Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

LOS ANGELES — South African pop star Tyla appears to be letting the internet run with its latest celebrity theory after social media speculation linked her jewellery collection to A$AP Rocky and, in turn, fuelled baseless rumours involving Rihanna.

The speculation began after fans noticed Tyla wearing colourful custom jewellery associated with Japanese creative Verdy and US jeweller Alex Moss. Because A$AP Rocky has also worn pieces created by the same collaborators, social media users began connecting the two artists, eventually turning a fashion coincidence into online rumours about an alleged relationship.

There is, however, no evidence that Tyla and Rocky are romantically involved or that the jewellery has any connection to an alleged affair.

Rocky has previously worn a Verdy-designed cartoon Jesus Piece created by Moss, while Tyla has also been photographed wearing custom pieces from the same creative circle. The shared jewellery designers therefore provide little basis for the claims circulating online.

Tyla appears to respond

The speculation intensified after a message attributed to Tyla’s Instagram Story circulated online.

“Imma leave every rumour to rock from now on. Have fun y’all. #APOP,” the message reportedly read.

Tyla did not explicitly identify Rocky or Rihanna in the post, nor did she directly confirm or deny the allegations being discussed online.

That ambiguity has nevertheless generated further interpretation, with social media users attempting to determine whether the post was a response to the rumours or simply a general comment about online gossip.

For now, there is no confirmation from Tyla that the post was specifically directed at the claims involving Rocky and Rihanna.

Met Gala moment reignites speculation

The latest rumours have also revived attention around an awkward-looking interaction involving Tyla and Rihanna at the Met Gala earlier this year.

Short clips from the event circulated widely online, with some viewers interpreting the exchange as evidence of tension between the two artists.

Tyla subsequently offered an explanation, saying she had approached Rihanna and that the singer told her that her “baby daddy” had been calling before leaving.

The encounter was subsequently interpreted by some social media users as something more significant than it was, despite Tyla rejecting the idea of a dispute between them.

According to TMZ, Tyla said there was no hostility between the pair and made her admiration for Rihanna clear. She reportedly said: “Everyone knows I love Rih.”

Fashion becomes fuel for celebrity theories

The episode illustrates how quickly ordinary connections within the entertainment and fashion industries can become the basis for elaborate online theories.

Custom jewellery frequently moves through the same networks of designers, stylists, artists and celebrity clients. A shared designer or similar piece does not establish a personal relationship between the people wearing it.

In Tyla’s case, the jewellery connection appears to have been enough for social media speculation to move from fashion to romance, despite the absence of supporting evidence.

The singer’s reported decision to avoid directly addressing the rumours may also reflect the increasingly familiar dilemma faced by celebrities: responding to every online theory can give a rumour greater visibility, while silence often creates even more room for speculation.

For now, the alleged Tyla-Rocky connection remains an internet theory rather than an established fact, while Tyla’s comments about Rihanna indicate that the widely circulated interpretation of their Met Gala interaction does not reflect the relationship she has publicly described.

The post Tyla brushes aside A$AP Rocky cheating rumours as social media speculation swirls appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.

HARARE — Willdale Limited’s sales volumes fell 4 percent in the quarter ended June 30, 2026, as working-capital constraints left the listed brick manufacturer unable to fully meet strong demand from housing and infrastructure projects.

The latest trading performance points to a business facing an unusual constraint: demand is available, plant availability is described as satisfactory, but insufficient liquidity is preventing the company from producing and holding enough saleable stock.

Despite the volume decline, Willdale increased extrusion volumes by 11 percent, while fired production surged 44 percent during the quarter, suggesting that improved access to working capital was beginning to translate into higher factory output.

However, the increase in production was not yet sufficient to rebuild inventory and support a sustained recovery in sales.

The company operated at only 35 percent capacity utilisation during the period, well below management’s target of at least 70 percent.

Demand is not the immediate problem

The latest numbers suggest that Willdale’s principal challenge is currently supply-side rather than demand-side.

The company reported robust demand for bricks, supported by continued housing construction and infrastructure development. However, the entry of additional brick manufacturers has intensified competition for customers, making reliable stock availability increasingly important.

The mismatch between demand and available product is particularly significant because the company has substantial installed production capacity that remains underutilised.

Equity Axis, in its assessment of Willdale’s earlier performance, described the business as being constrained less by demand than by balance-sheet pressure, noting that limited working capital had impaired production and effectively capped sales.

The research house’s analysis is relevant to the latest quarter because the operating pattern appears to be changing as liquidity improves.

Revenue growth remains subdued

The shortage of saleable stock continued to constrain the company’s top line.

Quarterly revenue increased by just 1 percent despite an 8 percent increase in average selling prices. On a year-to-date basis, revenue remained 18 percent below the comparable prior-year period, even though average selling prices had increased 16 percent.

The figures illustrate the extent to which pricing has been compensating for weaker physical volumes.

“Willdale’s current financial profile remains fundamentally volume constrained. Higher prices can cushion revenue, but they cannot substitute indefinitely for the physical throughput required to restore the company’s revenue base,” an Equity Axis market analyst told The Zimbabwe Financial Mail.

The analyst said the next phase of Willdale’s recovery would therefore need to be measured through production, inventory and sales rather than pricing alone.

“The key test is whether improved working capital translates into sustained stock availability, higher capacity utilisation and, ultimately, stronger sales volumes. If those three indicators move together, the case that liquidity has been the principal bottleneck becomes considerably stronger,” the analyst said.

Capacity utilisation is the bigger opportunity

At 35 percent utilisation, Willdale is operating at roughly half its stated target of 70 percent.

That gap represents considerable unused productive capacity. Management’s ability to close it could materially alter the economics of the business because higher volumes would allow fixed manufacturing costs to be spread across a larger production base while improving operating leverage.

The company has said improved working-capital availability in the fourth quarter has already supported higher production.

This creates a relatively clear performance benchmark for the remainder of the financial year. If production continues to rise and stock availability improves, sales should begin responding to the underlying demand environment.

Equity Axis previously observed that Willdale’s sharp decline in volumes had occurred despite resilient construction demand, reinforcing the view that liquidity rather than market appetite was the principal constraint on the business.

Property assets become part of the funding strategy

Willdale is also relying on its property portfolio to help unlock liquidity.

Industrial stand sales have become an important supplementary source of cash, with proceeds being used to support the company’s operating requirements and investment programme.

However, industrial stand sales declined 18 percent quarter-on-quarter, highlighting the risk of relying on property disposals to finance an industrial manufacturing recovery.

Management expects permits for Haydon Phase 2 and Tenerife to create further opportunities to unlock value from its land bank. Phase 1 of Haydon Industrial Park remains scheduled for completion by the end of September 2026.

The strategy effectively links the company’s real-estate assets with its manufacturing recovery: monetising land provides liquidity, liquidity supports production, and higher production should generate stronger operating cash flows.

The challenge is ensuring that this cycle becomes self-sustaining rather than leaving the brick business dependent on recurring asset sales.

The next quarter will be critical

Willdale’s latest performance represents an important transition point.

The company entered the period with strong market demand, satisfactory plant availability and significant unused production capacity. Working-capital availability has subsequently improved, while extrusion and fired production have both increased.

The remaining question is whether those improvements can be converted into sustained sales growth.

“Management now has a very clear operational test. If capacity utilisation moves materially towards 70 percent, stock availability improves and sales volumes recover, investors will have stronger evidence that financing was indeed the binding constraint,” the Equity Axis analyst said.

“Conversely, if liquidity improves but utilisation and sales remain weak, the market will have to look beyond working capital and examine production efficiency, product mix, pricing, market execution and the returns generated by additional capital.”

The issue is particularly important because Willdale is competing in a market where demand appears healthy but new producers are entering the industry. In such an environment, production capacity alone does not guarantee market share; manufacturers must be able to maintain reliable supply and compete on price, quality and delivery.

For Willdale, the immediate opportunity is therefore to convert its underutilised manufacturing base into saleable output.

If management succeeds in moving utilisation from 35 percent towards its 70 percent target while rebuilding stock and recovering volumes, the company could begin closing its year-to-date revenue deficit and generate stronger operating leverage.

If it fails to do so despite improved liquidity, investors may increasingly question whether working capital is the sole explanation for the company’s historically low utilisation.

For now, Willdale’s latest numbers tell a story of demand waiting for supply, rather than supply waiting for demand — making access to working capital, rather than customer appetite, the critical variable determining how much of Zimbabwe’s construction boom the brick manufacturer can capture.

The post Willdale sales slip as working-capital squeeze leaves brick demand unmet appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.

HARARE – A 23-year-old man from Crowborough has been arrested in connection with a series of alleged robberies targeting InDrive drivers in Harare, reopening questions about how much protection app-based transport really provides when strangers meet inside a moving car. Tanaka Bright Murasi is accused of working with three accomplices, identified by police as Kedha, […]

The post Harare man launches massive robbery spree targeting InDrive drivers: Police are also looking for Kedha, Slim Giant and Rasta first appeared on My Zimbabwe News.

LONDON — Zimbabwean academic and political historian Blessing-Miles Tendi has been promoted to the rank of Professor of Politics at the University of Oxford, recognising his sustained contribution to political scholarship and teaching at one of the world’s leading universities.

Tendi, a Governing Body Fellow at St Antony’s College, received the promotion through the University of Oxford Social Sciences Division’s annual Recognition of Distinction exercise.

The recognition confers the title of professor on academics who have made a significant and sustained contribution to the University’s academic work.

St Antony’s College announced the appointment, congratulating Tendi on receiving the distinction and his elevation to professorial rank.

“Congratulations to St Antony’s College Governing Body Fellow Miles Tendi who has received the Recognition of Distinction from the University of Oxford Social Sciences Division and has been promoted to professorial rank with the title Professor of Politics,” the college said.

“The Recognition of Distinction is an annual exercise that confers the title of professor to those who make a significant and sustained academic contribution to the University’s work.”

Influential scholar of African politics

Tendi is a prominent scholar of African politics, with much of his research focusing on Zimbabwe, political elites, civil-military relations, authoritarianism, political violence and the historical development of African states.

He teaches in Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations and is also affiliated with the African Studies Centre, giving him a platform at the intersection of comparative politics, international relations and African political studies.

His academic work has contributed to international scholarship on Zimbabwe’s political institutions and elite networks, particularly the relationship between political authority, the military and the state.

His research has also examined the historical and political forces that shape leadership succession, state power and political contestation in Africa.

Zimbabwean scholarship on the global stage

Tendi’s promotion represents a significant achievement for Zimbabwean scholarship internationally, particularly at a time when African politics has become an increasingly important field of research amid debates over democratic governance, military influence, political transitions and the changing relationship between African states and global powers.

Oxford’s recognition places Tendi among the university’s professorial ranks and formally acknowledges the depth and continuity of his academic contribution.

An academic familiar with African political studies told The Zimbabwe Mail that the promotion was significant beyond the prestige attached to the Oxford title.

“Professorship at Oxford is not simply an academic designation. It reflects sustained intellectual contribution, peer recognition and the ability to shape scholarship in a field over a considerable period. For a Zimbabwean scholar working extensively on African politics, it is also a notable contribution to the international visibility of Zimbabwean intellectual work,” the academic said.

A career centred on African political analysis

Tendi’s work has frequently brought Zimbabwean political experiences into wider comparative debates about power, institutions and governance.

His scholarship has examined how formal political institutions interact with informal networks of influence, making his work relevant to broader debates about the resilience of political elites and the changing nature of state power across Africa.

His promotion comes as universities and research institutions globally continue to expand scholarship examining Africa’s political and economic transformation, including questions surrounding democratic resilience, military interventions, resource politics and relations between African states and external powers.

For Zimbabwe, the achievement adds to a growing body of internationally recognised scholarship produced by academics examining the country’s complex political history and contemporary governance.

The University of Oxford’s Recognition of Distinction therefore marks more than a change in academic title for Tendi. It represents formal institutional recognition of a sustained body of scholarship and teaching focused on politics, particularly the political dynamics of Africa and Zimbabwe.

The post Zimbabwean academic Blessing-Miles Tendi promoted to Professor of Politics at Oxford appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.

LUSAKA — Opposition figures Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu have reportedly sought refuge at a United Nations facility in Lusaka, amid fears that they could be arrested over alleged links to a militia group associated with their political movement.

Mundubile, leader of the New Republican Party United Progressives Party (NRPUP), and his running mate Zulu reportedly went to the UN premises on Monday, according to sources cited by News Diggers. The development comes against the backdrop of heightened political tensions and security concerns following a reported confrontation involving police and individuals allegedly linked to the opposition movement.

The report, which attributes the information to sources within the Cabinet Office, says the two opposition figures are seeking protection because they fear possible arrest by Zambian authorities.

The claims have not, however, been independently verified, and the reported presence of the two politicians at a UN facility does not by itself establish that they have been granted asylum or formal refugee status.

Shootout puts opposition figures under scrutiny

The reported move follows a statement from Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa concerning a police operation on August 13, during which officers reportedly engaged members of an alleged militia group.

According to News Diggers, Kangwa said Mundubile had been found at the scene of the shootout between police and individuals allegedly connected to the militia during the operation.

The development has subsequently placed the NRPUP leadership under increased scrutiny, particularly over questions surrounding the alleged organisation and activities of the group.

Mundubile has previously rejected allegations concerning militia weapons on his property, adding another layer to the dispute over the extent of the opposition leadership’s alleged links to the group.

The allegations remain politically and legally sensitive, and any eventual investigation would need to distinguish between political association, presence at a location and evidence of participation in criminal activity.

UN presence raises political stakes

The reported decision to seek protection at a UN facility represents an extraordinary escalation because it shifts what began as a domestic political and security dispute into an issue with an international dimension.

A political analyst in Lusaka said the development should be treated cautiously until the Zambian authorities, the UN and the politicians themselves provide formal statements.

“Seeking sanctuary at an international organisation’s premises is a dramatic political signal, but it should not be interpreted as proof of guilt or innocence. The central issue now is whether the authorities can demonstrate through due process that there is a substantive criminal case, rather than allowing allegations to become a substitute for evidence,” the analyst said.

The analyst said the authorities would also need to ensure that any investigation was conducted transparently.

“If arrests follow, the credibility of the process will depend on whether the state can clearly identify the alleged offences, present evidence and allow the accused access to legal representation and the courts,” the analyst said.

Election politics adds further sensitivity

The controversy comes at a particularly sensitive moment for Zambia’s political landscape, with the opposition already operating in a highly contested environment.

Mundubile is a prominent opposition figure, while Zulu is a senior lawyer and politician who has been involved in several major constitutional and political disputes. The two have therefore occupied positions that give the allegations wider political significance.

The reported development could also have consequences for the NRPUP’s leadership and campaign organisation if its two senior figures remain unavailable for an extended period.

However, analysts cautioned against assuming that the allegations automatically translate into a criminal case.

“The state has a legitimate responsibility to investigate allegations involving armed groups or political violence, but that responsibility must operate within the rule of law. Equally, opposition leaders cannot use political status as immunity from legitimate criminal investigation,” another analyst said.

A test for Zambia’s institutions

The episode is likely to become a test of Zambia’s political and judicial institutions, particularly their ability to separate national security concerns from partisan political competition.

For the government, the challenge is to demonstrate that any action against the opposition figures is based on evidence and established law. For Mundubile and Zulu, the immediate challenge is to clarify precisely why they believe their arrest is imminent and what protection they are seeking from the UN.

The reported asylum request also raises an important legal distinction: seeking protection or remaining at a UN facility is not necessarily equivalent to being formally recognised as a refugee or being granted asylum.

For now, the central facts remain contested. News Diggers reports that the two politicians are at a UN agency in Lusaka and that government officials have been informed of their presence.

What happens next will depend largely on whether the Zambian authorities proceed with formal investigations or charges, and whether the UN becomes directly involved in resolving the dispute.

The episode nevertheless marks a significant development in Zambia’s political contest, bringing together allegations of militia activity, opposition politics, police operations and international protection in a case that could test the country’s commitment to both national security and due process.

The post Zambian opposition flee to UN agency for refuge appeared first on The Zimbabwe Mail.