In the Press

HEADLINES

Govt Backtracks On 75pc Local Ownership Requirement For Telecoms
Bulawayo's Magwegwe & Pumula Flagged As New HIV Hotspots
Ex-soldiers Launch Party to Challenge ED Term Extension
Teachers Petition Rights Commission Over PSC Tragic Bungling
SDA Evangelist Marufu Cyberbulling Case Collapses
Bindura Man Uses Razor Blade To Cut Wife’s Private Parts During Intimate Moment
Zimbabweans, Malawians Arrested as City of Joburg Targets Illegal Occupation of Sandton Properties
Congo Says Number of Confirmed Ebola Cases Rises to 1,502
Heat Wave Disrupts Fourth of July Events Across US, Strains Power Grids
*Russian Defence Ministry Says its Forces Captured Kostiantynivka in Eastern Ukraine
Russia's Military Told Russian President*
Argentina 3-2 Cape Verde (AET): Messi Through as Holders Survive Scare to Reach World Cup last 16
STORIES IN DETAIL:

Govt Backtracks On 75pc Local Ownership Requirement For Telecoms
The government has repealed a regulation that required telecommunications companies to be at least 75% Zimbabwean-owned, weeks after it was introduced.

Statutory Instrument 111 of 2026, gazetted by the Minister of Information, Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services, repeals SI 101 of 2026.

SI 101, published last month, had capped foreign ownership of telecoms licensees at 25%. It gave existing operators 90 days to submit plans showing how they would adjust their shareholding structures to comply, and three years to meet the 75% local ownership threshold.

The new regulations, cited as the Postal and Telecommunications (Ownership Requirements for Licences) (Repeal) Regulations, 2026, were made in terms of section 99 of the Postal and Telecommunications Act [Chapter 12:05] after consultation with the Authority.

The repeal takes effect immediately and removes the local shareholding requirement for the sector.

SI 101 had raised concern among industry players who warned the rule could deter foreign investment and complicate operations for firms with significant offshore shareholding.

Major operators in Zimbabwe’s telecoms sector include Econet Wireless, NetOne, Telecel and Liquid Intelligent Technologies.
Pindula

Bulawayo's Magwegwe & Pumula Flagged As New HIV Hotspots
The City of Bulawayo has intensified efforts to curb new HIV infections after Magwegwe and Pumula were identified as emerging HIV hotspots. There are growing fears that the city’s struggle with drug and substance abuse could worsen the spread of the virus.

According to the latest council minutes, councillors raised concerns about the rise in new HIV infections in the two high-density suburbs. The National Aids Council (NAC) had flagged them as areas of concern.

The issue was discussed during deliberations on the Health Promotion Unit, where councillors called for stronger interventions to reverse the trend.

Councillor Perseverance Nyathi said the resurgence of HIV infections was alarming, especially as Bulawayo continues to grapple with drug and substance abuse among young people.

“The National Aids Council has flagged Magwegwe and Pumula as new HIV hotspots in the city,” said Nyathi.

“Currently, the city is battling with drug and substance abuse, and the HIV and AIDS challenge is now recurring.

“I would like to know the Council’s strategy in reducing and eradicating new HIV infections in these areas.”

Ward 23 Councillor Ntombizodwa Khumalo said the local authority was working closely with various stakeholders to contain the spread of HIV in the affected suburbs.

Responding to the concerns, she said the council’s goal was to eliminate new HIV infections through strengthened partnerships and sustained public awareness campaigns.

“Council is engaging other partners to deal with HIV infections in the mentioned areas. Our major target is to achieve zero new HIV infections. Campaigns on drug and substance abuse will also continue,” said Khumalo.

She said the fight against HIV could not be separated from efforts to curb drug and substance abuse, noting that the two challenges were increasingly intertwined.

The Health, Housing and Education Committee’s recommendations were subsequently adopted by council, clearing the way for ongoing efforts to curb new HIV infections and bolster prevention programmes. B-Metro

Ex-soldiers Launch Party to Challenge ED Term Extension
SOME retired and former serving members of the country’s security service have launched a new political party, with its leadership pledging to restore discipline and accountability while challenging the government’s handling of national affairs.

The launch comes amid mounting opposition from retired soldiers and former security personnel to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s push to extend his tenure beyond the constitutional two-term limit, a move that has deepened factionalism within Zanu PF.

The Constitution Amendment No 3 Bill (CAB 3), which seeks to extend presidential and parliamentary terms and transfer the power to elect the president from the public to Parliament, has already sailed through the National Assembly and Senate.

This is despite widespread criticism from civil society, opposition parties and some ruling party insiders.

Guardians of Zimbabwe president Moses Kumbweya, a former security officer, said the movement had been born out of an oath of service to the nation.

“For years, we wore the uniforms of this nation in the army, the police and prison services,” he said.

“We swore an oath not to any political party or individual, but to Zimbabwe and her people.”

He said members of the new party had witnessed the effects of corruption, poor governance and the erosion of discipline while serving in the country’s security institutions.

“We have defended this country and its interests at the borders and beyond.

“Now we must defend it in its boardrooms, its ministries, its communities and for our people abroad.”

Kumbweya described the Guardians of Zimbabwe as “a political party born out of oath”, saying it sought to restore order through service.

He strongly questioned Zanu PF’s “2030 agenda” to extend its tenure, arguing that it had failed to provide basic public services and protect vulnerable citizens.

He accused the ruling elite of prioritising personal power over national duty, and warned that the CAB 3 amendments represented a dangerous power-grab that would entrench a one-party State.

“As retired soldiers, we took an oath to defend the constitution, not to see it rewritten for the benefit of a few.

“We cannot stand by while those in power engineer a legal coup to stay beyond their mandate,” Kumbweya said.

His deputy, Constance Zulu, said the party was determined to build a government that prioritised ordinary citizens and vulnerable families.

“I, too, swore an oath to serve Zimbabwe, an oath that does not expire when the uniform comes off,” she said.

She said many Zimbabwean families continued to face hunger, unemployment and declining living standards despite the country’s abundant resources.

Organising secretary Oscar Chaza said the party was concerned about the hardships being faced by civil servants, including teachers, nurses, police officers and members of the defence forces.

Chaza also highlighted the plight of pensioners and retired civil servants whose retirement benefits had been eroded by inflation and economic instability.

The launch of the new party is widely seen as a direct response to the deepening succession crisis within Zanu PF, where factions aligned to Mnangagwa and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga are locked in a bitter struggle, with retired soldiers increasingly voicing their opposition to any unconstitutional extension of the president’s term. NewsDay

Teachers Petition Rights Commission Over PSC Tragic Bungling
THE Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe has petitioned the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission over the tragic death of a civil servant and general impoverishment of educator blamed on the Public Service Commission.

The petition is dated 26 June 2026.

The Complainant is the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ), a registered trade union representing public sector educators.

ARTUZ said it brought the complaint in terms of Section 85(1)(d) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe in the public interest.

“While the late Mr. Progress Makamani was not a member of ARTUZ, he was a public servant employed by the Public Service Commission (PSC). The systemic economic conditions that contributed to his untimely death mirror those affecting thousands of public servants represented by ARTUZ and others across Zimbabwe,” the union submitted.

“ARTUZ therefore brings this complaint to protect the constitutional rights, dignity, safety, and welfare of all public servants.”

The respondent is the Public Service Commission (PSC), established under Section 202 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe and mandated by the Public Service Act [Chapter 16:04] to administer the Public Service, determine conditions of service, and ensure fair and reasonable employment conditions for public servants.

On 9 June 2026, Mr. Progress Makamani, a primary school teacher employed by the Public Service Commission at Dune Primary School in Buhera District, tragically lost his life after an artisanal mining shaft collapsed while he was engaged in informal mining activities in search of supplementary income.

Mr. Makamani’s death was not an isolated accident. It was the consequence of prolonged economic deprivation faced by public servants who continue to receive salaries far below the cost of living.

ARTUZ averred that average public service earnings remain grossly inadequate to meet the Teacher’s Basket of Needs, estimated at US$1,200 per month for a worker to maintain a basic standard of living. Consequently, many civil servants are forced to seek secondary sources of income through informal and often hazardous economic activities simply to survive.

The prolonged payment of poverty wages creates foreseeable and preventable consequences.
Workers are driven into dangerous survival strategies, including hazardous informal labour, while others become vulnerable to exploitative or unlawful means of supplementing their incomes. Mr. Makamani’s death illustrates the devastating human consequences of systemic underpayment and the failure to provide conditions of employment consistent with constitutional standards.

ARTUZ submits that the Public Service Commission has committed the following constitutional and statutory breaches:

Failure of Duty of Care under the Public Service Act [Chapter 16:04]

As the employer of public servants, the PSC has failed in its statutory duty to provide fair conditions of service and to safeguard the welfare, dignity, and professional standing of its employees. The persistent payment of poverty wages has directly displaced workers into

Violation of Section 65(1) of the Constitution (Labour Rights)

The Respondent remains in continuous breach of Section 65(1) of the Constitution by failing to provide fair and reasonable remuneration. Salaries that fall significantly below the Basket of Needs, deny workers the ability to live in dignity and undermine their constitutional right to fair labour standards.

Violation of Section 48 of the Constitution (Right to Life)
By maintaining employment conditions that make survival on an official salary impossible, the PSC has exposed public servants to foreseeable life-threatening risks. The tragic death of Mr. Progress Makamani demonstrates the fatal consequences of systemic economic deprivation and constitutes a serious infringement of the constitutional right to life.

INVESTIGATIVE ACTIONS SOUGHT FROM THE ZHRC
As a matter of urgent public interest affecting all public servants, ARTUZ respectfully requests the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission to:

Launch a Public Interest Investigation into the gravity of the slave wages being paid to public servants by the Public Service Commission and establish the relationship between sub-poverty remuneration and the dangerous survival strategies that public servants are being forced to adopt.

Determine the extent to which prolonged underpayment has exposed public servants to life-threatening informal economic activities, chronic indebtedness, and other harmful survival mechanisms.

Issue recommendations directing the Public Service Commission to align public sector salaries with the actual Basket of Needs, currently estimated at US$1,200 per month, and with constitutional standards of fairness, dignity, and reasonable remuneration.

Investigate and review exploitative deductions, including the Government Employees Mutual Savings (GEMS) scheme, which continue to erode the already inadequate incomes of public servants.

Recommend structural reforms that restore the dignity, welfare, safety, labour rights, and socio-economic security of all public servants in Zimbabwe. – STAFF. thenewshawks

SDA Evangelist Marufu Cyberbulling Case Collapses
CYBERBULLYING allegations against SDA preacher Evangelist Marufu have collapsed after the three accusers withdrew their complaint on Friday.

Rotina Mafume Musara, Alasia Mbiriri and Perseverance Muzeya accused Marufu of allegedly making disparaging remarks against them with comments on a video shared online.

The preacher, through his lawyer Admire Rubaya, had challenged the trio to prove he is the one who posted the offending remarks.

They also demanded a report from Meta to prove the preacher was the one who owned the Facebook page and the one who posted the content.

The latest development means Evangelist Marufu is now a free man.

The from investigating officer has advised him to collect his cellphone, which had been seized by the cops. H-Metro

Bindura Man Uses Razor Blade To Cut Wife’s Private Parts During Intimate Moment
A 32-year-old Bindura man has been jailed after cutting off part of his wife’s private parts with a razor blade during a domestic dispute.

The Bindura Magistrates’ Court sentenced the man to an effective 12 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to domestic violence involving physical abuse.
Argument over alleged infidelity turns violent

According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the incident happened on 21 June 2026 at a farm in Bindura.

The court heard that the man assaulted his 42-year-old wife following an argument over alleged infidelity.

In a statement issued on 2 July, the NPAZ said:

“The offender pretended to want to be intimate with the victim before grabbing her private part and cutting it off with a razor blade.”

Following the attack, the woman reportedly suffered severe bleeding.

The NPAZ added:

“After the attack, he gave the victim water to wash herself as she bled profusely.”

Bindura man sentenced to 18 months in prison

The 32-year-old man subsequently appeared before the Bindura Magistrates’ Court, where he admitted to the offence.

According to the NPAZ:

“The offender pleaded guilty to domestic violence involving physical abuse as defined under the Domestic Violence Act.”

The court sentenced him to 18 months in prison.

However, six months were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

This left him with an effective 12-month prison term.

Commenting on the case, the NPAZ said:

“The justice system will continue to protect victims of gender-based violence and ensure that perpetrators are held fully accountable.”
iharare

Zimbabweans, Malawians Arrested as City of Joburg Targets Illegal Occupation of Sandton Properties
Johannesburg authorities launched an operation targeting properties allegedly linked to illegal occupation and immigration violations in Sandton, resulting into over 10 arrests and investigations.

Speaking during an inspection outside a property at 41B Adrien Street, Johannesburg MMC for Transport Kenny Kunene said multiple city departments and law enforcement agencies participated in the operation, including City Power, Johannesburg Water, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department's Tactical Response Unit, the Johannesburg Roads Agency and officials from the transport department.

Kunene described the property as being in a poor condition and alleged that authorities had identified four undocumented foreign nationals during the operation. According to him, some of those detained were allegedly found in possession of fraudulent documentation, while others were believed to have overstayed their permits.

He said the individuals, who he alleged were from Malawi and Zimbabwe, were taken by officials from the Department of Home Affairs to Sandton Police Station for processing.

Kunene added that one case involved a woman with a baby and that social development officials had been requested to assist in handling the matter.

Authorities are also investigating the ownership status of the property after residents reportedly raised concerns that the house may have been unlawfully occupied. Kunene said officials had obtained contact details for the registered owner and intended to establish whether any legal action would be necessary.

Kunene further stated that if evidence emerged that the owner knowingly accommodated undocumented immigrants, criminal charges could follow.

At a second property inspected during the operation, Kunene said authorities had identified an additional eight to nine undocumented individuals, bringing the total number of people encountered during the operation to between 12 and 13.

Kunene said residents had repeatedly raised concerns with him about alleged illegal occupation of homes in the area, particularly in Adrien Street, where he previously lived.

He further alleged that several properties in the street had been vandalised and linked such activities to undocumented migrants living in the area. These allegations have not been independently verified.

According to Kunene, residents believe that some criminal suspects use illegally occupied properties as hideouts after committing crimes in surrounding neighbourhoods.

He also raised concerns about the impact of alleged illegal occupation on property values, urban management and municipal infrastructure, citing unauthorised building extensions, overcrowding and illegal utility connections.

Kunene said the City of Johannesburg would continue conducting similar operations as part of broader efforts to address illegal occupation, infrastructure damage and by-law violations across the city. IOL

Congo Says Number of Confirmed Ebola Cases Rises to 1,502
The number of confirmed ‌Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo ⁠has increased to 1,502, including 473 deaths, government data showed on ‌Friday.

The ⁠cases were recorded in the eastern provinces ⁠of Ituri, North Kivu ⁠and South Kivu.
Reuters

Heat Wave Disrupts Fourth of July Events Across US, Strains Power Grids
A dangerous heat wave upended Fourth of July celebrations across swaths of the central and eastern U.S. on Friday, forcing officials in the nation's capital and elsewhere to cancel ‌or postpone dozens of parades, concerts and fireworks displays.

Among the events disrupted by the sweltering heat was the Great American State Fair on the National Mall in Washington, a centerpiece of President Donald Trump's efforts to mark the nation's 250th birthday.

The fair, designed to showcase all 50 states, was temporarily closed on Friday afternoon as temperatures reached 101 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

Late on Friday, organizers of the National Park Service's Independence Day Parade in Washington announced they had canceled the annual event due to safety concerns. The parade had been scheduled to start at 10:30 ET (1430 GMT) on Saturday, with the Weather Service projecting ⁠heat index values to reach as high as 115

Join our WhatsApp Channel

Be part of a growing community that relies on Dagmedia News for fast, accurate, and credible updates from across Zimbabwe and beyond.

We also offer: Graphic Design, Photography, Web Design, Videography, Concept Development, Idea Generation & Incubation, and Advertising Services.

Click here to subscribe: Follow us on WhatsApp