Econet Media sets the record straight Kwesé parent company Econet Media (Mauritius) says reports that it has lost a court case against the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) are malicious, misinformed and misplaced. Responding to reports in the Herald newspaper that the Supreme Court had ruled that “Econet Media (Mauritius) cannot distribute Kwese TV…
By Jacob Mafume (MDC Spokesperson) The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is shocked by the admission by the acting Prosecutor General Mr. Kumbirai Hodzi that he is captured by the Executive. Responding to a question on why he has not prosecuted 27 high profile cases in his locker, he clearly remarked that, “I get instructions…
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for human Rights (ZLHR) has reported that a local court has acquitted three villagers, who had been on trial for allegedly insulting a traditional leader, whom they had allegedly denounced for disapproving their support to an opposition political party. The three villagers namely Trymore Kutadzaushe, aged 34 years, Chipo Mushonga, aged 38…
Millions of African farmers still face legal restrictions on water access, dating back to colonial times, according to a study released this week. Researchers with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and Pegasys Institute reveal the obstacles that smallholders face, including potential legal penalties, due to laws that originated and led to “water grabbing” in…
By Byron Mutingwende The Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe (LEDRIZ) has produced a publication focusing on the importance of upholding socio-economic rights of the citizens. Dr. Prosper Chitambara, while introducing the publication titled “Socio-economic rights in Zimbabwe: A Situational Analysis 1980–2018 “ to journalists in Harare on 30 October 2018, said…
By Byron Mutingwende Southern African countries are meeting in Pretoria to share notes on the current migration management project in a bid to find solutions to the complexity of the issue affecting the regional economic community. In his address during the stakeholders meeting, Dr. Joni Musabayana, the Director of the Decent Work Team…
Zimbabwean authorities have stepped up their crackdown against perceived opponents of President Emmerson Mnangagwa after arresting and charging a Bulawayo man with undermining authority of or insulting the ZANU PF party leader. The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) reported that Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers on Friday 26 October 2018 arrested Wisdom Mkwananzi and…
Honourable Senator Chief Fortune Charumbira has been elected Vice President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) representing Southern Africa. “The road has been long. I won against Hon Professor Lungwangwa who is the former Minister of Higher Education in Zambia in October last year. In May this year, I won against Dr. Penyo Butale of Botswana….
Members of the Parliament of Zimbabwe delegation designated to the Pan – African Parliament were yesterday sworn in as Members of the 5th Parliament of the Pan – African Parliament at an official function to mark the opening of the 1st Ordinary Session of the 5th Pan African Parliament at the Kigali Convention Centre in…
BY Miriam Zvomuya In its assessment of Zimbabwe’s 2018 elections, the European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM) Deputy Chief Observer, Mr. Mark Stephens said most aspects of the plebiscite did not meet international standards. “As such, many aspects of the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe failed to meet international standards. We recommend that the Zimbabwe Electoral…
The Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) has condemned the recent human rights abuses by the police. The human rights violations were perpetrated in a bid to stop plans by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) to demonstrate against tax hikes, increases in the prices of basic goods and the economic meltdown. Police arrested and…
The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to the Republic of Zimbabwe presented yesterday its Final Report on the 30 July 2018 harmonised elections at a press conference in Harare. The report was presented on behalf of Chief Observer Elmar Brok, Member of the European Parliament, to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the government,…
By Byron Mutingwende An altercation in Harare Central Business District has turned fatal after a man suspected to be a member of the dreaded Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) pulled out a gun and fired a shot in the head of the person he was fighting with. The deceased is believed to be a person who…
By Michael Mashiri A woman has been dragged to court after beating his husbands’ mistress. Louis Mungami was taken to court last week after she was accused of beating his husbands’ mistress Elizabeth Mafuleka saying she had came to her house to disturb her peace. Mungami is alleged to have beaten Mafauleka in the 6th…
A Marlborough man has been dragged to court after he allegedly assaulted his naked girlfriend with an electric cable. Eliot Guzhuwo, was at the Harare Magistrate Court on Friday 5 October 2018 on accusations of assaulting his girlfriend Mitchell Matema with an electric cable whilst she was naked. Mitchell said she had come to Guzhuwo’s…
People from all walks of life hailed the High Court for ordering the compensation of human rights activist and pro-democracy campaigner Jestina Mukoko. “While many were beginning to doubt the independence of our Judiciary, there is still hope in the justice system after the High Court this week ordered the state to compensate two prominent…
There was joy as news filtered that the High Court had ordered the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister to pay more than $13 000 in damages to 64 year-old Gogo Lillian Chinyerere as compensation for the pain she suffered in 2016 after some ZRP officers assaulted her during an…
By Byron Mutingwende Deaf Women Included feels it is compelled to petition the government to domesticate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) that was ratified by the Government of Zimbabwe in 2013. In her address during a policy dialogue meeting on the domestication process of the Convention…
Harare High Court judges Hungwe J and Wamambo J on Tuesday 2 October 2018 set aside the conviction of Patson Dzamara and Makomborero Haruziviishe. Represented by Obey Shava a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the two activists had appealed against a decision of a Harare magistrate sitting at Harare Magistrates Courts on…
By Byron Mutingwende The Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) has awarded Ms Rachel Chibaya, the Founder and Senior Partner of R. Chibaya Law Chambers in Harare for her role in inspiring other women by providing first-class professional and comprehensive legal services to individuals and corporates. The Head of the R. Chibaya Law…
By Byron Mutingwende The thorny Gukurahundi issue will not be swept under the carpet until a resolution is found, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission (NPRC) has said. Retired Justice Selo Masole Nare, the NPRC Chairperson, made the remarks during a Panel Discussion on the Right to Peace – Universal Declaration of Human…
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZESN) has urged the 9th Parliament of Zimbabwe to work hard so as to implement electoral reforms which are a cornerstone for democracy. The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has noted with anticipation the notice by the Speaker of Parliament on the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament where, President…
The African Legal Awards recognise exceptional achievement from within Africa’s legal community The African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) was recognised as Best Legal Department of the Year (Large Teams) at the 2018 Annual African Legal Awards held in Johannesburg, South Africa on 8 August. The ALSF also received special mention for its efforts in assisting…
By Byron Mutingwende Member of the National Assembly for Norton, Temba Mliswa has come out clean and quashed allegations of having infected a young girl with HIV and a sexually transmitted infection after he went public in testing for his status. In a Tweet by a figure who identified self as Mai Tindo,…
By Dumisani O. Nkomo The elections have come and gone so has the Constitutional Court process of dealing with the disputed election outcome. What is imperative now is how the nation moves forward. The key players in this unfolding drama need to clearly map a way forward and avoid being stuck in a moment of…
The European Union (EU) Delegation, the EU Member States Embassies and the Embassy of Switzerland have said they are willing to work with the new government following today’s Constitutional Court (ConCourt decision) that ruled that Emmerson Mnangagwa is the duly elected President of Zimbabwe. Today, Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court dismissed the petition filed by opposition leader…
By Farai Chirimumimba Judges at Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court on Wednesday began hearing an opposition petition challenging the result of the July 30 presidential election. The nine judges have until tomorrow to rule in the case in which opposition leader Nelson Chamisa alleges vote rigging and fraud handed victory to incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The court…
The Citizens Manifesto, representing the citizens of Zimbabwe, who in the past 20 months, have been coming together as residents associations, labour, faith based organisations, women and gender rights groups, disabled persons rights activists, youths and students, environmentalists, social and economic justice activists, informal traders, civil society and other concerned and progressive individuals assembled together…
By ERC Information department The 2018 Zimbabwe Harmonised Election results have been plagued with gross inconsistencies and irregularities to the extent that they have shaken the core foundations pillaring the credibility of the electoral process. Credibility and verifiability are constitutionally at the core of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) function, and the Commission was obligated…
President Mnangagwa should put aside the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) led rigging scheme and act as a Statesman by accepting electoral defeat in order to allow the country to move forward, Nelson Chamisa has said. “This idea that African strongman never want to leave power after an election must stop. President Mnangagwa will join a…
By Byron Mutingwende Norton came to a standstill as musicians of the moment Jah Prayzah, Jah Signal and Mbeu entertained tens of thousands of people who invaded Koshen Grounds to celebrate the victory of Temba Mliswa as the Member of the National Assembly for the area. “The results of the National Assembly election for Norton…
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has reported that the police on Thursday 16 August 2018 charged Costa Machingauta, an opposition MDC Alliance party legislator for Budiriro constituency with public violence for allegedly participating in protests staged in Harare early this month over delays in announcing the results of harmonised elections to 31. Machingauta,…
Civil society organisations (CSOs) under the banner of the United Citizens Alliance (UCA), Zimbabwe Divine Destiny (ZDD), Prayer Network of Zimbabwe (PNZ) and War Veterans for Peace Initiative (WVPI) have insisted that judicial independence should be upheld in the pending Constitutional Court case in which MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa is challenging the results of…
By Veritas Remedies Open to Dissatisfied National Assembly and Local Council Candidates Challenges to National Assembly and local authority election results are matters for the Electoral Court alone. If an unsuccessful candidate believes that he or she should have won, or that the election in the constituency/ward was so flawed that it should be nullified and…
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has reported that authorities have arrested two MDC Alliance party members taking the number of people arrested for allegedly participating in protests staged in Harare early this month over delays in announcing the results of harmonised elections to 31. Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers arrested Last Vambe on…
By Byron Mutingwende Honourable Kenneth Musanhi, the Member of the National Assembly for Bindura North Constituency has paid tribute to the President and the electorate for his emphatic victory in the just ended 2018 harmonised elections. “I am humbled by the massive support that our revolutionary party ZANU (PF) got in the just…
Transparent and credible electoral processes should become the bedrock of the political system if real peace, legitimacy and sustainable development are to be realised, the National Association of Youth Organisations (NAYO) has said. Speaking at a press conference in Harare under the banner of the Leave No Youth Behind (LNYB), a local coalition of more…
By Veritas In the early hours of the morning on 3rd August, the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission [ZEC] declared Mr Mnangagwa to have been duly elected as President of Zimbabwe. The MDC Alliance has said the result will be challenged in court. This Election Watch outlines the time limits for bringing a challenge,…
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has secured the freedom of members of the opposition arrested over the political violence that broke out in Harare immediately after the 2018 harmonised elections. Courtesy of representation by lawyers from ZLHR, Harare Magistrate Nyasha Vhitorini on Tuesday 07 August 2018 set free 27 opposition party supporters who…
By Dumisani Ncube The recent developments in Zimbabwean Elections have once again demonstrated the important role that the peasantry plays in determining the country’s future. Zimbabwe has 63 Districts of which 58 are rural districts thus giving a percentage figure of 92 % .Given the statistics it is evident that the rural vote has…
The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has reported that authorities have intensified their crackdown on opposition political party supporters after arresting more people following protests staged in Harare after the announcement of results for the harmonised elections held last month. Over the weekend, Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers arrested three people namely Simbarashe Zvobgo,…
By Dumisani O. Nkomo The results of the 2018 Harmonised elections provide an insight into voting trends and patterns which are useful for understanding Voter Psychology and the factors that influence how and who the electorate vote for. There are useful lessons for the contestants as well as other players such as the electoral management…
By Amnesty International The Zimbabwean authorities must immediately stop arresting and harassing protesters and bystanders following post-election violence that has killed at least six people, Amnesty International said today. More than 60 people have been arbitrarily arrested in the past seven days in a government crackdown on supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change…
A transition briefing for Zimbabwe’s newly elected local councillors By Elmond Bandauko During the 2018 election period, there was limited attention on what the elections would mean for policy and governance at the local level. Local government remains a very significant level of government as it is deliberately created to bring government to the grass-roots…
As reported by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), 21 people who were arrested and charged with committing public violence who spent the weekend in prison will be back in court today (Monday 06 August 2018). The 21 people were arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers on Thursday 02 August 2018 and charged with…
