PAP needs to clarify the concept of Deliberative Organ

By Dr. Maurice Ezuruike The ongoing review process of the Pan-African Parliament’s (PAP) Rules of Procedure presents a unique opportunity to clarify by definition the true interpretation of the concept of “any other deliberative organ” as reflected in Rule 6 of the PAP’s rules of procedure and invoked generally as a synonym to National Parliaments…

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Mobile tax should fund SRHR: Parliamentary Caucus

By Nhau Mangirazi The Women Parliament Caucus (ZWPC) has recommended the mobilization of resources towards the sexual and reproductive health rights affecting women and girls in most marginalized communities. ZWPC chairperson, Hon Goodluck Kwaramba made the presentation last week during a prebudget seminar saying the proportion of the 5 percent mobile airtime levy, introduced in…

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Chief Charumbira sets motion for PAP Review of Rules of Procedure

Hon Chief Fortune Charumbira, the President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) has set the ball rolling for the continental parliamentary body’s Bureau and Regional Caucuses to come up with a roadmap for the review of the Rules of Procedure. Chief Charumbira revealed this while officially opening the First Ordinary Session of the Sixth Parliament…

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Banket 2023 Budget consultations postponed as residents demand financial reports

By Elvis Dumba Banket – The proposed 2023 Council budget consultation meeting for Banket, was forced to be postponed as residents demanded council financial records. Banket Town Board Works Technician, Trust Govere, was forced to stop presenting the local authority’s 2021-22 work projects with those in attendance demanding the presentation of the local authority’s financial…

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Women’s Parliamentary Caucus urges Mthuli Ncube to help on water issues

By Nhau Mangirazi The Zimbabwe Women’s Parliamentary Caucus has urged finance minister Prof Mthuli Ncube to set aside money to improve water and sanitation in mostly rural and marginalized communities. The parliament caucus chairperson, Hon Goodluck Kwaramba made the presentation last week calling on Prof Ncube to consider setting aside funds that will help improve…

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Zimbabwe Robotics team wins 2022 Innovator Award Gold Medal

By Godwin Mungwadzi Zimbabwe’s Robotics team won the XPRIZE Gold Medal Innovator award, at the 2022 FIRST Global Challenge games – an Olympics-style, international robotics competition for high-school students from around the world that aims to celebrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics — also known as STEM in a similar way to how Athletics and Sports…

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PAP leadership structures convene on eve of first Ordinary Session of sixth Parliament

The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Bureau has jointly met with the Bureaus of the Permanent Committees and Regional Caucuses, Women’s Caucus and Youth Caucus ahead of its first Ordinary Session of the sixth Parliament that will hold from October 24 to November 12 2022, to consider the programme of the session. The Session, which will be…

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Pan African Parliament Bureau holds consultations with focal team of African Ambassadors

The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) met with selected members of the African Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Republic of South Africa namely Uganda, Egypt, Kenya, Congo Brazzaville, Mali and Zimbabwe. The focal team was set up in September 2022 by the Dean of African Heads of Diplomatic Missions to work closely with the…

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Artificial Intelligence gives SMEs a competitive edge in analysing data

By Hillary Munedzi Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been urged to use artificial intelligence (AI) in their businesses so that they have a competitive edge in analyzing data which helps them to understand their business terrain in a bid to attract more customers. Speaking during a SMEs International Expo at a local hotel, in…

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Cyber and Data Protection Act to address Internet-based delinquencies

The Cyber and Data Protection Act is meant to address an array of cybercrimes that have become a burden to society, Dr. Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services has said. He made the remarks today at a Cybersecurity High-Level Dialogue – one of the many activities that have…

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USAID, WFP food assistance partnership targets 700 000 needy people during lean season

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has today contributed US$36.7 million on behalf of the American people to help the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) provide food assistance at the peak of the lean season between October and March next year. In a year marked by COVID-19, climatic shocks, food and fuel…

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President Mnangagwa urges PRAZ to transform the procurement landscape

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe and other stakeholders to transform the procurement landscape and increase confidence in the sector. He made the remarks while officially opening the Public Procurement Second Annual Conference organised by the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ), which is running under the theme “Sharing Insights,…

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Chief Chundu jerks government to address challenge of veld fires

By Nhau Mangirazi Harare – The Zimbabwe government has agreed to take punitive measures to curb veld fires after Chief Chundu raised the issue with information minister Monica Mutsvagwa who promised action to address the major challenge affecting the environment. Chief Abel Mbasera Chundu said this during the Senate sitting under Oral Answers to Questions…

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GCA, Invesco investment collaboration strategy focused on climate adaptation

The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) signed its first cooperation agreement with the EMEA division of Invesco focused on an investment strategy in the climate adaptation space. The agreement, expected to become fully operational at COP27, is specifically targeted at exploring a blended finance strategy that aims to increase adaptation investment in developing markets. The…

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Ending AIDS by 2030: ICASA to focus on other epidemics, morbidities

Dr. David Parirenyatwa, the President of the Society for AIDS in Africa has said that the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) 2023 will focus on other epidemics and morbidities like cancer TB, malaria, and other emerging pandemics including COVID-19. He made the remarks at a Harare hotel today during the official…

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Global trade, energy transition topical at Africa Energy Week

High-level European and African energy stakeholders united to discuss the potential of Africa’s hydrocarbon and renewable resources to help attain global energy security   As the European Union (EU) restructures its plans for energy security in light of shifting geopolitical realities, the Africa-Europe Roundtable – organized on the first day of African Energy Week 2022…

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Sound communication key in disaster management, climate change mitigation

By Nhau Mangirazi There is a need for sound communication as it remains key to climate change mitigation and disaster management on environmental issues affecting communities. According to National Environment Action Plan, (NEAP), the impacts of pending disasters can be significantly reduced if there are sound communication platforms. The 72-page document that is under scrutiny…

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Medcom Foundation supports disadvantaged children in Manicaland province

By Wallace Mawire Medcom Foundation has come to the rescue of disadvantaged children in Zimbabwe’s marginalsed communities by providing much-needed support for educational advancement. William Mtisi, Executive Chairman of Medcom said that the foundation is paying school fees for two pupils in the Manicaland province of Zimbabwe. Support is being offered to Richard Shonga, a…

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ACRA receives EUR 3 million from the Skills Initiative for Africa

“This funding will help ACRA address resistance to change with regards to the implementation of environmentally sustainable natural refrigerants, support the academy in becoming a centre of excellence in Africa as well as further develop food security by maintaining the cold chain,” Mr. Grant Laidlaw, ACRA Managing Director at the project launch on 14 October…

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NEAP must recognise wetlands as mainstay of water bodies

By Nhau Mangirazi Hurungwe –  National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) must recognize wetlands as the mainstay of water bodies, helping communities and biodiversity. Karoi Residents Trust (Karest) director, Travo Chiwanga said there is a need for local authorities to protect the wetlands in rural, towns, municipalities, and cities in the country. Of late, a majority of…

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Reduce the negative human impact on biodiversity: Environment Minister

Hon. Mangaliso Ndhlovu, the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry has called on stakeholders to address the challenge of biodiversity that is presently being lost at unprecedented rates largely due to human-driven activities and the impact of climate change. He made the call during a Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on the Convention on Biological…

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FAO integrates biodiversity into agriculture to ensure food security

By Hillary Munedzi The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has underscored the critical importance of mainstreaming biodiversity across agriculture sectors to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There were calls to place emphasis on SDG 2 on Zero Hunger, SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production, SDG 13 on climate change,…

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Desperate for knowledge and action that will take them to the promised land: case of young Africans

By Charles Dhewa Poor economic performance over the past few years has seen tensions between the old and young generations in Africa rising to a boiling point. This has been worsened by the fact that most African governments have continued to hold onto bureaucratic systems inherited from colonialism. For instance, young people are questioning property…

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Why the lifting of the GMO ban in Kenya spells doom to millions of smallholder farmers

By Zachary Makanya Many of us have been cautioning Kenyans not to embrace GMOs for a long time and we thought our reasons were clear to all. We were very happy that the Government of His Excellency Hon Mwai Kibaki listened and respected the wishes of the Kenyan farmers and consumers to ban the commercialization…

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ZIDA outlines Zimbabwe’s investment climate at Sanganai/Hlanganani

The Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA) has come up with a One-Stop Investment Services Centre (OSISC) to streamline and simplify overall investment processes by local, diaspora, and foreign investors. This came to the fore in a presentation by Bethani Marwa, the ZIDA Regional Manager for Bulawayo during an investment conference organised by the Zimbabwe Tourism…

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Renewable energy to cushion industry and agricultural sectors from power crisis

By Sowell Chikwari Industry and agriculture sectors have been urged to optimise resources by adopting clean energy solutions as a panacea to the power crisis which has paralyzed large-scale industrial operations and commercial farming. In an agro-based economy experiencing acute power challenges, renewable energy-powered irrigation infrastructure is crucial for agricultural productivity. Zimbabwe has average solar…

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Prioritise the right of all people to food, and nutrition security

By Ms. Farayi Zimudzi – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Representative in Ethiopia On 16 October 2022, Ethiopia joined the rest of the world to commemorate International World Food Day under the theme– “Leave no one behind. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life”. The theme calls…

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Global hunger, carbon emissions could both spike if war limits grain exports

If Russia’s invasion and the ensuing war significantly reduce Ukrainian grain exports, surging prices could increase food insecurity and carbon dioxide emissions, as marginal land is pushed into crop production. That’s the chain reaction predicted by modeling from a research team that includes Amani Elobeid, a teaching professor of economics at Iowa State University.

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Deal with GBV perpetrators: Girls Collective

BY Nhau Mangirazi Girls Collective – a civil society coalition fighting for girls’ rights and justice has called on the government to deal with perpetrators of violence against girls. In a statement following the death of Nokutenda Hwaramba (15) who died while giving birth at a shrine in Bikita, the umbrella body says suspects must…

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Go beyond rhetoric in gender mainstreaming: PAP President Charumbira

The President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H.E. Hon. Chief Fortune Charumbira has told global Parliamentarians gathered in Kigali, Rwanda, for the 145th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), to go beyond rhetoric and utilize their budgetary powers to fast-track gender equality and mainstreaming around the world. The leader of the African continental Parliament made the call…

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High demand for NetOne products and services at Sanganai/Hlanganani

There is a high demand for mobile telephony giant NetOne’s products and services at the ongoing Sanganai/Hlanganani World Travel Expo in Bulawayo. NetOne is participating at Sanganai/Hlanganani World Travel Expo and is showcasing a wide array of digital solutions including its popular USD bundle to local and foreign delegates. “Apart from the airtime that is…

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Awards galore at Sanganai/Hlanganani as African Sun wins best overall stand

The highly subscribed 15th Edition of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo that was officially opened by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair grounds yesterday witnessed an award galore with African Sun winning the Best Overall Stand as companies exhibited their products and services following the return to normal after the global…

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DPA clinches huge 4MW rooftop solar project in Kenya

Distributed Power Africa (DPA), a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, and a French multinational power utility firm Électricité de France (EDF), have clinched a deal to construct a 4 megawatt (MW) solar plant in Kenya.  The two companies, which co-own DPA Kenya, on Thursday signed an agreement with the Devki Group to provide renewable energy solutions…

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Sanganai/Hlanganani Tourism Expo: Fastjet commits to tourism development

Recently named as one of Africa’s Top 10 Best Airlines for 2022 by Skytrax, Fastjet has announced its commitment to tourism development in the Southern African region. Speaking to Spiked Online Media on the sidelines of the ongoing Sanganai/Hlanganai Tourism Expo, Mr. Nunurai Ndawana, the Fastjet Zimbabwe spokesperson said the recent Skytrax award reaffirms the…

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Interplay between tourism and tax: ZIMRA calls for strengthened domestic resource mobilisation

Tourism plays a critical role in economic development hence the need for strengthened domestic resource mobilisation, Ms. Regina Chinamasa, the Commissioner-General of the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) has said. She made the remarks today at the Sanganai/Hlanganani Tourism Players’ Breakfast Meeting, which is being hosted by ZIMRA in close partnership with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority…

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Brick moulding a serious threat to environment

By Nhau Mangirazi Illegal farm brick moulding is affecting the environment and water bodies which will have a great impact on sustainable development and water management. These were some key issues submitted during National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) consultative meeting in Hurungwe. Hurungwe rural district official, Obey Makupo, suggested that brick moulding is affecting the…

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Residents concerned about chemical spills along Hurungwe-Chirundu Highway

By Nhau Mangirazi HURUNGWE – Zimbabwe must have modalities for protecting the environment from harmful chemical spillage along the Harare-Chirundu highway. This came out during the National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) consultative meeting in Hurungwe where participants said the chemicals are dangerous to humans, wildlife, and the environment. Albert Sande from Kariba Redd (Carbon Green…

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‘Trees For Tourism’ as the world is rethinking post-COVID-19 recovery strategies

The Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry for Zimbabwe, Hon. Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu today officiated at two tree-planting events on the sidelines of the Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo which were hosted by Insukamini and Hugh Beadle Primary Schools in Bulawayo. “My coming here at Insukamini highlights the importance of planting trees. Even though…

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A billion hungry people: conflict, Covid and climate change could leave many close to famine

Caroline O’Doherty A cocktail of conflict, climate change and Covid has brought “catastrophic” food shortages to 44 countries. Almost one billion people across the world are going hungry, at levels categorised as “alarming” in nine countries and “serious” in 34 others. Experts are warning the situation could “significantly worsen” next year if current pressures continue….

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