COVID-19 Related Deaths At Tobacco Factory In Indonesia Are Latest Example of Prioritizing Profits Over Workers

Global tobacco industry watchdog STOP (Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products) and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) are urging caution following a rash of reports that tobacco industry practices may be putting their workers at risk for COVID-19. The alert comes amid news that two factory workers have died from COVID-19 and dozens of others tested positive at HM Sampoerna, a…

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The Cultural and Social Challenges to Slowing the Pandemic in Africa

By Chris Macoloo When the outbreak of the coronavirus was reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, it is arguable whether African governments took the threat seriously. Since this was a new virus, most African governments thought that it would be confined to China. Even after most Western countries prohibited planes from certain cities in Asia…

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Cassava Fintech responds to Covid-19, unveils Sasai TeamTalk with FREE calls on Sundays

Cassava Fintech International (CFI), a subsidiary of Econet Global, today released an enhanced voice and video conferencing service that allows up to 20 people on one call. The service, branded Sasai TeamTalk, was unveiled as a promotional offer of FREE Sasai Conference calling, between 8 am and 5 pm every Sunday until the end of…

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COVID-19: High Court Orders Improvement In Dissemination of Information to the Deaf and the Blind

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…

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IOM enhances capacity to respond to COVID-19 challenges at main points of entry

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…

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Communities applaud village health workers

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…

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Ecobank and Google collaborate to keep children learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

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…

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United States Approves $230 Million to Fight HIV in Zimbabwe

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…

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US$84.9 million urgently required to support National COVID-19 response in Zimbabwe

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…

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Minister Ndlovu unveils stimulus package to boost the tourism sector

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…

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National Sports Stadium Facelift: Minister Coventry happy with the progress

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…

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VAYA helps with COVID-19 safety compliance measures

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…

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Africa50 donates US$800,000, joins African Countries to help fight COVID-19

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…

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African leaders laud AfDB President for visionary leadership amid COVID crisis

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…

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Law Society, Veritas comment on Deferment of Rents and Mortgage Payments (SI 96 of 2020)

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…

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Japan provides nutrition, HIV/AIDS and WASH support for women and children in four districts across Zimbabwe

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…

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Business returns to normal in Bulawayo

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…

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Reflections on costing of agricultural commodities – thanks to COVID19

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…

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United States assistance to Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 national response now exceeds US$6 million

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…

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Disability isn’t inability: Laizah Singadi’s Book “Akarangarirwa Pakukutu”

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…

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Implementing democratic media reforms is not rocket science: MISA Zimbabwe

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…

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VAYA Express Medical Deliveries offers free delivery of medicines

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…

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Artists appeal to God to save the world from coronavirus

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…

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Coronavirus Updates: Intrigue behind the pandemic’s origins

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…

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COVID-19: Whither tourism in the era of a socially isolating world?

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…

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Artistes Should Play Pivotal Roles ln The Fight Against Covid-19: Music Producer

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…

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Government committed to creating a clean environment in the fight against COVID-19

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,…

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