ULTIMAS DO ZIMBABWE/ LATEST ON ZIMBABWE

Dear Friends

On 5.8.08, the Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ) released the Prime-time Monitoring Weekly Report No.14 covering the period from July 21st – July 27th 2008 .

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA Zimbabwe) issued an Alert update on 5.8.08 concerning the former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) bureau chief for Manicaland who was not removed from remand and given a longer remand period.

Other civil society statements and reports include:

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) has released the two items:
-In an Alert issued on 6.8.08, there is a report that University of Zimbabwe student activist and ZINASU General Councillor Tafadzwa Mugwadi was kidnapped and assaulted by state security agents in the central business district of Harare on 5.8.08
-An open letter sent by ZINASU on .08.08 to the President of Botswana asking that urgent action be taken to deport former Zimbabwe Herald newspaper editor Ceaser Zvayi who apparently works at the University of Botswana as a lecturer in the media department.

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has issued on 6.8.08 a report on the proceedings and conclusions of a workshop on conflict management.

The Students Solidarity Trust issued a communiqué on 4.8.08 about the trial of 4 former Great Zimbabwe State University students and a High Court application by seven students who were suspended from Bulawayo Polytechnic.

The Combined Harare Ratepayers Association issued on 6.8.07 an Alert about the outbreak of diarrhoea in the eastern suburbs of Harare and re-iterating their concerns about the management of the capital’s water supply by ZINWA.

For those in the UK the WEZIMBABWE annual Zimfest will take place on August 30 2008 . Details of the festival and information on booking, including a special offer for early bird bookings can be found at http://www.wezimbabwe.org/

Also in the UK , the Mthwakazi Action Group on Genocide in Matabeleland (MAGGEMM) will continue its programme of road shows around the country with a meeting in Southampton on 16.8.08. We attach a short notice giving details of the venue. Further information about the group can be found at www.maggemm.org