We note with concern that a number of women have called our offices to register their displeasure with the practice by the Registrar General requiring them to first change their surnames from their maiden ones to their married ones before they can be issued with birth certificates for their children or new passports. We would like to make it clear that there is no legal basis for this practice.

A troika of Commonwealth leaders failed here on Monday to agree on how to deal with President Robert Mugabe, saving Zimbabwe from a threat of expulsion from the organization. Despite agreeing that the Zimbabwean leader had done nothing to address Commonwealth concerns that his re-election was undemocratic, the leaders of Australia, Nigeria and South Africa disagreed over new sanctions.

Concerned at high levels of corruption costing the country millions of dollars and threatening the economy, members of the public have joined civil society's call for a national audit in order to bring perpetrators to book.

Cholera has claimed nine more lives in Zimbabwe's populous Masvingo province, bringing the death toll to 19 since the outbreak was reported last week.

The worst victims of Robert Mugabe's land seizures are not the few thousand white farming families being evicted from their farms. Those suffering the most are the hundreds of thousands of black farm workers who are losing their jobs, being thrown out of their homes, often violently, and who will make up an enormous new landless class, reports The Guardian.

A retired high court judge, who clashed with a Zimbabwe government minister two months ago, was released on bail this week after spending three days in a squalid police cell. Magistrate Lillian Kudya granted bail of R1800 to Fergus Blackie, 65, and ordered him to appear again on November 18.

As fuel and food queues lengthened on Thursday structural faults in the latest Zimbabwe-Libya $360-million fuel deal were emerging. Despite being granted a pick of the country's choice assets, the Libyan government has reportedly stepped up pressure on Zimbabwe to offer more assets of greater value as guarantee for sustained fuel supplies from the North African country.

Tawanda Majoni a reporter with Zimbabwe's new and fourth daily paper, The Daily Mirror recited to MISA-Zimbabwe in an interview on Sunday 14 September, the story of his arrest on Thursday 12 September and how he suffered in police cells. Majoni is a former police officer and he left the force after studying for a Diploma in Journalism. He was arrested for allegedly writing a false story about the health status of the Police Commissioner Augustine Chihuri.

Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai warned on Monday of a gathering "people's storm" that would battle what he called President Robert Mugabe's "civil-military junta".

Gunfire was exchanged as about 70 pro-government militants raided a white-owned farm and barricaded the family inside their home in northern Zimbabwe, says the Justice for Agriculture organisation.

The government of Zimbabwe has "urged" country residents to undergo voluntary HIV testing, Xinhua News Agency reports. Minister of Health and Child Welfare David Parirenyatwa said that knowing one's HIV status is "very important" to plan for the future.

When WFP head James Morris arrived in Nhwali to inspect the distribution of mielies, an unprecedented seven government trucks filled with bags of mielies for sale rolled up, the first time since July that even one truck has arrived to feed the 9 000 people in the area, deep in opposition territory.

Organised violence has reportedly continued to prevail in all parts of the country. The Public Press and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum have received a large number of reports on human rights and political violations allegedly perpetrated by the uniformed officials, with the greatest prevalence being reported in Manicaland. This is according to the latest report on political violence from the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum.

Human rights bodies have condemned the alleged "silencing of dissent" and "disregard for the rule of law" in Zimbabwe. Amnesty International said the Zimbabwean authorities were "intensifying harassment of human rights organisations, the independent media and the judiciary", ahead of local council elections later this month.

Agence France Presse (AFP) foreign correspondent, Griffin Shea's application for a renewal of his work permit has been turned down by the Zimbabwe government, MISA-Zimbabwe has established.

The United States government, through the United States Aid for International Development, has made available nearly $140 million for the strengthening of community based initiatives to support children orphaned by HIV/Aids.

The United States government has said it wants to see President Robert Mugabe removed from power and that it is working with the Zimbabwean opposition to bring about a change of administration.

The African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) joins the Zimbabwe Women's Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN), Article 19, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and other concerned actors in condemning the abuse of human rights and press freedom in Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is now in crisis with millions starving as a result of Robert Mugabe's land grab policy. Almost two hundred white farmers have been arrested for defying Mugabe's instruction to stop farming.

Amnesty International has voiced concern over the arrest of Fletcher Dulini-Ncube in Zimbabwe over the alleged abduction and murder of two ruling Zanu-PF members. Amnesty is worried about Dulini-Ncube’s state of health and has called on concerned parties to write to the Zimbabwean authorities.