A commuter omnibus driver from Harare has been jailed after a passenger who was clinging to the rear bumper of a moving kombi fell onto the road and later died from his injuries.

A 25-year-old man from Bulawayo has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being convicted of raping his 22-year-old cousin in a parked vehicle. The accused, who cannot be named to protect the survivor’s identity, was found guilty by regional magistrate Shingai Mutiro, who described rape as a grave offence warranting a custodial sentence.

Zimbabwe is among six southern African countries set to join South Africa in a joint bid to host the 2028 Africa Cup of Nations, according to Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie. The proposed regional bid will include Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Mozambique, in what could become a landmark multi-nation hosting arrangement for the continent’s biggest football tournament.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had no prior knowledge that Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo would be present at a meeting in Zimbabwe, according to presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya. The clarification follows public scrutiny after Ramaphosa’s recent visit to Zimbabwe, where he met President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Zimbabwe’s Prosecutor-General Loice Matanda-Moyo has directed prosecutors to remain strictly apolitical and prioritise fairness and efficiency, warning that failure to do so undermines public trust in the justice system. Speaking at a Superior Courts Appeals procedures training in Harare on Monday, Matanda-Moyo said the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe must be guided by the Constitution and public interest rather than political considerations.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has dismissed speculation surrounding a leaked internal document on the possible renaming of schools in Harare’s Mbare/Hatfield District, saying no decisions have been made. Ministry spokesperson Taungana Ndoro said the document circulating online is part of an early-stage consultation process and should not be interpreted as policy.

Officials from the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education are set to travel to Zambia to evaluate the quality and credibility of academic programmes, following reports that more than 5,000 Zimbabwean students are studying medicine there. ZIMCHE Chief Executive Officer Kuzvinetsa Dzvimbo announced the move during an engagement with students at Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE), saying the initiative is aimed at safeguarding academic standards.

Two unemployed men from Kadoma have been sentenced to an effective 12 years in prison after being convicted of a string of violent robberies in Chakari late last year. The pair, Ronald Rori (25) and Japhet Maskati (25), both from Destiny suburb, were found guilty by the Chinhoyi Magistrates’ Court on two counts of robbery, including one committed under aggravating circumstances.

An opposition councillor from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has taken legal action to compel the Public Service Commission (PSC) to discipline a teacher accused of engaging in active partisan politics. The case, filed at the High Court of Zimbabwe, centres on David Masomere, a teacher at Ndarama High School, who is alleged to have breached constitutional provisions governing the conduct of civil servants.

The Emergency Help Group (EHG) has been officially appointed to Zimbabwe’s National Civil Protection Committee (NCPC), marking a significant milestone in strengthening community-based disaster response systems. The appointment, confirmed in a letter dated May 5, 2026, was made under the Civil Protection Act through the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.

At least 14 people have died after a long-distance luxury coach was involved in a fatal road accident along the Harare–Nyamapanda Highway on Tuesday afternoon. The crash occurred near Suswe at the 176-kilometre peg, leaving dozens injured and triggering an emergency response from authorities and local communities.

CHITUNGWIZA — A Zimbabwean court has ordered the immediate deportation of a 52-year-old Chinese national, Xu Jianguo, after he was found to have remained in the country unlawfully for 278 days following the expiration of his work permit.

One of Zimbabwe’s most ecologically significant wetlands, Monavale Wetland, is facing renewed pressure after reports that 23 Members of Parliament were allocated residential stands within the protected ecosystem. Also known as Monavale Vlei, the wetland is one of only seven sites in Zimbabwe designated under the Ramsar Convention as a Wetland of International Importance, a status meant to safeguard it from development.

SANYATI — A 76-year-old war veteran and ex-combatant, Timothy Tivoro, is embroiled in a high-stakes legal battle to save his six-hectare farm in Mashonaland West following the discovery of lucrative gold deposits on the property. The dispute has pitted the elderly farmer against a former employee in a case that highlights the growing friction between agricultural land rights and mining interests in Zimbabwe.

PRETORIA — Prominent Zimbabwean opposition figure and former Member of Parliament, Job Sikhala, appeared before the Pretoria Magistrates Court in Tshwane on Monday, May 4, 2026, to face charges of possessing illegal explosives. Sikhala appeared alongside his 78-year-old uncle, Alex Thema, in a case that he claims is a politically motivated attempt to keep him out of Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean government has directed that all learners, including those currently following the Cambridge curriculum, will sit national examinations under the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council by 2027, in a major policy shift aimed at standardising the country’s education system. The directive, clarified on May 5, 2026, affects current Form 3 and Lower 6 learners on the Cambridge pathway, who will now transition to ZIMSEC examinations at their final stage.

Zimbabwean businessman Wicknell Chivayo has dismissed claims of divisions within the country’s leadership, insisting that President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vice President Constantino Chiwenga share a close personal and working relationship. Speaking during an interview on Capitalk 100.4FM on May 5, 2026, Chivayo described reports of infighting as “outright lies,” saying the two leaders are bound by loyalty, respect, and what he characterised as family ties. Chivayo used vivid

A night out in Ruwa turned deadly after a dispute over gospel music escalated into a violent stabbing at a local bar, leaving one man dead and three others hospitalised. The incident occurred on Thursday at Shooters Bottle Store in Solomio Park, sending shockwaves through the community and raising fresh concerns over violent crime in social spaces.

A court in Hwange has ordered a woman to repay US$2,500 in child maintenance to her former partner after a DNA test confirmed he is not the biological father of the child. The case, involving Clean Nyathi of Dete and his former partner Cynthia Dube, highlights growing disputes in Zimbabwe over paternity, maintenance payments, and the legal weight of DNA evidence.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has directed that the findings of a long-awaited Commission of Inquiry into the sale of State land in urban areas be made public, in a move likely to intensify scrutiny on land barons and urban land governance in Zimbabwe.