The hustle and bustle of Harare's Josiah Tongogara Street reflect both the beating heart of a capital city and the short history of Zimbabwe as a nation state.
Named after a guerrilla fighter from the struggle for independence from what was Rhodesia, heavy traffic and congestion make the busy road a natural venue for newspaper sellers. Billboards advertising the latest headlines are a reminder of how Zimbabwe, for now at least, cannot avoid the past even if people are crying out for a new future.
"Mugabe to lose properties," said one. "Mugabe fights back," reads another, referring to the former president, who was ousted in November last year.
On the road itself, the many potholes drivers edgily steer around feel like a metaphor for the struggle that lies ahead. Zimbabwe's economic fabric is shattered. Unemployment stands at 80 percent.
"Mugabe killed us. We are starting from zero," John Sibanda, a maize farmer from a town east of Harare, told The National.
Among tens of thousands to suffer during the agricultural collapse of the nation once known as Africa's bread basket, Mr Sibanda came to the capital to boost his income by working as a driver.
He is pleased with what the country's new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has done so far, though little has changed.
"It is like trying to raise a ship that has sunk. It will be difficult, but the new president wants to do business. He wants to get investment for Zimbabwe."
______________
The nightmare continues for poor Zimbabweans
Celebrations on the streets as Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe resigns
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Josiah Tongogara died in a road accident in neighbouring Mozambique in 1979, just days after the Lancaster House Agreement was signed, paving the way to the creation of the republic.
Then aged 41, many suspect there was foul play as he was a rival to Mr Mugabe, who would go on lead the country from its infancy to his eventual demise at the hands of the military.
The street named after Mr Tongogara has seen better days. Long-since disused street-lights bow over junctions. As the "robots" – or traffic lights – turn red, hawkers flood the junction peddling wares as diverse as phone chargers, packets of crisps, oil paintings and giant maps of Africa. Lamp posts and trees bear hand-written advertisements for services such as tree-felling, thatching and building-repairs.
Everyone is trying to eke a living. The newspaper sellers are focused exclusively on Zimbabwe's politics and politicians: there is nothing about Donald Trump or North Korea. Pop or sport stars do not feature, nor do celebrities.
Zimbabwe is awaiting the first presidential election since the end of Mr Mugabe’s 37-year rule. Voting is due to take place at some, as yet unspecified, point between June and August.
Mr Mnangagwa said in January that the elections will be "free, credible, fair and indisputable".
What comes next, most people say, cannot be as bad as what went before. Hence the voracious interest in news about the country's leaders - past and present.
"The rock stars of our country are our politicians, which is a tragedy if you think about it," said Larry Kwirirayi, a presenter of a prime-time radio talk-show in Harare.
"It means aspects of other things, such as culture, for example, disappear through the cracks. It also tends to be clasped within a collective pessimism. We are a bit British in that way."
A sense of resignation also hangs in the air.
"Zimbabwe won an important game of cricket, and you go on Twitter and people are saying: 'Yeah, but we are going to get fined by the ICC because of the pitch invasion'," said Mr Kwirirayi, of a recent World Cup Qualifier victory.
"Or, 'Oh, but they are probably going to lose the next match'. We just beat Afghanistan, who have always beaten us, but there are a lot of people who won't give themselves the chance to celebrate."
President Mnangagwa set out a plan to reinvigorate the economy when he was sworn into power.
The 75-year-old has spoken of the need to attract foreign companies, of his desire to re-engage with the West, and reiterated that he wants Zimbabwe to rejoin the Commonwealth, 16 years after its suspension over human rights abuses attributed to his predecessor and his cohorts.
Mr Kwirirayi, however, queries the idea Zimbabwe is at "zero", suggesting there is still a long way to go before things are even that good, no matter what experts from the International Monetary Fund might think.
"Things got so bad that it is going to take a while for it to become even just OK. People can use clever terms like 'austerity measures' but people are so hamstrung," he said.
"Our budget is $5billion or $6billion - for our whole country. We hear there are deals that have been signed and what not, but things were minus-20. It is going to take a while just to get to zero."
The IMF has told Zimbabwe not to bother clearing its $1.75 billion foreign arrears by borrowing from lenders, as it would worsen the national debt.
Instead it has suggested cuts to public sector wages, reducing farm subsidies, improving transparency in the mining sector and reaching an agreement on compensating farmers affected by Mr Mugabe's land clearances in the 1990s.
While political candidates attract air time with pronouncements about ambitious projects such as a bullet train to dramatically cut the travel time between Harare and Bulawayo, Mr Kwirirayi believes the focus needs to be more basic. There is a scarcity of services, food and cash, he says.
Even now, that contrasts starkly with Mr Mugabe's personal wealth. According to a report in the state-owned Sunday Mail, Mr Mugabe "for years received his salary in cash, and has demanded that the same apply to his pension lump sum of nearly half a million dollars and monthly pension payments of over $13,000".
In contrast, ordinary citizens have to queue, sometimes for days, to access amounts as low as $20 from a bank.
“In 2016, you had products, but people didn't have access to cash, an even now people don't have access to cash,” Mr Kwirirayi said.
Goodson Chikowore, who works as a supervisor in Harare, is not certain if the elections will be nearly as transparent as Mr Mnangagwa has said.
He points to how the president previously served as the head of Mr Mugabe's main intelligence service as a reason to doubt.
"The president is doing his job properly at the moment," said Mr Chikowore, sounding positive but stressing the importance of the elections.
"But he was in the same bracket as Mugabe in the past, so we don't know if it will be free and fair. They were in the same cabinet.
"We do worry about the outcome. The result will determine the future. This is the short term. We don't know what the long-term will be."
One thing that has changed is the mood toward speaking about the man in charge of the country, compared to even four months ago, when "people were probably scared the even think about criticising the president". There are also a lot of younger candidates seeking elected office, which is also contributing to a better outlook.
"People feel less distrusting of the political processes at the moment than they were under Mugabe," said Mr Kwirirayi.
"They aren't quite trusting – but they are less distrusting."
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
2252 - Dh 50
2208 - Dh 100
6020 - Dh 200
*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Race card
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (Dirt) 1.600m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 2,000m
7.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 82,500 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 1,200m
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed (TB) Dh 132,500 (D) 2,000m
9.25pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 120,000 (D) 1,400m
SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack
