Tinotenda Samukange, Harare (2026)

25/08/2026

🎤 DOLLY PARTON, 80: THE WOMAN WHO MADE BIG HAIR, BIG DREAMS AND BIGGER HEARTS LOOK EASY

Country music has lost one of its brightest stars, and somewhere between the mountains of Tennessee and the millions of hearts she touched, the world has probably just realised that Dolly Parton was never really just a singer.

Dolly Parton died on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, aged 80, bringing the curtain down on a career that lasted more than six decades although, knowing Dolly, even death may struggle to convince her to leave the stage quietly.

Born into humble beginnings, Parton travelled to Nashville in the 1960s with little more than a dream, a remarkable voice and the determination to make som**hing of herself. She went on to become a global country music icon, turning songs such as “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” into cultural landmarks.

But Dolly's greatest achievement may have been proving that you could be enormously successful without becoming enormously unpleasant.

While the entertainment industry often measures success in records, awards, houses and bank balances, Parton seemed determined to keep another scoreboard the number of lives she could touch.

Through her philanthropy, most notably the Imagination Library, she helped put books into the hands of millions of children. She built businesses, appeared in films, wrote songs, entertained generations and somehow managed to remain recognisably Dolly through it all.

She had the hair. She had the rhinestones. She had the jokes.

But beneath the glitter was a woman who understood som**hing many powerful people spend their entire careers forgetting: success means very little if nobody else benefits from it.

And so, as the world mourns, the country music establishment loses one of its defining figures, while ordinary fans lose som**hing more personal the comforting presence of a woman who seemed capable of making even heartbreak sound like som**hing you could survive.

Dolly Parton leaves behind an extraordinary musical catalogue, generations of admirers and a legacy that stretches far beyond the recording studio.

The woman who sang about love, heartbreak, ambition, poverty and resilience has now written her final verse.

And if heaven has a country music station, it has probably just acquired its most recognisable voice.
Dolly Parton was 80.

The rhinestones may eventually dim.

The songs won't.

🕊️💔

25/08/2026

🚨 BREAKING: THE BULLDOZERS ARE BACK FOR ENCORE PERFORMANCE

Operation Murambatsvina Returns Now With More Acronyms and Less Warning

Harare, 25 August 2026 In a bold plot twist nobody asked for, authorities have announced the triumphant return of everyone’s favorite urban planning strategy: knocking things down first and asking questions later.

The mission? To “restore order” to land that was apparently reserved for very important things like wetlands, school yards, sewer pipes, and the national hobby of jogging in open spaces.

If you live, sell, or breathe in any of the following, consider this your official 2-minute notice:

Highglen, Greendale, Athlone, Amby, Belvedere, Ridgeview, Budiriro 1 through 5 plus the DLC “Extension Pack”, Glen Eagles, Quinnington, Tynwald and its sequel “Phase 3”, Marimba Park, Crowborough North DLC, Kuwadzana Paddocks, Cold Comfort, Westlea, Warren Park, Dziva, Glen View 7, 7.5, and 8, Mabelreign, Mabvuku, Glen Lorne, Chisipite, The Grange, Firle Works, Glen Norah A/B/C, Bluffhill, Kambuzuma 3/4/6, Southlea Park, Hopley, Mainway Meadows, Tafara, and basically any road reserve, sewer reserve, or patch of grass that looks suspiciously useful.

City fathers are also eyeing structures built on:

🌿 Wetlands - because houses need to swim too

🏫 School sites - education is overrated anyway

🏥 Clinics - who needs healthcare when you have resilience

🛣️ Road reserves - drive through your living room

⚡ Power-line servitudes - free indoor lighting

🚰 Sewer reserves - plumbing with a view

Residents are “urged” to ensure their paperwork is in order. You know, those permits you were told to get from the same office that’s been “processing” since 2019. Dig out your title deed, your cousin’s affidavit, and that receipt from 2008. It might help. It probably won’t. But it looks good in the rubble.

If your house is standing on land that was meant for som**hing public, start packing. If your paperwork is clean, start praying. If both, congratulations you get to watch.

Authorities say the operation is to protect public amenities. Critics say it’s to protect public amnesia.

23/08/2026

THE PRIVATE JET, THE DRUGS AND THE US$53,055 QUESTION

Bulawayo has produced another episode in Zimbabwe’s seemingly endless political-criminal soap opera this time featuring alleged co***ne, crystal m**h, US$53,055 in cash and, naturally, a private jet waiting at the airport.

Three relatives of Collins Mnangagwa’s wife have been arrested over alleged drug dealing after police raided their rooms at a Bulawayo lodge, according to the National Prosecuting Authority.

The suspects Amina Jassinta Jessub Arab, 47, Dyonne Tanaka Tafirenyika, 28, and Noreen Jessub, 51 appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Taurai Manuwere on Thursday.

Their bail ruling was postponed to Monday, giving everyone involved a few extra days to prepare for what promises to be another courtroom blockbuster.
Police allegedly found two sachets of co***ne hidden inside a shoe in Noreen Jessub’s room, reportedly worth ZiG9,000.

Arab’s room allegedly produced two more sachets, while Tafirenyika’s room allegedly contained crystal m**h, co***ne and US$53,055 in cash.
At this point, the question practically writes itself: What was the money doing there?

The prosecution says it was proceeds of crime.

The defence says the accused deserve bail.

And Zimbabweans, accustomed to watching suspicious amounts of money appear in suspicious places, are left watching the courtroom for the next instalment.

Then came the private jet.

The three women were arrested just hours before they were scheduled to board a private aircraft chartered from the United Arab Emirates.

The jet had reportedly already positioned itself at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport.

But Zimbabwe apparently had other plans.

The aircraft spent the night grounded and eventually departed on Thursday morning without the passengers it had presumably travelled all that way to collect.

It was, in effect, a very expensive taxi ride with nobody getting into the back seat.

Investigating officer Phillimon Gumberu strongly opposed bail, telling the court that the State had “overwhelming evidence” against the suspects.
He argued that the US$53,055 allegedly found in Tafirenyika’s possession represented proceeds of crime and said the accused had failed to account for it.

Prosecutors also allege that the family is linked to a criminal enterprise and could flee if released.

The defence, however, has thrown its own gr***de into the courtroom.

Lawyer Brezhnev Mathonsi argued that police already had the suspects’ passports and had collected evidence from the scene.

He also suggested that, because several security agencies were involved in the search, the possibility existed that the alleged drugs could have been planted.

That is a serious allegation and one that will ultimately have to be tested through evidence rather than social-media verdicts.

Meanwhile, the legal troubles have reportedly spread further into the family.

Kelsea Tafirenyika, who was previously arrested on drug-related charges on August 4 and later released on bail, was reportedly re-arrested on Thursday night.
This time, prosecutors have added money-laundering allegations.

They claim she acquired properties and luxury vehicles worth approximately US$10 million using proceeds allegedly generated through drug trafficking.

Among the assets under scrutiny is a Toyota Land Cruiser reportedly repossessed from Arab on August 13.

Kelsea’s latest bail application has also been postponed to Monday.

So Bulawayo now has a courtroom drama involving three accused relatives, alleged co***ne, crystal m**h, more than US$53,000 in cash, a private jet, luxury vehicles, property worth millions and a presidential family connection.

That is not a court case.

That is Zimbabwe’s version of a streaming-series pitch.

Still, beneath the drama is an important legal principle: allegations are not convictions.

The State must prove its case.

The accused remain innocent until proven guilty.

And until the evidence is tested in court, Zimbabweans might want to keep their WhatsApp gavels safely locked away.

Because in this country, everyone can be a judge until the real judge walks into the courtroom.

22/08/2026

St Martins Bulldozers Meet Parliament: When the Law Arrives After the Demolition

Zimbabwe’s never-ending episode of “Show Us Your Papers” has taken another dramatic turn, this time in St Martins, where houses have reportedly met the bulldozer before the full legal argument could finish loading.

Harare South MP Trymore Kanopula has called for an immediate stop to further demolitions in Harare and demanded an investigation into last week’s destruction of structures in St Martins Extension, opposite 1 Commando Barracks along Airport Road.

Kanopula told Parliament that the demolitions were carried out without valid court orders, describing the operation as a violation of the Constitution.

The City of Harare, however, has a different script.
Council insists it was simply removing structures it considered illegally constructed and says it did not touch properties protected by an existing High Court order.

Council corporate communications manager Stanley Gama maintained that officials knew about the court protection and deliberately avoided the properties covered by it.

And that is where the story becomes suitably Zimbabwean.

A High Court consent order issued in October 2025 under case HCH5444/25 had stopped the City of Harare from evicting certain St Martins residents or demolishing their homes without another valid court order.

But the same order also prohibited those residents from undertaking further development without written council approval.

So, somewhere between the courtroom, council offices and the bulldozer, the big question appears to be: Who had the correct papers and who was expected to produce them before the excavator arrived?

Residents dispute council’s version of events, arguing that some of the demolished structures may have been connected to people involved in the earlier court proceedings.

Documents reviewed by local media appear to support some of those concerns, although they do not conclusively prove that every demolished property was protected by the court order.

Meanwhile, Kanopula says some residents had previously parted with their hard-earned money in connection with the St Martins housing development.

That has raised another uncomfortable question: if residents paid money to council-linked processes, received allocations or believed they had legitimate claims to the land, at what point did their dream home become an illegal structure?

Kanopula wants Local Government Minister Daniel Garwe to impose a moratorium on further demolitions while authorities conduct an audit of the affected properties and investigate how the land was allocated.

He also wants previous investigations into the sale of State land around Harare brought before Parliament.

The mayor, Jacob Mafume, has meanwhile defended council’s enforcement of planning regulations, arguing that residents with approved building plans should produce them when enforcement teams arrive.

Fair enough.

But for families standing beside piles of rubble, the philosophical debate about planning regulations is probably less urgent than the practical question of where they are supposed to sleep tonight.

Some affected residents have already moved their belongings to council offices in Sunningdale, demanding answers about the demolitions and the fate of their investments.

The irony is difficult to miss.

Zimbabwe has a country full of files, receipts, allocation letters, court orders, council notices and official investigations yet somehow the bulldozer can still arrive before everyone agrees on what the paperwork actually means.

The St Martins saga is therefore no longer simply about illegal construction.

It is about who allocated the land, who authorised the development, who collected the money, who issued the documents, who obtained the court order and who ultimately authorised the bulldozer to turn somebody’s home into a pile of memories.

Until those questions are answered, residents are left playing the most dangerous version of musical chairs: build a house, find a document, wait for council and hope the bulldozer does not arrive first.

Kanopula’s proposed moratorium is yet to be adopted, while Harare City Council has not announced any suspension of its broader demolition campaign.

For now, the bulldozers appear ready.

The lawyers have their papers.

The politicians have their statements.

The council has its regulations.

And ordinary residents?

They are standing in the rubble, still trying to figure out which piece of paper was supposed to save the roof over their heads.

19/08/2026

🔴 BREAKING UPDATE | PART 4

Lake Kariba Ferry Toll Hits 92, Overtaking Zimbabwe’s 1991 Nyanga Bus Disaster

KARIBA — The Lake Kariba ferry disaster has now claimed at least 92 lives, after eight more bodies were recovered on Monday, pushing the tragedy beyond the 89 people killed in Zimbabwe’s 1991 Nyanga bus disaster.

The numbers are devastating. But, almost as troubling, is the fact that the numbers themselves remain unsettled.

Zimbabwe Republic Police national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that eight bodies had been recovered by 3pm on August 17 as search teams continued combing Lake Kariba.

The RIDA-operated Mbuya Nehanda ferry capsized on August 11 while travelling from Kariba towards Chalala and surrounding fishing communities.
Since then, the lake has become a grim search ground, with recovery teams finding bodies increasingly far from the original accident scene, including areas around Long Island and King’s Camp.

Authorities are now concerned that some victims could drift towards the Zimbabwe-Zambia boundary, turning an already complex recovery operation into a race against the lake, distance and time.

The lake is giving up its secrets slowly
Six of the bodies recovered by Monday remained unidentified, according to Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Marian Chombo.

Decomposition is reportedly making visual identification increasingly difficult, with DNA testing likely to become necessary.

For many families, however, identification has become an agonising exercise of recognising clothing and personal belongings a painfully inadequate substitute for the certainty of seeing a loved one come home.

Police have urged relatives still searching for missing family members to report to the command centre in Kariba or their nearest police station.

The biggest unanswered question remains deceptively simple:
How many people were actually on the ferry?

A surviving crew member previously told ZBC News that he counted 153 people, including crew members and infants, before departure.
Earlier official figures, however, were largely based on registered adult passengers and apparently did not fully capture children travelling without tickets.

Then comes another numerical puzzle.

The Civil Protection Unit previously reported that 77 people had been rescued, while Minister Chombo later put the number of survivors at 67.

That is a difference of 10 people not exactly a rounding error when dealing with a disaster of this magnitude.

Authorities have not publicly explained the discrepancy.

Consequently, attempts to calculate the final number of passengers from the available figures remain unreliable.

In other words, the lake knows how many people boarded, but the paperwork still appears to be trying to find out.

At least 53 of the confirmed dead are from Mola in Nyaminyami Rural District, according to local officials, making the community one of the areas hardest hit.

Ward 3 councillor Tight Bhusumani, who lost both a child and a niece, said families had spent days waiting for bodies to be recovered while struggling to access basic food.

The human cost is particularly devastating among children.

Bhusumani said some children had lost both parents and siblings.

In one heartbreaking case, a 10-year-old reportedly lost both parents and two siblings and is now being supported by neighbours and well-wishers.

For such families, the disaster is no longer a statistic. It is an entire family tree suddenly cut down.

With 92 confirmed deaths, the Lake Kariba ferry disaster has overtaken the 1991 Nyanga bus disaster, in which 89 people most of them schoolchildren were killed.

But unlike a sporting scoreboard, there is nothing to celebrate about crossing that number.

The comparison instead serves as a sobering reminder of Zimbabwe’s history of mass-casualty disasters and of the devastating consequences when safety systems fail.

Search and recovery operations remain underway, meaning the death toll could still rise.

More than 40 Sub-Aqua officers, four police boats and other resources have reportedly been deployed since the accident.

Meanwhile, authorities are investigating what caused the ferry to capsize, including questions surrounding its loading, navigation and weather conditions.

For now, Lake Kariba continues to surrender victims one by one.

And Zimbabwe is left confronting two tragedies at once: the loss of lives beneath the water, and the unanswered questions above it.

Because when a disaster claims 92 lives, the country deserves more than a final number.

It deserves to know how many boarded, how many survived, what went wrong and why.

14/08/2026

"Family Business" Hits a Snag: President’s In-Law Denied Bail in Ampoule Olympics

HARARE — In a plot twist nobody asked for but everyone will discuss at braai, Kelsea Tafirenyika, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s daughter-in-law, and her uncle Isaac Jessub were told “nope” by a Harare magistrate this week when they asked to go home pending trial.

Regional Magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa basically said: if we let you out, you’ll vanish faster than data on the last day of the month.

Her reasons? A greatest-hits album of red flags:

1. Jessub allegedly had “no travel documents” great for staying, bad for explaining.
2. Tafirenyika allegedly had two IDs, including one bearing the name Getrude Bandza. Magistrate Gofa noted that having a spare identity is not a standard loyalty card.
3. “The applicants have nothing to lose and can abscond trial,” Gofa ruled, adding that society should be protected by keeping them locked up for now.

How we got here, according to the State

On Aug 4, police say they got a tip and found Jessub in a Mercedes-Benz at Sam Levy Village playing pharmacist with a twist. Alleged haul: 13 ampoules of morphine, 5 of pethidine, empty boxes, and 2 bottles of Broncleer chilling under the driver’s seat.

Police say Jessub then “led” them to his niece. At her Greystone Park home, officers allege they walked in on Tafirenyika counting ampoules on her bed like someone balancing airtime. The bedroom inventory got spicy: dozens more pethidine and morphine ampoules in the drawers.

Bonus item: 5 rolls of dagga allegedly tucked in the armrest of her white Lamborghini. Because why not.

The State valued the entire exhibit table at US$204 and claimed some of the pethidine was earmarked for “foreign markets,” suggesting Tafirenyika had passport stamps she could use.

Prosecutors say Jessub allegedly sold the goods at Sam Levy. The State is represented by Lancelot Mutsokoti. Investigating officer is Nivert Charuma.

The verdict for now

Bail: Denied.

Next court date: Aug 27 for further investigations.

The court also dismissed claims that someone planted the drugs. Magistrate Gofa reasoned police couldn’t have predicted Tafirenyika would allegedly be home doing inventory.

12/08/2026

🚨 LAKE KARIBA BOAT CAPSIZING: SURVIVOR SPEAKS AS QUESTIONS BEGIN TO SINK DEEPER

A survivor of the ill-fated RIDA passenger boat that capsized on Lake Kariba has recounted the frightening moments before the vessel went down on Tuesday night.

According to the survivor, attempts to engage the boat’s driver reportedly received a rather rough reception the kind of customer service where you start wondering whether you bought a ticket for a journey or an argument.

Now, as rescue efforts continue, questions are piling up faster than passengers were allegedly trying to find answers.

Social media has already produced its usual investigative department, with some claiming the captain was a “Satanist” and was allegedly “on a mission.” Serious allegations, yes but allegations nonetheless. Until investigators establish the facts, the internet’s detectives may need to keep their handcuffs in the drawer.

For now, the survivor’s account raises uncomfortable questions about what happened on that boat, the conduct of the crew, and whether warning signs were ignored before tragedy struck.

🎥 Watch the video. Listen to the survivor’s full account. Then judge for yourself because Lake Kariba may be deep, but the questions surrounding this tragedy are getting deeper.

😢 Follow for verified updates as more information emerges. https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbB45DSEwEjyalW4bg1T

12/08/2026

📰 𝗠𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗚𝗪𝗔 𝗜𝗡𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦 "𝗗𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗫𝗜𝗟𝗘" — 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗧𝗦

HARARE - In a bold new HR policy called “promote them out of the room,” President Emmerson Mnangagwa has discovered the perfect way to manage succession drama: put it on a plane.

Fresh off Constitutional Amendment No. 3 the law that gave him two extra years and told 2028 to sit down the President has moved to Phase 2: Neutralize the Generals.

And by “neutralize,” we mean “ambassador.”

The New Tourism Package for Generals

Sources say 26 diplomatic appointments are coming. A “significant number” will be retired senior officers long associated with Vice President Gen. Constantino Chiwenga.

Translation: if you were part of Team Chiwenga’s 2028 campaign team, congratulations, you’ve won an all-expenses trip to represent Zimbabwe abroad.

Lt. Gen. Engelbert Rugeje reportedly off to Mozambique. That makes him the third ex-senior officer to take the Maputo posting in 7 years.

Air Marshal Elson Moyo former Air Force Commander, also on the travel list.

The Maputo embassy has developed a reputation. It’s where retired generals go to do diplomacy, eat peri-peri, and, historically, not come back to Harare politics.

Lt. Gen. Douglas Nyikayaramba did it in 2019. Victor Matemadanda did it after him. Both passed on while in service.

Now Rugeje is set to be number three. At this point Maputo isn’t a posting. It’s a tradition.

You can’t run a succession bid from an embassy briefing. You can’t hold a politburo meeting over WhatsApp from 1500km away. You also can’t complain because hey, you’re an Ambassador now. With a flag. And a driver.

It’s the political equivalent of telling your kids to “go play outside.” Except the outside is another country.

The customer used to be king. In ZANU-PF, the rival used to be VP. Now both get managed with procedure.

The President gets two more years. The VP gets two more years of watching his base get diplomatic passports. And the rest of us get 26 new ambassadors and the same old question: who’s next?

As one analyst put it: “It’s not a purge. It’s a posting. With per diem.”

25/07/2026

Pane amuziva here?

25/07/2026

ZAPU TO TAKE CAB3 FIGHT TO THE STREETS AS ZIMBABWE’S “ONE MAN, ONE VOTE” DEMOCRACY FACES A PARLIAMENTARY UP

Zimbabwe’s political theatre is preparing for another episode, and this time the stage is Africa Unity Square.

The Zimbabwe African Peoples Union (ZAPU) has formally notified the police of its intention to hold a public gathering in Harare on July 31 to protest the recently enacted Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Act popularly known as CAB3, or, depending on who is explaining it, the constitutional “terms and conditions apply” update.

In a letter dated July 24 and addressed to the Officer Commanding Harare Central Police Station, ZAPU’s Southern Region office invoked Section 7(1) of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA) and announced plans for a demonstration from 10am to 1pm.

ZAPU Secretary General Mthulisi Hanana has been named convener, with Vice President Derek Katsenga serving as deputy convener because in Zimbabwe, even protesting against a constitutional amendment requires the correct paperwork, designated officials and, presumably, the patience of a saint.

At the heart of the protest is CAB3, which critics argue has taken the country’s constitutional architecture to the workshop for a significant redesign.

ZAPU says the amendment should have been subjected to a national referendum under Section 328 of the Constitution. The party also argues that the changes undermine political rights protected under Section 67 the constitutional provision that, in theory, gives citizens the right to participate in choosing who governs them.

Under CAB3, the president will no longer be directly elected by the people but by a joint sitting of Parliament. The terms of the president, Parliament and local authorities have also been extended from five years to seven.

In simple political mathematics, Zimbabweans may now be asked to wait longer between opportunities to say, “We have had enough.”

The amendment was signed into law by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on July 7 after passing through the National Assembly and Senate in June. Since its introduction in February, it has attracted criticism from opposition parties, legal watchdogs and civil society organisations.

Legal monitor Veritas has argued that extending the presidential term should trigger the referendum provisions under Section 328 a position that has placed the constitutional debate firmly in the familiar Zimbabwean territory where everyone reads the same Constitution but somehow arrives at completely different conclusions.

ZAPU President Sibangilizwe Nkomo has urged citizens to oppose CAB3, describing it as a betrayal of the liberation-era principle of “one man, one vote.”

The irony, critics say, is that the principle appears to be facing a modern political remix: one voter, one vote but perhaps fewer opportunities to use it.

The bigger question now is whether the police will allow the July 31 gathering to proceed.

Opposition parties have previously accused authorities of blocking demonstrations against CAB3 while allowing rallies in support of the amendment to proceed creating what critics describe as a rather curious version of political neutrality where the law seems to have different shoes for different gatherings.

So, as ZAPU heads towards Africa Unity Square, Zimbabwe waits to see whether the Constitution will be debated in the streets, the police station, the courts or, as is increasingly customary, all three at once.

Because in the land of constitutional amendments, the real national referendum may soon be taking place in the public argument itself: Should the people continue choosing their leaders directly, or should Parliament now be trusted to do the choosing on their behalf?

And that, ultimately, is the question CAB3 has placed before Zimbabwe even if the people were never given a ballot paper to answer it.

Tinotenda Samukange

25/08/2026

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