Harare
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has been working in Zimbabwe since 1980. It has witnessed firsthand the dramatic changes that took place in Zimbabwe from the very beginning and supported the work of civil society organisations in times of crisis.
The work of the Foundation focuses on re-establishing the rule of law, liberal democracy and a free market economy, which have been virtually destroyed by the repressive regime currently in power.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in Harare advocates the protection of the remaining democratic and constitutional liberties with the aim of expanding these once political change has taken place.
News
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Tackling the Bulawayo water crisis
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city, is currently facing one of its most severe droughts, exacerbated by the El Niño weather pattern. The city's vulnerability to drought has led to a severe water availability crisis, with increasing demand and decreasing supply. Over one million residents are facing acute water stress with limited access to clean and safe water. Despite the implementation of a 120-hour water-rationing plan in December 2023, the situation remains critical. Water levels in the city's reservoirs continue to fall, pushing residents to the brink of desperation. Proposed solutions such as boreholes and additional dams have failed to meet the needs of Bulawayo's 1.2 million residents.
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Empowering female journalists
In a bid to promote gender parity in the media industry, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) recently hosted a groundbreaking workshop for early-career journalists, with a special focus on empowering female journalists. The three-day event, which drew over 30 young journalists from across Zimbabwe, delved into critical topics such as financial reporting, photography, AI in the newsroom, women empowerment, data journalism, climate change, and sustainable reporting.
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Currency Collapses
On April 5, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) introduced a new currency, the Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG), backed by 2,522 kg of gold and US$100 million in foreign currency reserves. Despite the declining use of the gold standard globally, Zimbabwe adopted this system to de-dollarise its economy and address currency and exchange rate issues, which saw the previous Zimbabwean dollar lose about 114% of its value between January and March 2024.
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‘Education standards have dropped’
GERMAN Counsellor and Deputy Head of Mission in Zimbabwe Michael Ott has said the quality of Zimbabwe’s education system is fast deteriorating. “I have been here for a year in the country, unfortunately the education system in Zimbabwe has been going downwards, and I think that is a great danger because so far education is what has made Zimbabweans successful abroad. So I think that is one thing that we need to keep in mind and put into discussions,” he said.
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Women Elbowed Out Of The Game
THE push for equal participation of men and women in politics has been building up, with benefits already filtering through in countries where this shift has been embraced. Observance of human rights and democratic governance principles are other issues that have taken centre stage in the past few decades. However, research has revealed that despite governments’ efforts to push through equal representation, women’s participation in politics remains low. Yet in most countries, they make up the bigger part of population.
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Cyber bullies push women to the fringes of political power
Many of Zimbabwe’s women have seen their ambitions to ascend to political power obliterated by brutal cyberbullying, which has forced them to quit, leading analysts said this week. So rampant is the cyberbullying scourge, which now permeates through all layers of politics from local to central government. The analysts, who spoke as Zimbabwe raved up campaigns for general elections expected next month, were worried that even existing laws fell short of defending female politicians from cyberbullies.
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Zimbabwe's poor bear brunt of rioting prices
UNDER the heavy African sky, an aura of unease seeps into Zimbabwe’s rural heartland. As the sun retreats behind the hills of Tandi communal lands in Rusape, Manicaland province, it casts long, spectral shadows over VaMamoyo’s small thatched hut. VaMamoyo is a woman of remarkable tenacity. Her skin, a complex tapestry of wrinkles, echoes tales of her endurance and resilience. Looking closely at a meagre assembly of grocery items that lay before her, she looks at them with a worried frown.