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Chinese, Chiyangwa & illegal ivory
Some officials in The Zimbabwe National Army and some local politicians have been implicated in illegal ivory trade deals that involve Chinese investors and other unnamed partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo. |
Duty finally waved on blankets
Some progress has finally been reported by the South Africa Council of Churches (SACC) regarding the shipment of blankets they donated to help victims of Operation Murambatsvina. |
MDC MP attacked by infiltrators
The government paper The Herald reported on Saturday that the MP for Glen Norah Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga was assaulted by a youth from the opposition party at a meeting that had been convened to find a lasting solution to intra-party violence that has gripped the MDC. |
Racial hate expressions in Namibia
Human rights activists in Namibia have denounced the hate messages expressed during a protest march in the capital, Windhoek last week and have vowed to pressure the government to take action against the perpetrators. |
Mugabe fixes the constitution
It has been dubbed 'a cluster of 22 amendments meant to molest Zimbabwe's constitution' and on Tuesday Robert Mugabe did just that. |
ZCTU economy officials arrested
Two staff members from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) were summoned to police headquarters Monday morning to answer charges of illegally dealing in foreign currency. |
Exiles forum demand action
The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum has demanded an improvement in the security and welfare of asylum seekers in South Africa. The group have called on the Home Affairs department to provide humanitarian assistance and adequately staffed refugee reception offices in the country. |
CHRA invited to submit opinions
The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has been invited by the parliamentary portfolio committee on local government to submit their opinions on the state of the capital city and the commission that is running it. |
IMF visit could influence SA loan
There will be an IMF meeting on September 9 in Washington which is likely to decide whether or not to expel Zimbabwe. It appears Mugabe's refusal to accept conditions as part of any deal may be causing problems. |
MISA media forum
The Media Institute of Southern Africa held its annual general meeting last week in Windoek, Namibia, where representatives from its eleven country chapters met to discuss press freedom issues in the region. |
Govt seeks liquor trade monopoly
Operation Murambatsvina may have been declared over by government officials but the reality is that it is now a creature that has taken a life of its own in various forms. Bottle store owners trying to renew their liquor licences are confronting this reality. |
Female leaders urge school boycott over fee hikes
A group of female leaders in and around Bulawayo have resolved to organise a 2-week boycott of schools when the last term of the year begins in September |
Minister Tungamirai dies in SA
The Minister for Black Empowerment and Indigenisation Josiah Tungamirai has died. State radio announced on Friday that the retired commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe died while receiving treatment at a clinic in South Africa. He was in his late 50s. |
National Railways hires militia
The battle for control of the labour unions took on another dimension when it emerged that government has empowered a war veteran known only as Siziba to set up a parallel recruitment office for the National Railways in Bulawayo. |
Judge quits Kunonga trial
The Malawian Supreme Court Judge, James Kalaile, presiding over the church trial of Anglican bishop Nolbert Kunonga quit the case on Thursday because of bickering between the prosecution and the defence. |
South Africa silence on loan
Very little information has been released to the press about the loan that South Africa is considering to bailout Zimbabwe from IMF expulsion and total economic collapse. |
Murambatsvina victims desperate
Victims of operation Murambatsvina are living in a desperate situation in the resort town of Victoria Falls. The impact of the government's controversial clean up exercise has resulted in thousands of people sleeping in the bush while some are receiving shelter in churches. |
Missing Kadoma ballot boxes found
4 ballot boxes from Kadoma West Constituency missing from the High Court Thursday were found underneath other boxes on Friday. |
Most oppressive bill set to pass
Despite serious objections from the MDC, ZANU PF steamrolled another repressive bill through its first two readings in parliament. The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill has been described as the greatest challenge yet to Zimbabweans' liberties. |
Govt wants more certificates before releasing South African food
The Zimbabwe government is unashamedly still using stalling tactics to delay humanitarian aid to victims of Operation Murambatsvina from the South African Council of Churches (SACC). |
Loan amount well short of billion
Addressing reporters after giving the central bank's annual economic report on Wednesday, South Africa Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni said that ongoing talks about a loan to Zimbabwe involved an amount "nowhere near" the reported $1-billion. |
Churches rush to Victoria Falls
While the Acting Information Minister Chen Chimutengwende denied reports that there are starving people in the country and that there are thousands of people who have been made homeless by the government’s clean up exercise... |
Lone Zanu PF councillor wreaks havoc in Makokoba
He might be the sole Zanu PF councillor in Bulawayo but he has made enough of a nuisance to affect the lives thousands of residents.
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Kunonga faces trial
Anglican bishop for Harare, Nolbert Kunonga, a staunch defender of Robert Mugabe was dragged before an ecclesiastical court on Tuesday. It is the first time in a hundred years that a bishop in Africa has faced prosecution by his own peers. |
NGO taking South Africa Home Affairs department to court
There have been some dramatic developments at The Lindela Repatriation Centre in South Africa where 2 Zimbabweans died in July.
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More Zanu PF chefs added to EU sanctions list
The European Union (EU) has added 6 more names of Mugabe’s cronies to its sanctions list that now comprises a total of 126 individuals. 3 top police officers are on the updated list that was decided by the EU Council on 29 July 2005.
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SA government urged to intervene in clearance of donated food aid
We reported Tuesday that Zimbabwean officials are demanding that a surcharge be paid in order to release blankets donated by the South Africa Council of Churches. The blankets are in a bonded warehouse in Harare and they are part of a shipment meant to help victims of operation Murambatsvina.
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Judiciary under siege
The trial of suspended High Court Judge Benjamin Paradza opened on Monday under a different judge. Justice Simpson Mutambanengwe, a Zimbabwean... |
The irony of Zimbabwe's 'poor' jammers
The company in charge of Zimbabwe's transmitters for radio and television broadcast has told that most of its equipment has outlived its lifespan. |
Calls for cricket ban increase
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell have written to the International Cricket Council asking for Zimbabwe to be kicked out of test cricket. |
Economic analysis
There has been no trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) since the Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa.... |
Looming fertiliser crisis threatens
The Zimonline news site reports that Zimbabwe 's biggest fertilizer manufacturer... |
South African food aid still awaits
In a shocking revelation, the South Africa Council of Churches says the blankets they donated to help victims of operation Murambatsvina are in a bonded warehouse in Zimbabwe... |
Lawyers demonstrate
A group of about 40 lawyers hit the streets of Harare on Wednesday to demonstrate against the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill #17 which the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights believe is the single greatest challenge Zimbabweans have ever faced. |
Inflation out of control
Apparently there was no trading on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) on Wednesday and Thursday because there were no buyers and sellers were left with untradable shares in their hands. Reports say this was apparently in response to a new and unexpected 10 percent withholding tax announced by finance minister Herbert Murerwa on Tuesday. |
Zimbabwe media under siege
A story by the Zimbabwe Independent alleging State security agencies are taking over newspapers in the country continues to cause shockwaves in the industry. It is alleged shadowy companies owned by the intelligence services now own 100 percent of the Financial Gazette and 70 percent of the Mirror Group which publishes the Daily and Sunday Mirror titles. |
MDC official victimized over demo
An MDC District official accused by police of masterminding last weeks Emakhandeni demonstration in Bulawayo is now facing fresh trumped up charges of destroying the home of a Zanu PF official. |
Housing Project in BYO
Government's new housing project meant to benefit victims of operation murambatsvina has been embroiled in controversy after revelations that members of the armed forces are the ones benefiting.
About a hundred houses have been constructed under the housing project, dubbed operation garikai/hlalani kahle in cowdary park. |
Hundreds arrested in Harare
Despite an international outcry and claims by the government that it's controversial clean-up exercise is finished it's reported that the urban clearance of people is still continuing. The Herald reports that more than 300 people were arrested in Harare on Friday as the authorities pressed on with their bid to clear the homeless on the streets.... |
Church aid to arrive Monday?
The South African Council of Churches (SACC) has told the SABC that the clearance certificates for emergency relief aid to Zimbabwe should be ready by Monday. Ron Steele, a spokesperson for SACC, said the NGO distributing the aid, Christian Care, informed them Friday that its application for a maize import permit had been accepted..... |
MP’s in street demo over budget
Opposition MP’s took to the streets on Thursday to protest what they called an ‘anti-people budget’ presented to parliament this week. The march through Harare’s city centre took police units by surprise. Glen Norah MP, Priscilla Misihairambwi, took part in the demonstration and said they needed to show ordinary |
Government turns to jamming VOP
Chinese equipment employed to jam the Short Wave transmissions of SW Radio Africa is now being used to jam, Voice of the People. VOP which broadcasts via Radio Netherlands carries various programs on Zimbabwe produced by journalists based in the country. |
Zim exiles in SA keep hope
A reverend with the visiting delegation of Zimbabwean pastors in South Africa has observed that Zimbabweans are resilient and hopeful even in the worst of circumstances. |
Huge political differences bog down SADC summit
The effectiveness of the Southern African Development Community has further been diminished by the group’s failure to pursue a mediatory role in dealing with the political crisis in Zimbabwe.
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AU envoy rejected
It was reported Thursday that the African Union appointed envoy Joaquim Chisanno would not be going forward with his mission of bringing together the 2 major political parties to the negotiating table. Chissano said Zimbabwe officials maintain that it’s an internal problem that would be handled through the democratic institutions in Zimbabwe. |
Zimbabwe Cricket to blame for disastrous performances
Critics of Zimbabwe Cricket say it is not enough to fire the coach over the country’s disastrous performances during the last year. They have called for complete changes within the leadership structure.
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Soldiers distribute water in Bulawayo
Soldiers from the Zimbabwe National Army’s One Brigade in Bulawayo have been deployed in some areas of the city to help distribute water to some residents who have gone for weeks without water supplies. |
Reduced funding hurts students
A drying up of funds for various Non-Governmental Organisations in Zimbabwe has left a group of students who were expelled from the Midlands State University in a state of desperation. |
Taxes raised as desperate government aims to increase revenue
In his Mid-Term Fiscal Policy Review statement on Tuesday finance Minister Herbert Murerwa increased taxes in a Z$6,6 trillion supplementary budget in an effort to raise more revenue. |
More drama surfaces on SA loan
The government paper The Herald reports that a twist has been revealed regarding the proposed US$1 billion loan from South Africa to Zimbabwe. |
Pastors in SA horrified at exile conditions
Methodist Bishop Paul Verryn has warned that the recipe for a genocide in Zimbabwe has moved closer due to the attack on vulnerable people by the Mugabe regime. His Church in Johannesburg has provided a home to at least 70 refugees. The Bishop said the situation is a nightmare for the church and the victims, as resources are limited. |
Parliament resumes with 2 crucial bills pending
Parliament resumed sitting Tuesday with 2 crucial bills waiting in the wings. There was a public hearing on the Constitutional Amendment Bill the first week of August. |
| Zimbabwean officials causing delay It is almost three weeks now since the South African Council of Churches sent a consignment of food to help Zimbabwe's victims of Operation Murambatsvina, and the trucks are still waiting at the border. |
Zimbabwean priests in South Africa
Religious officials from Zimbabwe calling themselves the Zimbabwe National Pastors Conference (ZNPC) are in South Africa to check on conditions faced by Zimbabwean exiles who have settled there. |
Air Zim plane impounded
Passengers on an Air Zimbabwe flight arriving at Gatwick Airport in the UK were stranded when the plane and its luggage was impounded over unpaid landing fees. Three hours after the flight arrived, passengers were still milling around the airport with many forced to book hotels nearby. |
Forex dealers thriving
Black market forex dealers at illegal hotspots in Harare are doing great business as a result of the government's fuel for forex plan. Motorists, desperate to get the scarce commodity are now forced to source hard currency on the black market... |
Tonnes of food aid held up at border
It has been revealed that the food aid from South Africa that is being held up is not the only consignment waiting for clearance from Zimbabwe officials. Thousands of tonnes of other emergency aid are reported to be held up by Zimbabwean red tape... |
Forex dealers thriving
Black market forex dealers at illegal hotspots in Harare are doing great business as a result of the government's fuel for forex plan. Motorists, desperate to get the scarce commodity are now forced to source hard currency on the black market... |
Challenges for Chissano
IThe recently appointed African Union mediator on Zimbabwe, former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano might be a skilled and credible negotiator but questions will be asked about his neutrality and impartiality.... |
Will SADC sidestep Zimbabwe?
A leading human rights lawyer says it's sad that Heads of State from the Southern African Development Community are succumbing to political pressure not to discuss Zimbabwe's political and economic crisis.... |
From bricks to plastic
'Zimbabwe' is 'dzimba dze mabwe' - houses of stone. But that was before operation Murambatsvina and its cousin Operation Garikai. One tore down brick houses that had stood for years, and the other is now replacing them with plastic shacks. |
'Highly organised rigging'
You can't rig an election if you don't plan it well and critics have always said that rigging by ZANU-PF is always planned and well thought out. And a new report by researchers at the Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa..... |
Your water or your Mayor?
Residents in Bulawayo had to choose between queuing for water and voting in elections at the weekend. 35 000 out of 331 000 registered voters, only ten percent, turned out to vote and re-elected MDC candidate and incumbent Mayor, Japhet Ndabeni Ncube.... |
Warriors win Cosafa Castle cup
TBuymore midfielder Francis Chandida helped the warriors lift the Cosafa Castle cup on Sunday when he scored a last gasp goal to ensure a rare victory against northern neighbours, Zambia. |
Army blocking food and legal aid
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights have reported that army officials are in charge of a farm outside Harare where the government is keeping victims of operation Murambatsvina.... |
Gata corruption probe
Zimonline reports that Zimbabwe's Cabinet last month blocked the investigation of a multi-billion dollar irrigation scandal involving the ZESA executive chairman Sydney Gata - who is married to a sister of Robert Mugabe... |
Minister demoted
In typical Mugabe style, the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Sithembiso Nyoni has been demoted from cabinet but at the same time retained in the same position as a consultant. Mugabe's appointment of Nyoni as a minister was against the constitution. |
Youths assaulted in custody
A Bulawayo magistrate has ordered medical examinations for 12 youths who were arrested by police on Wednesday for taking part in a spontaneous demonstration..... |
Private education under threat
After embarking on the land reform programme and failing to prove it has helped the country, the Mugabe regime has been attacking different sectors one by one, using various pieces of legislation as excuses for control. |
Verification of election ballots
The situation outside seemed normal at the high court in Harare on Thursday but a crucial process was in progress, inside. |
Zimbabwean performers shine
Zimbabwe has an abundance of talent but unfortunately much of it has no outlet and no financial support to help nurture and promote it. So when several Zimbabwean performance groups are featured at a major festival in the UK, it is indeed something to celebrate. |
Spontaneous protests in Bulawayo
Eleven youths were arrested in the Bulawayo high density suburb of Emakhandeni on Wednesday evening when a flyer distribution campaign for the mayoral elections turned into a spontaneous demonstration by residents. |
Mujuru appointment illegal
Former Zanu PF MP for Zvishavane and Central Committee member Pearson Mbalekwa, has said the appointment of Joyce Mujuru as Vice President was unconstitutional and remains illegal to this day. |
Zimbabwe Cricket hit all-time low
Cricket in Zimbabwe is at an all-time low following a humiliating opening home test match by those supposed international minnows, New Zealand. Problems off the field have eventually caught up with the players and the way the sport is being administered has begun to have an effect on the players' strength. |
Mugabe blows off dialogue
A political commentator has accused Robert Mugabe of lacking human decency, shown by his refusal to talk to the opposition party in order to solve the country's political crisis.... |
Labour Union gets confidence boost
A sustained government plot to destroy the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions fell flat on its back when 30 out of 35 unions.... |
Victims flooding into South Africa
Despite the fact that thousands more Zimbabweans have left home and crossed the Limpopo due... |
South African church food aid still delayed
South African authorities are frantically getting certificates to show that the food aid being sent ... |
| See Full statement from Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane On A Meeting Between President Mbeki and Religious Leaders on Zimbabwe |
Death row war vet appeals to Mugabe
A war veteran who shot a policemen on a farm in Marondera and was sentenced to death has launched an appeal with Robert Mugabe... |
Baby crushed to death in queue
A 3-month old baby was crushed to death while strapped to its mother's back at a sugar queue in Chinhoyi this past weekend. |
Traditional leaders deny food to opposition supporters
Henry Chimbiri, the information officer for the MDC in Mashonaland Central province, reports that their supporters are being denied maize.. |
Photographer arrested
The chief photographer of the "Daily Mirror", Desmond Kwande, was arrested last Friday, August 4th, in Harare by municipal policemen... |
Governor's house spared
A house belonging to Matabeleland North Governor Thokozile Mathuthu was spared from being destroyed under the controversial operation 'murambatsvina' despite its 'illegal' status.... |
SA murder victims
The Zimbabwe Action Support Group is positive the charred remains of two men recovered at Thembisa outside Johannesburg two weeks ago are those of their missing members... |
Church aid trucks still held up
Three trucks transporting aid to Zimbabweans displaced during a controversial government clean-up operation are still held up .... |
Africa split over UN Council seats
Speculation is growing over the reasons why an African Union faction, reportedly led by Robert Mugabe, Egypt and others ruined a tactical move by South Africa for a permanent United Nations security council seat. |
The ghost caretaker
A campaign meeting by the MDC to drum up support for the Mayoral elections was abandoned on Sunday when an unknown man locked the hall before the meeting, claiming to be the caretaker. |
What's the real story with the loan?
It can almost drive you crazy, the amount of information that is being released by the media regarding Zimbabwe's request for a loan from South Africa. Then there are those conflicting facts, all of which are said to have come from "reliable" or "highly placed" sources..... |
Robert's Heroes Day Rant..
People who go to Heroes Acre in the capital to commemorate those who died in Zimbabwe's war of independence can almost predict what Robert Mugabe will say on those occasions. It has been the same rhetoric ever since a viable opposition emerged 5 years ago. Monday was no different.... |
CHRA urges Harare rates boycott
The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) is urging residents in the capital to stop paying rates and other charges to an illegal commission whose term of office expired on June 9th, this year. This comes in the wake of a delay by the High Court in setting a date to hear CHRA's urgent application against the continuation of this commission... |
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