The Algorithmic Watch THE recent arrest of eleven alleged hackers in Zimbabwe, accused of defrauding EcoCash users by luring them with fake free data offers, highlights some of the weaknesses of digital money systems and underscores the need for stronger digital security. The suspects, aged between 20 and 26, are facing hacking charges after reportedly…
BY NATHAN GUMA ZIMBABWE remains trapped in deep-rooted corruption, scoring just 22 out of 100 on the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), according to Transparency International’s latest report. Transparency International’s CPI ranks 180 countries by perceived public sector corruption, using a scale from 0, which is considered highly corrupt, to 100, which is very clean. The new…
NEW data from Access Now shows signs of waning democracy and freedom of expression, with indications that internet shutdowns have been on the rise over the past decades. This comes at a time when freedom of expression is now severely under attack in several countries. For instance, on 29 October 2025, Tanzania went offline after a nationwide…
UNAIDS estimates show that Zimbabwe is witnessing a historic shift in its battle against pediatric HIV, with new data showing a huge drop in AIDS-related deaths among children. According to the data, annual deaths among children aged 0–14 have fallen to approximately 1,700, a huge decline from the tens of thousands seen during the epidemic’s peak…
Algorithmic Watch CONCERNS are mounting that the open-edit nature of Wikipedia is increasingly being exploited to alter information in ways that could mislead millions of users, particularly those in digital and informational blind spots. Wikipedia, the world’s largest free online encyclopedia, allows anyone with internet access to edit most of its articles. While the platform…
ZIMBABWE’S progress towards legal equality for women has slowed to a standstill, despite major reforms that transformed women’s economic rights in the decades following independence, World Bank data shows. According to data by the Women, Business and the Law Index, Zimbabwe’s score climbing from 36 in 1970 to 52 in the early 1980s, reflecting sweeping…
BY NATHAN GUMA FOR more than a decade in which Zimbabwean serial entrepreneur Freedom Mukanga worked in meteorology, he noticed a recurring pattern putting communities at risk of natural disasters. From drought-stricken farming communities to flood-prone regions across Southern Africa, the pattern was clear, that without reliable data to observe, track and warn, preparedness remained impossible….
… 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…
