The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, says steps to address rhino poaching are presently aligned to the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros as well as the principles set out in the draft National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT). According to Creecy wildlife trafficking constitutes a highly sophisticated form of serious transnational organised crime and the aim is to establish an integrated strategic framework for an intelligence-led, well-resourced law enforcement approach. Greecy has also paid tribute to rangers battling poaching, saying in 2018, a total of 769 rhino were killed for their horn locally. In 2019 rhino poaching continued to decline with 594 rhino poached nationally.  

Zimbabwe has lifted its ban on genetically modified (GM) maize imports. This in an effort to improve local supplies following another poor local harvest season. Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist at the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, Agbiz, says Zimbabwe's maize production fell by 53% on a year-to year basis in the 2018/19 production season to 800 000 tonnes. That is why the country had to import at least a million tonnes of maize to meet the local supply requirement. He says Zimbabwe's  ban on the  importation or growing GM maize wasn’t helping the country in, especially in terms of progress in assisting local farmers. He says the policy also disadvantaged consumers, who were compelled to purchase higher-priced maize and its products, which would have been relatively cheaper if the country produced higher volumes from GM seed. Sihlobo believes maize exporters from South Africa and Mexico could benefit from Zimbabwe's decision to lift the ban.

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Meanwhile the Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, in its latest report on dam levels, says water storage in the country is stable despite a week-long absence of rain in major parts. Spokesperson for the department, Sputnik Ratau, says dam levels in the Free State on average remains stable at 58,8% while levels in North West recovered substantially from below 50% two months ago to 66,8%. Ratau says despite heavy drought spells in vast parts of the Northern Cape, the province's dam levels increase by 4% to 76,4%.

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