The drilling project starts in June and the firm has signed a drilling contract with British firm Cluff Energy and a drilling rig contract with Exalo.

Invictus also signed a petroleum exploration development and production agreement (PEDPA) with the government. The PEDPA is the guideline and also outlines the roles of each party throughout the project.

Studies were conducted in the Muzarabani area in the early 1990s by Mobil and the results look promising.

The exploration of oil and gas is new territory for Zimbabwe and could boost the country’s economy. Potential benefits also include electricity generation, production of liquid petroleum, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), fertilizer production and petro-chemicals.

It is no secret that Zimbabwe is rich in minerals and that these minerals are mined on a daily basis. If mining generally has not done much in saving the Zimbabwean economy, how will this new project suddenly boost the economy to new heights? Foreign firms do not conduct research and drill for free. They also want to benefit from the action.

Zimbabwe could look to Botswana for inspiration on how to make the mining system work for the country. Botswana has over recent years, made moves to control as much of its diamond deposits as possible. These moves include but are not limited to:

• Opening a diamond sorting center in Botswana in 2006. The country invested in having locals being taught how to sort diamonds into one of 250 categories of rough diamonds that De Beers established based on the ‘4 Cs’: carat [size], clarity, color and cut
• Since 2011, the rough stones that were sorted were no longer sent to London. They remained in Gaborone where they were cut and sold.

A leaf could be taken from the changes Botswana made. Zimbabwe needs to rely less on external firms and invest more in equipping local firms. As it stands many people leave Zimbabwe to go abroad and specialize on various programmes. It can start off as simple as introducing better programmes to tertiary institutions. The changes do not have to be big but over time improvements can be made that help Zimbabwe to be more accountable and in control of its resources.

The post Is Zimbabwe Over-Relying On Foreign Investment? appeared first on Provoker Magazine.

A press release revealing the agreement was shared and Zimbabwe seems to be nowhere to be found in the agreement. The letter seems to show that the President did not attend the event as a part of the project but as an invited guest Zimbabwe.

The press statement also states that the “Kazungula Bridge Project is a testament of the fruitful cooperation enjoyed by Botswana and Zambia.” It is not yet clear how Zimbabwe will ‘principally’ be involved.

View the statement below:

Why is this matter being given this much attention?

Zimbabwe has long enjoyed the movement of trucks within the SADC region through the Beitbridge border. The north-south corridor route on which the Kazungula Bridge is to be built was once declared illegal under the Rhodesian government rule. Mugabe continued to support that stance thereby protecting the inflow of revenue from our borders usage.

Now with the Kazungula Bridge in the picture, most of  this expected revenue will likely now be enjoyed by the developers of the bridge namely Botswana and Zambia. We now wait for clarity on the exact role Zimbabwe will be playing.

What are your thoughts?

Let us know in the comment section below.

The post Zimbabwe seems to be left out of the Kazungula bridge project (press release documents inside) appeared first on Provoker Magazine.

He was speaking after receiving a batch of 33 600 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines at the Seretse Khama International Airport which the country purchased through the COVAX facility.

Vice President  Slumber Tsogwane said that the country (Botswana) was willing to forgo certain projects so as to fight the scourge of the pandemic.

He also announced that before the drugs are administered to citizens they will undergo verification by the Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BOMRA).

The AstraZeneca vaccines administration was suspended in some western countries because of health complications in some people who received the vaccine.

Botswana begun their vaccination roll out program on the 26th of March 2021.

The post Botswana to verify AstraZeneca before administering to citizens appeared first on Provoker Magazine.

Botswana director of Refugees Management Ms Thobo Letlhage had the following remarks;

“We have students who are in different stages at university, hence we are working with the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure that they get passports as soon as possible so that they could return to their studies. For those who are on medication, we are providing them with three months’ supply so that they can take medication while being integrated into the Zimbabwean health system.”

In addition to the above remarks, Ms Thobo Letlhage addressed the concerns that arouse relating to the current pandemic. She said:

“We don’t want to bring a large group at one go as we have to implement Covid-19 containment measures. Also, those who are being repatriated will be having a Covid-19 test certificate. For those who would have tested positive, they will be held until it is safe for them to travel. As the government of Botswana, we committed to assisting the refugees as we believe that their best interest is served when they return to their homes”

The Zimbabwean government has also promised to play their part in helping the ex-refugees get back on their feet. Dr Togarepi Tirivavi who serves as the Zimbabwe Commissioner for refugees, reaffirmed the refugees saying that they would be given a once off payment of $2 500 to restart their lives.

Not to be left behind, the UNHCR is giving all adults US$520 and minors $100 as a once-off payment.

48 refugees have already been returned and another group is to be expected before the week ends and another batch within a two weeks time frame.

Any thoughts on the subject?

Let us know what you think in comment section below.

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