Zimbabwe - The African Mirror

Apr

2024

Tanzania, Rwanda, Zimbabwe join African recall of J&J cough syrup

DRUG regulators in Tanzania, Rwanda and Zimbabwe have recalled a batch of Johnson & Johnson children's cough syrup as a precautionary measure after their Nigerian counterpart said laboratory tests found high levels of toxicity. The countries join Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in recalling the same batch of the syrup, which is used to treat coughs, hay fever and other allergic reactions in children. South Africa has also recalled an additional batch. Laboratory tests on the syrup by Nigeria's health regulator showed a high level of diethylene glycol, which has been linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia, Uzbekistan…

Apr

2024

By JACQUELINE MUCHAZOREKA, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Boxing champion’s daughter is next in line

SPORT

ON a March morning in Rusape town's Fitness 4_U Gym, Candice Motsi and her father are going through their regular routine. Arms held outward, they jump sideways across the gym floor, warming up for a strength-building session. The two could not be more different; Anesu Motsi is an imposing heavyweight while his daughter Candice is a slight girl of six. Both, however, are boxers. Candice’s involvement in boxing started early. At nine months, she attended her first boxing match and after clearly enjoying the experience was soon back for more. As soon as she could walk, she would follow her…

Apr

2024

By The African Mirror

Zimbabwe launches gold-backed currency to replace battered local dollar

BUSINESS

ZIMBABWE is replacing its collapsing local currency with a new one backed by gold and foreign currencies that it hopes will be more stable and help bring down inflation, the central bank said on Friday. The Southern African country relaunched its own currency in 2019 after a decade of dollarisation, but it struggled to win public trust and more than 80% of domestic transactions are now conducted in foreign currency. A more than 70% slide in the Zimbabwean dollar since the start of the year pushed price rises beyond 55% in annual terms in March evoking bitter memories of hyperinflation…

Apr

2024

By NYASHA CHINGONO

Hunger grips southern Africa as Zimbabwe declares drought a disaster

NEWS

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa declared Zimbabwe's drought a national disaster and said the country needed more than $2 billion in aid to feed millions facing hunger. Mnangagwa's statement follows similar announcements by Zambia in late February and Malawi in March, as drought induced by the El Nino global weather pattern triggers a humanitarian crisis in southern Africa.d More than 2.7 million people in Zimbabwe will go hungry this year, Mnangagwa told journalists at the state house in Harare, adding that 80% of the country had received poor rains. "Preliminary assessments show that Zimbabwe requires in excess of $2 billion towards various…

Apr

2024

By CLEMENCE MANYUKWE

As Zimbabwe makes strides on HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ+ people left behind

HEALTH

AS a gay man in Zimbabwe, Admore braced himself for a hostile reception from medical staff when he went for an HIV test at a city-run clinic in Harare five years ago. His worries proved justified. "When I (said) I was gay ... they gave each other that look that made me feel they thought I was not normal," said Admore, who asked to use a pseudonym to protect his identity. Despite such uncomfortable dealings with health workers, Admore - who tested positive - has been able to access life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART). But his experience helps explain why LGBTQ+…

Mar

2024

By NYASHA CHINGONO

Zimbabwe sect leader accused of child abuse is denied bail

NEWS

THE leader of a religious sect in Zimbabwe was denied bail after being arrested last week for suspected child abuse when police found 251 minors working on his farm and 16 graves. Ishmael Chokurongerwa, 56, described by police as a "self-styled prophet" appeared in court in the town of Norton near the capital Harare on Tuesday along with seven of his church members who also face charges. They were not asked to plead. Denying them bail, Norton magistrate Christine Nyandoro argued that Chokurongerwa could use his influence to interfere with witnesses and that there would be a public outcry if he was…

Mar

2024

By NYASHA CHINGONO

Zimbabwe sect leader held after 251 children rescued from farm labour

NEWS

A Zimbabwean sect leader and "self-styled prophet" appeared in court charged with child abuse after police raided his farm and rescued more than 200 children doing physical labour, police said. The children "were subjected to abuse as cheap labour, doing manual work in the name of being taught life skills", a police statement said. Police found 251 children on the farm who were not attending school, most of whom did not have birth certificates. They also found 16 graves, including seven for infants, all of which were unregistered, the statement said. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Ishmael Chokurongerwa, 56, described…

Mar

2024

By KATHLEEN SMITHERS

Happy smiling African children: why school tourism in Zimbabwe shouldn’t be encouraged

SPECIAL FEATURES: ANALYSIS

A large, air-conditioned bus draws up outside a school. Tourists, most from Europe and the US, disembark, cameras at the ready. Some have brought gifts: packages of pens and pencils. They distribute these to the children, who spontaneously begin singing and dancing. KATHLEEN SMITHERS, Lecturer, Charles Sturt University This scene and others like it play out in schools around the world. It’s called school tourism. It’s similar to orphanage tourism and so-called “slum” tourism, in which tourists visit orphanages or “slums” in poor countries to witness poverty and suffering. These sorts of tourism come with several ethical problems: photography of…

Mar

2024

By The African Mirror

US issues fresh curbs on Zimbabwe president, others; terminates sanctions program

NEWS

THE United States terminated a Zimbabwe sanctions program and reimposed curbs on nine people and three entities, including the country's president, over their alleged involvement in corruption or serious human rights abuse. WHY IT MATTERS Washington is seeking to make clear that the sanctions are not intended to target the people of Zimbabwe with Monday's move, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement. "Today we are refocusing our sanctions on clear and specific targets: President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa’s criminal network of government officials and businesspeople who are most responsible for corruption or human rights abuse against the people of…

Mar

2024

By NYASHA CHINGONO

Zimbabwe needs predictable policy to support currency, World Bank says

BUSINESS

ZIMBABWE needs to make its fiscal and monetary policy more predictable to instil confidence in its depreciating currency, a senior World Bank official said. It could make progress by moving away from the central bank's "quasi-fiscal operations", Victoria Kwakwa, the World Bank's Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, told Reuters in an interview. She did not spell out what those operations were, but the International Monetary Fund said last month the central bank should reduce its non-core activities, which have included printing money and borrowing to lend to the government. The Zimbabwean dollar has lost more than 60% of…