By Cormac Smith There was much jubilation in the streets as former President Robert Mugabe was removed from power in 2017 after 37 years of rule. Suddenly, in a moment of euphoria, images of citizens celebrating with army personnel were beamed around the world as if the role of the military in the suppression of their
By Eddie Cross IN a country that is used to turmoil, the month of January will go down as a period when we literally shot ourselves in the foot. The November military assisted transition (MAT) in 2017 brought to a close 38 years of dictatorial administration under Robert Mugabe, associated with genocide, human rights abuse,
By Peter Fabricius Almost two decades after the start of the Zimbabwe crisis, South Africa is once again standing silently on the sidelines, seemingly mesmerised, as its northern neighbour bashes opposition heads indiscriminately, shuts down the internet to stifle criticism, and spins out of economic control. Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ‘new Zimbabwe’ that promised so much change
By David Monyae Eighteen years ago, the so-called Mbeki-Mugabe Papers, purportedly penned by former president Thabo Mbeki, generated heated debates about the crisis in Zimbabwe. Some children born in that year, 2001, are now entering universities as first-year students. How can one make sense of the history of colonialism and liberation to such a generation?
Roger Southall, University of the Witwatersrand Cries of moral outrage have greeted the brutal crackdown by the Zimbabwean security forces on nationwide protests sparked by a sudden, massive, government-ordained hike in the price of fuel. Naturally enough, the demand is that “something must be done” to stop the brutality. Twelve people have already died, hundreds
By Hlomenkulu Mnondo BACK in primary school we used to wear these uniforms with a logo that said, “Knowledge is power” and so, in the interests of empowering fellow citizens with the right insights, I decided to pen this article. Unless the ordinary citizen knows who is poisoning the well, we may never get out
By Peter Godwin The Spectator (UK) Ten days ago, Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, hiked the price of petrol by 250 per cent, making it the most expensive in the world. There had been an acute fuel shortage for months and this move was supposed to ease the situation — presumably by making petrol beyond the
By The Financial Times (UK) THIS week, Emmerson Mnangagwa, president and ostensible new face of Zimbabwe, cut short a foreign trip, skipping Davos to attend to things at home “in light of the economic situation”. In his utter failure to capture the gravity of events, Mnangagwa echoed Japan’s Emperor Hirohito who, after Hiroshima and Nagasaki
By David B. Moore, University of Johannesburg As of January 18, more than 12 people had died, no less than 78 had suffered gunshot injuries, and at least 240 had been beaten and tortured by the Zimbabwean state. More than 466 had been arbitrarily arrested and detained, while hundreds are displaced or in safe houses
By Tapiwa Chagonda, University of Johannesburg ZIMBABWE is sliding into a violent meltdown and it’s expected to worsen, unless there are some serious interventions. Days of mass protests have been characterised by violence, looting and heavy-handedness by the police and army. It has led to the deaths and injury of many people, largely in Harare
By Eddie Cross Trying to Explain the Unfathomable ALWAYS something new out of Africa. I have always accepted this adage but right now I think the situation in Zimbabwe is beyond reason. Just try to understand what this regime has done in the past seven days. Firstly, the President announces a raft of measures, one
By Tyler Walton Murmurs of an imminent internet shutdown began leaking out of Zimbabwe on the evening of Tuesday 15 January. Marches and protests had broken out in Bulawayo and across the country following the hike in the petrol price that President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced the prior weekend. Overnight and into the morning, Zimbabweans and
By Kester Kenn Klomegah Like many African countries, Zimbabwe’s economy needs sustainable resuscitation. On his mid-January official working visit to Moscow, President Emmerson Mnangagwa told Sputnik News Agency (SNA) in an interview: “We have always had cooperation in the field of defence and security with Russia. This we are not abandoning. At the moment, we
By Panashe Chigumadzi AFTER replacing Robert Mugabe as the president of Zimbabwe in late 2017, Emmerson Mnangagwa promised a “new” Zimbabwe, a country with “a thriving and open economy, jobs for its youth, opportunities for investors and democracy and equal rights for all.” But those hopes have died as Mr. Mnangagwa has turned out to be no different from
Zimbabwe erupted in violent protest after the government doubled the price of petrol. By Robert Rotberg, Harvard Kennedy School WHEN economically challenged rulers try to run nations, especially fragile ones, they can easily make mistakes. In the past few weeks demonstrators have taken to the streets of Khartoum and Omdurman to protest Sudanese President Omar
2018 was one of the most challenging years in the aviation industry, with increased oil prices and a strong US dollar impacting profit margins. The response has led to airlines refining their strategies and business models to remain relevant and in a strong position to survive in the long term. Global load factors have ranged
ZIMBABWE is back on the map. Just as we open up our economy and democratic space, so too are we opening our arms to the world. The dark times are behind us, and the future is bright and positive; a future of cooperation and dialogue. A future whereby Zimbabwe is an active and responsible member
By David Mutori One pillar of the ‘new dispensation’ in Zimbabwe’s approach to the economy is re-engagement with the wider world following years of isolation under former president Robert Mugabe’s rule. Re-engagement however, relies on events that take place in the countries that Zimbabwe is trying to connect with. The beginning of a new year
By Eddie Cross We seem to have been putting up with lousy Government, corruption, nonsensical monetary and macroeconomic policies forever. First we had the Rhodesian Government from 1960 onwards which resulted in the imposition of mandatory UN sanctions and then the liberation war. Were these inevitable? I do not think so but with the national
By Dorcas Gwata TODAY is a new day, well it seems so. After much deliberation, in search of a healthier mental space, I got rid of my TV and the licence that goes with it, I Dorcas Wongai Gwata am now TV free. The living room is quiet, save for the tick-tock clock next to my
