ZACC urges transparency and accountability in responding to COVID-19

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has implored members of the public to remain vigilant during the government imposed 21-day lockdown for prevention and containment of the Corona Virus pandemic to fight crime. ZACC chairperson Justice Loice Matanda-Moyo said in a statement that the Commission was aware that in such situations, criminals create opportunities to commit…

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COVID-19 an opportunity for decision-makers to know how African food markets function

By Charles Dhewa African countries are called less industrialized economies for genuine reasons. If the majority of people in a country depend on more than 80 agricultural commodities and less than 10 can be turned into processed products, such a country is obviously less industrialized. For instance, in Zimbabwe, only maize meal, flour, sugar, wheat…

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Zimbabwe Citizens Forum ready to assist USA in tackling coronavirus

By Anyway Yotamu Zimbabwe Citizens Forum National coordinator Cde Taurai Kandishaya said his organisation stands ready to help the American government with their coronavirus plea which was announced by US President Donald Trump to the world for help in form of protective clothes for health workers due to shortage of supply in the United States…

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ZADHR COVID-19 Monitoring and Advocacy Report: 30 March 2020

By Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights The Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) continues to monitor the coronavirus pandemic and national response in Zimbabwe. Globally, the pandemic continues to spread exponentially, and tens of thousands have lost their lives to this disease. In Africa, South Africa has become the epicentre of…

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Coronavirus: 13 000 Zimbabweans under monitoring and surveillance

By Anyway Yotamu and Tafadzwa Kufah The government is monitoring more than 13 000 Zimbabwean nationals who entered the country through Beitbridge Border Post after South Africa entered a three-week lockdown on Friday last week. Thousands of Zimbabweans came back home through Beitbridge Border Post after South Africa announced its three-week lockdown, as the number…

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Strive Masiyiwa Buys Back Mascom Botswana For USD$300 Million

COVID-19: Masiyiwa appeals to African governments to mobilise their healthcare workers

[Posted Strive Masiyiwa’s popular Facebook blog]   #Reflection:   Appeal for Africa’s healthcare workers!   As we prepare for COVID-19 to hit the African continent like a Category 10 Hurricane, we must not lose sight of the fact that the first responders and the true fighters are not going to be soldiers and policemen –…

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Coronavirus lockdown: essential industries and services will need to remain open

Dr. Sekai Nzenza, the Minister of Industry and Commerce has said that essential industries and services will need to remain open to support the health sector and to ensure minimal disruption in critical goods and services. “The primary objective remains that of protecting the lives of the employees in these industries by adhering to the…

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AfDB launches record breaking $3 billion “Fight COVID-19” Social Bond

Landmark transaction, largest Social bond transaction to date in capital markets The African Development Bank (AfDB) (www.AfDB.org) has raised an exceptional $3 billion in a three-year bond to help alleviate the economic and social impact the Covid-19 pandemic will have on livelihoods and Africa’s economies. The Fight Covid-19 Social bond, with a three-year maturity, garnered…

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Operationalisation of the Lockdown announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa

On 27 March 2020, His Excellency President ED Mnangagwa addressed the nation indicating that as of 30 March 2020 Zimbabwe will be under a total lockdown for the period of 21 days. The lockdown will certainly upset daily routines but this is a necessary action to ensure that we contain wider community spread and transmissions…

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POTRAZ Director-General Gift Machengete Trial Postponed To Next Week

Use existing technologies and avoid physical contact to keep out coronavirus: POTRAZ

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has urged stakeholders to utilise existing technologies to combat the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). The call by POTRAZ Director-General, Dr. Gift Machengete follows the pronouncement of the 21-day lockdown directive to begin on Monday 30 March 2020 announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Considering the essential nature…

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How Will COVID-19 Affect Africa’s Food Systems?

As the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold in Africa, many governments have begun to tighten borders, restrict gatherings and close schools. The crisis has already fundamentally changed people’s lives not just with regards to public health but in terms of politics, the economy, public services, and much more. What about food systems? One thing that cannot…

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Coronavirus: 23rd International AIDS Conference to be held virtually

The health and safeguarding of the community are of the highest priority to leaders of the AIDS Conference. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 23rd International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2020), to be held on 6-10 July 2020, will become the first virtual edition of the International AIDS Conference, the organisers gave said. AIDS 2020:…

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MSF to Pharma: No patents or profiteering on coronavirus drugs, tests, and vaccines in pandemic

Patents on new products could result in high prices and keep medicines and vaccines out of reach for people everywhere The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) today called for no patents or profiteering on drugs, tests, or vaccines used in the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments must be prepared to suspend and…

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Mr Eddie Chibi

EcoSure moves to help capacitate doctors and nurses amid COVID-19 pandemic

As Zimbabwe – along with the rest of the world – battles the COVID-19 Coronavirus global pandemic, EcoSure has announced plans to immediately support the country’s national health delivery system by equipping frontline medical staff with protective personal equipment (PPE), providing them with life and health insurance and offering them safe transport to and from…

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Speedily disseminate information on COVID-19 pandemic: Government urged

Habakkuk Trust has called upon the Government of Zimbabwe to speedily institute measures to promptly disseminate information on the COVID19 pandemic. The trust said the information should be availed in local languages through easily accessible communication media such as WhatsApp, posters, banners, and hailers amongst others. This will be instrumental in averting the implosion of…

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WHO calls for privacy focus in virus tech use

By Yanitsa Boyadzhieva The World Health Organisation (WHO) conceded technology played an important role in tackling Covid-19 (coronavirus), but emphasised privacy and security regulations must not be circumvented when gathering key information as part of the efforts. At a press conference dedicated to the pandemic held on 25 March, Michael Ryan, executive director of the…

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Zimbabwe receives COVID-19 test kits from Chinese Billionaire Jack Ma

Zimbabwe government has received its consignment of Coronavirus testing kits and prevention material donated by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma. In response to the latest developments in the wake of the devastating effect of COVID19 around the world, the testing kits and prevention material arrived in the country on  Tuesday from Ethiopia. The Deputy Minister of…

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Kadoma Central Constituency takes delivery of CDF water tanks

By Lovemore Chazingwa in Kadoma Mega water tanks sourced from funds under the constituency development fund (CDF) for Kadoma Central Constituency were taken delivery of to City of Kadoma (CoK) authorities and are awaiting official handover, this publication has established. That handover was supposed to be done today but for coronavirus crisis that is postponed…

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Manluckerz postpones gig to mid-year because of coronavirus

Popular musician and cultural preservation advocate Luckson “Manluckerz” Makandire Chikutu has postponed top-notch show initially slated for Saturday at Club Svea Uppsala to June because of the coronavirus pandemic. Manluckerz, leader of Zim-Traditional Unity has now earmarked the never-to-be-missed gig for June 13 and emphasised the importance of raising awareness on how people can protect…

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ARC takes on board health and safety measures against coronavirus

The African Risk Capacity (https://www.africanriskcapacity.org/) in response to the COVID19 pandemic has announced health and safety measures to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus among its personnel and stakeholders countries where it has a physical presence as well as provide a business continuity plan.   In his message to ARC staff on Wednesday, March…

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CBZ Holdings adopts preventive measures in the wake of coronavirus

In light of the recent developments regarding the coronavirus (Covid-19), CBZ Holdings informed its stakeholders of the measures the CBZ Group is taking to ensure the safety and well-being of its customers, community, and employees. Dr. Blessing Mudavanhu, CBZ Group chief Executive Officer announced a raft of measures that the financial services giant is taking…

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Afreximbank Announces $3-Billion Facility to Cushion Impact of COVID-19

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced a $3-billion facility, named Pandemic Trade Impact Mitigation Facility (PATIMFA), to help African countries deal with the economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. PATIMFA, approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors during its sitting on 20 March, will provide financing to assist Afreximbank member countries to…

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Mobile telephony operators chip in to the national emergency against COVID19

By Anyway Yotamu In an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus, mobile telephony operators heeded the government’s call by coming up together towards promoting e-health by donating equipment in Harare on Monday the 23rd of March 2020. The equipment, which is meant to operationalise the national emergency response centre include computers, servers, mobile handsets,…

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Sekuru Banda embeds indigenous knowledge systems in the fight against coronavirus

Prominent traditional healer, Sekuru Banda has said it is critical to rope in indigenous knowledge systems in the fight against coronavirus.   The cultural guru’s comments come in the wake of myths from different schools of thought concerning the pandemic. He was speaking at a conference on indigenous knowledge management held in Harare yesterday to…

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Jack Ma and Alibaba Foundations donate COVID-19 Medical Equipment to AU Member States

Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Government of Ethiopia received a consignment of medical equipment Africa’s response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak received a boost today as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the Government of Ethiopia received a consignment of medical equipment from…

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Ensure women’s rights through COVID-19 prevention and response: WCOZ

The Women’s Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCOZ), representing non-partisan women’s rights organizations and activists in all the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe is calling on general members of the public, state and nonstate actors and duty bearers to ensure the promotion of women’s rights through the COVID 19 prevention and response processes. With Zimbabwe having confirmed the…

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Using Artificial Intelligence, Data Science And Technology To Fight Coronavirus

By Bernard Marr Since the first report of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China, it has spread to at least 100 other countries. As China initiated its response to the virus, it leaned on its strong technology sector and specifically artificial intelligence (AI), data science, and technology to track and fight the pandemic while tech leaders, including Alibaba,…

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Coronavirus – WhatsApp: WHO Health Alert brings COVID-19 facts

This easy-to-use messaging service has the potential to reach 2 billion people and enables WHO to get information directly into the hands of the people that need it Today, WHO (www.WHO.int) is launching a messaging service with partners WhatsApp and Facebook to keep people safe from coronavirus. This easy-to-use messaging service has the potential to…

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SAA suspends international flights

South African Airways (SAA) has announced that it will immediately suspend all international operations until 31 May 2020 in response to a government travel ban aimed at stopping the transmission of the Coronavirus (Covid-19). The COVID-19 pandemic and attendant travel restrictions resulted in a substantial decline in demand for air travel. The situation caused many airlines across…

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ILO fears 25 million jobs could be lost because of coronavirus

An initial assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the global world of work says the effects will be far-reaching, pushing millions of people into unemployment, underemployment and working poverty, and proposes measures for a decisive, coordinated and immediate response. The economic and labour crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic could increase global unemployment by…

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Theatre in the Park: nexus between creatives and the digital world in combating coronavirus

“In these trying times, it’s incumbent upon the creative and cultural industries to provide relief to an otherwise potentially depressed human race. Without theatre, film, music, dance and many other art forms, humanity would find itself in an abyss. Covid 19, demands us creatives to be dynamic and outward thinking in ensuring we do our…

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FRIDA Makes Strides in Building Transnational Solidarity Against COVID-19

By Joyce Mukucha Across the world, everyone is grappling with an unprecedented large-scale crisis. The rapid spread of COVID-19 to over 100 countries all around the globe has left many struggling with uncertainty and upheaval from cancelled flights and postponed meetings to closed schools and the effects of distancing and quarantines and many more measures…

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Oxfam’s We Care project breaking unpaid work barrier for women

Oxfam’s Women Economic Empowerment and Care (WE CARE) also known as the ‘Work your Dreams project in Zimbabwe’ is working on exploring how to break the barrier of unpaid care work that limits women’s empowerment and their participation in all spheres of life.   Basically the project explores how unpaid care work serves as a…

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