ZIMTA and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) have entered into a partnership in order to implement intervention strategies and activities to help curb the spread of HIV and AIDS among teachers in Zimbabwe. The focus of the ZIMTA/AFT HIV/AIDS project is on education, awareness, and prevention. The goal of ZIMTA/AFT is to create a learning environment for both students and educators in which lifestyle choice and low-risk behaviour can be taught and sustained. In addition to targeting teachers, ZIMTA/AFT carves out a crucial role for school principals at all levels in making schools low- rather than high-risk environments. This approach involves helping principals to recognise the problem and communicate its gravity, both among themselves and to teachers and students.

As part of the national commitment to introducing services to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV, the Institute of Public Health of the University of Bordeaux, France, is working in close collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe National AIDS Programme. We are about to commence several new projects in two districts of Zimbabwe - Buhera District in Manicaland Province, and Murewa District in Mashonaland East Province. We are therefore requesting applications for the following personnel: Project Coordinators - 2 posts; Counsellors - 6 posts; Data Manager, Buhera District - 1 post (part time).

All of Zimbabwe's rain-fed crops have failed and the country only has a quarter of the food it will need for the next 12 months. "I have never seen the country so dry and it is supposed to be end of the rainy season. I can't imagine what it will look like after the traditional dry season," UN Development Programme (UNDP) resident co-ordinator for Zimbabwe Victor Angelo told IRIN.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (Human Rights Forum) claims its members are under a mounting threat from the authorities, which perceive them as anti-government. Human Rights Forum co-coordinator Tor-Hugne Olsen told IRIN that "we fear at the moment that while the main targets in the past have been members or alleged/perceived supporters of [opposition Movement for Democratic Change] MDC [now the targets] are other parts of civil society".

FACILITATORS of talks between Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU PF and the opposition MDC are now consulting South African President Thabo Mbeki and his Nigerian counterpart Olusegun Obasanjo in a desperate bid to try to save the negotiations from collapse, it was established Wednesday.

The licensing of a wholly owned government signal carrier company, Transmedia, to offer satellite broadcasting services in partnership with the DStv Network represented by MultiChoice-Zimbabwe, has sparked an uproar among other applicants.

A magistrate court in Harare ruled on May 7 that arrested "Daily News" journalist, Lloyd Mudiwa and Zimbabwe correspondent for the British paper "The Guardian", Andrew Meldrum, have a case to answer. The two were remanded out of custody to May 22, 2002. Charges against the other accused, Collin Chiwanza of "The Daily News", have been dropped.

Dozens of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) supporters and perceived supporters, have been abducted and sometimes "disappeared" in what appears to be a systematic campaign of intimidation against government opponents. MDC polling agents and other members of the party structure remain at high risk of attack from state-sponsored militia, which include veterans of the liberation war that led to independence in 1980.

Zimbabwean election regulations required that the names and addresses of MDC polling agents and other members of the party structure had to be printed in newspapers, and reports confirm that the militia are using these lists to target their attacks and abductions. Sign the Amnesty petition online.

A new report demonstrates just how devastating the health impact will be on adolescents worldwide if the Bush administration succeeds in dismantling existing international agreements on adolescent reproductive rights at the United Nations Special Session on Children, May 8-10.

Zimbabwe is now a country of islands. In some courtrooms, in some businesses, on farms, in some churches, even in the quiet corners of some barracks, decent people do what they can to resist the regime.

The ruling party in Zimbabwe will sue media organisations, including those outside the country, and the main opposition party for reporting a false story, the state-run Sunday Mail reported. The story concerned a false claim by the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) two weeks ago that a woman was beheaded by supporters of President Robert Mugabe's party.

The Zimbabwean government has warned it will crack down on non-governmental organisations, churches and opposition officials involved in "subversive" activities, the Sunday News reported. Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo told the state-run newspaper that the government was aware of "churches, NGOs and human rights groups that are actively involved in undermining the nation's internal security". Foreigners "masterminding such acts" will be deported, Nkomo told the paper.

Pretoria and Harare seemed to be on a collision course last night after the Zimbabwean government unilaterally postponed unity talks between the ruling Zanu PF party and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu PF party has canceled negotiations with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), mediated by Nigeria and South Africa. But the MDC has been told by South African and Nigerian diplomats that the dialogue will resume Monday, as planned. Zanu-PF said last week it was postponing talks with the MDC until the outcome of the opposition's challenge to the High Court, alleging widescale vote-rigging in the presidential elections.

Ari Ben-Menashe, the man at the centre of
Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's treason case, has been
ordered to repay millions of dollars to the Zambian goverment in a maize
deal gone wrong, the Financial Gazette reported.

Zimbabwe's parliament has passed a controversial law aimed at speeding up redistribution of land, as a local human rights group warned that illegal farm invasions had increased. With the Land Acquisition and Amendment Bill being passed on Wednesday a constitutional lawyer, Greg Linnington of the University of Zimbabwe, said the ramifications for farmers were "pretty grim". The passing of the Bill made permanent temporary amendments to the land law by President Robert Mugabe.

A judge on 7th May dismissed charges of "abusing journalistic privileges" and "publishing false information" against Collin Chiwanza, reporter for the independent Daily News, citing lack of evidence. Chiwanza appeared in court with fellow Daily News journalist Lloyd Mudiwa and Andrew Meldrum, a U.S. citizen who is the Zimbabwe correspondent for the London-based The Guardian newspaper. Meanwhile, police on 6 May arrested Pius Wakatama, another Daily News journalist, at his home on the outskirts of the capital, Harare.

Despite President Robert Mugabe's election
victory, political violence continues in Zimbabwe with four deaths recorded
in April, according to local human rights groups. The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (Human Rights Forum) has claimed in its
latest report that there appears to be no end to politically motivated
violence and harassment.

Foreign correspondents in Zimbabwe have launched a challenge in the Supreme Court against a controversial media law which they say is unconstitutional. The journalists argue that the legislation, which was introduced in March, violates freedom of expression. A total of eight journalists have so far been charged under the law, which the government insists is necessary to tackle a collapse in journalistic standards.

The Independent Online (IOL) reports that Libyan oil company Tamoil, which supplies 70 percent of Zimbabwe's total fuel imports, has recently pulled out due to lack of payments received. Libya has moved close to Zimbabwe and has been accused by Zimbabwe's opposition of attempting to 'colonize' the southern African country.