Harare - Journalists in Zimbabwe on Sunday criticized recent "astronomical" accreditation fees by President Robert Mugabe's government.

Johannesburg - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is vacationing in Malaysia, to where he has also transferred funds, according to South Africa's Saturday Star newspaper.

It said Mugabe's wife, Grace - who went with their four children to Malaysia before Christmas - had organised a transfer of 92,000 dollars from Zimbabwe's central bank.

Mugabe, who followed on last Monday, was using the vacation for routine health checks, while his personal doctor had also helped organise transfer of personal funds to Malaysia and also Singapore.

London, Jan 10: A wildlife campaigner has told the BBC News that Zimbabwean soldiers are being given elephant meat for their rations.

Jonny Rodrigues, from the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, said that several soldiers had complained to him that the only meat being given them was that of elephants.

Zimbabwe is believed to have some 100,000 elephants, which are more than its parks can sustainably hold and its economy is in freefall.

According to Rodrigues, army contracts to supply beef to feed soldiers had been cancelled.

Rodrigues said that the use of elephant meat began in June last year, but has recently increased.

"It is cheaper and easier to use elephant meat," he said.

Johannesburg/Harare - The Zimbabwe government Wednesday announced restrictive new licensing fees of up to 30,000 US dollars on journalists working for foreign media in Zimbabwe, prompting complaints that the government is trying to drive journalists out of the country.

The new guidelines would further require Zimbabweans working for foreign media outlets to pay a staggering 4,000 US dollars to practice journalism in Zimbabwe for one year.

Zimbabwe's ruling Zanu-PF party has announced that a new government will be set up by the end of February, the state- controlled Herald Online reported on Monday.

The announcement was made by a senior Zanu-PF official, Nicholas Goche, during a meeting with South African facilitator Sydney Mufamade on Saturday.

He said Zimbabwe's leader Robert Mugabe would press ahead with the formation of a new government with the full consent of the South African Development Community, according to the Herald.