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| News stories for Thursday 08 May |
Post-election death toll rises as violence escalates
The number of post-election deaths has now risen to at least 32 as the ruling party continues to hunt down opposition officials and supporters. A report by the Plantation Workers Union and Justice for Agriculture also says that an estimated 40, 000 farm workers and their families have been displaced. |
Lawyers, journalists and trade unionists targeted in crackdown
Lawyer Harrison Nkomo was arrested Wednesday for allegedly insulting Mugabe. Nkomo was representing arrested journalist Frank Chikowore and is alleged to have told Michael Mugabe, a law officer in the Attorney General’s office to ‘go and tell your father that he must vacate office because he has failed.’ Nkomo was meant to appear in court Thursday but he was admitted to hospital after his blood pressure shot up to dangerous levels. |
Botswana bans sale of bulk fuel to Zimbabwe
Botswana has banned the export of bulk fuel to Zimbabwe, in a move seen as welcome regional pressure on Mugabe’s regime. As Zimbabwe’s fuel problems increased, reports said authorities in Botswana began turning back buyers last week at the border posts in Kasane and Maitengwe. However the main Plumtree border post was still allowing single drums through.
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Bird strike forces Air Zimbabwe plane to abort take-off
An Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767 with 91 passengers onboard and bound for London’s Gatwick airport, aborted take-off on Thursday in Malawi when two birds were sucked into the engines. |
| News stories for Wednesday 07 May |
Chihuri orders all police officers to vote Mugabe in run-off
Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri has reportedly embarked on a countrywide campaign to ensure that all serving officers vote for Robert Mugabe in any second round of the presidential election against MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai. On Wednesday, Chihuri summoned all commissioned officers from the rank of inspector and above based in Harare and the three Mashonaland provinces, to a briefing at the Morris Depot Academy sports club. |
AU urged to intervene as death toll rises
African civil society groups have launched a campaign to mobilize the African Union to intervene in the Zimbabwe crisis. This comes on the back of news that over 25 MDC activists have now been killed in a wave of post-election violence sponsored by the losing Zanu PF regime. In reality the death toll is believed to be much higher. A letter addressed to the AU is set to be endorsed by about 21 groups on the continent. |
Remaining commercial farmers given 24 hours to leave
We received reports on Wednesday that hundreds of farm workers and their families have appeared on the roadsides near commercial farms outside of Harare. This coincides with reports from around the country that remaining farmers are being given 24 hours to vacate their properties. Farmer Ben Gilpen from Justice for Agriculture said farmers and workers have been evicted in the Concession and Greendale areas.
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| News stories for Tuesday 06 May |
Extreme Violence in Shamva and Centenary
In the last 48 hours it has been confirmed that 6 people were beaten to death in the Shamva area and 10 others have been killed in Centenary.
Many others are badly injured, houses have been burned and at least 100 more people are homeless and without food. |
SADC Ministers fly to Zimbabwe for crisis talks
A delegation from the Southern African Development Community has left Luanda, Angola for Harare to hold crisis talks with the regime. During a weekend meeting in Luanda there were discussions on how SADC can help ensure the electoral process in Zimbabwe is free and fair, if there is an election run-off. |
Minister claims controversial Chinese arms now in Zimbabwe
Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga has claimed that the controversial shipment of arms from China, initially blocked by South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia, was now in Zimbabwe. Responding to criticism of the shipment during a panel discussion on Iranian sponsored ‘Press TV’ Matonga retorted, ‘in any case that shipment is already in Zimbabwe. |
SA Litigation Centre calls for prosecution of Zim chefs
The Southern African Litigation Centre has confirmed that 2 weeks before the March elections, they urged South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority to investigate and prosecute 18 top Zimbabwe security officials for crimes against humanity. The crimes related to the torture of officials and members of the MDC, whose testimonies were submitted in a dossier. They have not yet received a formal response from the NPA. |
Two WOZA members still in police custody after protests
Most members from the Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise, who were arrested Monday after police violently disrupted a peaceful demonstration in Bulawayo, were released without charge by the end of the day. But 2 remain in custody, Trust Moyo and Cynthia Ncube. |
Cash shortages persist even after Z$250 million notes introduced
Thousands of Zimbabweans are camping in queues outside banks while trying to withdraw their own, hard earned money. An economy ravaged by hyperinflation has meant there are not enough notes in circulation, even after the Reserve Bank introduced bearer cheques of Z$100 and Z$250 million into the system on Tuesday. |
| News stories for Monday 05 May |
Zanu PF paying thugs to kill opposition officials
Zanu PF is allegedly paying ruling party thugs Z$10 billion for every murder of an MDC activist. The militants are also paid Z$5 billion for every opposition home burnt down. According to The Zimbabwean newspaper a defector from the terror campaign has said that ‘Operation Mavhotera Papi’ was mounted with the specific approval of Mugabe. |
WOZA and MOZA members beaten during Bulawayo protests
There is concern for several people who are missing and others who were injured after police beat demonstrators from the Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise in Bulawayo on Monday. The group said they took to the streets to call for an end to the politically motivated violence and to say they are against a runoff presidential election. |
MDC waiting for run-off date before deciding next move
The MDC will not be pushed into announcing a decision on whether it will participate in a presidential runoff. Tsvangirai’s spokesman George Sibotshiwe said ‘a decision has been made’ but they would only make it public when the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announces the date of the runoff . |
Zimbabwe dominates discussion at Africa Commission meeting
Representatives from Non-Governmental Organisations from across Africa have been meeting in Swaziland, and Zimbabwe has dominated the proceedings. The NGOs met on the sidelines of the 43rd Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and expressed serious concern over the human rights situation in Zimbabwe. |
Exchange rate on black market tumbles
The exchange rate of the local currency has taken a knock on the thriving black market, after the Reserve Bank decided to float the local currency on foreign exchange markets. |
| News stories for Friday 02 May |
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Presidential results finally released, but are they real?
The Electoral Commission announced on Friday the long-awaited results of the presidential poll, showing that MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat Robert Mugabe. But the disputed figures released by ZEC show that Tsvangirai won by 47.9% to Mugabe’s 43.2%, which forces a second round. |
US warns of targeted sanctions on soldiers implicated in violence
The US has warned that individuals taking part in the wave of post-election violence, risk being placed on it’s targeted sanctions list. US Ambassador to Zimbabwe James McGee, told a press conference that he was personally recording incidents of violence and has conducted interviews with the victims. |
Chinese arms ship waiting to dock in Luanda
The Chinese ship carrying a cargo of weapons for Zimbabwe is reported to be off the coast of Angola, waiting in a queue for a place to dock. The so-called "death ship" left Durban harbour 2 weeks ago after a court order was issued against it’s controversial cargo. |
More farm workers evicted and jobless
Earlier this week the President of the Commercial Farmers Union, Trevor Gifford, was barricaded in his house for days and had serious problems on his farm. Deon Theron, the CFU Vice President, was evicted from his farm on Sunday. |
Thousands brave intimidation to bid farewell to murdered woman
On Friday villagers in Makoni West braved massive state sponsored violence and intimidation by attending the funeral of MDC activist Tabitha Marume, who was shot and killed last week. According to party spokesman Nelson Chamisa, over 10 000 villagers came to the funeral and gave Marume a send off, ‘befitting a heroine of the struggle.’ |
| News stories for Thursday 01 May |
Verification of presidential vote begins
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on Thursday begun verifying the results of the presidential poll – after the 4 week delay in the result which has been roundly condemned internationally and regionally. Representatives of the four candidates who stood in the election met initially at an Harare hotel to discuss the ground rules for the verification exercise. |
Zanu PF MP ordered attack on farm which displaced 60 families
We have confirmation that the group of 200 ZANU-PF thugs that descended on a farm compound in Nyamandhlovu, outside Bulawayo, had been ordered there by MP Obert Mpofu. The farm belongs to Wayne Munroe and was invaded Wednesday afternoon by a gang that assaulted farm workers. About 60 families were forced to leave and told to return to their original homelands. But most have no other home to go to. |
MDC say death toll in political violence has reached 20
As Mugabe’s government prepares for a possible presidential election run-off the MDC say 20 of their supporters have been killed in terror campaigns run by Zanu PF militants. The party says the new figure takes into account 5 murders within a 4 days. Tabitha Marume was shot and killed by soldiers at Chiwetu Rest Camp, Percy Muchiwa, a teacher in Guruve, was on Monday beaten to death by Zanu PF supporters in Bakasa area. |
CIO agent implicated in Rusape woman’s murder is based in USA
A CIO agent who is based at the Zimbabwe embassy in the United States is alleged to have shot and killed female MDC activist Tabitha Marume last week Friday in Rusape. The MDC have named Daniel Romeo Mutsunguma as the man who pulled the trigger and shot the woman in the stomach. Marume was part of a group of 7 MDC activists who went to a torture camp at Manonga School demanding the release of their colleagues who had been abducted by soldiers. |
Headmaster battling for life after war vet attack
A headmaster at Chakumba Primary School in Makoni South is battling for his life after war veterans attacked him on Thursday. The MDC issued an alert just a few moments ago, saying the war vets were led by former CIO director and cabinet minister Shadreck Chipanga. |
No workers to celebrate May Day in Zimbabwe
The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) organised a number of events around the country in commemoration of May Day on Thursday, but there was nothing to celebrate. |