A powerful explosion at an explosives storage facility near Redcliff, in Zimbabwe’s Midlands province, killed a security guard and damaged more than 80 properties in the early hours of Sunday 11 October, according to officials quoted by the state-owned Herald and Chronicle titles and by MyZimbabwe.

Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube told reporters at the scene that 1,200 boxes of explosives were stored in a concrete structure and that the guard died. He said the guard was allegedly tied up before suspected intruders tried to open the storage room. Redcliff Municipality spokesperson Michael Magoronga said a bolt cutter and other tools were recovered, and that the matter had been referred to the Joint Operations Command.

The municipality put the number of damaged properties at more than 80, including homes, commercial buildings and the Redcliff Civic Centre. Residents described shattered windows and cracked ceilings. Nehanda Radio, citing a municipal notice, said the preliminary suspected cause was an attempted theft of explosives, while stressing that the circumstances had not been conclusively established.

Army officials said the area had been secured and barricaded. Brigadier-General Lawrence Munzararikwa, who commands the Zimbabwe National Army’s 5 Infantry Brigade, warned residents to keep away because some explosives may not have detonated, and said specialist help may be needed to clear the site.

Reports differ on who runs the facility. The Herald, MyZimbabwe and Nehanda Radio describe it as belonging to the Buchwa Iron Mining Company (BIMCO). Separately, the managing director of explosives maker Intrachem told Mining Zimbabwe there had been “an incident at our explosives magazine near Redcliff”, adding that investigators had asked the company not to release further information. The reports also differ slightly on timing: most place the blast around 2am to 3am on Sunday, while Nehanda Radio described it as overnight on Friday.

None of the reports read by AllInZimbabwe included a police statement, and no arrests had been announced. Officials say investigations continue.

Sources: The Herald/Chronicle, MyZimbabwe, Nehanda Radio, Mining Zimbabwe.

The Caine Prize for African Writing has begun looking into claims that the story that won this year’s award may have been written with the help of artificial intelligence, days after the Zimbabwean winner was named.

Simbarashe Steyn Kundizeza was announced as the 2026 winner in London on Tuesday 6 October for his story “The Blue Fighter”. On 11 October, according to the prize’s own statement, journalist Vauhini Vara published an article in The Atlantic suggesting the story may have used AI.

In its statement, the Caine Prize said that when claims such as this are made, “it is our responsibility to look into them”. It said it aims to take a “human-centred approach”, ensuring writers are supported and cared for during the process, and that it has “initiated that process in this case”. It promised to share updates on its website as matters unfold.

The prize also pointed to the way it works: it honours stories that have already been published elsewhere, which it described as a “bond of trust” with the magazines and journals that publish the original work. The Bookseller and NewZimbabwe both reported the statement.

It is important to be clear about where things stand. The Atlantic piece raises a suggestion; the Caine Prize has not announced any finding, and nothing in the coverage reviewed by AllInZimbabwe shows that Kundizeza has been found to have done anything wrong. None of that coverage carried a response from him to the allegation. After winning, he told NewZimbabwe the award meant a great deal and gave him more belief that he could keep making room for a writing life.

AllInZimbabwe will report the outcome of the review when the Caine Prize publishes it.

Sources: Caine Prize statement; NewZimbabwe; The Bookseller.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has ordered matches in Zimbabwe to be played without spectators after a supporter died during the Warriors’ Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the Democratic Republic of Congo at the National Sports Stadium in Harare.

Information minister Zhemu Soda told reporters after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting that CAF had “temporarily suspended” spectator access to matches hosted in Zimbabwe. According to ZimLive’s account of the briefing, CAF described the step as a precautionary administrative measure pending a review and verification of safety and security protocols, and said all CAF matches in the country would be held behind closed doors until further notice. CAF also extended condolences to the family of the deceased and to the nation.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirmed that one person died during a stampede at gate number two at the start of the match. In a statement quoted by South Africa’s Soccer Laduma, police described a “fatal incident involving a police public order vehicle and a pedestrian” and said investigations were under way. The police have not, in the statements reported, named the victim.

Reports differ on how far the sanction goes. ZimLive, citing the Cabinet briefing, reports that the closed-door order covers all CAF matches in Zimbabwe for the duration of the suspension. Soccer Laduma, relying on a Soccer24 report, says CAF has also ordered a heavy fine and that the Warriors’ next home qualifier, likely against Equatorial Guinea, will be played without fans. Earlier reports before the announcement, including one from AfricaSoccer, had suggested Zimbabwe might lose the right to host home matches altogether. The Cabinet account does not mention that outcome, and the length of the suspension has not been stated.

The incident is a blow for Zimbabwean football. The National Sports Stadium only recently returned to hosting international fixtures after years in which the national team was forced to stage its home games in neighbouring countries. CAF granted the venue Category 3 approval in August.

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) is expected to face scrutiny over crowd management and stadium security. It is not yet clear when CAF will complete its review or what conditions it will set before fans can return.

Sources: ZimLive, Soccer Laduma (citing New Zimbabwe and Soccer24), AfricaSoccer, Zimbabwe Republic Police and Cabinet statements as reported.