Civil society challenges complacency of the Kimberley Process

Addressing government and industry representatives in New York on March 3, at the occasion of the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the Role of Diamonds in Fuelling Conflict, the Kimberley Process (KP) Civil Society Coalition (CSC) questioned the often-hailed contribution of the KP to preventing conflict and promoting development. A conflict…

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Agriculture most significant prime-mover of Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030: Haritatos

The Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, Mr Vangelis Haritatos has said that the agricultural sector is the most significant prime-mover of Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030. He made the remarks at the two-day consultative workshop on the Enabling Business of Agriculture (EBA), pillar 1 of AGRINVEST Initiative that kicked off in Harare today….

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Wild animals and plants are key components of world biodiversity: ZELA

The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) joined the rest of the world in commemorating the World Wildlife Day (WWD). On the 20th of December 2013, the United Nations General Assembly at its 68th session declared March 3 as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. This WWD…

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PAP rallies behind Zimbabwe to fight against economic sanctions by the West

Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Dr. David Musabayana has called upon members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) to lobby for the lifting of economic sanctions against the Republic of Zimbabwe. In a detailed presentation to the PAP’s Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution in Midrand on the first day of the…

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The EurAfrican Forum in search for a common ground between Europe and Africa

The 3rd edition of the EurAfrican Forum (www.EurAfricanForum.org) to be held on July 2nd and 3rd in Cascais, Portugal will be gathering over 700 European and African key actors from more than 60 countries; 2020 edition will look for new opportunities for both continents as it unveils its theme In Search for a Common Ground; The program will focus on key…

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Reinventing steam power technology for a low-carbon future

As prevalent debates concerning the implementation of carbon neutral sources continue to make headlines, also increasingly rife, is the energy industry’s endeavour to explore a broader array of renewable energy sources including biomass. Great strides have been made in Africa’s development in biomass. Interestingly, Africa has the highest portion of bioenergy, at 45% of the total energy mix,…

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Nimrod Ushe documents rock art sites in Bikita District

Historian and teacher Nimorod Ushe, a native of the area has put pen to paper to document rock sites in the Chikuku area under Bikita District. Below Spiked Online Media reproduces the historian’s perspectives: Chikuku rock sites are located along Masvingo-Mutare highway approximately 33km east of Nyika growth point in Bikita District of Masvingo Province….

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Ten guiding principles for yoking infrastructure and ICTs in African agriculture

By Charles Dhewa There has been a general tendency by developing countries to cherry-pick and deploy some components of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the agriculture sector. Combining infrastructure and ICTs could play a more catalytic role than just using ICTs for promoting extension services. If African countries are going to produce sufficient agricultural…

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Women Parliamentarians Urged To Consider Vulnerable Groups When Allocating Resources

By Joyce Mukucha Following the Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust (SAPST)’s ongoing implementation of a one-year programme that seeks to enhance meaningful and inclusive citizen participation in parliamentary business, Members of Parliament (MPs) have been challenged to thoroughly analyse and review the budget through effective allocation of resources. This is in line with the dictates…

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UNFPA committed to providing comprehensive SRHR services: Dr. Julitta Onabanjo

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) regional director Dr. Julitta Onabanjo who is on a mission in Zimbabwe after attending the African Regional Summit on Sustainable Development Goals in Victoria Falls has reiterated the UN agency’s commitment towards providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights services (SRHR) in the country. The UN Senior Official…

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We must not jeopardise Africa’s future in the name of fighting Climate Change

By NJ Ayuk Pressure is building to phase out fossil fuels in Africa to fight climate change. Organizations ranging from the World Bank to the European Investment Bank (EIB) have dropped support for African fossil fuel production in hopes of encouraging a transition from oil, gas and coal to sustainable energy sources like wind and…

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Coronavirus and Christian Church caught in the middle of Political Game

The rapid proliferation of the coronavirus (COVID-19) resulted in 13 deaths and 1,766 confirmed cases as of February 27 in South Korea. While the cause and solution of the infection are not identified, Shincheonji Church, with over 500 members, has become the target of scapegoating and blame. On February 19 South Korean President Moon Jae-In…

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Canada invests in new agricultural sustainability initiative

Canada is investing in the Canadian Agri-Food Sustainability Initiative (CASI) to boost sustainability and build public trust in its agriculture sector. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced a federal investment of C$560,000 for the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) to develop the initiative. It will provide Canadian farmers and processors an online national…

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Catholics take major steps towards promoting justice and peace in Zimbabwe

Expert groups were commissioned to facilitate the mission of the Catholic Church in promoting justice and peace in Zimbabwe.   The Rt. Rev. Rudolph Nyandoro, the Bishop Chairman of the Catholic Commission of Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ) said the working groups will focus on three thematic areas.   “We shall have the advocacy…

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“African children are our future. It is our responsibility to protect them” – Hon. Chief Charumbira

The Pan-African Parliamentary Forum on Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE) has started ahead of the Sitting of the Permanent Committees in Midrand, South Africa. Jointly convened by the Department of Social Affairs of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the PAP, the consultation aims to harness the role of Parliamentarians in policy formulation and ensuring…

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Temba Mliswa brings end to persecution of Joshua Nkomo residents by Billy Rautenbach

Norton legislator Temba Mliswa has brought joy to tormented souls of members of the Joshua Nkomo Housing Cooperative who have endured untold persecution at the hands of controversial businessman Billy Rautenbach.   The residents of Joshua Nkomo Housing Cooperative have not tested peace for a long time. In 2005, their houses were destroyed during the…

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Gas is Critical for Sub-Saharan Africa’s Energy Future

Energy experts discuss the importance of gas for Africa’s current and future energy needs;GE’s innovative gas power generation portfolio is providing faster, more reliable, more cost-effective and more environmentally friendly power for baseload, emergency or clean energy transition needs; Gas will be critical for creating industry, manufacturing and attracting investment capital. With recent major gas…

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Tooling Parliament for mineral resource governance

By Byron Zamasiya and Mukasiri Sibanda To better track impact of capacity building work with Parliament on promoting transparency and accountability in the mining sector, Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) jointly agreed with Parliament of Zimbabwe to come up with performance targets. This was agreed during a workshop facilitated by ZELA on Mining Fiscal Transparency and…

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ZACC US$7 billion cash stashed revelation signals corruption hurting economy: MDC

The MDC Alliance has said revelations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) that US$7 billion worth of cash and property has been stashed outside the country by the political and business elite have exposed unbridled avarice and corruption–and not sanctions—as being at the core of the national crisis.   MDC challenged ZACC to show that…

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African Parliamentarians to take stock of Online Child Sexual Exploitation

The Department of Social Affairs of the African Union Commission (AUC) has convened an awareness raising Summit with members of the Pan-African Parliament to tap into their crucial role in policy formulation and ensuring prevention and prosecution of Online Child Sexual Exploitation (OCSE). The meeting is scheduled to take place from 28 to 29 February…

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Forestry delegates call for a regional approach to charcoal governance

Population growth, rapid urbanisation, and energy insecurity, are causing a soaring demand for wood fuel across Sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that wood fuel is the main source of energy for cooking for over 60% of households in the region, contributing to the food security and nutritional needs of millions of people.  But due to…

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#DecadeOfAction: a transformative shift in Zimbabwe’s development trajectory

By Georges van Montfort This week, representatives of African governments, United Nations Agencies, civil society organisations, private sector, women groups, youth groups and other stakeholders converged in Victoria Falls for the sixth session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development. Organised annually, the forum provides an opportunity for African countries to advance the implementation…

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Oxfam Creating a Conducive Environment for Smallholder Farmers

By Joyce Mukucha and Anyway Yotamu Considering that 70 percent of the population in Africa is constituted by small-holder farmers, Oxfam in conjunction with the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) is working tirelessly to create an enabling environment to transform agriculture markets for the small holder farming households. The main thrust…

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Zimbabwe: AfDB Executive Directors conduct consultative mission, tour project sites

A seven-member delegation of Executive Directors of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) visited Zimbabwe on a week-long fact-finding mission where they held meetings with a number of officials including President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa. The delegation also met officials from various ministries, civil society, private sector and multilateral financial institutions, during which they were briefed on…

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Mliswa accuses Innscor Africa and other corporates of State capture

Firebrand independent legislator for Norton, Temba Mliswa, has come out guns blazing against Innscor Africa and accused the institution of holding a tight grip on cartels that are accused of capturing state institutions. In a no holds barred press conference held at the Media Centre in Harare today, Mliswa said the cartels  are fuelling corruption…

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Katswe Sistahood working to end violence among religious sectors

By Joyce Mukucha and Anyway Yotamu. In an effort of continuing to promote access to inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights and sexual gender based violence information and services in Zimbabwe, Katswe Sistahood continues to spearhead the SASA! Faith journey, a guide to preventing violence against women and HIV prevalence in faith based communities….

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National Development Strategy to Substitute Transitional Stabilisation Programme

By Joyce Mukucha In line with the Vision 2030 of attaining an upper-middle economy by 2030, Government is working on a five-year National Development Strategy (NDS) to augment inclusive development. In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development said the strategy will replace the Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP), a two-year economic…

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UN bemoans slow pace of poverty reduction in Africa

Noting that Africa has made considerable progress in education, health and other social outcomes, Amina J. Mohammed, the United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General has said the pace of poverty reduction is slow on the continent while inclusive growth still remains elusive. Mohammed made the remarks during a Special Session of the Regional Coordination Mechanism for…

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Inescapable Effects of Climate Change Jeopardize Livelihoods Across East Africa

By Rael Ombuor As the Earth heats up, weather and climate patterns are changing dramatically around the globe. Africa felt the effects of those changes in 2019, experiencing cyclones, droughts and unstoppable rains that jeopardised livelihoods. Sixty-two-year-old David Kemboi sorts out dry maize stalks on his 21-hectare farm in Kenya’s Trans Nzoia County. He turns…

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The International Energy Agency (IEA) appoints first Africa Programme Manager

The International Energy Agency (IEA) (https://www.IEA.org/) hired Maximilian Jarrett as its first Africa Programme Manager to help expand the Agency’s reach and coordinate its work as it deepens its engagement across the continent. Mr Jarrett brings 30 years of experience in the fields of international economic affairs, media production and strategic communications. He most recently served…

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Building pathways for commercialising research findings and knowledge

By Charles Dhewa Days of doing research for its own sake are numbered in developing countries. The same applies to an enduring tendency by researchers to be satisfied with publishing research findings into journals. Many African researchers are waking up to the fact that academic excellence will not solve teething challenges like mass poverty and…

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African Development Bank issues call to strengthen fertilizer value chains at Argus Africa Fertilizer Conference

he African Development Bank (https://www.AfDB.org) urged development finance institutions, NGOs, farmer cooperatives, and the private sector to develop more effective financing solutions for Africa’s fertilizer value chains. The Bank’s call to action came during the Argus Africa Fertilizer Conference held on 19 February. The conference’s theme was Supporting the fertilizer value chain to improve agricultural productivity…

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Ecobank Group announces 2020 Edition of Fintech Challenge

Ecobank Group (https://www.Ecobank.com), the pan-African banking group, is inviting African fintech entrepreneurs to enter the 3rd edition of  the Ecobank Fintech Challenge. The Fintech Challenge  gives African start-ups the opportunity to promote their fintech solutions, and potentially  partner with Ecobank to roll-out  their solutions across Ecobank’s 33 markets in Africa as well as France. Ecobank…

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Zimbabwe launches Twalumba Travel and Tourism Awards

The national tourism awards, Twalumba Travel and Tourism that was launched on Wednesday in Harare at a colourful event held at the Meikles Hotel is aimed at stimulating individual and collective effort in pursuit of growth and development. People and organisations worthy of recognition and acknowledgment will be the nominees and winners in the various…

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National Youth Day should promote young people participation in governance

Since commemorations for the National Youth Day are coming at a time when the Government of Zimbabwe is proposing allocating 10 parliamentary seats to young people through Constitutional Amendment Number 2 of 2019, Clause 11, Subsection C, the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) has called for entrenchment of youths in governance and development…

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More rains expected over the weekend: Meteorological Department

By Anyway Yotamu The rains which have been experienced in recent weeks are expected to continue with the Meteorological Services Department confirming that several parts of the country will receive rainfall this coming weekend. According to latest predictions by the Meteorological Service Department, the rains being experienced in various parts of the country are likely…

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Renewable energy success demands transparency and accountability

Tatenda Mqetu The Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA) perceives Zimbabwe energy problems are due to the lack of the will to prioritise, invest and transparently administer the sector as currently the state relies on intensive models to generate grid electricity for both the industrial and household sector. Zimbabwe has 43% of…

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