Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace have helped themselves to five or six of the most valuable of the hundreds of white farms his government has taken over.
Mugabe, his wife Grace and a number of other Zanu-PF insiders are subject to sanctions by the European Union (EU), the US and other Western countries.
Mrs Mugabe became a regular visitor
Grace has taken at least six farms from white farmers and established a state-of-the-art dairy that sells up to a million litres of milk a year to Nestle.
Nestle is not covered by American or EU sanctions rules, but it has spent years protecting its reputation amid other scandals, particularly allegations over the improper promotion of formula milk to nursing mothers in the Third World, which it denies but which have led to consumer boycotts in the West.
American and European officials say that if Nestle were subject to their rules, it would be committing a criminal offence by trading with Mugabe.
Boycott Nestle?Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace have helped themselves to five... more
Tsvangirai is now prime minister, members of his party are in parliament and cabinet. But many Zimbabweans are asking what benefits have emerged from the power-sharing government? Mugabe maintains an iron grip on the police, army and judiciary. MDC lawmakers and officials are routinely arrested on trumped up charges while institutional reforms, most notably freeing up the media, have been blocked.Tsvangirai is now prime minister, members of his party are in parliament and cabinet.... more
Every shortage in the country is ascribed by Mugabe’s followers to sanctions in a bid to duck responsibility for 30 years of misrule.Every shortage in the country is ascribed by Mugabe’s followers to sanctions in a... more
HARARE – The commander of the Zimbabwe National Army, Lieutenant-General Phillip Valerio Sibanda says “pirate radio stations” are waging “asymmetric warfare” against the Zimbabwe government.
The general said the campaign was being funded by hostile foreign governments whose official policy is to replace President Robert Mugabe and his government’s land reform and economic indigenization policies.
Sibanda said it was, therefore, imperative for army officers to be on guard and equip themselves with knowledge of different types of warfare that can be waged against a country by its enemies.
“Asymmetric warfare is a war that is not clearly defined, anyone can fight this war,” Sibanda told army officers attending a five day seminar on low intensity operations and asymmetric warfare at 2 Infantry Brigade Headquarters in Cranborne Barracks in Harare. “Currently Zimbabwe is involved in an asymmetric warfare because of western countries.”
Secretly filmed footage of prison conditions in Zimbabwe has been released depicting a horrific scene where prisoners sit in squalor, starving and dying from disease before they complete their sentences. Amid the country's economic collapse, the prison system has been left at the bottom of a long list of priorities for Zimbabwe's power sharing government An official from Morgan Tsvangirai's party compared the prisons to Nazi death camps.Secretly filmed footage of prison conditions in Zimbabwe has been released depicting a... more
The Zimbabwean newspaper has created a clever add using actual (completely worthless) Zimbabwean notes as the paper for their most recent advertising campaign. The tag line: "Thanks to Mugabe, this money is worthless."The Zimbabwean newspaper has created a clever add using actual (completely worthless)... more
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has called for foreign aid to revive his nation's shattered economy and urged Washington and Brussels to end "cruel" sanctions on his inner circle.
"I on behalf of the inclusive government and the people of Zimbabwe say, friends of Zimbabwe please come to our aid," Mugabe said at the launch of a new economic recovery plan prepared by the month-old unity government.
"To the European Union and the United States, I appeal for the removal of your sanctions which are inhumane, cruel and unwarranted."
Whilst I agree that we need to assist the people of Zimbabwe who are suffering I still think that it should be done by alienating Mugabe and his friends.Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has called for foreign aid to revive his nation's... more
Zimbabwe's prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, has said he thinks there was "no foul play" in the crash that killed his wife and left him in hospital.
Speaking to mourners outside of his home, Tsvangirai said:
"In such incidents there is always speculation but in this case I want to assure you that if there was any foul play it would probably be one in 1,000. It was an accident which unfortunately took a life. I am sure that life has to go on and I'm sure she (wife Susan) would have liked for life to go on."
The crash occured on Friday when a truck collided with Tsvangirai's vehicle on a pothole-ridden highway between Buhera and Harare. Many Zimbabweans are suspicious about the incident, which happened just a month after Tsvangirai joined a coalition government with Mugabe.Zimbabwe's prime minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, has said he thinks there was "no foul... more
La visita ad un paese africano non dovrebbe iniziare dal palazzo presidenziale o da un parco naturale dove sono conservati (per puri scopi lucrativi) alcuni rari mammiferi che i governi peraltro considerano inutili o nocivi. E’ più utile partire dalle prigioni; perché la principale istituzione di ogni governo del continente è la galera. Roy Bennett è un uomo che può dare di questa scomoda realtà una documentata testimonianza. Perché nello Zimbabwe di Mugabe, senescente, arteriosclerotico ma indomito e che ha conservato guizzi da serpe, la cella se l’è andata a cercare, ostinatamente e volontariamente.La visita ad un paese africano non dovrebbe iniziare dal palazzo presidenziale o da un... more
This satire story is saying that Mugabe is not really going to respect the deal that he has himself made. The brave MDC will suffer more violence in order to save the country:
"During a relentless seven hour ceremony Mr Tvangirai was administered the oath of office hanging upside down with electrodes attached to his testicles, while 21 year old Zanu PF 'war veterans' beat him with sticks and knotted rope.
Mr Tsvangirai and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party won the first round of last year's presidential election - but he withdrew from the run-off campaign, citing a sore back, knees, arms, head, face, fingers, shoulders, feet, eyeballs and groin."
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is to be sworn in as prime minister in a unity government with President Robert Mugabe.
But Mugabe is still there so how much power he will actually hold remains to be seen.Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is to be sworn in as prime minister in... more
Mentre l'Oms, l'Organizzazione mondiale della Sanità, chiede aiuto a mezzo mondo e si arrende davanti alla strage provocata dal colera (3400 morti, 69.593 contagiati), il vecchio combattente si prepara a festeggiare i suoi 85 anni con un menu fastoso. Secondo la lista ottenuta dal Times di Londra, tramite una mail spedita da un giornalista locale, il banchetto fissato fra due sabati prevede duemila bottiglie di champagne, 8 mila aragoste, 100 chili di gamberi, 4 mila porzioni di caviale, 8 mila scatole di cioccolatini.
La cena, naturalmente, è a pagamento. Per il suo successo, si legge nello stesso comunicato diffuso negli ambienti governativi, gli ospiti sono stati invitati a versare un contributo in denaro. Dai 45 ai 55 mila dollari, a seconda dei posti a tavola più o meno vicini al presidente, che dovranno essere versati sul conto bancario dell'organizzazione giovanile del partito al potere Zanu, chiamata "Movimento del 21 febbraio", data del compleanno di MugabeMentre l'Oms, l'Organizzazione mondiale della Sanità, chiede aiuto a mezzo mondo e si... more
Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has agreed to join a unity government led by the country's current president, party leader Morgan Tsvangirai has said.
The MDC decision to join the government should put into effect a long stalled power-sharing deal designed to rescue Zimbabwe from its deepening economic and humanitarian crisis.
Nelson Chamisa, a spokesman for the MDC, told Al Jazeera: "The party has decided to ensure we undertake our side of the bargain by participating in the inclusive government."
He cautioned that there were still some issues to be settled, but said: "We are ready to start the reconstruction, to start the democratisation and national healing."
On a separate note: "Mugabe is facing growing pressure to resign "[EPA]
Any comments?Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has agreed to join a unity... more
"The wife of Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean President, has flown home from Hong Kong after a holiday in one of the city’s most opulent hotels and what witnesses allege was a “frenzied” attack on a British photographer."
From 'The Times'
Not to let her husband be outdone, Mrs. Mugabe is doing her part to improve the image of the Zimbabwean government in the world. I am sure that the ordinary citizen of that country is outraged that the international press would dare to take pictures or ask questions of Mrs. Mugabe."The wife of Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean President, has flown home from Hong Kong... more
"As Monetary Authorities, we have been humbled and have taken heart in the realization that some leading Central Banks, including those in the USA and the UK, are now not just talking of, but also actually implementing flexible and pragmatic central bank support programmes where these are deemed necessary in their National interests."
Based on some of the things that Mugabe has said in the past few weeks, I can see why someone might think this way.
"Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is "a mad dictator" who has lost all sense of reality, a United Nations human rights expert said on Monday.
The only way Mugabe can be removed from power is for Europe to convince his "great protector South Africa" to withdraw all support for him, Jean Ziegler, an adviser to the U.N.'s Human Rights Council, told Swiss Radio."Based on some of the things that Mugabe has said in the past few weeks, I can see why... more
Zimbabwe's power-sharing deal between President Robert Mugabe and the opposition has been made "impossible" by Mugabe, who must now step down, Britain's Africa minister said Monday.
Lord Mark Malloch Brown was asked whether the deal was effectively dead after the top US envoy for Africa Jendayi Frazer said she had lost confidence in the deal being a success with Mugabe in power.
He said he feared it was and added: "Power-sharing isn't dead but Mugabe has become an absolute impossible obstacle to achieving it.
"He's so distrusted by all sides that I think the Americans are absolutely right, he's going to have to step aside"
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What if Mugabe refuses to step down?Zimbabwe's power-sharing deal between President Robert Mugabe and the opposition has... more
Zimbabwean children picked up corn that had spilled from a truck on a recent Sunday along a road south of the capital, Harare.
NZVERE, Zimbabwe — Along a road in Matabeleland, barefoot children stuff their pockets with corn kernels that have blown off a truck as if the brownish bits, good only for animal feed in normal times, were gold coins.
:(Zimbabwean children picked up corn that had spilled from a truck on a recent Sunday... more
"Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic continues to spread and has now claimed 1,111 lives among 20,581 cases since August.
Latest UN figures include a new outbreak of hundreds of cases in Chegutu, near the capital Harare, which has been worst hit by the disease."Can Mugabe deny cholera now?
"Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic continues to spread and... more
