Latest in Zimbabwe Today

Cde Joseph Chinotimba's Interview

2009-10-05T07:43:00.002+01:00

This guy makes me laugh....lol!

PC To Phone Call Rates For Zimbabwe Are Cheaper With Comfi Compared To Skype

2009-10-03T07:37:00.006+01:00

Looking for Cheap phone calls to Zimbabwe? Did you know that Comfi have cheaper call rates on PC-to-Phone calls to Zimbabwe? I have been using Skype's free PC-to-PC calls but unfortunately not everyone in Zimbabwe is on Skype. This means we can't really enjoy the full benefits of free Skype to Skype calls and we still have to pay for calls to our loved ones back home.

Because I'm always looking for ways that help me save money, I had to find a cheaper way to phone relatives in Zimbabwe. That is when I came across Comfi phone services.

After trying Comfi's PC-to-Phone service, I'm pretty impressed and would recommend it to all you Zimbabweans who want to save money on your calls to your loved ones.

Besides it's top of the range Free PC-to-PC calls, Skype is expensive on PC-to-Phone calls to Zimbabwe.

Price Comparison:

Skype to Land Line - US$0.102 per minute
Skype to Mobile Phones - US$0.376 per minute

Compared to Comfi's PC-to-Phone Rates

Calls to Land lines - US$0.066
Calls to Mobile Phones - US$0.31

Voip PC-to-Phone Charges

US$0.079 per minute on calls to land lines
US$0.266 per minute on calls to mobile phones

If you regularly phone your relatives in Zimbabwe (it's a good thing to keep in touch) I would recommend you try Comfi phone service. If you prefer not to use the PC-to-Phone service, I would suggest you also try Comfi top-up phone cards. They have very good rates that can save you money on your calls.

Click Here For Comfi Phone Services

Watch President Robert Mugabe As He Tells CNN That White Zimbabwe Farmers Have A 'Historical Debt'

2009-09-25T13:12:00.006+01:00

If you didn't understand or you are not aware of the problem between President Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe's White Commercial Farmers and why Zimbabwe is were it is today, watch Mugabe's interview with CNN.

President Robert Mugabe talks about 'OUR' land, not the White Farmer's land. The land does not belong to the White Farmers says Mr President.

What did you make of President Mugabe's Interview? It's either you love him or you hate him, he will never change.

Watch President Robert Mugabe's Interview With CNN

2009-09-25T12:41:00.006+01:00

Watch Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, talking to Christiane Amanpour from CNN. Mugabe talks about the power sharing agreement with Morgan Tsvangirai and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

Mugabe says we have MPs who have committed crimes including rape and kidnapping, so he believes we have criminals in the House of Parliament? But our dear leader seems to be struggling to explain the case against Roy Bernet of the MDC.

What did you make out of the interview? Feel free to share your comments.

The Origins Of The G-String Underwear

2009-09-25T10:21:00.004+01:00

A G-String, also known as a Thong is a type of underwear with just a narrow piece of cloth covering the genitals and a string in the behind. The G-String is a favourite today for both women and men...things are getting really sexy here...lol!

So, out of interest, does anyone know the origins of this women's favourite underwear The G-String or Thong.

This is probably not the kind of stuff we normally talk about here, sexy stuff we don't talk openly about these issues in Zimbabwe. But we are in the Western World so we can be excused. After all so many things are happening here in the diaspora that people will not even think of back home.

So, could the G-String or Thong have been inspired by the Native people from places like Africa and South America?
Long back our ancestors used to have a designer piece of loincloth covering the genital areas, with just a piece of string in the behind (I think it's called Nhembe in Shona and G-String these days).

I believe this is a case of our ancestors invention and designs influencing dressing in our modern day lives.

On another note. Should men wear G-Strings or Thongs?

Can you imagine the so called 'builders bam' in a G-String...lol!

For Designer Underwear, G-Strings, Thongs and many more checkout Elegant Knickers

Find Designer Brands At Discounted Prices At The Amazon Outlet Store

2009-09-23T18:17:00.006+01:00

These days I'm stuck at home because I'm not feeling well. So today when I went shopping around on the Internet, I came across Amazon's new online store where you can find designer brand at discounted prices.

Shopping for leading brands like Versace, Timberland, Nike, D&G and lots more at greatly discounted prices has just become easy with the launch of the Amazon Outlet Store. That's the place to go if you are looking for designer gear at low prices.

Go Shopping Now At The Amazon Outlet Store.

From Clothing, Shoes, Jewellery and Watches and many more, you will find items reduced by at least 50 percent.

Amazon also gives you Free UK Delivery on your orders over £5.

Go ahead, try Amazon Outlet Store and you will be surprised by the designer bargains you can get at discounted prices.

Sending Goods To Zimbabwe Via Freelance Couriers

2009-09-23T11:46:00.004+01:00

Once in a while we all want to send goods to our loved ones back home in Zimbabwe. About two weeks ago I was shopping around for cheaper and reliable courier services to Zimbabwe, when a friend of mine referred me to a freelance courier from Zimbabwe.

I was able to send my little sister's baby stuff from London, and I was impressed by the service all the goods got to Zimbabwe and on time.

For a while now we have had these enterprising man and women coming from Zimbabwe on their regular business trips. And on the journey back home they carry your goods for for a set price. I find them comparatively cheaper than other shipping companies to Zimbabwe and very reliable.

Plus the business of shipping goods to Zimbabwe has got a lot of conman involved. Many Zimbabweans in the diaspora have stories to tell about these criminals.

The main advantage is the personalised service, in my case my little sister could not go and collect her goods because she had just given birth. And the gentleman delivered her goods home. How nice was that...God bless him.

On the occasions that I have used these freelance couriers to send my goods to Zimbabwe, I haven't had any problems of my goods getting lost or my goods taking half a year to get to Zimbabwe. So I would recommend them if you get someone you trust.

Unlike the last time I send my goods to Zimbabwe with one of the shipping companies, they took six months to get my goods to Zimbabwe. You can read the story here (Before Sending Your Goods To Zimbabwe Read This).

So have you used freelance couriers to send goods to Zimbabwe? What was your experience like? Feel Free to share by posting your comments.

Don't Mess With The Xhosa Guy

2009-09-22T09:01:00.004+01:00

A Xhosa guy drove into Jozi and stopped at a rough nightclub. When he
came out his car was gone. He rushed back into the bar, pulled out a gun
and fired a shot into the ceiling.

"Who stole my car?" he yelled.

No one answered." I'm gonna have another beer and if my wheels aren't back outside by the time I finished, I'm gonna be forced to do what I did back on the Cape Flats!"

The guy had another beer and his car mysteriously returned.

The bartender followed him out of the bar and said," Say what happened
on the Cape Flats?"

The guy smiled and said, "Hei my broe, I had to walk home".

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Save Money With Comfi's Cheaper Call Rates To Zimbabwe

2009-09-18T19:27:00.004+01:00

I have been using Skype for sometime now to make calls to Zimbabwe. I like skype for their FREE PC to PC calls. However when I tried skype for PC to Mobile calls to Zimbabwe I found them very expensive at £0.215 per minute.

Again not many people use Skype in Zimbabwe so I still have to buy phone cards. At Clement Nyirenda's blog, he talked about two cheaper alternative PC-to-Phone VoIP services that are cheaper than Skype, ActionVoip and Comfi.

Comfi give you a cheaper alternative when you want to save money on your phone calls to Zimbabwe. I use their top-up phone cards and I find them to be better than other phone cards I used to buy in the shops here in London.

If you have used some of these phone cards you know how they don't always give you the minutes they say on the card.

With Comfi Phone Cards calls to Zimbabwe costs as little as £0.034 per minute from London and PC-to-Phone call to Zimbabwe costs as little as £0.04 per minute.

Have you also been finding expensive making calls to Zimbabwe? Don't let the high phone call charges stop you from talking to your loved ones back home.

Try Comfi's Cheap Phone Calls Rates Here.

I'm going to try Comfi's PC-to-Phone calls, and will definitely share my experiences with you all in my next post.

Trevor Ncube on CNN's African Voices this weekend

2009-09-18T12:00:00.004+01:00

Zimbabwean, Trevor Ncube is one of Southern Africa's most powerful newspaper publishers.

His media empire spans Zimbabwe and South Africa where he owns newspapers, printing presses and distribution networks. He says he is now looking to expand his business further into Africa.
Trevor Ncube started working in Zimbabwean newsrooms - writing and editing - but he says he soon realised he preferred being behind the scenes.

He now owns sister publications The Independent and The Standard in Zimbabwe as well as the Mail and Guardian newspaper in South Africa.

A self-described idealist, Ncube believes in the power of the press to change and influence societies for the good. After years of restrictive press laws and harassment of the media, he says the time is now right to launch a new daily newspaper in Zimbabwe.

"In the past ten years, journalists have been seen as the enemies of the state, newspaper publishers have been hounded, foreign journalist have been hounded. This means we have existed in an environment where we were seen as a group of people to be eliminated, arrested, but still we expanded the democratic space and provided a platform where people talk to each other, where the nation looks at itself and decided which paths to follow. I'm very optimistic, about the short term," commented Ncube.

To hear more from this African Media Baron tune into CNN's African Voices on Saturdays at 12.30 and 21.30 GMT; Sunday August 16, 18.00 GMT

http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/africanvoices/

Exclusive Ticket Deals For Dirty Dancing at Aldwych Theatre

2009-09-17T17:15:00.009+01:00

“Nobody puts Baby in the corner.”

"Look, spaghetti arms. This is my dance space. This is your dance space. I don't go into yours, you don't go
into mine. You gotta hold the frame." Some of the memorable quotes from Dirty Dancing the movie.

The recent death of actor Patrick Swayze shocked his fans. The Hollywood favorite actor lost his battle with pancreatic cancer aged just 57.

He will be remembered most for his roles in Dirty Dancing and Ghost.

In memory of the life of Patrick Swayze's life lastminute have an exclusive for all his fans, £25 off on Dirty Dancing Tickets at Aldwych Theatre.

We all new this day would come after Patrick Swayze had battled pancreatic cancer for nearly two years. But it's never easy to deal with times like this. May his soul rest in peace.

Now, you'll hurt me if you don't trust me, all right?, Have you had many women?

Dirty Dancing tickets - Aldwych Theatre - exclusive - £25 off From £35

Some more memorable quotes from Dirty Dancing the movie. What are your favourite quotes?

Get Free Gift Vouchers At Argos

2009-09-16T14:07:00.008+01:00

Beat the credit crunch at Argos. This week sees the return of the ever popular Free Gift Vouchers at Argos.

Customers receive £5 if they spend £50 and £10 if they spend £100. On top of this there is also the Argos Autumn Offers which gives customers savings of up to half price on selected products. Go to Argos.co.uk

The Free Gift Voucher promotion is running from the 16th to the 22nd of September.

There are also some fantastic promotions on Sony Televisions, offering up to £100 Off.

See the following Voucher Codes:

Save £25 when you buy any Sony TV with a screen size between 26"-37
Enter code SONY25 at the checkout

Save £50 when you buy any Sony TV with a screen size of 40"
Enter code SONY50 at the checkout

Save £100 when you buy any Sony TV with a screen size of 46" or bigger
Enter code SONY100 at the checkout

Don't forget to use your Gift Card or Voucher Code before 22 January 2010.

Shop now at Argos.co.uk

Houser of Fraser Beauty Confidential Event - Promotional Voucher Code

2009-09-15T21:10:00.001+01:00

Here is another opportunity to beautify yourself and save money at House of Fraser. There are a number of fabulous events and promotions on offer, on the House of Fraser Online Store

Promotions:
Get £5 Off when you spend £50 or more on beauty products. Use Discount Code BEAUTY09 at the checkout.

Elemis: Buy 2 Elemis lines and get a £128 set for £35.

Elizabeth Arden: Buy 2 Arden limes and get a £200 set for £35

Don't miss out on these great Special Offers to beautify and pamper yourself or that special person.

Emmanuel Adebayor was right to celebrate - What if it's your mother who is being insulted?

2009-09-15T17:11:00.005+01:00

According to Arsenal supporters who were at the game between Manchester City and Arsenal last Saturday, Emmanuel Adebayor's mother is a prostitute, while his father is employed as a menial labourer washing elephants. The Arsenal fans reportedly sang the 'Emmanuel Adebayor song' all afternoon even before kick-off. God knows what else they called him and his family.

So why persecute Adebayor for celebrating a goal that rubbed it all into the faces of Arsenal supporters who had been abusing him all afternoon?

Adebayor ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal supporters. I can just imagine how they felt.....terrible!

But these Arsenal supporters forget all the abuse they shouted at Adebayor and his family all afternoon.

Whats so special about supporters that they can abuse players and get away with it? If footballers should not do it, it follows that supporters must do the same.

As for Adebayor's war game against Arsenal players, well that's not the subject of this post, but he was unprofessional there.

People have rushed to attack Adebayor for his goal celebrations, but having endured all that abuse from the Arsenal supporters I think his reaction was normal. What if it was your own mother and father being abused????

Zimbabwean Mandla Ngwenya ordered to repay £150 000 made from stealing M and S trousers

2009-09-12T08:38:00.006+01:00

Mandla Ngwenya is reported to have amassed a £150 889.00 fortune over six years stealing trousers from Marks and Spencer.

Mandla Ngwenya would steal trousers and wear them under his tracksuit bottoms. He would then claim refunds using forged receipts. Now he has to learn the hard way that crime does not pay.

Mandla is one of a number of Zimbabweans who have a taste for an expensive lifestyle which is not matched by the desire to work for it, and they end up turning to crime. Unless they think stealing is work...lol!

According to The Sun report,

"the BMW-driving crook, from Leeds, was told to pay back £150 889 amassed over six years of scams."

Why is it that most Zimbabweans involved in crime seem to be based in Leeds??

Mandla will get 27 months extra jail unless he pays in six months. He was jailed for 18 months in March for conspiring to steal, plus 15 months in June for contempt after trying to move frozen assets.

Judge Roger Scott told Teeside Crown Court that:

"He (Mandla Ngwenya) is a devious criminal. He's shown an ability to explain away money."

Maybe Mr Gordon Brown should take these criminals and give them back to Robert....they have nice places for them in Zimbabwe and they educate them better in those places. I'm sure people like Mandla will be happy to spend their time there.....they will like it so much in there and they will never want to be send back again...lol! Crime does not pay.

Children as young as Five to be taught about sex! Has the UN gone 'Bonkers'?

2009-09-11T09:42:00.004+01:00

Has the world gone bonkers?

Children as young as five should be taught about explicit sex acts, according to the guidelines from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
These outrageous guidelines are due to be issued to governments, local authorities and education bodies around the world by end of next month. The report recommends teachers to begin discussing subjects such as masturbation with children from the age of five. How ridiculous?

According to the Daily Mail reporter, the UNESCO report recommends teachers should discuss the idea that 'girls and boys have private body parts that can feel pleasurable when touched by oneself'.

In which world did these people at UNESCO grow up in? I don't think their parents taught them about these sexual acts at such age? What does five yer old stand to benefit from teaching them about masturbation?

At the age of 12, teachers are expected to be covering issues such as 'access to safe abortion and post-abortion care' and the 'use and misuse of emergency contraception'. Children should learn about the 'right to and access to safe abortion'.

The report is intended to help countries improve sex education and sexual health, especially in the developing world.

It is just ridiculous to even think about talking to five year olds about sex. Will this work in our own Zimbabwe? I don't think so, even older people don't talk about some of these sexual acts. Very 'inappropriate' recommendations.

Why should I Support the England Football Team?

2009-09-10T10:22:00.004+01:00

I would like to say well done to the England football team for qualifying to next years FIFA World Cup in South Africa. And boy! didn't they do it in spectacular fashion. Europe's top scorers, the best ever goal tally for an England team and qualifying with two games to play....lol! Is this England's best chance of winning the World Cup since....1966? Expectations are high.

But should I support England just because I now live in England?

My workmate from Sri Lankan reckons I'm not being patriotic by not supporting the England sporting teams....I admit most of the times I support the team which plays against England. For years it has been like that, so should I change now because I now live in England. To show a bit of loyalty to Her Majesty the Queen of England?

To me this is sport and I have the right to support whoever I feel like supporting, nothing about being patriotic or un-patriotic.

Besides that, England always disappoints. The best they will ever get to in football is the Quarter-Finals, anything better than that will be expecting too much from the over-rated English players.

I must admit right now they have a bit of quality in the team. But they always say this, don't they?

Besides winning the World Cup in 1966, what else has England achieved in football? Like I said before, Quarter-Finals is the best England can achieve. The exception being the World Cup 1990, when the world of football conspired to cheat Africa, and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. That was bad for football.

So, South Africa better get well prepared to deal with drunk England's football supporters. We like them they have passion, they always expect their team to win all the time. But when drunk they can spectacularly show the bad side of England football.

I hope this time the England team will give me a reason to cheer them on. South Africa here we come! But does it matter who I will be supporting?

Zimbabwean Internet Entrepreneurs - Are you into Internet Marketing?

2009-09-08T12:26:00.005+01:00

If not you could be missing an opportunity to Make Money Online. This post is about Zimbabweans who are into Internet Marketing. A few years ago, Tuck Shops were a common site at most houses in Zimbabwe, just like the Off Licences in the United Kingdom.

Now a number of Zimbabweans in the diaspora and also back home have now turned to Internet Marketing, thanks to the availability of technology which was not easily accessible back in Zimbabwe. Many are involved in businesses like Online Grocery Shops, Cargo Shipping, Online Newspapers, Online Auctions, Blogging etc.

One of the easiest ways to get your presence online is to write your own blog. Blogs have been describe as the most powerful tool in Internet Marketing and individuals and businesses are using this powerful tool to make huge profits online.

Here some of my favourite blogs written by Zimbabweans:

1. Living Zimbabwe - Gerri over at living Zimbabwe, writes about everything Zimbabwean. His latest post is about Religion in Zimbabwe "Religion in Zimbabwe is a very contentious issue. Mainly because we are a religious people from the days of our forefathers and that makes us different from all other cultures. Contentious issue because we have been fought by forces of evil and deceit to the extend of getting so confused that it is now normal "

2. Kick Mugabe Out - Sdudla writes about the political issues in our beloved Zimbabwe. Very informative articles well complemented by the use of pictures on current Zimbabwean issues.

3. Denford Magora - Magora blogs live from Harare. Another blog with the juice bits about the Zimbabwean political situation. Is he Anti-Tsvangirai, or is he anti-Mugabe or maybe he is anti-Mutambara, well I think he writes about events in Zimbabwe as he sees them. Very informative.

Here are some Zimbabweans who are into Internet businesses:

1. Innocent at Zimhomepage.com: Zimhomepage is a dedicated advertising website for Zimbabwean products and services. If you are not advertising on ZimHomepage then you are missing a great opportunity to market your products to thousands of Zimbabweans online.

2. Mdoti at Modishdesigns: Beautiful stylish shoes at Mdoti's eBay Store.

"Rockport's I.Travel line of shoes are well constructed and comfortable shoes. Your feet will thank you the moment you put them on."

In the Cargo business, we seem to have a number of conman doing business and a number of us Zimbabweans in the diaspora have been victims of very poor service from some of these guys.

In fact one of the most commented on posts here is about my experiencing shipping goods to Zimbabwe. Read My Experience Shipping Goods to Zimbabwe

Zimabwe Newspapers: We now have quite a number of online newspapers like, NewZimbabwe, ZimDaily, The Standard, Zimbabwe Online not forgetting The Herald. In fact, I think the news sector is now over populated with publishers competing to provide factual and balanced news.

In the coming posts I will be writing more about Zimbabwean businesses online. Are you a Zimbabwean into online business? Do you want to be featured in our future posts? Feel free to email me using the Contact Us form, with a small brief about your business.

NOTE any spam in the comments section will be deleted.

Zambezi Express - Zimbabwe Musical set for great success in London

2009-09-07T22:17:00.006+01:00

On their own website zambeziexpress.com, they have describe it as "A Sizzling Hot, Non-Stop, All-Action, feel-good Dance Musical."

Zambezi Express has been billed as the "happiest show on earth". Emma Rowley of the Evening Standard reports that the Musical is set to become London's next feel-good hit after opening to packed audiences at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. We don't get much of Zimbabwean entertainment in London, Zambezi Express is something to go and enjoy!

It’s a tense, taught story, fraught with danger, drama and adventure.

Zambezi Express is the story of "a boy named Zilli, born in the slums of a mining township in Bulawayo,
Zimbabwe, it offers hope, escape, and a journey to fulfil a footballing dream in
the big city."

The musical was created by British Circus entrepreneur Gerry Cottle, and the group trained at Mr Cottle's circus school at Wookey Hole in Somerset.

"It's the first time Zimbabwe has ever had a musical outside the country," Mr
Cottle said to the Evening Standard. "It's been years in the making.

"It's a cross between Billy Elliot and Slumdog Millionaire. People come
out with smiles all over their faces."

Show Dates in London

RIVERSIDE STUDIOS, HAMMERSMITH

Friday 4th September – Saturday 27th September

Tuesday – Friday at 8pm

Saturdays 2pm, 5pm and 8pm

Sundays 2pm and 5pm

Life No Longer As Exciting In Credit Crunch Hit UK

2009-09-04T23:14:00.004+01:00

A few years ago when the British pound still had value, life was so exciting and we had loads of funny days. It was party time nearly every month end...if not every weekend. But all this has changed, thanks to the Credit Crunch we have had to change our habits, priorities and lifestyles. An increasing number of people are now bankrupt, many more are in massive amounts of debt, their Credit Scoring severely affected by those County Court Judgements (CCJs). Our lives have been Credit Crunched like what happened in Zimbabwe during the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAP) years.

Anti-Social Behaviour
A few years ago it was considered severely anti-social not to attend a friend's or relatives party. People would find any excuse imaginable to have a party, if you fail to attend because you are working....lol! People would swear they will take their revenge next time you have your own party.

How different from Zimbabwe, where you would be lucky to get an invite. No wonder there are a lot of 'Gate-Crushers'.

Zimbabweans on the Club Scene
There were days when a number of Zimbabweans would go clubbing every weekend, if not every day of the week. On weekends it was Gochi Gochi galore, now most of that is history thanks to the Credit Crunch hit Britain. People's behaviors have changed, if the Zimbabwe man's favourite brew (Chibuku Scud) was available here, I wonder how many would have gone back to our traditional brew, "Hari Ye Madzisahwira".

Lives Credit Crunched in the Diaspora
Our lives have been crunched in Credit Crunch hit Britain and the rest of the Diaspora....even all those flashy Zimbabwean Agency owners, all the Club owners and so called Music Show Promoters who used to drive around in expensive cars have also been credit crunched. Maybe because of mismanagement all that flashy lifestyle has gone.
I hear most of these business owners used to exploit Zimbabweans without the right papers to work in Britain, maybe it's payback time.

Are we ever going to see the good old days?
Life has really changed in the United Kingdom and will never be the same again, and I guess it's the same with the rest of the Diaspora. But thank God, the economies are now showing signs of recovery. Will the good old days ever come back? What do you think about life in the Credit Crunch hit Diaspora? Feel free to share your story by posting your comments.

Wife killer to drive London Black Cabs

2009-09-03T10:51:00.003+01:00

A paranoid schizophrenic who strangled his wife has been given permission to study as a London black cab driver. The move to allow the wife strangler to drive black cabs has angered other drives who say this will affect their integrity.
But, I'm sure the most angry people will be the London cab users, angry at the officials for allowing murderers to drive taxis.

The wife killer was jailed indefinitely under the Mental Health Act in 2001 but was released in 2003.

He has been passed fit to study for the "Knowledge" following psychiatric tests. He is reported to have already been granted a Private Hire Licence.

Allowing murderers to drive black cabs or any other taxi service in London is surely not a wise idea and this exposes members of the public to great danger. This drive will be picking up vulnerable passengers....no wonder women are murdered by taxi drivers. What else can you expect when officials allow murderers to drive public transport?

So, the psychiatrists are so sure this man will not kill again? God help us!

One wonders how many more murderers, rapists and other criminals are driving the black cabs in London. And we thought they are subject to police checks, and also that criminals, especially murderers are not allowed to work with vulnerable people.

Trust the officials to keep you safe in London.

FIFA orders age test for players at the U17 World Cup in Nigeria

2009-09-02T18:48:00.000+01:00

FIFA has ordered age test to be performed on players at the Under 17 World Cup in Nigeria to catch teams who field over-aged players. This follows reports that hosts Nigeria were going to select a number of over age players for the October 24 to November 15 finals..

FIFA said it would conduct magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests “to protect the integrity of the tournament and in the spirit of fair play.”

Defending champions, Nigeria have always done well in these tournaments but there has always been rumours that they field over age players.

“MRI of the wrist can identify players who are definitely above 17 years,” FIFA said in a statement. “It is reliable, evidence-based and safe for the player.”

Government gives amnesty to 1500 prisoners as it struggles to provide them with food and clothes

2009-09-02T17:29:00.004+01:00

President Robert Mugabe has granted amnesty to 1500 prisoners, more than 10 percent of Zimbabwe's prison population as the country struggles to feed, provide clothing and toiletries for the prisoners. The pardoned prisoners are mainly women and juveniles, and also people with terminal illnesses.

"The Zimbabwe Prison Service has faced challenges in... provision of prisoners' rations, clothing and bedding, toiletries and transport among others,"

Permanent Secretary in the Justice Ministry David Mangota told the official New Ziana news agency.

"As a short-term relief option... a proposal to have a general amnesty was granted to inmates," he added.

However people convicted of offences such as murder, rape and conspiracy against the government will not qualify for amnesty, said Mangota.

Archbishop Pius Ncube says government still wants him dead

2009-09-02T04:06:00.001+01:00

Archibishop Pius Ncube, the former head of the Bulawayo Archdiocese says agents of the government still want to assassinate him over his criticism of human rights violations by Robert Mugabe's government. The New Zealand Nation Catholic newspaper reports that Pius Ncube made the claims in a letter to South Africa's national Catholic Weekly, The Southern Cross, with a request that Catholics pray for him.

Ncube resigned as head of the Bulawayo Archdiocese in September 2007 after having had an affair with a woman. Archbishop Ncube who now lives in Hwange claims every two weeks the state security agents visit him, "Where I now live, every two weeks the state intelligence is there to visit me, which they never did when I was in Bulawayo. I now refuse to talk to them," he told The Southern Cross.

"My attitude is that the government of Zimbabwe has no right to hound me and get me out of Zimbabwe," he said. "I have a right and duty to live in Zimbabwe. This has been their method to intimidate thousands of their critics so that they leave the country."

Ncube added that, "in compliance with the suggestions from the Vatican," he has abstained from publicly criticizing the government, "a thing which is alien to my convictions."

"I do not agree with quiet diplomacy when people are suffering," he said.

"I ask the people of God to help me by their prayers for my protection," he said. "I thank all those who pray for me. I will continue to pray for the delivery of Africa from tyranny."

On April 6, 2008, Archbishop Ncube was still out of the country, but the government allegedly heard a rumour that he had returned.

"They therefore made an arrangement to kill me," Archbishop Ncube said.

"They planted a bomb in my car. A priest used my car," he said, and about 12 miles from Bulawayo the priest -- whom Archbishop Ncube declined to name to protect him from repercussions -- noticed that he was being followed by two cars.

Archbishop Ncube alleged that the people following the priest "detonated a bomb and the (priest's) car swerved and fell into the ditch." He added that he had been advised to get a driver for security reasons, and the bomb specifically targeted the passenger side of the vehicle.

"Had the bomb been directed to the driver, this priest would have died instantly," the archbishop said.

While the priest was lightly injured and covered in debris, the cars that had followed him passed without stopping or investigating.

"A third car, driven by a Chinese man, stopped nearby," Archbishop Ncube said. The driver allegedly proceeded to take photographs of the scene.

"The priest asked (the man) why he did not help him rather than photograph him, since he was injured. (The man) nervously scurried away and drove off fast," Archbishop Ncube said, adding that it was nearly four hours before the priest was taken to a hospital.

Selective Application of the Rule of Law and Persecution of MDC members still taking place in Zimbabwe - Morgan Tsvangirai

2009-09-01T20:57:00.007+01:00

Robert Mugabe still has all the power in Zimbabwe, and Tsvangirai can not do anything about it. It's clear there is no unity in the Zimbabwe Unity Government and Morgan Tsvangirai has been lying to Zimbabweans and the whole World that Robert Mugabe has changed.

Zimbabwe Prime Minister and MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai has told reporters that members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) are still being harassed by the police despite guarantees of political freedom when he formed the Inclusive Government with Robert Mugabe. Tsvangirai also said disputes with Robert Mugabe over the central bank governor and other posts were undermining the unity government.

"The outstanding issue of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor and the attorney general, which ought to have been resolved a long time ago, are impacting negatively on the credibility and legitimacy of the inclusive government," Tsvangirai told reporters.

"The Southern African Development Community accepted that these were genuine issues and that the appointments should not have been," he said.

On the issue of persecution and harassment of MDC members by the police, Morgan Tsvangirai said: "To make matters worse, the selective application of the rule of law, including the persecution and prosecution of MDC members of parliament, continues to inflame political tensions," Tsvangirai said.

"Equally problematic is the deliberately slow pace of progress on the implementation of key issues connected to human rights and the rule of law."

Morgan Tsvangirai also accused Robert Mugabe's supporters of using state media to advocate only for the interest of Zanu Pf.

"This distortion of the political reality by the state media presents a real and credible threat to the inclusive government and its ability to impact positively on the lives of all Zimbabweans," he said

From the issues that Tsvangirai talked about, there is no doubt Mugabe still has all the power in Zimbabwe. He has so far refused to cooperate in the Inclusive Government to resolve those outstanding issues, including the issue of Gideon Gono who many Zimbabweans blame for the financial mess the country is in today. The continuous arrests of MDC MPs.....there is also the Roy Bennet issue. So, what is Morgan Tsvangirai doing in this so called Unity Government???

All these past months Tsvangirai has tried to convince Zimbabweans and the whole world that Robert Mugabe has changed, that he is working well together with Mugabe and he can now be trusted. He said they are now Buddies with Mugabe.....lol!!! So what is all this he is talking about now??? Why did Tsvangirai lie to the Zimbabwean exiles in London that all is well back home, when he new very well that Mugabe has not changed and is not going to change??