Zimbabwe - updates

Rappler's latest stories on Zimbabwe

ARTICLE FINDER

Zimbabwe: On the edge again?

Jun 28, 2020 - 11:30 PM

Zimbabwe is being buffeted by its worst economic crisis in over a decade, including scarcity of basics like fuel and cornmeal

A queue of needy individuals with plates in hand forms outside Samantha Murozoki's home in Chitungwizaon May 5, 2020, where she feeds the underprivileged a free meal during the government imposed COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown period in Zimbabwe. - With the help of volunteers Samantha Murozoki serves over a 100 hot meals per day from her home to underprivileged families whose household income has been cut off by closure of all informal markets during the lockdown. (Photo by Jekesai NJIKIZANA / AFP)

Zimbabwe suspends mobile banking, stock exchange trade

Jun 27, 2020 - 9:45 AM

The Zimbabwean government accuses the country's stock exchange of being complicit in illicit financial activities

Aaron Munyoro, who is unemployed and lives with his elderly mother, makes a payment from his mobile phone for basic food items including bread at a local tuck shop in Epworth, on the outskirts of Harare, on December 10, 2019. - The World Food Programme (WFP) and UKAID chose Epworth for an urban cash transfer pilot project where they are giving assistance of 9 USD mobile money transfers per person in food insecure households per month. (Photo by Jekesai NJIKIZANA / AFP)

Zimbabwe increases fuel price by 150%

Jun 25, 2020 - 2:35 PM

Zimbabwe has been facing fuel shortages since October 2018

FUEL SHORTAGE. Motorists form a long queue at a gas station in Harare, Zimbabwe, on September 10, 2019. File photo by Tony Karumba/AFP

Virus lockdown darkens hopes for Zimbabwean tobacco rebound

Apr 18, 2020 - 4:00 PM

Tobacco is Zimbabwe's second biggest foreign currency earner after gold. The industry's prospects are now clouded by the impact of the coronavirus.

A woman carrying a load of tobacco leaves after hand reaping the crop at Tilisa farm in Bromley on April 15, 2020, ahead of the start of the tobacco selling season scheduled to begin on April 22, 2020, but now likely to be disrupted due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. - Tobacco farmers fear the national lockdown measures could disrupt marketing of their crop which is the country's second biggest foreign currency earner after gold. (Photo by Jekesai NJIKIZANA / AFP)

Coronavirus pushes Zimbabwe to reintroduce use of U.S. dollar

Mar 27, 2020 - 9:45 AM

The move is part of 'measures to mitigate the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the Zimbabwean society and the economy'

Zimbabwe inflation soars to 540%

Mar 09, 2020 - 7:45 PM

The inflation rate in Zimbabwe surges to 540.16% in February 2020

TOUGH TIMES. Emily Maphosa, 78, cooks on March 2, 2019, at her home in Emakhandeni Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Her country's economic situation has dramatically deteriorated. Photo by Zinyange Auntony/AFP

Zimbabwe journalists suffer as regime tightens grip

Dec 29, 2019 - 12:41 PM

As Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa tightens his stance on dissent, journalists have also suffered repercussions

PRESS FREEDOM. Riot police arrive at the Bronte Hotel in Harare where journalists and international observers gather for a press conference of MDC opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, on August 3, 2018. Photo by Marco Longari/AFP

Zimbabwe VP returns after months of medical care in China

Nov 23, 2019 - 5:55 PM

The 63-year-old, who led the ousting of Robert Mugabe, has been in and out of hospital since the start of the year yet his ailment has not been disclosed

Zimbabwe's Commander Defense Forces General Constatntino Guveya Chiwenga (C) speaks during a press conference at the Tongogara Barracks on November 20, 2017 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's Army chief Constantino Chiwenga said, on November 20, 2017, that progress had been made in talks towards an apparent deal over Mugabe's exit. Chiwenga also said the president was in touch with Emmerson Mnangagwa, the ousted vice president whose sacking triggered the military takeover and Mugabe's loss of power. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe came under increasing pressure to quit on November 20, 2017 as his ruling party said it would move to impeach him and the army revealed his likely successor would soon return to the country. / AFP PHOTO / Jekesai NJIKIZANA

Zimbabwe quadruples electricity price as crisis deepens

Oct 10, 2019 - 2:50 PM

Zimbabwe is dealing with hyperinflation which has seen many families living on a single meal a day

A young Zimbabwean boy does his homeworks under a candle light in Harare on June 26, 2019. - Zimbabwe -- where the economy has recently lurched into a fresh bout of crisis -- introduced rotational power cuts of up to 19 hours a day earlier this year, forcing many to do their ironing or cooking in the dead of night. (Photo by Jekesai NJIKIZANA / AFP)

Zimbabwe raises oil prices by more than 25%

Oct 07, 2019 - 2:05 PM

A full tank of fuel in Zimbabwe now costs more than a month's salary for a cook or a maintenance worker, and more than half a month's salary for a doctor

Motorists form a long queue with their vehicles at a petrol station at dusk in Harare on September 10, 2019, during an ongoing nationwide fuel shortage. - Fuel in Zimbabwe is in short supply and its price has been increased more than six times since the start of 2019 -- as have prices for several other goods. (Photo by TONY KARUMBA / AFP)

Zimbabwe's leader begs for patience to fix ailing economy

Oct 02, 2019 - 12:35 PM

Zimbabwe's economy has been badly suffering for two decades, but the last 12 months are the worst decline in 10 years

A customer buys cooking oil at a stall where smaller than standard measures of cooking oil is sold at Harare Mbare Musika marketplace on July 15, 2019. - Zimbabwe's annual inflation rate hit 175 percent in June, official data showed on July 15, 2019, stoking fears of a return of the hyperinflation that wiped out savings ten years ago when the economy collapsed. Supplies of essentials such as bread, medicine and petrol have regularly run short in the country as price increases hit their fastest pace since the government was forced to abandon the Zimbabwe dollar in 2009. (Photo by Jekesai NJIKIZANA / AFP)

Mugabe finally laid to rest in rural Zimbabwe village

Sep 29, 2019 - 12:30 AM

Hundreds of mourners assemble for the burial, which was initially intended to be a private family event

HOME. The coffin of former president of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe arrives for his burial at his home village in Kutama, on 28 September 2019. Photo by Jekesai Njikizana/AFP

Mugabe's body moved to rural home ahead of weekend burial

Sep 27, 2019 - 6:43 PM

After weeks of wrangling between government and his family over the final resting place for the country's founding leader, the Mugabes have opted to entomb him at his birthplace and rural home

HOME. Villagers look at the coffin of late former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe lying in state at Murombedzi Growth Point, about 107 km northwest of Harare, Zimbabwe, on September 16, 2019, as people have been accorded the opportunity to view Mugabe's body a week after his death. File photo by Zinyange Auntony/AFP

Mugabe's body heads for wake in home village

Sep 15, 2019 - 11:06 PM

The remains of former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe will be taken to his home village of Kutama

Divided Zimbabwe bids farewell to Mugabe with state funeral

Sep 14, 2019 - 1:31 PM

(UPDATED) Mugabe, who died last week in Singapore aged 95, leaves Zimbabwe torn over the legacy of his 37-year rule marked by brutal repression and economic crisis

REMEMBERING MUGABE. An artist sits among portraits, among them some of late former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe, as people gather for viewing the body of Robert Mugabe lying in state during a public send off at the Rufaro Stadium in Harare on September 13, 2019. Photo by Jekesai Nijikizana/AFP

Mugabe's family agree to burial at 'heroes' monument

Sep 13, 2019 - 9:24 PM

Robert Mugabe's nephew says the traditional chiefs in Mugabe's homestead have made the decision

PAYING TRIBUTE. The sons of Zimbabwe's former President, the late Robert Mugabe, Robert Junior (L), Chatunga (2R) and her sister Regina Gata stand near the helicopter carrying the casket of Mugabe at Rufaro stadium on September 13, 2019 where his body lays in state for a second day. Photo by Tony Karumba/AFP

Mugabe family sets burial for home village, not 'Heroes' shrine

Sep 12, 2019 - 7:16 PM

Some family members are still bitter over Zimbabwean ex-president Robert Mugabe's ouster and the role his former ally President Emmerson Mnangagwa played

HOME. Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa (C-R) stands by former first lady Grace Mugabe (C-L) at the Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare after the arrival of the body of former President Robert Mugabe on September 11, 2019.Photo by Jekesai Njikizana/AFP

Mugabe's body arrives home for burial in divided Zimbabwe

Sep 11, 2019 - 1:40 PM

(4th UPDATE) Around two thousand supporters, family members, and government officials were on the tarmac at Harare airport to welcome Robert Mugabe's remains

HOME. Pall bearers walk by the casket of late Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe as it arrives in Harare on September 11, 2019. Photo by Tony Karumba/AFP

Mugabe's body may return home next week – family

Sep 08, 2019 - 7:34 PM

A delegation is set to collect Robert Mugabe's body from Singapore

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe addresses party members and supporters gathered at his party headquarters to show support to Grace Mugabe becoming the party's next Vice President after the dismissal of Emerson Mnangagwa November 8 2017. Zimbabwe's sacked vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, said on November 8, 2017, he had fled the country, as he issued a direct challenge to long-ruling President Robert Mugabe and his wife Grace. / AFP PHOTO / Jekesai NJIKIZANA

Allies hail Mugabe, UK brands him 'autocrat'

Sep 06, 2019 - 11:46 PM

Here is a selection of top world reactions to the death of Zimbabwe's ex-president Robert Mugabe

WORLD REACTION. A Kenyan woman watches news with the headline on the death of former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, at an electronics shop in Nairobi on September 6, 2019. Photo by Simon Maina/AFP

Robert Mugabe: Liberation hero turned despot

Sep 06, 2019 - 2:03 PM

First heralded as a liberator who rid the former British colony Rhodesia of white-minority rule, Mugabe is now remembered a despot who crushed political dissent and ruined Zimbabwe's economy

(FILES) This file photo taken on April 13, 2016 shows Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe speaking during the burial of two national heroines, Victoria Chitepo and Vivian Mwashita, at the National Heroes Acre, in Harare. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on July 27, 2016 launched a blistering attack on anti-government activists, foreign embassies and disaffected war veterans as he sought to assert his grip on power following recent protests. / AFP PHOTO / JEKESAI NJIKIZANA

Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's ruthless ex-president, dies aged 95

Sep 06, 2019 - 1:31 PM

(5th UPDATE) 'Mugabe was an icon of liberation.... His contribution to the history of our nation and continent will never be forgotten,' says Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa

END OF ERA. File photo of former Zimbabwe President Mugabe. Photo by Jekesai Njikazana/AFP

672 arrested in global swoop on fake food and drink – Interpol

Jun 22, 2019 - 11:49 AM

In Zimbabwe, authorities seized soft drinks containing high levels of the active ingredient in drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction

Bottles of Coca-Cola are pictured at a branch of Asda in north London, on April 27, 2018. - 42 firms, responsible for 80 percent of plastic packaging sold in Britain, have signed up to a pact that aims to tackle plastic pollution over the next seven years through a series of measures. (Photo by Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS / AFP)

Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique threatened by new tropical storm

Apr 24, 2019 - 12:18 AM

The poor southern African country is still reeling from the impact of deadly Cyclone Idai which left about 1,000 dead in Mozambique and Zimbabwe

DISPLACED. A woman walks through a camp for displaced people in Nhamatanda district on April 15, 2019. Photo by Zinyange Auntony/AFP

Inflation nightmare returns to haunt Zimbabwe

Apr 21, 2019 - 9:50 PM

Prices of goods and services in Zimbabwe are skyrocketing at rates unseen in a decade. 'It's a miracle how people are surviving,' says a resident.

Emily Maphosa, 78, cooks on March 2, 2019 at her home in Emakhandeni Bulawayo. - For years now Maphosa has been ordering most her groceries from South Africa using the service of informal couriers. Items are loaded in Johannesburg onto trailers attached to minibuses which make the 550 kilometres (340 miles) journey north to the border of Zimbabwe, where economic situation has dramatically deteriorated, pushing inflation above 50 percent, and shortages of household essentials have become widespread. (Photo by ZINYANGE AUNTONY / AFP)

Cyclone Idai's death toll nears 1,000 in Mozambique, Zimbabwe

Apr 10, 2019 - 8:29 PM

Zimbabwe updates its toll to 344 while Mozambique says recorded fatalities stand at 602, taking the combined tally to 946

DESTRUCTION. In this file photo taken on April 01, 2019, debris and destroyed buildings which stood in the path of Cyclone Idai can be seen in this aerial photograph over the Praia Nova neighbourhood in Beira. File photo by Guillem Sartorio/AFP

Cyclone-ravaged Mozambique reports 5 cholera cases

Mar 27, 2019 - 6:13 PM

UN humanitarian aid chief Mark Lowcock has appealed for $282 million of relief aid over the next 3 months for Mozambique

HELP NEEDED. Women wait in a line to receive relief supplies from South Africa's disaster relief organization Gift of the Givers after the area has been isolated by the Cyclone Idai in Estaquinha, about 80km west from Beira, Mozambique, on March 26, 2019. Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

Mozambique cyclone survivors face 'ticking bomb' of disease

Mar 26, 2019 - 10:29 AM

As logistical conditions improve and roads to affected communities are reconnected, the full scale of the humanitarian crisis is revealed for the first time since disaster hit on March 15

LOOTING IN MOZAMBIQUE. People take part in the looting sacks of Chinese rice printed "China Aid" from a warehouse which is surrounded by water after cyclone hit in Beira, Mozambique, on March 20, 2019. Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

Mozambique cyclone death toll climbs to 417 – government

Mar 23, 2019 - 6:51 PM

'We are living an unprecedented natural disaster,' Lands and Environment Minister Celso Correia says

Aid workers scramble to get relief supplies to Mozambique cyclone victims

Mar 22, 2019 - 11:01 PM

The confirmed death toll in Mozambique and neighboring Zimbabwe reaches 432 on Friday, March 22, with 293 killed in Mozambique, and around 1.7 million people affected

RELIEF. An aid worker hands a woman a cup of water in the port of Beira, Mozambique on March 22, 2019. Photo by Wikus De Wet/AFP

15,000 awaiting rescue in flood-stricken Mozambique

Mar 21, 2019 - 7:57 PM

Land and Environmental Minister Celso Correia says around 3,000 people have been rescued so far since Tropical Cyclone Idai struck the flood-prone impoverished southern African country

AFTERMATH. People take part in the looting sacks of Chinese rice printed "China Aid" from a warehouse which is surrounded by water after cyclone hit in Beira, Mozambique, on March 20, 2019. Photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP

Mozambique, Zimbabwe cyclone deaths exceed 300 as U.N. boosts aid

Mar 20, 2019 - 5:19 PM

The UN adds one of the worst storms to hit southern Africa in decades also unleashes a humanitarian crisis in Malawi, affecting nearly a million people

MOZAMBIQUE'S CYCLONE. Locals stand on a damaged section of the road between Beira and Chimoio in Nhamatanda district, central Mozambique, on March 19, 2019, after the area was hit by the Cyclone Idai. Photo by Adrien Barbier/AFP

Zimbabwe drifts toward online darkness

Mar 19, 2019 - 10:40 AM

Ordinary Zimbabweans face a new era of repression from surveillance systems created in China and Japan

ZIMBABWE ONLINE. Photo by Getty Images/AFP

More than 1,000 feared dead in Mozambique storm

Mar 18, 2019 - 9:08 PM

(3rd UPDATE) 'When we flew over the area...this morning to understand what's going on, everything indicates that we could register more than 1,000 deaths,' says Mozambican President Felipe Nyusi

AFTERMATH. Residents are seen protecting themselves by the rain in the aftermath of the passage of the cyclone Idai in Beira, Mozambique, on March 17, 2019. Photo by Adrien Barbier/AFP

At least 24 dead as Cyclone Idai hits eastern Zimbabwe

Mar 16, 2019 - 10:26 PM

Zimbabwe officials say 24 are dead with over 100 people missing

FLOODED. Rain, which is believed to be the beginning of Tropical cyclone Idai coming from central Mozambique, falls in the flooded districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje in southern Malawi, on March 15, 2019. Photo by Amos Gumulira/AFP

Zimbabwe pledges to probe abuse, rape claims against security forces

Jan 26, 2019 - 10:44 PM

The country's justice minister says complaints should be lodged with the police and also assures that they would be treated with 'impartiality and sensitivity,' but many Zimbabweans fear retribution and find reporting such cases daunting

PROTEST RESPONSE. A police officer fires a warning shot to disperse protesters during a 'stay-away' demonstration against the doubling of fuel prices on January 14, 2019 in Emakhandeni township, Bulawayo. Photo by Zinyange Auntony/AFP

President vows to probe Zimbabwe forces over crackdown

Jan 22, 2019 - 4:01 PM

'Violence or misconduct by our security forces is unacceptable and a betrayal of the new Zimbabwe,' Mnangagwa says on Twitter

PROBING ZIMBABWE'S FORCES. Zimbabwe President and candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa stands after casting his ballot at Sherwood Primary School in Kwekwe on July 30 2018, during Zimbabwe's 2018 general elections to elect the president and members of Parliament. File photo by Jekesai Njikiziana/AFP

Zimbabwe crackdown 'taste of things to come' – presidential spokesman

Jan 20, 2019 - 10:26 PM

The crackdown has underlined fears of a return to the violent repression of Robert Mugabe, who was ousted from power by the military 14 months ago

New interim Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa looks on after he was officially sworn-in during a ceremony in Harare on November 24, 2017. Zimbabwe's newly sworn-in President Emmerson Mnangagwa vowed during his inauguration speech on November 24 to protect foreign investments in the country as he sought to lay out his economic credentials. "In this global world no nation is, can, or need be an island. All foreign investments will be safe in Zimbabwe," he told a crowd of tens of thousands at his inauguration ceremony. / AFP PHOTO / MUJAHID SAFODIEN

Zimbabwe police erect road blocks to hunt protesters

Jan 20, 2019 - 8:56 AM

The police says the road blocks are aimed to catch suspected looters and recover property stolen during the protests

PROTEST. Zimbabwean anti-riot police forces watch men, arrested during violent protests triggered by a sudden rise in fuel prices announced by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa for their hearing at the Law Court in the capital Harare, on January 16, 2019. Photo by Jekesai Njikizana/AFP

Zimbabwe president cuts short holiday over doctors' strike

Jan 02, 2019 - 9:55 PM

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa will play an oversight role in the negotiations between the government and the doctors on strike

NEGOTIATIONS. Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa seeks to resolve the doctors' strike in his country. File photo by Jekesai Njikizana/AFP

Ailing Mugabe now unable to walk, says Zimbabwe president

Nov 25, 2018 - 4:30 AM

'He now is unable to walk but whatever he asks for we will provide,' says President Emmerson Mnangagwa

CLAIM. Former Zimbabwe President Mugabe addresses the media in Harare on July 29, 2018 during a surprise press conference on the eve of the country's first election since he was ousted from office last year. Photo by Jekesai Njikazana/AFP

Village in the city tries to save Zimbabwe traditions

Nov 04, 2018 - 1:30 AM

Hatifari Munongi, a poet, storyteller, and retired schoolteacher, has built a replica traditional homestead at her property in the suburb of Marlborough in Harare

REPLICA. Poet, storyteller and retired schoolteacher, Hatifari Munongi tells a traditional folklore story to a group of kindergarten children visiting the replica traditional homestead she set up in the backyard of her house in the suburb of Marlborough in Harare on October 18, 2018. Photo by Jekesai Njikizana/AFP

Cholera death toll climbs to 28 in Zimbabwe

Sep 16, 2018 - 10:11 PM

Authorities ban public gatherings in the city as a health measure against cholera

Emmerson Mnangagwa sworn in as president of Zimbabwe

Aug 26, 2018 - 6:41 PM

(UPDATED) Mnangagwa wins the election with 50.8% of the vote, just enough to meet the 50% threshold needed to avoid a run-off against the main opposition led by Nelson Chamisa

CAMPAIGN. A vendor covers her wares before leaving her stall to attend a Movement for Democratic Change Alliance addressed by opposition leader Nelson Chamisa on July 7, 2018 in the mining town of Zvishavane, Midlands province Zimbabwe. Photo by Zinyange Auntony/AFP

Zimbabwe opposition leader insists he won elections

Aug 25, 2018 - 10:58 PM

'As far as we are concerned, we have a view that is contrary to the view of the Constitutional Court,' Nelson Chamisa says

Tributes pour in for former UN chief, Nobel laureate Kofi Annan

Aug 18, 2018 - 7:48 PM

(4th UPDATE) World leaders and organizations pay tribute to the former UN Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize laureate

UN CHIEF. In this file photo taken on April 28, 2004, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan takes a question during a press conference at the UN Headquarters in New York. Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP

Zimbabwe opposition in court over post-vote violence

Aug 04, 2018 - 6:17 PM

Newly-elected President Emmerson Mnangagwa accused the opposition of instigating Wednesday's protests over alleged vote fraud where troops opened fire on demonstrators, killing 6

A vendor scurries for cover with her wares as soldiers disperse demonstrators on August 1 2018, in Harare, after protests erupted over alleged fraud in the country's election. Protests in Zimbabwe's historic elections turned bloody on August 1 as a man was shot dead during demonstrations over alleged vote fraud and the president appealed for calm. The man died after soldiers fired live ammunition during opposition protests in downtown Harare, AFP reporters saw. / AFP PHOTO / Zinyange AUNTONY

Zimbabwe opposition rejects 'fake' Mnangagwa victory

Aug 03, 2018 - 3:10 PM

(UPDATED) Movement for Democratic Change party opposition leader Nelson Chamisa says the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission denied access to voting results before announcing President Emmerson Mnangagwa's victory

YOUNG LEADER. MDC-Alliance leader and opposition presidential candidate of Zimbabwe Nelson Chamisa greets supporters as he arrives at a campaign rally in Chitungwizea, outside Harare on July 26, 2018. Photo by Marco Longari/AFP

Mnangagwa wins Zimbabwe's 1st post-Mugabe election

Aug 03, 2018 - 8:38 AM

Moments before the official announcement, MDC spokesman Morgan Komichi denounces the vote count as 'fake' as he took to the stage at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission results center before being removed by police

WINNER. In this file photo, Zimbabwe President and candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa stands after casting his ballot at Sherwood Primary School in Kwekwe on July 30 2018, during Zimbabwe's 2018 general elections to elect the president and members of Parliament. Photo by Jekesai Njikizana/AFP

Zimbabwe warns of crackdown after opposition vote protests

Aug 02, 2018 - 11:48 AM

Police confirm the death toll of 3, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa issues a statement blaming the opposition for the unrest and fatalities

PROTEST. A vendor scurries for cover with her wares as soldiers disperse demonstrators on August 1 2018, in Harare, after protests erupted over alleged fraud in Zimbabwe's election. Photo by Zinyange Auntony/AFP