Denford Magora's Latest Zimbabwe News Blog

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition Coordinator, McDonald Lewanika (to your far left as you look at the screen), Vice-Secretary General of ZCTU, Gideon Shoko and Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Director, Abel Nkomo in Brussels last week, where they are urging the European Union to maintain pressure on the Inclusive Government in order to ensure that real reforms are implemented. Their presence here has angered Mugabe, who is now responding by cracking down openly and brutally on protesters. More is yet to come, undoubtedly. Robert The Solution Mugabe has abandoned all pretence of tolerance towards freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. Police today dealt roughly with members of the WOZA group, led by Jenni Williams, when they tried to protest in Bulawayo. Three protesters were hospitalised as a result of the police action. According to Woza, the protesters were "attacked" and beaten by police at the Chronicle offices as well as en route to the protest focal point. Members of Wom...

The Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, was in Norway today, where he is seen here with that country's Minister of Environment and International Development, Erik Solheim. Tsvangirai is struggling to convince the world to give aid to Zimbabwe and is due to meet the European Union this week in Brussels. The European Union, which had initially turned down visa applications for two of Mugabe's ministers today did a volte-face and granted the two (Patrick Chinamasa and Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, both of whom are on the sanctions list) special permission to enter Europe. This came after The Solution warned yesterday that "he would call off the talks" due to take place in Brussels this week. Mugabe is clearly stung by the treatment given to Walter Mzembi, another ZANU PF minister, in Washington last week. Mzembi was left out of the delegation that went to see President Obama at the White House. The trip has been fraught with this sort of tension from the very outset...