News

With revelations that Zimbabwe had spent US$200 million on the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Robert Mugabe was under pressure to withdraw Zimbabwean troops from that country so that this would not be a campaign issue in the 2002 presidential elections.

(179 VIEWS)

A visiting International Monetary Fund team painted a bleak picture of Zimbabwe which they said could end the year with inflation of 80 percent and a budget deficit of 23 percent against the target 3.8 percent with the economic itself shrinking by 5.5 percent in real terms.

(48 VIEWS)

Finance Minister Simba Makoni told United States ambassador Tom McDonald that the new cabinet had been given a clear mandate by President Robert Mugabe to get Zimbabwe to work again.

(48 VIEWS)

In just four years Chenjerai Hunzvi rose from an obscure medical doctor to lead the war veterans association, though he admitted he had never been to the front. The association was dormant at the time but Hunzvi propelled it to greater heights, forcing the government to pay them huge lumpsum payments and pensions when it did not have money. He also became one of the most feared people in the country and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front’s point man to win them votes in areas where support was waning especially after the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change. But within a year of being elected to Parliament, and spearheading the farm invasions that saw scores of white commercial farmers being driven off the land, he was dead. There are just over 20 Wikileaks cables on him. Here is the complete batch.

(89 VIEWS)

Zimbabwe’s cabinet of 2000 was split barely four weeks after being appointed to office with Information Minister Jonathan Moyo leading one faction and Finance Minister Simba Makoni another.

(286 VIEWS)

A man claiming to be a founder of the notorious youth militia, popularly known as the Green Bombers, told United States embassy officials that the first recruits to the National Youth Service, as it was officially called, were trained for the express purpose of playing a role in the upcoming presidential elections.

(166 VIEWS)

War veterans leader Chenjerai Hunzvi died in hospital on 3 June 2001 but the announcement of his death was only made on State radio the following day.

(122 VIEWS)

Three Zimbabwean women – Sophie Nhokwara, Netsai Nhokwara and Rosemary Chakwizira, were arrested last year for allegedly raping men.

(266 VIEWS)

Defence Minister Moven Mahachi died in a car accident barely a month after the death of another minister Border Gezi, also in a car accident.

(893 VIEWS)

War veterans’ leader Chenjerai Hunzvi was reportedly circulating in Masvingo with an AK 47 rifle as violence continued unabated in city in the run-up to the first executive mayoral elections.

(47 VIEWS)