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/ 19 October 2007
An independent Zimbabwe newspaper on Friday claimed that President Robert Mugabe has named four potential successors, and they do not include Vice-President Joyce Mujuru. The Zimbabwe Independent claimed Mugabe said that the four serious candidates to succeed him were Emmerson Mnangagwa, Sydney Sekeramayi, John Nkomo and Simba Makoni.
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/ 12 October 2007
The Zimbabwean government on Friday authorised new increases in the prices of basic foodstuffs in a bid to ease widespread shortages that followed an order for retailers to halve their tariffs. The National Incomes and Pricing Commission announced it had approved rises of between 50% and 200% for a range of staple foods.
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/ 12 October 2007
Zimbabwe’s agricultural production is poised to plummet further amid revelations that the country has secured less than 5% of the agricultural sector’s fuel requirements for the 2007/08 season. In a development likely to hurt the key tobacco sub-sector, only 9-million litres of fuel have been acquired by cash-strapped Harare authorities.
The Zimbabwe government said it is pressing ahead with legislation to seize a controlling share of foreign-owned mining interests in the country, the official media reported on Friday. Police also said a total of 23 585 corporate executives, store managers, traders, street vendors and bus drivers were arrested for overcharging since a prize freeze was ordered.
Zimbabwe set out Wednesday to demonstrate that Western economic sanctions were hurting ordinary people, the poor and even the unborn. In its first detailed policy statement on sanctions, the central bank disputed claims from Britain and the United States that their ”targeted sanctions” — like travel bans on top officials — did not hurt most Zimbabweans.
President Robert Mugabe renewed threats to seize foreign mining interests and businesses accused of profiteering, state radio reported on Tuesday. But the head of the central bank, Gideon Gono, warned against hasty and disruptive seizures in a country in economic crisis.
Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade said on Monday he would travel to Zimbabwe this month to recommend multilateral mediation by African heads of state to try to solve the crisis in the Southern African country. ”Mbeki is a man of goodwill … [but] we should tackle the problem at the level of several heads of state, including Thabo Mbeki,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s central bank on Monday raised its main lending rate to 800% from 650% to tame ”angry and formidable” inflation, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono said. The central bank also will launch a new currency soon to try to curtail a thriving foreign-exchange black market, he announced in a bi-annual monetary policy speech.
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/ 18 September 2007
Seventeen Zimbabwean police officers have been arrested on charges of corruption and trading in diamonds while guarding a mine in the country’s eastern district, police said on Tuesday. Police spokesperson Oliver Mandipaka said three of the suspects were found with 30 diamonds when they were arrested last Saturday.
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/ 4 September 2007
Zimbabwe is likely to offer tax relief in a supplementary budget on Thursday but may have to print more money to keep cash-strapped government departments running ahead of elections in 2008. The Southern African country is suffering inflation of more than 7 000%, fast eroding income for workers struggling to feed their families.