WATCH LIVE: Mnangagwa Asks Chiwenga To Leave Zimbabwe For 12 Days

Zimbabwe’s delegation is led by Chiwenga.

COP31 leadership: Türkiye hosts; Turkish Minister Murat Kurum is COP31 President; Australia’s Chris Bowen leads negotiations.

Global context: Marks 10 years since the Paris Agreement took effect; the U.S. formally withdrew in 2026 and is not sending an official delegation.

U.S. participation: About 20 U.S. Congress members and some business leaders are attending independently or through philanthropic funding.

Core COP31 focus: Limit warming to 1.5°C, reach net-zero by 2050, fund climate adaptation, and prioritize resilient health systems, food, and agriculture.

Zimbabwe’s agenda: Secure accessible climate finance, expand adaptation support, address loss and damage, and promote a just transition.

Zimbabwe’s practical resilience focus: Invest in agriculture, early warning systems, and climate observation networks.

South Africa – ANC: ANC NEC meets Thursday, 12 Nov 2026 after local election losses.

Mbeki’s advice: Prioritize ANC renewal and institutional survival; avoid governing coalitions “at any cost” where the ANC lacks voter support; rather take opposition benches in places like Gauteng metros.

Mbeki’s criticism: ANC internal research projected about 28% support; successive NECs failed to implement 2017 and 2022 renewal resolutions.

Earlier proposal: In 2025, lobbyists suggested dissolving the 80-member NEC and replacing it with a smaller task team led by Mbeki.

Mukuru–Flash partnership: Adds 170,000 cash pay-in points at spaza shops across South Africa for remittances.

Purpose: Make cash remittance payments easier and reduce travel time/distance for customers.

Target market: Township, peri-urban, and rural customers who rely on cash and have limited formal financial access.

Market context: South Africa has about 190,000 traditional trade outlets handling R170 billion in fast-moving consumer goods annually; nearly 80% of households shop there regularly.

Remittances: South Africa is the main SADC remittance hub; remittances to neighboring countries grew from R6 billion in 2016 to over R19 billion by 2024.

Regulation/competition: South African Reserve Bank wants more non-bank/fintech participation to boost competition and lower costs; Mukuru faces competition from other non-bank remittance providers and banks like Capitec.