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Zimbabwe to maintain trade ties with Israel
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Zimbabwe will continue trading with Israel despite global condemnation of that country's military actions in Gaza, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services secretary Ndavaningi Mangwana has said.
Speaking during a government tour of high-impact projects in Beitbridge, Mangwana stressed that Zimbabwe would not impose unilateral trade restrictions unless directed by the United Nations.
"We had countries that imposed sanctions on us, and we know how painful it was. We do not wish that on anyone," Mangwana said. "We will wait for the UN to make a decision. As a country, we cannot make that decision alone."
Israel's military offensive in Gaza followed an October 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian group Hamas. According to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry and the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry, more than 63 000 people - including 61 805 Palestinians and 1 983 Israelis - had been killed by July 30, 2025.
Reports indicate that 80% of Palestinian fatalities are civilians, with the UN estimating that 70% of those killed in residential areas were women and children. The death toll also includes 217 journalists, 120 academics, and over 224 humanitarian aid workers, 179 of them UN employees.
Mangwana made the remarks on the sidelines of a visit to the Beitbridge Juice Plant, a Schweppes Zimbabwe operation that exports orange oils and beverages to several countries, including Israel and the United States.
Schweppes corporate affairs executive Ropafadzo Gwanetsa said the plant earned US$1,1 million from foreign markets in 2024, including South Africa and Botswana, and plans to open a new juice plant in Botswana.
She added that local supply would not be affected by the expansion, and that the plant donates animal feed in the form of orange peels to communal farmers as part of its community outreach.
Speaking during a government tour of high-impact projects in Beitbridge, Mangwana stressed that Zimbabwe would not impose unilateral trade restrictions unless directed by the United Nations.
"We had countries that imposed sanctions on us, and we know how painful it was. We do not wish that on anyone," Mangwana said. "We will wait for the UN to make a decision. As a country, we cannot make that decision alone."
Israel's military offensive in Gaza followed an October 7, 2023, attack by Palestinian group Hamas. According to figures from the Gaza Health Ministry and the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry, more than 63 000 people - including 61 805 Palestinians and 1 983 Israelis - had been killed by July 30, 2025.
Mangwana made the remarks on the sidelines of a visit to the Beitbridge Juice Plant, a Schweppes Zimbabwe operation that exports orange oils and beverages to several countries, including Israel and the United States.
Schweppes corporate affairs executive Ropafadzo Gwanetsa said the plant earned US$1,1 million from foreign markets in 2024, including South Africa and Botswana, and plans to open a new juice plant in Botswana.
She added that local supply would not be affected by the expansion, and that the plant donates animal feed in the form of orange peels to communal farmers as part of its community outreach.
Source - Newsday
