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Prominent Zimbabwean lawyer and human rights activist Dewa Mavhinga, who was Southern African director for Human Rights Watch, has died of Covid-19, his close friends have confirmed to The NewsHawks.
He died in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was based.
Before joining Human Rights Watch, Mavhinga worked as regional coordinator for Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition based in Johannesburg. In 2012 Mavhinga with Dr Pedzisai Ruhanya and others co-founded Zimbabwe Democracy Institute, a public policy research think-tank based in Harare.
Mavhinga was active, vigorous and fearless on human rights issues.
He featured prominently in the media discussing the Zimbabwe situation and other issues in the region.
With him, it was always a no holds barred engagement on critical issues. Even under pressure, he was bold.
A recipient of the British Chevening and Canon Collins Trust scholarship, Mavhinga held a Bachelor of Law Honors degree (LLB) from the University of Zimbabwe and a Master of Law degree in international human rights (LLM) for Essex University, United Kingdom.
In December of 2017, he was part of the main opposition MDC alliance delegation that travelled and appeared before a United States Congressional Committee on Foreign Relations in Washington DC to appraise Americans on the situation in Zimbabwe.
His testimony, Mavhinga said: "Mr. Chairman, my testimony will first lay out the human rights
press the interim Zimbabwean Government to ensure a rights-re
specting situation in Zimbabwe since the military takeover...
"... and then rights-respecting specting environment leading to democratic, credible, transparent and peaceful elections and political stability thereafter.
"Following the military takeover, Robert Mugabe resigned as
president on November 21 and on November 24 was replaced by his former deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has his own long record of human rights violations.
"In his inaugural speech, Mnangagwa confirmed that elections will take place in 2018 as scheduled, but did not address critical issues, notably security sector, media, electoral reforms necessary to ensure credible, free, and fair elections.
"As reports of abuses by the military since the takeover began to emerge, the excitement and euphoria that many Zimbabweans greeted the end of Mugabe’s rule quickly fizzled out to be replaced by uneasiness and uncertainty.
"Since the military takeover, soldiers have not returned to the barracks, but instead are now involved in policing on the streets. This is the same military
that has been credibly implicated in rights violations against the general population during the Mugabe years."
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An incendiary phosphorus grenade which ignites and explodes when hurled, emitting fire and intense heat that burns fiercely, was used to destroy banker Doug Munatsi's home after his immobilisation, ravaging his respiratory system - death, security sources say.
This is based on an ongoing investigation by The NewsHawks which has spoken to relatives, friends and security sources, as well as government officials, who have shed light on the mysterious and horrific death of the prominent banker who died last week at his Harare penthouse.
A phosphorus grenade produces fierce heat and fire through chemical reaction of a flammable substance. It explodes into an intense fire, inflicts excruciating burns, sometimes to the bone, while causing severe respiratory damage, shock and organ failure.
British race-car driver and World champion Lewis Hamilton has won a dramatic Saudi Arabian GP to level the points ahead of the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
Recently Hamilton claimed a runaway and crucial win in the Qatar GP to strengthen his bid of winning a record eighth world title.
Talented Zimbabwean Formula 1 trackside fluid engineer
Stephanie Travers worked with Hamilton, providing Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport with a comprehensive suite of fluid support services.
These were Zimbabwean human rights activist Dewa Mavhinga's last words written in deep Shona on social media before his death yesterday.
Those who know the language well and its cultural context say the words are cryptic and rather disturbing. Find below an English translation.
Dewa's last social media post:
"If you have ever taken care of the sick, you know very well that early morning hours is the time illness deteriorates and is at its devastating best. That's the time the evil-doers operate, and are at their most effective.
As more details surrounding the mysterious death of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s key ally Doug Munatsi surface, it has emerged that his body was found without nails.
Denailing is the extraction of the nails from the fingers and toes as a method of torture using pliers or heat.
Mnangagwa said yesterday that Munatsi, who was Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency chief executive, died in "unclear circumstances".
Commonly referred to as denailing, the removal of tore and fingernails using pliers, heat, or even a wire or shard of wood inserted under the nail has been a simple but effective method of torture throughout history.
A new version of Neria, a Zimbabwean film made in 1991, written by award-winning playwright Tsitsi Dangarembga, has been premiered.
It's about the struggles of a local widow after the death of her husband as she battles her late husband brother's predatory cultural practices.
This comes as the world commemorates 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.
To mark that a group of young film producers premiered a new version of the film Neria.
The original Neria version, with a classic soundtrack by the late Zimbabwean music legend Oliver Mtukudzi, looked at how African tradition and customs are often used to harass, oppress and even perpetrate violence against women.
Zimbabwean police sources say the Criminal Investigations Department believes the woman who was likely the last person to see corporate executive Doug Munatsi alive at his Northfields penthouse, Coletta, has the smoking gun - incontrovertible evidence - to what happened to him.
A smoking gun is a piece of incontrovertible incriminating evidence.
The CID says the security guard said he last saw Munatsi on 28 November 2021 at about 1820 hours when he (deceased) told him that he was expecting a guest at the flat and he asked the informant to escort the guest to his flat when she arrived.