WEEKLY NEWS ROUND-UP

Monday

Heavy pumping from Beira to Feruka and on to Msasa has already seen 28 million litres of petrol arrive in Zimbabwe and being distributed rapidly ensuring most service stations were able to resume petrol sales, with another 37 million litres of petrol expected on Thursday and 35 million litres on Christmas Day.

Tuesday

The Government has allocated $43 billion under devolution for next year to local authorities towards the upgrading of infrastructure to meet the ongoing development agenda of smart cities, and no city or town should lag behind as the country moves to achieve an upper middle income economy by 2030, President Mnangagwa said yesterday. The President, who was officially opening a new-look Kudzanai Long Distance Bus Terminus in Gweru, said devolution funds were enough for local authorities to modernise and embrace the smart city concept.

Wednesday

A nationwide campaign to issue primary identity and registration documents will be launched next year, coinciding with the voter registration blitz ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections, President Mnangagwa said yesterday during the launch of the new secure electronic passport at Chiwashira Building in Harare. The e-passport was launched after the Government entered into a partnership with a Lithuanian company, Garsu Pasaulis, on a build, own, operate and transfer basis to produce the new passports. .

Thursday

President Mnangagwa yesterday launched the Presidential Rural Development Scheme set to benefit more than 1,8 million households as the Second Republic accelerates efforts to alleviate poverty among the rural folks in line with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).

The scheme, which was launched at Sekusile-Makorokoro nutrition garden in Jinjika village, Makorokoro area of Mangwe District in Matabeleland South, will uplift livelihoods through employment creation.

Friday

Zimbabwean companies exhibiting honesty, professionalism, skills and talent will continue to be given priority for Government programmes and capital spending in line with the policies to use domestic resources and expertise to the maximum, President Mnangagwa said yesterday. Speaking during a memorial service for the late national hero Dr Joel Biggie Matiza