By Joyce Mukucha On 6 February 2021, the United Nations (UN) through its agencies, the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) joined the rest of the world to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The UN has noted with concern that many countries are experiencing…
By Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo It is not a secret that we have one of the richest mineral deposits in the entire world. We have gold, we have chrome, we have alluvial diamonds, we have the Great Dyke with all mineral deposits. We have copper, and perhaps we are the second-largest platinum producer in the world,…
Spiked Online Media caught up with a survivor of COVID-19 who paid tribute to food consultant and expertise, Rumbidzai Mukori, but chose to remain anonymous. Below is the testimony: A moment of reflection.. Feeling abandoned nearly destroyed all the hope in me, but that’s when I realised it’s a mistake to ever look for hope…
Pan-African businessman Strive Masiyiwa has called on young African entrepreneurs – that he has called ‘digital, liberated young entrepreneurs’ – to lead a wealth-creation, entrepreneurial revolution on the continent. Masiyiwa writes: I remember a time when the richest man in the world was always an old man; a very old man. Before Bill Gates, the…
By Joyce Mukucha Chitungwiza Municipality has today re-opened St Mary’s Clinic which was temporarily closed three weeks ago after seven health staff were infected by Covid-19, resulting in one death. During its closure, Acting town clerk Dr. Tonderai Kasu said that the town did not have enough health staff out of isolation to man all…
Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association Information Department Background This is the second edition of the Situational Report (Sit-Rep) compiled by the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association’s (ZELA) Wildlife Cluster. This edition is a rapid assessment profiling mining activities taking place in four Protected Areas and Critical ecosystems (PACE).Suffice to indicate that there is still need for a…
Thursday, during a call that preceded the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), AU Chairperson H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa and FIFA (www.FIFA.com) President Gianni Infantino spoke of the positive momentum generated between both organisations in the past two years as well as the strong…
All economic spectrums and citizens have been urged by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to persistently play a crucial role in ensuring that the country’s economic stability continues to prevail and foster a dignified life for everyone. He made these remarks during his national address on Thursday in Harare where he highlighted that to date, Zimbabwe’s flourishing…
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has applauded China for taking a leading role in contributing to Zimbabwe’s national vaccine deployment strategy. Addressing the nation on Thursday, President Mnangagwa praised China for its consistent humane policy of treating Covid-19 vaccines as global public goods. “Allow me to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt and sincere gratitude to…
In an exciting development, Zimbabwe and Pakistan have agreed to add one more Twenty20 international (T20I) match to the women’s white-ball series which is set to get underway at Harare Sports Club next week. This means the two sides will now clash in three T20I games and as many one-day matches. The additional match has…
DStv is celebrating Give Kids A Smile Day on 5 February in the best way possible: by making more children smile with the ultimate kid’s entertainment! Liz Dziva, MultiChoice Zimbabwe’s Public Relations Publicity Manager said Give Kids A Smile Day is all about making sure children have access to the right dental care so that…
By Megan Rowling (Thomson Reuters Foundation) The African Development Bank plans to deploy billions of dollars to help young people build a new digitally-driven model of agriculture that can feed the continent’s people and boost prosperity even as the planet heats up, its president said. At a global summit this week, the bank and the…
By Joyce Mukucha In the pursuit to significantly reduce illness and death caused by cancer, encouraging its prevention, detection, and treatment, Zimbabwe yesterday joined the rest of the international world in commemorating World Cancer Day (WCD). Through an online meeting hosted by the Zimpapers Television Network, the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe(CAZ) in partnership with the…
Zimbabwe’s main opposition party MDC-Alliance legislator Joanna Mamombe and her co-accused Cecilia Chimbiri have been denied bail by a Harare Magistrate who remanded them in custody till 18 February, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) has revealed. In a tweet, ZLHR said, “Harare West MP Hon. Mamombe & Chimbiri return to Chikurubi Maximum Prison after…
By Joyce Mukucha The prolonged power outages currently occurring in the country are due to the incessant rains, a government official has said. In an interview with the state media, the Minister of Energy and Power Development, Honourable Soda Zhemu said currently the country was producing adequate power and blamed the prevailing rainy season for…
By Kavit Majithia The smartphone market returned to familiar ground in Q4 2020, with figures from a quartet of analyst companies indicating a recovery for the segment, fuelled by 5G and mid-tier devices. IDC placed shipments at 385.9 million units, up 4.3 per cent year-on-year, driven by a record period for Apple. The company noted the…
By Staff Reporter The government has acknowledged and appreciated the support from Development Partners towards the Covid-19 pandemic response in Zimbabwe. The nation is in the middle of fighting the second wave of the pandemic which witnessed increased infection rates resulting in an increased number of deaths as compared to the first wave. The cases…
Brienne Prusak As a highly infectious new strain of COVID-19 spreads through Southern Africa, the international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling for COVID-19 vaccines to be distributed equitably, prioritizing frontline health workers and people at highest risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19. Health workers in Mozambique, Eswatini,…
By Grace Goodrich With fertile river valleys, expansive coastal lowlands and the prolific Zambezi River as a source of irrigation, Mozambique is considered a mecca for crop cultivation, with climatic conditions catering to a diverse range of agricultural products. Agriculture represents the second-largest sector of the Mozambican economy – accounting for more than 25% of…
Since its inception in 2016, hosted as a prestigious gala event, the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit (LeadingWomenSummit.co.za) has been a platform bringing together a unique collection of female leaders and trail-blazers from across Africa and the world. Held a year after the first reported COVID-19 case in South Africa in March 2020, the…
Nigerian content creator Adekola ‘McKennie’ John Kehinde has been voted the first monthly winner of Sasai’s #ThisIsMyAfrica campaign and is set to pocket US$2 000 in prize money. The campaign, which is being run by Cassava Fintech International (CFI), the developers of the Sasai super App, comes on the heels of the successful #African&Talented online promotion,…
By Joyce Mukucha In pursuit of ending gender-based violence (GBV) in communities during the lockdown, Someone Always Listens To-you (SALT) Africa, a local organisation that focuses on mental health, is making huge strides in offering assistance to GBV victims and survivors through a cocktail of measures to ensure that this scourge does not escalate. SALT…
By Kunashe Mukande Land barons are wreaking havoc in Harare’s Budiriro high-density suburb and they recently invaded a space earmarked for Johane Masowe Nyenyedzinomwe apostolic members’ housing co-operative. A handful of the church leadership’s representative council (Vadare or Vatariri) were ordered to vacate their worshipping site and threatened with death. Narrating the horrific encounter with the…
By ZELA Information The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) joins other countries in celebrating World Wetlands Day. The day comes at a time when the second wave of COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across the globe. There is a misperception that nature is getting a break from anthropogenic activities during this COVID-19 era, instead, the state…
By Veritas On 22nd January 2021, the Zimbabwe Media Commission published Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (Registration, Accreditation, and Levy) (Amendment) Regulations, 2021 (No. 1) [SI 22 of 2021]. These regulations purport to set out new fees for accrediting journalists and registering news agencies and media services under the Access to Information and Protection of…
Africa with is elephants or rhinos and a host of other wildlife, fauna, and flora. This landscape is Africa’s brand; it is what makes it Africa. If that is not enough of a reason to conserve our wildlife, basic economics should serve as a further impetus. After all, Africa’s wildlife is one of the primary…
By a Special Correspondent With smartphone penetration in Sub Saharan Africa set to grow by 67% by 2025 buoyed by increasing internet penetration, the opportunity to lead the digital revolution, drive inclusivity and uplift people’s quality of life through technology has never been better. Sasai, Africa’s first all-in-one super app developed by Cassava Fintech International,…
By Kumbirai Mafunda On World Wetlands Day, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) calls upon policymakers, local and central government to take concerted and coordinated efforts to develop and implement action plans to stop the ongoing degradation of wetlands and protect, preserve and restore them. World Wetlands Day, which is commemorated every year on 2…
By Charles Dhewa Detailed comparative analysis of existing economic drivers in a community avoids cases where, for example, development organizations focus on small grains when indigenous chickens and goats may be major economic drivers in particular communities. Existing commodities, economic drivers, knowledge and information have to be discovered and captured using appropriate frameworks and tools…
By Joyce Mukucha As the month of February begins, heavy downpours are anticipated starting off in the south-west and spreading north-eastward to cover much of the country, the Meteorological Service Department has revealed. The department advised the public to be vigilant of their immediate environment as flash-flooding is probable in low lying areas and wetlands….
Realness Institute’s newest program, Episodic Lab, created in partnership with Netflix, has received an overwhelmingly positive response from members of the industry online and offline. The deadline has thus been extended for submissions. Online submissions will now close upon receiving 150 additional applications or on the 8 February 2021, whichever comes first. The Episodic Lab offers…
By Staff Reporter Following a strategic decision to establish the Government Employees Mutual Savings (GEMS) Fund in order to mobilise mutual savings for government employees, the Government has appointed a Steering Committee aimed at monitoring and ensure that the GEMS Fund achieves its objectives. In a statement yesterday, the Public Service Commission (PSC) communicated that,…
By Joyce Mukucha More than half of people with mental illness do not seek help for their disorders, they even avoid or delay seeking treatment due to concerns about being treated differently or fears of losing their jobs and livelihood. Worldwide, stigma, prejudice, and discrimination against people with mental illness still remain a problem that…
We live in a world of prescription medicines. How much are we aware of the impact of powerful herbs on humans? Medicinal plants are an alternative approach to healing and boosting physical and mental well-being. At the beginning of the 21st century, WHO recognized 11 percent of the 252 essential drugs of flowering plant origin….
Africa50, in partnership with US based Foreign Policy magazine, has launched an exciting new podcast series called Africa Forward. Africa Forward tells the largely untold story of how infrastructure is transforming the lives of people in Africa. The four-part series, which begun on Tuesday 26 January 2021, brings major African infrastructure projects to life. It highlights…
On 28 January 2021, US President Joseph R. Biden signed an executive order repealing the harmful U.S. Mexico City Policy, more commonly known as the global gag rule. President Biden lifted these restrictions by signing the “Memorandum on Protecting Women’s Health at Home and Abroad.” “IAS – the International AIDS Society – welcomes the end…
By Professor Arthur G. O. Mutambara Clearly, it is not sufficient to merely articulate the lack of collective agency facing the African continent and its diaspora with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic. We must proffer solutions that address both ‘what’ should be done and ‘how’ it could be accomplished. The Work to be Done on…
By Habakkuk Trust Villagers in Huwana, Bulilima Ward 8 have lost their property and shelter after a lengthy spell of heavy rains that have hit Bulilima District, South West of Zimbabwe. The heavy downpours that are in some cases accompanied by strong winds are ripple effects of tropical storms that have hit inland Mozambique, Manicaland, and…
By Veritas The current tight lock-down has been extended until the 15th February. The lock-down was to have been lifted or relaxed at the beginning of February, but in a statement broadcast last Friday the Acting President, who is also exercising the functions of Minister of Health and Child Care, announced the decision to extend…
Billionaire businessman and philanthropist Strive Masiyiwa, who turned 60 on Friday (Jan 29), has spoken of how touched he has been by the thousands of messages he received from around the world on his birthday. The Zimbabwe-born business leader and global influencer took the time to thank everyone – from friends, relatives, Presidents, business associates,…
By Transparency International On 28 January 2021, we released our Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2020, and the results make one thing clear – corruption kills people. COVID-19 is not just a health and economic crisis, but also a corruption crisis. Our research shows that countries where corruption is more pervasive are less able to provide health care for their citizens and…
A new project by the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and the International Agroforestry Agency [ICRAF (www.WorldAgroForestry.org)] would bring relief to two Ivorian smallholder cocoa farmers’ communities in Soubre and Vavoua currently grappling with declining yields caused by climate change and worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Without help, some 800,000 Ivorian smallholder farmers, who produce the largest…
By UNWTO Global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020, with international arrivals dropping by 74% according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Destinations worldwide welcomed 1 billion fewer international arrivals in 2020 than in the previous year, due to an unprecedented fall in demand and widespread travel restrictions….
By Kumbirai Mafunda A Beitbridge couple has been released from prison after Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) members arrested and charged the duo with publishing or communicating falsehoods by sharing a message on a WhatsApp group stating that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had died after being administered a vaccine to treat him of coronavirus. The couple, Vongai…
The Brave Generation Academy (www.BraveGenerationAcademy.com), a disruptive approach to education that will change the course of schooling, is now looking for people with the passion to make the difference to become partners in opening new educational Hubs across Africa. With an online curriculum that is recognized by the world’s leading universities as the gold standard…
