By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Harare The Health Professions Authority of Zimbabwe (HPAZ) has shut down 49 illegal health facilities so far this year, including drug and substance abuse rehabilitation centres, following inspections and reports from members of the public. In a public notice, HPAZ secretary-general Clotilda Chimbwanda said the closures targeted institutions operating without proper registration, qualified personnel or suitable premises, raising concerns about patient safety and the quality of care provided. Chimbwanda warned that seeking treatment at unregistered facilities could expose patients to substandard services, harmful practices and abuse, particularly in settings offering medical treatment and rehabilitation services. “Seeking treatment at unregistered health facilities poses severe risks to patients, including substandard care, exposure to unproven or harmful treatments, patient abuse and neglect, as well as a complete lack of legal recourse in cases of malpractice or harm,” she said. She added that some illegal facilities operated outside Zimbabwe's regulatory framework and failed to follow established medical protocols. The authority urged patients, relatives and caregivers to verify a facility's registration before committing to medical treatment or rehabilitation programmes. According to HPAZ, members of the public should check for a valid certificate of institutional registration issued by the authority, a current practising certificate from the relevant professional council and any other applicable certificates. The warning is particularly relevant to families seeking assistance for loved ones affected by drug and substance abuse, who may be vulnerable when searching for treatment and rehabilitation services. HPAZ urged anyone who suspects that a health facility is operating illegally to report it to the nearest police station or contact the authority directly. The authority's warning highlights the importance of checking the regulatory status of health institutions before seeking treatment, as registration and professional credentials help establish whether providers meet the applicable requirements. Members of the public are encouraged to seek services from appropriately registered facilities and qualified professionals to reduce the risk of unsafe or unregulated treatment. Illegal health facilities in Zimbabwe

By Mpundu Valerie DISCLAIMER: This content is for health awareness and education only. It is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every person's condition is different. Please visit your nearest health facility and consult a qualified healthcare professional for screening, diagnosis, and care. Baba James was 52, a kombi driver from Glen View 3. He was the man who woke up at 4 am, drank strong black tea, and always had the same answer whenever someone asked how he was doing. “I'm fine.” In late 2024, however, something changed. He started visiting the toilet more frequently. He would finish, only to feel the urge to go again 20 minutes later. Sometimes, nothing came out except mucus. Then, one morning, he saw bright red blood in the toilet bowl. He flushed quickly and said nothing to his wife. “Mapiles,” he told himself. The men at the rank all said so. He bought herbs from the market. Sat in salty water. Stopped eating beans. But the ache on his left side never left. Walking home from the rank, a road he knew for 15 years now left him breathless. His trousers hung loose. He had lost 8kg without trying. His daughter Chipo, a nurse aide, confronted him. "Baba, four times this morning. I saw blood." He was angry from shame. Fathers don't talk about this with daughters. She returned with a pamphlet and read aloud: - Blood in stool - Change in bowel habits that doesn't go away - Persistent stomach cramps and pain - Constant tiredness and weakness - Unexplained weight loss He had all five. The local clinic referred him for tests. Colonoscopy. Biopsy. Stage 2 colorectal adenocarcinoma. The doctor said: "You are lucky it hasn't spread beyond the colon wall. Six months later, this would be a different conversation." Surgery removed part of his colon. For three weeks he lived with a colostomy bag. He wept when he first saw it. Then came chemotherapy nausea, hair loss, long nights of prayer- oh, he prayed!! He survived. Today Baba James is back behind the wheel. He lifts his shirt at the rank and shows his scar. "I thought it was piles," he tells the other men. "Piles almost killed me." Many of us whisper about cancer of the bottom. That silence is killing our fathers, brothers, and husbands. Colorectal cancer is common, but it is treatable when found. Screening recommendations depend on a person's age, family history, risk factors, and local medical guidance. Adults aged 45 and older should discuss appropriate colorectal cancer screening with a qualified healthcare professional. Anyone experiencing concerning symptoms should seek assessment regardless of age. Too often, conversations about bowel problems are buried beneath shame and silence. Men may fear appearing weak, while others may delay seeking help because they assume the problem is minor. But silence does not make symptoms disappear. Baba James's experience reminds us of the importance of paying attention to changes in our bodies and encouraging loved ones to seek help when something is wrong. Sometimes, the person who saves a life is the one who refuses to stay quiet. If you have experienced cancer or supported someone through the journey, kindly share your story on 263 774 778 179. Your experience may encourage someone else to seek help. #CancerAwareness #EarlyDetectionSavesLives Colorectal cancer warning signs

By Mpundu Valerie I was 10. Sunday night, 2006. ZTV was actually showing WWE live for once, no church program cutting it. It was John Cena vs Edge, TLC match at Unforgiven. Ladders everywhere. My whole hood was at our house because we had the only TV with a clear picture. No one breathing. Edge climbs the ladder. He's about to grab the belt. My uncle shouts, "GEVHA!" Then Cena does it. FU from the top of the ladder through two tables! BOOM! The crowd in our living room went CRAZY. We were jumping on the floor, grandma shouting "Vamuuraya!" Edge is not moving. Like, dead. The ref counts 1... 2... 3... Cena wins. I went to school the next day as John Cena. Wristband made from socks. "You can't see me," to my teacher. She beat me. I came back home ready for the replay. My older brother was watching the news. He laughed and said, "Ah, you still watch this fake acting? These guys are friends, they eat lunch together after. That blood is paint." I said, "You're lying." He pulled up YouTube the first time I saw behind-the-scenes footage. Edge and Cena laughing backstage. Hugging. My heart broke!!!! ntintinti I watched it again, and all I could see was acting. The way they punch but don't touch. The way they scream too loud. I just stood up, switched it off, and said, "I'm done." It was that time I realised Father Christmas was my uncle. Same pain. Same betrayal. One day you think magic is real, next day you see Baba vaTindo in your mother's red dress, fake beard falling off, drunk, trying to put your own school shoes you lost last term inside a box and calling it a gift from the North Pole. The Day I Stopped Watching Wrestling

By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Harare A veld fire has killed a woman and destroyed homesteads, property and grazing land in Machacha, Ward 14, prompting Tongogara Rural District Council to warn communities against starting uncontrolled fires as the hot and windy season approaches. Tongogara RDC chairperson Councillor Wilbert Rambanapasi confirmed the incident too, expressing sorrow over the death of a villager identified as Zvinemo and the destruction caused by the fire. “I have received with deep sorrow the tragic news of a veld fire in Machacha, Ward 14, which has destroyed vast grazing lands, burnt homesteads and sadly claimed the life of Zvinemo,” Rambanapasi said. According to sources, Zvinemo died while attempting to remove thatching grass from her two-roomed house after realising that the approaching fire had reached her homestead. The fire reportedly started at farms in Ward 7 before spreading to several villages, where it destroyed houses and property at Chambodini, Makopa, Mazorodze and Madhlanadzo. The destruction has also affected grazing land, threatening resources that local communities depend on to sustain their livestock and livelihoods. Rambanapasi warned residents against starting veld fires, saying those responsible would face legal consequences. “Starting veld fires is a serious offence. Veld fires destroy our livelihoods. We are killing the very soils we need to plough and get good yields from. We are killing our livestock by destroying grazing lands and killing wild animals,” he said. He urged villagers, traditional leaders and farmers to exercise caution as temperatures rise and windy conditions increase the risk of fires spreading rapidly. Ward 14 councillor Emmanuel Dhaidhai also confirmed that several properties had been destroyed. The incident highlights the potential human and economic cost of uncontrolled veld fires, which can spread across farms and villages, destroying homes, grazing areas and other property. Residents are being urged to avoid starting fires that could spread beyond their intended areas and to exercise caution when carrying out activities involving open flames. Further details on the extent of the damage, the number of households affected and whether any assistance will be provided to the affected families were not available in the information provided. Machacha veld fire

By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Harare The Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) has reportedly ordered about 600 home-seekers to stop developing residential stands at Gertnel Farm in Chatsworth Business Centre, Gutu, claiming the land belongs to the military. The affected residents bought the stands from Gutu Rural District Council (RDC), with some transactions dating back to 2018. While some families have already built houses and moved in, others are still constructing their homes. Each stand reportedly cost US$3,000 or more, leaving residents worried about losing savings and investments made over several years. According to the Masvingo Mirror, soldiers have been deployed to the area to prevent further development. The residents say they hold leases and inspection forms issued by Gutu RDC as proof of their purchases. Gutu RDC chief executive Alexander Mutembwa confirmed the dispute, saying the council was engaging the military to establish the boundaries. “There is an issue over the stands which council sold in Chatsworth. We are engaging the military and will hold a meeting with its leadership to discuss the boundaries,” Mutembwa said. Asked whether the council would compensate residents if the stands could not be regularised, Mutembwa said the matter had not reached that stage. The dispute has raised uncertainty among families who say they purchased the land through the local authority and invested in building materials and construction. 4 Brigade public relations officer Emmanuel Muchazivepi referred questions to the ZNA Public Relations Directorate in Harare. A senior military official told Masvingo Mirror that Gertnel Farm had belonged to the army since the Rhodesian era. The official reportedly dismissed the transactions between residents and Gutu RDC as “Sabhuku deals” and said the military would not accept responsibility for them. However, residents insist they bought their stands directly from the council. “We bought these stands from Gutu RDC, and we have all the necessary papers, including leases and inspection forms issued by council,” said Rejoice Nheya. Another resident, who declined to be named, said he bought his stand in 2022 while serving at 4.3 Brigade in Gutu. He said military leaders had assured officers at the time that there was no problem with the stands. “Shockingly, the same army which gave its officers the green light to buy the stands is now saying the farm belongs to it,” he said. The resident said he had invested more than US$3,000 from his earnings and claimed that more than 15 military officers had also purchased stands in the area. Some of their houses are at various stages of construction. “It is painful to be stopped after spending years saving and investing in the stand. It feels like losing everything,” he said. Another stand-holder, Tafara Chavizha, said residents had held several meetings with the council but had yet to see progress towards resolving the dispute. “We paid everything to Gutu RDC and all our papers are in order. We have held several meetings with the council, which promised to engage the army, but there is no progress,” Chavizha said. The ownership of Gertnel Farm remains contested, with another military source disputing the claim that the property belongs to the army. The source said the military’s shooting ranch was in Bikita and that the Chatsworth farm had only been borrowed by the army for a limited period. The conflicting accounts have left residents uncertain about the status of their purchases and the future of their homes. The dispute now centres on establishing ownership of the land, clarifying the boundaries and determining the validity of the stands sold by Gutu RDC. No final resolution or compensation arrangement had been reported in the information available at the time of publication. Gertnel Farm land dispute

By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Harare The High Court has dismissed a US$520,000 claim against Avenues Clinic over the death of former banker Francis Nyadundu, ruling that his family had failed to present expert medical evidence linking the hospital’s alleged negligence to his fatal fall from a hospital bed. Justice Zimba-Dube granted absolution from the instance to Medical Investments (Private) Limited, which operates the Harare-based private hospital, after finding that the family had not established a sufficient case of negligence and causation. Nyadundu’s widow, Sheila, and their children, Mutsa and Takunda, were ordered to pay the clinic’s legal costs. The case arose from Nyadundu’s death in March 2024, after he reportedly fell from his hospital bed while being treated for liver cirrhosis. According to evidence presented by the family, Nyadundu had been stable and was awaiting medication ahead of his expected discharge when the incident occurred. The family said he fell from his bed in the early hours of March 10, suffering serious head injuries that proved fatal. Testifying before the High Court, Takunda said his father had been given lorazepam for restlessness. Nursing notes reportedly recorded an attempt by Nyadundu to climb out of bed before staff raised the bed rails. The family alleged that they were initially informed only that his condition had deteriorated. They said they discovered injuries to his head and face when they arrived at the hospital. A postmortem examination recorded the cause of death as subarachnoid haemorrhage, a skull vault fracture and head trauma. Family Alleges Negligence The plaintiffs accused Avenues Clinic of failing to adequately monitor a restless patient who was at risk of falling, provide urgent treatment after the incident, and fully disclose the circumstances surrounding his death. They also told the court that the loss had caused significant emotional and financial hardship. Sheila reportedly developed hypertension and depression following her husband's death, while Takunda took over his late father's farm to support her. The clinic denied negligence, arguing that Nyadundu had several serious underlying medical conditions and that the care provided was consistent with his treatment plan and his doctor's instructions. At the close of the family's case, the hospital applied for absolution from the instance, arguing that the plaintiffs had failed to produce expert medical evidence establishing the standard of care expected of its staff, any breach of that standard and a causal connection between the alleged failures and Nyadundu's death. Judge Says Expert Evidence Was Necessary Justice Zimba-Dube accepted that the hospital owed Nyadundu a duty of care but found that the family had not demonstrated that the duty had been breached. The judge said the plaintiffs were not qualified to determine whether the patient's monitoring intervals met acceptable medical standards. “The plaintiffs cannot authoritatively speak to whether the monitoring intervals were reasonable, sufficient or to the acceptable standard as they are not medical experts,” she said. The court noted that the nursing records suggested staff had anticipated the risk of a fall. However, the family had not presented expert evidence showing what additional precautions should have been taken or why the measures documented were inadequate. The judge also found that no expert evidence had been provided to demonstrate that a faster medical response following the fall would have prevented Nyadundu's death. “A fall alone in a hospital setting resulting in death of a patient cannot raise inferences of negligence without exploring the circumstances of the fall and evidence from a medical expert,” she ruled. The court further held that the postmortem findings established the medical causes of death but did not, on their own, prove that the hospital's conduct caused the fall or the fatal injuries. The judge also found deficiencies in the children's claims for loss of financial support, noting that they had not adequately demonstrated the support their father had provided and the losses they suffered following his death. US$520,000 Claim Ends Without Damages Assessment With the family having failed to establish a prima facie case of negligence and causation, the court granted absolution from the instance without proceeding to assess the damages claimed. “Having failed to satisfy the fault element, the defendant has nothing to rebut and is entitled to absolution from the instance,” Justice Zimba-Dube said. The ruling brings the US$520,000 claim to an end at this stage of the proceedings. The court's decision turned on the sufficiency of the evidence presented by the family, particularly the absence of expert medical evidence connecting the alleged shortcomings in care to Nyadundu's death. Avenues Clinic US$520,000 court case

By Daniel Tarisayi (Licensed Psychologist) What Pushes People to the Edge? Several factors can cause people to become angry or emotionally overwhelmed. Relationship challenges such as criticism, feeling disrespected, or lack of appreciation can trigger strong emotional reactions. Personal difficulties such as fatigue, failure, rejection, and disappointment can also increase emotional pressure. Environmental stressors, including financial problems, work demands, and uncertainty about the future, may further contribute to anger and frustration. Many individuals carry these pressures silently until they reach a breaking point. This is why learning healthy ways to manage emotions is essential. The Biology of Anger Anger is more than an emotional experience; it also involves physical changes in the body. When a person perceives a threat, the brain activates stress-response systems that prepare the body to respond. This response can increase heart rate, raise blood pressure, quicken breathing, and tense muscles. These changes are part of the body's preparation for action, whether the perceived threat is physical or emotional. Fear and anger can both activate these stress responses, although the precise reactions vary from person to person and situation to situation. The body's response may prepare someone to confront a threat, escape from it, or protect themselves. Positive emotions, including happiness, can also influence how people experience stress and regulate their feelings. However, emotional responses are complex, and no single brain mechanism explains every feeling or behaviour. Understanding these physical reactions is important because intense emotions can affect concentration, judgement and decision-making. When anger rises sharply, a person may interrupt, shout, make hurtful remarks or act impulsively, only to regret the consequences later. This does not mean anger is inherently wrong. Anger can signal that a person feels hurt, threatened, frustrated, or treated unfairly. The challenge lies in recognising the emotion and choosing an appropriate response. One useful strategy is to pause before reacting. Taking a few slow breaths, stepping away from a heated discussion when it is safe to do so, and returning to the conversation once emotions have settled can help create space for clearer thinking. The goal is not to suppress anger but to understand it and express it without harming oneself or others. In conflict resolution, the pause between feeling angry and acting on that anger can make a significant difference. Learning to recognise emotional triggers and regulate physical responses can help people communicate more effectively, resolve disagreements, and build stronger relationships. Anger management and conflict resolution

By Mpundu Valerie My mom always says I was born twice. The first time from her womb, the second time from her tears. She was 17. Form 3. Head girl material. The only child her parents were well pleased with until she got pregnant. She had sowed and tried to reap in someone's field, unbeknownst to her, someone was already tending the same field. The field had a name. Thabo. When she told him, he just said, "I'm married. You should have known better." Just like that, the father became a ghost story. Grandma and Grandpa couldn't bear the shame. Their little angel had become devilish overnight. They chased her away from the house that had milk and honey, and she ended up staying at a church, sleeping on a bench, raising her own school fees with a belly. She told me she used to toil day and night, selling tomatoes at the market, washing people's clothes, while her own parents were eating chicken just 3 streets away. She often felt like giving up. Sometimes she sat by the river and just stared at the water. Then I came. I didn't cry when I was born. I shined. Pale white. Rough, coarse hair. No melanin. Albino. When my grandparents heard, their anger escalated. To them, the gods had punished her. Proof that she had stolen another woman's husband. A tomfoolery mistake made as a child, now written on a baby's skin for the whole village to see. The real suffering started after that. She suffered and endured stares, gazes, names, and threats. They called me "sope", "ghost", "money". She was told I was intended for rituals. That my bones could make someone rich. She had to guard me jealously. She couldn't even leave me sleeping alone because of the myths surrounding my condition. The troubles she went through, she has only told me half. The rest remains buried, suppressed within the deepest cores of her heart. Then lady luck smiled on her. A woman from the church, Mrs. Moyo, took us in. Paid her fees. Helped her finish school. My mom passed. Got a job as a teacher. Slowly, slowly, she built. But she didn't know she was building a king. Fast forward to today. That child they said was a curse? That child they said was meant for rituals? He now makes sure the woman who guarded him jealously eats, breathes, and lives in luxury. My mom no longer toils day and night. Her hands that used to wash other people's clothes now get manicures every Friday. The girl who was chased away from a house with milk and honey now has her own house with milk, honey, and a double-door fridge she doesn't know how to fully stock. Here's the plot twist no one saw coming? Grandma and Grandpa now live with us. Yes. The same Grandma and Grandpa who chased her away for bringing shame. The same ones who said their little angel had become devilish. They now live in the very luxury they said would never come from this child. Grandma now sits on a couch she didn't buy, watching a TV she didn't pay for, telling visitors, "My grandson is albino, but he shines like gold." Grandpa, who once said "we want nothing to do with her," now wants everything to do with us. He asks for seconds at lunch in a house built by the pale white baby with rough, coarse hair he once called a punishment from the gods. We live like that. All of us under one roof. Shame brought us full circle. The house that chased us now lives inside the house we built. Thabo, who was married? He now sends Facebook requests. We leave him on seen. She sowed in the wrong field, yes. But she reaped me, and I made sure her reaping was worth every stare, every threat, every tear she ever shed, so much that even those who chased her now eat from it. They called me "white gold" for rituals. Joke's on them I really did become white gold. For her. For us. A mother’s journey through rejection and triumph

By Mpundu Valerie DISCLAIMER: No lightening creams were harmed or endorsed in writing this story. We have nothing against skin-lightening creams or those who use them. Everyone is free to make their own choices. This story is shared for cancer-awareness purposes. In our family group, we have a celebrity. A legend. A woman who was on top of her game once. My Aunty Thandie was not just a "CSW", she was THE "CSW", the one they sent to train the other girls. She knew how to swim with the sharks and came back leading the pack. While others were still learning how to charge, she was already charging consultation fees. In her time, as they say now, she was "hotter dan water inna tea kettle" - top of the charts, undisputed champion. My mom loves talking about her in the family group. Whenever she speaks of her beloved sister, her face lights up half adoration, half "this girl was too good at being bad." Aunty Thandie was light-skinned and the deputy parent to my mom who was the complete opposite. Aunty Thandie was married to a white man. Probably the life she had always dreamt of. The perfect retirement package after a very successful career. If you were to put my mom and Aunty side by side back then, you'd swear they were never sisters. My mom was and still is dark as night, while Aunty had peeled off a whole layer trying to lighten herself. My mom types openly in the group that her older sister had her fair share of fun before she finally settled for Craig, the white guy who would buy her more skin-lightening creams. Lifetime supply. The ultimate pension fund. At some point, our top performer came to the family group seeking help because her wound wouldn't heal. "They said they can't stitch it," she said, showing her shin. A small sore that had decided to become a permanent resident. My mom replied: "It's that mercury you apply. Do you even read what's in those creams?" That exchange went on for as long as I can remember, then fell into that silence that meant they were now on a private call having a deep conversation. The wound became persistent. She abandoned her usual creams for a jar of Vaseline. It was then I realized she was as dark as night. The dermatologist took one look, took a biopsy, and said the word no one expected in a skin-lightening story. Skin cancer. Caused by years of bleaching creams. The satire was too much. The woman who invested her whole fortune to erase her blackness was almost killed by the eraser. "Light & Lovely" had become "Burn & Biopsy." But we thank God we caught it early. Stage 1. Cut it out, clean margins, no chemo. She survived. She made a vow that day that still stands in our family group: she never wants to see anything that says "lightening" on her skin again. Last week Craig asked her to buy her creams from town. She typed: "Craig darling, if you want a light-skinned wife, go marry a light bulb. I am staying pitch black." These days we don't call her Aunty Thandie anymore. We call her The Dark Knight. Not because she flies around at night saving people, but because she finally stopped trying to erase the night from her own skin. On her dressing table, where there used to be 12 shades of Fair & White, there is now only one jar of Vaseline Blue Seal, plus a small scar on her leg she calls her receipt. Her story is a reminder to ask questions, understand what we put on our bodies, and seek professional advice when something does not seem right. As the theme says, every story is unique. And sometimes, the most powerful transformation is not becoming lighter. It is learning to live comfortably in your own skin. Have a personal journey you would like to share? Contact us on +263 774 778 179. Skin cancer awareness story

By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Gweru A 38-year-old Gweru woman who scalded a one-year-old child with hot oil and burnt her back with a log in an alleged revenge attack against the child’s mother has been sentenced to 315 hours of community service. Netsai Chitambira, of 1728 Jairos Jiri, Riverside, was sentenced by Gweru magistrate Deon Chiroyi on Tuesday after being convicted of unlawfully causing harm to the minor. The court heard that Chitambira attacked the child on two separate occasions in May 2026, following a dispute with the child’s mother, who lives in the same neighbourhood. On May 2, at around 4 pm, Chitambira was cooking outside her house while the child and other children played near the fireplace. The court heard that Chitambira threw hot oil on the one-year-old, scalding the child’s leg. Two days later, she allegedly used a log to burn the child’s back. The child’s mother later noticed the injuries and reported the matter to the police. A medical report was subsequently compiled. Chitambira was ordered to perform 315 hours of community service at the Gweru Military Museum. Christine Chidembo prosecuted the case. Gweru woman sentenced for burning toddler

By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Harare Uncertainty surrounding the purported recall of Bulawayo Mayor David Coltart and four Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislators has deepened after a faction led by self-styled party secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu denied initiating the move. In a statement issued on Friday, Tshabangu’s faction distanced itself from the reported recalls, denying that it had written to Parliament and the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to notify them of the alleged developments. Those reportedly targeted are Coltart, Senator Ivumile Kucaca Phulu, Bulawayo Central legislator Surrender Kepoikilu, Mbizo MP Carban Madzivanyika and Epworth North MP Togarepi Zivai Mhetu. The faction’s denial has raised questions about the origin of the purported recall notices and the identity of those responsible for issuing them. CCC interim spokesperson Nqobizitha Mlilo also dismissed the reported recalls, saying they had no factual, political or legal basis and did not represent the party’s position. The competing statements have left the status of the alleged recalls unclear, with neither the reported notices nor their origins established in the information available. The developments come amid continuing divisions within the CCC, where rival claims of authority have previously complicated questions surrounding party representation and the status of elected officials. However, the latest statements have not resolved who initiated the purported move or whether the relevant authorities received formal recall notices. David Coltart purported recall

By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Harare Zanu-PF’s inaugural President’s Ball has raised more than US$9 million, exceeding its US$6 million target as the ruling party mobilises funds for its forthcoming national conference in Chinhoyi. The fundraising dinner featured an auction of personal academic and professional memorabilia belonging to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, including records from his 1975 graduation class at the University of Zambia (UNZA), his dissertation, graduation certificate and a framed photograph commemorating his admission to the Bar in 1976. The amount raised exceeds the original target by more than US$3 million, providing a significant fundraising boost ahead of the party’s national gathering scheduled for October 12 to 17. The event brought together party leaders and invited guests as Zanu-PF sought financial support for preparations for the conference. The auction of Mnangagwa’s academic and professional records formed part of the evening’s fundraising activities, with the items reflecting milestones in the President’s education and legal career. The President’s Ball marks a fundraising initiative aimed at supporting the logistical and organisational requirements of the party’s forthcoming conference. The gathering is scheduled to take place in Chinhoyi, Mashonaland West Province, from October 12 to 17. Zanu-PF President’s Ball raises US$9 million