zimbabweans returning from South Africa following months of anti-immigrant unrest. The support includes temporary accommodation, food assistance, medical care, psychosocial counselling and transport to returnees' respective home districts. She also commended churches, humanitarian organisations, private companies and individuals for complementing Government efforts to assist vulnerable families arriving at reception centres. "The support we have received from our partners has been invaluable in ensuring that returning Zimbabweans are treated with dignity and receive the assistance they need during this difficult period," she said. Meanwhile, humanitarian partners continued to mobilise relief assistance for returnees. The Rotary Club of Matopos donated clothing, including jackets, dresses, blouses, tracksuits and pyjamas, with the items targeted mainly at women and children staying at the transit centre. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints also handed over essential supplies comprising 1,500 kilograms of mealie meal, sanitary pads, 150 blankets and 100 mattresses to support displaced families. The donations are expected to ease pressure on reception facilities as more Zimbabweans continue to return home. The Government has established reception centres in border and urban areas to coordinate the reintegration of returnees following the recent anti-immigrant violence in South Africa. Officials say the centres provide immediate humanitarian assistance while facilitating onward transport to beneficiaries' communities. The latest developments come amid ongoing efforts by Government and humanitarian organisations to support thousands of Zimbabweans affected by the unrest, with authorities urging communities to welcome returnees and assist them in rebuilding their lives. Zimbabweans returning from South Africa

By Southerton Business Times | Harare A proposal by Zaka South legislator Clemence Chiduwa that Zimbabwe should expel South African nationals in retaliation for the treatment of Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa was ruled out of order in the National Assembly on Wednesday. The remarks came during Question Time as Members of Parliament debated the welfare and reintegration of thousands of Zimbabweans returning from South Africa following months of anti-immigrant protests and deportations. Addressing Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, who was representing the Leader of Government Business, Chiduwa questioned whether Zimbabwe should adopt a policy of diplomatic reciprocity. "In Zimbabwe at the moment, we have got at least 25,000 South Africans. In the spirit of diplomatic reciprocity, is there not a need for us to chase South Africans back to South Africa?" Chiduwa asked. Temporary Speaker of the National Assembly Joseph Tshuma immediately ruled the question out of order before the minister could respond. "I will not allow that line of questioning in this House, Hon. Chiduwa," Tshuma said. Despite objections from some legislators, Tshuma maintained that Zimbabwe should not promote hostility towards foreign nationals. "I will allow the minister to respond but we do not, as a people, have that kind of attitude as Zimbabweans, so we will not allow that." Responding to the broader issue, Ziyambi rejected any suggestion that Zimbabwe would retaliate against South African nationals living in the country. "As Zimbabweans, we are friends with everyone. Our culture dictates that if our children visit and they want to come back, we duly take them back. We do not have a policy of chasing away visitors. We have never had that," he said. The minister said Zimbabwe's immigration policy remains guided by the principles of Ubuntu, peaceful coexistence and regional solidarity. He recalled President Emmerson Mnangagwa's 2021/2022 directive instructing the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage to regularise undocumented long-term residents by facilitating access to identity documents. "He even went further and I recall that in Cabinet, he said, if they don't have names, give them yours, let all of them be Kazembe," Ziyambi said, referring to Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe. He added that Zimbabwe would continue to welcome South Africans and other foreign nationals whose immigration documentation complies with the law. "We maintain our ubuntu. We do not want to be dragged into fights on borders that were created by people who are not us and deny our relatives, whether they are in Zambia, Malawi or Botswana," he said. The exchange comes as Parliament continues discussing the return and reintegration of Zimbabweans affected by anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa. Government has previously indicated that more than 100,000 Zimbabweans have returned home since anti-immigrant protests escalated in May, prompting renewed calls for support programmes to assist returnees. Several MPs also raised concerns over reports of attacks on Zimbabwean nationals, destruction of property and loss of livelihoods in South Africa, urging the two governments to strengthen bilateral engagement on migration, the protection of migrants and orderly repatriation. Clemence Chiduwa

By Southerton Business Times | Beitbridge First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has donated food hampers and clothing material to dozens of women in Beitbridge, calling on communities to embrace Zimbabweans returning from neighbouring South Africa and help them reintegrate into society. The donations were handed over during a community outreach programme held at Ronnie's Sports Arena in Beitbridge on Tuesday, where the First Lady also encouraged residents to preserve Zimbabwean cultural values and promote peaceful coexistence. Addressing beneficiaries, Dr Mnangagwa said the initiative was about more than providing material assistance, stressing the importance of unity, compassion and cultural identity. "We are here not just for the donation, but we should learn our culture so we can co-exist in a peaceful and loving manner," she said. The First Lady also urged Beitbridge residents to support Zimbabweans returning home, particularly those who have spent years working in South Africa, saying they should be welcomed and their skills harnessed for national development. "We have brothers and sisters who have returned. Let's incorporate them into the system and utilise the skills they have acquired while in South Africa," she said. Her remarks come as Zimbabwe continues to receive thousands of returning nationals through both voluntary and assisted repatriation programmes, with the Government encouraging communities to support their reintegration into the economy. Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Albert Nguluvhe, commended the First Lady for bringing the outreach programme to the border town, describing Beitbridge as a strategic gateway that should benefit from national development initiatives. "Beitbridge is a gateway to Africa, and it also deserves access to national programmes like these. It uplifts the lives of people here in Beitbridge," Nguluvhe said. "We are grateful for the compassion that you have shown us here in Beitbridge." Beitbridge is Zimbabwe's busiest border post and serves as the country's main trade and transport corridor linking Zimbabwe with South Africa and the wider Southern African region. The town has also become a focal point for government programmes aimed at supporting returning migrants and vulnerable households. The donation programme forms part of the First Lady's ongoing nationwide philanthropic initiatives targeting women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable groups through food assistance, health promotion and livelihood support projects. Community members who attended the event welcomed the donation, saying it would provide relief to vulnerable families facing economic challenges. The First Lady has in recent years led several empowerment and social welfare programmes across Zimbabwe under her Angel of Hope Foundation, focusing on nutrition, maternal health, education, agriculture and income-generating projects for women and youth. Auxillia Mnangagwa

By Percy Nhara | Southerton Business Times HARARE – Two directors of Prime Homes (Private) Limited have appeared before the courts facing fraud charges after allegedly using a forged board resolution to place the company under liquidation and facilitate the sale of a company property valued at US$2 million. Gerald Shupikai Mudzonga (52) and Patricia Taonesa (48) appeared before Harare Regional Magistrate Jessie Kufa, where they were granted free bail pending further investigations. The pair is accused of defrauding Prime Homes and fellow company directors through an alleged scheme involving forged company documents and the attempted disposal of a valuable property in Marlborough. According to the State, Prime Homes purchased a 14.1449-hectare stand in Marlborough in 2025, which was registered under Deed of Transfer No. 5994/83. Prosecutors allege that in April 2025, Mudzonga and Taonesa created a forged board resolution bearing the purported signatures of other company directors. The document was allegedly backdated to 16 July 2024 and falsely indicated that the company's board had resolved to place Prime Homes under voluntary liquidation. The State alleges that the accused submitted the purported resolution to the Master of the High Court in support of an application to liquidate the company, citing mounting debts. Based on the application, the matter was referred to the High Court, which subsequently appointed Oliver Masomera of Obraum Trust Company (Private) Limited as the provisional liquidator. According to court papers, Masomera, acting through Obraum Trust Company, engaged several estate agents to identify potential buyers for the company's assets. Prosecutors say the company's other directors only became aware of the alleged scheme after discovering that one of Prime Homes' properties was being marketed for sale without their knowledge or approval. Before the alleged fraud was detected, the Marlborough property had reportedly been sold to Veromix for US$1.2 million. The court heard that the purchaser had allegedly already paid a US$600,000 deposit, with the outstanding balance expected to be settled upon transfer of ownership and payment of capital gains tax. The State argues that the alleged fraudulent liquidation process exposed Prime Homes to an actual prejudice of US$2 million, representing the property's estimated value. Investigations are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the alleged forged documents, the liquidation application and the subsequent sale of the property. The accused have not yet been asked to plead, and the allegations against them remain before the court. Prime Homes fraud case

By Southerton Business Times | Harare Chelsea Tariro Hlomayi, the mother of one of Zimbabwean rapper Holy Ten's children, has publicly alleged that she was subjected to verbal and physical abuse by her new boyfriend, sharing her account on social media alongside photographs she says show injuries she sustained during the relationship. In an emotional Facebook post published on Thursday, 16 July 2026, Hlomayi said she had remained silent for six months before deciding to speak out about her experience. "After six months, I'm done being silent," she wrote. Hlomayi alleged that the relationship began with verbal abuse before escalating into physical violence. "I was in a relationship where what started as verbal abuse became physical. I was accused of things I didn't do, degraded, and blamed for sleeping around with his friend," she wrote. She further claimed that she was repeatedly blamed for problems in the relationship and emotionally manipulated. Accompanying the post were photographs of the man she was referring to, although she did not identify him by name. She also shared images showing cuts and bruises which she alleged were sustained during the relationship. In her statement, Hlomayi also alleged that substance abuse played a role in the relationship. "I was introduced to substance abuse. I never touched cocaine, but I watched it destroy the person I loved daily," she wrote. She added: "I never did anything to deserve being beaten and broken down." Southerton Business Times has not independently verified Hlomayi's allegations. The man referred to in the post had not publicly responded to the claims at the time of publication, and he has not been charged with any offence in connection with the allegations. Hlomayi said she decided to share her experience because she no longer wanted to suffer in silence. "I'm sharing this because I'm tired of being blamed and shamed," she wrote. She also encouraged women who may be experiencing abusive relationships to prioritise their safety and wellbeing. "To any woman going through this: You deserve peace," she said. Concluding her statement, she wrote: "I chose to leave. I choose me." The post quickly gained traction on Facebook, attracting hundreds of reactions, comments and shares. Many social media users expressed support for Hlomayi and commended her for speaking publicly about the alleged abuse, while others urged caution and called for the unnamed man to respond before conclusions are drawn. Domestic violence remains a significant social issue in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Gender Commission and women's rights organisations have consistently encouraged survivors to report abuse and seek assistance through the police, counselling services and support organisations. The country's Domestic Violence Act provides legal protection for survivors of physical, emotional, sexual and economic abuse. As of Thursday, 16 July 2026, no public response from the man identified in Hlomayi's photographs had been located. Editor's Note: This report contains allegations made by Chelsea Tariro Hlomayi on her social media account. The allegations have not been tested in court, and the individual concerned has not publicly responded. Southerton Business Times will update this story if a response is received. Chelsea Tariro Hlomayi

By Simbarashe Namusi Thursday, July 16, 2026 Mai Chibaya has been queuing since 5:40 am. She knows this because the man behind her checks his phone every ninety seconds and announces the time like a town crier nobody asked for. She does not need him. She has the queue in her bones. Nobody wrote the rules for this queue. Nobody needed to. And somewhere in that fact is a business lesson most formal enterprises in this country still refuse to learn. You do not jump the queue. You do not send a child to hold your place and arrive forty minutes later with an excuse. You do not argue with the hwindi about the fare once you are already moving, because the road has made you complicit. There is no Ministry of Kombi Affairs, no standard operating manual, no compliance officer. And yet the system holds. It processes thousands of commuters a day, collects fares in real time, prices dynamically for fuel and demand, and largely polices itself without a single formal enforcement structure. Any operations consultant would call that a remarkably efficient system. Nobody in a boardroom designed it. Further down the rank, another scene unfolds. A young man tries the old trick. He walks past the queue as though headed elsewhere, then peels off at the last second towards the door of an arriving kombi. Nobody raises their voice. Three men quietly close the gap he tried to open. The conductor, without looking up from counting change, tells him to go to the back. He goes. No manager is summoned. No incident report is filed. The correction is instant, cheap and final. While economists debate transaction costs and organisational behaviour, Mai Chibaya would simply say the queue knows who arrived first. That simple understanding carries more authority than many workplace policy manuals. This is the part formal business in Zimbabwe should sit with. The informal transport sector, kombis, mushikashika, and the whole licensed and unlicensed ecosystem, runs on a governance model with almost zero overhead. Compare that to the cost structures many registered businesses carry: compliance departments, HR processes, disciplinary hearings that take weeks to resolve a dispute the kombi rank would settle in four seconds. That overhead exists for good reason: accountability, fairness and paper trails that protect against abuse. But it also means the formal sector pays a real cost for its order, while the informal sector gets much of its order almost free, enforced peer-to-peer, in real time, at the point of transaction. This is not an argument for informality over regulation. The kombi rank is not virtuous. It is enforced as much by consequence as by custom. The next kombi is not guaranteed, fares are not always predictable, and a crew will leave you behind without ceremony if you are not alert. Workers in this sector have no pension, no medical aid and little recourse when they are exploited or short-changed. The efficiency is real. So is the exploitation on which much of it rests. Any serious reading of Zimbabwe's informal economy must hold both truths at once. But the efficiency itself deserves attention because it is no accident. It is a pricing and incentive system operating with remarkably little formal infrastructure. Estimates have placed Zimbabwe's informal economy at well over 60 percent of total economic activity, making it one of the largest informal sectors in the world. Every kombi rank solves the same problem every morning: moving thousands of strangers in the right direction with almost no paperwork, no timetable, and no central control. No fixed schedule, no subsidy, no major state investment. Yet, somehow, every morning, thousands of people get to work. The lesson for formal enterprise is not to deregulate. It is narrower, and far more useful than that. Informal systems succeed where they attach consequence directly to behaviour, without delay and with little ambiguity. Formal systems succeed where they protect people the informal sector cannot. The businesses that thrive in Zimbabwe's current environment are often those that borrow the first while still offering the second: fast, visible consequences for underperformance, paired with the protections that informal work denies its workers. Mai Chibaya boards the third kombi of the morning. She has lost forty minutes and gained nothing except the seat she was always going to get eventually. She will never think of the morning as a lesson in decentralised governance. She would probably laugh if you suggested it. But the rank moved. It priced itself correctly. It corrected bad behaviour twice before breakfast. And it cost the operator almost nothing to enforce. Most businesses in this country would pay a great deal for a system that runs that clean. Simbarashe Namusi is a media expert, peace, leadership, and governance scholar writing in his personal capacity. Zimbabwe informal economy kombi transport

By Southerton Business Times | Harare The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has urged content creators and social media influencers to comply with the country's medicines advertising laws amid growing concern over the promotion of unregistered medicines and misleading health products on digital platforms. Speaking during an engagement meeting with influencers and digital content creators in Harare on Wednesday, MCAZ Public Relations Officer Davidson Kaiyo said the regulator had opted to educate creators rather than immediately pursue enforcement action under the Medicines and Allied Substances Control Act [Chapter 15:03]. The meeting comes as social media platforms increasingly become a source of health information and product marketing, raising concerns over the spread of unverified medical claims and the promotion of medicines that have not been approved for sale in Zimbabwe. "We noted the proliferation of advertising of medicines by our content creators and realised that, while some of those adverts were contrary to the law, many of the creators were simply unaware of the legal requirements," Kaiyo said. "We felt that instead of simply taking enforcement action, it was important to engage them so that they understand the procedures that must be followed before advertising medicines." He said MCAZ recognises the growing influence of digital creators in shaping public opinion and consumer behaviour. "We want to create synergy because content creators are now carrying the voice of the people and are setting the pace in storytelling and content creation," he said. Kaiyo warned that the rapid expansion of social media has amplified the reach of misinformation, making compliance with medicines regulations more critical than ever. "A single unregulated post promoting a substandard or falsified medicine can reach more Zimbabweans in an hour than a public health warning reaches in a week," he said. "That is the responsibility this room carries. MCAZ is not here to police creativity or restrict freedom of expression. We are here to build a partnership because compliance and creativity are not opposites. This is about protecting lives." Under Zimbabwean law, medicines and medical products may only be advertised after receiving approval from MCAZ, and products must generally be registered with the authority before they can be legally marketed. The regulator has repeatedly warned against the sale and promotion of counterfeit, unregistered and falsified medicines, citing risks to public health. Brand influencer Lorraine Guyo acknowledged that many content creators had unknowingly violated the law due to limited awareness of the regulatory requirements. However, she urged MCAZ to review its advertising approval timelines to better accommodate the fast-paced nature of digital marketing. "They told us that approval can take up to 60 days, which is quite long for us because we are in business and need to work promptly," Guyo said. She also called for wider public awareness campaigns, noting that many content creators were unable to attend the Harare meeting. "It's also important for MCAZ to increase awareness because not all content creators attended this meeting," she said. The engagement forms part of MCAZ's broader efforts to strengthen regulatory compliance while promoting responsible digital advertising as Zimbabwe's influencer economy continues to expand. MCAZ Zimbabwe