By a Correspondent
Cabinet has approved a revised Child Justice Bill aimed at establishing a distinct criminal justice system for children in conflict with the law, while receiving an update on a US$650 million floating solar power project at Lake Kariba expected to generate 600 megawatts of electricity.
The decisions were announced in the 33rd post-Cabinet press briefing issued on Tuesday following a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on October 13, 2026.
The Child Justice Bill, presented by Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi, seeks to strengthen protections for children who come into conflict with the law and improve coordination among officials responsible for handling their cases.
The Bill was previously passed by both Houses of Parliament and gazetted but was subsequently referred back to Parliament for further attention to issues requiring clearer definitions of the responsibilities of child protection officers and diversion officers.
A review of nine clauses was undertaken, covering issues including guardianship arrangements where an appropriate adult is unavailable, recommendations on the release of detained children and the responsibilities of diversion officers.
The revised Bill seeks to consolidate responsibilities within a single office, eliminate overlapping duties and strengthen the management and supervision of cases involving children diverted from formal criminal proceedings.
It also provides for provincial and district justice committees, as well as district diversion committees, and proposes amendments to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act relating to the age of criminal responsibility for children.
Cabinet’s approval clears the revised Bill for the next stage of the legislative process.
Cabinet also received an update on preparations for the establishment of a 600MW floating solar power plant on Lake Kariba, a project valued at US$650 million.
The project was initiated following a December 2023 directive by Mnangagwa for relevant ministries to facilitate private-sector investment in floating solar power generation.
Government expects the project to complement hydropower generation, stabilise electricity output, conserve water during daylight hours through solar generation and strengthen the long-term resilience of the Kariba power generation system.
The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) will be the sole off-taker of electricity generated by the plant, while GreenGrid Energy Private Limited, formerly known as Sunspire, is the project developer.
At full capacity, the plant is expected to provide electricity for three million people and create 1,000 direct jobs in Kariba.
The Cabinet briefing said grid and technical studies, land surveys, environmental impact assessment processes and regulatory licensing had been completed. Negotiations on commercial agreements had also progressed.
The Power Purchase Agreement and Transmission Connection Agreements were signed in 2025, while technical, regulatory and preparatory work was finalised in July 2026.
Foundational engineering and project preparation, alongside the mobilisation of resources for detailed designs, are now under way.
Government said the project was preparing to enter the implementation phase and that a ground-breaking ceremony had already been held.
Cabinet also received an update on the response to the October 6 hailstorms in Masvingo Province, where an estimated 17,000 houses were affected.
Mnangagwa has declared a state of disaster in the province following extensive damage to homes, public infrastructure and essential services.
The disaster affected approximately 8,500 rooftops, five health centres, 29 schools in Masvingo, Chivi and Gutu, and five tertiary institutions, including Great Zimbabwe University, Masvingo Polytechnic College, Masvingo Teachers’ College, Mucheke Vocational Training Centre and Maud Muzenda Vocational Training Centre.
The damage also extended to 173 Government housing units and offices, electricity infrastructure, water and sewer systems, agricultural land and commercial facilities.
About 67.5 hectares of wheat were damaged, while 2,060 market stalls used by more than 6,000 traders were also affected.
Government said electricity infrastructure damage had disrupted industrial activity, business operations and the delivery of public services, including water and sewer reticulation.
Emergency measures include the distribution of 90 tonnes of mealie-meal and 90 tonnes of rice, with assistance targeting 6,711 vulnerable households.
Forty social workers have been deployed to provide psychosocial support, working alongside faith-based organisations.
Government has also begun repairing damaged public infrastructure, including Government housing and facilities at schools and other institutions. Power has been restored to affected health facilities, including Masvingo Provincial Hospital.
Thirty-three damaged Government houses have been repaired, with the remaining 15 expected to be completed within a week.
A command centre has been established at the Masvingo Civic Centre to coordinate the response, while Government continues to mobilise resources for the rehabilitation of affected schools and other facilities.
Authorities have also called for fair pricing of building materials to support reconstruction efforts.
Cabinet said preparations for the 25th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for October 22, were progressing well.
The summit will be held under the theme, “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA.”
It will be preceded by the COMESA Green Industries Connect and Business Forum on October 19 and the COMESA Business Forum on October 20, followed by a meeting of COMESA ministers of foreign affairs on October 21.
Zimbabwe will assume the organisation’s one-year chairmanship from Kenya during the summit.
The meeting will also consider several reports and oversee the swearing-in of Judge-elect Dr Ahmed Tharwat Ibrahim of Egypt to the COMESA Court of Justice.
Cabinet approved two memoranda of understanding intended to strengthen Zimbabwe’s education system through international cooperation.
The first agreement, between the Government and Applied Scholastics International, establishes a framework for teacher training, professional development and educational capacity-building programmes.
The agreement is intended to improve teachers’ competencies and enhance the quality and relevance of education.
Cabinet also approved a memorandum of understanding with the Republic of Korea on cooperation in basic education.
The agreement provides for the exchange of knowledge, information and experiences to improve the quality, relevance and effectiveness of basic education.
According to the briefing, Zimbabwe expects to benefit from South Korea’s experience in teacher development, curriculum innovation, technology education, assessment systems and school infrastructure.
Cabinet received an update on efforts to rehabilitate degraded riverine ecosystems following the Government’s ban on alluvial mining.
The briefing said 250 expressions of interest had been received by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Riverine Rehabilitation as of June 5, 2026.
Of these, 64 companies had been awarded contracts, while 51 contractors were already on site.
Government said it would continue monitoring progress and compliance with the terms and conditions governing the rehabilitation of damaged river ecosystems.
Despite the existing legal and policy framework, reports of continued alluvial mining were still being received from across the provinces.
The ban remains in force under Statutory Instrument 188 of 2024, while statutory instruments issued in 2026 provide for emergency rehabilitation of 15 river ecosystems declared disaster areas.
Cabinet also welcomed a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to initially allow 10,000 spectators to attend matches at the National Sports Stadium under strict safety conditions.
The decision follows an appeal by Zimbabwe against the temporary suspension of spectator access to CAF matches in the country.
According to the briefing, the limited admission of spectators forms part of a roadmap towards the full lifting of the suspension.
The update was presented by Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Minister Anselem Sanyatwe.
