Topical news in Zimbabwe’s media on Wednesday included confirmation that at least four nationals were among those killed in a gas tanker explosion in South Africa and the warning of destructive rains headed the country’s way over the coming week.
According to the state-run Herald daily, Zimbabwe’s Consul-General in Johannesburg, Melody Chaurura has confirmed that Zimbabweans were killed in gas tanker blast that occurred near South Africa’s Johannesburg on Christmas Eve.
“As the consulate we have since been advised that four Zimbabwean nationals lost their lives in the Boksburg gas explosion,” Chaurura told the newspaper.
Another 92 Zimbabweans have died in 1,285 road traffic accidents recorded between 15 and 26 December, according to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation.
Quoting police spokesperson Paul Nyathi, the broadcaster said there has been an increase in the number of fatal road traffic accidents recorded during the festive season compared to the same period last year.
The privately owned NewsDay, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) has resolved to approach the courts after government ignored its ultimatum to disband the National Joint Negotiating Council.
The union demanded that a new collective bargaining council be constituted and gave government up to December 31 to meet this demand, claiming that the council is not representing the interests of its members.
“There is lack of progress on that issue because by now we should have come up with the law that supports collective bargaining,” ZIMTA president Paul Gundane told the daily.
He said the decision to approach the courts was a last resort after the teachers had previously tried in vain to get the government to establish the collective bargaining council as enshrined in the country’s constitution.
Parts of Zimbabwe are expected to experience violent thunderstorms and localised hail from Thursday until 3 January 2023, reported another state-run daily, The Chronicle.
The newspaper reported that the Meteorological Services Department of Zimbabwe has warned that moisture was expected to start drifting from Zambia on December 29, causing heavy rains in northern parts of Zimbabwe.
Another topical story was the final phase of an audit of farmland being undertaken by the Zimbabwe Land Commission.
According to The Herald, the commission is carrying out a month-long final phase of the national agricultural land audit to establish the level of utilisation of agricultural land in Zimbabwe.
The audit, which began on December 14 and is expected to run until January 15 next year, is meant “to identify land utilisation patterns and optimal farming activities to influence appropriate policies for increased agricultural productivity, poverty alleviation and sustainable use of agricultural land.”
JN/APA