Headlines

IRI, NDI to observe Zimbabwean elections

In response to President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s public statements welcoming international observers to monitor the upcoming Zimbabwe elections, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) are deploying a joint Zimbabwe International Election Observation Mission (ZIEOM) to observe the 2018 Zimbabwe elections. The IRI-NDI ZIEOM has opened an office in the Milton Park…

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Documentary film screening for rural communities bridging the digital divide

By Habakkuk Trust Habakkuk Trust has since incorporated digital media advocacy as a tool for reaching out to remote communities with limited access to mobile networks. The media technology has enabled the screening of documentary films on natural resource benefit and access to justice for women in traditional courts in Bubi, Gwanda, Bulilima, and Nkayi…

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Mobile COVID-19 Test Laboratories arrive in Zimbabwe to alleviate border congestion

The African Union (AU) Special Envoy for COVID-19, Strive Masiyiwa has announced the arrival of COVID-19 Test Laboratories in Zimbabwe. Masiyiwa wrote: A few weeks ago someone made a presentation to me on a new Technology for T-Testing.  I immediately spotted its potential to help African countries at borders and airports. It can also help…

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Celebrated Nigerian Producer Mo Abudu joins Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Celebrated Nigerian filmmaker, broadcaster, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Mo Abudu, has been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, (Oscars), as one of 29 producers, and the only African and Nigerian in this category. Abudu, who is CEO and Chairwoman of EbonyLife Media which includes EbonyLife TV, EbonyLife Studios, EbonyLife Films, EbonyLife…

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Econet Wireless partners with Grassroots Cricket Charity Organisation

Econet Wireless Zimbabwe has signed a three-year partnership with Grassroots Cricket aimed at bringing the game of cricket to a new generation of children in disadvantaged areas. Under the partnership, the telecommunications giant will provide a US$60 000 grant that will enable Grassroots Cricket’s Cricket for Hope program to establish a cricket league among secondary…

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COVID 19: A devastating blow for children in poverty

By Anyway Yotamu Whilst the coronavirus (COVID-19) has so far resulted in less severe cases among children, it can decimate their lives in a different way. The ‘physical distancing’ measures increasingly required to contain the virus mean parents are unable to work, as ‘business as usual’ is rapidly grinding to a halt across the world.  Meanwhile,…

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Delayed Start, Unforgettable Night: ‘City to City’ Tour Thrills Harare

Writes Herzel Mushayabasa The highly anticipated ‘City to City: Best Of The Best’ tour lit up the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) on Saturday night, delivering a memorable showcase of Zimbabwean musical talent despite a delayed start of nearly two hours. While early attendance was modest, the venue steadily filled as performances began, ultimately drawing…

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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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Food for thought in a warming climate

Over the past 30 years, extreme events such as wildfires, droughts, floods, and heat waves have multiplied due to the warming climate.   According to climate models and research conducted by the IPCC, NASA, and other scientific institutions, their frequency, intensity, and duration are expected to grow in the future. Apart from the dramatic toll…

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Avenues for energizing commitment in African agricultural transformation

By Charles Dhewa Failure to implement agricultural policies by many African countries stems from processes through which such policies are developed. When different stakeholders do not adequately participate in the process of developing a national agricultural policy, their commitment in terms of technical and financial support is often very weak. Those leading processes of developing…

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Youth urged to harness digital pathways for sustainable development

The Zimbabwe Youth Council joined the rest of the world in celebrating the 2024 International Youth Day yesterday and urged young people to harness digital pathways for sustainable development.   Addressing delegates at the sixth Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF) yesterday held under the theme “Empowering the Future: Innovative Education for Sustainable Development in Africa”…

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Zimbabwean aeronautical engineers assemble new crop spraying drone

By Wallace Mawire Two Zimbabwean aeronautical engineers have initiated a new crop spraying drone technology to provide a more efficient, effective and sustainable crop spraying service for Zimbabwean farmers. According to Piwai Chikasha, Managing Director at Alley Capital Group, a Zimbabwean engineering company offering crop spraying services using precision spraying drones, agriculture is one of…

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Beyond Masterton Cheshire Home Evictions: Shifting from Charity to Human Rights Based Approach

By Byron Mutingwende Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe (LCDZ) has hogged the limelight after evicting its long-time tenants from Masterton House, in a move widely interpreted as callous given the physical conditions of the victims. As an investigative journalist, I would like to divert a bit from just giving an account of events by delving into…

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Deaf Women Included sensitises media on disability-friendly reportage

By Joyce Mukucha In the quest for disability awareness among media professionals and to increase disability representation in the media, Deaf Women Included (DWI) hosted a media workshop where they screened a documentary on violence against women with disabilities which explores experiences and challenges they encounter in their day to day lives. The event was…

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UN Emergency Fund allocates $20 million to Cyclone Idai

UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock yesterday allocated US$20 million from the United Nations’ Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to ramp up the humanitarian response to Tropical Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The bulk of the funding will kickstart the response in worst-hit Mozambique. The cyclone made landfall near Beira City, Sofala Province in…

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GMB expropriates above 300MT of grain from farmers

By Lloyd Rabaya The Grain Marketing Board (GMB) has so far expropriated above 300 metric tonnes (MT) of grain from farmers who were intending to side-market their grain. This came out on Tuesday when Minister of Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa was addressing the post-cabinet briefing. In her address, Mutsvangwa urged farmers to…

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Double, triple discrimination for women with disabilities

By Byron Mutingwende Available statistics have shown that women with disabilities often suffer double or triple discrimination in society, a workshop by Deaf Women Included revealed. In his presentation on issues and policy gaps affecting women with disabilities at a workshop held in Harare on 4 March 2019, Professor Lincoln Hlatywayo, a Senior Lecturer of…

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Zimbabwean political terrain impacted by social media

By Talkmore Thulani Gandiwa Twitter, WhatsApp and Facebook have transformed the way political figures interact with their constituencies. Fifteen years ago, campaigns were drastically different. Reflect back to Robert Mugabe Vs Morgan Tsvangirai election of 2002. There was hardly social media. Facebook was to be launched two years after these elections, and when it came…

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Africa50 general shareholders’ meeting in Morocco call for global investments in African infrastructure

African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) President and Chairman of the Africa50 (https://www.Africa50.com) Board of Directors, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has highlighted the crucial role that Africa50 is playing to help bridge Africa’s infrastructure financing gap. Adesina was speaking at the opening session of Africa50’s general shareholders’ meeting in Marrakech on Tuesday. He told delegates that Africa50 had…

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Tourism: A Global Force For Growth And Development

UNWTO Executive Council meets in Baku The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has met in Baku, Azerbaijan, for the 110th Session of its Executive Council (16-18 June). At the meeting, Member States endorsed the Organization’s progress and future plans, as outlined Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, and warmly welcomed the participation of the United States as it explores…

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Strong outbound tourism demand from both traditional and emerging markets in 2017

Preliminary data showed that virtually all source markets reported higher tourism spending in 2017, reflecting continued strong demand for international tourism across all world regions. Both emerging and advanced economies fuelled growth, led by the United States which spent US$ 12 billion more on travel abroad. China spent US$ 8 billion more, consolidating its leadership…

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Build Privacy focused Consumer Applications: @protocol Appathon urges young Zimbabweans

US-based The @ Company (The At Company) is bringing the @protocol Appathon II to Zimbabwe, targeting young developers and technology enthusiasts. The challenge: to build innovative consumer applications on @protocol, an open, permission-based protocol that makes great user experience and automatic privacy compliance easy. This initiative, being run in association with the Computer Association of…

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Stakeholders critique Civil Aviation (Amendment) Bill

By Byron Mutingwende   Stakeholders at a public hearing held by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructure at the New Ambassador Hotel in Harare on 13 February 2018 said the Civil Aviation Bill needed amendments on many areas.   In his contribution, Nkosilathi Sibanda, the Chairman of the Commercial and General Aviation Association…

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Zimbabwe COVID-19 Health Booths Project Ameliorating The Pandemic

Compiled by Dr. Martin Chitsama – Project National Coordinator ZimCovid-19 Health Booths Project INTRODUCTION On January 30, 2020, the Director-General of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Up to mid-February 2021, more than 100 million people have been infected by…

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Calls for amendment of Seed Act get louder

By Tafadzwa Muranganwa There are calls to amend the Seeds Act to promote community seed systems that are resilient to climate change. This was heard recently at an agroecology media training organised by Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Zimbabwe, recently. A community seed company, Champion Farmer Seeds, has revealed that there are many hurdles…

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AfDB commits $301 million to renovate Uganda’s meter gauge railway, bolster regional trade

The works entail the immediate rehabilitation of 265 km of MGR tracks between Malaba and Mukono, including the line to Jinja Pier and Port Bell on Lake Victoria The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) is providing  $301 million to overhaul the Kampala-Malaba Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) in Uganda. The railway line is part of the…

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Leading Women Entrepreneurs Across Africa Share Their Insight

Launch of Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) Insights publication to celebrate woman leaders and entrepreneurs across Africa To mark the 5th anniversary of its high-profile annual conference, the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (http://www.AWIEForum.org), has launched a prestigious publication, AWIEF Insights, celebrating and acknowledging the contribution made by women leaders, businesswomen and entrepreneurs…

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Afreximbank, CDC Group Sign $100 Million Master Risk Participation

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and CDC Group Plc. yesterday in Casablanca, Morocco, signed a $100-million master risk participation agreement to support Afreximbank’s Trade Facilitation Programme. Under the terms of the risk participation arrangement, CDC will provide unfunded risk participation to Afreximbank as the Bank provides trade finance products that include trade confirmation services; trade…

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Governments urged to Prioritize Integrated Water and Climate Action

By Joyce Mukucha The head of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) together with nine other international organisations have urged nations to urgently step up and take action to address the water-related consequences of climate change. The message was communicated in a correspondence which was issued last week and directed to world leaders ahead of the…

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Decolonizing African Food Systems Has Never Been So Urgent

By Charles Dhewa African countries have remained stuck in colonial food systems and structures where grain silos, abattoirs, processing centres, and other important food handling facilities are located in cities. By now, silos and processing facilities should have been established at the community level, close to production zones. Why should maize leave rural areas to…

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