The Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation (ZimRights), once the leading human rights watchdog in the country, is bankrupt. The human rights watchdog went broke following the withdrawal of funding by its major donors who are unhappy with the organisation's in-house squabbles and the alleged infiltration of the group by agents of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), the 'Daily News' reported.

The death of another ruling party stalwart, war veterans’ leader, Chenjerai Hunzvi, dominated the news in all the media. But it wasn’t just his death that attracted attention; controversies emerged over the cause of his death and the decision to declare him a national hero.

Endless queues at the few Zimbabwean petrol stations with supplies are the most visible signs of an economic crisis that worsens by the day. With no reserves of foreign exchange to buy imports, Zimbabwe has suffered fuel shortages since December 1999. Superficially, this only affects the small minority of people wealthy enough to own a car. Yet the economic slump is so
severe that an entire society is being impoverished.

South African President Thabo Mbeki has told Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to respect the rule of law and publicly assure Zimbabweans and the international community that his government will conduct a free and fair presidential election next year, 'The Financial Gazette' said on Thursday.