HARARE – Zimbabwe is facing a huge import bill due to an acute maize shortage as more farmers are deserting the staple crop in favour of the golden leaf which has a ready market. Over the past few years small-scale farmers are favouring tobacco over maize because they are paid immediately on delivery, while the…
HARARE – Waking up on Saturday morning one could have thought the referendum could be washed away with the drizzle and chilly weather. But as the sun rose, the sky began to clear, paving way for the much-anticipated vote which turned out to be a big yawn as most Zimbabweans either boycotted or completely ignored…
BULAWAYO – Zimbabwe this Saturday goes for a much-anticipated referendum to determine the fate of a draft constitution largely negotiated by President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. Hordes of people in the Matabeleland region will however, not be part of thousands expected to vote in the referendum and they are paying for a…
LONDON – On a drizzly morning on February 26 last month, a Zimbabwean family gathered at a cemetery in Welling, about 16 km from London, to bury 31-year-old Thungamele Nxumalo, whose death 19 days earlier followed an all-too-familiar pattern. Nxumalo went to bed on February 6, entered his bedroom and shut the door to life….
HARARE – Every year on March 8 we observe International Women’s Day. It is wonderful to see that in over 100 years since women’s day was first observed in 1909, immense progress has been made in alleviating the plight of girls and women. Yet, today is also a reminder about the many injustices against women…
HARARE – Some years ago I was discussing the payment of compensation to the Jews for the suffering they endured at the hands of the Nazis during World War II with my friend Anthony Chapman. I likened that other crime against humanity, the capture and transportation of Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas…
HARARE – Each week, Shingirirai Kativhu sends about $35 to his wife, who is raising their four children in a far-flung village in eastern Zimbabwe. But Kativhu cannot afford a bank account and has lost some money sending it through bus services, so he sends the cash using his mobile phone. Kativhu, who sells various…
HARARE – Harare’s cemeteries illustrate two immutable facts, death is universal and fast dwindling grave space is coming at a premium. Many of Harare’s cemeteries have run out of space, and others are searching for ways to be as efficient as possible with dwindling stocks of open plots. Prices obey the laws of supply and…
HARARE – After the heavy floods, loss of livestock and homes, some Matabeleland residents believe there is no place like home and they want to go back. Flooding is one of the most common, costly and deadly natural hazards which affects and displaces the people of Chikwalakwala district, 40 kilometres from Beitbridge. More than 100…
HARARE – Shock, fear and despair have engulfed the community surrounding the Chitungwiza blast scene, in which five people perished in mysterious circumstances. Four houses were razed to the ground while several others had windowpanes shattered. The fear and anger from those directly affected by the blast — especially those who lost houses — is…
