… U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe Celebrates Freedom Mukanga, 2025 Impact Award Winner BY NATHAN GUMA WHEN serial entrepreneur Freedom Mukanga and his wife first set their eyes on Cheza Village, they saw an opportunity to improve the lives of people in the area. “This journey started when I got married. My wife and I decided…
The Algorithmic Watch POPULAR chatbots ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot are no longer accessible on WhatsApp following changes to Meta’s application programming interface rules, which block third-party AI assistants from operating on the messaging platform. The AI assistants had been popular on WhatsApp, as they allowed people who only have WhatsApp bundles to access information, study…
WORLD Bank data trends show that Zimbabwe’s annual food inflation rate has recorded a significant decline, falling to 16.9% in November 2025. However, this statistical relief is likely to be affected by the onset of the lean season, with crisis conditions emerging in some provinces. According to the World Bank’s Food Security Update, food inflation…
Global press freedom has reached a decadal low, with the Freedom of Expression Index falling from 0.68 in 2012 to 0.61 in 2024, marking a 10% decline over 12 years, according to UNESCO data. The drop highlights the slow erosion of independent reporting, amid a rise in media self-censorship. Independent media remains a vital part…
THE Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID) are viewed by citizens as the public service institutions most affected by bribery, according to data from the National Bribe Payers Index (NBPI). Produced by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ), the NBPI assesses bribery patterns across the public sector. Its latest findings show that bribery remains…
THE Government of Zimbabwe has merged the Harmonised Social Cash Transfers (HSCT) and the Monthly Maintenance Allowances programmes to form the Zimbabwe Social Cash Transfers Programme, amid calls for transparency on recipients of the aid. The Government has run several cash transfer initiatives, among them the Harmonised Social Cash Transfer Programme, the Cash for Cereal…
BY NATHAN GUMA recently in Ntabazinduna Zimbabwe’s tollgates are rapidly evolving into data hubs, with automation, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, and vehicle-classification systems now reshaping tolling operations, strengthening revenue controls, and improving efficiency amid soaring traffic volumes. This comes at a time when the country is experiencing increased traffic at its various tolling points. This…
MILITARY officers in Guinea-Bissau have seized control of the country and detained President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, suspending the electoral process after a day of gunfire in the capital, Bissau. This comes at a time when there is a growing number of countries experiencing military takeovers in the West African region. According to media reports, gunfire…
The Algorithmic Watch SOCIAL media platform X is rolling out a feature that displays detailed background information about user accounts, including current location, the country where the account was created, device source and username history. The update has opened a debate about how increased transparency may affect users who depend on anonymity, especially activists, political…
THE United States has launched a new effort to increase HIV prevention in Africa by combining biomedical products with market partnerships, officials said during a briefing at the Africa Media Hub. The rollout focuses on Lenacapavir, an HIV prevention drug developed by American company Gilead Sciences, in coordination with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,…
