ZimDaily
- Zanu PF must stop privatising national hero selection ZIMBABWE-HARARE-Respect for national institutions and events and the participation in these national programs and events is core to the question of non-partisan respect for the country’s national heroes.
- Tsvangirai is not a mini Mugabe! ZIMBABWE-HARARE-They assert that Morgan will be the same as Mugabe the day he assumes power, so why bother change; politicians are like napkins that all get wet at one point or another.
- Players dropped over match fixing ZIMBABWE-HARARE-Zifa has moved a step further in its match fixing investigations by instructing national team coach Norman Mapeza to drop players who have failed to appear before the investigating team from the team to face Botswana on August 4 and Uganda on August 11.
- Sabina Mugabe a liberation heroine? ZIMBABWE-HARARE-Robert Mugabe's younger sister and close political ally has died following a long battle with an undisclosed illness.
- Mujibhas now running schools ZIMBABWE-HARARE-TEACHERS at Roy Bannett’s Charles wood farm primary school in Chimanimani have accused war veterans at the farm of interfering with the day to day running of the school.
- Mugabe’s sister dies ZIMBABWE-HARARE-Mugabe's office says his sister Sabina Mugabe — a former lawmaker and one of his closest allies — died after a long battle with illness. She was 76.
- We’ll tear down Nkomo statue, warns family ZIMBABWE-HARARE-Relatives of Zimbabwe’s late Vice President Joshua Nkomo are threatening to tear down a statue of him that the authorities are erecting in Harare.
- ZIFA plans for life after Henrietta ZIMBABWE-HARARE-Zimbabwe Football Association Board chairman Cuthbert Dube has written to Fifa informing the world body of his decision to suspend his CEO Henrietta Rushwaya.
- ZANU-PF agents in uniformed forces get double salaries ZIMBABWE-HARARE-Zimbabwe’s secret agents planted in the country’s uniformed forces have been awarded a double salary from the rest of the civil servants as a reward for the job they did during the 2008 Presidential polls.
- Olonga explains black armband protest ZIMBABWE-HARARE-Former Zimbabwe cricket star Henry Olonga has just released a book on his life titled Blood, Sweat and Treason.
-ZimEye-
- Advertisers shun ZBC over ZANU-PF propaganda jingles Harare(ZimEye)- The state controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) stands to lose several thousands of dollars after several companies threatened to withdraw their advertisements as they do not want to be associated with the controversial Zanu PF propaganda jingles which are currently being overplayed on radio and television despite widespread opposition. The jingles which have threatened to split [...]
- Tsvangirai off to Mat North to resolve party-friction –... The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper says that MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai is on his way to Matabeleland this weekend to deal with feuds that threaten his party’s ability to defend its stronghold in the region. Below is the article: Party officials from Matabeleland invited Tsvangirai after failing to solve differences among themselves, according to information gathered by the Zimbabwe Independent. Matabeleland [...]
- VIGIL:A CRY FOR A NEW ZIMBABWE CONTINUES… The Process of nation building is both cumbersome and painful. Without sound legal prescriptions, even the strongest of nations will crumble- Zimbabwe is no exception. Now the big question is: “as the architecture of a new Zimbabwe, what should we do?’’ We can not pay a blind eye to the problems in Zimbabwe and hope [...]
- Sabina Mugabe automatically declared a national heroine HARARE(ZimEye) – ZANU-PF in Harare on Thursday automatically declared President Robert Mugabe’s sister, Sabina Mugabe, who died in the early hours of the same day, a national heroine. She will be buried at the national acre in Harare on Sunday. Sabina Mugabe who was battling with her life for a long time died in Harare on Thursday [...]
- Sabina Mugabe dies (Harare) Reports coming from the first family’s relatives say that Robert Mugabe’s sister, Sabina has died. According to the report, she passed away this morning (Thursday) after a long illness. The family members include Sabina’s own son, Leo Mugabe who said: “Yes, unfortunately it’s true.” However, official confirmation is yet to be received from government and the ZANU PF [...]
- Makuvise opens lawsuit against website London(ZimEye) Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Germany, Hebson Makuvise has announced he is opening a series of arsenal lawsuits against the editor and owner of a website that has been publishing stories attacking him on alleged corruption and sex scandal allegations. Speaking to ZimEye Monday eve, Makuvise said: “Do they have money, real assets? - Vane mari here ava, vane chiiko?,” referring to [...]
- Prison officers victimised for supporting Mnangagwa Harare(ZimEye)-ZANU (PF) factionalism has spread to the Zimbabwe Prison Services with more than seventy senior prison officers at Chikurubi Maximum prison having been transferred with immediate effect for allegedly calling ‘President’ the Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa’s alleged chief coupe plotter, army captain Albert Matapo who is in detention. ZPS chief Paradzai Zimondi belongs to Mujuru faction which does [...]
- Bennett case postponed indefinitely Harare(ZimEye)-Supreme court judge chief justice Godfrey Chidyausiku on Wednesday postponed the judgment in a case in which the State was appealing against the acquittal of MDC-T Treasurer and Deputy Agriculture Minister designate Roy Bennet. Roy Bennet was in May acquitted by High court judge justice Chinembiri Bhunu of treason charges by the high court after the [...]
- UNICEF intensifies engangement with the Apostolic sect Marange(ZimEye)-The United Nations Children’s Education Fund UNICEF has embarked on a massive persuasive drive in Marange targeting members of the Apostolic sect after it has emerged that 70% of area’s children were left out the National immunization program which was done in April . UNICEF Chief of communications Micaela de Sousa said in an interview that her [...]
- Unsteady Mugabe pictures emerge Check your balance … Mugabe walks unsteadily on steps as aides rush to support APPROACHING his 87th birthday next February, President Robert Mugabe appears to give his friends a few birthday gift ideas as he walks unsteadily down the steps prompting aides to offer some support. These pictures were taken as Mugabe left the closing ceremony of [...]
Zimbabwe Telegraph
- Rwodzi & Interfin arrogant ,corrupt and generally greedy There is need to clarify the root of the current dispute between Mr Farai Rwodzi of Interfin Bank Holdings Zimbabwe and myself. Mr Farai Rwodzi has become one of Zimbabwe’s leading robber barons by his greedy business behavior which has seen him being involved in every sector of the Zimbabwean business using political muscle and [...]
- Zimbabwe Vigil Response to ‘Sword of Truth’ Ambassado... The Vigil made the front page of the Zimbabwe Herald this week (see attached). We are mentioned in the Herald’s interview with Hebson Makuvise, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Germany. He reportedly says of activists in the UK “Every Saturday they gather at the Zimbabwean Embassy in the UK playing drums denouncing President Mugabe, Prime [...]
- Young Zimbabwean amongst world best in e-technology Young Zimbabwean amongst world best in e-technology Winner from Zim uses new technologies to pursue Millennium Development Goals From interactive radio for rural areas to a talking animated HI-Virus, from exceptional human rights blogs to climate campaigns, the World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) presents young people under 30 years who use internet and mobiles to get action [...]
- Zimbabwean president’s sister dies HARARE, Zimbabwe – The party of Zimbabwe’s president says his sister Sabina Mugabe — a former lawmaker and one of his closest allies — died after a long battle with illness. She was 76. The death Thursday of Robert Mugabe’s most trusted family confidante and associate would be a severe blow to the ascetic 86-year-old president, [...]
- Joshua Nkomo Statue at Karigamombe Defeats National Heali... The mischievous plan to erect a statue of late ZAPU founding leader Dr Joshua Nkomo at Karigamombe Centre in Harare, a site that planned the Gukurahundi atrocities and renamed to humiliate him and ZAPU is extremely offensive and equal to a public crucifixion of Zimbabwe’s true national hero. ZAPU (Europe) agrees with protests from his family [...]
- Exiled businessman warns Interfin over its takeover of di... By Lance Guma 29 July 2010 An exiled Zimbabwean businessman, who says his bank was illegally seized by the government in 2004, has condemned the recent takeover of that same institution by Interfin Financial Services Limited. Gilbert Muponda says he owns Century Bank through his ENG Capital investment company, but was forced to flee the country at [...]
- MDC’s deputy organising secretary arrested The MDC deputy Organising Secretary, Senator Morgen Komichi was yesterday arrested at Lupane Police Station in Matabeleland North province on frivolous charges of communicating falsehoods. Senator Komichi had gone to Lupane after he had been told to report at Lupane Police station last week. Human rights lawyer, Alec Muchadehama who is representing Senator Komichi said [...]
- PM Tsvangirai heads to Hwange PM Morgan Tsvangirai will on Saturday lead a high-powered MDC leadership delegation dubbed “The MDC Real Change Team” for a rally in Hwange, Matebeleland North province where they are expected to address thousands of party supporters. The rally will be held at No. 1 Old Hwange Colliery grounds. The rally, branded as the “Real Change” rally [...]
- ZANU PF threats continue againt COPAC The deputy minister of Public Service and Insiza North MP, Andrew Langa, led a group of Zanu PF supporters in threatening with death an MDC activist, Sitshengisiwe Ndlovu in Insiza district in Matabeleland South. Ndlovu had enquired from the Copac team if people would be safe after making their contributions during the public consultations. Langa, village [...]
- Zimbabwe villagers console each other “..To all the youths gathered today, this is the time to accept that what you did was wrong, this is the time to repent, you cannot be made to kill your mother and father over a scud, a scud, no this should come to an end, never in this area have we seen something like [...]
Guardian.co.uk : Zimbabwe
- Letter from Africa: The Britishness of Mugabe Despite many verbal attacks on Britain, David Smith explains how Robert Mugabe is heavily influenced by English cultureDavid Smith
- Building a Jerusalem in Zimbabwe's green and pleasant land Place names, schools, eloquent oratories and, of course, cricket can make Zimbabwe seem the most English of African countriesHigh tea and cakes to the strains of a grand piano. Rooms with names such as Balmoral, Edinburgh, Windsor, Mirabelle and Edward & Connaught. An oak-panelled grill that recalls a gentlemen's club on Pall Mall.Yes, it must be Zimbabwe again.The Meikles in Harare claims to be the country's best hotel, and it certainly seems to have dodged the economic bullets of recent years. Its colonial aura, with regal tapestries and framed black and white photos of Harare a century ago, would probably console the establishment's founder, Thomas Meikle, a Scottish immigrant.To me too it felt reassuringly, and alarmingly, like home. One night there I switched on Zimbabwe state television to discover, amid controversial jingles extolling President Robert Mugabe, a developing crisis for Siegfried and Tristan in a rerun of All Creatures Great and Small.Only a few buildings from the era of empire survive in Harare, formerly Salisbury, but there are also parks and tree-lined avenues that feel somehow familiar. In the east of the country, near Mutare, the best place to stop to admire the scenery is Prince of Wales View.It might be 30 years since independence, but Britain remains in the cultural DNA. O-levels and A-levels are still studied. St George's College and Prince Edward are the leading schools, with much that evokes Harry Potter's Hogwarts or Billy Bunter's Greyfriars. English, the official language, is not only widely spoken, but spoken very well.I have attended public events where black Zimbabweans deliver speeches with an ornate eloquence, or sometimes grandiloquence, that seems more Victorian literary salon than oppressive African dictatorship. Theirs is a language no longer spoken by the British.Mugabe, self-declared nemesis of the evil former empire, is no exception to this. His speeches are finely polished and buffed in the colonisers' tongue: "If yesterday I fought you as an enemy, today you have become a friend. If yesterday you hated me, today you cannot avoid the love that binds you to me, and me to you."Heidi Holland, author of Dinner with Mugabe, recalls being handed tea in an exquisite English porcelain cup by a waiter in white gloves and tails while waiting at the State House to interview the president in 2007.Last year in a speech entitled The Britishness of Mugabe, she spoke of how he has dressed all his life in austere suits of the stereotypical English gentleman, polished his vowels self-consciously and developed something of a British sense of humour.Holland said: "What most revealed Mugabe's fragmented identity to me, though, were the tears glistening in his eyes when he talked about Britain's royals. The Queen and her four children, her sister and her mother had all stayed with him at State House, he told me. 'And now, to this day, we treasure those moments, and we have nothing against the royal family,' he continued – using the royal 'We'."His love for Savile Row tailors is matched by a love for that most English of games: cricket. Mugabe, patron of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), once declared: "Cricket civilises people and creates good gentlemen. I want everyone to play cricket in Zimbabwe; I want ours to be a nation of gentlemen."Now, after years in the doldrums, there are signs of the sport coming back to life here. A recent domestic Twenty20 tournament was televised and brought in multiracial crowds of more than 7,000 and corporate sponsors otherwise starved of entertainment. A Pop Idol-style contest toured the country inviting all comers to prove they could be Zimbabwe's fast bowling star of the future.The national team is also on the up. Alan Butcher, a former England batsman, is now the coach of a side, no longer dominated by white players, that has claimed the one-day scalps of the West Indies, India and Sri Lanka. Zimbabwe is looking to return to Test cricket for the first time since 2006 with a home series against Bangladesh next year.Some hope this could be the catalyst for wider social recovery. But there's no escaping politics. In 2003 two of Zimbabwe's finest players, Andy Flower and Henry Olonga, wore black armbands at the World Cup to mourn the death of democracy. The men in charge of the game have notoriously had ties with Mugabe.Ozias Bvute, managing director of ZC, is on the EU's banned list owing to alleged associations with Mugabe's Zanu-PF party. Recently I found Bvute in a freshly painted office, complete with satellite TV and Wi-Fi internet access, that some may find suspiciously plush for a country in which many government buildings are shabby and threadbare. But he insisted he is no tool of Mugabe."I woke up one day and was told I was on the sanctions list," he said. "I read, 'These are the people responsible for the tragedy of Zimbabwe.' I read that cricket is a political instrument. This is a myth. I do not hold any card from any political party. It's like the ANC in South Africa: 70% of individuals here have had associations with Zanu-PF. It's a small society. We know each other."Certainly David Coltart, the Movement for Democratic Change's sports minister, and a cricket fanatic, seemed untroubled. He told me: "There are people in the administration in influential places who are aligned with Zanu-PF, but I'm in a cabinet chaired by Robert Mugabe."In the first four or five years post-Nelson Mandela's release, there were many people in the South African government who I'm sure the ANC had difficulty in dealing with. But it was part of the process. It was the price you paid for a peaceful transition. The same applies to cricket."The return of Test cricket would give the appearance, at least, that Zimbabwe is almost back to normal. Alistair Campbell, a former captain and now chairman of selectors, said: "I'd like to see England and Australia touring here again. I'd like to sip chardonnay on the opening day of a Test at Harare Sports Club."At the sports club's Maiden or Red Lion pubs, a summer's day on the playing fields of England can seem eerily close at hand. Whereas South Africa, that big and brash power of the continent, often reminds me of America, it's Zimbabwe, the quieter, ironic and perhaps cripplingly introspective cousin, that makes me think of Britain.I wonder if this is why, like many of my compatriots, I fall head over heels for this beautiful country, both strange and familiar, satisfying a lust for African adventure but leavened by a comforting, nostalgic scent of home. And I worry how healthy that is.ZimbabweZimbabwe Cricket TeamRobert MugabeDavid Smithguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- Lt Gen Peter Walls obituary Commander of the white Rhodesians who resisted black ruleLieutenant General Peter Walls, who has died aged 83, may go down in history as one of the most successful of counter-insurgency commanders. Yet even he could not prevail in an unwinnable war against nationalists determined to overturn minority white rule and transform Rhodesia into Zimbabwe.Born in what was then the self-governing British colony of Southern Rhodesia, Walls went to Britain in his teens during the second world war and entered the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst at the very end of hostilities. He then joined the Black Watch regiment and saw service in Somalia before resigning and returning home.Walls was commissioned into the Northern Rhodesia Regiment, and in 1951, when he was just 24, he was promoted to captain and appointed second in command of a new unit of scouts raised for the British campaign against Chinese-backed communists in Malaya, an emergency that led to a unique defeat for the anti-colonialist forces.As the unit was largely made up of Rhodesians, the British decided that it should also be led by a Rhodesian, and Walls was promoted to major. The unit was renamed C (Rhodesia) Squadron, SAS. His two years in Malaya, for which he was made MBE (military) in 1953, was invaluable experience for his later role fighting guerrillas.The squadron was disbanded in 1953. Walls embarked on a series of staff appointments before being sent to the British army's staff college at Camberley, Surrey. In 1964, as a lieutenant colonel, he was given command of the 1st battalion, Rhodesian Light Infantry.A year later, white resistance to the idea of black rule hardened and Ian Smith, who had ousted Winston Field as prime minister of Rhodesia in April 1964, made his unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) at the 11th minute of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1965 – a bombastic parody of the 1918 armistice and the American declaration of independence. The British publicly threw away a major bargaining chip by declaring that there would be no armed intervention, not least because Harold Wilson's Labour government feared a revolt.Walls now knew that he would not have to fight British troops as a senior officer in the army of a pariah state unrecognised outside the white redoubt in southern Africa. He was committed to the UDI. Promoted to brigadier, he next served as commander, 2 brigade. From there he became chief of staff to the army commander as a major-general, and was appointed army commander in 1972.Walls and his men faced a divided enemy – Robert Mugabe's Zanla (Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army), mainly from the majority Shona tribe, and Joshua Nkomo's more effective Zipra (Zimbabwe People's Revolutionary Army) guerrillas, mainly Ndebele. Rhodesian troops staged raid after raid on guerrilla bases beyond Rhodesia's borders. In 1975 Mozambique and Angola gained independence from Portugal, and pressure mounted on South Africa, the sine qua non of Smith's survival. The white redoubt was crumbling.As the struggle came to a head in 1977, Walls was made commander of combined operations, controlling 45,000 men, not only in the army but also the air force and the police. Man for man, they were far superior in training, discipline and equipment to their foes, but their numbers were unsustainable, given a white minority totalling barely 200,000. More than 20,000 guerrillas were killed.Smith tried to create a power-sharing government, led by Bishop Abel Muzorewa, in "Zimbabwe-Rhodesia" in June 1979, but nobody recognised it. The new British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, called a constitutional conference in London at the end of the year. After 14 weeks a deal was done and a free election was held in March 1980, won by Mugabe.To general amazement, Walls stayed on to integrate the victorious guerrillas into a new Zimbabwean army. But Mugabe, fearing assassination, soon accused him of treachery. The following dialogue was recorded as early as 17 March 1980. Mugabe: "Why are your men trying to kill me?" Walls: "If they were my men you would be dead." In less than six months Walls retired to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.His wife, Eunice, three daughters and a son survive him.• Peter George Walls, soldier, born 1927; died 20 July 2010ZimbabweRobert MugabeANC (African National Congress)Dan van der Vatguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- 'Blood diamonds': Flawed regulator must end half-measures The Kimberley Process will only survive if governments and industry stand up for the principles on which it was builtThe Kimberley Process certification scheme is often credited with ending the trade in conflict diamonds. As the blood spilled in Zimbabwe's diamond fields shows, the truth is more complex.The KP set out to ensure that the kind of diamond-fuelled conflict and abuse exposed by Global Witness and others in countries such as Angola, Sierra Leone and Liberia could never happen again. The technical aspects of the scheme are implemented by governments, while NGOs and the diamond industry act as observers.Essentially an import-export control system for rough diamonds, the KP provides a strong economic incentive for countries to join, since members can only trade with each other. To participate, governments must pass national laws and agree to meet the KP's minimum standards to guarantee that their diamond exports are conflict-free.There have been successes: in some African countries the scheme has brought more transparency and increased official diamond revenues for governments. But recent crises have exposed shortfalls.In Zimbabwe the abuses are by a member government, as opposed to a rebel group. This highlights a fundamental flaw in the process: the KP's reliance on consensus among members has allowed regional allies to veto tough decisions on Zimbabwe, which remains a member despite the state-sponsored murder of hundreds of diamond diggers.The most recent agreement allows Zimbabwe a one-off limited export of diamonds from Marange. All further exports are conditional on Zimbabwe demilitarising diamond mining, cracking down on smuggling and ending human rights abuses in Marange.The KP's half-measures and compromises in the face of one of the most egregious cases of diamond-related violence in years have battered its credibility and brought it to the brink of collapse. This scheme will only survive if governments and the industry stand up for the principles on which the process was built. Without this, diamonds in countries like Zimbabwe will continue to generate suffering rather than prosperity, and the global diamond industry will remain blighted by the taint of blood diamonds.Annie Dunnebacke is a diamonds campaigner for Global WitnessGem DiamondsZimbabweguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- Counting the cost of Zimbabwe's 'blood diamonds' Gemstone finds in the country's wild east have brought spies and paranoia and turned Mutare into frontier townGamba has just bought big. This week he paid $22,000 (£14,300) for a single diamond. Judging by the big wad of folded US dollar bills in his pocket, it will not be his last.In three years Gamba estimates he has made more than $200,000 from black market diamond dealing, enough to buy his family a house and three cars. He is a crucial link in a chain said to connect Zimbabwe's "blood diamonds" with Mozambique, South Africa, Dubai, Belgium and, ultimately, Bond Street in London and Fifth Avenue in New York."I've lost count of how many diamonds I've bought - but it has made me rich," said the 34-year-old, previously an accountant for a car hire firm. "You can make $1,000 every week, but the diamonds are different quality. If you buy the right things, you score. If you buy the wrong things, you sink."Mutare, a nest of spies and paranoia in Zimbabwe's wild east, is the latest corner of Africa to discover the corrupting power of diamonds. The nearby Marange fields contain deposits claimed to be worth billions of dollars, potentially making the crisis-torn country one of the world's top diamond producers.Some glimpse the promise of economic salvation and the prospect that Zimbabwe could be transformed from sick of man of Africa into a new Botswana. So far, however, the gemstones have been more curse than blessing, seducing desperate and avaricious Zimbabweans and foreign mercenaries with horrific consequences. This has been described as the biggest test yet of the Kimberley process certification scheme, created a decade ago to stamp out the use of diamonds to fund conflicts.The trail from forced labour camp to high street store will be in the spotlight again next month when supermodel Naomi Campbell gives evidence in the trial of former Liberian president Charles Taylor. Taylor stands accused at The Hague of using blood diamonds to fuel an insurgency in Sierra Leone that cost tens of thousands of lives in the 1990s. Prosecutors say Campbell is a potentially crucial witness because Taylor allegedly presented her with a diamond gift after a 1997 dinner hosted by former South African president Nelson Mandela.A diamond rush got under way in Marange fields after their discovery in June 2006. With a hyperinflation-crippled economy offering few alternatives, about 35,000 people, including women and children, were mining and buying there by November 2008. The once-quiet Mutare took on the aspect of a frontier town and the social impact is still being reckoned today.Witnesses tell how children as young as 10 dropped out of school to hunt for gemstones and never went back. Teachers and other professionals quit their jobs to join the craze. Young men who got rich quick bought luxury cars they did not know how to drive, leading to numerous fatal accidents.Diggers and buyers poured in from South Africa, Botswana, DR Congo, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Lebanon, Pakistan, UAE, Belgium and India, according to a report last year by Human Rights Watch. Prices shot up, rents increased and hotels, the scene of most transactions, were always full.Prostitution, teenage pregnancies and shotgun marriages soared. Clashes between diamond kingpins resulted in deadly shootouts in suburban houses. Dozens of people died when poorly built mines collapsed and buried them alive.This free-for-all could not go on. The military launched a crackdown with all the ferocity that one has come to expect from Robert Mugabe's regime. Operation Hakudzokwi (No Return) began with helicopter gunships strafing the diamond panners, cutting them down with automatic rifles as they ran. More than 200 died and many more were beaten, tortured or raped.The military took over and the Marange fields, spanning about 265 sq miles, are now one of the most heavily guarded areas in Africa. A small percentage is mined by joint ventures backed by a state-owned company and South African and Chinese investors. The government claims to have already stockpiled 4.6m carats worth up to $1.7bn, though some believe this is greatly exaggerated.Estimates vary that anywhere between 300 and 3,000 illegal panners still risk their lives scouring the shallow earth mines, where many of the diamonds are of low quality and of industrial use only. Some now endure a new form of slavery working for military masters in illegal syndicates. Typically a group of 10 civilians will dig through the night and split the proceeds with one soldier. One diamond is known to have sold for $120,000.Gamba – not his real name – was beaten with sticks two years ago when he was caught in a protected area. He agreed to talk to the Guardian only at a clandestine meeting in a parked car under cover of darkness off a highway in the forested hills around Mutare. He explained how he still gains access to the diamond fields."There are four roadblocks," he said. "You pay $10 to the police there. At the final block you pay $50 to $100. Then you drive around; it's a big place and the diamonds are everywhere. They can put up a fence but people dig on the other side of the fence. Beatings and torture still happen but it's rare."Once he has bought a diamond, Gamba said he takes it to buyers in Mutare, or in the capital, Harare, or across the border to Manica in Mozambique. "If you buy for $22,000, then you get $36,000. Nobody really knows how much these diamonds are worth. Some of them go to South Africa, some to Dubai." Lebanon, India, Pakistan and Europe are also destinations.One of the most common smuggling routes is into Mozambique via a sleepy border post where baboons and bulls roam between freight trucks and rows of shacks. At a humble marketplace on the other side, people cram into ageing minibus taxis for the 12-mile journey to Manica.The dusty and impoverished town has few signs of diamond wealth, and the word is that its senior baron recently fled to Maputo to evade Zimbabwe's secret police.But inside a plain white villa with a cheap sofa, a Lebanese man with a trim beard, who gives his name as Ibrahim Ali, sits behind a desk with a cheap plastic lamp. "The police are no problem here," he says. "Bring me the stuff and I'll give you a price. I can pay 1,000, I can pay a million. It all depends on the stone."Asked what would happen to the diamonds, Ali said that he sends them to Belgium. Across the road, another dealer peered from a window but refused to emerge. His security guard said: "Bring us the diamonds and we can talk."Back in Mutare, there are few who will talk about diamonds, and even fewer who will give their name. "People are scared to talk at the moment," said one local activist. "The government has ensured that at every place you go there are state secret agents or someone connected to them. Even in schools there are teachers who are on the payroll."A recent scapegoat of government sensitivity was whistleblower Farai Maguwu , director of the Centre for Research and Development, and an outspoken critic of human rights abuses in the Marange fields.Last month plainclothes officers stormed his home. One family member was slapped across the face. Another's head was locked between the knees of an officer so he could be beaten on the back, as well as under his feet. The officers camped at the house for six days, holding one of Maguwu's family members hostage.In response Maguwu gave himself up and was charged with publishing falsehoods prejudicial to the economic interests of the state. He was detained for 39 days in Mutare and Harare. "It was very terrible sleeping in those cells," Maguwu, 36, said this week. "I think it was at the height of winter and there were no blankets."We were sleeping on the floor. I had a chest infection and a throat infection and flu and swollen tonsils which had to be removed by surgery. I spent eight or nine days without eating anything because it was very painful to swallow."He added: "In Mutare police station they would give you a bucket of water for the whole night. At Harare central police station it was the worst because the sewage system is dysfunctional. We were sleeping in the passage because the cells where people should be sleeping have been converted into toilets."Maguwu was eventually freed on bail but had his car taken away. He must now report to the police every day and is not allowed to travel more than 30 miles beyond Mutare. He faces a possible 20-year jail term if convicted.It is widely believed that Maguwu was targeted because of Zimbabwe's anxiety over international scrutiny. Last week, after long and intense debate, the Kimberley process gave it the go-ahead to hold a one-off sale with any future exports tied to progress on the ground.Calls for an end to the ban provide a rare common cause for Zimbabwe's governing parties, Mugabe's Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), though the unity may end there. The MDC's finance minister, Tendai Biti, has complained that at least $30m from illegal sales of diamonds remains unaccounted for.Suspicions remain that diamond profits are being channelled directly to the cash-strapped Zanu-PF, or at least to ensure that the underpaid army remains loyal to the party. "When the next election comes, it's going to be a bloodbath," said one observer. "And that bloodbath [will be] sponsored by the Marange diamond fields."There are fears that the Kimberley process approval could provide a veneer of respectability for illicit sales. But many believe this is more than a domestic issue, and that a global network of diamond interests should be held to account.Adele Farquhar, 46, who is fighting a legal battle over ownership of a diamond mine, said: "People think it's a Zimbabwe problem but they forget that there is huge international complicity. You can't stop the Zimbabweans until you stop the money men."The people in Zimbabwe are getting next to nothing for these diamonds. The guy with the pick and shovel is literally earning $5. The guy to go and find is the one making $1,000. Go and look at the money and see who else is benefiting. That's why there's no momentum to stop this thing."Yet again, it appears that Africa's vast mineral wealth is enriching everyone but Africans, who suffer in inverse proportion. Maguwu said: "To me it's very clear the diamonds have been a curse to this country. They have been associated with violence, they have been associated with corruption, they have been linked to the illegal international market of diamonds. I don't think the common man has benefited in any way."It's just a phenomenon where there's poor governance, resources lead to conflict. It's the same with Angola, DR Congo, Sierra Leone and Sudan. I believe people in the west don't really understand and appreciate the level of destruction that has been reached in order for them to receive that diamond."ZimbabweGem DiamondsMiningRobert MugabeDavid Smithguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- Zimbabwe aims to circumcise 80% of young men in drive aga... 'Conveyor belt' operations on 1.2m males could help avert 40% of infections, International Aids Conference is toldA big effort is under way to circumcise 80% of young men in Zimbabwe after a study four years ago found that the operation reduced the chance of contracting HIV by 60%.Yet the procedure is still not widely available across sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV prevalence is high, the International Aids Conference in Vienna was told today.In Zimbabwe, Population Services International (PSI) is working with the government to try to get mass circumcision underway, using a "conveyor belt" strategy that allows doctors and nurses to move rapidly from one patient to another, operating on 10 instead of three patients an hour. The goal is to circumcise at least 80% of all young men between 15 and 29 – a total of 1.2 million.HIV rates are high in Zimbabwe – at 13.7% of men under 49 – but only 10% of men are circumcised."Zimbabwe is the country where male circumcision would have the highest impact," said Dr Karin Hatzold, senior director of HIV services for PSI in Zimbabwe. "The number of male circumcisions needed to avert one new infection is only seven. It could avert 40% of all HIV infections."There were no real cultural, traditional or religious barriers to circumcision in Zimbabwe, she said. But there was a shortage of clinics, and qualified doctors.PSI told the conference that it had devised a rapid circumcision strategy which it calls Move (Models of Optimising Volumes and Efficiency), using pre-sterilised, pre-assembled kits. Instead of stitches, the wound is cauterised. A team of doctors and nurses operate on four patients at a time, each in a private, curtained but adjoining cubicle. One doctor gives the local anaesthetic to all four patients. By the time he reaches the fourth patient, the first is ready for the operation, using a fast, forceps-guided method."In the past, they were doing one to two patients per hour, which is eight per doctor per day," said Hatzold. "Now they can each do eight to 10 per hour, which is 40 per day."News that circumcision can prevent HIV infection has created high demand, with a waiting list of 700 in the capital, Harare, according to Hatzold.PSI received financial help from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the study demonstrating the efficiency of Move. But to reach 80% of young men, they will need to embark on an education and information campaign, she said."We are very likely to receive funds from USAid – the US government is becoming very supportive. That will help us to start a mass media campaign. If you talk about this in TV interviews, you see huge impact."There are concerns that some men will think they are safe from HIV infection once they are circumcised, which is far from the case – they have reduced their risk by 60% but not completely. Scientists will hope that risky sexual behaviour does not increase.Men who undergo circumcision will be warned that they are still at risk and advised to use condoms. And although circumcision protects men, there is no evidence it makes an HIV positive man less likely to infect a woman.Dr Krishma Jafa, PSI's HIV, TB and reproductive health global director, said she hoped the rapid circumcision model would prove useful in many other countries – there are 13 countries in southern and eastern Africa where under 10% of men are circumcised and HIV rates are high."We are in discussions in Zambia, demonstrating to them that it is a viable route to take," she said."It doesn't compromise dignity, it is respectful of the client, who is behind curtains, and it is useful where there are restricted funds and limited numbers of clinicians."So far, a total of about 150,000 men have been circumcised with a view to protection from HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, mostly in Kenya, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.Aids and HIVHIV infectionZimbabweSarah Boseleyguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- Some say Zimbabwe's diamonds are drenched in blood. They ... To NGOs, the gems represent the repression they campaign against. But these riches could transform my countryFour years ago thousands of Zimbabweans descended on the Marange fields in the grip of diamond fever. Marange, near the eastern border with Mozambique, was a field of dreams which did not need expensive or complicated mining equipment, you could simply pan your way to riches.Diamonds came to mean different things to different constituencies. There was a story – perhaps apocryphal – of a newly rich posse of young dealers who, having sold their diamonds, made their way to the nightclub Stars, normally beyond their reach, and upon entrance, waved stacks of trillion-dollar bills while calling out "Tapinda, tapinda!" – "We have arrived, we have arrived!" Diamonds became closely associated with the tapinda tapinda culture of dealers who, as the expression went, "burned" their money on flashy cars and other goods.To the government, diamonds have come to represent the fastest way out of a 10-year economic crisis. But the sale of Zimbabwe's diamonds has been blocked – until now. Last week, at the World Diamond Council in St Petersburg, Zimbabwe received approval from the Kimberley Process to export a limited amount of its stockpiled diamonds. The Kimberly Process is a voluntary body established in 2002 to certify that diamonds entering the market are "conflict free" – a status not without controversy in Zimbabwe, where mining has been linked with allegations of severe human rights abuses.Kimberly-approved exports are just what the country needs to jump-start its economy. And the necessity for the certification was one of the few issues that united the fractured unity government. Obert Mpofu, the minister of mines, a Zanu-PF appointee, and Tendai Biti, the minister of finance, a Movement for Democratic Change appointee, were particularly energetic in their campaign for this approval. But not all members of the government have the same aims for the diamonds: to some members of Zanu-PF, cut off now from access to the state coffers by Biti's reforms at the finance ministry, the diamonds represent an opportunity to loot again.And to the NGO and human rights community, Zimbabwe's diamonds are drenched in blood, and represent the repression against which they have long campaigned. These groups are particularly concerned about the military presence in the Marange diamond fields, which the government justifies as necessary to prevent illegal panning and diamond smuggling. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, the Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights, the Centre for Research and Development and other NGOs produced a number of damning reports alleging abuses ranging from extra-judicial killings to displacement, as well as raising environmental concerns.It is these competing interests that were behind the recent debates at Kimberly Process meetings. In its founding document "conflict diamonds" are described as "rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments".There is no question that the military has used unnecessary violence in many instances. Particularly disturbing are reports of the shooting of illegal miners, the formation of syndicates using forced labour – including children – and of beatings and torture. So human rights organisations are right to be concerned about Marange. But these kind of abuses, outrageous and unacceptable as they are, are not unique to Zimbabwe, but can be found wherever riches are discovered around the homes of the poor, such as oil in the Niger Delta or Equatorial Guinea.As with reports from NGOs of Sierra Leone-style amputations and Darfur-like rapes during Zimbabwe's election in 2008, human rights activists are in danger of overreaching themselves.It is simply wrong to argue that Zimbabwe's diamonds come within the Kimberly definition of conflict diamonds. The NGO Africa Partnership Canada spoils its most recent and otherwise excellent report by arguing that Zimbabwe's Joint Operations Command – made up of chiefs of police, prisons, armed forces and air force – constitutes a "rebel movement seeking to destabilise the government". This is a startling conclusion, given that the government supposedly to be destabilised is made up of ministers from the MDC who have been actively campaigning to have the diamonds certified.Human rights organisations have expressed dismay at Zimbabwe's certification, but they should be heartened by its willingness to be part of the Kimberly Process. The scheme is entirely voluntary, and under the approval Zimbabwe will continue to be monitored.The current monitor, Abbey Chikane, is a controversial figure whom many in the human rights community accuse of causing the arrest of an activist, Farayi Magawu, now facing criminal charges of "spreading falsehoods" detrimental to Zimbabwe. Chikane may be controversial, but he has made some important recommendations. In particular he recommended that military personnel in Marange be replaced with trained security officers. He also suggested a single export window, which would go some way towards tracing the gems leaving the country. And, perhaps in recognition of the controversy, the Kimberly Process has said it will appoint a panel to continue the evaluation of Zimbabwe, rather than a single monitor.Zimbabwe's participation in the scheme gives NGOs an opportunity to influence which would not be there had the country done as it threatened and simply sold its diamonds without Kimberly approval. The history of Zimbabwe's relationship with the Commonwealth is instructive. When Zimbabwe quit in 2003, it left the Commonwealth ineffectively mouthing speeches from the sidelines. The Kimberly Process has probably calculated that Zimbabwe was better in than out: "out" would mean no control at all, risking the potentially destabilising dumping of large quantities of diamonds on the world market, while "in" would mean that Kimberly could continue to send monitors there.If the wealth from the diamonds is channelled properly, it is just what Zimbabwe needs. The diamond fields that have been discovered are so vast that it is estimated the country could produce a quarter of the word's diamond needs in a matter of years.At the same time, it is precisely this wealth that makes the diamonds so worrisome. As Zimbabwe saw with land reform, ordinary people may eventually benefit from national resources, but only after the lion's share has gone to politicians. The crucial issue around Zimbabwe's diamond wealth is how to ensure it benefits the whole country and not just a few, because if managed well it has the potential to transform the country. There is only one thing that stops Zimbabwe achieving its potential: its politicians.ZimbabwePetina Gappahguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- Poachers kill last female rhino in South African park for... Record levels of poaching are endangering survival of rhinoceros in South AfricaSouth African wildlife experts are calling for urgent action against poachers after the last female rhinoceros in a popular game reserve near Johannesburg bled to death after having its horn hacked off.Wildlife officials say poaching for the prized horns has now reached an all-time high. "Last year, 129 rhinos were killed for their horns in South Africa. This year, we have already had 136 deaths," said Japie Mostert, chief game ranger at the 1,500-hectare Krugersdorp game reserve.The gang used tranquilliser guns and a helicopter to bring down the nine-year-old rhino cow. Her distraught calf was moved to a nearby estate where it was introduced to two other orphaned white rhinos.Wanda Mkutshulwa, a spokeswoman for South African National Parks, said investigations into the growing number of incidents had been shifted to the country's organised crime unit. "We are dealing with very focused criminals. Police need to help game reserves because they are not at all equipped to handle crime on such an organised level,'' she said.Rhino horn consists of compressed keratin fibre – similar to hair – and in many Asian cultures it is a fundamental ingredient in traditional medicines.Mkutshulwa said poaching was also rife in the Kruger Park. Five men were arrested there in the past week alone – four of whom were caught with two bloodied rhino horns, AK-47 assault rifles, bolt-action rifles and an axe.Krugersdorp game reserve attracts at least 200,000 visitors every year. It is also close to a private airport, which may have been used by the poachers."The exercise takes them very little time," Mostert said. "They first fly over the park in the late afternoon to locate where the rhino is grazing. Then they return at night and dart the animal from the air. The tranquilliser takes less than seven minutes to act."They saw off the horns with a chainsaw. They do not even need to switch off the rotors of the helicopter. We do not hear anything because our houses are too far away. The animal dies either from an overdose of tranquilliser or bleeds to death."The committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) warned last year that rhino poaching had reached an all-time high. The Cites conference in Geneva in July 2009 heard that Asia's economic expansion had fuelled the market in rhino horns. The horns are also used in the Middle East to make handles for ornamental daggers. Cites said demand for them had begun to soar in recent years. In the five years up to 2005, an average of only 36 rhinos had been killed each year.Conservationists estimate that there are only 18,000 black and white rhinos in Africa, down from 65,000 in the 1970s. Mostert, who has been a ranger for 20 years, said the animals fetch up to 1m rand (£85,000) at game auctions and cannot be insured.Cites has praised South Africa for its action against poachers. Two weeks ago, a Vietnamese man was jailed for 10 years for trying to smuggle horns out of the country.• This article was amended after publication on 18 July to correct errors that appeared in the paper edition of the ObserverEndangered speciesSouth AfricaConservationWildlifeZimbabweAlex Duval Smithguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- Welcome to the 16 July edition Africa's "untold story" is of a booming continent and a growing middle class; cash-strapped Liberia finds logging hard to resist; Timor-Leste looks to community-based healthcare; who says detective novels aren't literature?From basket case to burgeoning business leader – Africa's "untold story" is of a booming continent and a growing middle class. So says the chief economist of the African Development Bank, who spoke to David Smith, the Africa correspondent for the Guardian and the Observer newspapers.This issue of the Guardian Weekly looks at Africa on many different levels. Our generally upbeat front-page piece weaves Smith's story with reportage on waning education assistance by economics writer Larry Elliott. Inside the paper, Smith gives us more fine writing as catwalk confections at a fashion show in Johannesburg collide with the stark reality of squalor on the streets. Africa is developing its own version of the American dream. You can decide if that's a good thing.We look at logging in Liberia and blood diamonds in Zimbabwe. We assess a bombing in Uganda and analyse the Sudanese political situation. That extensive package of Africa news is rounded off on our sports page with the triumph of the World Cup final.But coverage of one continent just won't cut it. We report on a scandal engulfing French president Nicolas Sarkozy, consider the penalty of stoning in Iran and analyse elections in Japan.On the environment front, we meet David de Rothschild, who is sailing the Pacific on a raft made of plastic bottles, and update on BP's continuing efforts to cap the oil devastating the Gulf of Mexico.Detective novels feature on books, science looks at the chimps and our development page is penned from Timor-Leste, where community-based healthcare is taking root.One of my favourite stories is about the tribe of native Americans which has won its own little bit of the Hamptons in New York state. Playground of the Manhattan elite, it's also Shinnecock country. And that's now recognised by law. "They were happy as long as we were the good little Indians in the corner. Well, that's changed now," says tribal leader Lance Gumbs.Click here to read this week's digital editionSouth AfricaZimbabweLiberiaJapanTimor-LesteNew Yorkguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
- 'Don't forget us,' say Zimbabwean Christians | Brian Castle Courageous Anglicans are the victims of Zimbabwe's forgotten persecutionAs I left the Anglican church in a suburb of Harare, my Zimbabwean host said: "Don't forget us." Yet the persecution of Anglicans in the diocese of Harare, which is spreading, is being seen and remembered by few Christian communities across the world. My hosts do not worship in the fine building that was built by the Anglicans themselves – some told me that they even made the bricks with their own hands, freely and willingly giving their labour as a gift to God – but in a colourful marquee in a supporter's garden.The marquee is so packed that some have to worship outside; the joy, energy and silences in the worship are indicators of the depth of commitment to God and each other. But not far beneath the surface is the pain of being exiles, forced from the spiritual home, built to the glory of God, that is rightly theirs.Like all the congregations in the city and surrounding areas, they have been forced out of their place of worship by the police on the orders of Nolbert Kunonga, former bishop of Harare and avid supporter of Robert Mugabe. Kunonga was elected bishop in 2001, but his increasingly pro-Zanu-PF political stance alienated many Anglicans and he withdrew himself from the church in 2007, taking the church's assets with him, including cars, clergy houses and access to churches.There have been long and costly legal wrangles, but the courts are reluctant to rule that these assets, illegally held by Kunonga, do not belong to him. Some court rulings, such as a decision that churches be used at different times by different groups, are flagrantly ignored by the former bishop, who has the power to summon police to support his cause.A small number of priests followed Kunonga and have remained in their vicarages mustering only a handful of people into church on Sundays. Kunonga has described Mugabe as a prophet and, like Mugabe, wanted to cut off links with the west and change the Anglican church into a mouthpiece for Zanu-PF. He failed in this and was told by the Church of the Province of Central Africa that he was no longer a bishop, and has since taken every opportunity to identify the Anglican church with the Movement for Democratic Change. This has attracted the ire of Mugabe's Zanu-PF.In Harare, arrest, threats and beatings can be the rewards of Christian commitment. Congregations meet in a variety of locations. As well as in tents, worship may take place under trees, in street squares and in supporters' gardens. But nowhere is safe. One priest told me how his congregation of 1,000 was given permission by the authorities to meet close to the church building but, when they did so, 21 canisters of tear gas were fired into the gathering as they were worshipping, a group of women were detained for four days and he himself was arrested.At the recent Bernard Mizeki festival, an annual gathering in honour of Zimbabwe's first martyr, a heavily armed police force prevented the pilgrims from gaining access to the shrine, despite public assurances of safe passage from a government minister. The festival took place in a nearby showground, where the largest gathering in recent memory was witness to the fact that persecution and harassment strengthen the Christian faith.The Anglican church's persecution at the hand of the Zimbabwean government points to disarray within as well as the inexplicable influence of a disillusioned former cleric. What is also inexplicable is the way in which the plight of Zimbabwe's courageous Anglicans has been ignored by so many. "Don't forget us," said my Zimbabwean host.ReligionZimbabweAnglicanismChristianityBrian Castleguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
New Zimbabwe
- Travel Diary Day 4: Vic Falls roars back AFTER his travel diary following a visit to Zimbabwe in November 2009 [DAY 1; DAY 2; DAY 3; DAY 4; DAY 5], Scott Ramsay returned recently and travelled for four weeks in the western parts of the country, discovering deserted tourist attractions, plenty of welcoming locals and more than a few roadblocks. Want to find out what it’s like to travel in Zimbabwe at the moment? Can you have a good time in the country? Are visitors welcome? Is it safe? Is there fuel? Is there food? How bad is the poaching? In his new diaries, Ramsay hopes to answer those questions. This is Part 4 [Read PART 1; PART 2; PART 3] : FROM the Matopos, I drove north 450 kilometres, past the enormous Hwange National Park, to which I’d return later in my trip. My destination was the iconic Victoria Falls, traditionally one of the most visited spots on the continent. On the way, I was stopped six times at road blocks, twice at toll roads ($1 charge for a car), and went through one speed trap. Road blocks are easy enough if you have your car papers in order. The speed trap was different. I was doing 100 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. The fine was $20, but when I asked for a receipt, I was told I could pay $10 if I was happy to “forget about the receipt”. Driving into the town of Victoria Falls, a massive afternoon thunderstorm came crashing down. The thick teak forests on either side of the road were drenched with rain. Even in the wet weather, the spray from the falls was clearly visible from a few kilometres away. And the rumble of crashing water can be heard on a quiet day in town. And in recent years, there have been many a quiet day. Initially Vic Falls’s tourism industry weathered the effects of the political turmoil far better than in the rest of the country. However, continued political pressure took its toll, and last year’s worldwide economic slump made things tougher. Some hotel occupancies plunged to zero. Shops closed and thousands of locals lost their jobs (like elsewhere in Zimbabwe). But things are looking up. The recent co-operation between President Robert Mugabe and rivals Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, as well as the abandonment of the Zimbabwe dollar in favour of the US dollar, has now boosted tourism again – albeit off a low base. “Vic Falls” as everyone calls it, seems to be on its way back to its position as one of the most popular destinations in Africa.And it’s obvious why. The town offers a steady supply of severely distracting activities designed to help you forget about Zimbabwe’s major issues. Take the gorge swing, for instance. Plunging 70 metres vertically towards basalt rocks will – it’s assured - take your mind off anything. As will white water rafting through massive rapids the size of Mugabe’s ego – of which there are plenty in the half-day trip down the Zambezi River. And of course, the 100-metre bungi-jump off the spectacular Victoria Falls Bridge will eliminate the last remaining political concerns in your head. On our way back through town, a group of persistent locals tried to sell us their curios – and old Zimbabwean dollar notes (for a few dollars you can buy a complete set, including the 100 trillion dollar note). Others offered to work for us, for as little as $1 a day, some showing us their CVs as we walked. Up close ... The beguiling sight of the Victoria Falls Jumbo country ... Elephants swim across the Zambezi River downstream from the Vic Falls The recent pick-up in the tourism industry has not managed to absorb the large number of lay-offs of the past decade. Despite this, Zimbabweans are amongst the most welcoming and friendliest in the region. Nevertheless, the contrast between wallet-touting tourists and jobless residents can make for thought-provoking travels. While some locals will work for next to nothing, wealthy tourists can spend US$30 on tea at the ultra-luxurious Victoria Falls hotel. Served by innumerable waiters, immaculate in white uniforms, you can nibble your scones while gazing over the expansive lawns and watching the spray rise up from the falls below. It’s a beguiling experience, tempered somewhat by the knowledge that 90% of Zimbabweans are still unemployed. Nevertheless, the hotel sets a spectacular standard. The five-star hotel is famous, and rightly so. Service is world-class, the rooms could be found in any luxury European hotel and the immaculate grounds deserve a standing ovation. For an equally impressive, yet completely different experience, Victoria Falls Safari Lodge offers a superb wildlife setting, just a few kilometres from the main street of town. Guests eat their dinner on a raised deck, looking out over a waterhole commonly frequented by wildlife, and an endless horizon of woodland. While you’re munching on your salad, a variety of antelope and elephants graze on the trees below, and by the time you’re half way into your warthog steak, hyena can be seen prowling around looking for a warthog of their own. It’s an idyllic setting. You’d never think things in Zimbabwe could ever be tough. But things were indeed tough. Heath Dhana from Safari Lodge told me how their staff used to run – literally - to the shops on pay day: inflation of the now-defunct Zimbabwean dollar was so rapid that by the time staff had got to the shops, their salaries were almost worthless. So Heath started paying his team with special coupons, which could be redeemed for a variety of benefits. “2008 was really difficult,” said Shane. “But things improved a lot in 2009 with the introduction of the US dollar - and 2010 should be better still.” On the last morning before departing town, I visited the Falls themselves. Although I arrived early to miss the crowds, I needn’t have worried. For the first few hours of the day, I was the only visitor around. I stood dumbstruck, staring at the immense power of the crashing water: during peak flow in April and May, the falls are the largest falling body of water in the world, dumping about 9,000 tons of water - every second! - over the 100 metre high cliffs. I marvelled too at how I could be the only person in the whole world who was visiting one of the earth’s most astounding natural sights. Don’t miss Ramsay’s fifth instalment of his travel diary on Sunday
- Mugabe and the white African LAST Tuesday, I counted about 200 people that attended a special evening screening of an independently-produced documentary that deals with the emotive issues of land, race, wealth re-distribution and what it means to be African in Zimbabwe. This documentary, a riveting first-hand account of farm invasions told from a position of the dispossessed victim, in this case the white family, left most of the audience in tears when the lights were turned on after 90 minutes. ‘Mugabe and the White African’ traces the traumatic events that haunted a white commercial farming family in Chegutu since the listing of their farm for land acquisition appeared in local newspapers in 1997. It talks about the rise in the politics of terror as farm invasions increased over the years, the gripping court cases between the white family and the government of Zimbabwe as they fought to keep the farm they bought and developed for nearly two decades. The main message and question Mike Campbell, who bought the farm in 1979, puts is that just as there are black Africans, why can’t President Mugabe accept that there are also white Africans and white Zimbabweans that merely want to be treated equally like everyone else? The documentary depicts their trials and tribulations on and off the farm, the relationship of the white family to their workers and their farm. While a great number of white farmers were evicted starting in the late 1990s, the Campbells held on longer than most until they were finally forced to desert the farm last year. The film was recorded between 2007 and 2009 and the camera follows events from the farm in Chegutu, to the courts in Harare, then Cape Town, then to Windhoek and also Kent, England. It carries many of those famous clips of President Mugabe’s speeches and other declarations on Zimbabwe, on Britain, on land and historical imbalances. Before and after the screening of the film, the lean, bearded Ben Freeth, Campbells son-in-law and a key protagonist in the documentary, said the recordings were done under difficult circumstances. “The film makers faced the risk of being locked up all the time we were recording in Zimbabwe. This is the first account to come out of Zimbabwe in the last ten years. This is the real life we have been living,” Freeth said. Ben said Zimbabwe is characterised by control, intimidation and fear. He informed the audience that the violent land invasions depicted on their documentary was one of the main reasons why nearly a third of the country’s population of more than 12 million were currently living abroad. But the biggest point he raised, both in the film and in the discussion that followed the screening, is that despite the beatings and the eventual razing down of the farmhouse last year, he bore no ‘malice or grievance against the perpetrators of violence’ against him and his family and said the fortunes of Zimbabwe are reversible. I made my own short contribution. In that sea of more than 200 white faces there, I counted only four other blacks: a middle-aged mother and her teenage daughter; a young Zimbabwean couple sitting and talking behind my seat, and another gentleman who entered at the same time as I but who chose a seat right at the back of the auditorium while I sat in the third front row. I told them I am 30 years old, yes I am a Zimbabwean and yes I have lived all my life under the shadow of President Robert Mugabe. I told them that yes indeed a deep rooted culture of terror and intimidation by the ruling party has destroyed most of the gains that we grew up under, especially in the first 20 years of independence. I saluted Freeth for the guts to record such a traumatic experience, to loose everything but yet still come out reinforcing a message of forgiveness even when he now stays somewhere else in Harare, who I grew up most of my life. Above all I told them that yes, just like Freeth said, the fortunes of Zimbabwe are reversible when there is a return to respect for property rights. By reversible I do not refer to bringing back all the dispossessed 3,800 white commercial farmers back, but that the people of Zimbabwe have the singular ability to get back on their feet and move forward again, both black and white. What I did not have time to tell them is that the documentary is a precursor of things to come from everyone who has been affected by President Robert Mugabe’s policies. The black majority of Zimbabweans have suffered worse conditions in the last 10 years, both within and without the country. Within a period of ten years, Ben Freeth, a white commercial farmer has mutated from a productive commercial farmer, to a fighter for his farm, to a fighter in the courts in Harare, Cape Town, Windhoek, to a fighter in the media at this year’s Durban International Film Festival because in this specific case scenario his sense of being wronged and his justification for his case is stronger than all the fear of hell and terror he has gone through. Do you see the pattern? In the last ten years millions have lost their jobs in Zimbabwe, greater numbers disposed of their dignity, even more numbers living with scars in all the townships of Southern Africa. All these millions carry different traumatic scars, but just as harder as they have been pushed to the very periphery of life and patience, the faster have their roles and conditions transformed from victim to different levels of empowerment. ‘Mugabe and the White African’ is a documentary that shows how an injustice or wrong mutates and how the perpetration and perpetuation of terror on the human soul takes on different transformative forms and eventually reaches the cathartic stage where the initial act of dispossessing the victim culminates in a new empowered possessor. So I am saying if Ben Freeth has transformed from a farmer of food consumed locally and internationally in a period of just ten years to a farmer of minds taking his sense of injustice to a higher platform, then how much further can he and others go? Someone in Harare should be seriously worried about the clear implications this means for the wider black majority at different stages of this transformation! Givemore Nyanhi is a Zimbabwean journalist and blogger based in South Africa
- Bet scandal man defends Rushwaya AN ASIAN man fingered as the leader of a betting syndicate involved in alleged match fixing has pleaded his innocence and denied he had a corrupt relationship with suspended ZIFA CEO Henrietta Rushwaya. Rushwaya is alleged to have organised a trip by the Zimbabwe national team to Malaysia on December 28 last year during which matches are said to have been manipulated. Malawian sports consultant Felix Sapao has now come out to say Rushwaya also set up a meeting between him and Wilson Raj Perumal, who works for a Singapore sports agency, to help fix matches involving Malawi. In his first public statement, Perumal said: “Please note that I work for a sports organisation in Singapore. We organise international friendly matches and tournaments around the world. “We do not do match-fixing and allegations without substance must be discarded. I know Ms Rushwaya and she has never engaged herself in such negative activities.” Rushwaya has been suspended by ZIFA as a probe into the scandal intensifies. Probe chairman Ndumiso Gumede has spoken to players and coaching staff who were on the trip amid media claims that Rushwaya paid some of the players to facilitate the fraud. Sapao has added a new twist to the saga after writing to ZIFA and CAF alleging that Rushwaya and a Zimbabwean FIFA-licenced agent, Kudzi Shaba, tried to get his home country involved with the syndicates. Shaba denied the allegations, while Rushwaya said she could not comment. In an email to FIFA development officer for Southern Africa, Ashford Mamelodi, and CAF secretary general Mustapha Famy, Sapao claimed that Rushwaya tried to link him with Asian businessmen when Malawi hosted Guinea in a World Cup qualifier last year. Sapao is also the local agent for French television marketing company, SportFive. In the email, Sapao claimed Rushwaya called him advising that a friend of hers was coming to Malawi and that he should organise accommodation for him. “This person came and introduced himself as someone who organises matches in Asia, and has done so for Zimbabwe and Botswana,” wrote Sapao. The person in question is one Perumal, who represents a Singapore-based company called Events and Projects Executive. “I received a call from Henrieta’s friend,” wrote Sapao. “He then told me that he runs a betting syndicate and wanted to talk to four players from TP Mazembe, offering US$150,000 to each of the players and offering me US$300,000. “He informed me that he would be able to buy me cars as he had bought Henrietta (a jeep and a Mazda CR9) cars and Kudzi a car (E240 Mercedes).” Rushwaya says the cars indicated by Sapao in fact belong to the state transport procure, the Central Mechanical and Equipment Department, without explaining how she got them.
- Musona scoops top SA honour ZIMBABWE’S Knowledge Musona has scooped the South African Premier Soccer League’s rookie of the year award, taking home a cheque of R50,000 after his impressive maiden season in the 2009/2010 campaign with Kaizer Chiefs. The Zimbabwean international beat Bafana Bafana's future stars Andile Jali (Orlando Pirates), Siyanda Xulu, Matthew Pattison both of Mamelodi Sundowns, Sibusiso Vilakazi (Wits), Auguston Leonard of Moroka Swallows and SuperSport United pair of Thandani Tshumayelo and Thabo Mongala. The 20-year-old helped the Soweto giants to a third place finish in the league and victory in the Telkom Knockout final over Ajax Cape Town scoring a goal in the 2-1 victory to win his first major trophy in his first season in the Premiership. Musona scored five times in 21 appearances and is seen as the leading striker for the Amakhosi going into the new season which starts in August. In winning this award, the Chiefs young striker emulated his countryman and Mamelodi Sundowns captain Esrom Nyandoro, who won it in the 2004/2005 season. The Zimbabwean was modest in receiving recognition for his talents and Musona thanked his teammates and the club for the support throughout the season. "I want to thank my teammates and the club for this award. It's nothing much, I will just continue to play my normal football I will give it two more seasons with Chiefs and hopefully earn a move to Europe to play in some of the top leagues in the world," said Musona. "I'm happy with what I've given to a big club like Chiefs. I want to use them as a platform to climb the greatest stage of world football which is to help my country qualify for the World Cup one day." Musona had different striking partners last season, but this time he has former Free State Stars goal poacher Sthembiso Ngcobo. Musona heaped praise on his new striker partner. "I haven't played with him before because he is new to the team but we're hoping to adapt before the new season begins I believe that he is a good player. "He will also use his height to his advantage. I'm looking forward to playing alongside him in the coming season. I think he is going to add more depth to our striking department. "I think that we have to start from where we left off last season. We won the Telkom Knockout, so we're on our best form.”
- Mum jumps off building with baby on back A ZIMBABWEAN woman and her seven-month-old baby girl died on Friday when the woman jumped off a building with the baby strapped to her back, emergency services said. "The 24 year-old woman and her seven-month old baby died side by side. Her husband said they were having marriage problems," said Percy Morokane, emergency management services spokesman. He said the woman climbed to the top of the 10-storey building in central Johannesburg where she lived with her husband and child at about 8am and jumped. "The husband said they were having marriage problems, but were happy. He said he didn't think she would go this far. He is very traumatised," he said. The husband and wife came to South Africa from Zimbabwe two years ago. The woman was a student at Johannesburg University. Police are investigating the incident. - Sapa
- Zim still relies on imports: Gono ZIMBABWE still relies heavily on imported goods as local industry battles to recover from years of economic decline, central bank governor Gideon Gono said on Friday. "Generally, there was an increase in the level of foreign imports across all sectors of the economy," Gono said in his mid-year monetary policy statement. From January to the end of June this year, banks processed payments of US$950m for imports, up 46% from the same period last year. Most of the increase was due to imports of consumer goods, he added. "This indicates that the country is still reliant on imported goods as capacity utilisation has not reached levels that will result in import substitution." Zimbabwe's economy has shown signs of recovery since the formation of a power-sharing government last year by long-time rivals Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai. The compromise government was aimed at mending the economy ravaged by high inflation and easing political tensions in the wake of a bloody presidential run-off election. But most factories which pulled down their shutters at the height of the economic crisis remain either shut or operate way below their capacity. The bank urged government to "promote production by the local industry and avoid de-industrialisation through overreliance on imports of finished goods," Gono said. Finance Minister Tendai Biti said in a budget review two weeks ago that industry was operating at 37% of capacity, compared to 10% in January 2009. The potential of local industry has been hamstrung by lack of capital, old equipment, erratic power supplies and high import duties on raw materials.- Reuters
- Sabina Mugabe is 'national heroine' PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe's sister Sabina has been declared a national heroine following her death on Thursday, state radio reported at lunchtime. Zanu PF's politburo was “unanimous” in granting the honour, ZBC said, which means she will be buried at the National Heroes Acre where leading figures of the country's 1970's liberation war lie. No burial date was announced, although it is likely the former Zvimba MP who quit politics two years ago will be laid to rest at the weekend. Sabina, 76, was the third of the 86-year-old President’s surviving siblings along with younger sister Bridgette and half-sister Regina. Sabina, the mother of former ZIFA president Leo Mugabe and former MP Patrick Zhuwawo, was rushed to Harare’s Avenues Clinic last Friday after suffering the latest bout of an undisclosed ailment which she has been battling for months. President Mugabe was expected to address mourners – set to include Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his deputy Arthur Mutambara -- at her sister’s Eastlea home in Harare later Thursday. Sabina is thought to have been Mugabe’s closest sibling, and was the only one to have ventured successfully into politics after representing Zvimba in Parliament for many years.
- Zimbabwe's Andra cracks America PUBLICITY material in advance of her new album warned she was “set to blow big”. She has! Twenty two-year-old Zimbabwean Alexandra Govere, or just Andra, has just released her explosive 17-track debut album, Luv is 4 Suckaz (I’m a Sucka 4 Love). The album by the Stanford University-educated civil engineer, who was groomed by Kerry Brothers Jr, Alicia Keys' songwriting and production partner, is receiving rave reviews from American bloggers. “Love is 4 Suckaz doesn’t really sound like a debut, it sounds like something you’d expect from a more established artist with a few releases under their belt,” said one reviewer, testimony to Andra’s two years of grafting in the studio as well as her song writing ability. “The songs are well written, captivating and original,” said another critic. “The highlight, however, is the album’s sequencing, which is amazing. The mixtape progresses seamlessly from song to song telling a story. Love is 4 Suckaz is like a cross between Lily Allen’s ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’ and Kanye’s ‘808s and Heartbreak’ without the autotune.” Barely known in her homeland, Andra says on her website that she grew up in rural Bikita until the age of 14 when she got a scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to study in the United States. The president and co-founder of the Kijana Project which assists Aids orphans, she was the first black person to compete on Zimbabwe’s National Artistic Gymnastics Team. She was honoured as one of Teen People Magazine's '20 Teens Who Will Change the World,' and has been featured in other publications such as Elle Girl, Essence, Girl's Life and International Gymnast. The jocular Andra says on her Tweeter that she was “schooled in Zimbabwe, educated at Stanford University. Now I’m a poor musician who steals toilet paper from restaurants ... hence the large purse.” This is Andra talking about herself: I AM ... A lil' lady with huge aspirations. I grew up in a village in Bikita, Zimbabwe (where I was once a member of the national gymnastics team!), but at 14, a combination of hard work, luck, and an amazing scholarship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation landed me at Stanford University. Over the past few years designing bridges, testing cement, and watching the grass grow... er ... I mean studying Civil Engineering, I've come to realise that I'd much rather write songs for a living. Needless to say, my parents aren't too pleased. ;) I LOVE ... Art, fishing, interior design, and boys with guitars ... although I hear most of the hot ones have herpes. Kidding! I DREAM ... Being from Zimbabwe, I've lost countless friends and relatives to AIDS. There's nothing I dream of more than a cure for this deadly virus, or at least that we all learn (and care) to prevent it. Ladies! That means no one-night stands with hot guitarists! I've been the President of the Kijana Project -- a non-profit organidation that helps people who have been infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS -- for ten years now, and intend to do so for the rest of my life. It'd also be kind of cool to create a couple of award-winning records before I die; partially because I love music, and partially because I'm pretty sure my parents will be sceptical until then! ;) I BELIEVE ... That anything is possible, and that Taco Bell is better than any fancy restaurant in the world. You can follow Andra on Twitter, Facebook; MySpace or visit the official website for Luv is 4 Suckaz. LUV IS 4 SUCKAZ ALBUM: ANDRA <img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyODA*MDg4MTYwMDUmcHQ9MTI4MDQwODgzMDUxMiZwPTI3MDgxJmQ9Jmc9MiZvPTU1NzA3YzlmY2VmNjQ4ZjI5YmQ3/YTYwZTBhMTllMmY5Jm9mPTA=.gif" /> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://cache.reverbnation.com/widgets/swf/40/pro_widget.swf" height="524" width="550" align="top" bgcolor="#ffffff" loop="false" wmode="opaque" quality="best" allowScriptAccess="always" allowNetworking="all" allowFullScreen="true" seamlesstabbing="false" flashvars="id=artist_880139&posted_by=label_49681&skin_id=PWAS1003&background_color=EEEEEE&border_color=000000&gig_lt=1280408816005&gig_pt=1280408830512&gig_g=2"/><br/><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://www.reverbnation.com/widgets/trk/40/artist_880139/label_49681/t.gif"/><img height="1" width="1" border="0" src="http://a.triggit.com/px?u=reverbnation&rtv=880139wd,Pop" />
- Stroke killed my sister: Mugabe SABINA Mugabe suffered a stroke in 1995 and never fully recovered, her brother President Robert Mugabe said last night, hours after her death. Sabina, 80, died at the Avenues Clinic in Harare and was declared a national heroine by the Zanu PF politburo. She will be buried at the National Heroes’ Acre on Sunday. Mugabe told mourners at State House -- who included Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, his two deputies as wells judges from both the Supreme and High Courts -- that Sabina suffered brain damage after the stroke. Mugabe said: "Sabina suffered a stroke some time in 1995 and the stroke damaged part of her brain. "Doctors said one-third of her brain had been damaged. Physically she would appear well, but mentally she became somehow confused." He said he last saw her before leaving the country for the African Union Summit which was held in Uganda early this week. "I visited her on my way to Uganda. She could recognise me. I looked at her and she was very frail but at least she could recognise me," President Mugabe said. Doctors told the family she had abdominal pains which worsened Thursday morning leading to her death around 4AM on the same day. Meanwhile, Tsvangirai said the whole country was mourning the former Zvimba South legislator. The Prime Minister said: "We are very sorry. I remember when I was involved in an accident, she was also in the same hospital with me and this shows she has been unwell for a long time and now she has rested. "The whole country is in mourning." Sabina attended Kutama Day School completing her primary education in 1946. She finished her secondary education in 1975 and also studied in Canada and the United Kingdom. After her studies, Sabina lectured at Silveira House for 20 years. She started her political career as a member of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and joined the Zimbabwe African People’s Union when the NDP was banned in 1961 working as an organizing secretary in Zvimba District. She later joined Zanu PF and helped look after freedom fighters during the liberation struggle. Sabina was elected Member of Parliament in 1985 and represented Zvimba South constituency until she retired from active politics in 2008. She is survived by four sons, Leo, Kelvin, Patrick and Robert.
- Travel Diary Day 1: Trouble at the border AFTER his travel diary following a visit to Zimbabwe in November 2009 [DAY 1; DAY 2; DAY 3; DAY 4; DAY 5], Scott Ramsay returned recently and travelled for four weeks in the western parts of the country, discovering deserted tourist attractions, plenty of welcoming locals and more than a few roadblocks. Want to find out what it’s like to travel in Zimbabwe at the moment. Can you have a good time in the country? Are visitors welcome? Is it safe? Is there fuel? Is there food? How bad is the poaching? In his new diaries, Ramsay hopes to answer those questions. This is Part 1 “There’s a problem”, said Mr Chiworese, the immigration official at Zimbabwe’s border post at Plumtree. “You’re a photographer. What are you doing here?” I answered as honestly as I could: that I was travelling to Zimbabwe for several weeks, to write and photograph a series of travel articles. I showed him my letter of accreditation from the Minister of Information, something that all photojournalists require when visiting Zimbabwe. Without it, journalists risk being arrested. “There’s another problem,” he said again. “The letter isn’t stamped.” Indeed, the letter wasn’t stamped. I tried to explain that I had followed all the procedures as a visiting photojournalist. Officials at the government-run Zimbabwe Tourism knew of my visit, and they had informed the Ministry of Information, which had sent me the clearance letter. “It doesn’t matter – your letter must be stamped,” Chiworese firmly shot back. My passport was taken away to a back office, while I waited. The queue at the border post wasn’t long. A few returning locals and a South African couple were moving quickly through the passport-stamping process. To get to Zimbabwe, I had deliberately driven through Botswana to miss the severe delays at the Beitbridge border post. Instead of waiting for several hours (or several days, in some reported cases), you can move through Plumtree border post in a matter of minutes. Now I was regretting writing “Photojournalist” as my profession on the arrivals form. After twenty minutes, Chiworese returned with my passport. It was stamped, allowing me just two days in the country – enough time, according to him, to drive to Harare and present myself to the Minister of Information, have the accreditation letter stamped, and then return to Plumtree to have my passport stamped again for the full four weeks of my intended stay. Before I could explain that I wasn’t going to Harare, that my destination was in fact Bulawayo, Chiworese handed my passport back to me. “Welcome to Zimbabwe,” he said. Mr Mugabe’s gaze I arrived in Bulawayo, and called the helpful Lizzie Murandu from Zimbabwe Tourism. After telling her about my border hassles, she took me to Mr Kanjera, the principal immigration officer in Bulawayo. While Lizzie explained my presence in Zimbabwe, I caught the gaze of Robert Mugabe, whose large photo hung on the office wall behind Kanjera’s desk. As I was to discover, his bespectacled portrait hangs in the entrance of every government-run institution - and almost every lodge and hotel. Even though Morgan Tsvangirai of the opposition MDC is now officially “sharing power” with Mugabe, travellers are never in any doubt as to who runs the country. Kanjera stamped my passport for the full four weeks of my intended stay, but not before I made a verbal bungle. Trying to be friendly, I had greeted him in some basic Shona (“Makadini” – “How are you”). He looked non-plussed. Afterwards, Lizzie laughed. “He’s Ndebele. When you travel to Zimbabwe, it’s important to speak a bit of Ndebele, as well as Shona.” Don’t miss the second instalment of Ramsay’s Diary on Thursday
Telegraph.co.uk : Zimbabwe
- Mugabe loses political ally as younger sister Sabina dies
- Call for 80 per cent of men in Africa to be circumcised t...
- How wireless culture is helping Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwean mother kills son to sell ear to witch doctor
- Zimbabwe under fire over 'blood diamonds'
- White farmers in Zimbabwe struggle against increasing vio...
- Animals struggling to survive on Zimbabwe's Starvation Is...
- Zimbabwe condemned for 'Noah's Ark' export deal with Nort...
- Zimbabwe to give North Korea two baby elephants
- Tsvangirai aide cleared
BigNews Network : Zimbabwe
- 6 Bindura student leaders acquitted Friday, 30 July 2010 15:23 6 student activists have been acquitted following a ruling by the magistrate Mr Murove who alluded to the fact that the evidence presented by the state was not consistent an...
- Child Marriages; USAID In Afghanistan; Respiratory Diseas... hearing held by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on child marriage. The piece includes comments by representatives from the Department of State, UNICEF, CARE and the International Center for Res...
- Zimbabwe 'housing blitz victims still homeless' JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – The government of Zimbabwe has failed to build houses and provide jobs to victims of mass evictions five years ago that left thousands homeless and unemployed, a human right...
- Low breastfeeding rates threaten PMTCT efforts ) - Health and nutrition experts in Zimbabwe are worried that one of the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rates in the region could have a negative impact on the country's prevention of mother-to-child...
- Mugabe's sister dies, aged 80 ZIMBABWE President Robert Mugabe's sister and political ally Sabina Mugabe has died aged 80 after years of failing health, state media reported.
- Bulawayo Water Project Takes Off Dispersing feasting flies and angry residents from a manhole cover spewing sewage from people's homes and into the road: another day in the working life of Njabulo Siziba. It's a dirty, frustrating, t...
- Local Pros On Hold Harare — Local professional golfers will have to wait a little longer before they get game time as the Net-One Pro-Am tournament which was supposed to tee off tomorrow has been postponed indefin...
- Registar-General Scoffs At Birth Survey Harare — The Registrar-General's Department has dismissed statistics in the 2009 Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Monitoring Survey indicating a low rate of birth registration in the country. The Zi...
- No to Gun Abuse, Police Officers Told Harare — Police officers have been warned against using service firearms to settle personal scores. Addressing 149 Support and Protection Unit graduands at Shamva Battle Camp yesterday, chief-o...
- Blitz On Shebeens, Brothels Nets 11 Harare — Police here yesterday raided several houses used as shebeens and brothels and arrested 11 people. Most of the houses are in Dulibadzimu where illegal booking houses and brothels have s...
Yahoo News : Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe 'housing blitz victims still homeless' The government of Zimbabwe has failed to build houses and provide jobs to victims of mass evictions five years ago that left thousands homeless and unemployed, a human rights group said Friday.
- Zimbabwe president Mugabe's sister dies Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's sister and political ally Sabina Mugabe has died aged 80.
- Zimbabwe soccer chief suspected of match-fixing Zimbabwe's soccer federation says it has suspended its chief executive on allegations of match-fixing involving Asian betting syndicates during a tournament in Malaysia. The federation said it is investigating betting and bribery charges against Henrietta Rushwaya related to the national team's tour of Malaysia in December.
- Zimbabwe suspends chief executive on match-fixing charges Zimbabwe's football federation has suspended its chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya on suspicion of fixing the national team's matches during a tour of Asia last year, the federation said on Thursday.
- Zimbabwe still relies on imports: Gono ZIMBABWE still relies heavily on imported goods as local industry battles to recover from years of economic decline, central bank governor Gideon Gono said on Friday.
- Zimbabwe football chief suspended The Zimbabwe Football Association suspends chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya over match-fixing allegations.
- Zimbabwe soccer boss suspected of game-fixing HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's football federation says it has suspended its chief executive on allegations of match-fixing involving Asian betting syndicates during a soccer tournament in Malaysia.
- ZIMBABWE: Low breastfeeding rates threaten PMTCT efforts Source: IRIN Health and nutrition experts in Zimbabwe are worried that one of the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rates in the region could have a negative impact on the country's prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programme.
- Zimbabwe Government to Allow Private Investment in Energy... Zimbabwe's government announced Tuesday it will open up the country's energy sector to private investors as independent power producers or public-private partnership arrangements, according to the Global Times.
- Zimbabwe football chief suspected of match-fixing HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) Zimbabwe's football federation says it has suspended its chief executive on allegations of match-fixing involving Asian betting syndicates during a football tournament in Malaysia.
Nehanda Radio
- Zanu PF MP threatens to kill MDC activist The deputy minister of Public Service and Insiza North MP, Andrew Langa, led a group of Zanu PF supporters in threatening with death an MDC activist, Sitshengisiwe Ndlovu in Insiza district in Matabeleland South. Ndlovu had enquired from the Copac team if people would be safe after making their contributions during the public consultations. Langa, [...]
- Picture: Smoking Sikhala shows no respect for women This is the moment former St Mary’s Member of Parliament Job Sikhala was caught out smoking a cigarette while chatting to several elderly women kneeling in the dust. The controversial politician recently left the Mutambara MDC to form his own MDC-99 political party. Tell us what you think about this picture and put your comments.
- Why God gives wealth – Part VII God generously give us wealth, so that we can be generous and bless others. 2 Cor 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work write Ned Nedziwe.
- Sabina Mugabe declared a national heroine The Zanu-PF Politburo met at the party headquarters and conferred Sabina Mugabe with national heroine status. The party’s supreme decision-making body then went to State House, led by national chairman Simon Khaya Moyo, to convey the decision to the family. She will be buried on Sunday at the National Heroes’ Acre.
- Ivy Kombo ex-husband speaks out on marriage Reverend Edmore Moyo, the ex-husband of disgraced gospel singer Ivy Kombo, has spoken out for the first time about how his marriage was destroyed by Pastor Admire Kasi.
- Man claims he had orders to detonate bombs in Zimbabwe Cape Town police are formulating charges against a Kalk Bay man who allegedly entered e.tv's Long Street studios and threatened to blow up the building. The man, who told police he was a 40-year-old fisherman, approached the security desk at the TV studios just before 10am today, asking to see the news editor.
- Expiry of 5 year humanitarian visa in the UK? For those who were granted five year refugee leave in the UK in 2005, rather than indefinite leave to remain (ILR), have been advised that it will expire in August this year and immediate action needs to be taken.
- Robert Mugabe’s sister Sabina dies President Robert Mugabe’s sister, Sabina has died. Unwell for some time, Sabina succumbed to an undisclosed ailment in Harare Wednesday night. A top Zanu PF official and close family friend confirmed the former Zvimba member of parliament’s death.
- Interfin Bank buys disputed CFX shares Interfin are now liable to my claim due to their attempt to cover up the ownership dispute by rebranding and changing CFX Bank operations. This is clear money and transaction laundering being executed by Interfin Bank argues Gilbert Muponda.
- Political tolerance ‘dangerously’ low: Hove Exiled writer and poet Chenjerai Hove who left Zimbabwe almost a decade ago following threats on his life says political tolerance in the country is still ‘dangerously’ low making it hard for exiles to return.
Zimbabwe Metro
- Malajila, Marere,Zhokinyu and other players dropped from ... The coach however, said he would today finalise on replacements for the quartet of Cuthbert Malajila, Benjamin Marere, Guthrie Zhokinyu and Daniel Veremu who had been initially included in the squad.
- Gono threatens action on “Punitive” interest rates Zimbabwe's central bank said on Friday it would intervene to force banks to slash "punitive" lending rates of as high as 50 percent that are partly blamed for slowing economic recovery.
- No rule of law, despite the unity government A number of international legal organizations have warned that the current dire state of the legal and justice system in ‘impunity riddled Zimbabwe’ has continued to decline, despite the formation of the coalition government.
- Storm over Zim crisis splits SADC A political storm is gathering over the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) on whether Zimbabwe should be on the agenda of the regional bloc’s forthcoming summit in Windhoek, Namibia, next month.
- Zanu PF a terrorist group – Sikhala Outspoken MDC 99 leader, Job Sikhala says President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party is a terrorist organization which should be treated the same way with Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda
- Grace Mugabe fingered in diamonds looting First Lady Grace Mugabe has been fingered as one of the biggest beneficiaries from the diamonds from the controversial Chiadzwa fields after it emerged she is a shareholder in Mbada Diamonds.
- Cricket-Zimbabwe beat Netherlands A three-wicket haul by Timycen Maruma ensured Zimbabwe XI comfortably beat Netherlands on the final day of their ICC Intercontinental Cup match at Amstelveen in the Nether-lands yesterday. The victory came despite Nether-lands’ Pieter Seelaar resisting with 81
- ZMC Grants another 4 Licenses to Media Outlets. The Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) yesterday issued licences to four daily newspapers, including The Daily News that was banned by the Media and Information Commission (MIC) in 2003, turning a fresh page for the country’s media landscape, which had been suffocated by the shortage of alternative voices in the dailies section
- UPDATED: ZAPU Press Release: Remove Joshua Nkomo’s fr... We call on all the stake holders and authorities behind this unsound plan to seriously reconsider. We also call on all Zimbabweans who have respect and hold up to what Joshua Nkomo stood for to support any efforts that will result in the removal of Joshua Nkomo’s statue from Karigamombe Centre should it ever be erected there.
- Audit results ready The long-awaited public service audit report will be out next week, Public Service Minister Professor Eliphas Mukonoweshuro (pictured) has announced. Speaking in an interview in Masvingo at the weekend, Professor Mukonoweshuro admitted that there were a number of irregularities found by the experts who conducted the audit.
Great Zimbabwe News
- Biti in favour of Government mining Chiadzwa diamonds? Finance Minister Mr Tendai Biti is in favour of Government mining diamonds at Chiadzwa in order for the accrued benefits to support the generality of Zimbabweans.
- No survivors as Pakistan plane crash kills 152 There are no survivors in the airliner that crashed near the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, with all 152 people on board.
- NCA loses funding The honeymoon is over for the National Constitutional Assembly as traditional donors have stopped funding the organisation. Not quite what the organisation expectedand the timing could not have been any worse.
- New Zimsec board appointed Solusi University Vice Chancellor Professor Norman Maphosa is the chairman of the new Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Board with educationist Mrs Hilda Shindi as his deputy.
- Justice Mutezo dies Labour Court president Mr Wilbert Mutezo has died aged 50. Acting Secretary for Justice and Legal Affairs Maxwell Ranga Tuesday announced Mr Mutezo's death. He died on Monday.
- Passenger airline crashes in Pakistan A commercial Pakistani passenger plane with 152 people on board crashed in bad weather in hills near the capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people, officials said.
- Wife basher crushed to death in domestic violence chase A 30-year-old Mutare man was crushed to death by a truck as he chased his fleeing wife during a domestic dispute on Wednesday night.
- Zimbabwe inter-ministerial delegation in dialogue with EU The Inter-ministerial delegation to the Zimbabwe-European Union re-engagement dialogue yesterday had a frank meeting with the Vice President of the European Commission Lady Catharine Ashton.
- Chinamasa held-up again Justice and Legal Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa was on Thursday again held up in Germany while en route to Brussels, Belgium, for the Zimbabwe-European Union re-engagement dialogue, a development the negotiator said showed the bloc’s insincerity.
- Constitution should safeguard and consolidate gains of in... Zimbabwe is needs a constitutitution that seeks to safeguard and consolidate the gains of independence President Mugabe has said.
Global Post : Zimbabwe
- Opinion: Why Zimbabwe missed out on World Cup benefits No foreign tourists or investment spillover from South Africa to its northern neighbor.read more
- Opinion: US can help solve Zimbabwe problem Hillary Clinton should appoint a roving ambassador to concentrate on Zimbabwe.read more
- Mugabe plans to send "Noah's Ark" to North Korea Two by two, Zimbabwean wildlife are to be air freighted to Pyongyang. But experts protest.read more
- North Korea soccer team cancels Zimbabwe stay Mugabe government's plans to reap benefits from 2010 soccer World Cup are not materializing.read more
- Opinion: Mugabe retains grip on foreign affairs Visit of Iran's Ahmadinejad shows wide gap between Mugabe and Tsvangirai.read more
- Opinion: Mugabe bashes gays again Zimbabwe's leader returns to attacking gays, but few are listening.read more
- Zimbabwe's Anglican church divided over politics Mugabe's bishop is sacked but refuses to vacate Harare cathedral, polarizing congregation.read more
- Opinion: A photo Robert Mugabe does not want you to see Police seize pictures of human rights abuses instead of arresting the perpetrators of atrocities.read more
- Zimbabwe's indigenization law provokes controversy President Robert Mugabe's new law requires all businesses to majority black shareholders.read more
- Opinion: Harare spring fizzles out Promise of significant media reforms in Zimbabwe fails to materialize.read more
New York Times: Zimbabwe
- Trying to Spread Africa's Wealth Africa's riches still draw a cast of prospectors and predators, and the question is the same: who benefits - the people, or a coterie of political and military elites, fed by foreign powers and investors?
- Group Allows Limited Sales of Zimbabwe’s Diamonds Zimbabwe was allowed to export two batches of rough diamonds before Sept. 6 under the supervision of the Kimberley Process.
- Zimbabwe Diamonds Fail to Get Conflict-Free Approval As debate by the United Nations-backed Kimberley Process dragged on, the country warned that it might export its stones without the organization’s approval.
- Diamond Find Could Aid Zimbabwe, and Mugabe New mining has provoked fears that riches will be used to subvert attempts to bring democracy to Zimbabwe.
- Report on Zimbabwe Diamond Trade Angers Rights Groups A United Nations monitor recommended that Zimbabwe be allowed to export stones and that the army should continue to guard the diamond fields.
- 2 New Papers to Provide Competition in Zimbabwe If they are allowed to publish freely, the appearance of two daily newspapers to compete with the state-owned Herald will represent a sea change in efforts to bring greater democracy to Zimbabwe.
- Zimbabwe Past and Present in a Mix of Reality and Myth Nora Chipaumire and Thomas Mapfumo use Zimbabwe’s past to view the state of Africa, real and imagined.
- Zimbabwe Court Acquits Mugabe Opponent of Terrorism Charges A judge acquitted Roy Bennett — a leader of the party that opposed President Robert Mugabe but now governs with him — on charges of plotting to overthrow Mr. Mugabe.
- Zimbabwe’s Accidental Triumph Robert Mugabe’s race-baiting has actually brought whites and blacks together.
- Every (Wild) Dog Has Its Day A lesson in do-gooder marketing to save an endangered species in the African bush.
ZimbabweNews.net
- 6 Bindura student leaders acquitted Friday, 30 July 2010 15:23 6 student activists have been acquitted following a ruling by the magistrate Mr Murove who alluded to the fact that the evidence presented by the state was not consistent an...
- Child Marriages; USAID In Afghanistan; Respiratory Diseas... hearing held by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on child marriage. The piece includes comments by representatives from the Department of State, UNICEF, CARE and the International Center for Res...
- Zimbabwe 'housing blitz victims still homeless' JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – The government of Zimbabwe has failed to build houses and provide jobs to victims of mass evictions five years ago that left thousands homeless and unemployed, a human right...
- Low breastfeeding rates threaten PMTCT efforts ) - Health and nutrition experts in Zimbabwe are worried that one of the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rates in the region could have a negative impact on the country's prevention of mother-to-child...
- Mugabe's sister dies, aged 80 ZIMBABWE President Robert Mugabe's sister and political ally Sabina Mugabe has died aged 80 after years of failing health, state media reported.
- Bulawayo Water Project Takes Off Dispersing feasting flies and angry residents from a manhole cover spewing sewage from people's homes and into the road: another day in the working life of Njabulo Siziba. It's a dirty, frustrating, t...
- Local Pros On Hold Harare — Local professional golfers will have to wait a little longer before they get game time as the Net-One Pro-Am tournament which was supposed to tee off tomorrow has been postponed indefin...
- Registar-General Scoffs At Birth Survey Harare — The Registrar-General's Department has dismissed statistics in the 2009 Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Monitoring Survey indicating a low rate of birth registration in the country. The Zi...
- No to Gun Abuse, Police Officers Told Harare — Police officers have been warned against using service firearms to settle personal scores. Addressing 149 Support and Protection Unit graduands at Shamva Battle Camp yesterday, chief-o...
- Blitz On Shebeens, Brothels Nets 11 Harare — Police here yesterday raided several houses used as shebeens and brothels and arrested 11 people. Most of the houses are in Dulibadzimu where illegal booking houses and brothels have s...
The Zimbabwean
- Grace Mugabe fingered in diamonds looting HARARE - First Lady Grace Mugabe has been fingered as one of the biggest beneficiaries from the diamonds from the controversial Chiadzwa fields after it emerged she is a shareholder in Mbada Diamonds. (Pictured: “The First Lady is one of the shareholders in Mbada Diamonds,” said an official from the ministry of mines. )
- Zanu PF a terrorist group - Sikhala HARARE – Outspoken MDC 99 leader, Job Sikhala (pictured) says President Robert Mugabe’s Zanu PF party is a terrorist organization which should be treated the same way with Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda.
- 6 Bindura student leaders acquitted 6 student activists have been acquitted following a ruling by the magistrate Mr Murove who alluded to the fact that the evidence presented by the state was not consistent and coherent.
- COPAC Outreach Meetings : Day 31 Mashonaland West - Copac held a public consultation meeting yesterday, the 29th of July 2010 at Machamire Business Centre (ward 9) in Makonde district.
- Judiciary indebted to Mugabe: Report HARARE - Economic inducements and threats of physical harm have kept Zimbabwe's judiciary beholden to President Robert Mugabe with the new coalition government doing nothing to re-establish the integrity of the compromised bench, international lawyers' groups have said.
- MDC harassment continues as ZPF start ‘electioneering’ The harassment of MDC members is continuing across the country amid widespread fears that ZANU PF has started an early election campaign.
- ‘Operation Shut Your Mouth’ The violence and intimidation being perpetrated by ZANU-PF to sabotage the constitutional outreach programme has turned into a fully-fledged official campaign dubbed, Operation “Vhara Muromo”, which means “Shut Your Mouth”.
- MDC’s deputy organising secretary arrested The MDC deputy Organising Secretary, Senator Morgen Komichi was yesterday arrested at Lupane Police Station in Matabeleland North province on frivolous charges of communicating falsehoods. Senator Komichi had gone to Lupane after he had been told to report at Lupane Police station last week.
- All roads lead to Hwange on Saturday President Morgan Tsvangirai (pictured) will on Saturday lead a high-powered MDC leadership delegation dubbed “The MDC Real Change Team” for a rally in Hwange, Matebeleland North province where they are expected to address thousands of party supporters. The rally will be held at No. 1 Old Hwange Colliery grounds.
- Joshua Nkomo Statue at Karigamombe Defeats National Heali... The mischievous plan to erect a statue of late ZAPU founding leader Dr Joshua Nkomo (pictured) at Karigamombe Centre in Harare, a site that planned the Gukurahundi atrocities and renamed to humiliate him and ZAPU is extremely offensive and equal to a public crucifixion of Zimbabwe’s true national hero.
Daily News
- Cop shot in encounter with suspected poachers MASVINGO - A policeman was this week seriously injured following an exchange of gunfire between police officers and five Mozambicans in the Dumisa area of Chiredzi near the Gonarezhou National Park.
- Chinese firm granted mining rights at Chiadzwa MUTARE - The government has awarded rights to a Chinese company to mine diamonds at Chiadzwa in Marange under what observers say are very clandestine circumstances.
- Tomana appeals against Bennett acquittal HARARE – Attorney General Johannes Tomana has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court to challenge Monday’s acquittal of MDC treasurer general Roy Bennett by the High Court.
- Zimbabwe’s debt now at US$5,8 billion HARARE – Zimbabwe’s total debt including domestic and external arrears now stands at US$5, 8 billion, figures from the Reserve Bank revealed Wednesday.
- Brown resigns as Prime Minister LONDON - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown resigned Tuesday, paving the way for Conservative Party leader David Cameron to assume premiership.
- Senior ZIFA staff ordered to reapply for jobs By Our Sports Correspondent HARARE – The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) secretariat faces an uncertain future amid revelations that all employees, including chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya, have been asked to reapply for their jobs by the new ZIFA board. A source within ZIFA told The Daily News that there were issues of concern by the board, among [...]
- 100 RBZ buses attached over debt By Our Correspondent HARARE – One hundred buses belonging to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) have been attached to offset a US$1, 5 million debt for seeds supplied by a South African company in 2006. The attachment of the buses follows a ruling made in late March by Harare High Court judge Justice Lavender Makoni in [...]
- Nabanyama pleads for husband’s remains BULAWAYO – Patricia Nabanyama, wife of the MDC activist Patrick Nabanyama, who was abducted in 2000, has pleaded for information on her husband's remains.
- Letters expose Chombo’s complicity in deals HARARE - More evidence exposing how Local Government and Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo irregularly acquired land in Harare has emerged.
- Brown offers to step down as Labour leader LONDON – The British post-election political drama continued to unfold Monday with Prime Minister Gordon Brown offering to step down as Labour Party leader in order to facilitate a possible coalition of his party and the Liberal Democrats.
Reuters: Zimbabwe News
- Zimplats ore mined up 5 pct in Q2, revenue down JOHANNESBURG, July 30 (Reuters) - Impala Platinum's Zimbabwe unit Zimplats Holdings said on Friday its total ore mined in the second quarter increased by about 5 percent from the previous quarter while revenue dropped.
- Zimbabwe c.bank threatens action on interest rates HARARE, July 30 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's central bank said on Friday it would intervene to force banks to slash "punitive" lending rates of as high as 50 percent that are partly blamed for slowing economic recovery.
- Soccer-Zimbabwe suspends chief executive on match-fixing ... HARARE, July 29 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's football federation has suspended its chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya on suspicion of fixing the national team's matches during a tour of Asia last year, the federation said on Thursday.
- DIARY-Southern & South Africa to December 2010 This diary is updated daily. All times are provisional and in GMT; add two hours to get South African time.
- UN's FAO says Zimbabwe food security improving * Aid to small farmers helps yield 20% of national output
- Kenya's KenolKobil says eyeing Mozambique market NAIROBI, July 26 (Reuters) - Kenyan oil marketer KenolKobil will establish operations in Mozambique in line with its strategy of securing regional markets with major port facilities, the company said on Monday.
- UPDATE 2-Angloplat H1 profits up six-fold, sees output rise * Angloplat shares up 0.69 percent, in line with flat index
- Africa funds return to winning ways - EPFR JOHANNESBURG, July 26 (Reuters) - Emerging and frontier equity funds in Africa returned to positive territory last week, attracting net inflows of cash after previously breaking a 44-week winning streak, fund tracker EPFR Global said.
- DIARY-Southern & South Africa to December 2010 This diary is updated daily. All times are provisional and in GMT; add two hours to get South African time.
- INTERVIEW-SAfrica may lose more investors over land reforms JOHANNESBURG, July 21 (Reuters) - A key South African farmers' group on Wednesday warned of an exodus of foreign investors from the country's agriculture sector if policies including one limiting foreign land ownership are implemented.
Zimbabwe - Google News
- Mugabe mourns after sister Sabina dies in Zimbabwe - BBC ... Peace FM OnlineMugabe mourns after sister Sabina dies in ZimbabweBBC NewsOne is Leo Mugabe, former head of Zimbabwe's Football Association, the other Patrick Zhuwao, a senior Zanu-PF official. She died at a clinic in the capital, ...Zimbabwe president Mugabe's sister diesSydney Morning HeraldZimbabwean President Mugabe's Sister Dies, Accorded Liberation Heroine StatusVoice of AmericaBuilding a Jerusalem in Zimbabwe's green and pleasant landThe GuardianOne News Page -The Associated Press -The Zimbabweanall 359 news articles »
- Zimbabwe 'housing blitz victims still homeless' - AFP AFPZimbabwe 'housing blitz victims still homeless'AFPJOHANNESBURG — The government of Zimbabwe has failed to build houses and provide jobs to victims of mass evictions five years ago that left thousands ...22 000 political violence victims seek helpZimbabwe Independentall 5 news articles »
- Controversy Flares Over Site for Statue of Zimbabwe Liber... ZimDailyControversy Flares Over Site for Statue of Zimbabwe Liberation Figure NkomoVoice of AmericaThe family of the late Zimbabwean Vice President Joshua Nkomo and ZANU-PF are at loggerheads over a proposal to raise a statue of the national liberation ...Joshua Nkomo Statue at Karigamombe Defeats National Healing EffortsThe ZimbabweanPF-Zapu stalwarts ditch Joshua NkomoNewsDayShowdown over Nkomo's statueRadioVopPrimedia Broadcasting - Eyewitness News -Zim Diaspora -New Zimbabwe.comall 12 news articles »
- Zimbabwe: Fight Against HIV/Aids Continues - AllAfrica.com Zimbabwe: Fight Against HIV/Aids ContinuesAllAfrica.comHere in Zimbabwe, we continue to increase our contribution of ARV drugs, with an increase in fiscal year 2010 to 59 000, up from 40 000 the previous fiscal ...and more »
- Zimbabwe Court Delays Bennett Decision - Voice of America Zimbabwe Court Delays Bennett DecisionVoice of AmericaPhoto: AP Defense lawyers in Zimbabwe say the country's attorney general is persecuting Movement for Democratic Change Party treasurer Roy Bennett for ...Zimbabwe's Supreme Court weighs Bennett appeal, Bennett speaks outRFICourt helps ensure Bennett's swearing-in delayed 'indefinitely'The ZimbabweanZimbabwe: Court Helps Ensure Bennett's Swearing-in Delayed 'Indefinitely'AllAfrica.comNewsDay -RadioVopall 9 news articles »
- Zimbabwe Football Association suspends chief executive - ... Reuters UKZimbabwe Football Association suspends chief executiveBBC SportThe chief executive of the Zimbabwe Football Association has been suspended over match-fixing allegations. Henrietta Rushwaya is being investigated on ...Zimbabwe suspends chief executive on match-fixing chargesReuters AfricaBet scandal man defends RushwayaNew Zimbabwe.comZimbabwe suspend chief executive over allegations of match-fixingNationalNewsDay -ZimDaily -The Canadian Pressall 45 news articles »
- Trying to Spread Africa's Wealth - New York Times Trying to Spread Africa's WealthNew York TimesConsider, for instance, Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe — two lands in the news where, by flukes of geology and geography, rulers have secured what seem to ...
- Zimbabwe/Botswana: Warriors Date Zebras - AllAfrica.com Zimbabwe/Botswana: Warriors Date ZebrasAllAfrica.comHarare — Warriors caretaker coach Norman Mapeza will get a chance to kick-start Zimbabwe's preparations for the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifiers when ...and more »
- Zimbabwe: Blitz On Shebeens, Brothels Nets 11 - AllAfrica... Zimbabwe: Blitz On Shebeens, Brothels Nets 11AllAfrica.comHarare — Police here yesterday raided several houses used as shebeens and brothels and arrested 11 people. Most of the houses are in Dulibadzimu where ...
- Traction Elusive for Zimbabwe Civic Activists Lobbying Af... The GuardianTraction Elusive for Zimbabwe Civic Activists Lobbying African Summit in UgandaVoice of AmericaZimbabwean civil society groups are having some trouble gaining traction on their issues at the African Union summit in Kampala, Uganda, where they have ...Zim crisis not on African Union agendaThe ZimbabweanAfrica: AU - What Has Changed Since 1975?AllAfrica.comUS warns against attack on political freedomsDaily MonitorTehran Times -Workers World -PR-USA.net (press release)all 1,236 news articles »
The Herald
- Major power outage looms
- Inside Harare’s cat and mouse game
- Zanu-PF to decide on Father Zim statue
- FAO, EU review agriculture support
- 700 stands taken at Harare Agric Show
- Usikomitshi utshontsha amafutha emota
- Blitz on shebeens, brothels nets 11
- Accused skips bail, faces arrest
- Bashing wife’s suspected lover backfires
- No to gun abuse, police officers told
AllAfrica News: Zimbabwe
- 'Operation Shut Your Mouth' The violence and intimidation being perpetrated by ZANU-PF to sabotage the constitutional outreach programme has turned into a fully-fledged official campaign dubbed, Operation "Vhara Muromo", which means "Shut Your Mouth".
- Robert Mugabe's Sister Sabina Dies ZANU PF has announced that Sabina Mugabe has died after a long illness. She was 76.
- Bulawayo Water Project Takes Off Dispersing feasting flies and angry residents from a manhole cover spewing sewage from people's homes and into the road: another day in the working life of Njabulo Siziba. It's a dirty, frustrating, thankless job as a civil engineer for Bulawayo city council, but help is at hand for Siziba and the city he serves.
- Sabina Mugabe - Heroine From Zvimba The heroine of Zvimba, Cde Sabina Mugabe, sister to President Robert Mugabe, is no more.
- Low Breastfeeding Rates Threaten PMTCT Efforts Health and nutrition experts in Zimbabwe are worried that one of the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rates in the region could have a negative impact on the country's prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programme.
- Fight Against HIV/Aids Continues The following letter was written by U.S. Ambassador to the Zimbabwe Charles Ray.
- U-19s Beaten A technically superior Zimbabwe outfit ended Uganda's pursuit for a maiden Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) under-19 Africa Cup title in Abidjan, Ivory Coast yesterday.
- Local Pros On Hold Local professional golfers will have to wait a little longer before they get game time as the Net-One Pro-Am tournament which was supposed to tee off tomorrow has been postponed indefinitely.
- Gazza's Call to Arms Veteran Dynamos midfielder Desmond Maringwa has rallied the Harare giants to invoke the spirit of 2008 and turn on the style against Esperance in a Champions League clash against the Tunisians in Tunis tomorrow.
- Registar-General Scoffs At Birth Survey The Registrar-General's Department has dismissed statistics in the 2009 Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Monitoring Survey indicating a low rate of birth registration in the country.
Yahoo News: Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe 'housing blitz victims still homeless' The government of Zimbabwe has failed to build houses and provide jobs to victims of mass evictions five years ago that left thousands homeless and unemployed, a human rights group said Friday.
- Zimbabwe president Mugabe's sister dies Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's sister and political ally Sabina Mugabe has died aged 80.
- Zimbabwe soccer chief suspected of match-fixing Zimbabwe's soccer federation says it has suspended its chief executive on allegations of match-fixing involving Asian betting syndicates during a tournament in Malaysia. The federation said it is investigating betting and bribery charges against Henrietta Rushwaya related to the national team's tour of Malaysia in December.
- Zimbabwe suspends chief executive on match-fixing charges Zimbabwe's football federation has suspended its chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya on suspicion of fixing the national team's matches during a tour of Asia last year, the federation said on Thursday.
- Zimbabwe still relies on imports: Gono ZIMBABWE still relies heavily on imported goods as local industry battles to recover from years of economic decline, central bank governor Gideon Gono said on Friday.
- Zimbabwe football chief suspended The Zimbabwe Football Association suspends chief executive Henrietta Rushwaya over match-fixing allegations.
- Zimbabwe soccer boss suspected of game-fixing HARARE, Zimbabwe - Zimbabwe's football federation says it has suspended its chief executive on allegations of match-fixing involving Asian betting syndicates during a soccer tournament in Malaysia.
- ZIMBABWE: Low breastfeeding rates threaten PMTCT efforts Source: IRIN Health and nutrition experts in Zimbabwe are worried that one of the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rates in the region could have a negative impact on the country's prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) programme.
- Zimbabwe Government to Allow Private Investment in Energy... Zimbabwe's government announced Tuesday it will open up the country's energy sector to private investors as independent power producers or public-private partnership arrangements, according to the Global Times.
- Zimbabwe football chief suspected of match-fixing HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's football federation says it has suspended its chief executive on allegations of match-fixing involving Asian betting syndicates during a football tournament in Malaysia.
BBC News: Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe mine abuses 'continue' A rights group says it remains concerned about "abuses" at diamond mines in Zimbabwe after an auction was cancelled.
- Defiant Mugabe rallies Zanu-PF Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe urges his Zanu-PF party to be defiant, and prepare for future elections.
- Zimbabwe predicts economic upturn Zimbabwe's first budget since its unity government began sharing power 10 months ago predicts a healthy economic future.
- Zimbabwe's MDC calls off boycott Zimbabwean PM Morgan Tsvangirai ends his party's boycott of the unity government with President Robert Mugabe.
- Zimbabwe escapes diamond sale ban Zimbabwe escapes suspension from the world diamond trade scheme over allegations of soldiers killing miners.
- Anger at Zimbabwe UN envoy snub The UN's torture investigator expresses anger after he was denied entry to Zimbabwe, amid rising tensions there.
- 'Violent attacks' on Zimbabwe MDC Zimbabwe's MDC says there are increased "violent attacks" on its members, threatening hopes of saving the unity government.
- In pictures: Orphans' plight See and hear the plight of orphans in Zimbabwe
- Eyewitness: School of fear Rural teacher tells of continued militia threats
- 'Why I booed Morgan Tsvangirai' Refugee tells why he booed Morgan Tsvangirai
CNN.com : Zimbabwe
- New newspapers to launch in Zimbabwe Free speech activists in Zimbabwe are celebrating a breakthrough for press freedom with the unity government's decision to award licenses to four new daily newspapers.
- Mugabe urges peace as Zimbabwe turns 30 President Robert Mugabe denounced violence and urged Zimbabweans to focus on rebuilding the country in a speech that marked the nation's 30 years of independence from Britain.
- Nestle reopens Zimbabwe factory Nestle, one of the world's largest food companies, has reopened its factory in Zimbabwe after receiving assurances from the government that its business will not be interfered with again, an official with the Swiss-based company said Tuesday.
- 22 dead from measles in Zimbabwe Twenty-two people, mainly children below the age of 5, have died of measles in Zimbabwe, the country's state media reported.
- Nestle shuts Zimbabwe factory, citing intimidation Nestle, one of the world's largest food companies, has shut down a factory in Zimbabwe after a dispute with the government, it announced Wednesday.
- HIV+ soccer team scores against stigma Somebody told me about a group of HIV positive ladies in the Epworth Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) clinic in Zimbabwe who had formed a football team and every time they won a match, they would march through the clinic in their football jerseys singing uplifting songs in order to inspire other HIV-infected people like them.
- Zimbabwe schools begin fightback Zimbabwe's education system is beginning to battle back from years of neglect and an exodus of teachers.
- Mugabe denies blame for Zimbabwe woes Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, in a rare interview Thursday, depicted himself as an African hero battling imperialism and foreign attempts to oust him rather than the widespread perception of a dictator clinging to power at the expense of the welfare of his people and country.
- Zimbabwe: Long road to recovery Zimbabwe appears to be showing signs of recovery, but it is starting back from a very low base.
- U.N. official: Zimbabwe's woes 'pose signficant challenge' The "humanitarian situation remains serious" in Zimbabwe amid cholera, starvation and a continuing economic crisis, a United Nations official said Wednesday at a World Humanitarian Day ceremony in Harare.
ZWNEWS
- Zimbabwe's parties will have little to tell Zuma as Mugab...
- New charges for Roy Bennett
- Zimbabwe journalist interrogated over land scandal story
- Parliamentarians probing Zimbabwe diamond field abuses hi...
- Mugabe's premier struggles for slice of power
- House of Justice
- Indigenisation & Economic Empowerment Act
- The progressive erosion of the rule of law in independent...
- Electing to rape
- Share your ideas
About Us | Contact Us | Suggest A News Site | Disclaimer
Copyright © 2008 ZimReport.com.
Website by tinashe.net.
Now linking you to Zimbabwean blogs
Partner Sites: ZimReport.com | Zimbabwe News Watch |
magdaHigh.com | Nhowe High School
|Zimbabwe Website Directory | Zimbabwe| Blowide Blog
Sites & Blogs Linking to us: Zim Telegraph | ZimDaily.com | The Bearded Man | Africaabroad.com
Disclaimer : The links of this page are generated automatically by a computer program. Inclusion or linking of a website is not an endorsement of the content of the website or blog. If you would like to have your site added or removed please send an e-mail to admin@(NO-SPAM)zimreport.com.