Columnist / Peta thornycroft
Zimbabwe hits Mugabe replay button
The Zimbabwe government has scored a first for the country. But it won't win any applause for this milestone. Our tiresome neighbour has managed for the first time to charge a woman with treason....Published: 10 Mar 2019 at 09:11hrs | 1 | by Peta Thornycroft
Chamisa vs Mnangagwa: an election too close to call
IT is hard to tell which between Zanu-PF's Emmerson Mnangagwa, 75, and his much younger challenger, Nelson Chamisa, 40, will win the presidential elections next month.It will be the first time...Published: 11 Jun 2018 at 09:21hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Mugabe's son-in-law and Zim's mysterious new airline?
Robert Mugabe's son-in-law Simba Chikore was on hand to welcome a Boeing 767 which arrived Wednesday at Harare's international airport recently named after the former president. Chikore, weari...Published: 11 Apr 2018 at 23:08hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Mugabe mansion on school land
Mystery as ex-president's daughter builds house on state property earmarked for education centreRobert Mugabe's eldest daughter hired Chinese builders to build an opulent home on state-owned l...Published: 05 Dec 2017 at 11:24hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Mugabe gears for retirement
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe, on his final political campaign in eastern Zimbabwe on Friday told thousands of supporters that he had delivered political and economic freedom since he came to power in 1980....Published: 18 Jun 2017 at 10:29hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Grace Mugabe on R100 million spending spree
With Zimbabwe teetering on the edge of financial collapse, First Lady Grace Mugabe is spending millions on new properties and jewellery and is building the country's most expensive schools for the eli...Published: 22 Jan 2017 at 16:31hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Mandela's lawyer worried about civil war in Zimbabwe
South Africa's veteran human rights lawyer George Bizos is worried about the possibility of civil war in Zimbabwe. He has just visited the country for the first time in 12 years.Bizos said in ...Published: 02 Aug 2016 at 07:01hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Mugabe may soon be gone
Robert Mugabe's final humiliation is at hand.He can't get out of the latest mess he created because at the end of the day it comes down to the money, and he doesn't have enough to save himself...Published: 10 Jul 2016 at 09:13hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft/IOL
All eyes on Emmerson Mnangagwa
Many Zimbabwe observers and analysts say they were fascinated watching vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa's interview on CCTV after his official visit to China last week.Mnangagwa, 72, who some...Published: 19 Jul 2015 at 13:23hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Zimbabwe fights to claim Grace Mugabe's £4m villa
The cash-strapped Zimbabwean government is to fight a potentially embarrassing legal case in Hong Kong over a £4 million luxury villa said to be one of the favourite properties of the first lady, Gra...Published: 25 May 2015 at 11:22hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft - The Telegraph Group
'MDC-T committing political suicide'
Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which beat President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF in elections in 2008, is now committing political suicide according to many of the party's...Published: 06 Apr 2015 at 22:46hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
EU gave Mugabe a bigger birthday present this week
An obsequious local businessman has promised to slaughter a lion, a couple of elephants and other game to help Zimbabweans celebrate the 91st birthday of their president, Robert Mugabe.But th...Published: 22 Feb 2015 at 14:01hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Mujuru's fall from Grace continues, suffers a life changing blow
Former vice-president, Joice Mujuru, suffered a life-changing blow at the weekend when the state broadcaster stopped calling her comrade. She is now plain Mrs Mujuru.The unseen hand of Zanu-P...Published: 27 Jan 2015 at 09:34hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Is he Zimbabwe's future president?
Mysterious. Dangerous. Reclusive. Hardline. Ruthless. Rich and helpful. All of these descriptions have been used for 72-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa.Sworn into office as vice-president on Frida...Published: 14 Dec 2014 at 12:37hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Zim's political crisis: Who are the main players?
As the country's vice-president is ousted after allegations she wanted to kill Robert Mugabe's wife, who are the key political figures in Zimbabwe's latest crisis?Peta Thornycroft in Harar...Published: 28 Nov 2014 at 20:02hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft in Harare and Aislinn Laing in Johannesburg
Mugabe appoints white civil servant as senior secretary
Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe has appointed a white man into a senior position within the presidency.Stuart Comberbach, 62, whose whole working life has been spent in the Zimbabwe civil s...Published: 25 Sep 2014 at 13:46hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
'Western aid depends on acceptance of homosexuality'
President Robert Mugabe says Western aid depends on acceptance of homosexuality.Mugabe, 90, said China allowed the African personality to thrive while the West wanted him to endorse Western cu...Published: 03 Sep 2014 at 11:59hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Still no proof Mugabe rigged elections - report
Zanu-PF's landslide election 'victory' was probably at least partly the result of five years hard campaigning for new voters, as there is still no proof of rigging, according to a report from the Sol...Published: 08 Oct 2013 at 04:27hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Zuma told to stand up to Mugabe tactics
South African President Jacob Zuma had a "rough" meeting with Zimbabwe's leaders in Harare on Wednesday night as he tried to persuade them to agree on a draft constitution so he could report some succ...Published: 18 Aug 2012 at 12:51hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft I Independent Online
Zimbabweans welcome suspended sanctions plans
Zimbabwean politicians and analysts have welcomed news that Europe is planning to suspend targeted measures on President Mugabe and his allies. On both sides of the political divide, most agre...Published: 12 Jul 2012 at 06:27hrs | | by Telegraph I Aislinn Laing, Peta Thornycroft
Britain and EU preparing to lift sanction on Mugabe
Britain and the EU are preparing to lift sanctions on Robert Mugabe and his closest henchmen in an effort to persuade the Zimbabwean President into holding free and fair elections. A review of...Published: 12 Jul 2012 at 06:02hrs | 1 | by Daily Telegraph I Damien McElroy, Peta Thornycroft
New farmers increase tobacco on former white owned farms
Zimbabwe's new farmers are growing massive amounts of tobacco, mainly on formerly white-owned farms, and some of them are earning more than they ever dreamed possible. Tens of thousands of new farmers...Published: 06 Jun 2011 at 14:02hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Arrests, torture return to Zim
With or without President Robert Mugabe's agreement, Zimbabwe's securocrats intend to drive Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, out of the...Published: 21 Mar 2011 at 12:01hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Seven hours to cross into Zim
There is severe congestion at the Beit Bridge border post to Zimbabwe, with many regular travellers saying the service has not improved under the power-sharing government and is worse than it has...Published: 22 Dec 2010 at 13:46hrs | | by Peta Thornycroft
Load More Stories