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news stories for June 2006
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Low expectations of Mugabe, Annan and Mbeki meeting
As the African Union summit starts this week, there is massive speculation that the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan may use this opportunity to meet with Robert Mugabe. |
UK to decide on failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers next week
An asylum tribunal will Monday decide the fate of thousands of failed Zimbabwean asylum seekers living in the UK. At the core of the case is whether the Home Office should grant blanket immunity to all failed asylum seekers irrespective of circumstances, or deport those whose claims are not genuine. |
Toy guns used to steal real guns from police station
Three robbers using ‘toy guns’ walked into Ntabazinduna police station in Matebeleland North on Thursday and tied up a policeman before stealing two ‘real’ rifles and 49 rounds of ammunition and making their get away. |
Omnibus operators face arrests and angry public over fare hikes
The government has failed to find solutions to the fuel crisis that is contributing to massive fare hikes but are arresting commuter operators who charge more than the gazetted fares. |
Police face murder charges after beating Mugabe critics
Two police officers from Bulawayo have been arrested on murder charges after fatally assaulting two civilians who had said they wished Mugabe dead. According to a report by the Zimonline news agency the two officers went on a rampage beating up patrons at a beer garden. |
Lawyers start campaign to protect threatened Bishop
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights released a statement Wednesday urging Zimbabweans to contact government authorities appealing for the safety of Methodist Bishop Levee Kadenge, who was threatened by a state security agent last week. |
ZCTU finalising plans for nationwide strikes
Lovemore Matombo President of the Zimbabwe Congresssaid the decision to strike was a resolution made at the labour movement’s congress after the Tripartite Negotiating Forum collapsed. |
ZIP leader Professor Henri Dzinotyiwei joins Tsvangirai MDC
The renowned mathematician made the announcement Wednesday and says his decision has been influenced by the clear link between the country’s economic decline and its political policies. |
| Lawyer who burnt ballot papers appointed acting information minister Kadoma based lawyer Paul Mangwana who decided to burn ballot boxes in the 2005 Zanu PF Kadoma East primary elections after it became apparent he was heading for defeat, is the new acting Information Minister. He replaces the late Tichaona Jokonya who died on Saturday. |
Government jams radio broadcasts
The Zimbabwean government is interfering with our medium wave broadcasts and also of Voice of America’s Studio 7 station. |
| More white farmers given 90 days to leave The Commercial Farmers Union said 9 farmers had received eviction notices signed by Lands Minister Didymus Mutasa giving them 90 days to vacate their properties. |
High Court reserves judgment in Mawere case
The High Court reserved judgment in a case in which businessman Mutumwa Mawere. |
Johannesburg shoot-out suspects appear in court
Nine of the 11 men arrested after a shooting in Johannesburg on Sunday appeared in a magistrates court Monday. |
Hitschmann trial delayed
It’s reported that Peter Hitschmann will spend more time in police custody after his trial failed to start on Monday. |
Zimbabweans under suspicion as 12 die in South Africa shootout
Four South African policemen and eight suspected robbers, some of them believed to be Zimbabweans died in a bloody gun-battle in Johannesburg on Sunday. |
Mugabe prays for peace while his CIOs hunt down religious critics
Speaking at Glamis Stadium in Harare during the controversial Prayer Day on Sunday Robert Mugabe attacked the media. |
Zimbabweans show their scars on International Torture Day
June 26th is the United Nations international day in support of torture victims, and it holds a lot of meaning for Zimbabweans as many have suffered torture at the hands of the Mugabe regime. |
Speculation mounts on cause of Jokonya’s death
Some reports suggest he was found dead in a bathtub in the Rainbow Towers Hotel but government sources now say he died in his sleep. |
| Bishop in hiding after threats from CIO The convener of the Zimbabwe Christian Alliance Bishop Dr. Levee Kadenge said he was threatened by a CIO agent as he headed home after a meeting with other religious leaders. Kadenge said 6 pastors had come together to pray about the state of the nation but the agent, who claimed he was from the president’s office, accused them of meeting to form a new political party. |
Nearly 300 bakers and shopkeepers arrested over price hikes
Bakeries and shops increased the price of bread from the gazetted Z$85,000 to between Z$130,000 and Z$160,000. Police officials say the clampdown on those ‘over-charging’ started on16 th June. Those arrested have been made to pay fines and released. |
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Zimbabwean foreign minister clashes with diplomats
In a sign of serious strain in relations between the government and the diplomatic community Western ambassadors are said to have left a meeting Wednesday "hugely disappointed" after clashes with top government officials. |
| Ghana to meet Brazil in second round of World Cup Ghana have become the only African team to reach the World Cup second round after their victory over USA on Thursday. They will now face reigning champions Brazil in the knock-out stages. Five other African countries, Angola, Tunisia, Togo and Ivory Coast have all impressed at the World Cup but fell short because of inexperience on the big stage. |
ISPs block e-mails with political content
The Interception of Communications Bill is still in draft form but already there are complaints that e-mails containing political content are being blocked by some ISP’s in Zimbabwe. |
Chinamasa attacks civil society
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa made a blistering attack on Zimbabwe’s civil society at the inauguration of the new United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva Wednesday. |
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Police disrupt funeral
Zimbabwean police this week showed once again their lack of civility and political tolerance when they tried to disrupt the funeral of the father of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, claiming it was an illegal political gathering. |
Police in Masvingo accused of spying for Zanu (PF)
A national council member of the Tsvangirai MDC faction, Bernard Chiondegwa, has accused police in Masvingo province of abusing their powers by passing on information about MDC activities to local Zanu (PF) legislators. |
World commemorates Refugee Day
June 20 is recognised as World Refugee Day and was set aside to remember the millions living outside their countries because they fled from persecution for their religion, political opinion or ethnic background. |
Liberian leaders trial signals vulnerability of African dictators
Former Liberian dictator Charles Taylor was transferred from Sierra Leone to the International Criminal Court in the Hague on Tuesday. |
Mugabe listens to security chiefs
Former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo has revealed that Zimbabwe’s 82 year old dictator Robert Mugabe makes crucial decisions about the country based on advice only from his security officials. “I think if we look at what has happened in our country over the years – since independence – and if what we want to do is to find out whom Mugabe really listens to, disappointingly he does not really listen to free rational advice especially coming from outside the system. |
Police block MDC rallies in rural Manicaland
The MDC led by President Morgan Tsvangirai has been unable to hold any rallies in rural Manicaland because police in the province have refused them permission. |
WOZA activists arrested in Harare
At least 8 activists from the group Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) were arrested after a peaceful demonstration in Harare Tuesday. |
| Massive Fuel Increase
There has been a massive increase in the price of fuel, which has more than doubled. |
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English premiership clubs jostle for Nyandoro’s signature
Another Zimbabwean soccer player could soon be in the English premiership. The Sun newspaper reports Sheffield United have offered £1 million for Zimbabwean midfielder, Esrom Nyandoro. |
WOZA women arrested
At least 100 activists from the group Women of Zimbabwe Arise were arrested after a peaceful demonstration in Insiza Matabeleland South on Monday. |
Mugabe “playing games” with church The Bulawayo based Christian Alliance have said the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) appeared to show support for the ruling party and its policies when they appeared on television and then cancelled the traditional National Day of Prayer immediately after meeting with Mugabe. |
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School children urged to join fight for justice in Zimbabwe
The 1976 Soweto uprisings in South Africa succeeded because they involved students from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions whereas in Zimbabwe the burden is left to students in colleges and universities. |
Zimbabwean student appears in court for hijacking SA plane
A 21 year old Zimbabwean student in South Africa, Tinashe Rioga, appeared briefly in a Cape Town magistrate’s court Monday in connection with an alleged aircraft hijacking attempt. |
Zimbabwe youth to march in commemoration of S.A. riots
Youth groups in Zimbabwe have organised two marches Saturday to mark the 30 th anniversary of the youth riots in South Africa that kick-started the liberation struggle and led to freedom from apartheid. The youth plan to march in Bulawayo and Harare but as of Friday afternoon they were still waiting for police clearance. |
Bishop Kunonga seeks police protection during Anglican pilgrimage
Harare Bishop Nolbert Kunonga has apparently asked the police to protect him from his own parishioners during the annual Bernard Mizeki pilgrimage in Marondera. The Bishop is clearly aware of the majority sentiment against him in the church and wants to avoid a repeat of events in 2003. |
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Soaring inflation worsens food situation
The country’s ever rising inflation, the exchange rate and bureaucracy in government institutions continue to hamper efforts of organisations intending to offer food aid to vulnerable groups. |
University students arrested
The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) reports that an unknown number of university students were beaten and arrested after police broke up a demonstration in commemoration of The Day of the African child, Friday. |
Government delays VOP trial
Just as many media practitioners had expected, the government Thursday delayed the trial of the seven directors of the Voice of the People (VOP) radio station who are accused of violating Zimbabwe's oppressive media laws. |
200 families evicted in Glen Norah
At least 200 families have been thrown out into the cold in Harare’s Glen Norah high density area after municipal police demolished their makeshift homes Thursday morning. The MDC MP for Glen Norah, Priscilla Misihairabwi Mushonga, said Harare Municipal Police used brutal force when they demolished the informal structures created by victims of last year’s so-called clean up exercise. |
NCA officer narrates torture ordeal
Coverage of incidents of violence and torture in Zimbabwe is sometimes purely statistical and people often lose sight of the experiences of the victims. Nixon Nyikadzino, a National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) field officer, recounted to SWRA how military intelligence officers tortured him after an NCA demonstration for a new constitution held on the 14 th April. |
Murambatsvina victim dies in Bulawayo squatter camp
Highlighting governments disastrous demolition policies Tuesday, another displaced victim of last year’s operation died in a squatter camp outside Bulawayo. This death could have been prevented had the non-governmental organisations and church groups in the area been allowed to feed displaced families and to provide shelter and blankets for the winter. |
Powercut chaos in Bulawayo
Over 1,5 million people across the country’s second largest city of Bulawayo were plunged into confusion and chaos after a huge power cut on Thursday, forcing the city to grind to halt for the first time in many years. Industries were shut down, supermarkets and shops were closed and workers were told to go back home as morning rush-hour traffic became gridlocked. |
Coltart joins Mutambara MDC
After several months of “sitting on the fence” MDC legal expert David Coltart has finally announced that he will take his position on the opposition side occupied by the Mutambara MDC. Addressing a press conference Thursday in Bulawayo he said: “ For the last seven months I have been in a state of limbo and I believe it is imperative that I resume my work in this collective struggle to bring freedom and democracy to Zimbabwe. |
Church groups reveal details of meeting with Robert Mugabe
Church groups in Zimbabwe have intensified their efforts to help solve the country’s crisis. The Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishop's Conference and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches hosted a joint press conference Wednesday at which they announced a National Day of Prayer set for the 25th June. |
Zimbabwe rejects UN economic status
The recommendation by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP), comprising 22 UN appointed experts, can only be implemented if the decision is acceptable to the country concerned. An African diplomat told the Inter Press Service (IPS) that some countries view LDC status - rightly or wrongly - as "both a political and economic stigma". |
Prisoners starve as economic crisis worsens
The parliamentary portfolio committee on justice, legal and parliamentary affairs admitted in its own findings that the situation in the country’s prisons was disturbing. Inmates are going for days without food while water shortages are creating health hazards inside the cells. |
Mugabe to appoint retired soldiers The Zimbabwe Standard reported Sunday that there are plans to appoint senior military officers to Zanu PF's top decision-making body, the Politburo. The weekly newspaper said it appears Mugabe is intent on forging ahead with plans to militarise all state institutions ahead of his retirement. |
Bishop appoints politicians
Nolbert Kunonga the Bishop of Harare has reportedly inducted Vice President Joseph Msika as a lay reader in the church. This comes amid growing signs that Mugabe’s regime has clearly co-opted him into using the church as a hunting ground for supporters. |
Evicted farmers offered only 5% compensation
Minister for Lands and Land Resettlement, Didymus Mutasa is reported to have said last week the farmers are responding well to the government's invitation to get compensated for their property’s infrastructure. |
Govt officials accused of diverting donated ARVs for profit
Women from several high-density suburbs have said they believe anti-retroviral drugs donated to help the poor were diverted to private chemists by government officials. In March and April this year the women were told by their sponsors that boxes of ARV drugs had been donated by Asian countries to be given to the poor for free at state-run hospitals. |
Morgan Tsvangirai says MDC will not be rushed into mass action
The MDC leader has warned that his party will not be rushed into a poorly organised process of mass action. Tsvangirai said ‘we don’t want a one-off activity that then dies off. We want a sustainable programme until the goal is achieved.’ |
Mbeki responds to pressure on Zimbabwe crisis
It has been reported that South Africa’s Minister of Intelligence Ronnie Kasrils is in Zimbabwe on a mission to meet State Security Minister Didymus Mutasa. Reports say Kasrils is accompanied by South Africa’s National Intelligence Agency chief and the Secret Service chief. They are expected to conduct talks aimed at arranging a summit between president Thabo Mbeki and Robert Mugabe. |
Bishop denies allegations of rape and prostitution at safehouse in SA
A report in The Star newspaper in South Africa alleged that drunkenness was rampant, rape was not uncommon, fights were regular and theft was ongoing at the Methodist Church safehouse for Zimbabweans being run by Bishop Paul Verryn. In an in-depth interview Friday, Bishop Verryn denied these allegations and said reporters snuck into the building and took photographs of the residents without his or their permission. |
Voice of the People radio wins award
Zimbabwe’s privately owned radio Voice of the People won an international media award at a ceremony in London Thursday evening. |
CIO accused of causing confusion over planned mass action
A political commentator says that Mugabe’s Central Intelligence Organisation is probably behind an email announcing a 2 day mass stay away in June. |
Recent resignations from Mutambara faction insignificant- Chaibva
Party spokesman Gabriel Chaibva has said the real reason for Shakespeare Maya’s suspension from the Arthur Mutambara MDC is that he is a power hungry individual who is against the advancement of women in the party. |
Mystery surrounds death of Jonah Sithole’s son in the UK
The son of the late, legendary musician Jonah Sithole has been found dead. His mother Gladys Maigurira told Newsreel the police have failed to establish the cause of death. |
All eyes of the world fixed on Germany for the World Cup
With the start of the 2006 World Cup less than 24 hours away, Germany is gripped by a wave of optimism about the economic windfall.. |
Tycoon Bredenkamp flees Zimbabwe
A major financial supporter to the Mugabe regime, John Bredenkamp is reported to have fled Zimbabwe Tuesday morning after his companies were raided by the state. |
Economy remains major threat to Mugabe as other options fail
South Africa and Thabo Mbeki came and went as did The United Nations special rapporteur and resolutions adopted by The African Commission. |
South Africa and Zimbabwe both pursuing phone spying legislation
The two neighbours have both unveiled draft legislation meant to secure state authority for the interception of phones and e-mails by their respective security agencies. |
Zimbabwe Cricket interim board accused of destroying game
Respected former Zimbabwe Cricket chief executive Dave Ellman-Brown has warned that if Peter Chingoka stays on for two more months, cricket in the country will be damaged beyond repair. |
ICG report on Zimbabwe
The International Crisis Group has produced it’s latest report on Zimbabwe, and it makes for grim reading. It provides a concise and accurate précis of the tragedy that is Zimbabwe today. |
Political violence rocks Gokwe in the aftermath of MDC rally
A rally by the opposition MDC in Gokwe 2 weeks ago has triggered a spate of politically motivated violence in the area. The party’s parliamentary candidate and Treasurer for the area Aaron Chinhara said that soon after their rally elements from the ruling party went on the rampage beating up their supporters. |
Mugabe using clergy to divide
A leading clergyman has revealed how Mugabe is using divide and rule tactics to silence opposition from the clergy. Some clerics are allegedly attending church meetings to spy for the government. These allegations were made by Catholic Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube, who said the church in Zimbabwe has lost credibility as a result of the government meddling. |
Economic situation forces immigrants back to their roots
About 700 families, mostly second generation Zimbabweans whose grandparents migrated from Botswana half a century ago, have asked to be repatriated. |
Trip to Mutare now costs 1 million
Its official! Only millionaires can afford to go to Mutare from the capital as prices for everything continue to rise in Zimbabwe. With fuel now between Z$300,000 and Z$ 400,000 per litre, travel has become a luxury for most. Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa reports that bus fares are changing daily and there is no authority regulating prices. |
African Commission defers Shumba torture case for a fourth time
Gabriel Shumba’s search for justice at the African Commission for Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) continues to hit one bureaucratic hurdle after another. The Officer in Charge of the Secretariat Omari Holaki wrote to Shumba advising him that his case had been deferred to November this year. It is now set to be considered at the 40 th Ordinary session of the ACPHR at a venue yet to be advised.. |
Instability good for SA business
Despite Zimbabwe’s deteriorating economy and the political chaos that has created an unstable environment for business investors, South African companies continue to operate in Zimbabwe and now constitute the majority of foreign investment. Attracted by cheap offers from local firms , many South African companies are taking advantage of the ongoing crisis to gain large stakes in lucrative markets. |
Councils illegally doubling rents
We received a disturbing report from our contacts in the Mabvuku high-density area of Harare who said that the local administrators were charging residents double the rent if they did not pay it in full by the 7 th of the month. Most residents cannot afford the rent as it is and are struggling to raise enough from month to month. |
Australia amends sanctions list
53 individuals and two dead people have been removed from an Australian sanctions list against members of the Mugabe regime. The revision also corrected dates of birth and job titles. The list originally contained the names of 127 people. |
World Cup fever begins to take hold
The World’s greatest sporting showcase kicks off in Munich, Germany on Friday with the opening World Cup soccer match between the hosts Germany and Costa Rica.Holders Brazil are big favourites to retain the trophy in a tournament that has 32 teams divided into eight groups of four. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the second round. |
Tsvangirai MDC denies shelving protests
The Zimbabwe Independent reported Friday that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai had temporarily put a planned "cold winter of resistance" on the back burner, in favour of international intervention to help end Zimbabwe’s crisis. |
Showdown looming as government plans to evict 4 000 black farmers
The ZimOnline news site reports that government has said it will evict 4 000 black farmers who are illegally occupying farms and conservancies in Masvingo province south. |
Report shows torture cases on the rise in Zimbabwe
The political violence report for April 2006, by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, makes grim reading. The report produced monthly and documenting cases of politically motivated violence and intimidation shows how government is increasingly relying on torture to deal with critics. |
Victoria Falls Mayor in trouble for snubbing Chinese delegation
The MDC Mayor for Victoria Falls, Tose Sansole infuriated the Mugabe regime Wednesday when he snubbed a Chinese delegation visiting the country’s premier resort town. Sansole and all MDC councillors failed to turn up for a meeting with the Chinese delegation. |
Shakespeare Maya suspended by Mutambara MDC
Opposition official Shakespeare Maya has been suspended by the Chitungwiza Provincial Management Committee of the Mutambara led MDC. |
Murambatsvina victims displaced once again in Harare
As the world responded with shock to the Amnesty International satellite images that so clearly showed the devastating effects of Operation Murambatsvina, forced evictions began again. |
Exiled priests ask Archbishop to mediate in row over Bishop Kunonga
Independent journalist Trevor Grundy reports that 10 exiled Zimbabwean priests in the United Kingdom have asked the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu to mediate in the row over Harare Bishop, Nolbert Kunonga. |
Botswana softens stance on Zimbabwean immigrants
There are indications that the government in Botswana has softened its hard line stance against Zimbabwean immigrants following complaints from civic and human rights groups. |
Economist says new fuel deal not a solution to overall problem
Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono announced on state-run television that he had secured a one-year deal that will allow the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe to import fuel for at least one year. |
Zimplats Raided
The publication Platinum Today has said that one of the world’s largest platinum producers has had it’s Harare offices raided.
Basildon Peta calls for for SA businesses to unite against Mugabe |
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