Tag: Zimbabwe

Mominul, Mushfiqur pile on runs as Bangladesh lead Zimbabwe

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AFP) –  Mominul Haque completed his first century as Bangladesh Test captain and Mushfiqur Rahim was one run off his ton as the hosts took a first-innings lead against Zimbabwe on Monday. Mominul hit 119 not out and Mushfiqur was unbeaten on 99 as Bangladesh reached 351 for three by lunch on the third day of the one-off Test in Dhaka. The hosts lead by 86 runs in response to Zimbabwe’s 265. Resuming […]

China pays tribute to ‘outstanding’ Zimbabwe leader Mugabe

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing paid tribute to Zimbabwe’s former leader Robert Mugabe whose death was announced Friday, saying he was an “outstanding national liberation movement leader and politician”. China was one of the staunchest supporters of Mugabe, who lead from 1980 to 2017. His death at the age of 95 was announced by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa. “Mugabe was an outstanding national liberation movement leader and politician of Zimbabwe,” said foreign ministry spokesman Geng […]

Zimbabwe ex-president Mugabe dies aged 95

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) — Robert Mugabe, who led Zimbabwe from 1980 to 2017, has died aged 95, the country’s president announced Friday. Mugabe was first heralded as a liberator who rid the former British colony of Rhodesia of white minority rule, but was later ousted by his previously loyal military generals. “It is with the utmost sadness that I announce the passing on of Zimbabwe’s founding father and former President… Robert Mugabe,” Emmerson Mnangagwa said in […]

Mozambique families devastated by cyclone tragedy

by Nicolas DELAUNAY BEGAJA, Mozambique (AFP) — Twelve people perched precariously on a branch of a mango tree, sheltering from the floodwaters of tropical Cyclone Idai which wrought devastation across southern Africa. “But after two days, it snapped,” said Isabel Bernard, 20, a survivor of the storm’s aftermath who had been clinging to the tree branch along with her son. “We were thrown into the water and I lost sight of my son. I looked […]

Up to 500,000 displaced by southern Africa cyclone

  by Adrien Barbier and Nicolas Delaunay, with Nina Larson in Geneva Agence France Presse BEIRA, Mozambique (AFP) — Survivors of a cyclone that pummelled southern Africa began receiving medicine, food and tents Tuesday as floodwaters receded, while officials warned up to 500,000 people are displaced in the storm-struck region. Cyclone Idai smashed into Mozambique’s coast, unleashing hurricane-force wind and rain that flooded swathes of the poor country before battering eastern Zimbabwe — killing more […]

Idai disaster: Stranded victims still need rescue from heavy rains as UN scales up response

Dire conditions persist in vast areas of southern Africa affected by Cyclone Idai as heavy rain continues to cause “massive destruction”, the UN said on Thursday, while aid teams scale up efforts to reach those most in need. Warning that the situation is likely to deteriorate, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that people are still stranded on rooftops after the storm began its sweep through Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe six days ago. In Mozambique […]

Toll from cyclone-hit southern Africa surges as UN launches health aid

by Adrien BARBIER and Joaquim NHAMIRRE BEIRA, Mozambique (AFP) — The death toll from a cyclone that ravaged three southern African countries last week headed Thursday towards 400, as officials estimated that more than 1.7 million people had been affected by the storm and 15,000 people were still stranded in floodwater. As the toll surged from the region’s biggest storm in years, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced plans to tackle an emerging threat to […]

Aid agencies struggle to rescue Mozambique cyclone victims as waters rise

by Adrien BARBIER and Joaquim NHAMIRRE International aid agencies raced Wednesday to rescue survivors and meet spiralling humanitarian needs in three impoverished countries battered by one of the worst storms to hit southern Africa in decades. Five days after tropical cyclone Idai cut a swathe through Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi, the confirmed death toll stood at more than 300 and hundreds of thousands of lives were at risk, officials said. “We’ve thousands of people… in […]

More than 1,000 feared dead in Mozambique storm

by Adrien BARBIER with Zinyange AUNTONY in Chimanimani BEIRA, Mozambique (AFP) — More than a thousand people are feared to have died in a cyclone that smashed into Mozambique last week, while scores were killed and more than 200 are missing in neighboring Zimbabwe. The city of Beira in central Mozambique bore Cyclone Idai’s full wrath on Thursday before the storm barrelled on to neighboring Zimbabwe, unleashing fierce winds and flash floods and washing away […]

Over 160 dead in Zimbabwe, Mozambique as cyclone destroys city

  by Adrien BARBIER with Zinyange AUNTONY in Chimanimani Agence France Presse BEIRA, Mozambique (AFP) — A cyclone that ripped across Mozambique and Zimbabwe has killed at least 162 people with scores more missing and caused “massive and horrifying” destruction in the Mozambican city of Beira, authorities and the Red Cross said Monday. Cyclone Idai tore into the centre of Mozambique on Thursday night before barreling on to neighbouring Zimbabwe, bringing flash floods and ferocious […]

At least 24 dead, dozens missing in Zimbabwe after cyclone

    by Fanuel JONGWE Agence France Presse HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) — At least 24 people have been killed and dozens are missing in parts of eastern Zimbabwe hit by the peripheral effects of tropical cyclone Idai which lashed neighbouring Mozambique, government said Saturday. Zimbabwe’s ministry of information announced on Twitter that so far the “number of deaths is confirmed at 24 mainly from Chimanimani East,” including two students, while at least 40 other people […]

23 feared dead in flood at disused Zimbabwe gold mine

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AFP) — At least 23 illegal gold miners were feared dead in Zimbabwe on Thursday after water flooded two disused shafts in a mining town 145 kilometres (90 miles) south-west of the capital Harare. Rescuers were trying to use pumps to extract water in the search for survivors and bodies at the site near the town of Kadoma. “We heard from their colleagues that at least 23 people are trapped in the mine […]