Bulawayo24 News - Skyes! "it makes perfect sense"

Terminate licence fees to expose ZBC's failures

A time has now come for the scrapping of television and listeners' licence fees, as they serve no purpose and are an anachronistic relic of the past.The government and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) have proved to be intransig…

Published: 10 Aug 2025 at 12:13hrs | 774 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Tribalism, fear, paranoia drive Zanu PF's response to Ndebele king

A seemingly innocuous picture of Bulawayo mayor David Coltart and Bulelani Khumalo, who claims to be the Ndebele king, seems to have caused panic in the corridors of power with a tempest in a coffee pot brewing.Daniel Garwe, the local gove…

Published: 13 May 2025 at 16:31hrs | 460 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Zimbabweans reduced to a placid, apathetic lot with no agency

During the past week, I was driving along Emmerson Mnangagwa (neÃ© Enterprise Road) in Harare towards the central business district.If you know Harare, you will know that it gets congested in the evenings, particularly on the lane that is …

Published: 28 Mar 2025 at 11:54hrs | 282 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Mixed messaging and confusion over Mnangagwa term extension fuel speculation

Over the past week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa gave probably his most emphatic response to whether he would like to extend his term beyond 2028, reiterating that he would leave office in the next three years.Mnangagwa has previously said…

Published: 01 Mar 2025 at 09:24hrs | 977 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Highlanders versus Dynamos: The anatomy of violence

Once again â€” and not for the last time â€” a Highlanders versus Dynamos football match ended in violence with the usual accusations and counter accusations of referee bias and oppression being the order of the day.Highlanders' fans are c…

Published: 10 Sep 2023 at 21:33hrs | 21 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Chamisa repeating Tsvangirai's mistakes

In the aftermath of the 2013 elections, then MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai cried foul, claimed the polls were rigged and threatened to go to the Constitutional Court with a dossier to prove he had been robbed.He pulled out of the court ac…

Published: 29 Aug 2019 at 07:59hrs | 9755 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Mnangagwa's government: The mask has slipped

In April last year, on these pages, I expressed concern at President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his government's obvious fascination with Rwanda and China.On the face of it, it seemed as if Mnangagwa wanted to learn from Rwanda how a country c…

Published: 22 Aug 2019 at 07:45hrs | 6 | by Nqaba Matshazi

#ShutDownZimbabwe: Why Chamisa's MDC needs to spell out its objectives

On June 2, 2003, the MDC undertook its most ambitious action ever; they were going to stage a three-day demonstration known as the "final push", with the intention of either forcing then President Robert Mugabe out or at least to the negot…

Published: 15 Aug 2019 at 07:32hrs | 3 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Chamisa's MDC needs to rethink by-elections strategy

An inquest was inevitable following the opposition MDC's loss in the weekend by-elections, particularly the Lupane East constituency, with finger-pointing predictably being the order of the day. For many, it is beyond belief how the MDC lo…

Published: 08 Aug 2019 at 07:58hrs | 735 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Chamisa's MDC at crossroads: Damned if they do, damned if they don't

FOR the best part of the last 12 months, the MDC has been threatening to roll out demonstrations and mass protests to either force President Emmerson Mnangagwa out of power or at least to the negotiating table.The failing economy and the o…

Published: 25 Jul 2019 at 08:06hrs | 7 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Token anti-corruption drive breeding apathy and despondency

Last week, I agonised on what to write about. I had travelled and had a bit of work to do, but still thought I could get my column in.In the end, I did not write anything because I failed to find the inspiration, among other things.The que…

Published: 18 Jul 2019 at 08:11hrs | 3 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Mugabe is gone; long live Mugabe!

When a king dies, an announcement is made that: "The king is dead; long live the king", quite a confusing statement for many of us that may not be aware of the intricacies of death and ascension in monarchies.The part that says "the king i…

Published: 04 Jul 2019 at 09:02hrs | 2 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Applying lipstick on a pig will not work Mnangagwa

EACH American election cycle produces a phrase or word that either becomes controversial or defines the election.In 2008, then Senator Barack Obama found himself in the eye of a storm when he criticised his Republican rival for the White H…

Published: 27 Jun 2019 at 06:54hrs | 6 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Sunshine journalism: What happens on cloudy days?

I RECENTLY read on the ZBC website that Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa had "urged the media to write positive developmental stories about Zimbabwe in the new dispensation", and this reminded me of a concept called "sunshine journal…

Published: 20 Jun 2019 at 07:58hrs | 8 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Deny, deflect and divert: Zanu-PF's flawed approach to governings

When the news that the Association of Rural Teachers of Zimbabwe (Artuz) boss, Obert Masaraure had allegedly been kidnapped, brutalised and left for dead first filtered in, the government and by extension Zanu-PF's response was predictable…

Published: 13 Jun 2019 at 07:20hrs | 3 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Ndiweni, the chief who dared bell the cat

IF ever you did history in a Zimbabwean school or at least watched ZBC-TV, you are sure to have come across the name of Manicaland traditional leader Chief Rekayi Tangwena, who is famed for helping Robert Mugabe and the now late Edgar Teke…

Published: 06 Jun 2019 at 07:32hrs | 14 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Dabengwa, one of the last of a dying breed

WHEN the news of Dumiso Dabengwa's death filtered in, a colleague asked that I write an obituary, an offer I turned down politely because I hardly knew the former Home Affairs minister and our encounters were fleetingly few and far between…

Published: 30 May 2019 at 10:53hrs | 3 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Mnangagwa's dialogue will not work, simple!

LET me start with the conclusion: The political parties dialogue that President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched last Friday is a political theatre and pageantry that will not yield anything, and the best thing is to can it almost as immediatel…

Published: 23 May 2019 at 06:55hrs | 7 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Sanctions a convenient scapegoat for Zimbabweâ€™s political elite

One of the issues that has dominated the Zimbabwe political landscape for a while is the matter of sanctions, with campaigners for their removal saying they are holding back Zimbabwe, but I argue this is nothing but a red herring from peop…

Published: 01 Nov 2018 at 17:48hrs | 12 | by Nqaba Matshazi

How Zec has failed the credibility test

WE have projected and forecast, analysed and pontificated on the elections and in four days' time this comes to an end, as Zimbabweans will have their say on who their next leader is.These elections were supposed to be a referendum on Pres…

Published: 26 Jul 2018 at 07:38hrs | 890 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Beyond the rhetoric, what does Mnangagwa offer?

When President Emmerson Mnangagwa (pictured)came to power, I was one of the sceptical ones, as he has been in government since independence and I believed he was as much to blame for the economic, political and social mess in the country a…

Published: 05 Jul 2018 at 07:10hrs | 487 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Zanu-PF bombing: Barwe feeds reckless ethnic narrative

At the height of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial, I read about an interesting concept in South Africa, "swart gevaar" (black danger), as the athlete's defence was that he thought there was an intruder - probably a black one, the day he sh…

Published: 28 Jun 2018 at 07:22hrs | 4 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Gukurahundi: The axe may forget but the tree remembers

I ALMOST threw up in my mouth recently when I read that Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA) secretary general, Victor Matemadanda had said former President Robert Mugabe was solely responsible for the Gukurahund…

Published: 07 Jun 2018 at 07:30hrs | | by Nqaba Matshazi

Zimbabwe's July 30 elections: Will the will of the people slay Goliath?

A few weeks ago, a colleague, who was not registered to vote, told me he thought voting was a pointless exercise. He strongly believed that the new administrators would not relinquish power if they lost in elections due in two months.His r…

Published: 31 May 2018 at 07:21hrs | 3 | by Nqaba Matshazi

The British could be wrong on Zimbabwe once again

In early 2017, a colleague, Everson Mushava, stumbled upon a story about British involvement in Zanu-PF factionalism and that the United Kingdom had a dog in the fight.At the centre of it all was the British ambassador to Zimbabwe, Catrion…

Published: 17 May 2018 at 07:13hrs | 2690 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Who will target the criminals around Mnangagwa this time?

The Zanu PF primaries have come and gone, but the lingering worry for me is the number of people that have either criminal records or have been implicated in something dodgy that took part in the elections.At a time Zanu PF has been claimi…

Published: 10 May 2018 at 07:19hrs | 1 | by Nqaba Matshazi

2018 polls could be Zanu-PF's waterloo

In the past few weeks, the chorus has been how good Zanu-PF is at organising and how they have got the rural areas on lockdown.There is a defeatism about it, as activists and some in the media seem to think that the opposition cannot come …

Published: 03 May 2018 at 07:02hrs | 7 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Chiwenga should revoke firing of nurses, negotiate

There are a number of events in the past few weeks that flew under the radar, which I feel deserve more scrutiny, as they could have a telling effect on the route Zimbabwe takes in the not so distant future.President Emmerson Mnangagwa too…

Published: 19 Apr 2018 at 07:18hrs | 8 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Why Zanu-PF's confidence is worrying

On the eve of elections in 1980, then Zanu-PF leader, Robert Mugabe seemed uncharacteristically confident.The run up to the elections had been fraught with violence and intimidation, with the colonial power, Britain, at one point, toying w…

Published: 12 Apr 2018 at 07:14hrs | 1281 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Chamisa dares Zimbabweans to dream again

Last December, a friend tweeted that he thought then MDC-T deputy president, Nelson Chamisa was the most overrated politician and my response was that I was tempted to agree with him.My gripe with Chamisa then was that he and his party see…

Published: 29 Mar 2018 at 06:54hrs | 4 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Khupe created her drama, now she deserves her karma

In early 2008, a few months before the elections, opposition party supporters waited with bated breath on a meeting that could decide the country's future, as the two factions of the MDC - anti-Senate and pro-Senate - met well into the nig…

Published: 22 Mar 2018 at 07:26hrs | 5 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Gukurahundi: When sorry seems to be the hardest word to say

In the past few days, two things happened that make me worry about this country's future, as there seems to be a concerted, but tragic effort to airbrush the country's history in an effort to portray villains as heroes and vice versa.Presi…

Published: 15 Mar 2018 at 06:17hrs | 5 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Mnangagwa: Entitlement doth come before a fall

Just like that, Emmerson Mnangagwa has been fired, something nobody could have imagined just seven days ago.That Mnangagwa was probably going to be axed was now a public secret, but no soothsayer would have guessed that his axing was going…

Published: 09 Nov 2017 at 05:40hrs | 647 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Mnangagwa affair: Romanticisation of the underdog

There is something romantic about an underdog, something that attracts one to it and makes people build affinity for no hoppers.From biblical times, the story of David slaying the giant Goliath is one that is told with fondness, as it is m…

Published: 02 Nov 2017 at 05:21hrs | 5 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Mnangagwa's fate in Mugabe's hands

It is beyond doubt that Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on the ropes and is literally fighting for his political life, as Zanu-PF's infighting gathers momentum and heads for an inevitable climax.Mnangagwa is in exactly in the same pos…

Published: 12 Oct 2017 at 15:35hrs | | by Nqaba Matshazi

Zimbabwe's tribal problem

The past few days have witnessed the closest we have been to a tribal meltdown in a while, as ethnicity has been the main topic in both the opposition and the ruling party.For decades now, ethnicity has been an issue, which, as a country w…

Published: 05 Oct 2017 at 06:35hrs | | by Nqaba Matshazi

Reasons why Zanu-PF could be content

Last week, some of us laughed until our bellies hurt when we realised that Zanu-PF supporters marching in the capital had absolutely no clue why they were marching.A solidarity march had been called for First Lady Grace Mugabe after her tr…

Published: 07 Sep 2017 at 06:22hrs | 283 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Khupe out in the cold, as Tsvangirai assembles the band

With some opposition parties having signed an alliance deal, MDC-T finds itself in a familiar, but unenviable position, where some party members are openly challenging their leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.Tsvangirai's deputy, Thokozani Khupe, o…

Published: 31 Aug 2017 at 08:46hrs | 3893 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Grace Mugabe got us laughing at ourselves

When First Lady Grace Mugabe allegedly went on the rampage in South Africa and assaulted a model she found partying with her sons, Zimbabweans saw the funny side of it and were quick to come up with memes and jokes about how the situation …

Published: 24 Aug 2017 at 07:50hrs | 6 | by Nqaba Matshazi

MDC-T violence: A history of impunity

THE news in the past few days was dominated by the alleged assault of MDC-T deputy president, Thokozani Khupe, as the opposition party once again displayed a stunning propensity to shoot itself in the foot.Whatever Khupe's crime, the use a…

Published: 10 Aug 2017 at 08:58hrs | 7 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Tsvangirai thinks he is the only one God-ordained to challenge Mugabe

I have come to a point where I am extremely tired by an opposition that feels entitled to my vote.I am exhausted by people who think they deserve my vote simply because they have been in the so-called trenches for eons.I am tired of people…

Published: 06 Jul 2017 at 09:59hrs | | by Nqaba Matshazi

Thabo Mbeki not an honest broker

Former South African leader, Thabo Mbeki was in the news recently, saying only Zimbabweans should speak about when President Robert Mugabe should go and he would oppose any South African who wanted a say on the matter.This is ironic, as it…

Published: 29 Jun 2017 at 08:09hrs | 2 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Tsvangirai at it again with BVR

MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai last week made a surprise declaration that the biometric voter registration (BVR) process would not be manipulated.This is quite bold considering that Tsvangirai and his party are still crying foul over what…

Published: 15 Jun 2017 at 08:30hrs | | by Nqaba Matshazi

Mugabe was at his best in the 1980s and somehow lost his way

A COUPLE of weeks ago, war veterans' leader, Christopher Mutsvangwa said President Robert Mugabe was at his astute best in the 1980s and made the best decisions any country could ask for.Closely linked to this, MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangi…

Published: 01 Jun 2017 at 11:01hrs | 9 | by Nqaba Matshazi

'Maybe Zimbabweans prefer a reformed Zanu-PF'

A day after the 2013 elections, I sat with one MDC parliamentary candidate, who had lost heavily and was crestfallen, after losing in 2008, he had hoped the 2013 polls would mark his coronation.The results were quite chastening for him, af…

Published: 25 May 2017 at 07:59hrs | | by Nqaba Matshazi

Tribal and regional schism finds expression during Bosso, Dembare matches

Once again - and not for the last time - a Highlanders versus Dynamos football match ended in violence with the usual accusations and counter accusations of referee bias and oppression being the order of the day.Highlanders' fans are convi…

Published: 18 May 2017 at 07:56hrs | 2 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Tsvangirai has to be wary of war vets

IN the past week, the buzzword was "coalition", as MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai signed memoranda of understanding with his MDC and National People's Party (NPP) counterparts, Welshman Ncube and Joice Mujuru, respectively.Tsvangirai has …

Published: 29 Apr 2017 at 15:51hrs | 1 | by Nqaba Matshazi

Thokozani Khupe must be worried

Thokozani Khupe must be worried: deals with Mujuru and Ncube mean her status is whittled. Gender and tribe have been taken from her.Did she attend either of the ceremonies?Thokozani Khupe must be worried: deals with Mujuru and Ncube mean h…

Published: 20 Apr 2017 at 11:50hrs | | by Nqaba Matshazi

Tsvangirai et al learnt nothing, forgot everything from 2013 debacle

IN 2013 I watched as a seemingly defeated President Robert Mugabe emerged from a Sadc meeting in Mozambique, his body language and his demeanour betrayed his frustration, things had not gone his way.As the Sadc leaders posed for pictures, …

Published: 20 Apr 2017 at 11:37hrs | 3 | by Nqaba Matshazi

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