eSwatini has the highest percentage of people living with HIV in the world. Almost one-third of adults are HIV-positive. The country is also severely affected by tuberculosis (TB) epidemic and around 70 percent of all TB patients are co-infected with HIV. Alongside this, the first confirmed patient with COVID-19 was diagnosed in eSwatini on 14…
By Veritas Provisional Order Against Ministers About to become Permanent? The last day for filing the response from the Ministers responsible for Information, Health, and Social Welfare was today, Friday 8th May. The Ministers had been ordered to respond to a provisional order served on them on the 23rd April to improve the dissemination of official…
BancABC Zimbabwe, the local banking subsidiary of Pan African group, Atlas Mara returned to top performance after reporting a strong set of results for the 2019 Financial year. The results move the Bank into Top 2 of the best performing banks in the country based on financials released by banks so far. The banking sector…
May is Africa month on DStv, with the highlight being the launch of Africa We See campaign, a celebration of Africa, its people, and the rich stories that come from across the continent. Liz Dziva, publicity and public relations manager of MultiChoice Zimbabwe, said a wealth of African content would be broadcast on a range…
By Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) 1. INTRODUCTION In the wake of the declaration by the World Health Organisation of COVID-19 as a global pandemic and in keeping with section 27(2) of the Civil Protection Act Chapter 10:06, the Government of Zimbabwe declared the COVID-19 a state of disaster to facilitate the enactment of a…
By Anyway Yotamu International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Zimbabwe has provided over 980 tarpaulins and 250 sets of Non-Food Items kits to selected institutions in the country towards the fight against COVID-19. The beneficiaries include the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) Hotel (Rainbow Hotel) in Beitbridge, Plumtree High School in Plumtree and Vuti High…
By Habakkuk Trust Village Health Workers (VHWs) continue to champion the fight against COVID-19 in most parts of rural Matabeleland. These brave men and women have kept communities abreast with key information on the novel Coronavirus. When the government declared COVID-19 as a formidable epidemic leading to a national lockdown, village health workers came in to fill…
By Nyasha Chiketsani G.O.A.T – An acronym for the “Greatest Of All-Time” In recent years the term “GOAT” has found itself at the heart of many of our daily discussions. Whether it’s sports, music, art, or any field for that matter, people have their own opinions as to who the “GOAT” is. As humans, it’s…
Ecobank Group (www.Ecobank.com), the pan-African Bank, is leveraging its distribution and partner networks to raise awareness of literacy apps in the Google Play Store to support the education of children who are at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 continues to affect everyone’s lives, Ecobank is committed to protecting the health, safety and…
The United States has approved more than $230 million to support the fight against HIV in Zimbabwe and achieve epidemic control through a comprehensive package of prevention, treatment, and support services. Ambassador Brian A. Nichols made the announcement on April 30 following the approval of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Country…
VAYA Logistics has today launched VAYA Express Shopper, a free personal shopping service that allows customers to simply identify and pay for the groceries they want in a shop, and a dedicated ‘express shopper’ does the shopping for them, and delivers it right to their doorstep. According to VAYA Logistics, the free service will be…
Today the United Nations and partners launched an updated Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP) in New York requesting for US$6.7 billion to protect millions of lives and stem the spread of coronavirus in fragile countries. Launching the updated GHRP, UN Humanitarian Chief, Mark Lowcock called for swift and determined action to avoid the most destabilizing…
The government will provide Bank Guarantee Facility worth ZWL$500 million to assist the Tourism Sector to access working capital loans from banks, Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality industry Minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu has said. Unveiling a stimulus package today to boost the tourism sector in post COVID-19 lockdown, Minister Ndhlovu announced a raft of measures…
When going into a relationship, your initial focus tends to be on just your partner and not so much on the people that surround them, such as their family, who will be playing a key role in your relationship. No one wants to feel rejected or not welcomed into the family of someone they can…
By Anyway Yotamu Youth, Sport, Arts, and Recreation Minister, Kirsty Coventry was pleased by the progress on uplifting the National Sports Stadium when she on Wednesday 6th of May 2020 toured the sporting facility accompanied by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Thokozile Chitepo, Sports and Recreation Commission Director-General Prince Mupazviriho, officials from the…
VAYA has partnered with widows from the United Methodist Church in Mabelreign, Harare, to make reusable cloth masks to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Following a month-long lockdown which has since been extended by another two weeks, the government has ordered that citizens wear masks in public, in a move meant to arrest…
It’s not easy launching a new business and making it a success, but with the right help and support Zimbabwean entrepreneurs can make their business dreams come true. This is something Fungai Tavaziva can certainly attest to. He was 33 when he opened his first business, a computer shop in Harare’s central business district. Lured…
Africa50 (www.Africa50.com), the pan-African infrastructure investment platform, has announced its COVID-19 Relief Support Initiative, which aims to support the continent’s fight against the pandemic. Under this initiative, Africa50 is providing US$800,000 to help contain the spread of the virus and minimize its impact. Given the likely long-term effects of the pandemic, Africa50’s COVID-19 Relief Support…
South Africa’s President and African Union chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa and the Nobel peace laureate and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have commended Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org), for his visionary leadership and bold initiatives to accelerate Africa’s development and to support the continent through the COVID-19 crisis. President Ramaphosa expressed…
By Veritas On the 3rd of May 2020, the Law Society of Zimbabwe published a critique on the impact and legitimacy of SI 96 of 2020. The Law Society’s critique is reproduced here with the kind permission of the Executive Director of the Law Society, Mr. Edward Mapara. Statutory Instrument 96 of 2020, inter alia, allows for…
By Kumbirai Mafunda Zimbabwean authorities on Sunday 3 May 2020 arrested two men in Rushinga in Mashonaland Central province and charged them with undermining the authority of or insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa after they allegedly shared and made remarks on a video clip in which the ZANU PF party leader brags about the strength of…
The Japanese Government has contributed over US$450, 000 to provide life-saving nutrition, HIV/AIDS and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) interventions to communities affected by drought and floods. The project will be implemented in four food-insecure districts, namely Binga, Buhera, Chiredzi and Masvingo, through UNICEF in collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe. It will particularly focus…
By Habakkuk Trust The relaxation of lockdown regulations threatens to reverse the gains made by the Zimbabwean government in combating the Covid-19 virus. The government of Zimbabwe enacted Statutory Instrument 99 of 2020 in line with Presidential proclamation on the easing Covid-19 national lockdown regulations. Provisions of the statute make the wearing of masks mandatory…
By Veritas Originated in Africa In 1993 African journalists in Windhoek agreed to what is known as the Windhoek Declaration. The Declaration calls for media pluralism and independence, not only in Africa but across the world. This landmark Declaration inspired the United Nations General Assembly to declare the 3rd May “World Press Freedom Day”. Since 1993, the…
Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has annulled the 2019/20 domestic season due to the coronavirus pandemic. This means the first-class competition, the Logan Cup, and the List A contest, the Pro50 Championship, have been voided, with no winners being declared. The premier domestic competitions – which were underway before the government suspended all sporting activities as part…
By Raymond Chamba The vulturous and vampire grip of China on Africa did not come without active American assistance. Yes, suucessive American administrations have woefully missed the trade imperative and went on to major in minors by concentrating on warm fuzzy stuff and optics. Who eats that. It is US taxpayers money that was misused…
By Charles Dhewa In addition to disrupting food supply chains, COVID-19 has presented a pricing headache for smallholder farmers in African countries. If government directs supermarkets to revert back to pre-COVID19 prices they can easily do so because they have a tradition of keeping records on stocks and prices. On the other hand, mass markets…
By Habakkuk Trust Community members in various parts of rural Matabeleland have called on the government to ensure that subsidized mealie meal reaches their communities as they face food insecurity and are in dire need of affordable commodities. Access to subsidized mealie meal has been a source of conflict in most urban areas as citizens…
Through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States has committed US$3 million from the U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 National Preparedness and Response Plan. This new donation brings to over US$6 million the total amount that the United States has committed to…
In her book, “Akarangarirwa Pakukutu” – a Shona Novel, Laizah Singadi reminds humankind that no one chooses to be born with a disability hence the need to treat everyone as equal. “Everyone born with a disability should be respected. They are people like us and are only differently-abled. These people actually possess talents or gifts…
By Golden Maunganidze (MISA Zimbabwe Chairperson) This year’s World Press Freedom Day commemorations on 3 May 2020 come on the backdrop of Zimbabwe’s 40 years of independence and ahead of the 30th anniversary of the 1991 Windhoek Declaration in 2021. The Windhoek Declaration which asserts that free media is essential to democracy and a fundamental…
The days drag by slowly in a way that numbs the mind, making it difficult to differentiate each day from the next. Watching TV has lost its thrill, like bubblegum that has stayed in the mouth for too long. The alacrity with which workouts were being done in the early days of lockdown has petered…
VAYA Express, through VAYA Express Medical Deliveries, is now offering free delivery of medical supplies to assist Zimbabweans in need of critical medicines and drugs during the restrictions imposed due the COVID -19 pandemic and beyond. VAYA Express Medical Deliveries is collaborating with Maisha Health fund (formerly Steward Health) to help people in need to…
As the vaccine for coronavirus remains elusive, popular conscious music artists, Beven Masvosva and Walter Mangisi who is popularly known as Man Walle have turned to God for salvation in their latest release song. In their song, “Fight COVID-19”, the artists acknowledge the ravaging impact of the virus that has left the world confused and…
By Avi Selk The latest The mysterious origin of the novel coronavirus is now a matter of international dispute. The U.S. intelligence community concluded the virus is not man-made in a new report, but would not rule out the possibility that it was accidentally released from a virology lab in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began late last…
By Tatenda Mabara (Researcher) The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all sectors of the global economic ecosystem and the tourism and hospitality sector will experience the most severe impact. This is mainly because tourism is increasingly hypermobile and largely based on interaction among people. Based on the latest COVID19 induced developments such as quarantine measures, travel…
By Ronnie Chisamba in Kadoma A popular music producer in the Kadoma gold mining town has said Zimbabwean artists from all genres should play an instrumental role in the struggle against COVID-19. Founder and owner of Vigo Studio lnt.,Fanuel Kanyonganise (39),a.ka. Fankan, expressed confidence that immense contribution from the art industry would go a long…
By Joyce Mukucha As the world is experiencing unprecedented crises caused by the COVID-19, the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry continues to stand with citizens in this difficult time as it commits to support the National fight against the pandemic. In his national clean-up campaign statement, the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism,…
By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association The Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association joins all the citizens of Zimbabwe and the world in celebrating the past and present victories of workers while making clear the organisation’s commitment to continue defending the workers’ labour struggles. The 2020 International Workers’ Day is being commemorated under a different atmosphere. The day…
In more developed countries whose economies are better off than most in sub-Saharan Africa, a strong safety net of social programmes, unemployment insurance, and direct payments will make all the difference in the depth of the current COVID-19 induced downturn and will speed up economic recovery. But for poorer countries, and in the short to…
By Community Working Group on Health This year’s national Worker’s Day theme; “Stop Covid-19 Pandemic: Scale-up social protection and dialogue, save jobs and pay a living wage”, befits the current environment which emphasizes stopping the spread of the virus and urging employers to pay wages that sustain families, especially during this lockdown period. It is…
MultiChoice Zimbabwe has sent out a reminder to existing and potential DStv viewers that they should make use of only accredited installers and agents when they need installations or other technical support services. Several customers have reported being given defective or substandard products and inadequate support from people posing as DStv installers and agents, but who…
Op-ed by Guy Ryder, Director-General, International Labour Organisation In these times of COVID-19, the big challenge for most of us is how to protect ourselves and our families from the virus and how to hold on to our jobs. For policy-makers that translates into beating the pandemic without doing irreversible damage to the economy in…
By Nyasha Munashe Chiketsani Rap music, whether you like it or not, is the most influential genre of music today. According to The Independent, “Rap has surpassed rock to become the biggest music genre in the United States, according to the end-of-year report published by Nielsen Music in 2017. R&B/Rap represented 24.5 % of all…
By Nyasha Chiketsani Picture this – you’re having a basketball discussion with a group of friends and someone brings up the 2011 NBA Finals. What’s the first thing you’re likely to think about, Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks’ incredible performance or LeBron James’ ‘complete meltdown’? Probably the latter. If so, I don’t blame you…
