Tsvangirai off to Berlin as EU consultations continues

Zimbabwe's only medical school closes down

HARARE - The Zimbabwe Medical School of the University of Zimbabwe has been closed indefinitely.

This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights at a press conference here today. The Parirenyatwa group of hospitals offers the medical school teaching facilities like laboratories and other infrastructure necessary for the training of doctors.

“It became impossible to continue to teach medical students in non-functioning health institutions. It will not be possible to re-open the medical school or to provide quality training of health professionals for Zimbabwe’s health system until the issues that have lead to its collapse are addressed,” said the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR).

Govt to blame for cholera epidemic

JOHANNESBURG  — A group of doctors said Wednesday that President Robert Mugabe's government is to blame for a cholera epidemic sweeping Zimbabwe and that the disease's spread there is being dramatically underreported.

About 160 people have died of cholera in Zimbabwe in recent weeks, independent aid organizations say. The lack of clean water and poorly maintained sewage systems have allowed the waterborne intestinal disease to thrive.

And as the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe deepens, most hospitals have been forced to close their doors as they can no longer afford drugs, equipment or to pay their staff.

Nation destroyed over ministry; Mutambara

Hot Seat interview: Journalist Violet Gonda speaks with Deputy Prime Minister-designate Arthur Mutambara on challenges facing Zimbabwe following the Sadc summit forcing Zimbabwe's political leaders to form a government of national unity. 

Broadcast: 14 November 2008

Violet Gonda: Professor Arthur Mutambara the leader of the other MDC in the inter party talks is my guest on the programme Hot Seat. Thank you very much Professor Mutambara for agreeing to talk to us. How are you doing?

Prof. Arthur Mutambara: I am doing fine. Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to talk to your listeners.

Gonda: Now the SADC Heads of State met in South Africa (last) Sunday. First of all can you briefly give us the highlights of the outcome of this summit?

Sadc’s ‘Silence of the Lambs’ on Zim media

THERE has been an almost deafening silence, almost similar to that of lambs being led to the slaughter, on the crucial need for a transformation of the essence of freedom of expression in the “change” envisaged in a new Zimbabwe.

The media landscape today is studded with so many obstacles negotiating it is as hazardous as traversing a maze in which some of the paths lead to a dead-end under which are planted “smart bombs”, likely to explode at the sound of voices raised in protest.

The Sadc summits held so far to explore the means by which this new Zimbabwe must be created have not addressed the freedom of the media as comprehensively as they ought to.

This new Zimbabwe will be born, whatever Zanu PF intrigues and shenanigans are employed to sabotage it. The old order must soon yield to the new, with no turning back.