It’s Not Sanctions, It’s Corruption and Lack of Reform

Op-ed by Ambassador Brian A. Nichols first published in the Newsday on October 24, 2019 Blessed with abundant mineral resources, rich farmlands, ideal weather, stunning national parks, and a well-educated, industrious people, Zimbabwe should be the economic powerhouse and the breadbasket of southern Africa, and even more popular as a tourist destination and business investment opportunity, as…

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Transparency International celebrates World Whistleblower Day

On Wednesday, Transparency International celebrated World Whistleblower Day. Edward Snowden, Chelsea Manning and Sergey Magnitsky are just the best-known of the many people who have risked everything to do the right thing and challenge the status quo against all odds. It’s rarely been clearer that calling out wrongdoing and exposing the truth can save lives. Dozens of cases of mismanagement…

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Digital finance systems foster macro-economic health globally: ZIMCODD

The Zimbabwe Coalition od Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) has underscored the fact that digital finance systems are playing an increasing role in macro-economic health globally. The statement came after the government had given a Press Release on the Suspension of Monetary Transactions on Mobile Based Money Platforms (One Money, MyCash, Ecocash, and Telecash) dated 26…

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AfDB approves 100.5 million euros budget support for COVID-19

The loan will support the central African nation’s Budget Support Programme in Response to the COVID-19 Crisis or PABURC, which aims to strengthen the health system The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (https://www.AfDB.org/) has approved a 100.5 million euros loan to the government of Gabon as budget support to mitigate against the…

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Saving lives is more important than re-opening schools: PTUZ

By Ronnie Chisamba The Mashonaland East chapter of the Progressive Teachers Union Of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) has expressed concern over the government’s plans to re-open the country’s schools in the wake of a sharp increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19. Addressing parents during a consultative meeting at Mbuya Nehanda Hall in Marondera on Wednesday, Progressive Teachers…

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HLF steps up Testing in Zimbabwe with free testing for the poor

Businessman and Africa Union Special Envoy Strive Masiyiwa has announced free COVID-19 testing in Zimbabwe, along with ramped up testing for the broader population at cost, through his Higherlife Foundation (HLF) and Testing Alliance. The billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist wrote: #Free Testing in Zimbabwe! Starting today, any Zimbabwean who wants a COVID-19 test can get…

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Cassava Fintech International launches SASAI Health Status Report as it steps up fight against COVID-19

Healthtech platform set to offer handy solution to tackle epidemic Report to assist employers, businesses safely get employees back to work London – June 24, 2020: Cassava Fintech International (CFI), a subsidiary of the Econet Group, has launched the SASAI Health Status Report (SHSR), a secure blockchain technology-supported solution expected to digitize the testing process,…

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PAP called upon to promote continental policies in the context of COVID-19

African Union (AU) specialized institutions and committees have turned to the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) to advocate for the domestication of policies adopted at continental level and aimed at mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on key African socio-economic sectors. This includes civil aviation and labour migration around the continent. Members of the PAP Permanent…

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Masiyiwa ventilators now in the country, ready for distribution

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ventilator suites that were donated by businessman and Econet founder Strive Masiyiwa are now in the country ready to be deployed. Through his Higher Life Foundation Zimbabwe, working with some donor partners, Mr Masiyiwa acquired 45 ventilators suites to be distributed to Zimbabwe’s public hospitals. The ventilator suites were manufactured…

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COVID-19 Hub to support global scientific response launched

As the UN warns of an impending global food emergency, researchers in health, nutrition and agriculture have united to support COVID-19 response, recovery and resilience. Montpellier, FRANCE, June 23, 2020 – Leading researchers across health, nutrition and agriculture have launched a new COVID-19 hub to consolidate existing scientific evidence and support response, recovery and resilience…

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ZTA engages expert on service excellence

he Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and the tourism industry in partnership with the Global Leadership Summit (GLS) will  host a Service Excellence Training Webinar on Wednesday.   The ZTA Acting Chief Executive, Givemore Chidzidzi said the sector remains optimistic that it will bounce back post-COVID-19 through investing in human capital and service excellence as part…

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Assessing the COVID-19 impact on SMEs and preparing for a new normal

By ITC News • International Trade Centre’s 2020 SME Competitiveness Outlook reveals profound disruptions to global supply chains• Global loss of manufacturing export due to lockdowns in the three global supply-chain hubs – China, the EU, and the US – will amount to $126 billion in losses in 2020• Almost 55% of SMEs say pandemic…

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Providing disability-inclusive education is challenging but worth it.

By Manos Antoninis Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa get bad press for their progress in providing inclusive education. Just two in three children complete primary school on time, while the number of out-of-school children and youth is 97 million and growing. Less is said, however, about the range of tools many countries in the region are deploying…

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COVID-19 diagnostics—not at the expense of other diseases

Priya Venkatesan The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of abating, with WHO reporting 4·9 million cases and 322 000 deaths globally as of May 21, 2020. What also shows no sign of abating is the ferocious reactive response to the pandemic—academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and governments alike have turned almost their whole focus to COVID-19…

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Retail shops reject the local currency

By Habakkuk Trust Reports coming in from Habakkuk Trust Community Advocacy Action Teams in Matabeleland Province indicate that a significant number of shops are refusing to transact in local currency. Shops in Umzingwane and Matobo Districts are reportedly refusing to accept payments in local currency, a move that has left some communities stranded. The deepening…

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Qualcomm pushes 5G to lower-tier smartphones

Qualcomm made good on a pledge to drive 5G into mass-market devices by incorporating the technology into its 6-series chipset, predicting this would address growing demand for next-generation services. In a briefing, Qualcomm senior director of product management Deepu John argued 5G is “more than simply” a next-generation leap, with the technology enabling the vendor…

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Times of Unprecedented Crisis present Unique Opportunities for Unprecedented Action

By Graça Machel, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr. Vera Songwe, Maria Ramos COVID 19 has unearthed massive inequalities within our societies and brought to glaring light the unique burdens which women carry the world over. Allocation of response resources should be targeted towards the immediate needs of managing the virus as well as future-looking to simultaneously…

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African Parliamentarians aim for increased health budgets amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) has urged its members to ensure that African Union (AU) member states allocate adequate funding to cater for healthcare systems when budgets are submitted to Parliaments for consideration. The call follows a briefing to members of the PAP Committees on Health and Gender by the Africa CDC, which revealed that inadequate…

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Donors allocate additional funds to the Health Development Fund in Zimbabwe

The European Union (EU) and Sweden have provided significant new funding to the multi-donor Health Development Fund (HDF) – managed by UNICEF and UNFPA. The HDF supports health system strengthening in Zimbabwe since its inception in 2011 under the Health Transition Fund. The EU has  provided new funds amounting to over USD 41 million as…

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Government outlines measures to ensure safety when schools reopen

By Anyway Yotamu The government continues to put in place intervention measures to increase the capacity to fight the coronavirus pandemic as infections stood at 387 on Monday. Addressing journalists after the Covid-19 inter-ministerial Taskforce meeting at State House in Harare this Monday, Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said the government…

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Zimnat continues to make life better for the elderly

Zimnat has lived to its promise to continuously support the elderly by providing free motor insurance cover for some of Melfort Old People’s Home vehicles for the year 2020, a continuation from 2019. Located along Mutare Road, in Harare, Melfort Old People’s Home, which is registered with Help Age, accommodates up to 60 elderly residents,…

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Germany helps African countries maintain drought insurance in view of COVID-19

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the German government assumes premium payments of around EUR 19 million for the drought insurance offered by the African Risk Capacity (ARC). This will reliably protect up to 20 million poor and vulnerable people in Africa against drought in the coming agricultural season and mitigate the risk of a…

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Prospectors urge Ministry of Mines to put their house in order

The Zimbabwe Prospectors Association (Z.P.A) is urging the Ministry of Mines to improve its systems of operations across all mining provinces. The association argues that there are a lot of problems that require serious attention if the mining industry is to improve in production, efficiency, and effectiveness. “The pertinent issues range from delays in the…

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Communities seek fine reprieve on livestock

Communities surrounding Matobo National Park are seeking a reprieve on fines paid when their livestock encroach into the Park boundary. This plea comes after the Parks authorities unilaterally increased fines from ZWL6 per day for each beast that encroaches into the National Park to ZWL50 which is beyond the reach of many villagers whose livelihoods were dependent…

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DRC: COVID-19 continues to spread, with potentially deadly secondary impacts

Since Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) declared its first case of COVID-19 on March 10, the coronavirus has gradually spread across the country. Congolese authorities are working to reduce the spread of disease, especially in the capital, Kinshasa, with some 13 million residents. The government implemented preventive measures, including movement restrictions, a partial lockdown of…

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Masiyiwa and his global partners donate 1 000 ventilators

Strive Masiyiwa has announced the arrival of 45 full ICU ventilators in Zimbabwe which the businessman ordered a couple of months back. The billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist, who is the African Union’s Special Envoy to Coordinate the Africa Private Sector Initiative for the Procurement of Personal Protective Equipment and other Essential Supplies, also announced that…

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COVID-19 stalling the update of NDCs

The Paris Agreement effectively came into force in 2020, replacing the Kyoto Protocol which has lapsed. Now the COVID-19 is dampening the prospects of countries to update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and implement their commitments to reduce and limit greenhouse gas emissions. Zimbabwe has communicated an NDC that seeks to reduce by 33 percent…

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Mounting costs, soaring inflation threaten the telecommunications industry

Rising costs as a result of high inflation and a depreciating local currency are threatening the viability of telecommunication companies (telcos) as margins continue to be squeezed, putting the entire industry at risk. This is according to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) in its sector performance report for the first quarter…

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Prof. Benedict Oramah Re-appointed as Afreximbank President

Shareholders of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) have voted and re-appointed Prof. Benedict Oramah as President of the Pan-African multilateral financial institution for a second 5-year term. The decision was announced today in Cairo following Afreximbank’s 27th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders which was held by circulation of resolutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation. In an acceptance statement…

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African Development Bank COVID-19 response: moving from commitment to action

The African Development Bank (https://www.AfDB.org) has responded swiftly to the needs of its member countries during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Bank’s operations have continued to run smoothly since the first cases appeared in early March, despite the wide range of lockdowns and measures imposed by governments to flatten the curve. The COVID-19 pandemic is…

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The informal sector to reopen: President Mnangagwa

By Anyway Yotamu President Emmerson Mnangagwa has moved to reopen the country’s informal market after over two months closure as part of his government’s attempts to prevent the spread of coronavirus. In his address at State House on Friday 12th of June 2020, President Mnangagwa also reopened churches but maintained the number of congregants at…

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Stinking municipal corruption suffocating residents

By Anyway Yotamu Local authorities have been accused of robbing residents in broad daylight by hiking service fees without delivering basic amenities in spite of paying parking fees, water bills, and tollgate fees among others, a residents lobby group said. Addressing a press conference in Harare, the  Chairman of Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and…

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Nine arrested over Penhalonga underground gold heist

Staff Writer Nine men have been arrested over a Penhalonga underground gold ore heist.  Innocent Chinonzwa, 39, Lovemore Chinonzwa, 37, Maxwell Masamvu, 39, Bright Mabonore, 40, John Mbeu, 42, Wiskes Kovhiwa, 32, Marlon Maringa, 28, Wellington Moyo, 35, and Terrence Mukodza, 34, were not asked to plead when they were arraigned before a Mutare magistrate…

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COVID-19: The Decline of Global Remittances Puts Rural Families at Risk

By Pedro de Vasconcelos The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the loss of millions of jobs in the developed and developing world. Migrant workers are among the most directly affected. They work in economic sectors adversely impacted by the economic slowdown such as construction, the hospitality industry, tourism, food, agribusinesses, transport…

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POTRAZ Director-General Gift Machengete Trial Postponed To Next Week

The ICT sector is dependent on economic performance: POTRAZ

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (POTRAZ) has said the performance of the sector continues to be dependent on the economic environment. In his statement on the sector performance report for the first quarter of 2020, Dr. Gift Machengete, the POTRAZ Director-General said the economic environment impacts the sector through service demand and consumption levels,…

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ZimTrade targets raising US$14 billion from regional and international markets

By Anyway Yotamu ZimTrade is working towards increasing export promotion activities in regional and international markets as a way of meeting the National Export Strategy (NES) target of US$14 billion by 2030. Speaking with this publication, ZimTrade Chief Executive Officer Mr. Allan Majuru said his organisation is at the core of implementing the National Export…

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African Risk Capacity Conference of Parties (CoP) Elects a New Director-General

The Conference of Parties (CoP) of the African Risk Capacity (ARC) has elected Mr. Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, of the Republic of Senegal as the new ARC Group Director-General, for a term of four (4) years. The election of Mr. Diong, which was ‘without objection’ from all the Members, was consistent with provisions of the Procedure for…

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Ecocash Online Self-service portal hailed for its convenience

Ecocash’s online self-service portal allows its agents, merchants, billers, bulk payers, and payroll channel partners to submit their applications online without the need to physically visit Econet shops or offices to be served. The self-service portal, which is open to existing and prospective channel partners, allows them to register on an online portal, submit their…

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Boost for Zimbabwe students, learners as Cassava Edutech launches Akello E-library

Cassava Edutech has launched the Akello E-library, an online library platform offering hundreds of school curriculum books that are set to strengthen Zimbabwe’s education sector by providing learners, students and teachers with easy access to a wide variety of Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) prescribed text books in schools. “We are introducing the Akello E-Library…

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Zimnat hosts online cocktail party for clients

Zimnat has found an innovative way to interact with and entertain its clients during the Covid‑19 lockdown, by holding online cocktail parties, which it has branded Gungano/Umhlangano Online Cocktail Parties. The first of these was held on Friday for Zimnat Life Assurance corporate customers. More will be held in the coming weeks. Invitations to attend…

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