Home Blog Page 17

Major setback for South African cricket

Staff Reporter
-
0

By Daniel Itai – The Zimbabwe Daily

Pretoria, South Africa – Many cricket fans were delighted that their favorite sport was soon making its way to their screens and radio on the the 27th of this month but that has been reversed.

According to Cricket South Africa (CSA), the mini tournament which was going to see three different teams tussling it off for the maiden silverware has been halted due to lack of preparedness.

“The operational teams behind the Solidarity match and event partners in collaboration with Cricket South Africa, 3TCricket and SuperSport met to consider the readiness to host the event on 27 June.  

Following this meeting, it has become clear that more work is needed in preparation including approval. A new date will be announced in due course,” read a statement from CSA.

South Africa was set to become the first country to resume its cricket but due to this minor setback countries like England, New Zealand and Australia could soon resume their cricket due to the reduced lockdown COVID-19 regulations in their countries.

Malawians to elect new President

Staff Reporter
-
0
Malawians to elect new President

Daniel Itai – The Zimbabwe Daily

Lilongwe, Malawi – Millions of Malawians will today cast their Presidential votes following the nullification of the May 2019 Presidential elections earlier this year by the Constitutional Court over electoral irregularities.

Last year, incumbent President Peter Mutharika representing the Democratic Progressive Party garnered 38.57 percent of the votes followed by Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawian Congress Party (MCP) at 35.41 percent.

However, following the Constitutional ruling, for one to be elected President the candidate should secure at least 51 percent of the votes something which some political analysts have described as a mammoth task considering last year’s results.

“The elections will not be perfect given the haphazard nature of their preparation ranging from no proper guidelines, rushed reconstitution of the Malawi Electoral Commission, to delays in funding.

I can only hope that the results of the elections will be clear enough as not to open another pandora’s box of contestations,” said Michael Jana, a political analyst.

Malawi is the second African country in the last decade after Kenya that has had to go for a Presidential rerun due to electoral irregularities.

Disability community bears the brunt in Zimbabwe

Staff Reporter
-
0
Disability community bears the brunt in Zimbabwe

By Daniel Itai – The Zimbabwe Daily

Harare, Zimbabwe – The COVID-19 regulations that have been put by the government have apparently taken a huge toll on People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs) in the southern African country.

Many PLWDs are now bearing the brunt of the current lockdown regulations which have made it difficult for them to trade and move.

This has relatively resulted in many PLWDs having to heavily rely on well wishers and their families for support during this precarious moment.

“People with disabilities are facing more critical challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Already they face marginaliaation in society so as they struggle to make ends meet they can not fully access basic needs since the lockdown only see the physically fit  doing pressure in race for everything.

The government has tried in some areas its a great stride they have taken in assisting through food aid but to some disability societies they have not reached yet.

Moreso, very little assistance is forthcoming from the civil society as their source of income also got paralysed due to the lockdown period.

We need urgent intervention in addition of nutrition value to the disability community as they are having serious challenges in aquiring food .

Also as a result of COVID-19 we are experiencing more gender based violence mainly verbal and emotional abuse,” said Loveness Mainato, director of the Albino Association.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to benefit from Tesla deal with Glencore

Staff Reporter
-
0

Daniel Itai – The Zimbabwe Daily

Kinshasa, DRC – American automobile company Tesla, has agreed on a partnership with Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) based mining firm Glencore, which will result in Tesla receiving 6 000 tonnes of cobalt per annum.

Cobalt from the new deal with Anglo-Swiss mining giant Glencore, will be used to manufacture batteries for vehicles built at its Shanghai Gigafactory in China, as well as at its upcoming Gigafactory outside Berlin in Germany.

However, 60 percent of cobalt extracts are generated from child labour, something which Tesla said it was wary of.

“We recognise the higher risks of human rights issues with cobalt supply chains, particularly for child labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we are working on significant efforts to establish processes to remove these risks from our supply chain.

Moreso, where we can be assured that minerals including cobalt are coming from mines that meet our social and environmental standards, we will continue to support sourcing from the DRC and other regions,” stated Tesla in a statement.

The new deal will now see America and China as the largest consumers of cobalt taking up three-quarters of the world’s available cobalt which goes for just under US$30 000 a tonne.

Cricket returns to South Africa after Covid-19 lockdown

Staff Reporter
-
0

Daniel Itai – The Zimbabwe Daily

Pretoria, South Africa – Cricket South Africa (CSA) will try a new format of cricket that will see three teams competing in a single 36 over match.

Captains AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada will lead teams of eight players who will bat for a total of 12 overs, six per innings, during which time they will face both opponents in the field.

At the fall of the seventh wicket, the last remaining batsman can carry on, but only score in even numbers, twos, four or a six. The team with the highest aggregate total at the end of the game will be declared the winner.

 “It’s been quite some time since the South African public and fans of cricket worldwide have been able to consume the game we all love.

I know that the players are itching to get back into action as well. It’s a thrilling new format and a match that is working towards a greater good,” said Graeme Smith, CSA director.

The inaugural match will take place on the 27th of this month at the Supersport Park in Centurion, Pretoria. It will be played in an empty stadium.

Return of Zimbabwean football still a mystery

Staff Reporter
-
0

By Daniel Itai – The Zimbabwe Daily

Harare, Zimbabwe – The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) as well as the Premier Soccer League (PSL) are still mum on the resumption of football in the southern African country.

Countries like Tanzania and South Africa have already resumed their football activities with Tanzania having opened up its entire football leagues last weekend and South Africa allowed to conduct training.

However, this is despite the fact that the two countries have more COVID-19 confirmed cases as compared to Zimbabwe which has less than 500 COVID-19 cases.

Many players have been left without an income due to the suspension of the PSL. Last week some players of one of the PSL’s top flight teams, CAPS United, demonstrated at the club house demanding to be remunerated.

Regardless, ZIFA has since said its waiting on the government to give it the nod and also said it was not aware of any players who were not paid their dues.

“We are guided by government policy and we haven’t received any complaint yet,” said ZIFA spokesperson, Xolisani Gwesela.

Nevertheless, Mark Harrison, the former Highlanders coach who is currently in England also concurred with ZIFA citing that football was only supposed to resume when it was safe to do so.

“Football can only start up again when it’s truly safe to do so, remember clubs in Europe are testing their players and staff daily,  I don’t think any clubs in Zimbabwe have that capability to do so and therefore keep their employees safe,” said Harrison.

Harrison further added that once football resumes he would prefer going back to Highlanders, “I am hoping to return to Highlanders once things normalise.”

Triangle United coach, Taurai Mangwiro also supported the move to wait on government’s instructions before contemplating about resuming football.

“We have fewer COVID-19 cases than all the countries that have resumed their football but I think it’s best to wait on the government’s instructions to avoid unnecessary repercussions.

The Triangle United coach further added that despite football not being allowed to resume his team was keeping fit nevertheless, “we as a team have been conducting training through virtual platforms so as soon as the government gives the nod we will be ready to go.”

The MDC is not fit for purpose, Zimbabwe deserves a better opposition party

Staff Reporter
-
0
The MDC is not fit for purpose, Zimbabwe deserves a better opposition party

Opinions from The Zimbabwe Daily

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has been Zimbabwe’s main opposition party since its formation in 1999. The MDC was formed by former trade unionists who were at odds with the government over its treatment of workers. The MDC’s agenda for change in the country resonated with many of the disgruntled Zimbabweans and for that they enjoyed successive electoral victories. They managed to penetrate into former Zanu PF strongholds, which threatened the very existence of Zanu PF and led to panic within the Mugabe regime. Many believed that the MDC would inevitably form a new government that would lead Zimbabwe into the promised golden age.

Unfortunately, the MDC has failed to dislodge the Zanu PF government after multiple attempts. There have been allegations of electoral fraud. Some of the allegations are well founded but then the are some allegations that are far-fetched such as the science fiction ballot paper made in Israel. Unfortunately, some folk in Zimbabwe have very basic reasoning so they believe ridiculous assertions, be it from Zanu PF or MDC. However, this opinion piece is not about the gullibility of Zimbabwe folk but about the failure of the MDC.

The MDC finds it easy to blame the ruling elite for their own failures instead of looking each other in the eye and accept that their own failures are a creation of their own. Currently, the MDC is tearing itself apart as the Chamisa and Khupe camps fight each other for the crown of the party. Their sole focus as it stands is who will be victorious but they are not thinking at what cost. The story of how we came  to this goes back to the early day of the MDC and the subsequent splits. The recurring theme in all these has been one of not accepting responsibility but laying the blame squarely at Zanu PF. Every time there has been a fight and or a split within the MDC, Zanu PF has been the prime candidate for blame. However, you don’t need special reasoning capabilities to realise that the MDC is destroying themselves. Of course, Zanu PF is exploiting the situation to its own advantage but they did not create this situation, the MDC did.

The MDC politicians are cowards who only care about their political careers than the population they claim to be serving. I doubt that throughout their fights, they have stopped to think about the people who put them in those positions of prominence. Add to that, the MDC does not seem to have anything to offer to Zimbabwe apart from their desire to replace Zanu PF. I fear that if any of the MDC formations are given the opportunity to lead the country, sooner or later, they will end up just like Zanu PF.

What Zimbabwe needs is a credible opposition, an opposition that will challenge Zanu PF and can rally the people behind them for real change. An opposition party does not need to be in power to deliver change, an opposition party can successfully lobby the government to deliver some of the much needed change in the country. However, the MDC is a one trick pony that only believes being in power is what will change things for the country.

Like many Zimbabweans who have been sitting on the side lines, I have come to realise that the MDC is not fit for purpose. Zimbabwe deserves a better opposition party that will help deliver the country from the abyss it currently sits in.

Add your voice by sending your post to opinion@thezimbabwedaily.com

Tanzanian government to open up schools and wedding ceremonies

Staff Reporter
-
0
Tanzanian government to open up schools and wedding ceremonies

Daniel Itai – The Zimbabwe Daily

Dodoma, Tanzania – Tanzanian schools as well as wedding events are set to resume operations by the end of this month after three months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.   

“As a result of the reduced cases of Coronavirus in the country, I would like to take this opportunity to announce the reopening of all remaining schools, and all social activities that were restricted like wedding celebrations should also resume, life must go back to normal,” said the country’s President John Magufuli.

Earlier this month, the President declared Tanzania COVID-19 free as a result of divine intervention.

However, the President has been criticized for not implementing strict measures to curb the spread of the virus.

Tanzania has confirmed 509 COVID-19 cases, with 21 deaths, according to the data from Johns Hopkins University.

Last weekend, the country became the first African country to resume a national football league which was suspended during March because of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

Angola, UAE boost cordial relations

Staff Reporter
-
0
Angola, UAE boost cordial relations

Daniel Itai – The Zimbabwe Daily

Luanda, Angola – Angola and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have ratified their tax agreement to avoid double taxation and tax evasion.

According to the director of the press office of the Angolan General Tax Administration, Braulio Assis,  the tax agreement will ensure a greater flow of investment between the two countries.

“Trade between the two countries has become intense in recent years due to the strong existing trade relations, which led the two governments to sign a protocol to alleviate the tax burden of companies operating in their respective economic territories,” said Assis.

The director also added that the agreement wiil help boost the country’s economy, prevent resident entrepreneurs of both countries from paying taxes and rule out the possibility of tax evasion.

Moreover, the agreement is expected to aid in cross-checking details on values, accounting and tax declared in both countries, and improve the overall pay balance. The initial period of validity of the tax agreement is expected to begin on the first of January 2021. 

Campaigners demand the legalisation of abortion in Namibia

Staff Reporter
-
0

By Daniel Itai – The Zimbabwe Daily

Windhoek, Namibia

Namibia is currently facing a shortage of contraceptives and this has prompted some members of the civil society to advocate for the legalization of abortion.

The Popular Democratic Movement Women’s League (PDMWL) feels the shortage of contraceptives in public health facilities across the country is life threatening. 

“This news is not only shocking and bad for the people of this country, but is life threatening because contraceptives are aimed at reducing unintended pregnancies and abortions, as well as facilitating family planning or spacing of births.

It is unacceptable that a country of more than two million people does not have enough contraceptives,” said Loide Iipinge, PDMWL’s secretary general.

However, human rights activist Rosa Namises said legalizing abortion would allow women to make decisions about their own bodies. 

“Women are given contraceptives, such as a chip in their bodies, but nobody properly explains the effects thereof on their bodies.

It would be a choice given to women and it would also be a health and safety measure to prevent backyard abortions.

I don’t think women will line up every six months to abort, because that is not what it means. It means a woman is given the opportunity to decide about the pregnancy,” said Namises.

Under Namibia’s Abortion and Sterilisation Act of 1975, abortions are illegal for women and girls, except in extreme cases such as rape, incest, or when the mother or child’s life is endangered. 

1...161718...333Page 17 of 333