Zimbabwe | GlobalPost

Zimbabwe back on brink

AndyOctober 29, 2009 10:24

Zimbabwe is on the brink of sliding back into the violence that marred the country following its elections last year, according to a bulletin issued by Amnesty International.

Zimbabwe detains UN torture expert

AndyOctober 28, 2009 18:01

President Robert Mugabe's government has detained a United Nations expert on torture, preventing him from carrying out an investigation into widespread charges of systematic state violence against the opposition. The detention of the U.N.'s special rapporteur on torture, Michael Nowak, comes amid a new wave of arrests, intimidation and allegations of state-sponsored violence.

Zimbabwe in crisis

Andrew MeldrumOctober 17, 2009 09:53Updated May 30, 2010 13:11

BOSTON – Zimbabwe’s government is locked in crisis over the jailing of opposition leaderRoy Bennett.

Jacaranda time in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe CorrespondentOctober 22, 2009 07:01Updated May 30, 2010 13:10

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Mention Zimbabwe and the listener will think of chaos and decay. But in October, with jacaranda trees displaying their striking purple blossoms, the nation’s capital, Harare, could easily be described as charming. White British settlers imported the trees from South America at the end of the 19th century. Whole avenues are awash with masses of mauve blooms. Their appearance heralds the arrival of summer, which in Zimbabwe arrives on the dot at this time of year. And as the heat increases so does the prospect of rain.

Re-jailing of Roy Bennett in Zimbabwe is an outrage

AndyOctober 14, 2009 15:19

The latest outrage from Zimbabwe is that Roy Bennett, a key aide to Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, has been thrown back in jail on spurious charges. The re-jailing of Bennett highlights how Mugabe still holds the power to jail and persecute his critics. Mugabe's actions jeopardize the viability of the power-sharing government, according to many analysts in Harare.

News media at heart of Zimbabwe's struggle

Zimbabwe CorrespondentOctober 13, 2009 06:50Updated May 30, 2010 13:10

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Starved of news, Zimbabweans may soon get a daily newspaper that for the first time in six years is not owned by the state and does not portray President Robert Mugabe as a hero. Since the Mugabe government banned the privately-owned Daily News in 2003, readers across the country have been treated to a daily diet of government vitriol aimed mostly at Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his civic allies.

With Zimbabwe's embattled opposition

Douglas RogersSeptember 21, 2009 18:01Updated May 30, 2010 13:08

Editor's note: Zimbabwean writer Douglas Rogers' new book, "The Last Resort: A Memoir of Zimbabwe," is a dramatic account of his parents' tourist lodge that, over the course of the country's economic and political crisis, has served as an informal brothel, a hideout for illegal diamond smugglers, and a safe haven for political activists. The sweeping saga of the ups and downs of his family and many other Zimbabweans, both black and white, has won glowing early reviews.

Zimbabwe: Has anything changed in one year?

Zimbabwe CorrespondentSeptember 16, 2009 07:09Updated May 30, 2010 13:07

HARARE, Zimbabwe — It is one year since President Robert Mugabe agreed to a power-sharing deal with his main election challenger, Morgan Tsvangirai, of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Zimbabwean refugees face crime, harassment in South Africa

Nicolas BrulliardNovember 27, 2009 09:50Updated May 30, 2010 13:06

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Although Zimbabwe's internal political situation has improved marginally, the millions of Zimbabweans who have fled the country’s economic collapse continue to face considerable hardship in South Africa. Many Zimbabweans hoping to start a new life in the continent’s economic powerhouse find themselves without shelter, employment and access to basic services. In addition, they often become the target of the hostility of locals who don’t fancy waves of newcomers in a country plagued by chronic unemployment.

Zuma has dim view of Zimbabwe

GlobalPost CorrespondentSeptember 1, 2009 07:08Updated May 30, 2010 13:06

HARARE, Zimbabwe — Jacob Zuma had a dim impression of this capital city when he arrived on his first visit as South Africa's president. The airport lights were out due to a power cut so vehicles on the runway were pressed into service to provide illumination for Zuma’s welcome by President Robert Mugabe. It was too dark for an inspection of the guard of honor so that had to be cancelled.