*Morning News: Wednesday 18 June 2025* *Headlines* *Iran’s Supreme Leader Declares War on Israel* *Wicknell Chivayo's Half-billion Dollar Cancer Contract Under-fire* *Zimbabwe Says Gold-backed Currency Stable But Investor Doubts Persist* *Too Many Areas Requiring Urgent Attention: Presidential Spokesperson Says Following Mnangagwa’s Visit To Public Referral Hospitals* *Harare City Council Plagued By ‘Dirty Hands’ In Governance: Commission Report* *Zimbabwe Embraces Smart City Technology To Tame Traffic Offences* *Charred Bodies, Shattered Lives After Gunmen Kill 100 In Nigeria* *Oil Prices Spike, US Stocks Fall On Israel-Iran Crisis* *Premier League Fixtures Out On Wednesday Morning* Join our *Ad-free* News Channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VacXkvFJJhzd2UoZYF1F *Stories in Detail:* *Iran’s Supreme Leader Declares War on Israel* In a shocking and historic escalation, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has officially declared war against Israel, marking the most direct confrontation between the two nations in decades. The announcement follows a wave of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, prompting what Iran now calls a “necessary and full-scale military response.” Key Developments: – Iranian forces placed on maximum combat alert – Revolutionary Guard mobilized for immediate retaliation – Air defenses, ballistic units, and naval forces activated – Iran calls on Muslim and allied nations to join the effort This is not just a proxy conflict anymore — it’s an open declaration. The risk of a wider regional war involving Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and even U.S. assets is now very real. World leaders are calling for urgent de-escalation. *Wicknell Chivayo's Half-billion Dollar Cancer Contract Under-fire* A nearly half a billion dollar contract for cancer treatment equipment between the Zimbabwean government and a South African company owned by controversial tenderpreneur Wicknell Chivayo has ignited a major controversy, with critics alleging widespread corruption and a blatant disregard for public procurement procedures. The deal, valued at approximately US$437.28 million over four years, reportedly did not go through a public tendering process. The contract, signed in March 2025, is between the Office of the President and Cabinet, represented by Chief Secretary Martin Rushwaya, and TTM Global Medical Exports (Pty) Ltd of South Africa, represented by CEO Rouxne Styger. Its stated purpose is the "supply, delivery, installation and commissioning of cancer treatment equipment at various government hospitals and medical facilities in Zimbabwe," addressing a noted increase in cancer cases, with around 8,500 new diagnoses annually. The government also cited a special surtax on sugar content in beverages (Statutory Instrument 16 of 2024) aimed at funding cancer care. Under the terms of the agreement, the Government of Zimbabwe is committed to an annual payment of US$109,320,600.00. This includes an initial deposit of US$52,500,000.00 paid within 14 days of the contract’s signature, followed by monthly installments of US$9,110,050.00, commencing April 30, 2025, and continuing for the four-year duration. The delivery of equipment is phased, with the first 20% expected within six months to major referral hospitals, followed by deliveries to provincial and district hospitals over the subsequent months. However, the nature of the contract has raised significant concerns. Former Mt Pleasant MP Fadzayi Mahere asked Nick Mangwana, the government spokesperson to explain why the deal was reportedly awarded to Chivayo’s company. A company research by Mahere revealed that Chivayo is the owner of TTM Global Medical Exports (Pty) Ltd . Mahere asked a series of questions: "Kindly confirm that the procurement contract for the supply and installation of cancer machines was entered into by the Govt with TTM Global Medical Exports (Pty) Ltd as appears from the contractual document below? "Are you aware that a basic company search reveals that Wicknell Chivayo is the registered director/shareholder of this South African company? "How was Mr Chivayo’s company selected to supply the cancer treatment equipment? Was there a public tender process? "Can you now understand the lack of public trust around how state contracts and transactions are conducted? Can you see why the public views your entire system as corrupt? It’s a mess." Political commentator Jealousy Mawarire described the deal as a "scam" and a "heist," specifically linking it to a "Dumbuzenene linked South African company" and accusing Chief Secretary Martin Rushwaya and President Emmerson Mnangagwa of orchestrating the alleged corrupt scheme. Mawarire highlighted that the contract was entered into without going to tender, a critical procedural omission in public procurement. Adding to the skepticism, President Mnangagwa made an unannounced visit to two central hospitals in Harare and a Natpharm warehouse on Monday, two months after the contract with TTM Global Medical was signed. Mawarire dismissed this tour as a "poor window dressing gimmick by lunatics who think all Zimbabweans are fools," suggesting it was a retrospective attempt to sanitise the controversial deal. Development economist Chenayi Mutambasere echoed these sentiments, labeling Mnangagwa’s hospital visit as "disingenuous" and a "surprise" move to feign ignorance of the country’s "collapsing healthcare system." Mutambasere pointed out that Zimbabwe’s national budget allocated only 10% to health last year, significantly below the 15% Abuja target, and questioned how a functioning health system could account for 49% of deaths from preventable communicable diseases. "It’s disingenuous for Mnangagwa to stage a ‘surprise’ visit to Parirenyatwa and feign ignorance of Zimbabwe’s collapsing healthcare system. "Last year, only 10% of the national budget was allocated to health far below the 15% Abuja target. You don’t get 49% of deaths from preventable communicable diseases in a functioning health system. "This visit is just for vibes and looting. They say an arsonist always visits the scene of the crime," she stated. In response to the mounting criticism, government spokesperson Nick Mangwana defended the executive’s actions stating that the "Cabinet’s role is to make and implement decisions within the law." "As the Executive arm of the State, the Cabinet’s role is to make and implement decisions within the law. Transactions sanctioned by Cabinet shouldn’t be assumed corrupt, given the collective nature of the decision-making process," Mangwana stated. Controversy surrounding public contracts is not new for Chivayo. A bombshell report from South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) recently unveiled a significant financial transaction where Chivayo received more than R800 million (US$41.9 million). This amount stemmed from a R1.1 billion (US$61.1 million) payment disbursed by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Finance to Ren-Form CC for election supplies in anticipation of the 2023 general elections. Reportedly, once the Treasury made the payment, Ren-Form transferred the majority of the money to Chivayo’s companies, namely Intratrek Holdings and Dolintel Trading Enterprise. Chivayo this week pledged a US$1 million donation to Mnangagwa’s foundation as a Father’s Day gift. *nehandaradio* *Zimbabwe Says Fold-backed Currency Stable But Investor Doubts Persist* Zimbabwe’s gold-backed currency now has more than 100 percent reserve cover and is stable, according to the central bank, but doubts over its credibility remain, underscored by a persistent premium in the parallel market. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe on Monday kept its benchmark rate unchanged at 35 percent, citing a stable exchange rate, opens new tab as one of the reasons, and reported total reserves of $701 million. The bank said the portion of transactions carried out using the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) currency surged to 43 percent in May from 26 percent in April 2024, the month it was introduced. Decades of economic instability and currency devaluations mean most people still use the U.S. dollar for most purchases. But the authorities are hoping the ZiG’s gold backing will give Zimbabweans the confidence to adopt it for everyday transactions. "ZiG is our national currency, and as the central bank, we are committed to ensuring its success by maintaining all the fundamental characteristics of sound money, including its function as a reliable store of value," Reserve Bank Governor John Mushayavanhu wrote in response to Reuters’ questions. "The Reserve Bank has learned from previous currency failures that maintaining optimum money supply and ensuring monetary stability is vital," he added. Despite the bank’s assurances, the gap between the official exchange rate and parallel market rate remains about 20 percent. "The rate has been stable for more than three months," said black-market trader Pearson Tambudze, attributing the stability to a scarcity of the local currency rather than restored confidence. "There isn’t a lot of ZiG in the market," he said. The International Monetary Fund has welcomed the ZiG’s stability but is urging Zimbabwe to adopt tighter money-growth limits, a more transparent foreign exchange market and to make progress on clearing an estimated $12.2 billion in external arrears. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, meanwhile, expressed hope last month that currency stability and appropriate monetary policy would enable Zimbabwe to raise $2.6 billion in bridge finance by mid-2026. Investors, however, remain cautious. "We wouldn’t invest in Zimbabwe at the current stages. The country needs to have a lot more development before we would consider it," said Jetro Siekkinen at LGT Capital Partners. Economists also flagged concerns over Zimbabwe’s reserve cushion, which stands at 0.8 months of import cover, well short of the IMF’s recommended three-month safety net. "In terms of priority, I would consider the clearance of arrears with multilateral creditors to be most important," said Lyle Begbie, an economist at Oxford Economics. Two earlier IMF staff-monitored programmes collapsed within 15 months, and Begbie predicted similar outcomes for future efforts. "Ultimately, we are likely years away from the IMF providing concessional financing to Zimbabwe, even if the country does everything right, which itself is not likely," he said. *Reuters* *Too Many Areas Requiring Urgent Attention: Presidential Spokesperson Says Following Mnangagwa’s Visit To Public Referral Hospitals* PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba, has acknowledged the dire state of Zimbabwe’s public hospitals, highlighting infrastructure decay, policy gaps and systematic overload. Charamba was speaking following Mnangagwa’s visit to Zimbabwe’s main referral hospitals, Parirenyatwa and Sally Mugabe, on Monday. The visits follow public outcry over the dysfunctional state of public hospitals. Mnangagwa’s government has long neglected general hospitals, which now face crumbling infrastructure, medicine shortages, costly patient care and poor wages that have led to low staff morale and a massive brain drain. "Our role as Presidential staffers was to note areas requiring immediate, medium and long-term interventions, and they were just too many, in order to help shape effective health delivery policy. "It was clear from the visit that the whole health delivery hierarchy needed attention. "Failures at basic primary levels like clinics, municipal clinics and district hospitals transmitted themselves all the way to referral hospitals, leading to a system which is creaking from an overload, disrepair and fresh investments. "Interventions have got to be systemic, a lack which in fact explains the rise of top-notch private care-givers who are a ringing antipode to massive failures in the public health system," Charamba wrote on his X account. Zimbabwe’s referral hospitals are overloaded and overwhelmed, as most primary care clinics are incapacitated and unable to handle even basic health issues. The presidential spokesman also said Mnangagwa witnessed the Parirenyatwa Hospital’s Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Wing operating without curtains or heating, compromising patient privacy and comfort. Many wards do not have enough blankets, and most have broken windows. Charamba added that there are serious administrative inefficiencies across the Ministries of Finance, Local Government, and Health that urgently require a more hands-on approach. *NewZW* *Harare City Council Plagued By ‘Dirty Hands’ In Governance: Commission Report* HARARE City Council has been run by unscrupulous individuals for decades and their "dirty hands have been in the cookie jar", a legacy situation that has affected its operations and persists to the present day, retired High Court judge, Justice Maphios Cheda, has said. He said this yesterday while briefing journalists soon after delivering a report to President Mnangagwa at State House after leading a Commission of Inquiry into Governance Issues around Harare City Council. President Mnangagwa constituted the Commission of Inquiry led by Justice Cheda in May last year, following complaints about deteriorating service delivery in the capital city. In his brief to the media, Justice Cheda described operations at Harare City Council as "dirty". "Let me say in conclusion, there were too many dirty hands in the cookie jar. Too many dirty hands in the cookie jar. They are still there," said Justice Cheda. He said the Commission of Inquiry was a platform through which residents aired their views after President Mnangagwa took heed of their grievances on the deteriorating service delivery offered by Harare City Council. "It is the ratepayers and residents of Harare who wanted to say something, residents wanted to make a complaint. We provided them with a forum, so that is where our comfort is derived from. It is you people who wanted to express your views and you said what you wanted to say. We have compiled the report and we are comfortable with the report," said Justice Cheda. He described President Mnangagwa’s decision to constitute a Commission of Inquiry as consistent with his undertaking at his inauguration that he was a listening President. "So the report belongs to His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe and he has it with him. I no longer have the report," Justice Cheda said. Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe said they expected more commissions of inquiry to be set up to look into the state of affairs of most urban local authorities. "This Commission is borne out of the decay in our local authorities, the way our urban local authorities are being run. Harare City Council being number one and Bulawayo City Council being number two. Going forward, we have made recommendations that we need to have a thorough investigation of all our urban local authorities because there is a lot of decay," said Minister Garwe. He said President Mnangagwa will have to go through the report before deciding on the next course of action. "The President has to go through the report and give us the way forward. But we are happy that we have submitted the report to His Excellency in terms of the mandate he gave to the Commission," Minister Garwe said. President Mnangagwa constituted the Commission with a mandate to investigate issues of corporate governance, financial prudence, and adherence to local governance laws and policies among others. The Commission, which was established in terms of Section 2 (1) of the Commission of Inquiry Act, held public hearings in which it invited several stakeholders that include serving council officials and those who had left council employment. Other members of the commission included local governance expert Steven Chakaipa, Mr Norbert Phiri, Ms Lucia Gladys Matibenga, and Ms Khonzani Ncube. The Permanent Secretary for Local Government and Public Works, Dr John Basera, served as secretary. During the course of its work, Mr Norbert Phiri was replaced by Harare lawyer Mr Tafadzwa Charles Hungwe. During inquiries, several allegations of financial malfeasance, corruption and failure to adhere to corporate governance issues emerged. Some of the irregularities that came out include the unlawful allocation of over 5 000 stands ahead of the 2023 harmonised elections, with 350 housing cooperatives illegally regularised. It also emerged that the town clerk, Engineer Hosiah Chisango, was earning US$27 000 monthly, which could rise to US$30 000 with perks, while the lowest-paid executive was earning US$15 000 monthly, none of which had been approved by the Local Government Board. City directors, who allegedly had "no payslips", spent US$124 000 on luxury foreign trips, in addition to US$1 million on top-of-the-range vehicles during the election period. The commission uncovered a web of scandals, including the disappearance of US$105 million, annual losses of US$70 million due to inadequate monitoring systems, and the vanishing of a US$4,5 million loan facility allocated to Harare Quarry. It also emerged that 100 head of cattle were being stolen monthly and that 60 000 houses were not being billed. *herald online* *Zimbabwe Embraces Smart City Technology To Tame Traffic Offences* THE government has approved the implementation of the Smart City concept, which aims to curb traffic offences and reduce road accidents. The Smart City initiative will be rolled out by telecommunications company TelOne. The system will incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI), including components such as cameras with automatic number plate and facial recognition capabilities. Speaking at a post-Cabinet media briefing, Tuesday, the Minister of Information said the home-grown system would address traffic violations using modern technology. "The government is set to accelerate the implementation of a Home-Grown Smart Traffic Management System, after Cabinet approved the rollout of a proof of concept in 2020, which was subsequently utilised during the COVID-19 period and thereafter. "This is meant to address unwarranted traffic congestion, road accidents, and traffic law violations. This innovative system utilises advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and big data analytics to enhance traffic flow, road safety, and transparency," said Muswere. Zimbabwe has lagged behind in addressing traffic violations, with offenders often escaping punishment due to an archaic ticketing system. However, given Zimbabwe’s ongoing power and internet challenges, there is scepticism over the feasibility of the system’s success in the country. Muswere added that the system would be implemented in phases, starting with Harare and Bulawayo. "The Home-Grown Traffic Management System will be rolled out in phases, commencing with Harare and Bulawayo, followed by other major towns. To support effective implementation, several key enablers will be monitored, including a robust project governance framework, reliable power sources, stable internet connectivity, and strategic system integration with supporting platforms and institutions. "Specialised courts will assist in expediting justice delivery as the system operates. This localised approach is expected to foster knowledge transfer, skills development, and national pride while promoting self-reliance and sustainability," he said. *NewZW* *Charred Bodies, Shattered Lives After Gunmen Kill 100 In Nigeria* The gunmen attacked after dark and chased farmer Fidelis Adidi away from the central Nigerian village of Yelwata. The next morning he returned to find the charred remains of one of his two wives and four of his children. They had been living in a room he had rented in the market, in an attempt to keep them safe from a wave of clashes between cattle herders and farmers in the country's Middle Belt region. His second wife and another child were badly wounded in the assault that began on Friday night and, according to Amnesty International, killed around 100 people in the town in Benue region. "My body is weak and my heart keeps racing," the 37-year-old told Reuters as he stood outside the room, surveying the damage. "I lost five of my family members." In another room in the market, bodies lay burned beyond recognition next to blackened piles of food and farm equipment. Authorities have struggled to contain the violence that has simmered for years, fuelled by competition over land as well as ethnic and religious divisions. President Bola Tinubu - who called the recent upsurge in attacks "depressing" on Monday - is due to visit Benue on Wednesday, his first visit there since coming to office two years ago. Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency said it was working with aid agencies to help at least 3,000 people displaced by the violence in a territory where the majority Muslim north meets the predominantly Christian south. Market trader Talatu Agauta, who is pregnant with her second child, fled when the attackers came on Friday night and took refuge in the state capital Markudi. She came back over the weekend to find 40 bags of her rice had been burned. A devastating blow, but not enough to drive her from her home. "I came back and even if I die here, I don't mind," she said. *Reuters* *Oil Prices Spike, US Stocks Fall l On Israel-Iran Crisis* Oil prices have spiked amid fears that the Israel-Iran crisis could spiral into a broader conflict involving the United States. Brent North Sea Crude and West Texas Intermediate – the two most popular oil benchmarks – rose 4.4 percent and 4.3, respectively, on Tuesday as US President Donald Trump demanded "unconditional surrender" from Tehran. The benchmarks stood at $76.45 per barrel and $74.84 per barrel, respectively, following the jump. Oil prices edged up further in early trading on Wednesday, taking the gains to nearly 5 percent, before stabilising at $76.37 per barrel and $74.83 per barrel, respectively, later in the day. US stocks fell on the rising geopolitical tensions overnight, with the benchmark S&P500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declining 0.84 percent and 0.91 percent, respectively. Israel has bombed multiple oil and gas facilities in Iran since Friday, including the South Pars gasfield, the Fajr Jam gas plant, the Shahran oil depot and the Shahr Rey oil refinery. While there has been little disruption to global energy flows so far, the possibility of escalation – including direct US involvement in Israel’s military offensive – has put markets on edge. On Tuesday, Trump ratcheted his rhetoric against Iran, adding to fears that his administration could order a military strike against Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Fordow. In a thinly veiled threat against Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Trump said in a Truth Social post that the US knew his location but did not want him killed "for now". Iran has the world’s third-largest reserves of crude oil and second-largest reserves of gas, though its reach as an energy exporter has been heavily curtailed by US-led sanctions. The country produced about 3.99 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2023, or 4 percent of global supply, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Iran also sits on the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a conduit for 20-30 percent of global oil shipments. Nearly all of Iran’s oil exports leave via the Kharg Island export terminal, which has so far been spared from Israeli bombing. "In the context of seeking to destabilize Iran, Israel may choose to strike its oil exports, believing that working to finish off a hostile regime is worth the risk of alienating allies concerned with potential price escalation," Clayton Seigle, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, wrote in an analysis on Monday. "Israeli strategists are likely well aware that Iran’s oil export capacity is quite vulnerable to disruption. Its offshore oil export terminal at Kharg Island accounts for nearly all of its 1.5 million barrels per day average export volume." *Al Jazeera* *Premier League Fixtures Out On Wednesday Morning* The 2025-26 Premier League fixtures are being released on Wednesday - and you can read them on the BBC Sport website and app as soon as they are announced. It is less than a month since Liverpool lifted the trophy on the last day of the 2024-25 campaign, and the release of the fixtures marks the beginning of the countdown to a new season. Arne Slot's side will discover who they begin their title defence against as the Reds bid for a third league title in six years. Sunderland are back in the top flight for the first time since 2016-17 after earning promotion through the play-offs, while Championship winners Leeds return after a two-year absence. Burnley were promoted at the first time of asking and are back for a ninth season in the Premier League. *When will the Premier League 2025-26 fixtures be released?* All 380 fixtures will be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday, 18 June. Fans will be able to see who their side face to start the 2025-26 Premier League season, how the festive schedule looks and who they have to contend with during a potentially crucial run-in. You can get the latest news from your favourite Premier League team sent direct to your device. Simply choose a team from the list here. If you are using the BBC Sport app, follow your team to add them to MySport and select the bell icon to sign up for your club's notifications, including news, goals and results. *When does the Premier League season start?* The opening day of the 2025-26 season is Saturday, 16 August - by which time 83 days will have passed since there was last any Premier League action. In previous years, the curtain-raiser has been moved to the Friday night. Regardless of when the first match is played, no doubt hope and optimism will be in the air as supporters of all 20 clubs dream of what might be in the months to come. The exact date and time at which individual matches are played during each weekend will be determined at regular intervals throughout the season, based on TV selections made by broadcasters. In total, the campaign will consist of 33 weekends and five midweek rounds of fixtures. It all concludes with the final round of fixtures on Sunday, 24 May 2026. *Who is in the Premier League next season?* After three consecutive second-place finishes, Arsenal will be among the sides hoping to dethrone Liverpool. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City will also be aiming to put themselves back in the title picture after a rare trophyless season. Newcastle and Tottenham ended their trophy droughts in 2025 and both are back in the Champions League, as are Chelsea, and all will hope their squads are up to the challenge of competing on multiple fronts. The same goes for Europa League qualifiers Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, as well as Nottingham Forest, who are in the Conference League. A dismal campaign in 2024-25 means Manchester United have not qualified for Europe, so Ruben Amorim will hope the extra time on the training ground proves beneficial. After all three promoted sides went straight back down last year, newly promoted trio Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland will be doing all they can to avoid the same fate. Meanwhile, Everton may be an ever-present in the top flight during the Premier League era but, after bidding farewell to Goodison Park in May, this will be their first season at the new 52,888-capacity Hill Dickinson Stadium. *A season between World Cups* An increasingly hectic football calendar means this season is bookended by a pair of World Cups - the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup this summer, and the more familiar international tournament in 2026. As ever, keeping players fit will be crucial for managers across the league and with nine Premier League clubs competing in Europe as well this year, for almost half of them, that will be even more tricky. "The start date of 16 August allows for the maximum player rest time available - 83 clear days - from the end of the 2024-25 season," the Premier League said. "The season end date of 24 May 2026 ensures the Premier League season finishes ahead of the Fifa 2026 World Cup call-up period." But not all clubs will get those 83 clear days. Should Manchester City or Chelsea reach the Club World Cup final, they could be faced with playing the first game of the 2025-26 season just 34 days after ending the 2024-25 one. There should at least be some respite over Christmas and new year with the schedule ensuring no two rounds of fixtures take place within 60 hours of each other - and no matches on Christmas Eve. *BBC*