The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ), led by chairman Tafadzwa Musarara, has lost its urgent bid to stop Government’s grain import levy framework after the High Court struck the matter off the urgent roll, allowing authorities to continue implementing the measures backed by Treasury and agricultural stakeholders.
In a ruling issued by the High Court Commercial Division in Harare under case number HCH435/26, Justice Lucy Mungwari ruled that the matter was “not urgent” and ordered that it be removed from the roll of urgent matters.
The application had sought to challenge Government’s grain levy framework introduced under Statutory Instrument 87 of 2025, which authorities say is aimed at protecting local farmers, financing irrigation infrastructure and reducing Zimbabwe’s dependence on imports.
The respondents in the matter included the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA), the Ministers of Agriculture, Finance, Justice and Industry and Commerce, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) and the Attorney General.
The court ruling represents a setback for GMAZ’s attempt to urgently halt implementation of the levy framework, which has continued receiving support from Treasury, farmer unions and Government officials.
Fresh correspondence from the Ministry of Finance has also reinforced Government’s backing for the levy system under revised grain marketing arrangements for the 2025/26 summer season.
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In a letter dated April 30, 2026, Finance Secretary George Guvamatanga endorsed continued application of levies and charges linked to grain imports under updated marketing arrangements designed to support local production and stabilise the agricultural sector.
Treasury said pricing disparities between imported grain and locally produced commodities had significant implications for producer viability, import substitution and macro-economic stability.
Government further designated the Agricultural Marketing Authority as the collecting agent for the levies, with revenues earmarked for farmer payments through the Grain Marketing Board and financing smallholder irrigation development programmes.
Legal experts say the Government’s position is supported by the Agricultural Marketing Authority Act, which expressly empowers authorities to impose and collect levies in pursuit of agricultural development and food security objectives.
According to one senior legal expert familiar with the legislation, the AMA Act specifically provides for “the imposition and collection of levies on producers, buyers and processors of agricultural products” as well as the administration of funds collected under the framework.
Experts argue that Section 5(1) of the AMA Act grants broad powers to implement measures aimed at stabilising and developing the agricultural sector.
They maintain that the levy framework forms part of a wider import substitution and localisation strategy intended to stimulate domestic grain production, protect local farmers and finance irrigation infrastructure critical to national food security.
The policy has also received backing from farmer unions and indigenous millers, who argue that Zimbabwe cannot continue relying heavily on imports while local production systems remain underdeveloped.
Authorities say approximately US$5.7 million has already been raised through the levy framework, with part of the funds being channelled towards irrigation projects across several provinces.
Government officials argue that the measures are necessary to reduce Zimbabwe’s rising import bill and strengthen domestic production capacity ahead of anticipated climate-related agricultural risks.
Earlier this month, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was repositioning itself within global value chains by moving away from exporting raw materials towards becoming a producer of value-added goods.
“Zimbabwe is steadily taking a seat within the global value chain space, not as a mere supplier of raw materials but as a competitive producer of value-added goods,” the President said while addressing the 392nd Ordinary Session of the Politburo in Harare.
In April, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda cautioned that Zimbabwe’s rising import bill was weakening industrial growth and threatening national sovereignty.
“The import bill continues to exert an inexorable stranglehold on the economy, draining foreign currency and steadily corroding the very foundations upon which national prosperity must be built,” Adv Mudenda said.
He said imports had increased from US$4.5 billion in 2019 to a projected US$10 billion in 2026.
“To place the figure in perspective, every single month, Zimbabwe bleeds enough foreign currency to fund multiple major national infrastructure projects,” he said.
Adv Mudenda warned that without firm measures to promote domestic industry and local procurement, Zimbabwe risked turning into a dumping ground for imported goods.
“This insidious practice has systematically eviscerated the country’s industrialisation agenda and entrenched a debilitating dependency that contradicts every foundational principle of national sovereignty,” he said.
The Indigenous Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (IGMAZ) has welcomed the latest High Court decision, describing it as a progressive development that safeguards Zimbabwe’s agrarian transformation agenda and strengthens Government’s efforts to protect local producers.
In a statement following the ruling, IGMAZ said the decision was critical for the preservation of the gains of the Land Reform Programme and the country’s broader industrialisation and food security objectives.
The association said the grain levy framework under SI 87 of 2025 remained an important policy tool for defending indigenous farmers, financing irrigation infrastructure and reducing Zimbabwe’s dependence on imports. IGMAZ further urged Government to remain firm in supporting local production and resisting what it described as attempts to undermine domestic agriculture through excessive reliance on imports.