Farai Mutsaka

The death toll from an overloaded ferry that capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe rose to 84 after 12 additional bodies were recovered. At least 77 people were rescued, while search teams continued looking for missing victims. The aging ferry was authorized to carry 90 passengers but may have been carrying more than 153. Eighteen children, including a one-year-old, were among the dead.

The death toll from an overloaded ferry that capsized on Lake Kariba in Zimbabwe rose to 68 after rescue crews recovered 22 additional bodies, including at least 18 children. As many as 153 people may have been aboard a vessel designed for 90, while 77 were rescued and the number still missing remains unknown. Families lost multiple members, and President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a state of disaster, acknowledging serious maritime safety deficiencies and ordering government agencies to support victims and accelerate recovery efforts.

At least 44 people died after an overloaded ferry capsized on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba while carrying at least 114 adults and five crew members, exceeding its stated capacity of 90. Authorities said 77 people were rescued, while the number of missing and injured remained unclear because ticket figures may not have included children. Search teams, including an underwater rescue unit, were deployed as witnesses raised concerns about strong waves. The ferry served rural communities traveling to Kariba, and children were reportedly among the dead.

At least 44 people died after an overloaded ferry capsized on Zimbabwe’s Lake Kariba. Authorities said the vessel was carrying at least 114 adults and five crew members despite having a capacity of 90, while 77 people were rescued. The number aboard may have been higher because young children may not have required tickets. Search teams, speedboats, helicopters and an underwater rescue unit were deployed, with children reportedly among the dead.

Family, friends and community members gathered in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, to mourn Nothabo Zandile Tshuma and her two daughters, Natalie and Nala, who were found dead at their home near Bedford, England. An inquest determined that all three died from head injuries. Tshuma’s husband and the girls’ father, Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, was arrested in Johannesburg after fleeing the UK and faces murder charges there, as well as a South African firearms charge. South African courts will consider the UK’s extradition request.

Burial societies in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa are expanding beyond funeral assistance to provide grocery savings plans, collective lending and small-business support. The groups help members cope with high funeral costs, limited access to bank credit, unstable incomes and inadequate formal insurance or government support. In Harare, the Kuchemana Burial Society combines modest funeral contributions with savings and lending, enabling members such as Melisa Kasu to start businesses. Researchers say these societies are effective because they build on trusted community relationships while addressing poverty and financial exclusion.

Africa is facing a sharp decline in international health assistance while Ebola, hantavirus and other outbreaks increase pressure on already strained systems. African governments and the Africa CDC are promoting “health sovereignty” through greater domestic spending, pooled medicine procurement and expanded vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing, but most countries remain far from their health-budget commitments and import over 90% of health commodities. Debt, illicit financial flows and weak resource contracts further limit available funding. U.S. aid agreements that condition support on increased domestic spending and health-data sharing have drawn criticism that they could overwhelm poorer countries, underscoring the difficult transition away from donor dependence.

Zimbabwe’s English-language first names often preserve family histories and express emotions or circumstances surrounding a child’s birth, including gratitude, hardship, faith, regret and resilience. The practice reflects both pre-colonial spiritual naming traditions and the country’s colonial history, which elevated English as a language of status. People such as Privilege Mubani, Lovejoy Mutongwiza and Shame Chikwana describe their names as meaningful inheritances rather than burdens, while unusual names among Zimbabwe’s national soccer players and comedian Learnmore Jonasi’s performances have attracted international attention.

Zambia says the United States linked a proposed $2 billion health assistance agreement to preferential access for American companies seeking critical minerals. Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe criticized US demands for health-data sharing and alleged corruption claims by Ambassador Michael Gonzales as undiplomatic. The stalled negotiations reflect a broader Trump administration effort to make African aid more transactional, while countries including Ghana, Zimbabwe and Kenya have raised similar concerns about privacy, medical access and opaque terms.

Zambia has accused the United States of linking a proposed $2 billion health-assistance agreement to preferential access for American companies to Zambia’s critical minerals, while also objecting to demands for sensitive health data. The dispute follows allegations by outgoing US ambassador Michael Gonzales that Zambian officials mishandled healthcare funds, which Zambia called mischievous and undiplomatic. The negotiations reflect the Trump administration’s broader effort to replace traditional aid through country-by-country agreements tied to data sharing, domestic health spending and commercial or strategic conditions. Health advocates warn that the arrangements could create a less transparent parallel global health system in which data and biological samples flow mainly to Washington without guaranteed access to resulting vaccines, diagnostics or treatments. Similar concerns have led Ghana and Zimbabwe to reject proposed agreements, while a Kenyan deal has been challenged in court.

Vaccination programs have reached more than 500 million children in Africa since 2000 and saved over 50 million lives over five decades, including nearly 2 million in 2024. Progress includes the eradication of wild poliovirus and the introduction of malaria vaccines in 25 countries, but COVID-19 disruptions have increased the number of children receiving no vaccines. WHO officials warn that U.S. cuts to global health funding, including withdrawal from the WHO, could leave millions unprotected, while the U.S.-Iran war is disrupting supply chains and increasing fuel costs for health facilities dependent on generators. Experts are urging African governments to increase domestic financing as donor-supported clinics, health workers, cold-chain systems and outreach programs face reductions.

Zimbabwe has confirmed that 15 of its citizens died after being recruited through deceptive job offers and coerced into fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war. Information Minister Zhemu Soda said 66 other Zimbabweans remain alive, and the government is pursuing their repatriation while arranging the return of victims' remains. Similar recruitment schemes have affected people from South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria and other African and Asian countries, with victims reportedly lured through social media, having their passports confiscated and receiving little training before deployment. Authorities and investigations estimate that hundreds or potentially more than 1,700 Africans may have been recruited to fight for Russia.

The United States will wind down health assistance to Zimbabwe after negotiations over a proposed $367 million, five-year funding package collapsed. Zimbabwe rejected conditions requiring broad access to sensitive health data, including virus samples and epidemiological information, because the deal offered no reciprocal US data access or guaranteed access to resulting vaccines, diagnostics or treatments. The withdrawal threatens programs supporting HIV treatment, tuberculosis, malaria, maternal health and outbreak preparedness, including care for 1.2 million people receiving HIV treatment through US-supported programs. Zimbabwe’s health professionals warn that an abrupt cutoff could interrupt treatment, increase transmission, promote drug resistance and further strain the public health system. The dispute reflects the Trump administration’s broader shift from multilateral global-health arrangements toward bilateral America First agreements.

Zimbabwe has begun offering twice-yearly lenacapavir injections free to high-risk groups including sex workers, adolescent girls and young women, gay men, and pregnant or breastfeeding women. The drug, developed by Gilead Sciences and supported by PEPFAR and the Global Fund, provides near-total protection in clinical studies and may address adherence and stigma problems associated with daily PrEP pills. The initial rollout is expected to reach about 46,000 people at 24 sites, but wider access is constrained by high costs, fragile health infrastructure and declining donor support. Health experts say lenacapavir should complement, rather than replace, condoms and other prevention measures.

In Zimbabwe, bouquets made with U.S. dollar notes are becoming popular Valentine’s Day gifts because they combine romantic symbolism with practical value in an economy where cash is highly prized. Florists report rising demand across generations, while traders profit by supplying scarce clean banknotes. The trend has also spread to Kenya, where the central bank warned that folding or gluing currency could bring prison sentences. In Harare, businesses such as Simpli Simbi are offering an alternative through heart-shaped gifts made from recycled scrap metal, reflecting growing environmental awareness and demand for lasting, locally made presents.

Valentine’s Day gift trends in Zimbabwe are increasingly shaped by economic pressures and environmental awareness. Florists in Harare report rising demand for bouquets incorporating U.S. dollar notes, which many customers view as both romantic and practically valuable in a cash-dependent economy. The trend has also spread across Africa, although Kenya’s central bank has warned that folding or gluing banknotes into bouquets can lead to imprisonment. In Zimbabwe, entrepreneurs are also turning discarded metal into heart-shaped jewelry, homeware and keepsakes, appealing to local customers who increasingly value sustainability and gifts with lasting meaning.

TotalEnergies has fully restarted its $20 billion liquefied natural gas project in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province after suspending operations in 2021 because of an Islamist insurgency. The company expects first gas deliveries in 2029 and says the project will employ more than 4,000 people, most of them Mozambican. President Daniel Chapo presented the restart as a major step toward economic recovery, job creation and improved confidence, while security has improved but sporadic fighting continues and Rwandan troops remain deployed. TotalEnergies also pledged flood relief after recent flooding killed about 300 people in Mozambique and neighboring countries.

A regional Under-17 girls’ soccer tournament in Zimbabwe used the Goal Getters campaign to build trust in HPV vaccination and raise awareness of cervical cancer prevention. Organized by CAF, GAVI, health ministries and soccer bodies, the event brought together about 200 girls from six countries and encouraged families to vaccinate girls aged 9 to 14. Zimbabwe has introduced a single-dose HPV vaccine after low uptake under its previous two-dose program, but religious beliefs, stigma and misinformation continue to deter some parents. Health officials and organizers hope linking vaccination with girls’ soccer will create a safer, more empowering setting for health education and improve coverage across Africa.

Severe flooding in Mozambique and neighboring parts of southern Africa has driven crocodiles into submerged towns, killing at least three people in Mozambique and injuring others. More than 100 people have died across Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, while over 700,000 people have been affected, homes and infrastructure destroyed, and farmland damaged. Health services in Gaza and Maputo provinces have been badly disrupted, with at least 44 facilities damaged and displaced people facing limited access to essential care. Humanitarian agencies warn that hunger, disease and interruptions to treatment are worsening as evacuations continue.

Zimbabwe’s worsening road-safety crisis has transformed driving instruction from test preparation into survival training. In Harare, instructors and learners contend with reckless overtaking, overloaded minibuses, weak enforcement, poor road conditions and widespread disregard for traffic rules. Authorities attribute 94% of crashes to human error and are responding with body cameras, breathalyzers, proposed licensing reforms and revised driver-training programs. The crisis reflects a broader African pattern: the continent has the world’s highest road-fatality rate, with deaths rising amid rapid urbanization, motorization and inadequate safety enforcement.

The Trump administration has expanded its travel restrictions to 20 additional countries, with Africa bearing most of the impact. Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and South Sudan were added to the full-ban list, while 12 African countries face partial restrictions. The African Union warned that the measures could damage educational, commercial and diplomatic ties, while Sierra Leone sought dialogue with Washington and several affected governments remained cautious. Analysts, activists and residents called the policy unfair and warned it could drive African governments closer to Russia and China. The restrictions may also affect fans seeking to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Botswana’s economy, long sustained by diamond revenues, is facing a sharp downturn as cheaper lab-grown stones erode demand for natural diamonds. Diamond exports provide about 80% of the country’s foreign earnings and a third of government revenue, but production and company revenues have fallen sharply, resulting in layoffs and financial hardship for workers. Botswana and neighboring producers are promoting natural diamonds while the government pursues diversification through a sovereign wealth fund, tourism and other minerals, but displaced workers fear these measures may arrive too late.

Eswatini has become the first African country to begin distributing lenacapavir, a twice-yearly HIV-prevention injection developed by Gilead Sciences. About 6,000 high-risk people are expected to receive the initial rollout, with a particular focus on preventing transmission from mothers to newborns. Zambia has also received shipments, and the U.S.-backed initiative aims to reach at least 2 million people across 10 African countries by 2027. Although clinical studies show near-total protection and Gilead has cut the price for lower-income countries to about $40 per person annually, concerns remain over limited supplies, reduced U.S. foreign aid and Gilead’s exclusion of African manufacturers from licensing agreements.

A modern version of Zimbabwe’s traditional Nhanga girls’ space is helping rural girls discuss child marriage, teen pregnancy, sexuality, education, economic empowerment and the law. Led by the Rozaria Memorial Trust, the program combines peer mentorship, practical skills and community engagement, and has expanded from one village to schools across Zimbabwe and into Zambia and Sierra Leone. The initiative responds to widespread child marriage, which affects about one in three girls in Zimbabwe despite legal prohibitions. Traditional leaders are increasingly supporting enforcement, while schools and government policies help young mothers resume their education, but poverty, weak enforcement and adults’ punitive attitudes remain major obstacles.

Rwanda is hosting the road cycling world championships for the first time in Africa’s 104-year history, generating excitement among riders and fans across the region. Ugandan and Rwandan cyclists hope the event will expose African talent, create professional opportunities and boost cycling and tourism. Rwanda has invested heavily in sports infrastructure and international events to project itself globally, but rights groups accuse President Paul Kagame’s government of repression and sportswashing, while the conflict in eastern Congo has also raised concerns. Despite the controversy, strong public enthusiasm in Kigali reflects hopes that the championships will mark a breakthrough for African cycling.

Mozambique has received World Bank backing for the estimated $5 billion-$6 billion Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric plant, expected to generate 1,500 megawatts from 2031 and help address southern Africa's power deficit. TotalEnergies, Électricité de France and Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa will develop the project, while the World Bank will provide concessional support, guarantees and political-risk insurance rather than finance the plant outright. Electricity access in Mozambique has risen from 31% in 2018 to 60% in 2024, but experts stress that remote communities will also need solar and other off-grid systems. The project could generate export revenue, yet concerns remain over Mozambique's substantial debt, the uncertain final financing burden and the country's political and security challenges.

A visiting team of Egyptian surgeons, working with Zimbabwean doctors at Harare’s Parirenyatwa Hospital, provided free open-heart surgery to 10 children in July. The initiative offers a rare lifeline in Zimbabwe, where only five cardiothoracic surgeons serve a health system facing equipment shortages and where surgery abroad can cost about $15,000. Local open-heart operations resumed in 2023 after a five-year suspension, but thousands of children are still born with congenital heart disease annually and many die without treatment. Surgical camps supported by organizations including Gift of Life International are helping address the gap, though the continuing need far exceeds available capacity.

The United States has temporarily halted routine visa services for Zimbabwean citizens, citing concerns about visa overstays and misuse while it addresses issues with Zimbabwe’s government. Most diplomatic and official visas are exempt. The move follows a new pilot program requiring citizens of Malawi and Zambia to post tourist or business visa bonds of up to $15,000 and use designated U.S. airports. The restrictions are part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement measures targeting several African countries.

Wildlife groups condemned the killing of Blondie, a collared breeding male lion involved in an Oxford University research project, near Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. The lion was reportedly lured from a protected area with bait and legally shot by a trophy hunter, according to Zimbabwe’s parks agency, which said the hunter had the required permits. Africa Geographic CEO Simon Espley argued that the incident exposes the ethical failures of trophy hunting, while parks spokesperson Tinashe Farawo defended hunting revenue as vital to Zimbabwe’s underfunded conservation system. The case has revived memories of Cecil the lion, killed by Walter Palmer in Zimbabwe in 2015, amid continuing debate over whether regulated hunting supports or undermines lion conservation.

A head-on collision near Chitungwiza, Zimbabwe, killed 17 people, including minibus passengers and pedestrians, after a haulage truck lost control and crossed into the opposite lane. Police said 15 of the minibus’s 17 passengers died at the scene, while others were injured. The crash has prompted the town’s mayor to urge the government to declare a national disaster and renewed concerns about Zimbabwe’s high road fatality rate, linked to speeding, dangerous driving and poorly maintained roads.

The Trump administration is replacing traditional U.S. aid to Africa with a “commercial diplomacy” strategy focused on trade, investment deals and access to critical minerals. Although Washington cites billions of dollars in new agreements, tariffs and cuts to humanitarian assistance are causing significant economic harm, including threats to more than 100,000 South African jobs and thousands of textile jobs in Lesotho. African governments are also uncertain about the renewal of AGOA, which expires in September, while China is expanding its influence through duty-free access for African goods. Critics warn that the new approach could leave African countries bearing the costs after the U.S. secures its strategic resources.

Thousands of informal scrap-metal collectors in Harare make a living by recovering metal from illegal dumpsites, roadsides and industrial areas. Their work provides essential income for struggling families while removing pollution from the city and supplying local steelmakers with recyclable material. Recycling scrap requires substantially less energy than producing steel from raw materials, helping reduce emissions. Despite these environmental benefits, collectors face dangerous conditions, exposure to medical and other hazardous waste, and a lack of protective equipment. Harare’s inadequate waste collection system and the growing demand for recycled materials leave informal workers indispensable to Zimbabwe’s waste and steel economies.

Yoga instructor Actions Winya is offering free weekend classes in a Chitungwiza tavern to help Zimbabweans cope with economic hardship, unemployment, domestic violence, drug abuse and limited access to mental-health services. Participants say the classes reduce stress, improve sleep and provide hope, while also challenging stigma around men expressing emotional distress. Despite a lack of mats, studio space and formal resources, the initiative reflects wider efforts in Africa to make yoga and mental-wellness support accessible to poorer communities.

Rising tuition and privatization at Catholic schools in Uganda and Zimbabwe are placing increasing pressure on working-class families and contributing to student delays and dropouts. Catholic schools remain major providers of relatively high-quality education in underserved communities, but administrators argue that maintenance costs, competition and demand for better facilities require higher fees. Parents, educators and critics warn that the church risks abandoning its historic mission of serving poorer families, and call for fee ceilings, stronger affordability measures and investment in new schools rather than privatizing existing ones.

Zimbabwe has approved a law requiring motorists to pay an annual $92 radio levy to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation before obtaining vehicle licences or insurance. Drivers without radios can seek an exemption by signing a declaration. The levy could generate millions of dollars from roughly 1.2 million vehicles, but critics—including lawyers, media-freedom activists and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa—say it unfairly burdens taxpayers and funds a broadcaster viewed as pro-government and irrelevant. Government spokesman Nick Mangwana defended the measure as necessary and fair.

Zimbabwe is using GPS collars, the EarthRanger platform and local bicycle-riding guardians to warn communities when elephants approach villages near Hwange National Park. Increasing drought and shrinking food and water supplies have intensified raids that destroy crops and infrastructure and sometimes kill people. The system has improved response times, but only 16 elephants have been collared in a park holding about 45,000, far above its estimated capacity of 15,000. Residents are calling for stronger measures, including higher hunting quotas, greater revenue-sharing and possibly culling, while conservation authorities continue to pursue data-led solutions amid pressure from activists.

Foreign ambassadors in Zimbabwe competed in the second annual #ambassadorscookoff, preparing a traditional village dish of chicken with rice in peanut butter sauce. Dutch Ambassador Margret Verwijk won the contest, while Australian Ambassador Minoli Perera placed second, Pakistani Ambassador Murad Baseer third, and British Ambassador Pete Vowles received the public Choice Award. Organized by the foodie community TeamFulo, the event brought diplomats into rural and township markets, local cooking practices and Shona culture, giving Zimbabweans an informal way to connect with foreign representatives amid broader international tensions and improving Zimbabwe-Western relations.

An exhibition of Zimbabwean stone sculptures at Oxford’s Oriel College will address Cecil Rhodes’ colonial legacy through depictions of religious deception, forced labor and sexual abuse. For artists at Harare’s Chitungwiza Arts Center, the event also offers a chance to revive a once-thriving industry weakened by Zimbabwe’s economic difficulties, declining tourism and the fallout from controversial land reforms. The exhibition was organized by the Oxford Zimbabwe Arts Partnership after the Rhodes Must Fall movement but was scaled back because its original £200,000 proposal could not be funded; Oriel College provided £10,000 for the smaller project.

A group representing nearly half of Zimbabwe’s white commercial farmers has rejected the government’s revised compensation deal for land and property seized during the land reforms launched under Robert Mugabe in 2000. The government has approved $3.1 million—about 1% of a $311 million claim—for initial payments, with the remainder to be settled through 10-year treasury bonds. While some farmers have accepted the money, representative Deon Theron says they did so out of desperation and wants negotiations reopened to honor the larger 2020 agreement. The government considers the current deal final, while many elderly former farmers fear they will die before receiving compensation.

Zimbabwe has begun paying compensation to white farmers whose property was seized during Robert Mugabe’s land reform program. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said $3.1 million—1% of a total $311 million claim—has been approved for 378 of 740 eligible farms, with the remainder to be settled through treasury bonds. The payments cover infrastructure such as buildings, wells and irrigation equipment, not the land itself. Zimbabwe also paid $20 million to foreign farmers affected by the reforms. The compensation forms part of efforts to resolve debt and restore relations with Western countries after years of sanctions, while President Emmerson Mnangagwa has pursued closer ties with the United States.

Extreme weather, including floods, cyclones and droughts intensified by climate change and El Niño, has driven a sharp rise in cholera across southern and East Africa. Since late 2021, the region has recorded more than 6,000 deaths and nearly 350,000 cases, with Malawi and Zambia experiencing record outbreaks and Zimbabwe seeing the disease spread into dozens of rural districts. Flooding contaminates water supplies, while drought pushes communities toward unsafe wells, rivers and boreholes. A severe global shortage of oral cholera vaccines has limited preventive campaigns, leaving countries to request doses only after outbreaks escalate. Health experts and aid agencies argue that the crisis reflects both worsening climate risks and the chronic underinvestment in diseases concentrated among poorer populations.

Zimbabwe is mourning Geoffrey Nyarota, a veteran journalist who exposed corruption among senior government officials while editing the state-run Chronicle and later helped launch the independent Daily News in 1999. The paper challenged government media dominance, outsold the state-controlled Herald and faced arrests, a bombing and eventual closure over licensing issues. Nyarota continued working in journalism and media ethics after leaving Zimbabwe, receiving major international press freedom awards before dying of colon cancer at age 74.

Kirsty Coventry received a hero’s welcome in Harare after becoming the first woman and first African elected president of the International Olympic Committee. The former Olympic swimming champion, who has served as Zimbabwe’s sports minister since 2018, was praised as a national unifier and a symbol of progress for women in sport. Her political role has also drawn criticism because of Zimbabwe’s human-rights record and allegations that she benefited from government patronage. Coventry plans to resign as minister and begin her eight-year IOC term in June, with athletes’ benefits, Russia’s suspension, gender eligibility and relations with the United States among the body’s major challenges.

Solar-powered Hamba electric tricycles are helping rural women in Zimbabwe gain income, property, household influence and social respect in communities where transport has traditionally been male-dominated. The Mobility for Africa program has enrolled 300 women and aims for women to make up 70% of beneficiaries. The vehicles also help farmers reach markets with fresh produce, transport passengers and goods across difficult terrain, and improve access to clinics, including emergency transport for pregnant women. Challenges include rough roads, rainy conditions and resistance from some men to women operating public transport. Similar electric three-wheeler initiatives are being developed elsewhere in Africa, including Nigeria.

Two brothers, John and Mike Nhongwe, were arrested and appeared in a Zimbabwean court over an alleged armed robbery at the Harare home of Kirsty Coventry's parents. Police say the men held the couple at gunpoint and stole cash, jewelry, firearms and Coventry's Olympic memorabilia, with total losses estimated at $90,000. The accused will remain in custody until a formal hearing, where further details about the stolen items and their recovery are expected. Coventry, a two-time Olympic swimming champion and Zimbabwe's sports minister, was elected the first woman and first African president of the International Olympic Committee and is due to begin her eight-year term in June.

South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi will withdraw up to 3,000 troops deployed by the Southern African Development Community in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The withdrawal will be phased, with no timetable announced, after M23 rebels killed 14 South African and at least three Malawian peacekeepers and captured Goma and Bukavu. The conflict involves Congolese forces, M23, alleged Rwandan support, foreign mercenaries, U.N. peacekeepers and numerous armed groups, and has displaced more than 7 million people. The announcement follows Angola’s plan to host talks between the Congolese government and M23, while the SADC leadership called for a safe withdrawal and emphasized dialogue. The U.N. Human Rights Council is also investigating alleged killings, rape and other atrocities by both sides.

The United Nations World Food Programme is closing its southern Africa office in Johannesburg and consolidating operations with its East Africa office in Nairobi as donor funding becomes more constrained. The move follows the Trump administration’s decision to terminate 90% of USAID foreign-aid contracts, putting billions of dollars in humanitarian spending at risk. The WFP received $4.4 billion from the United States in the previous year, roughly half its budget. Food assistance will continue, but the cuts come as drought has left 27 million people in southern Africa at risk of hunger and the agency is seeking $147 million in additional donations. Other U.N. agencies are also assessing potential job and program reductions.

A 90-day foreign aid freeze ordered by Donald Trump disrupted PEPFAR, the U.S.-backed HIV program credited with saving more than 26 million lives worldwide. Clinics and nongovernmental organizations have closed, health workers have been dismissed and millions of people risk interruptions to antiretroviral treatment, which could lead to renewed infections, drug resistance and AIDS-related deaths. Although Marco Rubio announced waivers for lifesaving treatment, aid groups and officials said funding had not resumed, while the waivers restrict preventive services such as PrEP for some high-risk groups. A federal judge ordered the administration to temporarily lift the freeze, but African health officials remain concerned that dismantling PEPFAR-supported systems could set national HIV responses back decades.

Older residents in Harare are using a cemetery as an unconventional but accessible venue for exercise because gyms are scarce and local roads can be unsafe or unsuitable. The Commandos Fitness Club, coached by Joseph Nekati, helps members manage conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis. The initiative reflects growing concern that non-communicable diseases are rising across Zimbabwe and sub-Saharan Africa, driven by sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets, smoking and alcohol use. Zimbabwe has introduced a small tax on fast food and other foods in an effort to promote healthier choices, while club members hope local authorities will provide proper fitness facilities.

The Trump administration's 90-day freeze on almost all U.S. foreign assistance has forced aid programs worldwide to halt spending, dismiss staff or prepare to close. Emergency food aid and military assistance to Israel and Egypt are exempt, while most Pentagon-provided military aid to Ukraine remains available; civilian support for Ukraine's government, veterans and mental-health services is threatened. Programs in Africa face potential disruptions to school meals, girls' education, health care and HIV treatment, including PEPFAR-supported services. Aid officials and analysts warn that the abrupt cutoff could cost lives, damage U.S. relationships and allow China to expand its influence in Africa and the Pacific.

Zimbabweans commonly use the Christmas holiday period to unveil tombstones in ceremonies honoring deceased relatives, combining song, dance, Christian prayers and traditional beliefs about ancestral protection. Families often save for months to cover the substantial costs, while tombstone makers and delivery providers experience a seasonal surge in business. The ceremonies can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars in a country where average urban household income is about $200 per month. Religious scholars say most Zimbabweans blend Christianity with Indigenous practices, while families view the rituals as important expressions of duty, remembrance and hope for blessings.

Zimbabwe has introduced a land policy allowing Black beneficiaries of post-2000 farm seizures to receive title deeds, sell their farms to other Indigenous Zimbabweans with government approval, and use the land as collateral for bank loans. President Emmerson Mnangagwa says secure ownership will make farms bankable, improve access to credit and reduce poverty. The policy reverses restrictions that left resettled farmers unable to transfer land or obtain financing, but it follows controversial seizures that displaced about 4,500 white farmers, involved serious violence and damaged Zimbabwe's commercial agriculture. The government has also pledged compensation for affected local and foreign white farmers, while drought remains a major challenge for the recovering agricultural sector.

Zimbabwe’s Senate approved a bill to abolish the death penalty, leaving President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s signature as the final major step. Mnangagwa has opposed capital punishment, partly because he was once sentenced to death during the country’s war of independence before his sentence was reduced. Zimbabwe last carried out an execution in 2005 and currently has more than 60 prisoners on death row. Amnesty International urged the president to enact the bill and commute existing death sentences, placing Zimbabwe among several African countries recently taking steps toward abolition.

Zimbabwe’s High Court ruled that denying abortion services to victims of marital rape and girls under 18 is unconstitutional, noting that forcing children to carry pregnancies or undergo illegal abortions amounts to cruel and degrading treatment. The ruling, issued by Judge Maxwell Takuva, must still be approved by the Constitutional Court. Zimbabwe’s restrictive abortion laws have contributed to widespread unsafe abortions, with about 77,000 reported annually, while teenage pregnancy remains prevalent amid poverty, limited access to contraception and clinics, and cultural practices.

Zimbabwean farmers affected by drought are turning to black soldier fly maggots to produce lower-cost poultry feed and garden manure. The larvae consume food scraps, crop waste and animal manure, reducing feed costs by about 40% and helping farmers replace lost income from maize and cattle with chickens, eggs and feed sales. A project at Chinhoyi University of Technology processes tens of tonnes of food waste each month, converting much of it into livestock protein or manure while potentially reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Despite initial fears that maggots spread cholera, acceptance among farmers has grown as experts emphasize that black soldier flies are not known to transmit disease.

Climate-driven droughts are worsening food insecurity in Zimbabwe, where nearly half the population needs food assistance and maize production has fallen sharply. USAID-supported programs are helping farmers shift toward drought-tolerant crops such as chilies and millet, while solar-powered irrigation is improving access to water and generating income. Experts argue that food aid should do more than distribute surplus staples by addressing climate change, conflict, nutrition, health and protection from violence. Oversight findings also indicate that U.S. agencies need to improve how they measure whether aid programs achieve meaningful results.

Drought worsened by El Niño has pushed baobab harvesters in northeastern Zimbabwe to depend on gathering fruit for survival, even as global demand for baobab powder and oil grows rapidly. Harvesters such as Loveness Bhitoni receive very low prices and face exhausting, sometimes hazardous work, while buyers exploit their lack of alternatives. Industry advocates foresee rising demand and better incomes, and Zimtrade is considering rural processing partnerships, but economists warn that pickers—including children—will remain vulnerable without greater bargaining power and fairer prices.

Zimbabwe plans to cull 200 elephants, while Namibia is culling 723 wild animals, including 83 elephants, to provide meat to communities suffering from severe drought and food insecurity. Officials also say the measures will address wildlife populations that exceed the carrying capacity of national parks and reduce human-wildlife competition for scarce water and food. Conservation experts acknowledge the plans are controversial but consider them understandable given the drought, animal deaths and pressure to support affected residents.

Former poacher Tembanechako Mastick now urges villagers in southeastern Zimbabwe to protect wildlife after a prison-based rehabilitation program changed his views. His advocacy comes as drought, climate-related resource scarcity, land settlement, farming expansion and illegal logging intensify conflict between communities and animals, with elephants damaging gardens and predators killing livestock and donkeys. Mastick argues that tourism can benefit entire communities more than poaching, while using carpentry to support his family and offer villagers an alternative source of income. Conservation officials say his personal experience gives him credibility, although poverty, lost harvests and repeated livestock attacks continue to make the message difficult to sustain.

Southern African leaders are gathering in Harare for a Southern African Development Community summit as mpox spreads across Africa, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounting for more than 90% of regional cases and scientists warning that a new, potentially more infectious variant could cross borders. South Africa’s Democratic Alliance is urging delegates to discuss the outbreak. The summit is also taking place amid allegations that Zimbabwean security forces have arrested more than 160 activists and opposition members and subjected some detainees to enforced disappearance and torture. President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to assume SADC’s rotating leadership, but analysts doubt neighboring governments will pressure him over the crackdown, while authorities prepare an upgraded Harare for visiting delegates despite continuing electricity and water shortages for ordinary residents.

Children living near Zimbabwe’s Save Valley Conservancy face dangerous encounters with elephants, crocodiles, lions and hyenas while walking long distances to school, a problem worsened by drought, climate change and competition for food and water. The conservancy and national parks agency are teaching students to identify animal tracks and sounds, read wind direction and respond safely to wildlife. The program also promotes conservation and highlights employment opportunities such as community ranger roles, but parents and educators say threats are disrupting attendance and forcing schools to adjust schedules. Authorities plan to expand the training nationwide, although its effectiveness has not yet been formally measured and wildlife conflicts are expected to increase.

El Niño-related drought and flooding have devastated small farms across southern Africa, leaving families in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia struggling with hunger and school costs. In Zimbabwe, up to 580,000 children face malnutrition and nearly 2 million face disruption to their education, with children working, missing classes or dropping out as families prioritize food and income. Girls face additional barriers including inadequate water, childcare responsibilities and pressure to marry. Zimbabwe and Zambia have introduced school feeding programs to improve attendance, but humanitarian groups warn that funding is insufficient and many children who leave school may not return.

Zimbabwe's Friendship Bench program trains older women in basic problem-solving therapy and places them on benches in clinics, churches, schools and community settings. Founded by psychiatrist Dixon Chibanda after a patient died by suicide partly because she could not afford transport to his clinic, the program now includes more than 2,000 grandmothers and provided therapy to over 200,000 Zimbabweans in 2023. Its emphasis on trust, cultural knowledge and empathy is being adapted in countries including the United States, where initiatives in New York and Washington aim to address stigma, social isolation, unequal access to care and clinician shortages.

South Africans are voting in the country's most consequential election since the end of apartheid, with the African National Congress facing a realistic prospect of losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994. Persistent poverty, 32 per cent unemployment and inequality are driving discontent, particularly among younger voters and Black communities. President Cyril Ramaphosa remains confident the ANC will win a majority, but fragmented opposition from the Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters and more than 50 other parties could force a coalition government. Final results are expected by Sunday, with nearly 3,000 soldiers deployed to help maintain a peaceful election.

Zimbabwe is using publicity campaigns, rallies and a song praising the gold-backed ZiG to encourage its adoption, while simultaneously arresting more than 200 street currency dealers and freezing business accounts accused of violating official exchange rules. Despite holding its value on the official market, the ZiG has fallen sharply against the U.S. dollar on the black market, which remains essential for rent, school fees and everyday purchases. Conflicting government practices—including allowing some businesses and public departments to require dollars—have deepened public mistrust. Economists and business leaders say arrests will drive currency trading underground rather than restore confidence, arguing that reliable access to dollars and stronger faith in the local currency are needed for de-dollarization to succeed.

Zimbabwe has begun circulating the ZiG, a gold-backed currency intended to replace the heavily depreciated Zimbabwe dollar and end years of monetary instability. Public and business confidence remains weak because the U.S. dollar is still widely preferred, government departments inconsistently accept the ZiG, and an official exchange rate coexists with a weaker black-market rate. President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government is enforcing use of the currency and arresting alleged black-market dealers, but memories of the 2009 hyperinflation crisis continue to fuel skepticism about whether the ZiG can deliver lasting stability.

African farmers are combining traditional practices with modern technology to cope with worsening climate change, drought and food insecurity. In Zimbabwe, farmers are reviving organic fertilizers, nutrient recycling and drought-resistant crops such as millet, sorghum and legumes. In Somalia, more than 250 greenhouses around Mogadishu are supplying local vegetables, creating jobs and offering pastoralists a more resilient alternative after repeated droughts and conflict. In Kenya, the fast-maturing Nyota bean variety is helping farmers withstand shortened rainy seasons while increasing yields and profits. Despite Africa’s agricultural potential, conflict, low investment and widespread inability to afford healthy diets continue to threaten food security.

Malaria remains widespread and deadly across Africa, where children under five account for most deaths. Poverty, stagnant water, inadequate sanitation, limited access to prevention and treatment, drug and insecticide resistance, and setbacks caused by COVID-19 have hindered progress. Climate change is extending transmission seasons and opening new areas to malaria, while vaccine coverage and effectiveness remain limited. WHO data show global cases and deaths increased between 2019 and 2022, underscoring the need for renewed funding and innovation.

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa granted clemency to more than 4,000 prisoners in an independence-day amnesty, including some death-row inmates. Female, juvenile, older, terminally ill and disabled prisoners meeting specified sentence requirements are eligible for release, while those convicted of serious offenses such as sexual crimes, robbery, human trafficking and infrastructure theft are excluded. Death-row prisoners held for at least 10 years had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. The amnesty comes as Zimbabwe considers abolishing capital punishment, which still awaits parliamentary approval, amid overcrowded and harsh prison conditions.

An overcrowded makeshift ferry carrying an estimated 130 people sank off northern Mozambique while traveling from Lunga toward the Island of Mozambique, killing at least 98 people, including children. At least 11 survivors were hospitalized, while authorities continued searching for additional victims. Officials attributed the disaster to the use of a fishing vessel unsuitable for passengers and severe overcrowding. Residents were reportedly fleeing a suspected cholera flare-up amid a broader outbreak that has caused thousands of cases across Mozambique, with Nampula Province particularly affected.

A severe drought across southern Africa is leaving an estimated 20 million people in need of food assistance, with Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi among the hardest-hit countries. Failed crops, depleted water sources and the effects of El Niño have compounded longer-term climate-driven weather extremes, following deadly storms and floods the previous year. Aid agencies are assisting millions but face dwindling resources, while many affected communities may remain unable to feed themselves into 2025.

Zimbabwean police charged self-proclaimed prophet Ishmael Chokurongerwa and seven aides after raiding his religious compound near Harare and finding 251 children allegedly being used as cheap labor and kept out of school. Police also found 16 unregistered graves, including those of seven infants, and said many children lacked birth certificates. The accused remained in custody pending a bail ruling, while followers defended the sect and condemned the police operation. Authorities transported children and women to a shelter as investigations continued, amid broader concerns about abuses and social isolation in some Apostolic Christian communities.

Zimbabwean police arrested self-styled prophet Ishmael Chokurongerwa and seven aides after raiding an Apostolic sect compound near Harare. Officers rescued 251 children, 246 of whom lacked birth certificates, and said the children were denied formal education and forced to perform manual labor. Police also found 16 unregistered graves, including those of seven infants. Sect members defended the compound’s practices and opposed formal schooling, while authorities said further details would emerge as the investigation continued.

Zimbabwe expects tobacco production to fall from a record 296 million kilograms in 2023 to about 235 million kilograms this season because of drought worsened by El Niño and climate change. The decline threatens small-scale farmers, who produce about 75% of the crop and rely mainly on rain, while tobacco remains a major source of foreign currency. Farmers report lower yields, poor quality and reduced auction prices, with some facing food insecurity and debt. The downturn undermines the government’s goal of reaching 300 million kilograms by 2025, although China’s contract-financing system remains central to the sector.

A bomb threat sent by email to Fastjet prompted heightened security at Zimbabwe’s airports, disrupting flights at Victoria Falls Airport and leading President Edson Mnangagwa to cancel a planned speech at a renewable energy conference. Presidential spokesman George Charamba said investigations were underway and urged calm, while authorities could not confirm reports that Mnangagwa’s plane had turned back. The incident recalls a 2018 explosion at a campaign rally in Bulawayo that killed two people and injured about 50 others.