The two sides exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest including cooperation in the United Nations…reports Asian Lite News
India and Zimbabwe held their third Foreign Office Consultations in Harare and reviewed bilateral relations. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in development partnerships, trade and economic relations, digital technology, agriculture, health, defence, consular and cultural issues, among others.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, “The 3rd Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Zimbabwe were held in Harare on 6th August 2024.”
For the meeting, the Indian side was led by Puneet R Kundal, Additional Secretary (East and Southern Africa), Ministry of External Affairs while the Zimbabwean side was led by Mike Chigiji, Chief Director (Political), Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
The two sides exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest including cooperation in the United Nations. The discussions provided an opportunity for both sides to take stock of the current status of bilateral relations and explore avenues for further deepening ties between the two nations.
In a statement, MEA said, “Both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations between the two countries including existing institutional mechanisms such as the Joint Commission and the Joint Trade Committee.”
“Sectoral Cooperation in the fields of defence, agriculture, health, mines, minerals and geology, digital Platforms, education, training and capacity building and cultural exchanges were also discussed,” it added.
The two sides agreed to hold the next Foreign Office Consultations at a mutually convenient date in New Delhi.
In a post on X, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “3rd – FOC held in Harare, Zimbabwe today. Co-chaired by Additional Secretary (E&SA) @prkundal & Chief Director Mike Chigiji of @MoFA_ZW.”
“Both sides reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways for strengthening cooperation in development partnership, trade & economic relations, digital technology, agriculture, health, defence, consular and cultural issues among others. Cooperation in multilateral fora including UN also discussed,” he added. (ANI)
Harare: India's Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad greets each other during the T20 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club, in Harare, Wednesday, July 10, 2024.(IANS/BCCI)
Gill and Gaikwad joined forces for a 72-run partnership off 44 balls for the third wicket, which ensured India got past 180…reports Asian Lite News
Captain Shubman Gill top-scored with a 49-ball 66, Ruturaj Gaikwad hit a quick 28-ball 49 and all-rounder Washington Sundar was smart in lengths to pick an economical 3-15 as India survived a fighting effort from Dion Myers to beat Zimbabwe by 23 runs in third T20I and take a 2-1 series lead at the Harare Sports Club here on Wednesday.
On a two-paced pitch, a breezy Yashasvi Jaiswal and Gill had a 67-run opening stand, before Zimbabwe enforced a slowdown in the middle overs. Gill and Gaikwad joined forces for a 72-run partnership off 44 balls for the third wicket, which ensured India got past 180. They were also helped by the hosts’ fielding being absolutely sloppy and dropping multiple catches.
In reply, Zimbabwe were reduced to 39/5, before Myers and Clive Madande had a 77-run sixth-wicket stand to keep Zimbabwe in the hunt. Myers went on to be unbeaten on 65 off 49 balls, but it ended in vain as Zimbabwe could only make 159/6 in 20 overs. Apart from Sundar’s three-fer, Avesh Khan picked 2-39, while Khaleel Ahmed was excellent in his 1-15.
India made four changes to their playing XI, with T20 World Cup winners Shivam Dube, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Sanju Samson coming back into the team. It meant Jaiswal opened the batting, with Abhishek Sharma going one-down and Gaikwad pushed down to number four.
Electing to bat first, Jaiswal had India off to a flying start as he was swiveling, dabbing, and heaving Brian Bennet for six and two fours in a 15-run opening over. Gill got off the mark with a great flick off the wrists going for four against Richard Ngarava, before pulling and driving him for a six and four respectively, as the second over yielded 14 runs.
Runs continued to flow for India, especially with Zimbabwe’s fielding being pedestrian, as Jaiswal pulled Tendai Chatara for a four and six respectively, before Gill punched and got an outside edge off Blessing Muzarabani for two fours in the fourth over.
After India crossed its 50-run stand in 4.1 overs, Zimbabwe enforced a slowdown and even got Jaiswal out, only if Marumani at sweeper cover held on to the chance off Chatara, which went for four. Jaiswal eventually fell for 36 in the ninth over when he shaped to play a reverse sweep off Sikandar Raza but ended up giving a catch to backward point.
Raza struck again when Abhishek Sharma heaved, but holed out to deep mid-wicket in the eleventh over. Gill stepped down the pitch twice to hit boundaries, before getting an outside edge on the cut off Chatara for four to get his fifty in 36 balls, the first time he made a half-century as an Indian captain.
Gaikwad cut loose by slamming a six and two fours in his first 10 balls. The duo hit a six each off Raza’s overpitched balls in the 17th over, before Gill mistimed a loft to mid-off against Muzarabani in the next over.
Gaikwad dispatched full tosses from Ngarava for boundaries, before holing out to deep cover in the final over. It took a last-ball boundary from Sanju Samson to take India past the 180-run mark, as he remained unbeaten on 12.
India had early success in their defence of 182 as Avesh had Wesley Madhevere cut tamely to short cover. Khaleel struck when Tadiwanashe Marumani looked to hit on the up but mistimed to mid-on. Bennett went for a cut off Avesh, but Ravi Bishnoi timed his jump well to complete a stunning catch at backward point.
Raza tried to fight back by hitting three boundaries, but Washington had him slow sweeping to deep mid-wicket in the seventh over. The off-spinner struck again in the same over by enticing Johnathan Campbell to drive and the outside edge was snapped by first slip.
Madande and Myers feasted on width and friendly lengths from part-timers Abhishek and Shivam Dube, as well as off Bishnoi to hit nine boundaries in their scintillating 77-run stand for the sixth wicket. Washington came back to break the partnership by floating a wide delivery, for which Madande tried to move across and slog-sweep but holed out to deep mid-wicket.
Myers went on to get his maiden T20I fifty by clearing his front leg and tonking Bishnoi for six. He and Wellington Masakadza hit some boundaries in the final over off Avesh yielding 18 runs, but the late flourish wasn’t enough for Zimbabwe to avoid a defeat to India.
Brief scores:
India 182/4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 66, Ruturaj Gaikwad 49; Sikandar Raza 2-24, Blessing Muzarabani 2-25) beat Zimbabwe 159/6 in 20 overs (Dion Myers 65 not out, Clive Madande 37; Washington Sundar 3-15, Avesh Khan 2-39) by 23 runs
Harare: India's Abhishek Sharma celebrates his century during the T20 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club, in Harare, Sunday, July 07, 2024.(IANS/BCCI)
Abhishek Sharma was the highlight of the game with the left-handed opener scoring his maiden century, the third fastest century by an Indian in T20 internationals for the Men in Blue….reports Asian Lite News
India defeated Zimbabwe in the second T20I of the ongoing five-game series by a huge margin of hundred runs at the Harare Sports Club, here on Sunday.
Abhishek Sharma was the highlight of the game with the left-handed opener scoring his maiden century, the third fastest century by an Indian in T20 internationals for the Men in Blue.
Earlier, the visiting side did not get off to a great start with skipper Shubman Gill getting out in the second over of the game when he gave a catch straight to mid-on.
The rocky start saw Abhishek take his time reaching the fifty-run mark having taken 33 deliveries to get there. From thereon carnage followed as he scored his next fifty in just 13 balls which included three back to back sixes off Wellington Masakadza’s over which saw him reach hundred before being dismissed on the very next delivery.
Harare: India’s Abhishek Sharma celebrates his century during the T20 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club, in Harare, Sunday, July 07, 2024.(IANS/BCCI)
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rinku Singh carried on the fire started by Sharma, the duo scored 87 runs in the final six overs and went on to propel India’s score to 234 runs at the end of 20 overs.
Innocent Kaia started the second innings with a boundary but received a great reply by Mukesh Kumar who bowled him out on the third ball of the game.
Brian Bennett started off well and scored 26 runs off just nine deliveries displaying the attacking intent by the Zimbabwe side but met with the same result as Kaia and was bowled out by Kumar who took his second of the day.
Harare: India’s Abhishek Sharma celebrates his century during the T20 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club, in Harare, Sunday, July 07, 2024.(IANS/BCCI)
Wickets at regular intervals and the ever-rising run rate made it extremely difficult for the Zimbabwe side to get any sort of rhythm in the game. They lost three wickets between the 72 and 76-run mark which sealed the game for the Indian side.
Opener Wesley Madhevere was the only bright spot for the team on the day as he scored 43 runs off 39 deliveries before being bowled by Ravi Bishnoi whose excellent bowling saw him being hit for only nine runs in four overs whilst picking two wickets.
Once Madhevere’s wicket fell it was only a matter of time before the Indian unit bundled out their opponents with Zimbabwe being bundled out at 134 runs in 18.4 overs.
The five-game series is now tied at 1-1 with the third game scheduled to be played on Wednesday at the Harare Sports Club.
Brief score:
India 234/2 (20.0) (Abhishek Sharma 100 off 47, Ruturaj Gaikwad 77 off 47; Blessing Muzarabani 30/1 in four overs)
Zimbabwe 134/10 (Wesley Madhevere 43 off 39, Brian Bennett 26 off 9; Avesh Khan 15/3 in three overs)
Abhishek Sharma Hits Fastest T20I Century for India
After smashing a brilliant maiden international hundred in the second T20I against Zimbabwe, Abhishek Sharma credited his father’s advice of playing a lofted shots for his big hitting show.
Playing just his second T20I, the 23-year-old all-rounder slammed a stunning 46-ball hundred on Sunday. The 46-ball ton is the joint-third fastest by an Indian batter in men’s T20Is. Rohit Sharma’s 35-ball century in 2017 and Suryakumar Yadav’s 45-ball ton in 2023, both against Sri Lanka, are the two fastest tons for India, while KL Rahul also had a 46-ball hundred against the West Indies in 2016.
“All this is due to the hard work I’ve done. Special thanks to my dad, who always encouraged me to play lofted shots, even when I was a kid. Usually coaches don’t allow you to play lofted shots much. My dad used to tell me that if you want to play a lofted shot, it should go out of the ground. For me, it’s always been there from my childhood that if I’m confident, I like to express myself,” said Abhishek, who hit eight sixes in his whirlwind knock, in a post match presser.
The youngster swiftly reached his half-century with a six and then capped it off by hitting three consecutive sixes in the 14th over to complete his century, making him the first Indian to achieve this feat in men’s international cricket. Shubman Gill has done something similar, but his back-to-back sixes took him to 200 in an ODI against New Zealand in 2023.
The young opener also revealed that he used his childhood friend and under-19 teammate Gill’s bat in the second T20I, something he has regularly done in the past as well.
Gill and Abhishek started playing together in the under-12 category. The duo also played together in the 2018 ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup, where India took home the title.
“The journey has been very beautiful. When we started playing, we were around 10–11 years old, and we have been playing since U12 together. The ultimate goal was to represent the country. I have said before that the first call I got (about selection) was from Shubman, and he was very happy.
“I played with his [Shubman’s] bat today, and it went really well. Special thanks to him for the bat. This happens from the U12 days, whenever I think it’s a pressure game or it’s a match I should perform, I take his bat. Even in the IPL, I ask for his bat. Even today, it went really well,” said Abhishek.
Abhishek further attributed the smooth transition of young players to the national team to the Indian Premier League experience that helped them to handle pressure.
“I think IPL plays a big role in this because, as a youngster, as a debutant, we didn’t feel much pressure when we came to represent the country. It’s always a great motivation once you are playing for the country. Unfortunately it didn’t go well in yesterday’s game, but my mindset and intent was same.
“I had a word with the other debutants too, we’ve all played cricket together a long time, since U14 days I’d say. I think it’s all about approach in T20, about intent. If I show intent and if it is my day, it usually goes like this,” said Abhishek.
Abhishek admitted the players were disappointed after losing the series opener, especially since the first-choice squad had won the T20 World Cup.
“Losing a game like that after the country has won a T20 World Cup was disappointing for the players. But still, we were all youngsters and have been playing together and against each other since childhood.
“So none of us went into our shells after losing, we were instead all together and thinking about the hard work we put in all those years and how this is the ultimate goal for all of us, so we should enjoy and focus on the next thing. Mindset was to forget what has happened and focus on the next match,” he concluded.
Mnangagwa’s main challenger and opposition Citizens for Coalition Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa, secured 1,967,343 votes or 44 per cent of the valid votes cast, Chigumba said…reports Asian Lite News
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been re-elected after securing 2.6 per cent of the total votes cast in the August 23-24 elections, country’s poll body announced.
As per Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson Priscilla Chigumba, Mnangagwa beat 10 other presidential contestants after polling 2,350,711 votes, Xinhua news agency reported.
Mnangagwa’s main challenger and opposition Citizens for Coalition Change (CCC) leader, Nelson Chamisa, secured 1,967,343 votes or 44 per cent of the valid votes cast, Chigumba said.
“Mnangagwa Emmerson Dambudzo of ZANU-PF party is declared duly elected president of the Republic of Zimbabwe with effect from August 26, 2023,” Chigumba said.
According to the ZEC, Mnangagwa’s ruling ZANU-PF party has won the majority of the 210 parliamentary seats.
Zimbabweans voted on Wednesday and Thursday, with a voter turnout of 68.9 percent, to choose a new president, members of parliament and representatives of local governments.
At 31 years old in 2005, he declared his retirement, and even now, at 49, Heath Streak stands alone as the sole Zimbabwean bowler to have secured over 100 Test and 200 ODI wickets…reports Asian Lite News
One of Zimbabwe’s proudest cricketing sons, former captain Heath Streak passed away at the age of 49 on Wednesday.
Streak’s bowling partner Henry Olanga took to X (formerly Twitter) to express grief over the passing of the legendary bowling all-rounder.
“Sad news coming through that Heath Streak has crossed to the other side. RIP @ZimCricketv legend. The greatest all-rounder we produced. It was a pleasure playing with you. See you on the other side when my bowling spell comes to an end,” Olonga posted on X.
Streak, who was known for his prowess with the ball, was undergoing treatment for cancer under one of the most respected oncologists in South Africa.
The 49-year-old announced his retirement at the age of 31, in 2005. Streak still remains the only Zimbabwe bowler with more than 100 Test and over 200 ODI wickets.
He captained Zimbabwe in 2000, at a time when a number of players withdrew from the national side as relations between the board and the team hit a rough patch.
In his decorated career Streak played 65 matches and picked up 216 wickets with an economy of 2.69.
In the ODI format, Streak featured in 189 matches, scalping 239 wickets at an economy of 4.51. His best bowling figures were 5-32.
With the willow, Streak amassed 1,990 runs in the red-ball format, at an average of 22.4. He featured in 65 Tests for his country.
In ODIs, Streak aggregated 2,934 runs at a strike rate of 73.4 and an average of 28.3.
In 1993, Streak marked his arrival in the world of cricket with a stellar performance against Pakistan.
He established himself as a player to watch out for, picking up 8 wickets in only his second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.
Seven years later, Streak was appointed as the Zimbabwe captain but he ended up resigning as the responsibilities and tension with the board over the pay started to affect his form.
Though he was reappointed skipper in 2002, there was increasing pressure on him to take a political stand at the height of a civilian uprising against the then regime under long-time President Robert Mugabe.
Streak was criticized for not taking a political stand and decided to step down as captain in 2004.
After hanging up his boots in 2005, Streak returned to cricket as the captain of Warwickshire for the 2006 season after signing a two-year contract. But he ended up stepping down as skipper of the county side after just one game in the 2007 season.
In 2007, he signed up for the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), marking the end of his journey in international cricket.
Streak, however, remained connected to cricket, taking up coaching roles with Zimbabwe, Scotland, and Bangladesh, as well as the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders.
His legacy, however, was called into question in 2021 after he was handed an eight-year ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching Anti-Corruption Code.
Streak maintained that he was not involved in “any match-fixing, spot-fixing, or attempts to influence a game or share information from a changeroom during a match at any given time”. (ANI)
EU flags are seen outside the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 6, 2023.(Xinhua/Zheng Huansong/IANS)
Several foreign observer missions and international organizations are observing the electoral process at the invitation by the Zimbabwean government, and the EU is among the foreign observer groups…reports Asian Lite News
The head of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) on Saturday denied that the mission is interfering in the electoral processes of Zimbabwe.
Zimbabweans will head to the polls on Wednesday to choose a president, Members of Parliament and representatives of local governments.
Several foreign observer missions and international organizations are observing the electoral process at the invitation by the Zimbabwean government, and the EU is among the foreign observer groups.
However, Zimbabwe’s leading daily newspaper Herald reported on Friday that the EU EOM was allegedly bribing some local Zimbabwean journalists to report negatively about the electoral process.
But upon touching down in Harare on Saturday, head of the EU EOM Fabio Massimo Castaldo denied the claims of interference and improper conduct.
“The EU EOM is astounded by the defamatory and malicious accusations made in an article, published in local Zimbabwean media yesterday (Friday). These allegations are based on unsubstantiated rumors and entirely fabricated,” Castaldo said in a statement.
Castaldo said the EU EOM has taken note of previous attempts to discredit the mission, adding that the articles reflect a continued effort to undermine the mission and credible election observation.
“The EU EOM adheres to a strict code of conduct. The EU EOM continues its work, according to its mandate and methodology based on the principles of independence, impartiality and non-interference,” Castaldo said.
The EU EOM is set to deploy its short-term observers to various parts of Zimbabwe on Aug. 20, joining their long-term observers that were deployed in the country last month.
India and Zimbabwe have a long history of close and cordial relations….reports Asian Lite News
Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) V Muraleedharan on Friday met Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Musabayana, the two discussed various aspects of India, Zimbabwe bilateral relations and means to enhance them further.
“Delighted to interact with Dy. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Zimbabwe, H.E @DrMusabayana on the sidelines of CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Growth Partnership in New Delhi. Discussed various aspects of bilateral relations and means to enhance them further,” MoS Muraleedharan tweeted on Friday. Vice President of Zimbabwe Constantino Chiwenga has arrived in New Delhi, informed the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday.
He came to India to attend the CII-EXIM Bank Conclave.
His visit will boost the development partnership and trade and economic ties between the two countries.
“Warm welcome to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga of Zimbabwe as he arrives in New Delhi for CII-EXIM Bank Conclave. The visit will give boost to India-Zimbabwe development partnership and trade & economic ties,” tweeted Arindam Bagchi, MEA official spokesperson.
India and Zimbabwe have a long history of close and cordial relations.
India and Zimbabwe are members of the G20 in WTO and have a common position on IPRs and agricultural subsidies. Zimbabwe generally supports India in most of the elections in the multilateral fora and our Resolutions in the UN.
The CII- EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership was launched in the year 2005 with the support of the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Government of India, according to CII-EXIM Africa Conclave’s official website.
In the last sixteen editions, the Conclave has played a pivotal role in encouraging Indian companies to establish and grow their footprints in Africa.
According to the website, the level of economic engagement between India and Africa has grown multi-dimensional and to reflect the changing contours of this dynamic relationship, the Conclave is being rechristened as “CII EXIM Bank Conclave on India Africa Growth Partnership” expanding the earlier focus on “Project Partnership”.
The upcoming edition focussed on project exports, trade, investments, and exchange of knowledge and expertise creating shared value for business and industry at large between India and Africa. (ANI)
In the run chase, Thailand put on a 76-run opening stand with Nannapat Koncharoenkai and Natthakan Chantham playing some crisp strokes and giving Thailand a strong platform…reports Asian Lite News
Zimbabwe beat Thailand by seven runs in a close game while UAE and USA played out a thriller, with the former winning off the last ball in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2022, here on Sunday.
Put in to bat, Zimbabwe’s top four got starts, but couldn’t go big as Zimbabwe posted a below-par total on board.
Sharne Mayers and Kelis Ndhlovu put on an impressive opening stand of 46 runs before the former was dismissed. Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano gave Zimbabwe some much-needed acceleration with a 27-ball 39. Zimbabwe put on 118/6 eventually, a total that proved to be less than sufficient.
In the run chase, Thailand put on a 76-run opening stand with Nannapat Koncharoenkai and Natthakan Chantham playing some crisp strokes and giving Thailand a strong platform.
Ndhlovu eventually broke the stand by dismissing Chantham, and added two more wickets to her tally to put pressure on Thailand. Reduced to 92/4, the onus was on skipper Naruemol Chaiwai to take Thailand home with the required run rate soaring.
In the end, the target proved to be a bit away as Zimbabwe won by seven runs after a good final over from Nomvelo Sibanda.
UAE v USA
Chasing 118 for a win, UAE openers Esha Oza and Theertha Satish put on a half-century stand, but the duo was dismissed in quick succession as USA came back into the contest.
With the middle-order unable to keep up with the rate, USA were in with a chance to register their first win in the tournament.
Khushi Sharma was run out for 23 in the penultimate over and USA were favourites to win the contest, with UAE still more than 10 runs away from a win. But Natasha Cherriath and Samaira Dharnidharka held their nerve in the final over as UAE made 11 runs to win the game and the tournament on a high.
Brief scores:
ZIMW 118/6 in 20 overs beat THAIW 111-6 in 20 overs by 7 runs
USAW 117/3 in 20 overs lost to UAEW 118/5 in 20 overs by 5 wickets
Opener Nannapat Koncharoenkai continued to push Thailand towards the target and remained unbeaten on 34 as they completed a dominating win on day one of the qualifiers…reports Asian Lite News
Zimbabwe beat PNG while Thailand registered a commanding victory against UAE on Day 1 of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup qualifier, here on Sunday.
In the first match of the day, UAE were reduced to 7/3 with the top three making 0, 2 and 1 after winning the toss and opting to bat first,
A promising half-century stand between Kavisha Kumari Egodage and Natasha Cherriath revived the innings for UAE, but Nattaya Bhoochatham returned to scalp the wicket of Natasha to break the partnership.
The innings seemed to be meandering towards a very ordinary total, but UAE managed 24 runs off the last two overs with Samaira Dharnidharka and Kavisha, in particular, upping the ante to take their team to 92/5 at the end of 20 overs.
The target was very short and Thailand piled on their agony by putting on 32 for the loss of no wickets in the Powerplay. Natthakan Chantham was the aggressor-in-chief for Thailand, racing away to 39 off 37 balls in an opening stand of 55. The partnership was eventually broken by Indhuja Nandakumar in the 10th over.
Opener Nannapat Koncharoenkai continued to push Thailand towards the target and remained unbeaten on 34 as they completed a dominating win on day one of the qualifiers.
Match 2: Zimbabwe v PNG
In the second match of the day, a three-wicket haul from Kelis Ndlovu and good spells from Nomvelo Sibanda and Precious Marange helped Zimbabwe bowl PNG out for 83 after being asked to bowl at the Tolerance Oval.
Tanya Ruma top-scored for PNG with a 25 off 35 balls from No 3, but none of the other batters managed to cross single digits as PNG struggled against some top-quality bowling.
In the run chase, Zimbabwe came out all guns blazing, the openers racing to 57 inside nine overs. Ndhlovu completed a brilliant all-round performance with her opening partner Sharne Mayers making an attractive 28-ball 33.
Zimbabwe sealed the run chase with eight wickets to spare with Ndhlovu unbeaten on 25 off 33 balls.
Brief scores:
UAE Women 92/5 in 20 overs (Kavisha Egodage 40 not out, Natasha Cherriath 26; Nattaya Boochatham 2/17) lost to Thailand Women 96/3 in 16.2 overs (Natthakan Chantham 39, Nannapat Koncharoenkai not out; Suraksha Kotte 1/4) by 7 wickets
Papua New Guinea Women 83 all out in 18 overs (Tanya Ruma 25; Kelis Ndlovu 3/18; Nomvelo Sibanda 2/9) lost to Zimbabwe Women 87/2 in 14.4 overs (Sharne Mayers 33, Kelis Ndlovu 25 not out; Kaia Arua 2/21) by 8 wickets.
Mining is strategic to the Zimbabwean economy, accounting for more than 60 per cent of foreign currency receipts annually and 13 per cent of GDP…reports Asian Lite News
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said his government’s target to achieve a $12 billion mining industry by 2023 is achievable given the growing momentum in the industry.
He added on Thursday that it was encouraging that 2021, and despite the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the mining sector’s performance amounted to $5.2 billion from $2.9 billion in 2017, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Well done to the sector stakeholders for a commendable performance,” he said while opening the annual mining exhibition in the second city of Bulawayo on Thursday.
He added that since assuming power in 2017, he had commissioned various signature mining projects in the areas of exploration, extraction and expansion covering minerals such as lithium, platinum and gold, adding that more projects will be coming on stream between the next 20-24 months.
“The $12 billion target is, therefore, within reach and set to see the realisation of a diversified, integrated, modern and industrialised economy synonymous with a prosperous society,” Mnangagwa said.
Mining is strategic to the Zimbabwean economy, accounting for more than 60 per cent of foreign currency receipts annually and 13 per cent of GDP.
Mnangagwa pledged more incentives to mining sector investors and called for the efficient organisation and syndication of the artisanal, small to medium-scale miners in the mining sector.
“Going forward, I call upon the sector to rally its players to adopt contemporary and appropriate mining technologies across the mineral value chain. This must result in the efficient extraction and guarantee realisation of the maximum value from our God-given endowments,” the President said.
He also called on the sector to venture into local production of quality and competitively priced mining consumables in line with “Buy Zimbabwe; Made in Zimbabwe; Build Zimbabwe” initiative.
“Riding on increased capacity utilisation of the various mining houses, there is no excuse for the continued importation of mining consumables and related accessories such as mill balls and conveyor belts, among others,” Mnangagwa added.
