EU encourages reforms and re-engagement in Zimbabwe

EU encourages reforms and re-engagement in Zimbabwe

The European Union’s Managing Director for Africa, Mr Koen Vervaeke, has encouraged Zimbabwe to continue on the path of reform and engagement in order to enhance not only relations between Brussels and Harare, but also the livelihoods of Zimbabweans. Speaking after an intense working visit in Zimbabwe’s capital over the weekend, Mr Vervaeke said: “Based…

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ZESN Preliminary Statement on the Cowdray Park Ward 28 local authority by-election

ZESN Preliminary Statement on the Cowdray Park Ward 28 local authority by-election

As part of its comprehensive efforts to observe the local authority by-election in Ward 28 of Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) deployed 37 polling station based observers and a ward collation centre observer. In addition, ZESN had two mobile teams assessing the political environment outside the polling stations. Observation Methodology The…

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PAP to lobby for ratification of legal instruments: AU Commissioner

PAP to lobby for ratification of legal instruments: AU Commissioner

The African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security has appealed to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Legislators to encourage member states to sign, ratify and domesticate the instruments presented by the African Union. Commissioner Smail Chergui addressed the Permanent Committees of the fifth Parliament of the Pan-African Parliament that took place in Midrand, South Africa. Putting emphasis on the…

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Zimbabwe has no sound leadership: Joseph Busha

Zimbabwe has no sound leadership: Joseph Busha

By Tendai Guvamombe Free Zim Congress political party leader Joseph Makamba Busha has said Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa’s government has failed dismally to act diligently and proffer solutions to myriad challenges due to leadership inadequacy. Addressing members of the media on 20 March 2019 in the Harare, Free Zim Congress leader took time to reflect on…

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Jacob Mutisi

ZICT Chairman Jacob Mutisi Urges The Govt to Stop Using Free Email Services Such As Gmail and Yahoo

The Zimbabwe Information and Communication Technology (ZICT), a division of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers, has been leading from the front in the growth of ICT and responsible internet use in Zimbabwe. Chairman of the Zimbabwe Information and Communication Technology, Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi reiterated that they have always supported the responsible use of Facebook,…

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CSOs set electoral reforms agenda ahead of 2023

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) held a post-2018 harmonised election conference on 7 and 8 March 2019 in Bulawayo. The overall objective of the Conference was to review the conduct of the 2018 harmonised elections focusing on the legislative and administrative framework, the political environment, role of observers, electoral reform process, and recommendations by…

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MDC Congress: Douglas Mwonzora told to consider law instead of presidency

Spiked Online Media correspondent, Henry Madiro, shares his views on the prospects of Hon. Douglas Mwonzora who is the leading contender to square up against incumbent MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa for the presidency of the party at the congress slated for May 2019. Below are our correspondent’s views: Douglas is an advocate who studied…

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2018 election coverage not fair, balanced: Media Monitors

By Talkmore Thulani Gandiwa Trends of media coverage were unfair to some political parties during the 2018 election period, a Media Monitors official has said. Addressing trainee journalists at Harare Polytechnic, Media Monitors Senior Researcher Prisiel Samu said a total number of 47 political parties were covered in the media during the electoral period. This…

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Analysis of the legality of searches by soldiers

By Veritas Introduction A document purporting to emanate from the Public Relations Directorate at Army Headquarters has been circulating on social media, warning the public that the ZNA (the Zimbabwe National Army) will be conducting “snap searches” in residential areas in order to find stolen army uniforms and similar clothing.  The document states that the…

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Biti challenges conviction and sentence over contravening Electoral Act

The Zimbabwe Layers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has reported that MDC-Alliance Vice-Chairperson Hon. Tendai Biti has filed an appeal in the High Court challenging his conviction and sentence for contravening some provisions of the Electoral Act. Hon. Biti filed the appeal against both conviction and sentence after Harare Magistrate Gloria Takundwa on Monday 18 February…

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Erhürman: “Anastasiades must clarify what he means on 26 February”

President Mustafa Akıncı and Prime Minister Tufan Erhürman of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) held a one-hour meeting yesterday within the framework of their regular weekly meeting. In his statement following the meeting, Erhürman pointed out that Anastasiades is expected to define his statements so far at the meeting on the 26th of…

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Tendai Biti convicted, fined for contravening Electoral Act

By Kumbirai Mafunda Harare Magistrate Gloria Takundwa on Monday 18 February 2019 sentenced human rights lawyer and MDC-Alliance Vice-Chairperson Hon. Tendai Biti to pay $200 fine after convicting him for contravening some provisions of the Electoral Act. Magistrate Takundwa convicted Hon. Biti after ruling that the State had managed to prove its case against the…

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Criminal nuisance and the right to protest

By Veritas Introduction Many people arrested in connection with last month’s disturbances have been charged with criminal nuisance;  many have signed admissions of guilt and have been released after paying deposit fines. What is criminal nuisance and how does it affect the right to demonstrate guaranteed by section 59 of the Constitution? Definition of Criminal Nuisance…

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Youth Dialogue Initiative: Calling For Another GNU

By Tendai Guvamombe Youth Leaders representing various political youth leagues, assemblies and civic societies entered into a marriage of convenience when they launched Youth Dialogue Forum (YoDiF), a move which is likely to inspire another Government of National Unity (GNU) in making. More than nine political parties had their youth representatives endorse the newly found…

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Silvanos Mudzvova’s Play “King of Mutapa” a political satire on African leadership

Manchester-based actor and human rights activist, Silvanos ‘Bhanditi’ Mudzvova’s latest play, King of Mutapa, is a satire about precolonial African kings and how they ruled their empires with iron swords and fists. The play does not have any specific location but is influenced by the writer’s country of origin, Zimbabwe.  It uses traditional attire, live…

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Taskforce will spearhead implementation of electoral and political reforms: ZESN

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has said the establishment of an inter-ministerial taskforce will address recommendations and issues raised by the various election observer missions and the Motlanthe Commission on the 1 August 2018 shootings. The network urged the government to set up an inclusive multi stakeholder taskforce comprising of a wide range of…

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Here’s Why These 5 African Countries Have So Far Shut Down The Internet in 2019

After it was confirmed that the Government of Zimbabwe ordered mobile network operators (MNOs) to shut down the internet and social media communication platforms, including WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook, which are widely used by Zimbabweans, the Zimbabwe’s High Court then ordered internet operators to restore service to people in the country after access had been shut…

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State atrocities during shutdown: Women demand justice

By Tendai Guvamombe Justice for Women Zimbabwe (JWZ), Female Prisoners Support Trust and Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence has expressed concern and anguish over he gross human rights violations by the Zimbabwe government and state security agents during the recent shutdown protests. JWZ Director Coezett Chirinda revealed this at a press conference held…

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Inclusive national dialogue solves political and socio-economic challenges: ZESN

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) is calling for an inclusive national dialogue as a panacea to the country’s challenges across the political, social and economic fronts. ZESN made the call as it registered concerns over the recent violent protests characterised by looting, vandalism of property and infrastructure as well as the heavy handed response…

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Military recuses self as Zanu (PF) blames MDC for violent protests

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the military have denied having played a hand in the violence and looting that took place during last week’s protests as Zanu (PF) lays blame on the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance. Addressing a joint press conference in Harare, the ZRP and Zimbabwe Defence Forces spokespersons shifted blame…

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Bar Emmerson Mnangagwa from Switzerland: Silvanos Mudzvova

Switzerland should bar President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his delegation from entering their country, actor and human rights activist Silvanos Mugova has said. The Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his delegation will be arriving in Switzerland for the World Economic Forum Summit in Davos, amid torture, abductions, brutality by state apparatus (military, police, Central Intelligence Organisation…

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UN concerned by human rights violations in Zimbabwe

The United Nations Human Rights Office of the Commissioner has said it is deeply troubled by the socio-economic crisis that is unfolding in Zimbabwe and the repression of large scale protests in the country, following the Government’s decision to increase fuel prices.   “We call on the Government to find ways of engaging with the…

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Protesters charged as ZLHR challenges Internet blockade

Several people have appeared in court in Zimbabwe after they were arrested by Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers following anti-government protests held in the troubled southern African country over the deteriorating political and economic crisis. In Bulawayo, the first batch of five people, who were arrested by ZRP officers and charged with public violence as…

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Spotlight on Zimbabwe’s stay-away and protests over deterioration of economy

Soldiers were deployed to residential suburbs across towns and cities as the stay away called for by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions starting Monday 14 January 2019 turned violent. According to Generation Consensus, its activists on the ground reported widespread violation of rights by soldiers and police. The reported violations included abductions and torture,…

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Jao

Angola: The grace period is over for João Lourenço

Angola’s economic troubles began in 2014 when global crude oil prices dipped and severely hampered the government’s ability to generate revenue João Lourenço has been president of Angola since 26 September 2017. About one year later, he cemented his hold on power by taking over the chairmanship of the ruling Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA)….

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NANGO calls for level heads as socio-economic situation deteriorates

By NANGO The National Association of Non Governmental Organisations (NANGO), the official umbrella body of NGOs operating in Zimbabwe, notes with great concern the degeneration of the current social and political situation in the country. NANGO takes note of the the issues that a cross section of Zimbabweans have been raising over a prolonged period…

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Busy week for ZLHR as disturbances rock country

Thanks to the intervention by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Monday 14 January 2019 set free a pro-democracy campaigner, who had endured two nights in police detention after he was arrested during the weekend for allegedly recording a video at Robert Mugabe International Airport. The 26 year-old Makomborero…

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Zim EFF calls on Government to declare a national Economic disaster to save the country.

By Innocent Ndibali (Zimbabwe Economic Freedom Fighters  (EFF) President) We as Zim EFF and on behalf of the majority of our people and together with the poor, downtrodden and disposed people of Zimbabwe today declare that we are real victims of Zanu PF’s mismanagement of our country which has resulted in the collapse of the…

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CHRDA condemns killing, public dragging of Anglophones in Cameroon

The Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (“CHRDA”) (https://CHRDA.org) is stunned by the trends of events in the Anglophone Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon and by the degeneration of events tending to affect neighboUring Francophone Region of the West Region. Because of these, CHRDA alerts the government of an impending hate crime,…

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Address corruption instead of consolidating political power: ZDI urges government

By Michael Mashiri The Government appears to be concentrating on strengthening its power and fighting political enemies than doing away with political corruption, Zimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI) official has said. At a press conference held in the Harare yesterday, Mr Bekezela Gumbo, the Zimbabwe Democracy Institute Principal Researcher said, from the research they had conducted,…

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