Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa sets election date as Aug. 23
May 31, 2023 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's national elections will take place on Aug. 23, the country's president announced Wednesday. The vote is expected to be another closely watched affair in a country with a history of violent and disputed elections.
Zimbabwe opposition figure fined for slain activist comments
May 3, 2023 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A prominent opposition leader and lawmaker in Zimbabwe was convicted Wednesday of obstructing the course of justice for recording a video of himself accusing ruling party supporters of killing and dismembering an activist and posting the video to social media.
Belarus’ Lukashenko visits fellow Russia ally Zimbabwe
January 30, 2023 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Belarusia's authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Zimbabwe to pomp and fanfare on Monday, in a visit that seeks to cement economic and political ties between the two countries that are both close allies of Russia.
Zimbabwe threatens health workers with jail if they strike
January 11, 2023 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe has brought in a law that bans health workers such as nurses and doctors from prolonged strikes, imposing punishments of up to six months in jail for defiant workers or union leaders, state-run media and a government spokesman said Wednesday.
US hits Zimbabwe president’s son with sanctions
December 12, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Monday slapped corruption sanctions on the son of Zimbabwe’s president as the U.S. prepares to host a major summit of African leaders in Washington.
Zimbabwe’s imposing new Chinese-funded parliament opens
November 23, 2022 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa hailed “excellent” relations with China as he delivered for the first time a State of the Nation address at a new multimillion-dollar parliament building gifted by the Asian economic giant.
Zimbabwe’s ruling party backs leader despite huge inflation
October 28, 2022 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's president on Friday officially opened a ruling party congress that is set to renominate him as the party's presidential candidate for next year's election, but soaring inflation and a government crackdown on dissent are fueling tensions in the southern African nation.
Author Dangarembga found guilty in Zimbabwe rights protest
September 29, 2022 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — World-renowned author Tsitsi Dangarembga was found guilty Thursday of promoting public violence in her home country of Zimbabwe for participating in a largely peaceful antigovernment protest in 2020 that called for reforms.
Zimbabwe government harasses opposition with arrests, jail
September 3, 2022 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Opposition politicians languishing in prison. Journalists and government critics harassed and arrested. Public meetings banned.
Zimbabwe’s general election is several months away but many opposition figures say they are already battling intense government repression similar to the iron-fisted rule of Robert Mugabe, the former president who died in 2019.
Thousands hail Zimbabwe opposition leader at new party rally
February 20, 2022 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s leading opposition figure Nelson Chamisa drew thousands of cheering supporters on Sunday to his first political rally since forming a new party weeks ago, as the country gears for elections that have been postponed due to COVID-19.
Zimbabwe floods Victoria Falls with vaccines to help tourism
August 8, 2021 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls usually teems with tourists who come to marvel at the roaring Zambezi River as it tumbles down more than 350 feet (108 meters) to the gorge below, sending up a mist that is visible from miles away.
African leaders gather to pay respects to Kenneth Kaunda
July 2, 2021 GMTLUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — African leaders have gathered with ordinary Zambians to attend a memorial service Friday for Kenneth Kaunda, the nation's founding president and champion of African nationalism.
Zimbabwe unveils statue honoring anti-colonialist heroine
May 25, 2021 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s president on Tuesday unveiled a towering bronze statue in the center of Harare, the capital, honoring a 19th-century Black anti-colonialist heroine who was hanged for leading a rebellion against white occupation.
Zimbabwe court blocks leader from keeping chief justice on
May 15, 2021 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s High Court on Saturday forced the country’s chief justice to retire, ruling that an extension of his term by the president is illegal.
The ruling is a major setback for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, whose party in May pushed through constitutional amendments that critics said concentrated power in the hands of the president.
Zimbabwe judge ends detention for investigative journalist
November 20, 2020 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A Zimbabwean judge on Friday ended the 17-day detention of an investigative journalist charged for tweeting about alleged corruption...
Zimbabwe journalist Hopewell Chin’ono arrested on new charge
November 3, 2020 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe police have arrested investigative journalist, Hopewell Chin’ono on contempt of court charges, his lawyer said Tuesday...
Zimbabwe Cabinet approves proposal to criminalize protests
October 28, 2020 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s cabinet has approved proposed legislation that would make it a crime for activists to make “unsubstantiated claims” of human rights abuses, hold anti-government protests that could draw international attention or speak with foreign governments without state approval...
Zimbabwe’s ‘keyboard warriors’ hold protests off the streets
August 29, 2020 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Unable to protest on the streets, some in Zimbabwe are calling themselves “keyboard warriors” as they take to graffiti and social media to pressure a government that promised reform but is now accused of gross human rights abuses...
Scores of Zimbabwe protesters arrested, military in streets
July 31, 2020 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Scores of people were arrested Friday in Zimbabwe as hundreds of military troops as well as police attempted to thwart an anti-government protest, with streets empty and many people hiding indoors...
Zimbabwe signs billion-dollar deal to repay white farmers
July 29, 2020 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s government on Wednesday signed a deal with former white farmers to pay them billions of dollars in compensation roughly two decades after they lost their land in often violent invasions...
Zimbabwe’s health minister charged in COVID-19 graft case
June 20, 2020 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe’s health minister on Saturday was charged with criminal abuse of duty as a public officer, accused of illegally awarding a multi-million-dollar contract for COVID-19 medical supplies to a shadowy company that sold the government $28 face masks and other materials at inflated prices.
Hundreds rally during Zimbabwe’s new anti-sanctions holiday
October 25, 2019 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The massive march that Zimbabwe's government tried to rouse for a new anti-sanctions public holiday appeared to fizzle on Friday, as just hundreds of people turned out in the capital, Harare, instead of the many thousands the ruling party had in mind.
Few turn out as Mugabe is returned to a Zimbabwe in crisis
September 11, 2019 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's founding leader Robert Mugabe made his final journey back to the country Wednesday, his body flown into the capital amid the contradictions of his long, controversial rule...
Mugabe’s body heading home to Zimbabwe for mourning, burial
September 11, 2019 GMTSINGAPORE (AP) — The body of Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe was being returned to his homeland Wednesday to lie in state before his burial in the African nation he ruled for decades...
‘We are trapped’: Zimbabwe’s economic crunch hits passports
June 15, 2019 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — With Zimbabwe's economy in shambles and political tensions rising, leaving the country seems the best option for many who are desperate for jobs...
Zimbabwe leader: Violence by security forces ‘unacceptable’
January 22, 2019 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's president on Tuesday said "unacceptable" violence by security forces will be investigated after a days-long crackdown on economic unrest, while a doctor said the 12 documented deaths and more than 300 people wounded are likely "are just a fraction of the actual victims...
Zimbabwe in ‘total internet shutdown’ amid deadly crackdown
January 18, 2019 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe imposed a "total internet shutdown" for most of Friday in what critics called an attempt to hide growing reports of a violent crackdown on protests against a dramatic fuel price increase...
Zimbabwe police arrest 600 in harsh crackdown on protests
January 16, 2019 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe police armed with AK-47 rifles detained a prominent activist and pastor on Wednesday, part of more than 600 arrests, in a harsh crackdown over protests against dramatic fuel price hikes in the economically shattered country.
Passengers in Zimbabwe caught in bus fire; 40 killed
November 16, 2018 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Fire swept through a passenger bus in Zimbabwe, killing more than 40 people and injuring at least 20, some of whom suffered severe burns, authorities said Friday.
A photograph posted on Twitter by the Zimbabwe Red Cross shows the remains of the bus that was completely incinerated late Thursday...
Zimbabwean president talks unity; challenger alleges fraud
August 3, 2018 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The two news conferences embodied Zimbabwe's bitter political divisions: Riot police unsuccessfully tried to scuttle an appearance in a hotel garden by the opposition leader who said the country's election was a fraud, while the president spoke about a "flowering" of freedom and bipartisan unity from a red carpet in an elegant State House building...
The Latest: Zimbabwe’s president welcomes court challenge
August 3, 2018 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The Latest on Zimbabwe's election (all times local):
6 p.m.
Zimbabwe's president says people are free to approach the courts if they have issues with the results of Monday's election, which he carried with just over 50 percent of the vote...
Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa wins 1st post-Mugabe election
August 3, 2018 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa won election Friday with just over 50 percent of the ballots as the ruling party maintained control of the government in the first vote since the fall of longtime leader Robert Mugabe...
Deadly riots rock Zimbabwe’s capital as vote results delayed
August 1, 2018 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Soldiers and police fired live rounds, water cannons and tear gas at furious protesters who threw rocks and burned vehicles Wednesday in Zimbabwe's capital, dashing the optimism of an election that the country hoped would set it on a new course after decades of Robert Mugabe's rule...
Recovery or stagnation? Zimbabwe holds pivotal vote Monday
July 29, 2018 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe votes Monday in an election that could, if deemed credible, tilt the country toward recovery after years of economic collapse and repression under former leader Robert Mugabe...
Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland massacre haunts Monday’s elections
July 28, 2018 GMTSIMBUMBUMBU, Zimbabwe (AP) — Thirty-four years later, Ellis Ndlovu still cannot bear to look at the tree in the schoolyard where Zimbabwean soldiers killed her son...
Zimbabwe proposes budget aimed at reviving bleak economy
December 7, 2017 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's new government plans to reduce diplomatic missions and ban first-class travel for everyone but the president as it tries to revive a devastated economy after longtime leader Robert Mugabe resigned last month...
Mugabe was relieved after quitting, Zimbabwean mediator says
November 26, 2017 GMTCHISHAWASHA, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's former President Robert Mugabe knew it was "the end of the road" days before he quit, and appeared relieved when he signed his resignation letter after 37 years in power, a Catholic priest who mediated talks leading to his ouster said Sunday.
‘We dare not squander the moment:’ Zimbabwe’s new leader
November 24, 2017 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabweans must set aside "poisoned" politics and work together to rebuild the nation and re-engage the world, new President Emmerson Mnangagwa said Friday, delivering an inclusive message to an exultant crowd that packed a stadium for his inauguration...
Zimbabwe asks if new leader, a Mugabe ally, can bring change
November 24, 2017 GMTJOHANNESBURG (AP) — Zimbabwe's new president Emmerson Mnangagwa, widely known as the Crocodile, is seen as a smart, ruthless politician, but many question if he will be able to bring the change the country craves...
Ruling party assured Mugabe he wouldn’t face prosecution
November 23, 2017 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's ruling party assured Robert Mugabe that he wouldn't be prosecuted if he resigned, a party official said Thursday, as the fate of the 93-year-old became clearer and the country prepared to move on...
Zimbabwe’s incoming leader returns home to cheers
November 22, 2017 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Poised to become Zimbabwe's next president, a former confidant of ousted leader Robert Mugabe on Wednesday promised "a new, unfolding democracy" and reached out to the world, saying international help is needed to rebuild the shattered economy...
10 Things to Know for Today
November 22, 2017 GMTYour daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:...
Mugabe leaves legacy of economic ruin, upheaval in Zimbabwe
November 21, 2017 GMTJOHANNESBURG (AP) — From widely acclaimed liberator of his nation to despotic dictator, Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule of Zimbabwe has been one of Africa's most controversial and influential...
Zimbabwe’s political drama: What just happened? A timeline
November 20, 2017 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe's longtime President Robert Mugabe, the world's oldest head of state at 93, is resisting calls to step aside...
The Latest: Zimbabwe army says Mugabe working on ‘solution’
November 20, 2017 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The Latest on Zimbabwe's political turmoil (all times local):
8:45 p.m.
Zimbabwe's military says longtime President Robert Mugabe has begun working toward "a definitive solution and roadmap for the country," even as he faces impeachment.
Figure known as ‘Crocodile’ could replace Zimbabwe president
November 19, 2017 GMTJOHANNESBURG (AP) — Emmerson Mnangagwa, elected Sunday as the new leader of Zimbabwe's ruling political party and positioned to take over as the country's leader, has engineered a remarkable comeback using skills he no doubt learned from his longtime mentor, President Robert Mugabe...
The Latest: Zimbabwe’s war vets praise army’s actions
November 15, 2017 GMTHARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — The Latest on Zimbabwe's political turmoil (all times local):
6:50 a.m.
The Zimbabwe army's takeover of the state broadcaster and action against some members of President Robert Mugabe's government has been praised by the chairman of the Liberation War Veterans' Association...