Denford Magora's Latest Zimbabwe News Blog

President Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai at State House after swearing in Ministers at the start of the Inclusive Government. The lifting of sanctions by the EU only serve to remind Mugabe that the man who asked for him to be put on the sanctions list is his Prime Minister today So, the European Union has lifted sanctions against Zimbabwe. ZANU PF, Mugabe's party, has reacted by spitting in the EUs face. This was to be expected. Mugabe and his party have long rejected the legality and morality of the sanctions. Tsvangirai, Mugabe's Prime Minister, together with the EU, have long played the semantic game of insisting these were not sanctions, but "restrictive measures" - Mugabe had so powerfully loaded that one word - sanctions - that Tsvangirai and the European Union suddenly became scared to even utter it. But I see that, today, all reports refer to whatever these are as "sanctions." I do not hear the EU or Tsvangirai's party cor...

The referendum on the Zimbabwe Constitution, slated for the end of this week has given birth to the spectacle of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai campaigning on the same platform as President Robert Mugabe. Both men are urging their supporters to vote yes, even as Tsvangirai now screams blue murder and insists that the elections that will follow in July will not be free and fair. There is  intimidation, apparently, and even killings and deaths. So why the embrace, seems to be the question most posted to me on this page in my absence. Simple: Tsvangirai has the constitution that he wants, even though he would like more power in the hands of the president. Mugabe simply does not care. He is sick and tired of what he calls "this multi-headed monster" - the Unity Government. He is impatient for the elections to come, sure he will wallop the MDC. He made this clear in an address to chiefs recently. The Constitution is flawed, he said. but ZANU (PF) supporters must v...

This was the scene yesterday at the Harare International Airport, showing plumes of smoke rising from tyres being burnt to simulate a plane crash. The BBC, CNN and other international networks were hoodwinked for a while into believing that there had been a plane crash. Even hospitals and the Fire Brigade were not told it was drill and this was all "to test preparedness", according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe Harare, Zimbabwe, 06 August 2010 The Coalition Government of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe has royally stitched up international media networks like the BBC and CNN, feeding them lies about a non-existent plane crash at Harare International Airport and then blaming them for reporting the lies. Last night, the main news on Zimbabwe television went on and on about the sinister agenda of the BBCs and the CNNs of this world, how they have a hatred of Zimbabwe and insist only on reporting things that paint Zimbabwe in ...

Simba Makoni holds up the Finance Minister's Briefcase in 2002, just before presenting Zimbabwe's national budget for that year. Even back then, Makoni was reluctant to take the job and hesitated until Mugabe called him to say he could not wait announcing his cabinet any longer and that he would announce the cabinet without a Finance Minister if he did not get a response from Makoni by the end of that day. Harare, Zimbabwe, 18 July 2010 Dr Simba Makoni paid what was dubbed a "courtesy call" on Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last week, amidst persistent reports from within the MDC-T that Morgan Tsvangirai has proposed him for the Finance Minister position in a bid to get rid of Tendai Biti, whom the Prime Minister is in a bitter fight with for control of the MDC-T. Sources in the Prime Minister's office say Tsvangirai proposed Makoni to Mugabe for the second time just last week, with the president refusing flat out to entertain the idea of the former Finance Mini...

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai chats with President Robert Mugabe at State House after the President had sworn in ministers nominated by the Prime Minister from his own party to replace those he had fired Harare, Zimbabwe 18 July 2010 A source extremely close to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai this last week described the fighting in Tsvangirai's party as "frightening" while claiming that the opposition party is so disorganised that "we will never take power from ZANU PF". The source, a confidant of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, blamed all the infighting on the Prime Minister, saying he was told "not to rock the boat" but went ahead anyway to reshuffle the cabinet on his side." The source also confirmed that Tendai Biti, the Finance Minister in Zimbabwe's coalition government and MDC-Tsvangirai's Secretary-General was saved from being reshuffled or fired by President Mugabe himself. "The PM came back from a Monday meeting one d...

Pic: Sunday Ma il President Mugabe is seen here wearing the flowing white robes of the Johane Marange Apostolic Faith Sect in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe this last week. The president, in the clearest indication yet that he will stand for office at the next elections, attended the sect's annual gathering. He wants their votes at the next elections. Harare, Zimbabwe, 18 July 2010 President Robert Mugabe appeared on the front page of the Sunday Mail in Zimbabwe today putting on the white robes of the Johane Marange Apostolic Faith sect. The Zimbabwean president was attending the sect's customary retreat in the mountainous Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. The sect is becoming a powerful force in Zimbabwean politics, with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai also being seen there last year. The reason for the homage being paid by politicians is that the sect has hundreds of thousands of followers all over the country and they tend to follow the teachings of their leaders closely. T...

Prime Minister `Morgan Tsvangirai, Vice-president Mujuru and Deputy Prime Ministers Arthur Mutambara and Thokozani Khupe arrive at the Opening of the Third Session of the 7th Parliament of Zimbabwe in Harare yesterday. Members of the Presidential Guard of the Zimbabwe Army take up their positions outside Parliament soon after the arrival of President Mugabe to open parliament in Harare, yesterday President Mugabe whistling to himself as is his custom whenever he inspects the Guard of Honour. Behind him is the Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, General Constantine Chiwenga President Mugabe arriving in his vintage Rolls Royce at the Parliament Buildings in Harare yesterday. Harare, Zimbabwe, 14 July 2010 President Robert Mugabe opened the Third Session of the Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe in Harare yesterday as crowds watched from Africa Unity Square on a giant screen. There was gridlock in the city centre, the traffic jam having been caused by the closing off roads leading to th...