Musarara challenges SI 87 of 2025 grain levies as court removes urgency

Musarara challenges SI 87 of 2025 grain levies as court removes urgency

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Suspended Zanu PF Mazowe District Coordinating Committee (DCC) chairperson Tafadzwa Musarara has filed a High Court application challenging the government’s grain import levy framework, arguing that the approach could raise the prices of basic goods including bread and mealie meal.

Musarara, who is also chairperson of the Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ), is seeking to stop the implementation of Statutory Instrument 87 of 2025. The statutory instrument forms part of government’s import substitution and agricultural financing measures.

In his court action, Musarara warns that the levy regime will add costs for millers and importers, which could be passed on to consumers through higher retail prices. The dispute comes as households across Mashonaland Central and the rest of Zimbabwe continue to monitor price movements for staple foods and other essentials.

The High Court, however, struck the matter off the urgent roll. This means the challenge will not be heard on an urgent basis, allowing authorities to continue implementing the levy framework while the broader arguments are pursued through ordinary court processes.

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The development has placed renewed attention on the balance government is trying to strike between promoting local grain production, financing agriculture, and keeping food prices stable. Grain and maize meal remain central to food security in Zimbabwe, while bread is a key daily commodity for many families, including in Bindura, Mazowe and surrounding areas.

Musarara’s court bid also draws public interest because of his political profile as a suspended ruling party district coordinating committee chairperson in Mazowe, a district in Mashonaland Central. The case adds to ongoing debate over how policy decisions affecting imports and levies translate into prices at supermarkets and tuckshops.

The government’s position on the application, and any further court dates, were not included in the material available at the time of publishing.

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