Eleven months have passed since the disappearance of human rights activist Itai Dzamara, but his family's conviction that he'll return to them one day, alive, remains resolute.

Dzamara’s wife Shefra told VOA Studio7 she and her children remain hopeful for her husband's safe return. She said the children remain her husband's constant worry as they continuously ask about their father.

“They are still asking and you can see that the kids really miss their father, they’re still asking,” said Sheffra. She said though they are not receiving many outside donations, the Dzamara family has been supporting her and the children.

Interview with Sheffra Dzamara, Wife of Missing Activist, Itai Dzamara

Former Vice President Joice Mujuru has for the first time confirmed that she is leading the opposition Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) expected to contest the country’s much-anticipated 2018 general elections.

In an exclusive interview with Voice of America’s Studio 7, Mrs. Mujuru was asked if she is indeed now the interim president of the party, she replied, “Yes please.” 

She had come under fire from some political analysts who accused her of leading from the back and speaking only through proxies. Mrs. Mujuru, who on Friday registered her own political party – ZPF - says she is now ready to lead the party.

Exclusive Interview with Mai Mujuru on People First

The leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Morgan Tsvangirai, says he will soon approach the international community to assist Zimbabweans who are food insecure and blamed his rival, President Robert Mugabe, for downplaying the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

President Robert Mugabe has declared the food crisis a national disaster and  appealed for $1.6 billion to feed 3 million people - about a quarter of the population - after the worst drought in more than two decades damaged crops and killed thousands of livestock.

But Tsvangirai and some analysts say the declaration of a food emergency came late and is putting many Zimbabweans at risk.

[Picture by Victoria Cavanaugh / WFP]

Exclusive interview: #MorganTsvangirai discusses #ZimDrought on VOA Studio 7

Following clashes between ‪#‎WarVets‬ and members of ‪#‎ZRP‬ in Harare after the police had barred war veterans from holding their rally at the City Sports Centre, Radio VOP interviewed some #WarVeterans who had beaten by the police. 
[Picture by NewsDay]

Beaten WarVets say Kasukuwere has ruined #ZanuPF

Zimbabwean former vice president Joice Mujuru launched a new political party Tuesday in a direct challenge to President Robert Mugabe's all-powerful ZANU-PF, as speculation increases over his succession.

"Today is a historic day," said Mujuru in announcing the launch of her Zimbabwe People First party at a press conference.

"This is a day of significance in our country's political history." - News24

Former VP Joice Mujuru forms party to challenge Pres Robert Mugabe

A Zimbabwean based in South Africa is curving a niche in the film industry and has just made a big leap into the lucrative business after directing a documentary that will be premiered this month in New York, USA.

Davison Mudzingwa of Mvura Ya Afrika Productions directed Lost Tongue, a documentary that explores the revival of the ancient and endangered Nluu language of the Khomani San people in the Kalahari Desert.

The documentary captures the journey of a Khomani San woman, Helena Steenkamp, who is determined to restore and revive her disappearing language and culture.

Mudzingwa said the documentary will be premiered as a surprise package at the Socially Relevant Film Festival in New York.

“In the U.S from the 14th to the 21st there is a film festival called Socially Relevant Film Festival in New York and our film, we are fortunate to have been selected, to screen at the prestigious festival and this film is called Lost Tongue. It will be screened on the 17th of March in New York.”

He said the film is based on Steenkamp, who is seeking to restore and revive her language and culture. “We followed her for about three years filming her efforts to revive or to retain her language which is called Nluu. It is one of the most ancient languages in the world and for those that have done research about it they say it’s about 25,000 years old.

“So, the problem with this language is that only three elders, and the youngest of these elders is 80 years old, can speak the language fluently. Helena’s efforts have been to ensure that the language does not die … It doesn’t disappear with these elders who are still surviving.”

He said when they followed her for three years other thematic areas emerged like culture and preservation of identity. “All these issues had to be answered in the documentary. They became universal themes because a lot of countries are facing similar problems.

“If you check in different countries in the SADC (Southern African Development Community) in Zimbabwe we have also have the San people in Tsholotsho and we also the Tonga people in Binga they are also facing the same problem of a language that is disappearing.”

He noted that “a language does not disappear on its own it goes with the values, it goes with the culture and it goes with the identity.”

Mudzingwa said the main objective of the documentary is to protect these important norms. - Voice Of America Studio 7 

Zimbabwean Makes Big Leap in Film Industry

Listen to the #AskMujuru interview which aired live on South Africa's SAfm today (08 March 2016 at 10am. 

Mujuru was President Robert Mugabe deputy for a decade. She has now formed her own party (Zimbabwe People First) that will take on Mugabe at the #2018ZimElections.

Interview courtesy of SAfm

#AskMujuru The #JoiceMujuru interview on #Mzansi's SAfm

In a wide ranging interview with Blessing Zulu on Voice of america's Studio 7, former #ZanuPF Mashonaland Central youth chair Godfrey Tsenengamu alleged that the party's Commissar Saviour Kasukuwere wants Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa ousted - Joice Mujuru style. Tsenengamu says Kasukuwere received his instructions on the matter from the First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Former #ZanuPF Youth Chair says Party Commissar wants VP Mnangagwa ousted

“Mugabe is the commander in chief of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces and the army cannot leave the barracks without his authority,” said Former Masvingo Resident Minister and Member of Parliament for Mwenezi East, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti in an interview with VOA Studio 7. 

The direct military intervention in the country's elections came in the second round of voting in the presidential election of 2008 after the first round failed to produce a 50% majority for either candidate. In the first round of polls, Tsvangirai had 47,9% of the vote compared to Mr. Mugabe who had 43,2% of the electorate.

Following this shocking defeat in the polls by the MDC, Bhasikiti says Mr. Mugabe turned to the coercive state apparatus - the army - arguing that  the party structures were virtually non-existent and lacked capacity to mount an effective campaign. Some ruling party Members of Parliament were even accused of sabotaging President Mugabe’s election campaign.

“What happened is that there was full realization that the people had lost confidence in the Zanu-PF leader and then the only way to salvage the disappointment and embarrassment was for him as the commander in chief to command the military to salvage the loss...members of the opposition had stopped voting, they just went into hiding including their leader, and then, you cannot say there was an election t even the Government of National Unity was not warranted."

He added, "It speaks against the sincerity of the African Union, because if a political party wins an election it must be given the mandate to rule, the MDC should have been given the mandate to rule in 2008 because it had won the election.”

Before Bhasikiti's confession, several senior Zanu-PF officials were said to have been behind the bloody campaign. Those fingered included Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, General Chiwenga, Police Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri, Air Marshall Perence Shiri, Major General Paradzayi Zimondi, the prisons chief, and ousted spy chief, Didymus Mutasa.



#RobertMugabe, Zimbabwe's Centre Of Violence: Former Minister Bhasikiti

Join Lynette Manzini as she discusses the challenges female students face and how the organisation led by Evernice Munando helps them to overcome them.

CSO's Talk - Female Student Network with Lynette Female

Kudaba esiluphiwa nguMavis Gumbo, owe Studio 7 yeVoice Of America esakaza eseHarare, ibandla elibusayo ele #ZanuPF selithe lona liyabahlonipha abantu besifazane njalo inkulu ingxenye abayidlalayo ekuthuthukisweni kwelizwe

iZanuPF ithi iyabahlonipha abantu besifazane

We are a collaborative of Zimbabwe's independent radio stations: Radio Dialogue, Radio Voice Of the People (VOP), Community Radio Harare (CORAH FM), Patsaka Nyaminyami, Voice Of America Studio 7 and a host of stations under the umbrella body - Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations ZACRAS.

Now We're Talking!

Channel Zim

Popular tracks