How Could Digital Tools Help Fight Against Anti-Vaccination?

Bertalan Meskó, MD, PhD Anti-vaccination (anti-vax) movements lure increasingly more people into skipping potentially life-saving immunisation against infectious diseases, such as measles, mumps, or rubella; highly impairing herd immunity for entire communities. You might have encountered such sentiments on social media, but people living a century before also experienced similar resistance to vaccines during the…

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Government launches the construction of Cyclone Idai Transitional Shelters in Chimanimani and Chipinge

Under the project, Enhancing Multi-Sectoral Assistance to Cyclone Idai Affected Populations in Zimbabwe, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is supporting the Government of Zimbabwe with the provision of transitional shelters to 674 households affected by Cyclone Idai in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts. Among households receiving transitional shelter, assistance is 224 from three formal camps…

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Government capacitates agricultural extension officers

By Joyce Mukucha In the quest to improve agricultural productivity, the government is in the process of disbursing motorcycles and mobile tablets to the extension officers. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr John Basera told the media that the provision of extension services will play a crucial role in terms of transforming…

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Zimbabweans endure cruel treatment in the diaspora, establish protective movement

Zimbabweans are working on establishing a movement to defend abused countrymen working and residing in the diaspora. The proposal to set up a movement is informed by the need to protect Zimbabweans against their ill-treatment as foreigners in the diaspora. This came out clear on the Africa 54 hot seat platform where one of the…

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UN Women Bemoans Covid-19 Impacts on Women and Girls

By Joyce Mukucha Bemoaning the negative effects posed by the Covid-19 pandemic on women and girls, the United Nations (UN) Women said it was of paramount importance to build back green, equitable, gender-responsive, and inclusive approaches and activism. In her opening remarks at the UN Women Executive Board First Regular Session 2021, yesterday, the Under-Secretary-General…

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Residents to Pay Hefty Penalty for Damaging ZETDC Infrastructure

By Joyce Mukucha The Office of the Provincial Development Coordinator for Harare Metropolitan Province in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission Distribution Company (ZETDC) has noted with concern the recent unwarranted power outages being caused by overgrown trees and illegal settlements. Following this, residents have been urged to trim trees and remove building structures that…

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ZIMBABWE: Health care system exhausted by most recent COVID-19 wave

By Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Following a recent spike in COVID-19-related cases and deaths, Zimbabwe’s already struggling health system is buckling under the pressure. In several facilities, health workers are operating without adequate PPE, medication, equipment and oxygen and, with an existing and ongoing shortage of nurses and doctors, most health centres are unable to operate at…

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Rural women fighting inequalities by embarking on empowerment projects

By Joyce Mukucha In spite of the evolving world with some women beginning to experience equality in different circles of life, in other parts of societies around the globe, other women are still deprived of the privilege of equal participation particularly on the African continent and rural Zimbabwe is not being spared. Many of the…

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Radio remains a conduit for critical information dissemination: ZACRAS

The Zimbabwe Association of Community Radio Stations (ZACRAS) has reiterated the important role played by the radio as a critical conduit for information dissemination on various issues including the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement comes as the World celebrates the 10th edition of World Radio Day today, with the Government of Zimbabwe having recently licensed the…

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Canon’s Miraisha Programme Enables Young African Story Tellers to Achieve Their Dreams

Students from the Mathare community in Kenya are set to receive a film or photography scholarship from Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) [www.Canon-CNA.com] as part of a social media campaign raising awareness to the importance of skills development among young people. The project is part of Canon’s Miraisha Programme, an initiative focused on delivering…

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FAO Commemorates World Pulses Day

By Joyce Mukucha The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Liaison Office with the United Nations (UN) in New York in collaboration with Emerging Ag Inc, governments, non-governmental organizations, and all other relevant stakeholders yesterday held a virtual event to celebrate World Pulses Day. The event which was aimed at raising awareness and recognising the contribution…

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Build Privacy focused Consumer Applications: @protocol Appathon urges young Zimbabweans

US-based The @ Company (The At Company) is bringing the @protocol Appathon II to Zimbabwe, targeting young developers and technology enthusiasts. The challenge: to build innovative consumer applications on @protocol, an open, permission-based protocol that makes great user experience and automatic privacy compliance easy. This initiative, being run in association with the Computer Association of…

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COVID-19 relief: Sekuru Banda opens businesses for Kapfupi and other musicians

Famous traditional healer, Sekuru Banda has come to the rescue of comedian Kapfupi and other musicians struggling under the COVID-19-induced hardships by opening grocery shops and starting income generating projects for them. The initiative is part of Sekuru Banda’s extension of an olive branch to musicians who have gone for more than a year without…

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Retailers Declare Full-Fledged War Against Covid-19

By Staff Reporter Following increased daily Covid-19 infections and the Government’s recent invitation for business entities and the private sector to venture in and assist in the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines, the Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) has called upon businesses to commit and save the nation through donations. In a statement released on Monday,…

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Women In Agriculture Union donates fertilizer to 1000 female beneficiaries

By Desire Tshuma  On Friday 5 February 2021, Women In Agriculture Union donated organic fertilizers to 1000 beneficiaries in Harare so as to promote and boost yields in diverse farming businesses. Speaking to Spiked Online Media, the founder, chairperson, and national coordinator for Women In Agriculture Union (WAU), Miss Olga Nhari said as a union…

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ZimRights application to compel the government to provide national deployment vaccination plan not urgent: High Court

By Kumbirai Mafunda The High Court has removed an urgent chamber application filed by Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) seeking to compel the government to provide a National Deployment Vaccination Plan and present a budget for the purchase of coronavirus vaccines before Parliament after ruling that it is not an urgent matter. Through its lawyer…

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FRIDA rooting for the success of feminist movements

By Joyce Mukucha Over the past decade, the young feminist-led organisations have garnered a reputation as outspoken, courageous, and creative movement-builders, pushing transformative change and social justice around the world. As the Young Feminist Fund (FRIDA) celebrates 10 years of resourcing young feminist organizing with core flexible, sustainable funds and opens a new decade and…

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How health aid can reach the world’s poorest people

Cordelia Kenney, Kaci Kennedy McDade, Wenhui Mao, and Osondu Ogbuoji Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could reverse progress in global poverty reduction and in global health improvements among poor people. The links between health and poverty are clear: Poverty limits people’s ability to access medical care, safe living environments, and sufficient nutrition, the absence of which can have disastrous consequences. Conversely, good…

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High Court Orders Government to Disseminate Comprehensive Information on Covid-19

By Veritas High Court judge Justice Mary Dube has ordered the Ministers of Health and Child Care and of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services to disseminate widely “comprehensive and adequate information” on both private and public testing, isolation and treatment of COVID-19. This follows an urgent application filed by the trustees of MISA Zimbabwe, represented…

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The UN working to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM)

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…

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Strive Masiyiwa Buys Back Mascom Botswana For USD$300 Million

Lead entrepreneurial revolution and create wealth – Masiyiwa urges young Africans

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…

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A rapid assessment of mining activities taking place in protected areas

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…

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Maintain Nation’s Economic Stability: Zimbabweans Told

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…

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AfDB Puts Climate Adaptation ’on Steroids’ by Investing in Young People

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…

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Unite to end cancer: world urged

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…

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Incessant rains causing power outages: Energy Minister

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…

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COVID-19: Government commends US$234 million support from development partners

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…

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MSF: Southern Africa urgently needs COVID-19 vaccines as new strain ravages region

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,…

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6th FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit on the cards

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…

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Young Nigerian content creator first winner of Sasai’s #ThisIsMyAfrica campaign

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,…

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SALT Africa Curbing GBV During Lockdown through Mental Counselling Services

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…

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Land barons in running battles with members of the Apostolic sect in Budiriro

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…

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Stop ongoing degradation of wetlands: ZLHR

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…

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ARTUZ on Education Act Amendment bill

Steering Committee Appointed to Operationalize GEMS Fund

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,…

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ARUKA Foundation Working to Eradicate Stigma Against People with Mental Illness

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…

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COVID-19 Agency: What Africa and its Diaspora Should Do and How

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…

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AfDB’s Adaptation Benefits Mechanism helps to climate-proof Ivorian smallholder farms’ cocoa yields

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…

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Education technology offers African entrepreneurs an opportunity to combine profit with purpose

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…

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