DUDLEY, UK — A harrowing chapter in a childcare tragedy concluded on Friday, 17 April 2026, as a British nursery worker was sentenced to three years and four months in prison following the death of 14-month-old Noah Sibanda.

GANTSI, BOTSWANA — A 51-year-old Zimbabwean national has been apprehended by the Botswana Police Service following the discovery of a massive cannabis plantation at a farm in the Gantsi area. The suspect, identified as Clifford Nkomo, was arrested after a police raid on the property uncovered approximately 500 kilograms of dagga. Authorities estimate the illicit haul has a street value of P250,000 (roughly US$18,600), marking one of the region's largest narcotic busts in rece

PRETORIA – South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs has clarified that holders of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) are not eligible for permanent residence, amid growing confusion over the future of the special permit programme. In a statement issued on April 15, spokesperson and Deputy Director-General for Operations Thulani Mavuso said there has been no change in policy regarding ZEP holders.

JOHANNESBURG – South African opposition leader Julius Malema has been sentenced to an effective five years in prison after being convicted on multiple counts related to firearm offences stemming from a 2018 incident.

HARARE — In a landmark victory for international asset recovery, the High Court of Zimbabwe has granted a breakthrough order to enforce a Singaporean asset-freeze against two foreign nationals residing in Zimbabwe. The ruling, delivered on April 9, 2026, by Justice Justice Wamambo, paves the way for the seizure and monitoring of local assets belonging to Singaporean couple Yong Khong Yoong Mark and Emily Hwang Mei Chen. The couple, who are permanent residents of Zimbabwe, are

HARARE — US President Donald Trump has removed a controversial AI-generated image from his Truth Social platform that depicted him as a Christ-like figure, following a wave of condemnation from his own religious base and a mounting public feud with Pope Leo XIV.

PRETORIA — South Africa’s Cabinet has officially approved the Revised White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugee Protection, marking the most radical overhaul of the country’s migration policy in a generation. The reforms, championed by Home Affairs Minister Dr. Leon Schreiber, introduce a rigorous points-based system (PBS) that prioritizes high-demand skills and economic investment over years of residency.

HARARE — In a lecture that has sent shockwaves through geopolitical circles, Prof. Jiang Xueqin has doubled down on his controversial 2024 predictions, outlining a terminal decline for American influence in the Middle East. Speaking to a global audience this week, Jiang argued that the current US–Iran war is not merely a regional conflict, but the "Sicilian Expedition" of the American empire—a fatal overextension from which there is no recovery.

HARARE – High-stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran have ended without a breakthrough after nearly 21 hours of talks in Islamabad, raising fresh fears over the collapse of a fragile ceasefire and a possible return to conflict. The marathon discussions, hosted by Pakistan, ran from Saturday into early Sunday and were aimed at resolving escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.

PRETORIA — The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has officially reignited the push to remove President Cyril Ramaphosa from office, formally petitioning the Speaker of the National Assembly on Friday to initiate Section 89 impeachment proceedings.

HARARE — In a sobering revelation for global health, the 2023 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study , published this week in The Lancet , has identified childhood cancer as the eighth-leading cause of death among children worldwide. Perhaps most alarming for the African continent is the finding that pediatric cancer now claims more lives than measles, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS combined. While high-income nations have seen a 27% decrease in mortality since 1990, the WHO Afric

PRETORIA — The political landscape in South Africa has been rocked by the declassification of a scathing report from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). The watchdog’s findings suggest that senior security officials loyal to President Cyril Ramaphosa engaged in a series of unlawful acts, including bribery and illegal detention, to cover up the 2020 theft of R8 million in foreign currency from the President’s Phala Phala farm.

HARARE — Global markets may have briefly stabilised following the April 7 ceasefire announcement between the United States and Iran, but emerging analysis suggests the truce could be a fragile pause rather than a pathway to lasting peace. According to geopolitical analyst Jiang Xueqin, the current ceasefire lacks the structural depth required to resolve the core drivers of the conflict, raising fears that tensions could quickly resurface.

BEITBRIDGE — Following a harrowing incident where six children were discovered hidden inside a taxi on Monday, April 6, South Africa’s Border Management Authority (BMA) has moved to clarify the rigorous protocols governing the handling of unaccompanied minors at ports of entry.

HARARE – The world has stepped back from what analysts describe as the “precipice of an all-out war of annihilation” following a ceasefire agreement announced by Donald Trump between the United States and Iran, with Pakistan emerging as a pivotal diplomatic broker.

Rwanda’s education sector is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation, as aggressive public investment begins to outcompete and displace traditional private schooling models.

The geopolitical landscape of the Middle East shifted violently this week as conflicting reports emerged regarding a U.S. military operation near Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility. While Washington maintains the mission was a successful "personnel recovery" of a downed pilot, Iranian officials and independent intelligence analysts are painting a far more complex—and potentially escalatory picture.

NEWCASTLE, KZN – A wedding ceremony scheduled for 11:00 AM on Sunday, April 5, 2026, was abruptly called off after the groom and his father were arrested during a high-intensity drunk driving operation in Newcastle. The pair were among 45 motorists detained by the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) during a specialized overnight roadblock.

HARARE — Tensions between Iran and the United States have sharply escalated following conflicting accounts of a high-risk military rescue operation in central Iran and a looming diplomatic deadline over access to the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The developments have raised fears of wider conflict, with global oil markets and international observers closely monitoring the situation.

CAPE TOWN – The Labour Court of South Africa has upheld a ruling ordering a Cape Town supermarket to compensate a Zimbabwean bakery manager who was dismissed for posting a controversial biblical verse on his WhatsApp status. Judge Tapiwa Cecilia Gandidze dismissed an application by Erarite (Pty) Ltd (trading as Khayelitsha SuperSpar) to overturn a previous decision by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), which found the firing of Cloudious Gogo t