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WHAT a low-spirited start to the New Year it has been. All the dark episodes of 2020, with all the grief and death seem to have spilled to 2021 with COVID-19 arguably the worst nightmare. This time, it appears it is more deadly and has a strong appetite to devour judging by the soaring numbers of infections and deaths. After the reckless partying that ushered merrymakers into the New Year, authorities had to act and indeed, the lockdown was the only viable action. The swift reaction by the government to impose a lockdown that includes closure of bars, bottlestores, gyms and other facilities could not have come at a better time. It was timely and life-saving but of course with its own negativity. In the last week alone, Zimbabwe recorded 1 342 COVID-19 cases and 29 deaths, representing the highest number of cases recorded to date. On January 2, 2021, 407 new cases were recorded and eight deaths and such numbers are nothing to ignore. The reality we all feared is with us now. COVID-19 is a killer and is ravaging communities hence the need to stop the recklessness that had taken centre stage. The lockdown will, however, mean nothing if there is no proper enforcement and this time, vigilance is needed by enforcers. Of course we are not saying the military and police should use maximum force that borders on human rights violations like we witnessed last year. Soaring cases, particularly in the last two months have risen to terrifying levels and we have been waiting for the government to act. Government was relaxed in that period with some of its officials posting on their social media platforms pictures of themselves partying, completely oblivious of COVID-19 regulations. That was inexcusable recklessness by Cabinet ministers at a time the people needed to be shepherded into responsible behaviour. As if such carelessness by ministers was not enough, President Emmerson Mnangagwa addressed hundreds of Zanu PF supporters in Chivi, Masvingo province, exposing them to the deadly disease. Well, that is now in the past but the point remains that it is incumbent upon the leadership to lead by example so that the followers will follow responsibly. We also witnessed towards the end of the year a “super-spreader” event in the form of a chaotic MDC-T extraordinary congress and that Thokozani Khupe was immediately taken ill after the indaba. This is no longer a joke and the deaths, some of them of prominent people in the last two days, should be enough lessons for authorities to act responsibly. Thankfully, the lockdown is a step in the right direction. It will, however, come to naught if it ends just as a lockdown without putting in place other measures including availing ventilators in hospitals and improving testing for the virus. In these trying times, we must not forget those in the frontline, the health workers who are daily exposed to COVID-19 as they try to save lives. The government needs to act and provide all the necessary support. It is a fight we must win together, and we will.
In May, Burundi held a presidential election which was won by Evariste Ndayishimiye, candidate of the ruling National Council for the Defense of Democracy - Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) party.
Ndayishimiye was hurriedly sworn in after the untimely death of president Pierre Nkurunziza in June.
Rights violations continue
The Council encouraged donor countries which had suspended aid to Burundi to continue dialogue towards resumption of development assistance.
A report by a UN watchdog in September said human rights violations were still being committed in Burundi, including sexual violence and murder.
The country was plunged into a crisis in April 2015 when Ndayishimiye’s predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza decided to run for a controversial third term, which he ultimately won in July 2015.
His candidature, which was opposed by the opposition and civil society groups, resulted in a wave of protests, violence and even a failed coup in May 2015.
Hundreds of people were killed and over 300,000 fled to neighboring countries.
More than 4.5 million Californians have already cast ballots in the 2020 general election - and there're still 12 days to go. Roughly one-fifth of the 21.5 million ballots mailed to registered voters had been processed as of Tuesday evening, blowing away previous election totals. About three times as many California residents have participated in […]
The post Early voter turnout smashing California election records appeared first on Black Voice News.
Paulwell and his US visa boastI'M not aware that it is easy to get a United States visitor's visa, especially after the one you had was cancelled under cloudy circumstances. But it seems that new People's National Party Chairman Phillip Paulwell has the formula.
BY CHARLES LAITON HIGH Court judge Justice Benjamin Chikowero yesterday recused himself from presiding over a matter involving suspended judge Justice Erica Ndewere saying he was conflicted. Justice Ndewere recently filed an application challenging Chief Justice Luke Malaba’s order to have her investigated for alleged misconduct. She also challenged the move to have her investigated by a sitting judge. Justice Chikowero becomes the second judge to recuse himself from the matter after Justice Moses Foroma said he could not handle the matter involving a colleague. In his ruling on Justice Ndewere’s application to have him recuse himself, Justice Chikowero said justice would not have been done if he insisted ion dealing with the matter, moreso given the fact that the suspended judge was his senior and they also worked together. “I sit on the High Court bench. So does the applicant (Justice Erica Ndewere). We are both stationed in Harare. She is my colleague,” Chikowero said in his judgment. “I was appointed to this bench on December 14, 2017. Since then, I have always been paired with applicant (Justice Ndewere) on the urgent judge duty roster. She is the senior judge. I am the junior judge. “This means the applicant has been my professional partner on that roster ever since I became a judge of this court. Professionally, I am, therefore, closely linked to the applicant.” He added: “Judicial office is a public trust. My view is that my continued sitting in this matter would not maintain public confidence in the Judiciary. “It would actually be an embarrassment to the Judiciary. It would bring the Judiciary into disrepute. Whatever my decision in the matter, justice would not be seen to have been done.” Justice Ndewere vowed to fight the Judicial Service Commission (JSC)’s move after the latter wrote to President Emmerson Mnangagwa asking him to set up a tribunal to investigate her alleged gross misconduct. Her lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa also confirmed the latest development. “We are now waiting for the appointment of a retired judge to deal with the matter,” Mtetwa said. “However, since Justice (Moses) Foroma recused himself, we wrote to the Judge President (George Chiweshe) to find us a retired judge to deal with the matter, but we have not heard from him and we are still waiting. “In fact, we were surprised when Justice Chikowero was appointed to hear our matter because we had raised some concerns over the issue of judges.” Justice Ndewere is facing allegations of gross misconduct in the performance of her duties, where it is alleged she caused the setting aside of the jail term of a thief, Kenneth Majecha, and referred the case back to the lower court for re-sentencing and recommended that he should perform community service on the basis that he was a youthful first offender. The JSC contends that Justice Ndewere was wrong about Majecha being a first offender as he had three previous convictions. But Justice Ndewere said she was being victimised for refusing to take orders from Chief Justice Malaba to deny bail to former
FORMER Zanu PF youth commissar Godfrey Tsenengamu, who was arrested last week on allegations of inciting public violence, was yesterday granted $10 000 bail by a High Court judge. BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA He was among activists accused of mobilising for the July 31 anti-corruption protests. He is facing the same charges as MDC Alliance deputy chairperson Job Sikhala, journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and opposition leader Jacob Ngarivhume, who were released after spending several weeks in remand prison. Tsenengamu was denied bail at the Harare Magistrates Court following his arrest on charges of inciting public violence before the successful High Court appeal Follow Harriet on Twitter @Harrietchikand1
After rumors swirled last week that Tiffany Haddish and rapper Common had called it quits, the actress appeared on Extra to set the record straight. “I feel like it’s gonna work. I haven’t felt like this about a relationship ever,” Haddish shared with former “Bachelorette” star Rachel Lindsay for Extra. “We laugh all the time. He’s actually really funny. I’m […]
Michigan Rep. Cynthia Johnson released voicemails in which her life was threatened, including one that insisted she would hang “from... View Article
The post Michigan lawmaker told she’ll be ‘hanging from the gallows’ in threatening voicemails appeared first on TheGrio.
2020 has been a tough year for us all. But it doesn’t have to end that way. Lots of us are talking about how 2021 is going to be so much different. It will be a new year full of new possibilities. How we end this year will catapult us into 2021. End the year...
The post 5 Ways to help end 2020 right appeared first on PRECIOUS.
[ANGOP] Lisbon -- The number of Angolans infected with Covid-19 in Portugal rose last Wednesday to 93, after the recent two new cases, who happen to be non-resident citizens in this European country.
Hoodlums\" wearing military uniforms may have shot Nigerian protesters campaigning against police brutality and it was too soon to tell if soldiers were involved.
EDITORIAL COMMENT Statements by Finance minister Mthuli Ncube last week that his economic blueprint, Transitional Stabilisation Programme (TSP) had scored several successes, got us thinking. What is success, really? When Ncube took over the Finance ministry in 2018 after the November 2017 coup, Zimbabwe was not short of fuel, the country had stable prices and teachers, nurses and other civil servants were religiously reporting for duty as they were relatively happy with the obtaining working conditions. Prices were stable and work, in its various forms, paid enough for employees to sustain their families. In fact, in 2018, Zimbabweans never cared to think about the inflation rate. It was way below 10%, until the professor glided in and force-marched the numbers way up north. This must not be misconstrued to mean the late former President Robert Mugabe’s regime didn’t destroy this economy. We are only comparing the situation back then, and now, when teachers cannot retrn to their workstations because all they have worked for in the past months have been rendered useless by relentless inflation, a volatile exchange and skyrocketing prices. These are just a few examples of what Mthuli found running well when he arrived at the Finance ministry to begin his ruinous reforms where he interfered with a viable multi-currency system with the introduction of a domestic currency. We were shocked back then in June last year, because basic economics told us that a disaster was in the making. Production in industries was extremely low when the rushed currency reforms were made. Exports were very low when the reforms kicked in, and foreign currency reserves at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe were below the recommended three months’ cover. Under these circumstances, any right-thinking person would have known that we were headed for disaster. The economy was not ready to sustain its own currency. But what did we see when the Zimbabwe dollar returned? The foreign currency that was still in the market immediately disappeared and the black market rate resurfaced. Ncube and his team were then forced to begin the battle to tame the rage, devoting most of their time to plotting how to win the battle. Elsewhere, the last remaining firms started crumbling because foreign currency shortages had mounted, the power crisis had returned and imported raw materials became difficult to procure. Two years since the TSP came in, it is being wound up and we are a worse off lot. Workers’ pensions have been destroyed, rural communities are sinking deeper into poverty and everything else is in disarray. Now, correct us if we are wrong. Is this the definition of success?
A LEAKED conversation between two senior Zanu PF officials in Mashonaland Central province has exposed a rift in the ruling party ahead of the district co-ordinating committee (DCC) elections. BY MOSES MATENGA/SIMBARASHE SITHOLE This comes at a time some interested candidates like Energy minister Zhemu Soda, who is also allegedly campaigning for a post in the DCC, has claimed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa ordered that he should run uncontested. Former Muzarabani MP Christopher Chitindi is also reportedly eyeing the Muzarabani district chairmanship. In the leaked audio, Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial deputy spokesperson Fredrick Nhaka is allegedly engaged in a telephone conversation, where he warned a district political commissar in Bindura against associating with businessman James Makamba, and those whom he said were aligned to the country’s Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga. Makamba is reportedly eyeing the provincial chairperson post and is aligned to Chiwenga. Nhaka is heard in the audio giving his preferred list of candidates, where he referred to some candidates as ED’s people (Mnangagwa’s people). He also gave another list of party officials whom he said were linked to Chiwenga. “These people I have mentioned to you are ED’s people. They are fighting the President and are now with Chiwenga. They are working with leadership here and also with Makamba,” Nhaka said in the audio. He also said he did not want fights just like what happened with former Vice-President Joice Mujuru who alleged led a faction called Gamatox. Contacted for comment, Soda claimed that people were jealous of his appointment as Energy minister by Mnangagwa, and as a result were cooking up stories about factionalism in Zanu PF using his name. “People are just jealous of my appointment and are cooking up stories. There was a fake letter on social media written by misguided members in our district just to soil my name,” Soda said. Zanu PF Mashonaland Central provincial chairperson Kazembe Kazembe said party members should be warned against dropping Mnangagwa and Chiwenga’s names to pursue their personal agendas. “This narrative that there is a rift in the presidium is both nonsensical and imaginary. That is the language of the enemy. The President and his Vice-Presidents work very well and they will not lose sleep over these artificial enemy-made non-existent rifts,” the Home Affairs minister said. Kazembe also told NewsDay that provincial members, the national consultative assembly, central committee and politburo members should not interfere with DCC elections. “We have noted with concern that some senior party officials have taken a direct interest in the DCC elections and some are even campaigning for the candidates. “Aspiring candidates should be allowed to campaign freely and on their own. The party will not hesitate to discipline all those found interfering,” Kazembe said. He warned that those that put the party’s name into disrepute would be disciplined in accordance with the Zanu PF constitution. Follow Moses on Twitter
A missing painting by renowned artist Jacob Lawrence has been rediscovered more than 60 years after it disappeared from the public eye. The picture was […]
The Irfaan Ali cabinet last week rejected multi-million dollars payment submissions for works undertaken under the last government on the Infectious Disease Hospital and rental for the facility, sources say.
The article Cabinet rejects payments for Liliendaal hospital works under last gov’t appeared first on Stabroek News.
[New Times] President Paul Kagame on Thursday, October 22, officiated at the swearing-in of six new senators.
If you thought Boosie would bounce right back from his recent wounds think again. The gangster rapper made it clear that his road to recovery will be a long one. As spotted on TMZ The Badazz is down bad when it comes to his leg. Earlier today he shared some visuals of his wounds. The Instagram […]
Tenders were last week opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board for a number of projects to be undertaken at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
The article Tenders received for range of GPHC projects appeared first on Stabroek News.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Cricket West Indies president, Ricky Skerritt, says international cricket could return to the Caribbean as soon as the first quarter of next year but the challenge remains the creation of safe bio-secure “bubbles” at Caribbean venues.
The article International cricket set to return next year, says Skerritt appeared first on Stabroek News.
By SUSAN K. SMITH Crazy Faith Ministries In this turbulent political period of our existence, I find myself wondering why anyone would prefer what appears to be the development of an authoritarian regime [...]
The post Democracy vs authoritarianism: Which will win? appeared first on Dallas Examiner.
