World’s soils ‘under great pressure’, says UN pollution report

The world’s soils, which provide 95% of humanity’s food, are “under great pressure”, according to a UN report on soil pollution. Soils are also the largest active store of carbon, after the oceans, and therefore crucial in fighting the climate crisis. But the report said industrial pollution, mining, farming, and poor waste management are poisoning soils,…

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ZESN Long-Term Observer Report on Monitoring Responses to COVID-19

By Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) INTRODUCTION During the month of May, a new variant of COVID-19, the Indian Variant B.1.617, was detected in Kwekwe. Subsequent to this, the government imposed a two-week lockdown covering the entire district: the City of Kwekwe, Redcliff town, and the surrounding farming areas in Kwekwe Rural District Council. Measures…

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Nyaradzo Group spotlights celebrity Madam Boss as she shows off Sahwira wear

By Nyaradzo Group Madam Boss: She depicts boldness and confidence Sahwira Wear is the new kid on the block, engaging all people from different walks of life. Clients, friends, and family continue to showcase how they can accessorise and bring out life through Sahwira Wear. It depicts boldness, confidence, and loyalty thus giving emphasis to…

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The Queens are coming: DStv’s Honey channel commissions a brand-new reality show

After a successful launch HONEY TV brings you the Nollywood Queens, fresh addition to the reality content slate this Africa Month.  “We are particularly excited about this observational reality show where we follow the lives of five fabulous Nigerian women who are widely known in the world of Nollywood,” says Zinzi Velelo, HONEY’s Head of…

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SA Dance festival calls for submissions for 2021 edition

JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience calls Submissions for New Digital Platform – “Open Horizons” The Centre for Creative Arts (UKZN) presents the 2021 JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience as a virtual event with performance, workshops, and online engagements from 24 August to 5 September. Applications are now open for JOMBA! “Open Horizons”, formerly known as the “Fringe”, now offers a…

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Food Relief Hampers: Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) reaches out to communities

Cognisant of the fact that following COVID-19-induced hardships, most families in Zimbabwe are facing hunger and starvation, the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) is extending its giving hand by distributing food hampers to deserving families across the country.   Speaking during the food distribution exercise in Chitungwiza on Monday 3 May 2021, Mr Can…

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Healthy Forests Are Key to ‘Building Back Better’: FAO

Healthy forests are key to “building back better”, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General QU Dongyu said last week in his video address to the high-level round table at the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF, 26-30 April 2021). In his remarks, the Director-General extolled the many virtues of forests, including ensuring people’s food security…

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African development banks, institutions pledge US$17 billion to increase food security

IFAD said it aimed to provide an additional US$1.5 billion to Africa to support national efforts to transform food and agricultural systems over the next three years A coalition of multilateral development banks and development partners has pledged over US$17 billion in financing on Friday during a high-level forum, in a bold bid to address…

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The world needs a food movement based on agro-ecology and equity

by Pat Mooney The idea of a Food Systems Summit seemed timely when it was announced in 2019 by the World Economic Forum and the UN Secretary-General’s Office. But while the need was widely appreciated, the unorthodox proposal by Davos to expand “stakeholder capitalism” to encompass the United Nations alarmed some involved in the food movement….

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New Television Series, Baby Drama, Premieres on Africa Magic

Africa Magic, the continent’s leading provider of premium entertainment content, premiered a new television series, Baby Drama on Wednesday 21st April. Baby Drama revolves around the lives of five women who deal with the reality of how a baby or – lack of one – will affect their lives. The new series which airs from 22:00  on Africa…

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Retailers cry foul over the order to pay VAT on rice backdated to 2017

The Confederation of Zimbabwe Retailers (CZR) is crying foul over a recent letter in which Finance and Economic Development Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube insisted that retailers should pay Value Added Tax (VAT) on rice for periods backdated to 2017 on packages of 25kg or less. In the letter, Prof Ncube said Treasury could not accede…

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Strengthening Food Systems Centre of Africa’s COVID-19 Recovery

Strengthening food systems must be an integral part of efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and to build resilience in Africa, said African Development Bank Director General for Southern Africa, Leila Mokaddem. Hunger is a greater threat to many Africans than the COVID-19 crisis, Mokaddem said in a session on sustainable food systems at the Southern…

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Scope for pushing knowledge boundaries by domesticating indigenous foods

By Charles Dhewa Good rainfall seasons across Africa are not only characterized by an abundance of domesticated crops and livestock but an increase in the availability of non-domesticated natural food resources. Such resources range from edible insects to indigenous fruits, tubers, vegetables, mushrooms, and small indigenous animals. While some are prevalent in high rainfall regions,…

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Zimbabwean Culture Fashion Brand ZimXcite Signs International Merch Deals with Home-Based Artists

(Ibiza, Spain) – Colourful new Zimbabwean culture fashion brand ZimXcite is proud to announce that it has inked several international merchandising deals with local creatives under its Zim Arts division, a gig that will see these artists being able to sell their work or their branded merchandise to a global market. The development is a…

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M-Net to broadcast ‘CBS Presents Oprah With Meghan And Harry’

M-Net announced today it would broadcast ‘CBS PRESENTS OPRAH WITH MEGHAN AND HARRY’ featuring Oprah Winfrey as she sits down with Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for an intimate conversation. The interview will air on Monday, 8 March (19h30 CAT) on the M-Net DStv channel 102. Winfrey will speak with Meghan The…

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2020/2021 seasonal rainfall impressive: Rural farmers

By Joyce Mukucha Following successive droughts over the past few years that negatively affected agricultural growth in Zimbabwe, farmers in rural areas are overwhelmed with joy because the rains have remained above normal throughout the country in the 2020 -2021 cropping season. Spiked Online Media conducted interviews with various farmers in different provinces who expressed…

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Canon launches EOS M50 Mark II as social content creation continues to soar

In response to the growing demand for high-quality camera equipment to meet the evolving requirements of today’s content creators, Canon Europe (www.Canon-europe.com) yesterday announced the EOS M50 Mark II, the successor to the award-winning [1] EOS M50. The global appetite for creating, sharing and watching content on Instagram, YouTube and Twitch shows no sign of…

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COVID-19: Southern Africa faces food insecurity, calls for solidarity gain momentum

The SADC Regional Vulnerability Committee Chair, António Pacheco Dias Lima on 22 February 2021 called on member states, to find ways to share success stories, opportunities, and progress captured in the national Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis to inform food security interventions as the region battles COVID-19 and record high levels of food insecurity Dias Lima…

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Government Targeting 2 million Metric Tonnes of Maize

Following the millions of hectares that were repossessed by the black majority during the land reform programme, the Government has assured the nation that there will be sufficient maize through the food self sufficiency programmes. The Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Dr. Anxious Masuka said this year, the nation will have…

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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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Realness Institute, Netflix Extend Episodic Lab Entry Deadline; Launch New Development Executive Traineeship

Realness Institute’s newest program, Episodic Lab, created in partnership with Netflix, has received an overwhelmingly positive response from members of the industry online and offline. The deadline has thus been extended for submissions. Online submissions will now close upon receiving 150 additional applications or on the 8 February 2021, whichever comes first.  The Episodic Lab offers…

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Minister Lee Mugadza takes gospel music by storm through “Jesu Aripo” album

Rising gospel musician – Minister Lee Mugadza – is set to take the music industry by storm when he launches his third album titled ‘Jesu Aripo’. Minister Mugadza who is known for hits such as Chikwee, Adonai, Munoenda Nesu and many more will launch his new project ‘Juse Aripo’ virtually over the weekend. The South…

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Finding strengths in local food markets amid the pandemic

By Charles Dhewa Since March 2020 when COVID19 first showed up in Africa, mass food markets have continued to play their critical functions although policy support has continued to be directed to processing companies and supermarkets. In 2021, COVID19 did not just confirm the importance of a strong immune system but has also revealed the strengths…

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“How archaeology in Pakistan is forced to deny the nation’s Hindu past”

By Own Correspondent Don’t be taken in by the Pakistan government’s lip-service to becoming a multi-religious society every time it promises the repair or reconstruction of a destroyed Hindu temple in that country. It just cannot mean what it says in this context.  That is the way to read the recent drama in Pakistan over…

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Minimise on COVID-19 herbal prevention concoctions: Sekuru Banda

As COVID-19 intensifies its toll on citizens, famous traditional healer Sekuru Banda has warned people against consuming excess concoctions as a preventive measure against the virus. “We understand that COVID-19 is ravaging people across the globe with Zimbabwe listed as a hotspot for the pandemic. My advice is that when you are not COVID-19 positive,…

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UK pledges £4 million (US$5.4 million) to help feed 110,000 food insecure people in urban areas

… Part of a global package worth £47 million to provide food, nutrition, water and shelter to help over 1.3 million vulnerable people in 9 countries and regions, including Zimbabwe. New UN data reveals humanitarian crises are worsening around the world, compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, 235 million people are expected to be in need…

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Simangaliso Chirisa slowly morphing into a prolific writer

By Joyce Mukucha Simangaliso Chirisa aka ‘Simah’, a Zimbabwean-born novelist, is an inspirational example of a young creative woman who shows that when you are naturally gifted in something and you combine that with faith in God, commitment, perseverance, and relentless drive, you will ultimately succeed. It was never her dream to see herself pursuing…

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Knowledge inclusion is the most important of all forms of inclusion

By Charles Dhewa Digital inclusion, financial inclusion, gender inclusion and several other forms of inclusion have received too much attention over the past few years including 2020. What has been ignored is the mother of all inclusions – knowledge inclusion. All forms of inclusion are meaningless when knowledge existing within ordinary people and communities is…

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