Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Flags flew at half mast in Harare on Saturday, but a day after former president Robert Mugabe’s death many Zimbabweans preferred to work as usual than publicly mourn the independence hero turned despot. President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced a period of national mourning on Friday following Mugabe’s …
Read More »Zimbabwe begins national mourning for hero-turned-despot Mugabe
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe was on Saturday due to begin a period of national mourning following the death of Robert Mugabe, the former guerrilla hero turned despot who ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years. As Zimbabweans expressed sharply divided opinions about Mugabe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his predecessor had been declared …
Read More »Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s ruthless ex-president, dies aged 95
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Robert Mugabe, the former guerrilla leader who held onto power in Zimbabwe for 37 years until forced out by the military with the economy mired in crisis, has died aged 95, the country’s president announced Friday. “It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing …
Read More »Zimbabwe police beat protesters defying regime ‘worse than Mugabe’
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Riot police in Zimbabwe on Friday fired teargas and beat demonstrators who defied a protest ban, as the opposition accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government of surpassing Robert Mugabe’s regime in brutality. Scores of people gathered in a square in the capital Harare to demonstrate against the …
Read More »No S.African bailout for Zimbabwe after Ramaphosa visit
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | South African President Cyril Ramaphosa concluded a much-anticipated visit to Zimbabwe on Tuesday, dashing any lingering hopes that his country would bail out its economically-troubled neighbour. Ramaphosa commended the new administration of Emmerson Mnangagwa for its bid to revive the economy and promised to explore a number of options of financial help. …
Read More »Is Zimbabwe nostalgic for Mugabe?
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | While it’s unlikely that many Zimbabweans yearn for former ruler Robert Mugabe’s return, the occasion of his 95th birthday on Thursday has led some to see him in a softer light. “Comrade Bob” was toppled from 37 years in power in November 2017 following a brief …
Read More »Zimbabwe to re-introduce local currency within a year: minister
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe will re-introduce a local currency “in less than 12 months”, after using the US dollar and regional currencies since a hyperinflation crisis a decade ago, the finance minister said in an interview published on Saturday. President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over from long-time ruler Robert Mugabe and won a …
Read More »Mnangagwa under fire over maiden cabinet pick
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, came under fire on Friday for unveiling a debut cabinet that named two military allies to top positions, reappointed figures from Robert Mugabe’s discredited era and sidelined the opposition. Mnangagwa gave key jobs to two top military officers, including Sibusiso …
Read More »Ousted VP returns to Zimbabwe as Mugabe clings on
Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe’s former vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose sacking last week triggered the military’s takeover, has returned to the country, an aide told AFP Friday as ageing leader Robert Mugabe clung onto power. Mnangagwa, who is a leading candidate to succeed to President Mugabe, flew back …
Read More »Zimbabwe VP pledges ‘free and fair’ election in 2018
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Zimbabwe’s Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday pledged that next year’s elections will be peaceful, “free and fair” despite opposition concerns about electoral interference. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference aimed at courting South African investors, Mnangagwa noted that the last election in …
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