By Nevanji Munyaradzi Chiondegwa
HARARE – The Cabinet has approved a proposal by the Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Honourable Kazembe Kazembe, for Zimbabwe to host the 28th biennial conference of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council of Archives (ESARBICA) in 2025.
This was announced during a post-Cabinet media briefing by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere in Harare on Tuesday.
The decision was made after Zimbabwe was requested to host the conference, which is held on a rotational basis among the 24 member countries. The move was largely informed by the country’s successful hosting of the 2015 ESARBICA conference in Victoria Falls.
Addressing the Cabinet, Minister Kazembe highlighted the benefits Zimbabwe will accrue from hosting the conference, including:
Marketing the country as a prime tourism destination; Increased foreign currency earnings from the estimated 600 delegates from the member countries; and
Receiving €5,000 from the International Council of Archives to assist with hosting the event.
The biennial ESARBICA conference aims to advance archives management through regional cooperation. Zimbabwe’s selection to host the 2025 edition is a testament to the country’s expertise and capabilities in this domain, building on the success of the previous event held in Victoria Falls.
In a separate development, the Cabinet also approved the principles for amending the Firearms Act (Chapter 10:09). The proposed amendments seek to strengthen the regulation of firearm registration, licensing, and the establishment of a comprehensive database and registry.
Key changes include introducing psychological and training tests before issuing firearm certificates, age restrictions on firearm possession, limits on the number of firearms per individual, profiling all firearms for easy identification and tracing, as well as stiffer penalties for firearm-related offenses, including failure to properly secure firearms.
The Firearms Amendment Bill, once enacted, will play a crucial role in enhancing public safety and security in the country.
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