Security Fears Over Mugabe's Children

President Robert Mugabe's two sons have reportedly relocated to South Africa from Dubai and Zimbabwe respectively amid fears their personal security might be "compromised" in the neighboring country.

                                        The Mugabes.

Zimbabwe: Why Should I Die If the Lord Hasn't Called Me? - Mugabe

President Robert Mugabe has claimed some of his once-trusted lieutenants wanted him to die so that they could take over.

I'm Already President, Says Zimbabwe's First Lady

Grace Mugabe has reportedly claimed that she is already the president, as she "plans and does everything with President Robert Mugabe".

President Robert Mugabe looks on as First Lady Grace Mugabe talks to Army Chief Constantine Chiwenga (file photo).

Afrophobia in Zambia

Foreign nationals, among them Zimbabweans, were forced to seek refuge at police stations in parts of the Zambian capital Lusaka following what was seen as an outbreak of afrophobic attacks on foreigners.

The attacks were sparked by reports that foreigners had been arrested in connection with alleged ritual killings.

Zimbabwean nationals resident in Lusaka sent distress calls to relatives back home saying they had sought refuge at various police posts in western parts of Lusaka.

Efforts to get a comment from the Zimbabwe Embassy in Zambia to establish the extent to which Zimbabwean nationals were affected were fruitless last night.

Zimbabwe: Infant Trampled By Jumbo

By Thupeyo Muleya

Beitbridge — A six year old boy from Chituripasi area in Beitbridge was today attacked and killed by an elephant while his sister watched helplessly.

The incident occurred around 11am some 200 metres from the business centre.

Acting chief executive officer for Beitbridge Rural District council, Mr Peter Ncube said they had since sent a local safari (Three Way Safaris) to hunt for the jumbo.

"We have notified the police and the local safari operator. The elephant is reported to be still in the area," he said.

"Indications are that the now deceased was coming from pre-school in the company of an elder sister and another minor when they came across the jumbo".

Mr Ncube said the sister fled to the other side of the road while the now deceased tried to flee to the nearest homestead.

The boy was then attacked and killed by the elephant which, after the act, stood guard for a while before disappearing towards the Limpopo River.

Chituripasi Ward (1) councillor, Mr Enock Ndou said the elephant had earlier on been spotted by villagers near the local business centre though it didn't look agitated.

He said the villagers were now living in fear and wanted the local safari operator to take action.

Police spokesperson for Matabeleland South Assistant Inspector Nkosinathi Sibanda could not be reached for comment.

Elephants have become a perennial menace in areas along the border where they trample on people or destroy irrigation schemes and crops.

Mugabe to Rule Until He Is 100, We Will Design Special Wheelchair for Him - Grace

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe will rule Zimbabwe until he is 100 years old and, if need be, a special wheelchair will be designed for the veteran leader who now struggles to walk and has battled with swollen ankles for years.

Mugabe has been in power since independence in 1980. He turns 92 next February and his Zanu PF party has already nominated him as its presidential candidate for the 2018 elections when he will be 94.

Namibia: Elephant Kills Woman At Her Homestead

Ngone villagers were left shocked and speechless after an elephant charged a homestead, killing a 57-year-old woman and injuring a three-year-old boy.

The incident occurred on Friday night at Ngone along the Kavango River, some 20 kilometres outside Rundu in the Kavango East Region. According to sources who were near the scene of the attack the lone elephant charged at the homestead after a pack of dogs barked at it.

The 57-year-old woman, who was identified as Tjangano Tjivi, and her daughter and grandchildren were sleeping outside when the elephant attacked them at night at around 23h00, according to Anna Maliti, the deceased's daughter.

"We were sleeping outside when the elephant came. We ran to safety and my mom went in that direction and I ran to my cousins' place. Later we came back with other family members and were looking for her, but we found her dead near her homestead in the early morning hours," Maliti said.

The old woman died after the elephant gored her body through to the back with its tusks, breaking several bones in the process and killing her on the spot. Except for the deceased's grandson, three-year-old Kandjimi Muhoka, the rest of the family escaped unharmed.

One of the neighbours said: "When the dogs started barking the elephant ran into the homestead where the dogs were. The dogs ran away and we all woke up and ran in different directions, as it broke down the hut where my grandmother was sleeping, but luckily she escaped unhurt."

Ngone village headman Gervasius Shampapi expressed dissatisfaction over what he referred to as "ignorant nature conservation staff at the ministry of environment and tourism". He said environment and tourism officials are never available to assist his people, as well as other nearby villages when wild animals terrorise them.

"Up until now they did not even show up, despite several of our efforts to inform them," he said. "Why do they protect animals more than humans?" asked the distressed headman.

"If one kills an animal through an act of self defence that person will be jailed. Now who is going to vote? Is it the animals that the government is protecting or the people that they are neglecting?" asked headman Shampapi.

"We want the ministry responsible to look into this. We need to be protected. They must drive their elephants and others to the parks. Nobody deserves to die like this. We are no longer safe," he opined.

The headman said his community wants the ministry of environment and tourism to track and destroy the rogue elephant before it kills again.

Zimbabwe: Ex-Bodyguard - Mugabe Worse Than Ian Smith

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was worse than colonial ruler Ian Smith, one of Mugabe's former bodyguards said on Monday.

"He is now worse than the Smith regime and he is against his people," South African-born Chinoto Zulu said in Harare.

He was speaking at an event commemorating the United Nations (UN) International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. Zulu is a former army chief and worked as Mugabe's personal bodyguard for several years after independence before retiring.

He blamed the government for the disappearance of human rights activist Itai Dzamara.

"We know very well the State is behind Dzamara disappearance. This is an evil regime, as I speak, I also have been put under surveillance by Mugabe spy agents. They have also grabbed all my property I acquired during my time in government," said Zulu, who is also veteran of Zimbabwe's liberation struggle.

Dumped for birth by caesarian

A MARONDERA woman last week left a court stunned when she said her husband of four years had dumped her for giving birth through caesarian procedure.

Lillian July made the disclosure after she took her former husband, Cosmas Mapasi, to the civil court demanding $120 monthly maintenance for the couple’s two children and herself.

“Mapasi chased me away from my matrimonial home saying that he wanted many children, therefore he could not stay with me since l deliver children through operation (caesarian procedure) which meant I would not have as many children as he would have wanted,” July said.

In response, Mapasi said although his wife had moved away from their home he still regarded her as his spouse and hence could not pay the maintenance she was demanding.

However, July told the court that she was no longer prepared to reconcile with Mapasi accusing him of being abusive.

Presiding magistrate Josephine Sande ordered Mapasi to pay $60 for the children and another $60 towards July’s monthly maintenance until their marriage has been officially terminated.

Zimbabwe student challenge Grace Mugabe's Phd

A Zimbabwe student union Zinasu was due to take Grace Mugabe to court on Wednesday.

This involves a PhD which the first lady was awarded by the University of Zimbabwe.

Critics are asking why Grace Mugabe's thesis does not appear online.

The country's vice president Joice Mujuru  graduated with a PhD at the same time.

Her thesis already appears on the University of Zimbabwe website.

To explain this the state-owned Herald quoted an unnamed senior academic at UZ.

It's claimed that publishing a PhD dissertation can take to up to a year and that of the 12 PhD students only the vice president’s thesis had been uploaded.

Student union Zinasu denies it’s targeting the first lady. 

But that it's protecting the credibility of the country’s education system.

This follows reports that President Robert Mugabe's wife got her degree just two months after she registered for the course.

Zimbabwe: Mugabe Scholarship Scheme Collapses

President Robert Mugabe has stopped enrolling students under the Presidential Scholarship Fund due to non-availability of funds to bankroll the programme.

The scheme's administrators admitted there was no money to pay for new students or meet the needs of the thousands already on the scheme despite Mugabe holding a $5 million wedding for his daughter this year.

Zanu PF also threw a $1 million party in February to celebrate its leader's 90th birthday and yet the government says it owes South African universities a similar amount.

Chris Mushowe, Fund director, revealed that the programme has suspended enrolling fresh students until it pays off debts to South African universities where beneficiaries are studying.

Zimbabwe owes South African universities R11 million (US$1 million) hence it has decided to suspended enrolling further students until it clears the arrears.

Over 4,000 students are studying in South Africa, but in the last few years many have been exposed to poverty and other social ills as the cash-strapped government failed to pay living allowances to cater for their basic needs.

Some, especially girls, have been forced to resort to prostitution to raise money to survive.

The Scholarship Programme was founded in 1995 to give academically gifted students from poor families a chance to study at South African universities.

But since the collapse of the local economy, the government has been finding it hard to pay tuition fees in time, resulting in some universities refusing to admit the students into their residency compounds.

South Africa Toughens Work Permit Application Process

The South African government has announced that foreigners living in that country will now have to go back home to apply for work permits.

According to Daniel Muzenda of the Zimbabwe Migrants Association, the South African government says instead of applying for work permits while in that country, Zimbabweans and other foreigners are now expected to go to their respective nations to file the necessary papers.

Millions of foreigners, including an estimated three million Zimbabweans, are studying and working in South Africa, one of Africa’s developed nations.

Muzenda said this is not workable. “We are talking about three million Zimbabweans who are here in South Africa and for them to go back to Harare and queue at the Home Affairs Department is logistically practically impossible.”

He said the Zimbabwe government should work with Pretoria to find better ways of handling this issue.

“We will be holding a meeting soon with the relevant authorities to find ways of handling this issue,” said Muzenda.

Most of the work permits expire in November this year.

Birthday party for Mugabe

A party to celebrate president Mugabe turning 90 years of age last month was held on Friday in Harare with more than 1000 people thought to have attended.

90 beasts were slaughtered cost more that $ 1 million.  That was followed a few weeks later by Mugabe's daughter Bonna's wedding which reportedly cost $ 5 million.  On the first occasion few journalists from the independent media were admitted while none were  allowed into the second event which was held at Mugabe's house in Borrowdale on Friday a number of journalist told SW Radio Africa that they did not bother themselves this time around. It came as a shock that the government is capable of such extravagant at a time when it is struggling to pay civil servants.

Mystery perists about Bona's husband

Mystery persists about Bona’s husband, Simbarashe Chikore, who last August forked out lobolo, or bride price, of about R350 000 plus 15 cows to Mugabe for the hand of his 24-year-old daughter. Zimbabwe media said Chikore is a pilot with Emirates Airlines, but aviation sources in Harare say they have no record of him being a pilot.

Bona Mugabe was born to Mugabe’s second wife, Grace, six years before the couple wed in 1996 and while his first wife, Sally,was still alive.

Zimbabweans only found out that their president had children with Grace, his girlfriend from the typing pool, when a local magazine published a photo of Bona Mugabe entering primary school at the Harare Dominican Convent. 

Mugabe’s first child, a son, with his Ghanaian first wife, Sally, died when he was in detention in then Rhodesia

Both Emirates Air and Qatar Airlines – where media reports said Bona’s fiancé Simbarashe worked, denied he is an employee. 
4000 guests invited comprised foreign dignitaries, 3 seating heads of state and popular Congolese rhumba musician Koffi Olomide. 

mugabe's daughter weds

President Robert Mugabe's daughter, Bona, 24, wed in a lavish ceremony held at the family's private home in Borrowdale.

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe gave his daughter, Bona, US$100,000 and a 55 herd of cattle at her lavish wedding to Simba Chikore in Harare on Saturday.

Bona, 24, wed  Chikore, said to be 37 years old, at her father's home in the capital's plush suburb of Borrowdale.

The presidents of South Africa, Zambia and Equatorial Guinea attended the event along with a handful of former leaders, among them Jerry Rawlings of Ghana.

Various artists including South Africa's Zahara and the Soweto String Quartet, Koffi Olomide from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and local stars Jah Prayzah and Sulumani Chimbetu provided the entertainment.

Private media organisations were barred from the event which was partially televised on national television although even the ZBC took care not to show images of Mugabe's palatial home which is said to have cost more than $10 million to build.

Some of the top gifts:

An unnamed local mining company gave the couple $100,000

Businessman Ihmad Ahmed - US$50 000

Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and his wife - US$35,000.

Gabriel Mugabe - US$25 000 and 10 herd of cattle

Public Service Minister Nicholas Goche, US$2,000

ZRP chief, Augustine Chihuri - US$10,000

President Sata of Zambia and his wife with the new couple.

President of Zimbabwe arrives in Malawi

President Mugabe arrived in Malawi on Sunday 9th February 2014 to attend the African Leaders Forum on Disability.  He was welcomed by Malawian president Joyce Banda and her foreign affair minister Ephraim Chiume. He was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Mr George Charamba, and other government officials.The two-day forum seeks to improve the welfare of people living with intellectual disabilities in both their social and economic circumstances, and their access to basic human rights. Sexual abuse of people with developmental disabilities is common because of their greater risk of victimization, and often goes unreported. Most times, the perpetrators are authority figures in the victim's life.Research suggests that 97 to 99 percent of abusers are known and trusted by the victim.

Most abusers assume the mentally challenged will not report the abuse and, more often than not, they are right. Malawi and Special Olympics -- the largest organisation for people living with disabilities in the world -- are hosting the forum together with African leaders, disability and global development organisations, businesses and civil society, and Special Olympics athletes, to make a difference in the largely marginalised lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

The goal is to ensure that global development policies, programmes, organisations, and the post-2015 development agenda are fully inclusive of people with disabilities. Other delegates to the forum include the Chair of the African Union Commission Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, UNESCO director for education Mmantsetsa Marope, Malawi Minister of Disabilities Rachel Kachaje, and Unicef Zimbabwe deputy director Dr Jane Muita.

The forum will conclude tonight with a State dinner hosted by President Banda at Kamuzu Palace.

teen arrested for saying Mugabe is dead

A teenager in Zimbabwe was arrested for reportedly posting on Facebook that President Robert Mugabe had died and was being preserved in a freezer.

Finding a way to survive in Zimbabwe

Tsikira is HIV positive and she lives in Gwanda, a district in southern Zimbabwe. she is finding it difficult to come up with a plan to survive. Like many other areas of the country, people here are facing one of the worst periods of food insecurity in years.

People in Gwanda are among those most in need. Matebeleland South province, where Gwanda sits, has the highest prevalence of HIV in the country, at 21 per cent. One in five adults 15-49 is HIV positive. Gwanda itself has an HIV rate of 15 per cent.

 Taking the medication on an empty stomach results in nausea, so she  often stop taking it because it makes her feels so sick.

Like many Zimbabweans currently affected by food insecurity, Tsikira is beginning to reduce her meals to one per day. she eats twice a day or once a day. she  stops taking my medication when she runs out of food and it is happening more lately. On the medication, if she hasn't eaten, she becomes dizzy, weak and she feels sick.

From her home in rural Gwanda, Tsikira runs a small business selling clothes. She says she makes approximately 10 US dollars a week, on average, which is enough to support her, her daughter and grandchild.

But due to rising food prices and drought, business is slowing. She says she is lucky to sell something once every two weeks. her business will not be viable at the moment. No one has money for clothes. she is really worried about this coming period

Tsikira knows the impact a lack of food and money has on her health. "I am concerned about my health as I stop taking the medication. I become open to opportunistic infections, and I have no money to get them treated or to even get to the clinic. Once, a few years ago, I went to the clinic when I was sick because I didn't have enough food. But looking back, the situation now is much worse."

Law says Tsikira's situation is common for people living with HIV in food insecure regions. "It's a dangerous and downhill slope. People living with HIV/AIDS rapidly become sicker and vulnerable to other conditions. As Tsikira says, they will stop going to the doctor as they can't afford it. Food is the priority for whatever little income they have."

The IFRC and the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society have launched an emergency appeal to support 10,500 of the most vulnerable people in Gwanda with immediate food assistance. The operation will target people like Tsikira living with HIV/AIDS, pregnant women, child-headed houses and the unemployed. The response will be implemented over seven months and will also support people with longer term activities, such as learning improved farming techniques, so they can better prepare and adapt to future disasters.

Bank in Zimbabwe fails to pay deposits

Anti riot police used teargas to quell disturbances in central bank in Harare on Monday when angry depositors stormed the allied bank demanding their cash after they failed to withdraw their money (a sign of deepening cash shortages in the country).  The mob forced their way into the bank when it remained closed  past its opening time . The depositors shattered windows at the bank and beat up the manager.  The bank had to summon the riot police who dispersed the crowd by using tear gas. They have also assaulted workers and vandalized property

100 prisoners starve to death in Zimbabwe prisons

MORE than 100 prisoners have died in detention in Zimbabwe's prisons since January owing to biting food shortages.

The poor state of the country's prisons was confirmed Monday by the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS) which disclosed before a parliamentary portfolio committee that 100 inmates had died as a result of food stock outs and natural causes since the beginning of the year.

"It's true that we are facing challenges feeding our prison population. The death rate stands above 100 since the beginning of the year which is not a good figure," said Agrey Machingauta, the ZPCS deputy