WEEKLY NEWS ROUND-UP
Former Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, who left Zimbabwe hurriedly in 2017 and faces arrest on various charges on his return, has been accused by veteran modelling instructor Mrs Sipho Mazibuko of raping her 11 years ago when she was pregnant. In a Facebook post, Mrs Mazibuko said she made a police report at Bulawayo Central Police Station at the time, but no action was taken, except to have her admitted to hospital for psychiatric care.
Tuesday
There was commotion at Chiredzi District Hospital on Monday after they received an unexpected visitor — a crocodile. The reptile, which was spotted crawling through a corridor before resting in a storm drain, did not attack anyone from the time it was spotted around 4am to the time it was captured and translocated by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks). It is believed it may have strayed from the nearby Chiredzi River.
Wednesday
The Zimbabwe dollar was virtually unchanged against the US dollar, although firming by a very marginal 0,01 percent to $82,08 from $82,09 to the greenback after
Tuesday’s central bank auction. Industry’s demand for the hard currency remained high, with total US dollar allocations coming in at a total of US$ 35,3 million, the second highest on record and marginally lower than last week’s US$ 35,83 million, although that came after the three-week Christmas break.
Thursday
The global community on Wednesday mourned the passing on of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Sibusiso Moyo, with embassies in Harare leading tributes for Zimbabwe’s chief diplomat. The embassies expressed shock and sadness at the untimely death of Minister Moyo, who succumbed to Covid-19 complications in the capital.
Friday
President Mnangagwa presided over the joint burial of the late Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, Dr Ellen Gwaradzimba, and the late ZANU PF Central Committee member, Cde Morton Dizzy Paul Malianga, at the National Heroes’ Acre in Harare on Thursday. The double burial was the third ever following the double burials of national heroines Cde Victoria Chitepo and Vivian Mwashita in 2016 and Cdes George Rutanhire and Maud Muzenda in 2017.