WEEKLY NEWS ROUND-UP

Monday

A crack team of 15 experienced prosecutors has been set up to work with seasoned investigators to come up with watertight dockets and so effectively prosecute economic saboteurs abusing mobile money platforms to weaken the local currency.

Besides assigning some of his top staff, Prosecutor General Kumbirai Hodzi has also roped in experts from a swathe of sectors of the economy to assist in technical areas.

Tuesday

The network of commercial airports is being expanded to facilitate trade and tourism under a Government programme, according to Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) chief executive officer Tawanda Gusha with the present eight to be joined by at least one in every province. Commercial airports include the three international airports that handle the bulk of scheduled passenger services with the other five tending to specialise in charter flights.

Wednesday

Licensed bars and nightclubs can now reopen after being closed since March last year but only for the fully-vaccinated and will still have to follow all the other lockdown health rules and the permitted opening and curfew hours. Speaking after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the reopening came with the realisation that the closure had resulted in loss of revenue and jobs.

Thursday

In a vote of confidence in the country’s investment climate, Varun Beverages, the second-largest bottling company of PepsiCo’s beverages in the world outside the United States, has added another line of production at its Harare plant that will produce 60 million bottles and cans a month for local consumption and export.

Speaking at the official opening of the

Varun Beverages Zimbabwe additional plant, bottled water, and cordial production line yesterday, President Mnangagwa said the project by the Indian company dovetails with Zimbabwe’s National Industrial Policy that seeks to promote local production of goods and commodities towards decreasing reliance on imports.

Friday

The United Kingdom will remove Zimbabwe from the Covid-19 red list on Monday, in a development that will make it easy to travel between the two countries.

UK Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Melanie Robinson, confirmed this.