Xiaomi sets plan to reach smartphone summit

By Chris Donkin Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun set a goal for the device maker to solidify its position as the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturer and take top spot within three years, as it launched its latest batch of products. In an annual address, Jun tempered recent reports stating the company’s smartphone shipments had exceeded Samsung’s in some…

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Old Mutual, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals partnership addressing COVID-19 challenges

By Chris Mahove With half of the hospital beds at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare being occupied by COVID-19 patients, the support of financial giants Old Mutual to the institution is ameliorating the effects of the pandemic. Old Mutual donated PPEs and food hampers to four hospitals namely Parirenyatwa, Mpilo, Mutare, and Kwekwe Provincial hospitals. “Our…

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Integrated Aquaculture (Pty) Limited and Desert-foods International GmbH launch aquaponics project

Climate-resilient agriculture of the future: largest aquaponics facility in Southern Africa commenced operations most recently with a foreign direct investor as a financial sponsor – water-saving year-round farming practice is 10x times more productive than open-field agriculture. Annual harvest capacity of up to 200 tons of nutritious, local, and organically cultivated multi-crop veggie and fresh-water…

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Techunzipped Unveils Jobs Website and the ‘We Apply For You’ Services

The Jobs website went live last week. According to a news release from Techunzipped, the new website has a “fresh look and improved functionality.” The new platform is aimed at helping parents, students, and employees to easily access information in a timely manner, the release says. The website (Jobs.techunzipped.com ) includes a resume builder and…

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Economic Governance Watch: Auditor-General’s 2019 Report on Local Authorities

By Veritas The report on the Auditor-General’s audit of financial statements prepared by local authorities for the 2019 financial year was presented to the National Assembly on the 16th June. Background to the Report Local authorities in Zimbabwe are divided into two main classes: ·      urban local authorities established under the Urban Councils Act, which comprise…

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National Disability Talk Show spotlights challenges faced by PWDs

By Chimeno Azriel People with disabilities (PWDs) are facing many challenges in this era of the Covid 19 pandemic. Chief among them are economic challenges spurring them to be neglected, labelled, reduced, and denied opportunities to own businesses. This was openly discussed during the National Disability Talk Show which was facilitated by Memory Mudzani. During…

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ZINATHA condemns cultural practices that promote girl child abuse

By Marlvin Ngiza Societies have been warned against abusing traditional practices such as “chimutsamapfihwa” which is seen as a perpetrator of child marriages when it is done the wrong way. Zimbabwe National Traditional Healers Association (ZINATHA) President George Kandiero urged societies to change such beliefs and respect the rights of children. Kandiero added that the…

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ZIST conference centred on Zimbabwe’s vision for sustainable development

The much-hyped and anticipated Zimbabwe Institute of Strategic Thinking (ZIST) conference is a platform meant to spotlight the country’s Vision 2030 by bringing together eminent minds to discuss pathways to make this endeavour a reality.   Tinashe Eric Muzamhindo, the ZIST Chief Executive Officer said his organisation is proudly hosting a National Strategic Thinking Conference…

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SADC Synthesis Report Reveals Widespread Regional Food and Nutrition Insecurity

The recently released 2021 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Synthesis Report on the State of Food and Nutrition Security has revealed widespread regional food insecurity. Below, Spiked Online Media shares the Executive Summary of the report: Southern Africa suffers from widespread food and nutrition insecurity. This year, in the ten SADC Member States that submitted…

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Akello launches digital learning opportunities across Africa

Akello, a digital edu-tech company focused on transforming African education through technology, today launched an end-to-end digital learning platform that is set to broaden access to learning opportunities for millions across Africa. “We want to increase access to education across sub-Saharan Africa and level the digital learning field by offering products that target all learners,…

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Climate change widespread, rapid, and intensifying – IPCC

Scientists are observing changes in the Earth’s climate in every region and across the whole climate system, according to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, released yesterday. Many of the changes observed in the climate are unprecedented in thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of years, and some of the changes already…

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Understanding relationships between African communities and micro climates

By Charles Dhewa Animals, birds, and trees may not speak English, Chewa, Shona, Ndebele, KiSwahili, or any other language but they certainly speak several languages which human beings are yet to master. Co-existing with microclimates and forests for generations has exposed many African communities to the secret knowledge and languages of nature. As more people…

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Heroes ushered in the first steps towards democracy: FORUS

Remembrance of those who passed during the liberation struggle should be recognised and respected for it is through them we took the first step towards democracy, the Freedom of Rights Under Sovereign (FORUS) party has said in its commemorative message for the Heroes and Defence Forces days.   FORUS president, Manyara Irene Muyenziwa said her…

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Fraudulent “COVID-19 Compensation Lottery Prize” scam, falsely alleges association with WHO and others

By World Health Organization   The World Health Organization (WHO) has been made aware of correspondences being circulated by scammers (acting under the name of Capital Finance, Inc. London), falsely notifying recipients of such correspondences that they have been selected as a beneficiary/winner of a US$1 million lottery compensation prize payment for losses and damages…

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South African women demand sex disaggregated data on vaccine rollout

In South Africa, women’s rights organisations are calling on President Cyril Ramaphosa to provide sex disaggregated data on vaccine rollout in a campaign launched on Women’s Day. A petition signed by 43 Women’s Voice and Leadership partners calls on the president to “provide sex disaggregated data on vaccine roll out and all COVID-19 statistics in line with the national gender policy,…

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FORUS, UN concerned about Memory Machaya’s death due to child marriage

The United Nations in Zimbabwe and the Freedom of Rights Under Sovereign (FORUS) party have noted with deep concern and condemned strongly the surrounding circumstances leading to the untimely death of 14-year-old Memory Machaya from Marange, who died while giving birth at an apostolic sect shrine. On its part, the UN said it was disturbing…

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Judges urged to embrace ICTs in the delivery of justice

Dr. Jenfan Muswere, the Minister of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Postal and Courier Services told a gathering of judges who attended an ICT training workshop in Harare to use the knowledge gained for fair justice delivery. The workshop came at an opportune time when the importance of ICTs becomes more apparent particularly due to the…

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Old Mutual embarks on Tiritose/Sisonke Campaign to combat COVID-19

Old Mutual Zimbabwe has embarked on the Tiritose/Sisonke campaign in a bid to address the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic that has led to the loss of lives and decimation of many businesses. The leading financial services provider Old Mutual has donated an assortment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to be used by frontline health workers in…

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New Study Shows Climate Change May Increase the Spread of Plant Pathogens

The agricultural impact of climate change would be a little more straightforward if it occurred in a world where crops were free of their microbes. Research published today has found that in this hypothetical landscape, rising global temperatures will boost global agricultural productivity, partly by opening up new arable lands near the poles that were…

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Old Mutual Zimbabwe Awards 2021’s Top Companies

Twelve companies received awards at the annual Top Company Survey awards, held virtually last week. The prestigious awards, powered by Old Mutual Zimbabwe, defied all odds following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The awards ran under the theme “From surviving to thriving: reimagining business after the pandemic”, as Zimbabwe’s companies are shifting to reach…

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BancEasy Microfinance launches Digital Civil Servant “Easy” loans

BancEasy Zimbabwe, the microfinance subsidiary of BancABC has today unveiled its new digital civil servant loans product. The launch of the new digital offering is another giant step in the bank’s aggressive digital transformation agenda which commenced last year. BancEasy is a registered microfinance that was incorporated in 2012 and is part of the ABC…

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Climate-Smart Agriculture Investments Required to Boost Agricultural Production in Zimbabwe

By the World Bank STORY HIGHLIGHTS A new report by the World Bank and the Government of Zimbabwe shows that more public spending in agriculture has not translated into more productivity The report warns that without Climate-Smart Agriculture Investments, Zimbabwe’s staple food crop, maize, is expected to see a 33% yield reduction by 2030 Strengthening…

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14-year-old girl who died in labour: Shamwari Yemwanasikana condemns child marriage

Shamwari Yemwanasikana has come out guns blazing condemning a 28th of July 2021, H- Metro newspaper article about a 14-year-old girl who died in labour after being denied hospital assistance by a member of an unnamed apostolic sect. The girl empowerment lobby group alluded to the constitution of the Republic of Zimbabwe that affords everyone…

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Steward Bank partners Kunashe Foundation to support underprivileged girls

Zimbabwe’s largest bank by depositors, Steward Bank, has joined forces with Kunashe Foundation to end period poverty in the country by supplying reusable sanitary wear to underprivileged girls. A recent study by SNV Zimbabwe revealed that 72% of menstruating schoolgirls do not use sanitary pads because they cannot afford them resulting in the unhygienic use…

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Government scales up e-learning

By Marlvin Ngiza Many schools across the country are set to benefit from the national e-learning strategy initiative that will provide free internet access for nine months. Speaking at a post-cabinet media briefing in Harare yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said 400 schools that already have internet connectivity will be…

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A lion’s share of climate funds must focus on restoring indigenous food systems

By Charles Dhewa For most developing countries, the COVID19 pandemic has shown the undisputed value of indigenous food. Several communities that had become used to depending on imported food and medicines suddenly discovered they can use lockdowns and restrictions to taste and use indigenous food as well as medicines that are easily an expression of…

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Toyota’s City of the Future

By Bernard Marr Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, is building the world’s first “smart city” in Japan. Woven City, located near the base of Mt. Fuji, will be a 175-acre, fully autonomous community designed to test new technologies like automated driving, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) in a real-world environment. The prototype “city of the future” will…

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COVID-19 makes it harder for charcoal producers and traders to make ends meet

By Daniella Silva In Kisangani — Democratic Republic of Congo’s third-largest city — COVID-19 has had an impact on the charcoal industry that its more than 1.8 million inhabitants rely on to meet their daily energy needs, putting forests at greater risk. The additional challenges affecting the supply and transport of essential charcoal during the…

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Empower Bank initiative: Youths have mixed feelings

Youths have expressed mixed feelings regarding empowerment initiatives such as the Empower Bank fund. ZANU (PF) national youth leader Tendai Chirau said he was impressed by the ability of the Empower Bank loan facility for backing up youths’ businesses and boosting entrepreneurship among youths in Zimbabwe. Chirau said Zimbabwe was the first country in Africa…

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ZACH encourages HIV-positive people to get vaccinated against COVID-19

The Zimbabwe Association of Church-Related Hospitals (ZACH) is encouraging people living with HIV to be vaccinated in order for them to live healthy lives during this era of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. This emerged at a virtual media briefing held today (Monday 2 August 2021) under the topic of discussion “HIV and COVID-19 Vaccines”. Dr….

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Artificial Intelligence Is The Foundation For The Biggest Business Ideas At Google’s Parent Company Alphabet

By Bernard Marr You already know that artificial intelligence is now the foundation of many of Google’s most popular (and useful) products and services. But did you know that many of the most promising breakthroughs from Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., are also powered by AI? Let’s take a look at how Alphabet is expanding…

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AfDB supports development of satellite observations for African early warning systems

The recently released Hydromet Gap Report highlighted weaknesses in Africa’s weather and climate observation systems that contribute to a lack of climate data and inadequate early warning systems. The report calls for the establishment of ground and upper air stations for basic observation and satellite data coverage to strengthen forecast and early warning mechanisms for extreme weather…

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MIM Foundation: Empowering and giving hope to communities

The Manyara Irene Muyenziwa (MIM) Foundation is positively impacting communities through the provision of empowerment initiatives and giving hope for a brighter future for all, including the youths. Inspired by God’s love for humanity, the Manyara Irene Muyenziwa Foundation was founded in 2021 with the aim of giving people of Zimbabwe hope through solutions to…

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Mambo Chipuriro ready for development in Mavhuradonha Wilderness

By Mazvita Makuyana Mr. Clever Masviki, popularly known as Mambo Chipuriro said he welcomes development in his area including the controversial Mavhuradonha area, without any discrimination as long it benefits the locals. The Mavhuradonha Wilderness is situated in the northeast of Zimbabwe, about 180km from Harare. The name ‘Mavhuradonha’ roughly translates from the Shona language…

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