Byron Adonis Mutingwende

Africa: COVID-19 pandemic bolsters case for technology-based economic resilience

By Stefan Nalletamby As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a devastating impact globally, the African continent, while less affected, is preparing to undergo its own severe social and economic crisis. As of April 7, over 10,000 cases have been reported across 52 countries in Africa (less than 1% of cases globally). Yet despite the slow onset, Africa’s…

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COVID 19: A devastating blow for children in poverty

By Anyway Yotamu Whilst the coronavirus (COVID-19) has so far resulted in less severe cases among children, it can decimate their lives in a different way. The ‘physical distancing’ measures increasingly required to contain the virus mean parents are unable to work, as ‘business as usual’ is rapidly grinding to a halt across the world.  Meanwhile,…

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Letter from Locked-Down Harare: Zimbabwe at 40, transfixed at a wonder

By Farai Chirimumimba The world is used to stare in wonder, yes transfixed at the jaw-dropping Zimbabwe’s Majestic Victoria Falls, the storm that thunders. One of the seven wonders of the world. The small land-locked country’s spectacular Zambezi river gorge and beautiful country side scenery has stunned the world and may continue to if one…

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Among the most vulnerable to coronavirus: The tens of millions who carry HIV and tuberculosis

By Max Bearak and Joanna Slater NAIROBI — The novel coronavirus is racing toward a collision with two longer-running pandemics, as waves of HIV and tuberculosis infections have left tens of millions of people in the developing world particularly vulnerable to the new threat. The regions hit hardest by HIV and tuberculosis are in Africa and South Asia, where the coronavirus is…

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Africanews launched on DStv across the African continent

MultiChoice Africa recently launched an additional DStv channel, Africanews, as a pan-African multilingual news service. Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe said the new channel was allied to the existing, popular Euronews channel and would have a focus on content from across the whole of Africa. “Africanews is the only international…

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Cassava HealthTech launches Maisha Medik digital health platform

Cassava HealthTech has launched the Maisha Medik digital health platform that will be accessible through a mobile application (App) that is set to enhance Zimbabwe’s healthcare delivery sector. Cassava HealthTech, a subsidiary of Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed fintech and digital services giant Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe, operates Maisha Health, MARS and Steward Health. The Maisha Medik digital…

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DStv launches Warner Media’s Toonami Brand to entertain SuperHero enthusiasts

Adding to the entertainment options for younger viewers during the lockdown, a new DStv pop-op channel has been created to feature stories about superheroes. Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said Toonami channel had launched on March 27 for a six-week run and was focused on animated and action films and…

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The Stephen J Chifunyise International Theatre Festival ends in triumph

The Rooftop Promotions organized; Stephen J Chifunyise International Theatre Festival has come to an end with great successes. The festival which ran from 4 to 10 April 2020 went digital and it was streamed on digital platforms; YouTube and Facebook due to the lockdown necessitated by the spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic (Coronavirus). Despite…

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Ecocash praised for removing transfer fees on COVID-19 relief

Ecocash has been praised for removing processing fees for cash transfers designated as COVID relief so as to enable the Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and any other relief organizations to freely give support to vulnerable groups and communities at no extra cost. The CEO of Cassava Smartech Zimbabwe, the holding company of EcoCash, Mr Eddie…

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COVID-19, time for the aviation sector to introspect

… Zimbabwe braces for losses  Leading aviation industry expert Winnie Muchanyuka believes it will take some time for airlines to bounce back from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic but adds the effect on their bottom line—and the economy—will not be cataclysmic. Speaking in an interview on UltimateTourism Chat with Chief Koti the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe…

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COVID-19 and the magic bullet theory

By George Manyaya Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have changed the face of communication worldwide. The fast-changing pace of digital transformation has brought about access to a highly diversified range of technologies and services. Globally, the fixed and mobile telecommunications sector has been growing exponentially over the years, leading scholars to argue that we now live…

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AfDB approves $10 million equity in Razorite Healthcare Fund for Africa

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) has approved a $10-million equity investment in Razorite Healthcare Africa Fund 1 (RHAF1) to help improve healthcare infrastructure delivery across the continent. The 10-year deal, approved on 26 February, will resource the Fund to address growing demands for affordable and quality healthcare services in several…

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ZANU (PF) Women’s league joins fight against COVID-19

ZANU (PF) Secretary for Women’s Affairs who is also Senate President Mabel Memory Chinomona has applauded efforts being made by  President Emmerson Mnangagwa, all Government departments, private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), churches, traditional leaders and the generality of Zimbabweans in their responsiveness and pro-activeness to the deadly Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “The disease has been declared…

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Didier Drogba, prominent Africans condemn plans to test COVID-19 vaccines on the continent

Eminent African personalities – World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; United Family International Church (UFIC) founder Emmanuel Makandiwa; prominent traditional healer Sekuru Kamwelo Banda; footballers Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o have scoffed at plans to test potential vaccines for COVID-19 in Africa The comments came after Dr Jean-Paul Mira, the head of intensive…

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Zimbabwe’s frontline medical practitioners demand protection from exposure to coronavirus

By Kumbirai Mafunda Zimbabwean doctors have asked the government to provide them and other frontline medical practitioners with personal protective equipment (PPE) and to adequately equip public hospitals to protect them from the deadly coronavirus as they execute their duties and help slow the spread of the epidemic. In an application filed on Sunday 5…

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Facebook launches Coronavirus Information Centre in 17 African countries

Facebook (www.Facebook.co.za) is expanding its Coronavirus Information Center to 17 more countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Information Centers form part of Facebook’s effort to help the global fight against COVID-19 by providing people with the latest news and information from trusted health authorities as well as resources and tips to stay healthy and support their…

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African Development Bank Group unveils $10 billion Response Facility to curb COVID-19

The Facility is the latest measure taken by the Bank to respond to the pandemic and will be the institution’s primary channel for its efforts to address the crisis The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) on Wednesday announced the creation of the COVID-19 Response Facility to assist regional member countries in fighting the pandemic. The…

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Zimnat Appoints Elizabeth Rabvukwa as Managing Director for Financial Services business

Financial services giant, Zimnat has appointed Elizabeth Rabvukwa as the new Managing Director for Zimnat Financial Services with executive oversight over Zimnat Asset Management. She takes over from outgoing CEO of Zimnat Financial Services Munyaradzi Javangwe who has joined Sanlam Life Zambia. Rabvukwa also takes over as the Executive Director of Zimnat Asset Management taking…

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Citizens fail to maintain social distancing

By Habakkuk Trust Social distancing measures have been disregarded in most supermarkets as starving citizens queue for basic commodities. While some shops have instituted preventative measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, including sanitizing hands, reducing the number of people inside the shop at a given time and checking temperature for every customer at the…

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Ashden Awards 2020 Finalists: African climate innovation more crucial than ever

Proven solutions are crucial to sustaining momentum on climate action during the Coronavirus crisis, Ashden CEO Harriet Lamb has said.  This week, the energy and climate NGO announced the 2020 Ashden Award finalists – 22 organisations delivering green buildings, transport, sustainable cooling and energy access. The list includes organisations working in Cameroon, Togo, Uganda, Rwanda and Egypt.   Ms…

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Education system overburdened by humanitarian crises including coronavirus pandemic: ECOZI

The Education Coalition of Zimbabwe (ECOZI) has noted that the education system in Zimbabwe was already stretched before the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of multiple crises, the impact of Cyclone Idai last year, the economic crisis and hyperinflation and the ongoing drought, low teacher motivation, and incapacitation, among others. The education sector hosts the…

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COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Drives Sub-Saharan Africa Toward First Recession in 25 Years

Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa has been significantly impacted by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and is forecast to fall sharply from 2.4% in 2019 to -2.1 to -5.1% in 2020, the first recession in the region over the past 25 years, according to the latest Africa’s Pulse, the World Bank’s twice-yearly economic update for the region….

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Government intensifies measures to combat COVID-19

The government has intensified measure to combat COVID-19. This emerged as Cabinet considered and approved a report on the country’s preparedness and response to the Corona Virus Outbreak (COVID-19), which was presented by Honourable Vice President Mohadi, as Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on the COVID-19 Outbreak. Cabinet commended the general public for positively…

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VAYA provides critical transport relief during the lockdown

The outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has forced many countries, including Zimbabwe, to impose 21 to 30-day restrictive lockdown periods – some even longer, where the epidemic has been more widespread. The lockdowns are designed to protect citizens from the spread of the deadly and infectious disease by restricting contact among people.   In Zimbabwe, the…

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ARC To Launch Outbreaks And Epidemics Insurance Product

By Joyce Mukucha In a bid to strengthen the ability of African Union Member States to respond to in-country outbreaks and epidemics, reducing pathogens potential spread within and across national borders through better risk analysis, country preparedness, and improved planning and response, the African Risk Capacity (ARC) is preparing to launch an Outbreaks and Epidemics…

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Winner of Old Mutual Amazing Voices Competition Announced

Elated Kenyan RnB group scoops $100 000 prize   Wanavokali, a mega-talented RnB group from Kenya, took the top spot and won the grand prize of US$100 000 in the first season of the pan-African music competition, Old Mutual Amazing Voices.   The competition is designed to discover unsigned singing talent from across the African continent –…

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Strategies for cushioning African informal economies against COVID-19

By Charles Dhewa Cushioning informal traders and vendors against the impact of COVID-19 is a very noble idea in developing countries. However, the devil is in the implementation details. For instance, African informal economies function more like ecosystems than a collection of disconnected traders and vendors. That is why before introducing social cash grants, the…

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Appeal for COVID-19 Food and Hygiene Packs for Hwange rural community

By Greenline Africa Trust Access to food and water is an everyday reality for many vulnerable communities around the world.  Greenline Africa cannot change the world, but we can help make a difference in the communities we work within Hwange Rural, 25-50km outside the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. 98% of rural communities in the areas we…

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Temba Mliswa organised COVID-19 taskforce receives donations to fight pandemic in Norton

Member of the National Assembly for Norton, Temba Mliswa set up a constituency taskforce to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and on Saturday pooled donations from the stakeholders led by tile manufacturer Sunny Yi Feng Tiles Zimbabwe.   “What we have done is to complement the government’s effort in ensuring that we combat COVID-19 together….

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