Emmerson Mnangagwa - The African Mirror

Nov

2020

Zimbabwe court frees journalist charged with obstructing justice

ZIMBABWEAN journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin'ono was freed on bail on Friday after being arrested two weeks ago on charges of obstructing justice. Chin'ono's arrest and that of dozens of activists in the last four months has led to accusations that President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government was persecuting opponents, a charge the authorities deny. Chin'ono, who has criticised the government on social media, was first arrested in July on charges of inciting violent anti-government protests. He denies the separate charges and says the government is persecuting him for exposing corruption. High Court Judge Tawanda Chitapi found on Friday that a…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe journalist Chin’ono denied bail after second arrest

MEDIA FREEDOM

A court in Zimbabwe has denied bail for journalist and government critic Hopewell Chin'ono after his arrest last week on charges of obstruction of justice. The arrest of Chin'ono and dozens of activists in the last four months has led to accusations that the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa is persecuting the opposition, a charge the authorities deny. Chin'ono, who uses social media posts to criticise the government, was first arrested in July on charges of inciting violent anti-government protests. After his latest arrest, he was charged with contempt of court but prosecutors dropped those charges. He is now accused…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe accuses opposition of gun-smuggling plot

NEWS

MACDONALD DZIRUTWE ZIMBABWE’S state security minister has alleged a plot by "rogue elements" in the opposition working with Western governments to smuggle in guns and foment chaos, signalling another possible crackdown. Without providing evidence, Owen Ncube told reporters the plot was part of a wider plan to oust President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government illegally. Similar accusations have been made against the opposition in the past since the time of former President Robert Mugabe, usually as a precursor to a crackdown. The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change's (MDC) treasurer David Coltart said the allegations were false. "We are committed…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe eases COVID-19 restrictions as exam classes start

COVID-19

ZIMBABWE has lifted a ban on inter-city travel and extended working hours as the government gradually re-opens the economy by easing COVID-19 restrictions. The Southern African nation went into a lockdown in March and President Emmerson Mnangagwa later imposed an overnight curfew to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The pandemic has battered Zimbabwe, which was already reeling under hyperinflation and a looming scarcity of basic amenities before the pandemic struck. The country of 14 million people has seen 7,531 cases and 224 deaths so far, according to a Reuters tally. The cabinet approved the "resumption of inter-city travel to…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe protest organiser, journalist freed on bail, banned from posting on Twitter

NEWS

A Zimbabwe opposition politician and a journalist detained for more than a month on suspicion of planning anti-government protests over corruption and the worst economic crisis in more than a decade have released on bail. Jacob Ngarivhume, who leads a small opposition party, Transform Zimbabwe, called for the protests on July 31 and was charged with inciting violence. Journalist Hopewell Chin'ono, who has been critical of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government, also faced the same charge after writing in support of the demonstrations. Both men had been denied bail three times before Wednesday's Zimbabwe's High Court rulings which barred them from…

Sep

2020

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe says foreign white farmers can apply to get back seized land

NEWS

FOREIGN white farmers settled in Zimbabwe whose land was seized under Robert Mugabe can apply to get it back and will be offered land elsewhere if restitution proves impractical, the government said on Monday. Last month, Zimbabwe agreed to pay $3.5 billion in compensation to local white farmers whose land was forcibly taken by the government to resettle Black families, moving a step closer to resolving one the most divisive policies of the Robert Mugabe era. Under Zimbabwean laws passed during a short period of opposition government but ignored by Mugabe, foreign white farmers protected by treaties between their governments…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Western diplomats express deep concern over Zimbabwe crisis

NEWS

MACDONALD DZIRUTWE WESTERN diplomats in Zimbabwe have expressed deep concern over a deteriorating political and economic crisis, and said the government should stop using the COVID-19 pandemic to curtail freedoms. Zimbabwe is suffering inflation over 800%, which has revived memories of the hyperinflation more than a decade ago during Robert Mugabe's rule. Nurses are on strike and a series of arrests of political opponents have raised the alarm about a crackdown on dissent. Heads of mission from the United States, Britain, Germany, Canada, Netherlands, Norway and Poland said in a statement that President Emmerson Mnangagwa's initial promises of uniting the…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe court denies bail to journalist for the third time

NEWS

A Zimbabwean court has denied bail for the third time to a journalist who has been detained for more than a month on charges of inciting public violence over anti-government protests last month. Hopewell Chin'ono, a freelance journalist openly critical of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration, used social media to expose corruption in government tenders for COVID-19 personal protective equipment that led to the dismissal of the health minister in July. Chin'ono was arrested last month along with opposition politician Jacob Ngarivhume for advocating the removal of the ruling ZANU-PF party and supporting the July 31 protests that were stopped by…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Comedian mocks Zimbabwe’s government, despite fear of reprisal

NEWS

MACDONALD DZIRUTWE VICTOR Mpofu is using satire to shine a light on Zimbabwe's political problems, reaching a growing audience despite living in fear of retribution from President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government. Mpofu, aka Doc Vikela, has seen his followers on YouTube channel Simuka Comedy grow from less than 1,000 subscribers in January when he ventured into political satire to 23,000 now. The 34-year-old father of two is among a generation of online stand-up comedians critical of government excesses. Critics have accused Mnangagwa of reverting to the authoritarian tendencies of the Robert Mugabe era amid a worsening economic crisis. In his skits,…

Aug

2020

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe to meet Vatican envoy over Catholic bishops’ criticism

NEWS

ZIMBABWE'S government has sought a meeting with the Vatican representative to understand whether Catholic bishops who accused it of human rights abuses and cracking down on critics were speaking on behalf of the Holy See. Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi described a pastoral letter written by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference last weekend as "inappropriately prescriptive and grossly disrespectful". The bishops' strongly worded letter said the country had a multi-layered crisis, including economic collapse, deepening poverty, corruption and human rights abuses. Inflation running at more than 800% is the clearest sign of the worst economic crisis in over a decade and…