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Tag: Zimbabwe

  • Super Eagles battle-ready for Warriors in Asaba

    Super Eagles battle-ready for Warriors in Asaba

    Three–time champions Nigeria have a full house in Asaba, Delta State ahead of Saturday’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations send-forth friendly against the Warriors of Zimbabwe.

    Since qualifying for this year’s AFCON finals following a 1-1 draw with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana in Johannebsurg in November 2018, the Super Eagles have played two friendlies.

    This was a 0-0 draw with the Cranes of Uganda in Asaba on 20th Nov. 20, 2018 and a 1-0 defeat of seven-time African champions Egypt also in Asaba on March 26, 2019.

    Both teams are expected to offer a sneak preview of how prepared they are for the AFCON, with Nigeria seeded in Group B and rated to go far in the finals and Zimbabwe believing it can punch above its weight in a pool also having host nation Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

    While Egypt 2019 will be Nigeria’s 18th appearance at the AFCON, Zimbabwe’s Warriors are making only their fourth appearance, following group stage exits in 2004, 2006 and 2017.

    Nigeria was instrumental to Zimbabwe’s crashing out at the group stage in 2006, when the Super Eagles defeated the Warriors 2-0 in Port Said, with one of the goals from Mikel Obi.

    Incidentally, the midfield enforcer and 14 –year veteran of the Super Eagles is returning to the group on Saturday after one year out.

    He played no part in the AFCON qualifying matches and friendly games post-World Cup but is back in the flow for the finals.

    Nigeria’s squad for the final phase of preparations also includes pacy winger Ahmed Musa, defenders Abdullahi Shehu, Leon Balogun, William Ekong and Jamilu Collins.

    Others include; midfielders John Ogu, Oghenekaro Etebo and Wilfred Ndidi, and forwards Moses Simon, Henry Onyekuru, Odion Ighalo, Samuel Kalu, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze.

    25 EAGLES IN AFCON 2019 CAMP

    Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Katsina United); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa)

    Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor FC, Turkey); Chidozie Awaziem (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Leon Balogun (Brighton & Hove Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Semi Ajayi (Rotherham United, England)

    Midfielders: Mikel John Obi (Middlesbrough FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC, England); John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel)

    Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Al Nassar FC, Saudi Arabia); Victor Osimhen (Royal Charleroi SC, Belgium); Moses Simon (Levante FC, Spain); Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray SK, Turkey); Odion Ighalo (Shanghai Shenhua, China); Alexander Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England); Samuel Kalu (Girondins Bordeaux, France); Paul Onuachu (FC Midtjyland, Denmark); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain).

  • AFCON: Zimbabwe confirm death of fan

    The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has confirmed the death of a female fan in a stampede outside the National Stadium in Harare, ahead of Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo.

    Media reports said that Mai Tadiwa was killed outside an entry gate as impatient fans pushed to enter the stadium amid poor crowd control for what was a vital match for the home side.

    “Our heartfelt condolences go to the family and friends of a Warriors supporter, who passed on after being trampled on at the Warriors match yesterday.

    “We shall continue to work towards making our admission processes at entry points swifter so that recurrence of such unfortunate events can be avoided,” ZIFA said in a statement on Monday.

    Crowd control at stadia across Africa is often haphazard, a situation exacerbated by the fraudulent sale of fake tickets for key games that increases the number of people seeking to enter venues well above the capacity.

    The match went ahead, in spite of the tragedy, with Zimbabwe winning 2-0 to seal their place at the continental finals in Egypt in June and July.

  • Buhari condoles with governments of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi over cyclone

    Buhari condoles with governments of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi over cyclone

    President Muhammadu Buhari has sent condolences to families who have lost loved ones, homes and means of livelihood in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi as Tropical Cyclone Idai takes a toll on Southern Africa.

    In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Tuesday, the president said he deeply shared in the pain and struggle of the governments and people in the region.

    Buhari noted that the affected governments had been working hard to ensure safety of citizens and minimize the devastating effect of the cyclone.

    The president assured the governments and people of Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi of the prayers and support of Nigeria as they passed through the trying period.

    He also commended all the humanitarian organisations that intervened in the affected countries.

     

  • At least 89 dead in Zimbabwe as Cyclone Idai leaves trail of destruction

    At least 89 dead in Zimbabwe as Cyclone Idai leaves trail of destruction

    No fewer than 89 people have died in Zimbabwe after Cyclone Idai tore across the eastern and southern parts of the country, a government official said on Monday.

    The cyclone has added to humanitarian crisis in a nation grappling with economic woes and a drought.

    The scale of destruction is only becoming apparent as rescuers,reach the most affected areas, near the border with Mozambique.

    Chimanimani district has been cut off from the rest of the country by torrential rains and winds of up to 170 km per hour that swept away roads, homes and bridges and knocked out power and communication lines.

    “The number of confirmed deaths throughout the country is now 89,” Nick Mangwana, the secretary for ministry of information told Reuters via a text message.

    Local officials say the body count is expected to rise.

    The UN said over 100 people have died in weeks of heavy rain and flooding in Mozambique and Malawi, where villages were left underwater.

    Rescuers are struggling to reach people in Chimanimani, many of whom have been sleeping in the mountains since Friday, after their homes were flattened by rock falls and mudslides or washed away by torrential rains.

    Many families cannot bury the dead due to the floods.

    The government has declared a state of disaster in areas affected by the storm, the worst to hit the country since Cyclone Eline devastated eastern and southern Zimbabwe in 2000.

    The country of 15 million people is already suffering a severe drought that has wilted crops.

    A UN humanitarian agency says 5.3 million people will require food aid.

  • Zimbabwe’s inflation hits 59.39% in February

    Zimbabwe’s inflation rose to a new 10-year high of 59.39 per cent year-on-year in February from 56.9 per cent in January, the statistics agency Zimstats said on Friday.

    Zimstats said in Harare that the inflation was pushed by increases in the price of basic goods.

    On a monthly basis, prices increased by 1.67 per cent in February, compared to 10.75 per cent in the previous month.

    Zimbabwe’s Central Bank Governor, John Mangudya had said on Monday that annual inflation rate should fall to between 10 and 15 per cent by the end of the year.
    However, economists said the figure could be higher due to price pressures from the exchange rate and a drought.

  • Zimbabwe to run out of bread in 8 days

    Zimbabwe could run out of bread in a week after flour stocks dwindled due to the country’s failure to pay for imported wheat, according to a confidential letter written to bakers by the country’s grain millers’ group on Monday.

    The country is in the grip of a severe shortage of U.S. dollars that has sapped supplies of fuel and drugs, as President Emmerson Mnangagwa struggles to live up to pre-election promises to quickly revive the troubled economy.

    Zimbabwe imports wheat, which it blends with its local crop to make flour for bread, the country’s second major staple after maize meal.

    The Grain Millers Association (GMAZ) general manager Lynette Veremu wrote to the National Bakers Association of Zimbabwe (NBAZ) to tell them the country has not paid for 55,000 tonnes of wheat in bonded warehouses in Mozambique and Harare.

    “We regret to advise that the current stocks for foreign wheat for bread flour have depleted to 5,800 tonnes and … we are left with less than eight days of national bread flour supplies,” the letter said.

    GMAZ spokesman Garikai Chaunza confirmed the letter, saying “this is the situation we are faced with”.

    Ngoni Mazango, the president of the bakers’ group, was not immediately available to comment.

    The central bank lists wheat among priority imports like fuel and drugs, but has struggled to pay suppliers in the past. GMAZ said in December it owed foreign suppliers $80 million for past wheat imports.

    Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya did not answer calls to his mobile phone.

  • Zimbabwe to host Africa ICT summit

    Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, will on Wednesday officiate
    at an ICT convention which is expected to attract more than 500 participants from several African countries and the ICT world.

    The country’s Primary and Secondary Education Minister, Paul Mavima, told Tuesday’s Herald newspaper that the two-day Innovation Africa Summit would be hosted by Zimbabwe’s higher education ministry and two private companies, one of which is based in the United Kingdom.

    He said ministers from 17 African countries and 45 international companies such as Microsoft, Intel, JP Canon, among others had confirmed their attendance.

    “We are glad the summit will be held in Zimbabwe and is taking place within the context of the Second Republic, under which the government and the nation are working towards restoration of our country to its legitimate glory,” he said.

    “We have the highest potential in Africa for a human capital pipeline that will justify the location of their headquarters
    for the African region in Zimbabwe,” he said.

    He added that the summit was being held at a time the Zimbabwean government was working towards aligning the education sector with the requirements of the 21st century.

     

  • Zimbabwe’s President re-appoints 2 vice

    Zimbabwe’s President re-appoints 2 vice

    Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, on Thursday re-appointed his two vice, Constantino Chiwenga and Kembo Mohadi.

    Chiwenga was Zimbabwe’s defence forces chief who led the military intervention which toppled former President Robert Mugabe.

    The two vice presidents were sworn into office by Chief Justice Luke Malaba at the State House in the presence of Mnangagwa and other senior government officials.

    Mnangagwa had earlier been sworn-in on Sunday after the constitutional court dismissed opposition leader Nelson Chamisa’s petition challenging his election victory in the July 30 polls.

    He first appointed the two vice presidents in November 2017 when he took over from former President Mugabe, who resigned after a military intervention that ended his 37 years rule.

    Mnangagwa is still to appoint his cabinet.

     

  • Court confirms Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa presidential election victory

    Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court confirmed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s disputed July 30 election victory on Friday, dismissing an opposition challenge that had held up his inauguration.

    Mnangagwa is due to inaugurated on Sunday.

    In a unanimous ruling of the nine judges of the country’s top court, Chief Justice Luke Malaba said Nelson Chamisa, who leads the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), had failed to prove allegations of fraud during the presidential vote.

    “Emmerson Mnangagwa is duly declared the winner of the presidential elections held on the July 30, 2018,” Malaba said in his ruling.

    The election, in which Mnangagwa and Chamisa were the main contenders, was touted as a crucial step towards economic recovery and shedding Zimbabwe’s pariah reputation, but instead has left the nation polarized.

    An army crackdown in response to post-election violence by opposition supporters left six people dead on Aug. 1, recalling the heavyhanded security tactics that marked the 37-year rule of Robert Mugabe, who was removed in a coup last November.

    Mnangagwa now faces the challenge of persuading the international community that the army crackdown and lapses in the election process will not derail his promise of reforms needed to fix the economy.

    The president called for peace on his Twitter feed, after the ruling was delivered.

    “Nelson Chamisa, my door is open and my arms are outstretched, we are one nation, and we must put our nation first. Let us all now put our differences behind us,” he said.

    Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa told Reuters that Mnangagwa would be inaugurated on Sunday.
    MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora told reporters outside the court that “whatever we do as MDC we are going to act within the law… We want Zimbabweans who want to demonstrate to be allowed to demonstrate.”

    Police blocked roads around the court, a 19th century British colonial building just opposite Mnangagwa’s offices in central Harare. Vehicles carrying water cannon reappeared on streets near the court house while riot police patrolled the city center in groups.

    Nkululeko Sibanda, spokeperson for Nelson Chamisa, the leader of opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, talks to the media outside the Constitutional Court in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 24, 2018. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo

    A Reuters witness said Harare was calm immediately after the ruling, with people going about their usual business.

    In a statement, the European Union urge all parties to “call for calm and restraint” after the court ruling.

    “It is important that the new government engages all stakeholders in substantive discussions on the necessary reforms, including on further electoral reforms,” the EU said.

     

  • Zimbabwe: President Mnangagwa challenges opposition petition

    Zimbabwe: President Mnangagwa challenges opposition petition

    President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has filed submissions in the country’s highest court opposing a court challenge to his victory by main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, one of Mnangagwa’s lawyers said on Wednesday.

    Chamisa has said the July 30 vote was rigged and challenged the result which gave Mnangagwa 2.46 million votes against 2.15 million votes for him.

    In the petition on Friday, Chamisa’s party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) filed their paperwork with Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court, alleging the result of the July 30 election had been rigged in favour of incumbent Mnangagwa, the leader of the ruling ZANU-PF party.

    Party lawyers arrived at the court in the capital, Harare, with plastic boxes full of paperwork.

    Zimbabwe’s electoral commission has said Mnangagwa won the election, the first without longtime President Robert Mugabe on the ballot form, garnering 50.8 per cent of the vote against 44.3 per cent for Chamisa.

    Chamisa has claimed he won 56 per cent of votes and called the election “fraudulent, illegal and illegitimate”.

    Judges have 14 days to rule on the case, delaying the inauguration of Mnangagwa which was scheduled for Sunday.

    Mnangagwa, who took over after a military intervention in November 2017, had vowed the first elections after the conclusion of Mugabe’s 37-year rule would be free and fair.

    EU observers said that the ZANU-PF candidate had benefitted from an “un-level playing field” and some voter intimidation, though international monitors largely praised the conduct of the election.

    On Aug. 1, clashes broke out between security forces and opposition supporters.

    Six died after soldiers opened fire on the protesters in a response the opposition alliance called “disproportionate and unjustified”.

    On Aug. 9, opposition figure Tendai Biti was detained by Zimbabwean police after Zambian authorities rejected his bid for asylum.

    Police declared Biti and eight other opposition leaders wanted for allegedly fomenting violence following the disputed national election.