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Students spearhead campaign to re-unite opposition factions
Students in Zimbabwe have initiated a campaign to bring together the 2 opposing factions of the MDC. With separate plans for the annual MDC congress underway, the Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has met with leaders from both sides... |
NGO's spark debate
by urging IMF not to expel Zimbabwe. Fambai Ngirande for the National Association for Non-Governmental Organisations said the expulsion of would widen the disparities between the rich and poor. |
Masvingo police admit chefs ordered looting of farm equipment
The Zimonline news site reports that the Masvingo assistant police Commissioner Loveness Ndanga admitted the Farm Equipment Committee which she heads took equipment in the area under political orders. |
Chegutu Mayor to seek re-election despite victimisation
Francis Dhlakama has declared his intention to seek re-election a month away from forthcoming mayoral elections. |
EU extends sanctions to continue
The European Union on Monday extended for another 12 months a series of sanctions against Zimbabwe |
Zim cricket manager dismissed
The country's national cricket team manager, Babu Meman, has been sacked after 15 years on the job. |
Land grabbing exercise moves into urban areas
The policy of seizing white owned farms in Zimbabwe is now spreading to white owned properties in urban areas. Gletwyn Estate, incorporated under the City of Harare, has now been grabbed by the police. |
Campaign of fear
The government is intensifying its campaign against people perceived as enemies. Any questions considered critical of government are being interpreted as a sign of betrayal. |
Zim experiences massive power-cuts
Continuous power-cuts in the last two weeks have almost paralysed the nation. The government has been struggling to improve the country’s electricity supply. |
SA editors to change on xenophobia
A xenophobia conference for news editors in Southern Africa was held in Johannesburg on Monday and the outcome was encouraging. |
Zimbabwe Independent journalists refused accreditation
All journalists working for the Zimbabwe Independent Newspaper were on Friday denied accreditation by the Tafataona Mahoso-led Media and Information Commission. |
Warrior woes
Zimbabwe soccer fans are calling upon the Zimbabwe Football Association officials to show coach Charles Mhlauri the exit door the moment the Warriors land at the Harare International airport. |
Mutasa threatens journalists
The Mail & Guardian newspaper reports minister of State Security and Land distribution Didymus Mutasa warning journalists in Zimbabwe that the net will soon close in on them. Speaking to the state-controlled Manica Post Mutasa berated journalists claiming they threaten national security. |
Chinese language in universities
Observers have slammed Robert Mugabe's "Look East" policy, which is now threatening to see the introduction of the Chinese language Mandarin in universities. These plans were recently announced by Stan Mudenge... |
Parishioners vow to pursue Bishop
The controversial Anglican Bishop Nolbert Kunonga was dragged to court to face 38 charges from inciting murder, intimidating and firing priests who were opposed to his leadership. |
Right to work campaign for asylum seekers gathers momentum in UK
A campaign to allow failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers the right to work is picking up steam in the UK and activists believe they will succeed. Currently, Zimbabweans who are denied asylum cannot be returned home because of conditions prevailing there. |
Cricket players to sue board for wages
Lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa has been engaged by Zimbabwe's leading cricketers to sue the Zimbabwe Cricket Board for unpaid salaries and fees. They will pursue the Board for US$750,000 unless they receive money owed to them by the end of the month. |
Worries that food shortages could spark civil unrest
The commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Constantine Chiwenga is worried the deteriorating food shortages in the country could ignite civil unrest. Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono revealed during his monetary policy statement this week that the Defence Forces commander had approached him and requested him to improve the food... |
AU fails to act on Zimbabwe again
African heads of state are being praised for blocking the Sudan from chairing the African Union and for electing judges for an African human rights court at their just ended summit in Sudan. |
Authorities clash with transport operators in Bulawayo
The police in Bulawayo have launched a series of uncoordinated operations where they have been stopping and impounding vehicles and booking commuter operators who have increased fares. |
MDC meet IMF
Officials from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) met a delegation of the International Monetary Fund in Harare on Thursday. |
Harrassment of lowveld farmers
Zimbabwe police are alleged to be harassing Chiredzi farmer Gerry Whitehead and another lowveld farmer, accusing them of disabling their equipment which was taken illegally by the police. |
Riots over long delays in processing asylum applications in SA
South African police fought running battles with asylum seekers from Zimbabwe on Saturday at a refugee centre in Johannesburg. |
International business helping China to block democracy worldwide
The Chinese business boom is attracting all sorts of customers due to its huge market and cheap products and businesses worldwide are choosing profit at the expense of democratic principles and human rights. |
Crocodiles die of hunger at Zim Tourism authority chef's farm
At least 12 crocodiles have starved to death on a farm near Chegutu and another 258 are close to dying. |
Police admit arrest of Radio VOP trustees political
There are increasing signs that police in the country are getting fed up with taking political instructions from the top about who to arrest and for what. |
Police arrest & release VOP trustees
Several members of the Voice of the People Board of Trustees were arrested on Tuesday after handing themselves over to police. |
Police arrest & release VOP trustees
Several members of the Voice of the People Board of Trustees were arrested on Tuesday after handing themselves over to police at Harare Central Police Station in the presence of their lawyers. One of the trustees told journalists they were held at the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department in Harare. |
Economist predicts more gloom
Although the Reserve Governor has made some changes to the exchange rate policy when he announced his quarterly monetary review statement on Tuesday, economists say it's not sustainable. |
Price rises in Bulawayo
The record setting drop in the value of the dollar is already causing serious problems for the average Zimbabwean family. In Bulawayo commuter omnibus operators raised the price of a trip to town so drastically that the police had to intervene. |
Determined Zimbabwe warriors fall to Senegal
For almost an hour on Monday the 'Warriors' of Zimbabwe were on the verge of pulling off an unlikely draw or even victory against the star-studded Senegalese 'Lions of Teranga'. |
MDC factions in UK
A rival MDC faction in the UK led by Sipho Nkala held a meeting in Leicester this Sunday... |
Robert Mugabe rated 4th on list of world's worst dictators
Zimbabwe continues to hit the international headlines and sadly all for the wrong reasons. |
Bulawayo Agenda organises crucial Matabeleland Water Conference
Matabeleland province has suffered from water shortages for as long as many Zimbabweans can remember, and nothing has been done as the situation continues to deteriorate. |
Protesters embarrass Mugabe in SA
A group of Zimbabweans based in South Africa held a successful picket at a local clinic Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace visited. |
Foreign currency shortage paralyses cattle dipping operations
Villagers in the Masvosva area of Rusape say their cattle have not been dipped for 3 months. The headman in the area blames the villagers for not paying up their subscriptions, which in turn are used to finance the cattle dipping. |
Media harassment continues
The harassment of journalists in Zimbabwe continues unabated... |
Mudede suspends passports
The Zimbabwe government has temporarily stopped issuing new passports... |
MDC factions in UK
A rival MDC faction in the UK led by Sipho Nkala held a meeting in Leicester this Sunday... |
Cheated by Home Link scheme
The Zimbabwean newspaper reports that several Zimbabweans in the diaspora feel that the Reserve Bank's Home Link project may have been a scam. The scheme attracted them last year because they could send money home that would be released in local currency for the construction of homes. |
Diarrhoea outbreak hits Hopley Farm
A severe outbreak of diarrhoea is reported to have hit Hopley Farm outside Harare last week, and 2 cases of cholera were also detected. The crowded squatter camp is where government is keeping some of the victims of last year's demolition exercise Operation Murambatsvina and blocking any outsiders from gaining access. |
Homes near Mugabe's retirement palace to be confiscated
Government has told homeowners near Robert Mugabe's US$10 million retirement mansion in Harare's Borrowdale suburb that it is going to confiscate their houses. In written warnings delivered to 15 property owners on Wednesday, the valuation department of the Local government ministry told them their homes fell under a designated security area. |
Rival MDC UK factions set to meet
The rival faction of the MDC in the UK, led by Sipho Nkala, is scheduled to meet this Sunday in Leicester. Nkala said the main item on their agenda will be to define whether activists in the UK should follow the party's constitution or follow individuals on procedural matters. |
Police say reports of Limpopo drownings were false
Police officials have said that the reported drowning of 60 Zimbabweans in the Limpopo river and carried by the state media are false. It had been alleged by both government’s electronic and print media that the Zimbabweans were caught by flooding while trying to cross the border illegally into South Africa. |
Zimbabwean fugitives back in jail
Police in Botswana has rearrested 7 of the ten Zimbabwean prisoners who escaped from a Gaborone central prison last week Friday. The mass jail break, which left authorities there dumbfounded saw the ten prisoners tying blankets together and using them as a rope to scale down a prison window after breaking the iron bars. |
Dunlop workers being kept in the dark over possible takeover
Thousands of workers from Dunlop, the country's leading tyre manufacturing company are being kept in the dark over a possible takover of their company by an Indian based company.
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Daily News workers wrangle with management over printing press
Journalist Sandra Nyaira has criticized her former employer for neglecting the welfare of its journalists. She said besides the issue of their pensions not being resolved.. |
11 drown in the Limpopo
A flooded Limpopo River is reported to have claimed the lives of at least 11 Zimbabwean border jumpers on Monday. It is feared the victims were swept away in the crocodile infested river as they attempted to swim to South Africa. |
Majongwe's passport returned
Raymond Majongwe, the Secretary General of the Progressive Teachers Union finally had his passport in his hands on Wednesday. This was after the Zimbabwe lawyers for Human Rights gave the police 48hrs to return the passport or face legal action. |
Parks Authority blamed for animal deaths
A standoff over a donation between the Zimbabwe Conservation Taskforce and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority could have grave consequences for the welfare of animals at Hwange National Park. Already some animals are reported to have died as a result of bureaucratic tendencies by the National Parks... |
Chitungwiza Mayor sues Chombo
The High Court on Tuesday heard the case in which Chitungwiza Mayor Misheck Shoko, argued that his suspension was unconstitutional. |
Chitungwiza Mayor sues Chombo
The High Court on Tuesday heard the case in which Chitungwiza Mayor Misheck Shoko, argued that his suspension was unconstitutional. |
Zimbabweans in mass Jail-break in Botswana
Ten Zimbabweans escaped from a central prison in Gaborone, Botswana in a daring jail-break that is being compared to scene in a James Bond movie. |
Zimbabwean analyst Brain Kagoro calls for revamp of the opposition
Kagoro was speaking on the programme Hot Seat on the political crisis in the country and the devastating effects caused by the infighting within the 6 year old opposition party. |
Justice Paradza's conviction a warning to other Judges
A human rights lawyer has said the conviction of Justice Benjamin Paradza could be a warning to other sitting Judges that they would be dealt with if they don't comply with the political leadership in the country. |
Flawed council elections ignored
Zimbabweans have yet again shown that they are no longer interested in elections as long as the playing field is not free and fair. |
Mbare market closure adds more misery for the poor in Harare
Human rights lawyers have described the closure of the popular Mbare fruit and vegetable market in Harare as an attempt to victimise vendors. |
Government moves to nationalise fertiliser companies
The state-controlled Herald newspaper reported Monday that the government is moving to takeover the country's three producers of fertiliser. |
Asylum seekers offered cash to go back home
The UK Immigration department has embarked on a new campaign to reduce the numbers of asylum cases and perhaps save on the costs of detaining and deporting failed cases. |
Farming Soldiers
The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper has reported that Government has deployed uniformed forces into Mashonaland West province - to grow food.
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Exiled journalists launch website
The website will provide an outlet for journalists home and abroad to get their stories published. |
MDC fielding 2 separate candidates for council elections
It's reported that the two camps are planning to field separate candidate for the by-election scheduled for this Saturday in Chitungwiza. |
Businesses urge SA government to abandon "quiet diplomacy"
As the political and economic crisis next door in Zimbabwe continues to deteriorate, businesses in South Africa are becoming more concerned.. |
Police bar Jonathan Moyo's UPM party from Zvishavane rally
Fledgling political party, the United Peoples Movement was on the receiving end of some of the laws its founder, Professor Jonathan Moyo helped to create. |
Poverty breeding resentment of foreigners in SA
We have run a series of reports on the growing resentment against foreigners in South Africa. Several Zimbabweans died over the past 2 months in riots attributed to xenophobia, but it is actually poverty that is fuelling the violence. |
Husband and Wife die of hunger
Hunger has claimed another life in drought stricken Matabeleland South province.The latest death occured at Vulindlela village about 65 km south-east of Bulawayo in Nswazi reserve. |
| Runaway inflation in Zim |
Warrant issued for Justice Paradza
The Zimbabwe High Court on Friday ordered the arrest of one of the country's senior judges. |
Zimbabwe university students prepare for collision with government
There is growing unrest in Zimbabwe over the deteriorating situation in the country. |
Opposition told to reconcile differences or face oblivion
Sidney Masamvu says the international community and pro-democracy institutions were slowly drifting towards the idea of working with a reformed Zanu PF instead. |
High unemployment fuelling xenophobia in SA
Recent clashes between South African locals and foreigners are being attributed to resentment towards foreigners who are seen... |
Who is the real MDC in the UK
Infighting among activists in the UK has seen the party split into two groups following a meeting... |
Who is who in the MDC-UK district?
The Birmingham meeting held by MDC activists in the UK this past Sunday reaffirmed the district’s loyalty to MDC Zimbabwe and a commitment to the party's objectives and principles as upheld by the National Council and party President Morgan Tsvangirai. |
Crisis Group analyst tells MDC to reconcile or bust
An analyst with the International Crisis Group (ICG) has told feuding factions within the opposition MDC that they need to reconcile their differences or sink into oblivion. Sidney Masamvu who covers the Southern African region for the ICG warned the MDC that the international community and other pro-democracy institutions were slowly drifting towards working with a reformed Zanu PF instead. |
High unemployment fuelling xenophobia against foreigners in S.A.
The recent clashes between South African locals and foreigners are being attributed to resentment towards foreigners who are seen to be stealing jobs and competing for other resources. |
Zimbabwe university students prepare for head on collision with government
There is growing unrest in Zimbabwe over the deteriorating situation in the country. Many say the time has come to pile on the pressure through civil disobedience. |
Is the USA backtracking on Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe’s opposition and civic groups have been warned that as long as they do not force the opening of democratic space, the US and Europe will be forced to come to terms with the Zimbabwe government. |
Government responsible for cholera
The state controlled Herald newspaper reports that the government on Monday banned the public sale of fish and all meat products in an attempt to control the spread of cholera. The fruit and vegetable market at Mbare Musika was shut down with immediate effect and the vendors who are still managing to earn a living selling food are bound to face tough times as a result. |
High court urged to order arrest of Masvingo police official
A group of farmers in the lowveld area filed a High Court application last week urging the court to order the arrest of Masvingo Assistant police Commissioner Mrs. Ndanga. The seven farmers owned equipment which was seized illegally by the Masvingo Farm Equipment Committee which Ndanga is in charge of. |
Protests erupt at teachers college over sudden fee increase
There was chaos at Mkoba Teachers College on Monday after students demonstrated against a sudden fee increase announced by authorities on the opening day of the term. |
Border migrant office causes concern
The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) has described the recently opened migrant centre between the Zimbabwe-South African border as an intelligence-gathering scheme. |
Pro-senate MDC denies new name
The saga continues in the MDC. The state controlled newspaper, The Chronicle reported this past weekend that the MDC pro-senate group had adopted a new name calling itself the Pro-Democracy Movement for Democratic Change. |
State security sabotaging sales of Mapfumo's 'Rise Up' album
The increasing popularity of Thomas Mapfumo's latest CD, 'Rise Up' has worried government authorities enough for them to begin trying to sabotage sales of the album. |
More Zimbabweans arrested in South Africa
A crackdown on illegal immigrants has seen over 2000 Zimbabweans being arrested by authorities in South Africa. Most of those detained were picked up by police and immigraion officials in Pretoria and Johannesburg last week. |
Schools to open with fewer students
Schools in Zimbabwe open Tuesday with many students not returning because their families cannot afford the school fees and uniforms which were both increased recently. The cost of a complete uniform set that includes a blazer shot up in some cases by up to 300%. |
MDC UK heading towards a split
MDC activists in the UK have reacted with anger to allegations that they belong to a splinter group headed by Washington Ali, the apparent chairman of the party in the UK. |
| Lack of employment and housing fuelling xenophobia in South Africa Tension between South Africans and foreigners reached boiling point at the informal settlement of Olievenhoutbosch in Pretoria on Tuesday. |
MDC won't participate in forthcoming council elections
The newly elected MDC Provincial Chairman for Manicaland Province, Roy Bennett, has said the opposition party will not be participating in any elections. |
Executive mayors to be scrappedThe government is set to scrap the position of elected Executive Mayors from all urban councils and replace them with their own Chief Executive Officers. |
Government takes over Zim cricket The government has taken control of cricket in the country and has appointed an interim board chaired by Peter Chingoka, the figure at the centre of the current crisis in the sport. |
MDC activists pushing for peace deal There is a strong belief among MDC activists in the UK that peace can be brokered between the two splinter groups in the party. |
NCA deputy spokesman arrested and then released without charge
Outspoken National Constitutional Assembly’s deputy spokesman Last Maengahama spent almost eight hours in police cells on Tuesday, when police details raided his offices and arrested him at the same time. |
Nigerians accused of running illegal brothels in South Africa
A Zimbabwean woman who escaped from an illegal brothel in Johannesburg has exposed a sex slave trade that is run by Nigerians who use Zimbabweans to recruit. |
Disabled victims of operation Murambatsvina evicted
Nine months after the government’s Operation Murambatsvina left over 700,000 people without shelter or employment, many of the victims are still without a stable home. No-one has been spared, not even the elderly or the sick. |
Anglican church has no money for Kunonga trial
In a sensational twist to the ecclesiastical trial of Bishop Nolbert Kunonga which collapsed a few months back an Archbishop in the church has told Newsreel there is no money for a retrial. |
Refugee crisis in South Africa
The refugee support community in South Africa is gravely concerned about the mass deportations of Zimbabwe refugees and have asked the Pretoria government to stop the exercise. |
Mugabe’s look East policy fails to attract tourist
End of year figures released by The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority .. |
Chombo suspends all 17 MDC councillors in Mutare
The Minister of Local Government has intensified his campaign against the opposition and suspended all 17 MDC councillors in the Mutare City Council. A caretaker commission, made up of ZANU PF candidates who lost in the last council elections in 2003, has been appointed to run the affairs of the council. |
Anglican parishioners and the Bishop Kunonga case
A councilor of the Cathedral Committee in the Anglican Church, Walter Gwete says parishioners who lodged a complaint against Bishop Nolbert Kunonga of Harare will not rest until justice is served. |
Ambulance fees now 5 million Zimbabwe dollars
The demand for ambulances is more critical now than ever, yet those who need this service the most cannot afford it. As of January 1 st, the city of Harare raised ambulance fees to 5 million Zimbabwe dollars per trip. And at a time when all sorts of diseases are affecting entire families, calling an ambulance is no longer an option. |
Refugee crisis in South Africa
The refugee support community in South Africa is gravely concerned about the mass deportations of Zimbabwe refugees and have asked the Pretoria government to stop the exercise. |
Mugabe’s look East policy fails to attract tourist
End of year figures released by The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority have revealed a sharp decline in the tourism industry and the country’s failure to attract much needed visitors from the East. |
South African police bribes
Despite promises by South Africa’s Home Affairs department that Zimbabweans in the country would receive better treatment from the police and immigration officials, we continue to receive reports that nothing has changed on the ground. |
| African Commission balks at judgement Gabriel Shumba, an exiled Zimbabwean lawyer suing the government for torture at the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) has expressed reservations at the delay in reaching a decision. He believes the ACHPR is not prepared to confront Robert Mugabe on human rights abuses in the country. |
MDC activists warned against using South Africa as a base
South Africa has issued a stern warning to members of the Zimbabwe Action Support Group that it will not tolerate any activities by its members to destabilise Zimbabwe using their country as a base. |
MDC say government to blame for collapse of city councils
Chitungwiza Mayor, Misheck Shoko, was suspended by government last week Thursday over allegations of misconduct and maladministration. He becomes the third opposition Mayor to be removed from office despite being elected by the residents of Chitungwiza. |
MDC UK branches to meet
The chairman of the MDC in the UK, Washington Ali, said on Tuesday all branches will have a crucial meeting on Sunday in Birmingham to examine events that have rocked the party in the last two months. |
Zimbabwe name Nations Cup squad
Zimbabwe coach Charles Mhlauri named his 23-man squad for the forthcoming Nations Cup finals in Egypt on Tuesday. |
2005 review: Is Zimbabwe ready for face to face confrontation with the regime? by Violet Gonda
2005 was undoubtedly an agonising year for most Zimbabweans. This was the year that saw the Mugabe regime flexing its muscle and tightening its grip on power. From the imposition of draconian laws, rigging elections, acts of violence, arresting journalists and activists to continued illegal farm evictions. |