Mugabe to miss Zanu-PF congress for first time since 1963 - report
Harare – Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe, who also used to be the leader of Zanu-PF is set to miss the ruling party's congress for the first time since the party's founding in 1963, a report says.
Zanu-PF party was gearing up for its extraordinary congress that was set to take place on Friday in Harare.
According to News Day, in a landmark moment for Zanu-PF, "new party leader Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took power following chaotic but peaceful scenes that engulfed the country following the November 14 military intervention, would preside over the ruling party’s extraordinary congress".
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LATEST IN ZIM: Mnangagwa govt 'orders land grabbers to vacate farms' – report
Harare – Zimbabwe's new minister of lands, agriculture and rural settlement, Retired Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, has reportedly ordered those who have illegally occupied farm lands to leave "immediately" or face the wrath of law.
According to the state-owned Herald newspaper, Shiri said: "If we are to meet the goals set out by government to use agriculture as the mainstay of the economy, we need to ensure unquestionable sanity on the farms.
"…All those who were illegally settled or who just settled themselves on resettlement land should vacate immediately".
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At least 66 journalists 'languishing in African jails' – media watchdog
Cape Town – At least 262 journalists have been jailed for doing their job around the world, and 66 of these, are in Africa - as of December 1, says a media watchdog.
According to a Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) prison census 2017 report, as of December 1, sub Saharan countries had arrested at least 39 journalists, while north African countries had arrested 27.
The north African power house, Egypt, remained at number 1 in Africa, with at least 20 journalists in its prisons, while Eritrea with 16 came in in second place.
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'Don't seek military services to settle personal scores,' army warns Zimbabweans
Harare – The Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) has reportedly warned citizens against seeking the service of the army to "fight personal battles", saying that this was against the precepts of the law.
According to the state owned Herald newspaper, ZDF also warned against malicious individuals who aimed at disturbing peace and taking advantage of the army's ongoing Operation Restore Legacy.
The security forces said that they were aware of imposters who were impersonating members of ZDF on videos that were being shared over social media sites.
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New Zimbabwe govt 'keen to show respect to Mugabe'
Harare - Zimbabwe's former president Robert Mugabe, 93, who was ousted from power last month, has flown to Singapore for a medical check-up, his ex-spokesperson said on Thursday.
Mugabe and his wife Grace have not been seen in public since he was forced to resign after a military takeover brought a sudden end to his authoritarian 37-year reign.
"He is in Singapore. It's part of his package as a retired president to travel overseas. He routinely goes to Singapore to meet with his doctors," George Charamba told AFP.
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Somalia's Shabaab kill 18 police in academy bombing
Mogadishu - A suicide bomber from Somalia's Shabaab insurgents killed 18 police officers and wounded 15 others on Thursday when he blew himself up inside the country's main police academy, the force's chief said.
Witnesses said the police were gathered in a square ahead of their early morning parade when the bomber attacked in the capital Mogadishu.
"Eighteen members from the police were killed, and 15 others were wounded, after a suicide bomber blew himself inside the academy," acting police chief General Muktar Hussein Afrah told reporters.
The attacker disguised himself in a police uniform to access the camp, Afrah said.
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