Saul Mhizha (23), Taurai Tsvangirai (43), and Christopher Marufu (32) recently stood trial before the Bikita Magistrates’ Court, facing charges related to stock theft.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), on February 6, 2024, Edeline Tafadzwa Mapamba, the complainant, accounted for a total of 471 chickens.
These birds were entrusted to the accused persons, who were her employees. Their responsibility was to manage the poultry and account for any losses, including dead chickens.
However, on March 5, 2024, the trio came under suspicion. The complainant’s neighbour observed them carrying a dead chicken.
Realizing they had been seen, the accused dropped the chicken and fled. Subsequent investigation revealed that a total of 57 chickens were missing, with only one recovered.
The accused individuals were found guilty based on the evidence of the recovered chicken, which was valued at USD6.00.
As a result, they were sentenced to four months of imprisonment, with the entire sentence suspended on the condition that they refrain from committing a similar offence within the next five years.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Three Men In Court Over Stolen Chickens

The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor John Mushayavanhu has announced the introduction of a new currency, ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold), which will be backed by a basket of foreign currencies, gold and other precious metals.
Presenting the 2024 Monetary Policy Statement (MPS) this Friday, 05 April 2024, Mushayavanhu said the notes are coming in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100. Coins are for half and a quarter ZiG.
Mushayavanhu told a press conference in Harare that the ZiG would be launched on April 8 at an introductory rate of 13.56 per dollar and a new interest rate set at 20%.
He said Banks will convert their current Zimbabwean dollar balances into the ZiG. Said Mushayavanhu:
<blockquote>
We want a solid and stable national currency in this country. It does not help to print money. Certainly, under my watch, it is not going to happen.
</blockquote>
According to <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/zimbabwe-replaces-battered-dollar-with-unit-linked-to-gold-fx-1.2055628">Bloomberg</a>, the introduction of ZiG is Zimbabwe’s sixth attempt to have a functional local currency since 2008, when inflation crossed 500 billion per cent, according to International Monetary Fund estimates, rendering it worthless.
The current Zimbabwean dollar has lost four-fifths of its value on the official market since the start of the year, making it the world’s second worst-performing currency.
The depreciating currency has led to more than 80% of transactions being done in dollars and inflation quickening to 55.3% in March from 47.6% the prior month.
Mushayavanhu said the inflation rate is expected to decline from 2% to 5% by year-end as a result of the currency changes. He added:
<blockquote>
We are not going to be involved in any quasi-fiscal activities. I have no intention of doing other people’s jobs.
</blockquote>
Monetary policy statement highlights:
<ul>
<li>Structured currency to be backed by reserves and royalties</li>
<li>ZWL dollar currencies are to be converted to ZiG</li>
<li>ZiG to circulate alongside other currencies.</li>
<li>Multi-currency system is to stay until 2030 as per the law.</li>
<li>All obligations are to be converted to ZiG.</li>
<li>All banks are to accept old notes for the next 21 days.</li>
<li>ZiG notes 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 100 200</li>
</ul>
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has promulagated the Statutory Instrument to operationalise the ZiG. Statutory Instrument 60 of 2024 as follows:
<blockquote>
<h2>Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) (Zimbabwe Gold Notes and Coins) Regulations, 2024</h2>
<h4>ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS</h4>
<h3>Section</h3>
1. Title. 
2. New section inserted in Cap. 22:15. 
3. ZiG notes and coins deemed to be prescribed by section 44D of Cap. 22:15. 
4. Design of ZiG notes. 
5. Form and colour of ZiG notes. 
6. Conversion of existing Zimbabwe dollar balances into ZiG balances and swap of Zimbabwe dollar banknotes and coins. 7. ZiG to be unit of account for transactions previously denominated in Zimbabwe dollars. 
8. Amendment of section 22G of Cap. 23:04. 
9. Amendment of section 36G of Cap. 23:06. 
10. Amendment of Thirtieth Schedule to Cap. 23:06. 
11. Saving provision.
SCHEDULE: Design, Colour, Size and material of One ZiG, Two ZiG, Five ZiG, Ten Zig, Twenty ZiG, Fifty ZiG, One hundred ZiG and Two hundred ZiG banknotes.
WHEREAS a situation has arisen affecting the economic interests of Zimbabwe that cannot be dealt with adequately in terms of any other law;
AND WHEREAS, because of the urgency of the situation, it is inexpedient to await the passage through Parliament of an Act to deal with it;
AND WHEREAS such a situation has arisen in connection with the need to stabilise prices and the exchange rate by the introduction of a domestic currency backed by foreign exchange reserves, precious metals and valuable minerals;
ZiG to be unit of account for transactions previously denominated in Zimbabwe dollars
7. For the purposes of section 44D of the principal Act as inserted by these regulations, the Minister shall be deemed to have prescribed that, with effect from the date of promulgation of these regulations (the “effective date”), for accounting and other purposes (including the discharge of financial or contractual obligations), all assets and liabilities that were, immediately before the effective date, valued and expressed in Zimbabwe dollars, shall be deemed to be values in ZiG at rate as converted in terms of section 6(1).
Amendment of section 22G of Cap. 23:04
8. Section 22G (“Intermediated Money Transfer Tax”)(d) of the Finance Act [Chapter 23:04] is amended by the deletion of “(ZIG)”.
Amendment of section 36G of Cap. 23:06
9. Section 36G (“Intermediated money transfer tax”) of the Income Tax Act [Chapter 23:06] is amended in the definition of “Zimbabwe gold-backed digital token” by the deletion of “or “ZIG”.
Amendment of Thirtieth Schedule to Cap. 23:06
10. The Thirtieth Schedule (“Intermediated Money Transfer Tax”) to the Income Tax Act [Chapter 23:06] is amended- 
(a) in the heading by the deletion of “ZiGs” and the substitution of “Zimbabwe gold-backed digital tokens”; 
(b) in subparagraph (1) by the deletion of “(ZiGs)”.
Saving provision
11. The gold coins and Zimbabwe gold-backed digital tokens that are issued by the Reserve Bank in terms of section 7(d)(i) and 47(3) of the Reserve Bank Act and are in circulation on the date of these regulations shall continue in circulation after that date and remain as investment assets redeemable in accordance with terms and conditions determined by the Reserve Bank.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe Introduces New Currency, The ZiG

<blockquote>
<h2>REQUIREMENTS FOR BROILER CONTRACT GROWING</h2>
Contract growing chickens for Irvine’s Zimbabwe (IZIM) is when the grower enters into a contract with Irvine’s Zimbabwe to grow broiler chickens on behalf of the company.
The Grower rears broilers for a specified period of time, delivers them to Irvine’s and the site rests during which cleaning and disinfection are carried out.
Irvine’s Zimbabwe provides the day-old chicks, feed, transport for the day-old chicks, feed and collection of birds for slaughter; vaccines, medication, cleaning chemicals and technical expertise; while the grower provides the infrastructure, labour and sourcing of inputs for the rearing period for the birds.
The grower is responsible for the birds’ outcome from the day of receipt till delivery to Irvine’s.
Minimum requirements for site
<ul>
<li>Minimum number of birds per site: 60,000 birds (30,000 birds per pen)</li>
<li>Site must be at least 10 hectares</li>
<li>Radius from Harare: 100kms</li>
<li>Site must be at least 7km from other poultry/piggery rearing sites</li>
<li>Site must have adequate water supply; back up storage of portable water</li>
<li>Site must be isolated from residential stands, small plots &amp; rural setup</li>
<li>Poultry house are to be constructed according to Irvine’s set standard</li>
<li>Minimum standard of equipment: Automated poultry equipment for feed, water and heating</li>
<li>Site must be easily accessible from Main Highway: all weather access road</li>
<li>Owner having Immovable property to declare as Contract collateral / Security</li>
</ul>
Details of costs/payment structures are provided to those meeting the minimum requirements above.
</blockquote>

FULL TEXT: Irvine's Zimbabwe Requirements For Broiler Contract Growing

Poultry farmers have been warned against using antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) and steroids to fast-track the growth of chickens.
The veterinary extension supervisor for Odzi, Inspectorate Cathrine Sakupwanya, told <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/poultry-farmers-warned-against-feeding-chickens-arvs/">The Herald</a> that some farmers were still using ARVs and steroids to boost production despite efforts to convince them to abandon the practice. She said:
<blockquote>
There are farmers who are using ARVs, and corticosteroids so that the chickens develop faster with big muscles.
Unfortunately, unsuspecting buyers prefer the ‘huge chickens’ as compared to those that have been nurtured in the correct way and have a standard weight.
</blockquote>
The abuse of drugs in poultry farming is causing anti-microbial resistance (AMR) which is affecting the health of humans, plants, and animals.
AMR occurs when germs that cause disease or infection in humans and animals, change and become resistant to antimicrobial medicines used for treatment.

Poultry Farmers Warned Against Feeding Chickens ARVs, Steroids

The poultry industry registered significant growth in 2021 in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic with 90 million chicks produced, 5 million more than the 85 million produced the previous year.
According to poultry farmers, the growth came on the back of a good harvest which improved the availability of stockfeed.
Zimbabwe Poultry Association (ZPA) chairman Solomon Zawe said:
<blockquote>
The poultry industry did well last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the bumper harvest was there thus production went on well and we produced about 90 million day-old chicks last year.
We didn’t go out of mark as we were producing almost eight million day-old chicks per month.
And up to now, we had some importation of hatching eggs which was good for the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance to give us a free duty to import from Europe and we did that.
</blockquote>
Through Statutory Instrument (SI) 245 of 2020, the Government suspended duty on fertilised eggs for hatching by approved breeders.
In September 2021, players in the poultry industry requested the Government to make another import duty waiver on hatching eggs from outside the SADC region by an additional six months.
Before the introduction of SI 245 of 2020, egg and day-old chicks imports attracted 40 per cent duty.
Zawe said the cost of stockfeed remains a challenge as there is a shortage of wheat bran, maize bran and soya meal.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/poultry-sector-registers-significant-milestones/">Chronicle</a></h4>

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