August 23, 2023
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's 1,900% Increase in Fees to Run for Office Excludes Underrepresented Candidates
High nomination fees to run for office mean that as Zimbabweans go to the polls, some would-be candidates won't be on the ballot. Read more »
August 09, 2023
Zimbabwe: For Farmers and Wildlife in Zimbabwe's Conservation Areas, a Fraught Coexistence
Land reform program resettled hundreds on protected lands, where lions, elephants and other animals pose a constant threat to livestock and crops. Read more »
July 31, 2023
Zambia: Trauma or Training? Zambians Split Over Sexual Initiation Ceremonies
Zambia's traditional counselors are rethinking the country's puberty rites, which some argue are detrimental to girls' well-being. Read more »
June 13, 2023
Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's Govt Health Insurer Is Imploding. Civil Servants Pay the Price
The country's civil servants have long had access to comprehensive health insurance, but a tangle of financial challenges has led the insurer to close facilities, leaving many… Read more »
May 17, 2023
Zimbabwe: Govt Curbs Public Health Workers' Right to Protest 'Dire' Conditions
Nurses, doctors say new amendment curbs their rights and could further erode morale and send more staff to other countries. Read more »
May 09, 2023
Zimbabwe: As Elections Near, 'Insult Laws' Limit Free Speech
Free speech advocates are concerned that the government has been using the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act to keep citizens and journalists from expressing political… Read more »
March 24, 2023
Zimbabwe: As Guns Flow in From Neighboring Countries, Armed Robberies Spike
Hundreds of firearms were turned over during last year's amnesty. But that's only a fraction of the more than 264,000 unregistered guns believed to be in Zimbabwe. Read more »
March 21, 2023
Zimbabwe: Teen Pregnancies Are Soaring. Is Revamping Sex Education the Answer?
Teachers and others say Zimbabwe's current curriculum falls short and should be redesigned. But some question whether the subject should be taught in schools at all. Read more »
March 02, 2023
Southern Africa: Return of Zambian Vendors Rattles Merchants in Victoria Falls
Zimbabwean vendors enjoyed a monopoly during pandemic closures. They see their Zambian competitors a little differently now. Read more »
February 22, 2023
Zimbabwe: Free and Fair? Voters Are Skeptical As Key Election Nears
Ongoing distrust in the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is sowing apathy as much as it calls for reform. Read more »
February 16, 2023
Zimbabwe: Is Sex Consensual If She's 16?
A court order to raise the age at which a person can legally consent to intercourse aims to protect teens against sexual exploitation. Read more »
February 07, 2023
Zimbabwe: New Law's Recognition of Civil Partnerships Stirs Controversy
Zimbabwe's new Marriages Act recognizes civil partnerships and gives property rights to people involved in them. Not everyone approves. Read more »
February 02, 2023
Zambia: Her Baby Was Always Sick. It Was HIV - and She Had It Too
Efforts to halt the spread of HIV among the country's youngest residents faltered during the pandemic as fewer pregnant mothers traveled to clinics for key tests. Read more »
January 18, 2023
Zimbabwe: Failed By the Health System, Women Are Turning to Courts
After traumatic experiences giving birth, some women are seeking recourse and justice in Zimbabwe's courts. Read more »
January 04, 2023
Zambia: Food Production Dwindles As Fuel Costs Skyrocket
Without adequate rain, farmers must turn to irrigation. But without fuel to power the pumps, there's only so much they can grow. Read more »
November 23, 2022
Zimbabwe: A Government Crackdown Is Looming, but Zimbabweans Still Flock to Online Thrift Shops
Coronavirus lockdowns prompted many businesses to move online. For shops selling secondhand clothes that were smuggled into the country illegally, the move brought new clients and… Read more »
November 14, 2022
Zimbabwe: Villagers Brace for Another Displacement. This Time, It's for Coal #AfricaClimateCrisis
Residents of western Zimbabwe worry they will be displaced without adequate compensation and protection. Some have been through this before. Read more »
November 02, 2022
Zimbabwe: There's No Place Like Home, and Harare Has Too Few
As Harare's housing shortage deepens, many Zimbabweans make do in squalid conditions or informal settlements. And fake agents prey on those desperate to find places to rent. Read more »
October 19, 2022
Zimbabwe: Once Revered, Teachers Now Push for Adequate Pay
Educators during the country's post-independence golden age wanted for nothing. Today's teachers say they barely scrape by. Read more »
October 17, 2022
Zimbabwe: Benefit Or Burden? A Farming Program's Mixed Results
Doubts about its effectiveness and allegations of corruption tarnish a contract farming program intended to reduce Zimbabwe's reliance on maize imports. Read more »
October 12, 2022
Zimbabwe: New Water Policy Brings Less Sharing, More Spying
The government says the switch to a prepaid system improves payment collections and water conservation. Residents and landlords argue it costs more, hurts the vulnerable and ruins… Read more »
September 21, 2022
Zambia: Joy of Free Education Brings Pain for Teachers
While parents and students rejoice over Zambia's waiving of secondary school fees, teachers struggle with crowded classrooms. Read more »
September 19, 2022
Zimbabwe: His Political Playbook Worked Elsewhere. Can He Win Here?
Backers of the opposition's presidential candidate see hope in upstart victories in Malawi and Zambia. But in Zimbabwe, a single party has been in power for more than four decades. Read more »
September 26, 2022
Mozambique: Migration Across Zimbabwe Border Challenges Both Nations
The region straddling the Mozambique-Zimbabwe line is "the same community." But that carries consequences for Zimbabwe's health care system, security and environment. Read more »
Zimbabwe: Policy Threatens to Upend Lives of Immigrants in South Africa
Zimbabweans living in South Africa may need to leave under new rules that also could spur economic blowback. Read more »