HARARE – Shunned because of the physical deformities they were either born with or acquired later in life, people with disabilities are often forgotten and ridiculed. Loreen Chikoto was born with dwarfism, a genetic defect that makes her smaller than the average person. When she started dating, people found it odd and when she got…
HARARE – Zimbabweans wait in queues for some of the most basic of commodities but who would have guessed that on August 29, they would be queuing to enter a court building to witness the prosecution of their relatives. Well, welcome to Zimbabwe where impossible is just another meaningless word. It’s a little over lunch…
HARARE – Clad in white caps, face masks, matching T-shirts and armed with brooms and black plastic bags, business executives are increasingly making their presence felt on the streets through clean-up campaigns. This comes at a time when Zimbabwe is facing a challenge in waste management, particularly the urban centres and growth points due to…
HARARE – The announcement by government on police bans on all demonstrations in the capital under the Public Order and Security Act (Posa) violates rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression which is protected under international human rights law, social and political commentators have said. Since June, various groups and political parties have staged…
HARARE – I have always said I want to get pregnant, not fall pregnant. There is a huge difference between these two things. After coming across a very hilarious cartoon of a lady vagrant with her five children being given a pack of contraceptive pills by a savvy passer-by, I realised we had not really…
JOHANNESBURG – On June 17‚ Zimbabwe’s authorities imposed restrictions on imports of foreign dental fillings‚ kitchen sinks‚ baby formulae‚ pencils and much more. Cross-border vendors‚ dependent on this trade to survive‚ have become desperate. Long distance buses with empty trailers can now be seen on the Zimbabwean side of the border. Angry traders set ablaze…
HARARE – Once a symbol of pride and patriotism, the country’s multi-coloured flag has suddenly become a sign of resistance, as a fed up citizen drapes it to protest the worsening economic situation. Ironically, President Robert Mugabe’s administration has taken offence. A little-known cleric Evan Mawarire inspired many with his #Thisflag campaign as he reflected…
HARARE – Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra)’s recently-launched crackdown on car importers is illegal and exposes the tax collector to litigation, constitutional law experts said. Last week, Zimra announced that it was probing vehicles imported into Zimbabwe between January 2014 and June 2016 in accordance with provisions of the Customs and Excise Act (Chapter 23:02). The…
HARARE – As the Harare City Council (HCC) goes ahead with installing prepaid water meters, much to the chagrin of residents associations who feel the move is in violation of people’s constitutional right to water, some are actually approaching the local authority demanding installation of the devices at their residences. Those opting for the meters…
HARARE – “With my strong faith, I never had a second thought, I believed the prophet when he said he could ‘cleanse’ me of HIV and I stopped taking ARVs.” Margaret Mazwi, 38, a mother of four, who is openly living with HIV Aids said. False hope on faith-healing is all too common among many…
