HARARE – At least 35 children born to parents who are members of the apostolic sect have died from suspected mumps and measles inside a single month in Mashonaland West province’s Hurungwe district, a government spokesperson has said. Last year, Harare recorded cases of mumps (mahumunya/amatitiyane), a contagious viral infection which leads to painful swelling of parotid salivary glands in the face, have been recorded in the capital, raising fears of an outbreak. It is frequently reported in children aged 5-9 years of age, although both adolescents and adults may be affected. Posting on X, inf ..read more

INSTANBUL, Turkey – Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday Turkey would join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “Upon completion of the legal text of our work we will submit the declaration of official intervention before the ICJ with the objective of implementing this political decision,” Fidan said in a joint press conference with Indonesia’s foreign minister Retno Marsudi in Ankara. “Turkey will continue to support the Palestinian people in all circumstances,” he said. The ICJ ordered Israel in January to refrain from act ..read more

HARARE – The Zimbabwe Republic Police issued a ban on traditional public processions by workers, a key part of their annual rituals to mark Workers Day. In a statement on the eve of Workers Day on Tuesday, police said workers should flock to different centres that were designated for the commemorations throughout the country without embarking on processions. “On 1 May 2024 (tomorrow), Zimbabwe will join other nations to commemorate Workers Day throughout the country,” police said through its official Twitter handle. “Labour organisations and workers from all parts of the country are expected t ..read more

HARARE – The Zanu PF government on Tuesday announced a plan that would raise over US$73 million annually for the broke Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation by compelling motorists to buy radio licences before renewing their vehicle licences. Zimbabwe has 1.2 million registered cars but an average 800,000 pay vehicle licences, according to the Zimbabwe National Roads Agency (ZINARA). With vehicle radio licences pegged at US$23 per quarter and US$92 per year, this translates to a minimum US$73.6 million in potential revenue for ZBC per year which would rise to US$110 million if every registered veh ..read more

MASVINGO – Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor John Mushayavanhu has thrown a party attended by his rural Gutu tribesmen deep down in his Masvingo home village to celebrate his appointment as central bank boss. Mushayavanhu formally announced his appointment to the helm of the central bank to relatives, in-laws, the traditional leadership and friends who attended the bash. The central bank chief said, somewhat tongue-in-cheek that Mnangagwa, who hails from Masvingo, has broken former President Robert Mugabe’s tradition of appointing people from Manicaland to head the apex bank. Amid cheers ..read more

POLOKWANE, South Africa – Limpopo Health MEC Dr Phophi Ramathuba, Botswana high commissioner Dr Sanji Monageng and social development MEC Nandi Ndalana on Tuesday led the repatriation process of the remains of 45 Botswana citizens at Polokwane International Airport. The remains belong to individuals who died in a bus accident at the Mmamatlakala bridge on the R518 road on March 28, with only one survivor. The Limpopo health department said a multidisciplinary team, including the police victim identification unit, the biology section of the forensic science laboratory unit, forensic pathology s ..read more

HARARE – Controversial apostolic sect leader, Ishmael Chokurongerwa, better known as Madzibaba Ishmael, has been arrested again facing fresh charges of having sex and impregnating five minor girls who include a 13-year-old. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the offences were committed between 2018 and this year. The other girls are aged 14, 15 and 16 and all now have children through him. The 14-year-old already has two children with the cult leader. “Ishmael Chokurongerwa, 56, appeared again at the Norton Magistrates’ Court facing five counts of ‘having sexual intercourse ..read more

HARARE- Zimbabwe’s annual inflation increased to 57.5 percent in April this year, a 0.6 percentage points climb from March on the back of rising prices of goods and services, data released on Monday shows. According to the National Statistics Agency (Zimstat), the country’s inflation stood at 55.3 percent in March. The US dollar inflation was however steady at 3.2 percent and this was the first time Zimstat has published US dollar-based inflation figures. The statistics agency said it will start computing monthly inflation data based on its new currency, the ZiG, from this May. It said ZiG inf ..read more

HARARE – Parirenyatwa Group of Hospital says it is battling a pandemic of a different kind: bogus doctors walking the hospital’s passages with criminal intent. Between January and April this year, the hospital says it dealt with 11 cases of fake doctors who apparently give themselves false identities in order to fleece patients and staff. In 2023, the hospital said 33 bogus doctors were reported to the police. “In 2023 alone, 33 offenders were picked up by our security department. From January 2024 to date, 11 cases of this nature have been picked up by the same department and dealt with accor ..read more

BULAWAYO – Bulawayo mayor David Coltart abruptly left a meeting of the city’s finance committee after a row erupted over the planned spending of US$300,000 on the Bulawayo Arts Festival in June, ZimLive has learnt. Tempers flared in the April 23 meeting after the tabling of a request to fund the festival to be held from 2 to 5 June. The festival follows the commemoration of Bulawayo Day on June 1. Coltart told councillors he had another engagement before walking out of the meeting. Before leaving, he told the other councillors on the committee that the city had other priority projects in need ..read more