SUCCESS LIFE: Jonah Nyoni

THINKING is the big game that every leader should engage in. It shapes the future, scales up possibilities and opportunities that any company has. But do leaders really think?

That’s an open-ended question that provokes the core of every leader. The truth is all people, leaders included, do think, but not most of them practise their potential, which is in quality thinking.

It is only that human beings were not given a robotic mind. Human beings have the power of choice.

But how can leaders use their thinking to the benefit of an organisation?

Leaders must have the right questions. Every leader must be inquisitive. Good questions solicit for good and appropriate solutions.

Why are things the way they are in my company? How can that be changed? Who do I need to change? Why do I need to change? When do I need to change?

Agility

Agility is the nimbleness and attitude to learn. Canadian-American motivational public speaker and self-development author Brian Tracy once said: “Your mind is a like a muscle, it grows with exercise.”

When you learn, you expand your mind, ideas innovativeness and repertoire. Your mind can function well when it has been opened by learning.

What is learning? It is the ability to acquire information that increases you capacity, effectiveness, and mental openness.

It’s commonly said, your mind is like a parachute, it functions well when it is open.

Expose and open your mind through personal development, books and quality mental food. The functions of a parachute become known as soon as it is opened.

As long as it stays down, its true purpose is not accomplished. It is as good as non-existent and so are you. Get to your field and work only then can your destiny be fulfilled.

Learning makes adoptability and adaptability much easier. When you are informed, it’s much easier to tackle change.

The parachute adapts to the wind. When the parachute is open, it harnesses the wind energy and manipulates its power. It adapts so that it functions fully.

The winds of change are always blowing and those that don’t want to upgrade, and adapt are soon left behind. Set your sails properly so as to benefit from any change.

American moral and social philosopher Erick Hoffer (1898-1983) once said: “Learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exits”.

Great leaders are not those that know it all, but those that are willing to listen, learn and change.

In Africa, for example, we are in this state because we have leaders that are not willing to learn and change.

I always wonder why in Zimbabwe, for example, we have great minerals, but we can’t add value and beneficiate them? President Emmerson Mnangagwa should be given a clear and reasonable answer on this by Mines minister Winston Chitando.

Entrust

Thinking should not be centred on the leaders only. A great leader entrusts or delegates thinking to others.

People that you work with are creative, thinking beings. What you need to do as a leader is to positively provoke them so that you are given ideas to use. Dictators only want their thoughts to be heard and implemented.

Create a safe space

Great leaders create a safe space for the incubation of ideas, easy access and easy cross-pollination of ideas. Ideas are everything.

The world is controlled by ideas and the best way is to allow those that are led to give birth to ideas without hindrance. It is up to the current leader to embrace new ideas.

Systems thinking

How do we bring every part to work fluidly in a company? Systems thinking is all about involving all ecosystems necessary in the success of the whole organisation.

That synergistic approach to leadership makes all systems work coherently.

Parting Point: When African leaders step back and think, they will realise that power is not meant to suppress and limit people, but to empower others to become leaders as well. We are surrounded by leaders that can’t listen to people anymore. Worse still they think they have the final say. It’s time for the African leader to rise and think. We need to be liberated in our thinking.

Jonah Nyoni is an author, success coach and certified leadership/business trainer. He is the author of Inspiration for Success and Success Within Reach. Contact details: Tel: 0772 581 918. Email: jonah@classicmail.co.za. Twitter@jonahnyoni.

BY SILAS NKALA/DARLINGTON MWASHITA

GOLD deposits have reportedly been discovered at White Khami Farm in Insiza, with hundreds of illegal panners invading the area in search of the precious mineral, prompting the police to cordon off the area.

A villager from the area said they discovered the gold deposits a week ago, prompting gold panners from areas such as Esigodini, Gwanda, Matopo, Mberengwa and Shangani to throng the area.

“There is a lot of chaos at the site. Panners have been fighting over the control of gold deposits. The deposits are situated 5km from Filabusi turn-off, along Masvingo road,” said the villager who requested anonymity.

“On Saturday (November 23) there was a huge fight between panners with the area becoming a battlefield. Police officers have been deployed to control of the area, especially during the night.”

Contacted for comment on Thursday, Matabeleland South police spokesperson Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele confirmed the development, but dismissed reports of fights between panners.

“The gold rush has brought various gold panners from different places to do illegal mining and police officers are doing what they can to prevent the activities,” Ndebele said.

He warned that illegal panners face arrest.

BY HENRY MHARA

MARSHALL Munetsi couldn’t hold back his smile when NewsDay Sport asked him how it felt to rub shoulders with a global superstar like Brazilian Neymar Jnr in the French Ligue 1.
The Warriors midfielder sealed his move to Stade de Reims from Orlando Pirates in June, and life has been bliss since he moved to France.

He has already featured in eight of his new team’s 12 matches in the French top division, starting three of them.

But of course the 23-year-old’s highest moment in the short period that he has been in France was when Reims, one of the most successful clubs in French football history, having won six Ligue 1 titles, two Coupe de France trophies, and five Trophée des champions titles – faced giants Paris Saint Germain.

Part of his job on the day was to shackle Neymar, and not only did he manage to pass the test, which many falter at, but also provided an assist for the opener as Reims shocked the champions 2-0 in their own backyard.

It was PSG’s first defeat in the league this season.

“I was not afraid of meeting Neymar, or any other big star on that team. All I wanted to do on the day was to play well, and try to win the match,” Munetsi said. “When you dream about playing in Europe, you have to dream about playing with and against the big names. You have to be able to handle the pressure.

“I remember when we were going to play PSG, there was a lot of talk about us losing the match with a big margin. Some were saying we would lose by 5-nil. And it was my first time to be playing on the big, big stage. I have played in big matches before, but this one was huge for me, and to be able to enjoy the moment and to express myself was very massive.
I just want to thank God and the people that have supported me so far, to make this dream a reality.

“Playing against Neymar made me popular, a lot of people here in Zimbabwe were talking about it and congratulating me. I have had a lot of support from the supporters and it means a lot to us the players knowing that you are representing the country very well.”

The former Orlando Pirates midfielder initially came close to joining a club in Belgium before Reims gazumped the deal, and snapped the defensive midfielder on a five-year deal.
He is still adapting to the biting European cold temperatures, but it’s something that he can live with.

To help Munetsi settle in, the club has also provided a tutor helping him with French lessons.

“I’m settling really well. It’s a young team that has good players, and good management. It’s a young team, but with a rich history, it has won some cups so it’s a good learning curve for me as I started my career in France. I have some minutes under my belt, and I have learnt some couple of things through the players I’m playing with and the technical team. It’s been a good stay so far.

“The club organised a French tutor for me, so I have been having a couple of classes so my French is getting better, but it’s still a long way to go.”

“For now, I just want to settle in. The conditions are difficult, like the weather. It’s very cold, so there are a lot of things that I have to adjust to, but once I settle down I will start looking at having a chance to play for bigger clubs. But for now, it’s all about adjusting to life in Europe.”

Munetsi is happy to be playing in France at the moment, but just like any other ambitious football player, his dream is to play for one of the big teams in Spain and England.

“I will go wherever they want me. As players, we have our dreams of playing for teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester City. But for me to reach that stage, I will have to work very hard so hopefully if I progress well in France, I might get offers from bigger clubs. That is what I’m hoping for.”

His rise, together with that of Warriors teammate Marvellous Nakamba, who also joined English Premiership side Aston Villa, at the start of the season, has motivated their local counterparts as well as inspiring the national team.

“For me and Nakamba to play at the level we are, it gives other Zimbabwean players the enthusiasm. They will feel that if these guys can do it coming from Zimbabwe, coming from the same situations that they are in, they can also do it. It gives them hunger that they can pursue their careers everywhere they dream of. It also helps us as the nation, because we would add the quality and the experience that we get playing at our teams in Europe. Playing at the big stage gives a lot of exposure and so it helps the national team.”

The two have built a strong partnership in the heart of the Warriors midfield, and carry the hopes of the nation who are bidding to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Stade de Reims coach David Guion has been impressed with what he has seen in Munetsi so far, and is tipping him to become a very great player.

“He will become a very great player,” Guion told a French football website butfootballclub.fr last month.

“We are happy to have Marshall, he comes from the end of the world, at the bottom of the globe, (he’s) always smiling and listening. I think he will become a very great player. He has never disappointed me, every time (from the time) he came in, he has conducted himself well. I place a lot of hope in him. In the coming years, he will become a player who will count for the Stade de Reims,” he added.

BY FIDELITY MHLANGA

ZIMBABWE’S insurance sector is a experiencing a number of challenges stemming from currency volatility, poor policies and tax remitting burden, ravaging inflation that could jeopardise the viability of the sector if authorities do not intervene.

The southern African country’s economy is saddled with power shortages, foreign currency dearth, run-away inflation, skyrocketing prices amid falling purchasing power.

To keep pace with skyrocketing costs of service delivery, insurance firms have increased premiums for policy holders by up to 1 000%. Firms now risk losing business as policyholders will end up defaulting, owing to the purchasing power that continues tumbling.

This article will look at the implications of currency reforms, policy directives among other pressing issues bedevilling the insurance sector.

Currency reforms and policy directives

Following the abolition of the use of multi-currency regime and the subsequent adoption of the Zimbabwe dollar in June this year, the country’s insurance sector regulator, Insurance and Pensions Commission (Ipec) directed insurance firms to discontinue issuing policies in foreign currency in line with Statutory Instrument 142 of 2019, which introduced local currency.

To confirm that the move was not well thought, three months later, Ipec, after consulting Treasury released circular 13 of 2019 allowing existing foreign currency denominated policies to run to their natural expiry.

The insurance regulator issued a communiqué after consultations with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the Finance and Economic Development ministry.

“All new insurance policies for local assets whose risk is assumed locally should be done in local currency in line with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe regulations. Existing foreign currency denominated policies shall run to their natural expiry. Policies that had lapsed as a result of SI 142 and our letter of June 28, 2019 must be reinstated without prejudice to the policyholders upon payment of arrears. Insurers should, however, provide options for the policyholders to pay premiums for running policies using free funds,” the Ipec circular reads.

Ipec further gave guidelines that the insurance industry can provide insurance policies in foreign currency for international travel insurance, motor insurance for vehicles in transit, customs bond insurance, bank cash in transit and safari operators insurance.

In addition, the transfer of foreign currency denominated insurance premiums was supposed to be processed in the respective currency as per contract through the banking system.

As well insurance and reinsurance companies can receive premiums and retrocessions in foreign currency from external clients into their special nostro accounts.

But it should be noted that the rethinking of this policy came after three months and in the process insurance firms had lost business.

“The effect of both circulars was that insurers lost potential revenue for that time. Now it’s difficult to go back to the same clients and ask them to resume their policies.

Clients no longer have confidence in us and most of them lay the blame on insurers for this circus or confusion,” said a top insurance executive who declined to be named.

Moreover, with the Zimbabwe dollar continuously losing value, firms are being forced to review their premiums (and have done so up to 1 000%) to keep pace with the inflation rate at 440% as of October this year.

This is happening at a time salaries of the majority are stagnant, consequently leading to dwindling purchasing power. A government employee is paid $1 000 at a time an average of five persons per household require $3 160 as of October 2019, according to Zimbabwe statistics data.

Insurance players bemoan the fact that due to the use of mono-currency, insurers are constantly revaluing their sum insured to match the inflationary
pressures.

“So as I reiterated earlier, the issue of mono-currency from multi-currency regime has inconvenienced the insured in terms of insurers having to constantly revalue their sum insured to match market value so that they are adequately insured and avoid underinsurance,” said one industry insider.

The prevailing situation is likely to affect insurance penetration currently, which stands at 4,7 % .

The country with the highest insurance penetration in sub-Saharan Africa is South Africa at 15% ,while Zambia and Mozambique are estimated at 3 % and 1,3 %, respectively.

Angola and Kenya have insurance penetration at 1% and 3%, respectively, according to Willis Towers Watson report on sub-Saharan Africa insurance.

“Premiums are being adjusted on a market determined basis whereas incomes are lagging behind. We are going to see more and more people being uninsured. In these tough times, insurance goes down the priority list. It becomes a luxury when you can’t put food on the table,” Labour and Economic Development Research Institute of Zimbabwe economist Prosper Chitambara said.

Tax remitting burden

Zimbabwe Revenue Authority issued a communique recently chiding all insurers who are not remitting insurance commission tax collected from freelance agents.

Insurers are required to withhold insurance commission tax from the commission paid to the agents or brokers. The insurance commission tax is calculated at the rate of 20%.

For example, insurer VYT Ltd pays commission to a freelance agent BD Hama of $1 000.

The insurer is required to withhold 20% of $1 000, which is $200.

An insurance broker is a professional who offers, negotiates, and sells policies.

He acts as intermediary between insurers and customers and receives compensation. Brokers also help their clients to outline risk management strategies, which are suitable for their profile

A top broker confirmed that brokers are failing to remit US dollars to insurers and insurers cannot also remit to reinsurers even payment of claims for those who were approved to place their insurance in US dollars as banks are frustrating the process, making it difficult to transfer money which complicates the entire procedure.

Anti-money laundering impact

Apart from currency, tax has been a headache and confusion, Zimbabwe has another elephant in the room after it was placed on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)’s monitoring (grey list) in October 2019 following lack of progress in addressing strategic Anti-Money Laundering/Combatting the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) deficiencies identified in 2016.

The regulator now says it will tighten screws on the industry players, which will see it reviewing licensing of insurers to include AML/CFT requirements while guidance papers on the issue will also see mandatory use of proposal form to identify natural persons among all policyholders.

The consequences are deadly should the country be downgraded to dark grey or black list.

Other consequences for non-compliance include removal from international payment platform through termination of correspondent banking relationships in fear of regulatory fines for dealing with non-complying entities.

Prescribed asset ratio non-compliance

Government has pegged prescribed asset ratio at 10%. Prescribed assets are the percentage of retirement funds’ assets and possibly of other institutional investors that, by law, have to be allocated to certain government-approved instrument.

All funeral assurers continue to be non–compliant with the minimum prescribed asset (PA) ratio of 10%.

uneral investments in PA ratio decreased by 23,30% from $1,25 million as at March 31, 2019 to $961 000 as at June 30, 2019.

This comes as in the pensions sector the prescribed asset ratio as at June 30 2019 was 7,25% and was lower than the 10% regulatory minimum.

In the period under review, only one out of 18 short-term insurers was compliant with the minimum prescribed asset ratio of 10%.

The low PA ratio is testament that insurance firms have low appetite for government paper.

“All these ideas are not applicable. Government must not push insurance firms to buy government paper unless it pays a good interest rate. It should offer a good interest rate.

If the instrument is paying less its unfair for insurance firms to invest in them. These firms need a return from their investments,” economist John Robertson (pictured) said.

Insurance sector liquidity and stability

Pending the implementation of a new compliance assessment framework, Zimbabwe integrated capital and risk project to be effected mid-2020, latest figures from the regulator show that some insurance firms are hanging by the thread.

Risk-based capital framework does not eliminate minimum capital requirements, but promote consistent and comprehensive disclosures by entities for the protection of insurance stakeholders and policyholders.

Treasury in the 2020 budget hiked the minimum capital requirements for short-term and funeral insurance entities’ to $37,5 million from $2,5 million, life insurance and re-insurance to $75 million from $5 million, and micro-insurance to $4,5 million from $0,3 million.

It will remain to be seen whether firms will be well capitalised to meet the new thresholds.

Already, as of June 30, 2019 data from the regulator shows that five out of the nine funeral assurers reported capital positions above the regulatory minimum capital requirement of $2,5 million based on their unaudited financial statements.

“The dollar is devaluing. The insurance sector in Zimbabwe is in difficult circumstances because the turnover volumes are going down. Wages are not going up. Many insurers will not find revenue to maintain the services. While some are offering US dollar packages, but many consumers are not earning the US dollars. So it’s difficult times for insurance sector,” Robertson said.

Lack of confidence continues to haunt the country’s insurance and pensions industry caused by the erosion of policy holder accounts due to the conversion of value from Zimbabwean dollar to the United States dollars during the February 2009 period.

Various markets have been in existence for centuries dating back to the first Stock Exchange that was established in 1585 in Amsterdam. A stock exchange, share market or bourse is a place where people meet to buy and sell shares of company stock. Some stock exchanges are real places (like the New York Stock Exchange), others are virtual places (like the NASDAQ). In fact, the first stock exchange in Zimbabwe opened shortly after the arrival of the Pioneer Column in Bulawayo in 1896. However, it only operated for about six years. Other stock exchanges were established in Gwelo (Gweru) and Umtali (Mutare). The Mutare Exchange, also opened in 1896, thrived on the success of local mining, but with the realization that deposits in the area were not extensive, activity declined and it closed in 1924. After World War II a new exchange was founded in Bulawayo by Alfred Mulock Bentley and dealing started in January 1946. The primary purpose of an exchange is provide capital for companies who then issue out “stock “ in return for investment. The exchange that was set up in Bulawayo in 1946 was the primary reason why Bulawayo then developed into an industrial hub as various textile companies were readily able to list and get access to capital.

Back then trading happened via telephone. You would call in your broker and ask them to represent you on the Stock Exchange by either buying or selling a particular stock you had interest in on your behalf. Today, however, with the advent of technology, trading is being increasingly done online. Brokers now offer trading platforms that can be accessed online without the need to ‘call in’ your broker. Not only has trading moved online, there are now new types of markets that have emerged in this century where trading can take place. Virtually anything can now be traded. In addition to stock exchanges, there are now commodity exchanges where commodities like wheat and maize are traded, metals exchanges where metals are traded, currency markets where currencies are traded, bond markets etc. The core function of an exchange is to allow for efficient and fair price discovery which happens when traders bid for various instruments on the exchange or market.

Trading is done by traders. Traders can be classified broadly into two different types of traders. These are investors and speculators. Investors are usually interested in owning a particular stock in the long run usually for hedging and preservation of value. Speculators are interested only in making returns from the short term price movement of an instrument. World over, there are 5 times more speculators than investors. Without speculation in fact, price discovery would be extremely difficult as having more people buy and selling an instrument aids in establishing the true price for that instrument.

Almost 90% of speculators now trade online. They are known as retail traders and make a living doing so. They connect to brokers who now offer online trading platforms and also offer a variety of instruments that retail traders can speculate in. Some of the most popular speculators on earth are multi billionaires like Paul Tudor Jones and George Soros who both made over a Billion Dollars in one day trading the currency markets. Professional speculators are usually housed on bank trading floors or in hedge funds and manage over 2 Trillion Dollars in money collectively. This is more money than the physical cash that exists on the planet. Trading has now evolved to be the most lucrative profession in the world. A simple Google search on ‘trading jobs in London” will reveal that on any given day there are over 1,000 trading jobs available in London.

So what is the case for trading in Zimbabwe? Can Zimbabwe produce billionaire traders? Can Zimbabwean speculators make a living trading online? According to the Modern Trader Report, 1 in 781 people in the world are traders. Because of technology and the ability of people to trade online, surprisingly there are now 1.3 million traders in Africa while America and Europe have 1.5 million traders each. Africa now has the fourth largest number of online traders in the world. Most Egyptian young adults can be found at internet cafes trading online. The Forex Traders Association of Zimbabwe which was established to recognise and assist online traders in Zimbabwe estimates that over 45,000 people in Zimbabwe are trading or have traded in Zimbabwe. This information is easily accessible from brokers who are surprised by the high proportion of traders in Zimbabwe. A quick survey done at the major Universities in Zimbabwe shows that approximately 25% of students at NUST and UZ have traded before or are currently trading. Zimbabweans have taken to trading because it allows them to trade the international markets and earn Forex if they make a profit. This is an attractive offer for Zimbabweans and is an endeavour that deserves the recognition and support of government especially because so many youth are now actively trading to supplement income and in some cases pay their own university fees. A story run early this year by the Independent interviewed a young man by the name of Munashe Maziwhananga who was able to pay his own fees at NUST from trading.

The numbers seem to justify this call for broader support. If 40,000 traders make even $12.50usd profit a week from trading, that works out to half a million dollars a week in Forex generated and coming into the country. If this is scaled up, it is possible to see a future where profits from trading match diaspora remittances. Zimbabweans are primarily trading the ONLINE CURRENCY MARKETS via international brokers. This is where retail traders speculate about the direction of exchange rates. It comes almost as a redemptive story as no one better appreciates currency values and what causes them to appreciate and depreciate perhaps more than Zimbabweans. Most people in Africa have never seen the US Dollar let alone a basket of multi currencies yet a Zimbabwean in the most remote part of Zimbabwe actively transacted with the US Dollar for over 7 years.

There have been calls by various analysts and industry players to scale up this form of trading for the collective benefit of the nation. Almost all international banks have trading floors. These desks are manned by traders who are given trading capital to trade with while trading the spot currency exchange market. FOTRAZ is calling for the establishment of trading floors across the country where 2500 youths per province can be housed in trading rooms and floors and given access to capital. A total of 20,000 youths across 8 provinces can be given the best training and assigned professional supervisors and trading executives who will help them manage and allocate risk professionally for a profit. If each youth is given $1,000 to manage with the mandate to give a 30%/month return on the capital that would translate to over $6 million dollars in profit generated a month. The trading capital would not be given directly to the youths, instead it would allocated to a trust account maintained by an internationally recognised broker. Their trading performance can be monitored and tracked. There is room to scale up the return provided the capital is increased. Pension Funds are declaring surpluses annually and perhaps a portion can be set aside as prescribed assets to these trading floors.

The other secondary benefits are that active traders will be drawn to trade some of the new products ZSE has been introducing and has plans of introducing in the future. Products like Exchange Traded Funds, Futures and Options will continue to receive low take up from the public because they need to be educated about these products first. What is missing is a trading culture and these trading floors can incubate a trading culture.

Trading is risky and even more risky when engaged for speculation. Price changes can wipe away profits and even the initial investment. There are, however, risk management strategies that can be employed such as limiting capital exposure per trade taken and ensuring trades are approved by a senior officer. These are internationally accepted methods of managing risk. The trading floors can be the first phase of rolling out a regional trading hub. London is the largest trading hub in the world with over 2.7trillion dollars being exchanged and traded daily. The benefits to the economy cannot be overstated. Small countries with highly educated citizens can and have been able to take advantage of this high turnover industry. One such example is Singapore. Singapore has a well-established, if not especially long, history as a solid offshore financial center. For a long time, it has been the largest Forex trading center by volume in the entire Asia-Pacific region, and according to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, it is the third largest such center in the world, after London and New York. It is widely considered to be well regulated, by the Singapore Monetary Authority. Over 700 million USD flows into its capital markets each day. This can certainly happen in Zimbabwe as we have a very high literacy rate. We can put our literate youth to task to create and engineer the largest financial hub in Africa. All this is possible and a vital proof of concept stage would be to start with trading floors in all provinces.

Asked for comment, one of the key voices behind this initiative, Mr Kudakwashe Manzanga said “trading floors are the only way to really prove to Zimbabweans that money can be generated online. Each trading floor can also house other online business initiatives and partner with other people already thinking in that space. The fourth Industrial Revolution is here and if you ask our youth, they are more interested in doing something online than in working in a factory. Let’s embrace the future and lean towards it, not lean away from it. Zimbabwe is the most strategic place for this initiative, being central in the SADC region. Trading is a Sanctions Buster because it allows us to trade and generate Forex without the need for approval from anyone. We are looking to present these ideas to our leaders at a Trading Indaba mooted for February 2020 with the hope to see our ideas incorporated in the 2021 National Budget. We believe trading can easily become one of the largest Forex generators in the country within 3 to 5 years. What is needed is to formalise the industry and submit it to inspection and interrogation by regulators, our leaders and the public at large. We are willing and open to submit to that process so that we can collectively shape and grow this sector for everyone’s collective benefit.”

Due to the unceasing developments which are entailed to the cannabis industry today, it keeps on growing and setting a new viewpoint in the minds of many people. It can’t be denied that people are investing a lot to utilize these products for some purposes, including medical and recreational needs. That’s why; the demand for cannabis is unsurprisingly increasing, especially when discovery related to its benefits is revealed.

In the present time, the market for legal marijuana is becoming bigger and bigger. A report unleashed that this market is anticipated to grow up to USD 66.3 billion by the end of the year 2025. At this time, various studies are already taken into consideration to be able to legalize marijuana in almost all parts of the globe. The cannabis industry will have an uncompromised spot in the future, for sure.

Cannabis products are known to possess an extensive range of benefits that aid people in many different ways. Whether it’s for industrial, medical, or recreational purposes, marijuana products are a common denominator that can always go along with whatever the specific condition will require. Amazing? Yes, it really is. Check this out to learn more.  

What Makes The Cannabis Industry So Popular Today? 

It can’t be denied that today, there are already many discoveries that redefine the world for specific situations. Not to mention, this is most perceptible in the field of medicine. The brilliant people in the healthcare industry are working so perseveringly to provide people who are in need of the most with the best treatment possible. These come in the line the highly-robust medications, which are all useful in ceasing some specific conditions to progress. However, the chemicals encapsulated within these sturdy tablets and capsules are powerful enough to ignite a reversed result. Worst, such synthetic treatments often bring some side effects which are too difficult to bear. That’s why; many people are diverting to some organic alternatives, like medical marijuana, which can almost serve the same outcome without developing some unbearable side effects. Therefore, it’s no surprise that most people around the globe perceive medical marijuana as a healing agent where they can lean on. Just a quick overview, medical marijuana is known to be effective in dealing with some bodily abnormalities, which include, but not limited to, chronic pain, lung problems, diabetes, depression, seizures, anxiety, Alzheimer’s disease, and PTSD symptoms. According to numerous studies released through the years, marijuana medication is such a great help in taking the conditions mentioned above on their control. Keeping the symptoms on their hands is their primary edge of living a healthy life like anybody else out there. 

With all the things discussed earlier, it only proves that the cannabis industry is indeed popular today. That’s why; its increasing demand makes the need for additional employees who can work in the dispensary more coveted nowadays. But regardless of urgency, not everyone is still given a chance to have a spot in the said industry. It still takes a set of numerous considerations before finally taking a step forward in this chosen field of specialization. Someone who plans to go over here must possess a lot of things, including a strong sense of responsibility, knowledge, training, and expertise. Handling such kind of sensitive substance has never been a mere spoon-fed tasks.

The sudden burst of marijuana medical products in the global market encourages the related companies to look for potential applicants who can help them in the daily operation within the corners of the dispensary. Adding fuel to the fire, the wide cannabis legalizations are taking place across the globe, which makes the job opening more frequent to be seen. Based on a reliable source, there were about 1,512 job openings recorded in 2018, which was approximately 76 percent higher from the past years. This figure only emphasizes that the said industry is really moving forward in today’s generation. Therefore, it can be stated that since the marijuana industry is now taking the wheel, one who performs the procedures in the dispensary must always put his/her expertise above all. Inevitable mistakes, whether it’s intentional or not, must be committed so rarely. As much as possible, the processes must always go silky smooth in the hands of the employees. It’s essential to take note that the entire life of the patient who’s subjected to this variant of medication lies in the hands of the experts who recommend and perform the operations in the marijuana possibility. 

So before you find the perfect job in this field, make sure to yourself that you’re absolutely, and a hundred percent prepared for whatever it will take you. Be mindful of the possible tips which can really help you find the perfect one. 

Tips You Must Be Aware of

Since trying to find a perfect job in the field of medical marijuana is not a typical job you can ever imagine, there are some helpful tips you can keep in mind. Most of these tips involve self-rebuilding and personal preparation because the success of your upcoming tasks in this field highly relies on your hands.

Listed are the tips you should never overlook before taking a step forward in the field of medical marijuana:

• Self-awareness is the key. Be true to yourself. Reassure that this kind of work has a special room in your heart. 

• Go online and research more about the cannabis and marijuana industry. 

• Appraise the legal matter around your area with regard to the use of this substance.

• Try to go to some events related to cannabis products.

• Provide enough time to widen your knowledge and strengthening your training grounds. 

• Look for many other choices listed from the online job boards. 

• Don’t discard the presence of cannabis staffing agency. 

• Build your connections online. Find some groups of people who are already in this field and try to connect to them. 

• Move forward. With all the risk, make it happen. 

They are all scattered around, especially in various online platforms. The only thing you must do is to choose one and flourish yourself in there. The cannabis industry is not really a bad thing. It helps many people in various. So immersing yourself in there can make yourself grow and save people who are in need. 

BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA

Milka Gwatiringa sighs before narrating her ordeal of carrying a 12,3kg tumour for 11 years of her life and the stigma that she had to endure in her highly superstitious community.

Reflecting on how her dress size changed dramatically and how she appeared pregnant, Gwatiringa can only marvel at her “miracle”.

Last month, Parirenyatwa surgeons set a world record by successfully removing a kidney tumour that weighed 12,3kg from Gwatiringa’s bulging stomach.

She said the tumour was not only uncomfortable, but often drew scorn from her peers.

“I lived my life as best as I could by continuing to work until the day I got admitted into hospital. I was healthy and could do most household chores, though I looked heavily pregnant.

It was heart-breaking that my children always wondered why I was pregnant, but never gave birth,” she recalled.

Gwatiringa had to fight off stigma in her community with some people claiming that she had been cast a spell known as runyoka or rukawo.

Runyoka or rukawo has since attained a modern nickname, “the human central locking system” and is secretly administered to unsuspecting partners, by their jealous or over-protective spouses.

Gwatiringa said she had resolved to accept the condition but her community made it difficult for her and often excluded her from social gatherings.

“I came to accept the new me and some colleagues did the same, but the stigma was traumatic because people could not understand what was wrong with me. Socially, people had their own theories and it was unbearable to me,” she said.

There were also constraints in raising money for scans that provided better body details than X-rays, the operation itself and feeding the family.

“There was a 50% chance of survival and it was impressed upon me that there were high chances of bleeding to death, since the surgery is considered risky and complicated. My family and children went through a stressful period,” she added.

Now she says all is in the past and she is adjusting to a new life, albeit with help of scans and medications which are financially draining.

“I’m on the road to recovery and I’m slowly adjusting to this new me, my wardrobe has completely changed to two sizes downwards, so it’s another big slap financially.

Parirenyatwa consultant urologist, Shingirai Meki explained how kidney tumours develop and how best they can be treated.

“Kidney tumours develop because of loss of regulation of kidney cells, the cells become independent from body signals, hence grow without control” he said.

“The good news is that most kidney cancers are found before they spread (metastasise) to distant organs and cancers diagnosed early are easier to treat successfully. However, these tumours can grow to be quite large before they are detected,” Meki said

Kidney tumours can only be removed by surgical operations and infections can be treated with antibiotics.

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist; they lie in the lower abdomen on each side of the spine. Their main function is to clean blood, removing waste products through urine.

ZIMBABWE is on the verge of a major man-made famine characterised by partisan food distribution, repeated droughts and years of economic and financial decay that have left nearly eight million people, half of the population, food insecure, a United Nations official said
yesterday.

By Everson Mushava/Lorraine Muromo

United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver, yesterday said most households in the country were now unable to obtain enough food to meet their basic needs, with the situation set to deteriorate in the coming months.

Elver was presenting her preliminary assessment on the current situation in Zimbabwe after spending 11 days in the country.

The final report will be released in March next year.

At least 60% of the population was now “food-insecure” Elver said, noting that even though shops stocked food items, many people could not afford
them.
She said the situation demanded urgent attention from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government to “put an end to this spiralling crisis before it morphs into a full-blown conflict”.

“I cannot stress enough the urgency of the situation in Zimbabwe,” Elver said.

“Currently, 60% of Zimbabwe’s population of 14 million is considered food-insecure, living in a household that is unable to obtain enough food to meet basic needs. By the end of this year, in only a few weeks, the food security situation is expected to worsen, with an estimated eight million people requiring urgent action to reduce food consumptions gaps and save lives.”

She added: “Widespread poverty, limited employment opportunities, liquidity challenges, pervasive corruption, economic instability, mismanagement of funds, natural disasters, recurrent droughts, and economic sanctions and conditionalities by the US and the EU, all contribute to Zimbabwe’s current crisis.”

Elver said in rural areas, 5,5 million people were currently facing food insecurity, as poor rains and erratic weather patterns were impacting harvests and livelihoods, while in urban areas, an estimated 2,2 million people were food-insecure and lack access to minimum public services, including health and safe water.

“The currency crisis, a heavy tax system due to the imposition of austerity measures, unpredictable inflation rates, high levels of unemployment and low wages all contribute to the food crisis affecting urban households,” she said.

The UN special rapporteur also said the situation was made worse by allegations of partisan distribution of food by Mnangagwa’s administration.

“Throughout my visit, I received allegations about partisan distribution of food aid, favouring those who support the ruling (Zanu PF) party. Individuals or communities, perceived to belong to the opposition or deemed insufficiently loyal to the ruling party, are reportedly deprived of their right to food in the regions most affected by the food crisis,” part of Elver’s report read.

On women and children, the special rapporteur said they were bearing the brunt of the crisis.

She said the majority of children she had met were malnourished, giving rise to child deaths, with 90% of Zimbabwean children aged between six months and two years exposed to minimum acceptable diet.

“I saw the ravaging effects of malnutrition on infants deprived of breast feeding because of their own mothers’ lack of access to adequate food,” she noted.

The situation, Elver said, has forced many girls to drop out of school, into early marriages, prostitution, and sexual exploitation.

She said the effects of the economic meltdown were visible in both rural and urban areas including the capital Harare.

The report comes three days after Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) also said millions of people in Zimbabwe were on the brink of starvation as the country struggles with relentless droughts and the impact of cyclones, against a backdrop of years of economic decline.

“Within weeks, the country may run out of maize, the staple food,” said Verity Johnson of CAFOD.

“At best, there will be further massive hikes in food prices for an already desperate population, who have seen the price of maize meal increase five-fold since the beginning of the year.

“There are severe bread shortages across the country. Where it can be found, a loaf of bread in Zimbabwe now costs up to 15 times more than it did a year ago. In the struggle to feed their children, parents are going without themselves.”

ZIMBABWE football champions FC Platinum will today face a tough tie against Sudanese giants Al Hilal Omdurman in their opening Group B match of the 2019-20 Caf Champions League at the Al-Hilal Stadium.

BY HENRY MHARA

The game kicks off at 9pm.

The Zvishavane-based side, who have been dominant in the local league for the past two seasons, are desperate to make a mark in the continent’s premier club competition.

They have fared below expectations in their previous appearances in this competition, with their last appearance ending in the group stage where they struggled.

While they publicly stated that reaching the group stage in the last campaign was their target and thus an achievement, behind closed doors, the management was reportedly unhappy.

Interim coach Lizwe Sweswe obviously knows the demands of his job, and would want to try and impress his bosses and convince them to give him the job permanently to replace Norman Mapeza.
To impress his demanding bosses, Sweswe will need to guide his team beyond what looks on paper, a very tough group.

But he is unfazed, and is targeting to win his first group match, even though his team is playing away from home.

“The best way to defend when you talk about defensive approaches, is to attack. We did not come here to sit, we will play our normal attacking game because we need a positive result. We can only get a positive result when the team is attacking,” Lizwe said.

The draw for the group stages may have been unkind to FC Platinum, Sweswe and his ambitions.
Besides the Sudanese giants, the group also has other seasoned campaigners in Etoile du Sahel and former champions Al Ahly of Egypt.

But Sweswe is not looking far into the campaign, choosing to focus on the immediate task.
He says he has done some research on Al Hilal, a team that was home to former Dynamos striker Edward Sadomba.

“We have been trying our best in terms of researching to know how they play. What is important at this level is to know their system of play, their culture and all the other things which we think are going to help us.”

Al Hilal have not been impressive on the continent, reaching the group stages just once in the last three seasons.

They have failed to go beyond the first round in the last two campaigns. Last season, they crashed out in the first round, and dropped down to the Caf Confederations Cup, where they managed to reach the quarterfinals.

The last time they had a good run was in 2015 when they reached the Caf Champions League semi-finals, with Edward Sadomba playing a huge part in that campaign when he top scored in the competition.

FC Platinum left for Khartoum earlier this week, and encountered a few problems on the way including losing their luggage.

But that has since been sorted, and Sweswe said his squad was ready for the match.

The team has been struggling with injuries in the last few months, which have seen the team drafting players from their developmental side for league matches.

Their situation has, however, improved of late, and Lizwe said they travelled with a strong squad with almost all their key players including Soccer Star finalist Never Tigere available.

They will also look to the experience and expertise of forward Rodwell Chinyengetere, who has played a key part in their success in the last two seasons.

After Al Hilal, FC Platinum host Etoile du Sahel next week before travelling to Al Ahly in late December.

LOCAL directors of Power Sales, one of Zimbabwe’s largest clothing retail chains, are in talks to buy out South Africa’s Pepkor.

BY MTHANDAZO NYONI

Pepkor, which controls about 20 local Power Sales retail branches, announced this week that it had decided to exit Zimbabwe after the local operation posted a R70 million loss.

However, in a statement yesterday, Power Sales said the decision by Pepkor would not affect its operations in Zimbabwe.

“Power Sales would like assure our valued customers and business partners that Power Sales is not closing,” the company said.

“Please be assured that while it is a fact that Pepkor is exiting Zimbabwe, Power Sales is not closing. Final negotiations are in place with the relevant parties to conclude terms of sale between Power Sales’ resident directors and Pepkor,” it said.

Power Sales said since July 2019, it had changed its business model by supporting local manufactures.

“This has been a great success. We know our business and we look forward to many years of partnership together,” it said.

Power Sales is one of the oldest clothing retail chains in Zimbabwe, having opened its shop in the country 40 years ago.