13 armed robbers get away with How Mine gold
FARMERS in Matabeleland South have started harvesting wheat targeting an average yield of 11 430 tonnes, from last year’s 5 790 tonnes as the province moves towards enhancing national food security.
Zimbabwe is an agrarian economy with most of the country’s sectors being directly and indirectly linked to the agricultural sub-sector.
Government under the Second Republic is targeting transformation of rural and urban economies through enhancement of food, nutrition, markets, and jobs using value chains as a means of achieving a prosperous, inclusive, diverse, sustainable and competitive agriculture sector.
Zimbabwe envisages to be an upper middleincome economy by 2030 and agriculture is critical in the attainment of that vision, with the sector targeting to become an US$8,2 billion economy by 2025.
This year Matabeleland South has 2 286 hectares under wheat compared to last year’s 1 158 hectares. The increase has been attributed to various strategies which have been implemented by Government and its partners as well as buy-in from farmers.
Already, harvesting of 580 hectares of wheat is underway at Arda Antelope Estate in Matobo District.
The exercise is this month expected to commence in other irrigation schemes across the province.
Food insecurity is a global threat affecting almost every nation with Zimbabwe not spared. The global food crisis has been triggered mainly by prolonged droughts due to climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic and the on-going Russia- Ukraine conflict, which has affected the global food supply chain.
Ukraine and Russia contributed 30 percent worldwide supply of the wheat. Following the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the Government took a bold step to increase wheat farming and expects to produce a record high harvest of 380 000 tonnes this year.
The country requires about 360 000 tonnes of wheat annually and will have a surplus of the crop.
Arda Antelope Estate manager, Mr Aleck Chinyai said they have so far harvested 820 tonnes of wheat out of an expected 5 000 tonnes.
Government through the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (Arda) partnered with an investor at Arda Antelope Estate and transformed the area into an agroprocessing hub.
Mr Chinyai said they expected to complete harvesting by October 10.
“We are in the process of harvesting wheat at the estate and so far, we have covered 120 hectares out of a total area planted of 580 hectares. The area we have harvested has given us 820 tonnes out of an expected 5 000 tonnes,” he said.
“For now, we will harvest 501 hectares nonstop up until around October 10. From there the combine harvester will move on to Ingwizi Estate where there is also 580 hectares of wheat.”
Mr Chinyai said they have also started preparing land for summer planting. They are in the process of harvesting potatoes.
The estate had 56 hectares under potatoes with an expected yield of 70 tonnes per hectare. Arda Antelope Estate is supplying the potatoes to markets across the country.
Acting provincial director for agricultural rural development services in Matabeleland South, Mr Mkhunjulelwa Ndlovu said the uptake of farmers under wheat production has been impressive.
“The province has done very well under wheat production this year. We have 2 286 hectares under wheat compared to last year’s 1 158. This significant input can be attributed to the Presidential Input scheme, which equipped farmers with inputs,” he said.
He said the Government working with partners also rehabilitated some irrigation schemes.
“Farmers also received assistance in the form of financing and farming equipment which has helped them to increase their production.
A GANG of 13 armed robbers yesterday ambushed three Securico Security Company cash-in-transit vehicles, about nine kilometres from How Mine and got away with four guns and 11,9 kilogrammes of gold worth US$450 000.
The incident occurred at around 7.30AM at the 21-kilometre peg along the Bulawayo-How Mine Road.
The robbers who were travelling in three cars, a Toyota Hilux GD6, Nissan Hardbody single-cab and a Nissan March, ambushed and blocked the convoy before disarming the security guards and loading the gold into their vehicles.
The gold was being transported to Fidelity printers.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the heist saying they will release more details as investigations progress.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is investigating an armed robbery case that occurred at the 21-kilometre peg at around 7.30AM when a security company which was
A TOURIST from India who was arrested at Victoria Falls Airport trying to smuggle more than 9kg of heroin with a street value of close to US$500 000 on Saturday, appeared in court yesterday.
Heroin is a dangerous central nervous system depressant. It slows down a person’s brain function and affects breathing (which can slow down or even stop). The person’s body temperature and blood pressure drops and the heartbeat can become irregular. The person may lose consciousness or lapse into a coma.
Shaikh Zeenat Khatoon Rafiq (43) from Mumbai in India, had entered the country through the same airport on September 20.
She was arrested on Saturday after detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department,
These strategies have seen irrigation schemes like Guyu-Chelesa producing wheat for the first time in many years and newly established irrigation schemes like Mtshabezi producing wheat for the first time,” said Mr Ndlovu.
Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Abedinico Ncube said the increase in the yield will help boost food security and nutrition in the province.
“It’s pleasing to see that farmers have responded well to Government’s initiative of maximising production in order to ensure food security. This strategy could not have been possible without the buy-in of farmers,” he said. engaged in cash-in-transit (CIT) action was attacked by armed robbers
“Thirteen suspects disarmed the security guards and stole 11,9 kilogrammes of gold as well as four firearms. We are yet to release more details as investigations are in progress,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
When the Chronicle news crew arrived at the scene yesterday, police detectives and the private security company officials were at the scene recording statements. Three of the CIT vehicles were still at the scene with one of them being towed away.
It is alleged that when the robbery occurred, How Mine security manager (name withheld) was following the convoy from a distance using a Toyota Fortuner. He then witnessed the robbery and pursued the suspects which resulted in a shoot-out.
The security manager shot at one of the vehicles (Nissan Hardbody) and it veered off the road and hit a road sign post. The suspects are reported to have then jumped onto the other two vehicles while firing shots towards the security manager’s vehicle.
The high-speed chase and shootout continued until the vehicles got to Ekusileni Hospital in Hillside where the suspects escaped.
The security manager is lucky to be alive as
Drugs and Narcotics in Victoria Falls received information that she was in possession of heroin which she intended to smuggle to India via Ethiopia.
Rafiq appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Mr Godswill Mavenge charged with unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs in contravention of Section 156 (1) (a) of the Code.
She was remanded in custody to October 17 for trial.
Prosecuting, Mrs Portia Moyo said Rafiq was caught with a contraband of opium also known as heroin weighing 9,17kg.
The court was told that after getting information about the suspected contraband, detectives at Victoria Falls International Airport monitored baggage of passengers intending to board Ethiopian Airlines at the check-in point.
Rafiq arrived carrying a silver travelling bag and a small navy-blue bag and went through all check-in, immigration and customs formalities
The minister said the province has significantly benefited from Government’s farming projects.
Launching the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) in November 2020, President Mnangagwa said under the five-year Government economic blueprint, all sectors of the economy are obliged to increase their productivity.
Under the NDS1, more resources and greater momentum are being injected towards dam construction and efficient irrigation systems.
The Second Republic has made food security a top priority and is working towards his vehicle was hit by three bullets and one of the bullets went through the rear right window and hit the front passenger seat.
A revolver was recovered from the Nissan Hardbody which was abandoned, sources said.
There has been concerns over an increase in armed robberies countrywide. Three weeks ago, armed robbers pounced on CBZ Bank’s Fife Street branch in Bulawayo and got away with US$70 000. Four days later, business came to a standstill in the Bulawayo city centre when police cordoned off streets leading to Fidelity Building where armed robbers sneaked out with US$6 270 as well as R5 000 from one of the offices in the 12-storey building. — @nyeve14. to board an Ethiopian Airlines plane enroute to India.
Detectives at the baggage scanner detected suspicious contents in her silver bag and summoned the accused so it could be searched in her presence.
From the silver bag, the court was told, an opium also known as heroin was found stashed in an air tight plastic bag.
Investigations showed that Rafiq entered the country on September 20 through Victoria Falls Airport and stayed at a local lodge.
She told police that an agent contacted her online and asked her to carry the contraband but didn’t meet the person.
Rafiq said a woman sent by the agent handed the drugs to her at the lodge where she was staying on the day she intended to depart.
The 9,17 kg contraband with a street value of US$476 840, was tested and weighed in her presence, the court heard. — @ncubeleon.
a US$8,2 billion agriculture industry economy, contributing 20 percent of GDP by 2025, underpinned by the country’s NDS1 — the driver towards Vision 2030 to make Zimbabwe an upper middle-income economy.
In 2019, the Government introduced the Climate-Proofed Presidential Inputs Scheme, popularly known as Intwasa/Pfumvudza.
The Pfumvudza farming concept is a sustainable way of crop production intensification whereby farmers use few resources, expend energy on a smaller price of land, thereby reducing labour. — @ DubeMatutu.