Internet hackers attack Zimbabwean government websites
Robert Mugabe has waged a relentless war on independent media over the past five years, newspapers, radios, television stations have all fallen to draconian new laws, jamming the air waves and bombing print works. But now it seems the realm of cyber space has resisted the iron grip of the information ministry. It appears a group of international internet hackers have taken over sections of the government’s own web site.

Zim youth organise “long march” to SADC embassies in UK
A group of young Zimbabwean activists in the U.K. have launched a campaign to pressure SADC member states to act on the political and economic crisis that has gripped Zimbabwe . Free Zim Youth have received much attention for their creative ways of bringing the Zimbabwe situation into focus.

Election issue sidestepped in Mugabe speech
Zimbabweans have talked of nothing but the prospect of another two years under Robert Mugabe for the last few weeks, this was after the state media revealed that ZANU PF intended to harmonise the presidential and parliamentary election and extend Mugabe’s term. It was expected that Mugabe himself would touch on this crucial issue in his State of the Nation address in parliament Wednesday but our correspondent who listened on state television said it was the usual rhetoric without substance.

MP Madzore’s bail hearing postponed
State prosecutors made sure the MP for Glen View Paul Madzore will spend his eighth night in custody after telling a scheduled bail hearing in the High Court that they needed more time to respond. Madzore was arrested last Wednesday according to his wife and was moved from Harare Central Police station to Harare Remand prison after being denied bail on Friday by the magistrate’s court. He is facing accusations of engaging in public violence after allegedly forcing people in his constituency to stay home from work to protest the economic hardships.

Opposition set to boycott Mugabe’s parliamentary address
The Tsvangirai MDC have said they will not attend a state of the nation address by Robert Mugabe in parliament on Wednesday. Party spokesman Nelson Chamisa told Newsreel it was now an annual tradition for them not to attend Mugabe’s address since they do not recognise him as the legitimate head of state. Chamisa says as far as they are concerned Mugabe has kept himself in power through rigging elections and does not have the mandate of the people.

State agents disrupt WOZA meeting in Bulawayo
State agents pretending to fit in among members of Women Of Zimbabwe Arise disrupted a meeting on Saturday in Bulawayo. Unfortunately for the agents WOZA members recognized some of them, especially one named Abraham Dapi who is known to be a PISI officer. About 170 members had gathered to reflect on the Harare launch of the Peoples’ Charter at Parliament. WOZA coordinator Jenni Williams said Dapi tried to disguise himself by reading a copy of ‘The Zimbabwean’.

Succession crisis rears its head at Zanu-PF conference
The ZANU PF conference has come and gone and the issue of the controversial extension of Robert Mugabe’s term of office was not resolved. Analysts say the 82-year-old leader’s attempt to use his party’s annual conference to formally endorse his plans, failed because there was no unanimous support for it.

 Nothing new as Mugabe attacks West and opposition at congress
The much-awaited ZANU PF annual conference opened Friday with pomp and fanfare. Freelance journalist Gift Phiri said about 9 000 delegates from the party’s 10 provinces were in attendance and 160 beasts were slaughtered as ZANU PF delegates pigged out at conference. He said it was shocking to see so much extravagance amid grinding poverty.

 Vigil group intensifies campaign to renew targeted sanctions
Members of the Zimbabwe Vigil groupin the UK have stepped up their campaign to ensure that the European Union renews targeted sanctions aimed at the Mugabe regime and associates. These very specific sanctions ban Mugabe & his cronies from travelling abroad as well as monitor their assets. The measures are due to be renewed in February 2007.

 Video showing Zim police brutality launched in Johannesburg
The Solidarity Peace Trust and the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in South Africa on Thursday described police brutality in Zimbabwe as vicious and equated it with the ill-treatment of blacks during the ‘dark days’ of the colonial era. The two organisations said this in a joint statement at the launch of a report and video in Johannesburg .

 Chombo defies law & extends term of illegal commission in Harare
The minister of local government Ignatius Chombo has once again extended the term of office of the illegal commission he appointed to run the capital. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Local Government confirmed this on Wednesday as ruling party delegates settled into their annual conference in Goromonzi.

 GMB buying sub-standard wheat
The weekly Financial Gazette reports that the Grain Marketing Board is buying rain-damaged wheat to try and replenish depleted stocks. The country’s sole grain trader normally does not accept this type of wheat as it is considered unsuitable for human consumption. This week however it’s reported that the GMB changed its policy and announced it would accept the sub-standard wheat.

 Lawyers march to parliament and Supreme Court
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and various civic organizations successfully demonstrated in Harare on Wednesday to commemorate a belated International Human Rights Day. The rights defenders delivered a petition with their concerns to the Supreme Court. Earlier the group had marched to the Houses of Parliament but were told that Speaker Emmerson Mnangagwa was not available.

 Mugabe protects Mengistu after guilty verdict in   Ethiopia
Zimbabwe has announced that former Ethiopian dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam will not be handed over to Ethiopian authorities after being found guilty of genocide on Tuesday. Mengistu has lived in Zimbabwe since he sought asylum in 1991 after being toppled by the army. He is accused of killing thousands of his own people using the military during a 17-year reign. Zimbabwe refused previous requests to hand him over during the last 12 years and on Tuesday a court in Ethiopia decided to sentence him in absentia.

 Army finance demands not met by cash strapped government  
The cash-strapped Zimbabwe government will under cut defence spending for 2007 in an unprecedented move not seen since Robert Mugabe came to power in 1980. Out of the almost Z$352 billion requested from the treasury by the Ministry of Defence, only Z$227 billion has been allocated for next year.

 Woza women detained and released ....again
More that 100 activists from the pressure groups Women of Zimbabwe Arise and Men of Zimbabwe Arise were detained outside parliament in Harare on Tuesday. Surprisingly there was no repeat of the brutal assaults that marred their last demonstration in Bulawayo . Nor were they detained for long. But the latest demonstration resulted in the activists being detained briefly after they were forced to sit down on the tarmac. They had been distributing flyers focusing on the collapse of the social system and human rights violations.

 6 out of 10 provinces agree to extend Mugabe's term
The ZANU-PF conference opens on Wednesday in Goromonzi district east of Harare. And although there is much speculation about the main issues that the ruling party delegates will deal with, it is largely believed that Robert Mugabe will use this platform to extend his term of tenure by another 2 years. He would have to postpone the presidential election due in 2008 to 2010, combining it with general parliamentary elections due at the time.

 Shortage of cash as Zim dollars flood neighbouring countries
A serious currency flight into neighbouring countries is thought to be at the centre of a shortage of lower cash denominations in Zimbabwe . Several banks are reportedly struggling to supply 1000 and 500 dollar notes while the same cash is reportedly in plenty of supply across the different borders. Simon Muchemwa in Harare reports that only Z$10 000 denominations are readily available and the inconvenience is being felt by shoppers.

 Crisis in Zimbabwe worries international community
There are renewed fears in the international community that plans by the Zanu (PF) regime to extend Robert Mugabe’s presidential term by two more years will further ruin the country’s economy. Speaking on Monday in Cape Town , South Africa , the Commonwealth secretary-general Don Mckinnon said the fears are based on the current political and economic crises that have shown no signs of abating. According to Mckinnon the country’s collapse was putting pressure on its neighbours.

 Student leader abducted and assaulted, others barred from exams
The Students Representative Council President at the Bulawayo Polytechnic, Blessing Vava, says he was abducted by state security agents in Bulawayo on Saturday. Writing in an e-mail sent out to various news agencies, Vava said four men bundled him into a Jeep vehicle and drove along the Gwanda road. The men allegedly interrogated him inside the vehicle while accusing him of being on the payroll of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

 More productive farms seized in Midlands and Manicaland
The government has shown no desire to stop illegal farm invasions despite repeated public pronouncements by top officials that they would take action. The Zimbabwe Standard newspaper reported last week that violent farm invasions had resumed in the Midlands province where two productive commercial farms were seized by Zanu-PF supporters from Kwekwe. Another productive farm in Manicaland is also reported to have been invaded. .

 Electric shocks for Tafara residents after cables break
Residents in the Tafara high density suburb of Harare have had no consistent running water for over 3 years now and have been struggling with random availability. Last week the situation got worse when electric cables under a local pub snapped and exposed live wires to a wet environment. Our resident Tafara contact reports that many people got very strong electric shocks when they touched water taps and other metal appliances. She said no warning was issued by local council officials or the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), which is responsible for power supplies and repairs.

 Bennett meets with Zimbabwean refugees in Johannesburg
Exiled MDC treasurer-general Roy Bennett on Sunday met with a group of Zimbabwean refugees sheltered at the central Methodist church in Johannesburg , South Africa . Bennett who relocated to South Africa early this year fearing for his safety in Zimbabwe , became the first senior member of the MDC to visit the refugees in Johannesburg . ‘My visit to the church was to show solidarity with the refugees, to show them that we are together in this struggle to fight Zanu (PF) and Robert Mugabe,’ Bennett said.

 Government grabs mine from British listed company
A company has paid the price of investing in Zimbabwe by losing a valuable diamond claim in the Marange communal lands. The UK Daily Telegraph reports that the African Consolidated Resources company was granted title to the diamond mine by the Ministry of Mines. The government has now ordered the company off the mine with reports that soldiers protecting it from illegal panners are now mining the diamonds themselves.

 Zimbabwe Bakers Association request price increase
Just a day after we covered the 60 percent increase in the cost of public transport, the Zimbabwe Bakers Association confirmed that they have put in a request to government to increase the price of bread by 140 percent. If approved bread will shoot up from the current Z$295 to Z$700. The association says more increases might be on the way if the price of flour goes up again.

 Massive membership drive from MDC in the UK
The MDC-UK province, under the leadership of former trade unionist Ephraim Tapa, now has over thirty branches throughout the United Kingdom . The new executive committee elected into office three months ago, promised to prioritise the recruitment of new members and the formation of new branches.

 Court delays appeal hearing by spies
Three men convicted in Zimbabwe of spying for South Africa will spend another Christmas in prison after their appeal hearing at the High Court in Harare was delayed indefinitely.

 Opposition condemn attempt to extend Mugabe’s term
The opposition has responded angrily to reports that Mugabe is planning to extend his term in office to 2010. Spokesperson for the Tsvangirai MDC Nelson Chamisa said this must be rejected by all patriotic Zimbabweans. The ruling party secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa told ZimOnline on Tuesday that there are attempts to extend Mugabe’s term for life at the ZANU PF annual conference next week.

 Public transport fares shoot up again
More misery for long suffering Zimbabweans after the cost of public transport went up 60% for the second time in two weeks. More increases are imminent before Christmas. The increases came into effect Monday and are blamed on the increasing cost of spares and the fact that operators are having to source fuel on the black market.

 ZCTU threatens more protests for better pay and living conditions
The President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Lovemore Matombo has announced plans by the union to call for more demonstrations pressing for better pay and improved living conditions for workers. In an interview with Newsreel Wednesday Matombo said the brutal response of the police towards their protest in September would not deter them from engaging in further protests. He says the General Council of the ZCTU decided at meetings held on the 1 st and 2 nd December that the action was necessary and has since started consulting the general membership..

  Government to face stiff resistance on private schools directive
Education Minister Aeneas Chigwedere’s recent directive to peg fees for private schools has been met with stiff resistance from the schools concerned who have vowed to challenge the order in court. Government last week capped school fees for all private schools and threatened prison terms for institutions refusing to fall in line, a move analysts said would destroy the education system in the country, still considered one of the best in Africa . .

 UK minister calls for isolation of Zim government over human rights abuses
Geoff Hoon, the UK ’s Europe Minister, has called for tougher sanctions and the continued isolation of the Mugabe regime as a result of the government’s human rights abuses. The Minister was responding to questions in the House of Commons on Tuesday on the effectiveness of current targeted sanctions against Zimbabwe ’s ruling elite. Hoon said; “T here will be further discussion of the EU’s targeted measures against Zimbabwe early next year, before their expiry in February. We believe that the measures, which target the regime members and not ordinary Zimbabweans, are effective and should be continued.”

 MDC allege police & CIO confiscating shortwave radios
Nelson Chamisa spokesperson for the Tsvangirai MDC, says police and CIO have begun a campaign to confiscate shortwave radios from people in rural areas. Monday we said how police in the Mataga growth point confiscated radios distributed by the Radio Communication Project, a scheme meant to help remote rural communities access radio broadcasts, independent of state propaganda.

 African civic leaders urge regional action on Zimbabwe
Pressure is mounting on regional leaders to act. Representatives from 7 African countries went on a fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe last week, and expressed serious concern at the ongoing crackdown on freedoms of expression, association and assembly.

 Calls for Zimbabwe Cricket board to resign after conviction
The reputation of officials running cricket in Zimbabwe was left in tatters Monday when a Harare magistrate convicted the board for breaching the country’s strict foreign currency laws. Zimbabwe Cricket pleaded guilty to making unauthorised payments to a foreign television company without the knowledge of the Reserve Bank.

 Police & CIO try to block rural radio project in Mberengwa East
State security is accused of trying to block the countrywide Radio Communication Project. The project was launched some years ago by NGO’s to penetrate rural parts of Zimbabwe via the distribution of radios for locals to be able to listen to independent news broadcasts from outside the country. Attempts to distribute 5 radios in Mberengwa East attracted the attention of the CIO who allegedly followed up on some of the recipients and took their radios away.

 Police fail to come up with affidavits to take WOZA to court
The arrested Women of Zimbabwe Arise and supporters did not appear in court because Bulawayo police reportedly failed to come up with arresting affidavits. 40 people from the pressure group who were released into the custody of their lawyer on Friday, reported at Bulawayo Central Monday. Group coordinator Jenni Williams said the police could not take the group to court to officially charge them because they could not provided arresting statements.

 Hungry Zimbabweans turn to pet food as country goes to the dogs
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting says that Zimbabweans are queuing up at meat suppliers and abattoirs to buy food meant for pets. With the price of beef now beyond the reach of many, the institute reports that pet food is proving popular with the poor. Pigskin and discarded fat from beef is also selling well in working class suburbs.

 Highlanders duo tipped for top football awards
Inspirational Highlanders midfielder Honour Gombani is being tipped to win the 2006 Innscor Soccer star of the year award. His coach Methembe Ndlovu who guided the Bulawayo soccer giants to their seventh league title in 10 years is on line to grab the coach of the year award. The country’s sports Wwiters met in KweKwe over the weekend and chose Gombami, and two of his team mates Gilbert Banda and bustling striker Obadiah Tarumbwa to be among the 11 finalists.

 WOZA activists released but two hospitalised
The arrested Women of Zimbabwe Arise and supporters were released into the custody of their lawyer Friday but are expected to formally appear in court on Monday. Two of the arrested activists, Magodonga Mahlangu and another woman called Sylvia, have been hospitalised as a result of injuries sustained at the hands of the police.

 Lobels bosses jailed for price increases
Two senior Lobels officials have paid the price for trying to keep their company functioning in Zimbabwe. Chief Executive Officer Burombo Mudumo and his Operations Manager Lemmy John Chikomo were jailed for an effective four months each on Thursday for increasing the price of bread. The company was also fined Z$10 000 for raising bread prices without Government approval.

 State security forces step up repression in   Bulawayo
A Bulawayo resident has accused Robert Mugabe’s regime of engaging in a ‘dirty war’ of arbitrary arrests and detentions reminiscent of the operations carried out by former Rhodesian leader Ian Smith in the 1970’s. Reggie Moyo said the increasingly unpopular Zanu (PF) regime is using all means at its disposal to silence its critics.

 Analysts describe finance minister’s budget as a non-event
Herbert Murerwa claimed Zimbabwe ’s economy had turned a corner and predicted inflation would go down from 1070 percent to 400 percent. He also believes the agricultural sector will see a 9,4 percent growth. This years Z 24 trillion budget represents a 5000 percent increase from last year.