The whereabouts of Tendai Biti, secretary general of Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), are still unknown a day after his arrest.
The University of Massachusetts on Thursday rescinded an honorary law degree awarded 22 years ago to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.
Zimbabwe police arrested opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday while he was campaigning for the country’s June 27 presidential run-off.
Zimbabwe’s opposition had a successful day of campaigning despite attempts by ruling party militants to thwart election activities, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) officials said on Sunday.
A Zimbabwean court sentenced three South Africans to jail terms of between six and seven-and-a-half months after they were found in possession of ”illegal transmitting equipment” belonging to the Sky television channel, Sky said on Tuesday.
The leader of a rebel faction of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party was freed on bail on Tuesday after his arrest over a written attack on President Robert Mugabe. A Harare court ordered Arthur Mutambara, head of a splinter faction of the Movement for Democratic Change, to pay Z-billion (about ) and report to police each Friday.
Shortages of bread in Zimbabwe are expected to worsen after preparations for the country’s winter wheat crop failed, state media said on Monday. The state-controlled daily Herald said that farmers planted 8 963 hectares of wheat this winter, only 13% of a government target of 70 000 hectares.
Zimbabwean police have arrested at least 70 suspects following attacks on liberation war veterans and ruling-party activists in the Buhera district, a state daily reported on Monday. ”So far more than 70 suspects have been arrested in connection with the cases,” police Deputy Commissioner General Levy Sibanda was quoted as saying by the Herald.
The leader of a rebel faction of Zimbabwe’s Movement for Democratic Change became the most senior opposition politician to be arrested when he was held on Sunday over a written attack on President Robert Mugabe. Arthur Mutambara was picked up at his home in Harare, his party and lawyer said.
Hundreds of women converged on a stadium on the outskirts of Harare on Saturday to pray for peace ahead of the country’s tense presidential run-off amid mounting political violence. Zimbabweans go to the polls on June 27 for a second-round presidential election between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
A senior Zimbabwean army official has publicly urged soldiers to vote for President Robert Mugabe in next month’s presidential election run-off, a state daily reported on Saturday. "We have signed and agreed to fight and protect the ruling party’s principles of defending the revolution," Major General Martin Chedondo was quoted as saying.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai launched a scathing attack on President Robert Mugabe’s rule of Zimbabwe on Friday, saying he had transformed a country rich in natural resources into a ”state of despair”. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) chief also vowed there would be no amnesty for perpetrators of political violence if he takes power.
Simba Makoni, the former finance minister who defected from President Robert Mugabe’s party to challenge him in presidential elections in March, refused on Thursday to say which candidate he would back in next month’s presidential run-off.
Diplomatic ties between Zimbabwe and the United States came under further strain on Wednesday when authorities in Harare accused Washington’s envoy to South Africa of sneaking into the country. An unnamed government official said he was "interested" in discovering the reason for the visit.
Three South Africans have been arrested in southern Zimbabwe after police found them with broadcasting equipment belonging to Britain’s Sky News. Provincial police spokesperson Ronald Muderedzwa said the three and another suspect had been broadcasting illegally from a factory in the second city of Bulawayo.
A month before a presidential election run-off, Zimbabwe’s opposition said on Tuesday conditions were not conducive for a free and fair poll, but still expressed confidence it would oust Robert Mugabe. "As of yesterday [Monday], at least 50 of our supporters had been killed in violent attacks." the Movement for Democratic Change said.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe will respect the will of voters if they end his 28-year rule in a run-off election against opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the state-run Herald newspaper reported on Monday. Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the March 29 presidential poll but failed to win an absolute majority.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Sunday accused the United States of political interference and threatened to expel its ambassador, as his party began its campaign for next month’s election run-off. He told supporters in Harare that the Western allies wanted to control Zimbabwe’s resources.
With his rival back in the country, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe fought for his political survival on Sunday as he kicked off his election campaign. Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai arrived home on Saturday after a six-week absence vowing to end the three decade rule of post-independence leader Mugabe in a run-off election scheduled for June 27.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai returned to Zimbabwe on Saturday for an election run-off with President Robert Mugabe and said the veteran leader wanted to ”decimate” Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) structures. Tsvangirai arrived at Harare airport aboard a regular South African Airways flight at about 10.30am GMT.
The Zimbabwe government on Thursday denied taking delivery of a consignment of weapons from China after a ship carrying the arms was prevented from unloading its cargo. ”The shipment did not dock and there has not been delivery as yet,” Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi told journalists.
A Zimbabwean man has been jailed for two years after he sold urine to residents in a mining town, claiming it was cooking oil, a state daily reported on Thursday. The <i>Herald</i> newspaper said Piccard Mudzingwa (28) approached one of the victims at a bus terminus in the southern mining town of Zvishavane, selling bottles containing a liquid he said was cooking oil.
President Robert Mugabe accused Zimbabwe’s opposition of embarking on ”an evil crusade” as he stepped up claims on Wednesday that the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is to blame for mounting violence. ”The MDC opposition, formed at the behest of Britain, is on an evil crusade of dividing our people,” Mugabe said.
Zimbabwe’s ruling party on Tuesday dismissed as pure fantasy opposition claims that President Robert Mugabe’s military intelligence was plotting to assassinate opposition leadership. ”The allegations … have no foundation whatsoever,” Nathan Shamuyarira, spokesperson for the ruling Zanu-PF, was quoted by the state-run Herald as saying.
Zimbabwe’s opposition accused Robert Mugabe’s military intelligence on Monday of trying to wipe out its leadership. With opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai refusing to return home over fears for his safety, his number two, Tendai Biti, claimed he was one of dozens of top figures in the Movement for Democratic Change who were on a hit list.
Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was to return home on Saturday bidding to deliver a knockout blow to weakened President Robert Mugabe in a run-off election scheduled for June 27. Mugabe acknowledged on Friday that he had suffered an electoral disaster in losing a first-round poll against Tsvangirai on March 29.
Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai will return to Zimbabwe on Saturday after spending more than a month out of the country following disputed elections, a party spokesperson said. Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission announced on Friday that the run-off presidential election will take place on June 27.
A Zimbabwe teachers’ union leader was detained by police on Thursday after his organisation publicised a list of attacks on its members since March’s disputed elections. Raymond Majongwe, secretary general of the Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe, was picked up at the Harare High Court where he was attending a case of fellow union leaders.
Zimbabwe’s opposition reacted furiously on Thursday to the prospect of a run-off poll being delayed until the end of July, accusing authorities of flouting the law to help President Robert Mugabe cling to power. The Movement for Democratic Change feared the delay would be used to intensify a campaign of violence and intimidation.
Zimbabwe’s central bank introduced Z-million notes worth just on Thursday in the latest sign of spiralling hyperinflation, only a week after issuing the Z-million bill. The new highest denomination note would buy about two loaves of bread. Zimbabwe has the highest inflation rate in the world at about 165Â 000%.
Zimbabwe’s government is to invite the opposition to form cross-party teams to probe acts of political violence in the aftermath of the country’s March elections, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said on Wednesday. It is the first time such an idea has been floated by the ruling party, which has been accused of orchestrating a campaign of terror.
Zimbabwe’s run-off presidential election has been delayed and will now be held within 90 days of May 2, when official results of the disputed vote were released, Zimbabwe’s government announced on Wednesday. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai beat President Mugabe in the presidential poll, but not by enough votes to avoid a run-off.