Gambian journalists received specialized training from the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons to enhance their coverage of human trafficking cases affecting vulnerable populations. The capacity-building session at NaNA Conference Hall emphasized accurate and sensitive reporting on exploitation involving forced labor, sexual abuse, and other violations.
Program Officer Momodou Drammeh told participants that their reporting can protect individuals from trafficking networks while raising public awareness about prevention. Gambia Press Union Vice President Sheriff Saidykhan noted the country remains on Tier 2 of a U.S. State Department trafficking assessment, highlighting the need for stronger national responses. He said media...
Zimbabwe's annual scholarship allocation from Merck Foundation has doubled to 40 following seven years of partnership with First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, who serves as the organization's More Than a Mother Ambassador. The philanthropic entity has provided 166 training scholarships to Zimbabwean physicians across 44 medical specializations, including diabetes care, cardiology, fertility treatment, oncology, and pediatrics.
Merck Foundation CEO Rasha Kelej praised Mnangagwa's leadership while announcing the expanded commitment during an alumni summit in Harare, noting that participating doctors have consistently completed their programs with distinction. The collaboration additionally supports the Educating Linda Programme, which...
A critical water supply in Insiza District has been fully restored after Cyclone Dineo destroyed Wanezi Dam eight years ago. The United Nations Development Programme partnered with Zimbabwe's government to rebuild the facility, which now provides water to educational institutions, a health clinic, and a 30-hectare irrigation project supporting 67 farmers.
The rehabilitation included installing a water treatment plant, new pipeline infrastructure, and solar-powered pumping systems. Agricultural advisors report that farmers have secured maize seed for 20 hectares this season, planting early, medium, and late maturing varieties to maximize production in the low-rainfall region. The initiative also trained communities in agricultural...
Zimbabwe's transport sector will anchor economic growth as the nation shifts to its second National Development Strategy beginning next year, according to Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona. Speaking at a corporate governance oversight session in Bulawayo, the minister urged state enterprises, including the Central Mechanical Engineering Department, Zimbabwe National Road Administration, and Air Zimbabwe, to pursue innovative approaches for meeting performance objectives.
Mhona suggested that parastatals explore new revenue streams, such as manufacturing ventures for CMED and hotel operations for the Airports Company of Zimbabwe. He also proposed expanding Air Zimbabwe's fleet with smaller aircraft to...
A Chinhoyi entrepreneur has challenged his criminal conviction for allegedly occupying farmland owned by white commercial farmer Bosman Daniel Brink in Makonde. Thomas Chidzomba contests both the guilty verdict and penalty at the Chinhoyi High Court, arguing insufficient evidence supported the magistrate's decision to convict him while acquitting 19 co-accused individuals.
Chidzomba received a fine and eviction order from Magistrate Franklin Mkwananzi for violating gazetted lands legislation. His legal representatives maintain that prosecutors failed to prove occupation during the specified timeframe, and the lower court improperly considered developments on the property that fell outside the charged period.
The magistrate defended...
An opposition senator has criticized President Emmerson Mnangagwa's recent State of the Nation Address as heavy on promises but light on meaningful content. Citizens Coalition for Change lawmaker Labanny Munemo told the Upper House that the presidential speech contradicted observable conditions across Zimbabwe, pointing to journalist detentions and opposition figures facing treason accusations as evidence of suppressed dissent.
Munemo challenged government claims of economic progress, noting that banking withdrawal limits are harming small businesses while foreign investment remains stagnant. The senator highlighted infrastructure deficiencies, including a blackout that forced Mnangagwa to complete his address using emergency lighting...
Zimbabwe's president has elevated Lieutenant General Emmanuel Matatu to the position of full General and named him the new commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, taking over from General Phillip Valerio Sibanda, whose tenure concludes shortly. The 72-year-old Matatu had only assumed leadership of the army earlier this year after a sudden command change. Major General Asher Walter Tapfumaneyi received a promotion to Lieutenant General and will head the national army.
The appointment arrives as Zimbabwe's military continues wielding considerable political influence following its intervention years ago that ousted Robert Mugabe and brought the current president to power. Former and active military personnel have since occupied...
A suspect in an alleged fraudulent armed robbery died at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital after sustaining injuries when community members attacked him during an escape attempt while in police custody. Tawanda Marumahoko had been detained following accusations from Kenneth Tsvarisai, a bread delivery driver who implicated him as an accomplice in staging a theft involving US$10,000 along the Harare to Chirundu Road.
Investigators recovered US$4,680 from Marumahoko and learned an additional US$300 went toward obtaining legal counsel. Authorities later retrieved a firearm with ammunition at the crime scene. National police spokesman Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed an investigation into the incident remains ongoing, though officials have...
A Zimbabwean farmer drove more than 200 kilometers to deliver an endangered pangolin directly to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, risking a mandatory nine-year prison sentence for possessing the protected species. John Mapurazi transported the animal from his Kwekwe property through multiple police checkpoints before reaching State House in Harare, where officials allowed him to meet the president and transfer the creature to wildlife authorities.
Zimbabwe's Parks and Wildlife Act imposes harsh penalties for capturing or possessing pangolins, which hold a vulnerable status under international conservation guidelines. Officials emphasize that citizens who encounter these animals should observe them without interference and leave them...
