Crime and Courts
NetOne Champions Climate Tech as COP15 Kicks Off in Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe’s hosting of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands began with a strong message of youth inclusion, climate innovation, and national commitment during a youth-focused welcome dinner on the eve of the high-level summit.
Addressing delegates gathered at the Victoria Falls resort town, NetOne Pvt Ltd, Zimbabwe’s leading digital solutions provider, emphasized the critical role of young people and technology in driving wetland conservation efforts.
“This is no ordinary gathering. This is COP15. This is Zimbabwe rising. This is our wetlands calling—and we are answering,” NetOne CEO said during remarks made in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), and the Ramsar National Youth Steering Committee.
The event, held ahead of the formal opening of the conference, brought together government ministers, diplomats, youth leaders, and climate stakeholders from over 170 countries. It also sets the stage for the adoption of the Victoria Falls Declaration on Sustainable Wetland Conservation, a landmark commitment aimed at enhancing global efforts to restore and protect wetlands.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Hon. Evelyn Ndlovu, reiterated that wetland protection is “a climate imperative, a hydrological necessity, and a development obligation.”
The COP15 youth dinner served as a platform to highlight youth-led innovation and NetOne’s digital solutions designed to support wetland protection. These include Internet of Things (IoT) enabled wetland sensors for real-time monitoring and early warning systems, and the OneConnect infrastructure that facilitates regional collaboration and climate data-sharing.
Delegates were each provided with NetOne e-SIM cards, symbolizing not only connectivity but a commitment to climate-conscious innovation.
“This is not just connectivity—it’s climate-conscious connectivity,” said the NetOne representative. “This is technology in the service of the Earth.”
Zimbabwe ratified the Ramsar Convention in 2012 and currently has seven Ramsar-designated wetland sites, including Monavale Vlei, Lake Chivero, and Mana Pools. According to the Convention Secretariat, over 411 million hectares of natural wetlands have been lost globally since 1970, making restoration efforts increasingly urgent.

NetOne CEO Delivering Opening Remarks at COP15
The NetOne CEO praised Zimbabwe’s hosting of COP15 as “a beacon of possibility,” and lauded President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) for including climate resilience, youth empowerment, and environmental protection among its core pillars.
The evening ended with a powerful reminder to delegates:
“Wetlands are not wastelands—they are wombs of life. Youth are not the future—they are the fierce urgency of now. And technology, when placed in the right hands, can heal—not harm—our planet.”
COP15 continues through July 31 and includes site visits, plenary sessions, and negotiations aimed at scaling up investment in wetland conservation and securing the ecological future of some of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems.

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Crime and Courts
23-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Police Vehicle
Itai Mazire
A 23-year-old man from Chinhoyi has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after stealing a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) vehicle from Chemagamba Police Camp.
According to court papers, the Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court convicted Godfrey Musa Ndlovu (23) of stealing a ZRP vehicle from Chemagamba Police Camp in Chinhoyi.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said that on 7 December 2025, at around 0500 hours, a ZRP officer was preparing to travel to Mutoko in a silver Kia Rio police vehicle when the offender, who was a relative of the officer’s neighbour, requested a lift into Chinhoyi town.
“The officer allowed him to load his goods into the vehicle. Before departure, the officer briefly returned to his residence to collect a cellphone, leaving the vehicle keys inside his jacket on the seat. The offender then took the keys and drove off at high speed,” the NPA said.
Acting on a tip-off, police later apprehended Ndlovu near Thrills Service Station while he was travelling in an unregistered taxi, commonly known as a mushikashika. He subsequently led officers to the recovery of the stolen vehicle in Ruvimbo Phase 2, Chinhoyi.
The vehicle, valued at US$6 000, was recovered with its registration plates removed, the third plate altered, the police radio disconnected, and the communication aerial damaged. The missing registration plates, valued at US$650, were not recovered.
Ndlovu was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment, of which 18 months were suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving him to serve an effective 12-month jail term.
Crime and Courts
Shinsoman Pays US$200 Fine Over Cannabis Offence
Zimdancehall musician Romeo Anthony, better known as Shinsoman, has been fined US$200 after admitting to smoking cannabis.
The 37-year-old artist appeared before the Mbare Magistrates’ Court together with four other accused persons Themba Sibanda (26), Tendai Shumba (43), Kennedy Simbanegavi (37) and Cosmas Muzanzi (41). All pleaded guilty to violating Section 157(1)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, which prohibits possession of dangerous drugs.
Magistrate Ranga Jere ordered each of the five to pay a US$200 fine. The court ruled that failure to settle the fine would result in a four-month prison sentence, with three months suspended for five years on condition that they do not commit a similar offence.
According to the State, the incident occurred on January 5, 2026, at a residence in Highfields. CID Drugs and Narcotics officers allegedly discovered the men smoking cannabis near a parked Mercedes-Benz while carrying out follow-up investigations.
Crime and Courts
Garwe Urges National Unity, Says Focus Must Shift to Development
Itai Mazire
ZANU PF Mashonaland East Provincial Chairperson, Cde Daniel Garwe, has implored Zimbabweans to set aside political differences and unite under a shared vision of national development.
Speaking during a recent tour of Mrewa North Constituency, Honorable Garwe who also serves as the Minister of Local Government and Public Works said that the country’s primary focus should remain on infrastructure and economic growth rather than perpetual political contestation.

Cde Daniel Garwe
The tour was aimed at assessing ongoing projects in the district and engaging with local communities on their developmental needs. Hon. Garwe’s message was clear, the time for campaigning has passed and the time for labor has arrived.
“We must be a nation that is united for development.
“Let us focus on building our country because we are not in an election season,” he said.
Addressing various stakeholders and community members, Hon.Garwe said that the Second Republic’s “Vision 2030” can only be achieved if the citizenry works in harmony.
He added that the government is currently preoccupied with closing the infrastructure gap through projects such as dam construction, road rehabilitation and the development of smart cities.
Hon Garwe dismissed any rhetoric focused on early electioneering, reminding the public that the mandate for the current administration was established in the previous general elections.
“There is a time for politics and a time for work. Right now, our hands should be on the tools. We are not in an election season, so let us focus on the development that improves the lives of our people,” he added.
Provincial Progress
During his visit to Mrewa North, the Chairman praised the local leadership for their commitment to government-led programs.
He urged the province to lead by example in maintaining peace and stability, which he described as the “bedrock of progress.”
The visit is part of a broader provincial outreach program by the ZANU PF Mashonaland East leadership to ensure that developmental targets are met at the grassroots level. Garwe concluded by reiterating that the door is open for all Zimbabweans to contribute to the nation’s growth, regardless of their background.
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