by MOSES GAHADZA

As the world moves towards ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, key populations who include people in prison settings, remain underserved. UNAIDS considers gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgender people, people who inject drugs and prisoners and other incarcerated people as the five main key population groups that are particularly vulnerable to HIV and frequently lack adequate access to services.

Now, as MOSES MAGADZA reports, Namibia, with support from UNAIDS, UNODC and I-TECH, is training nurses to initiate HIV treatment for people in prison settings, among the last frontiers in the global response to the epidemic.

WINDHOEK- The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) in Namibia is supporting the training of nurses from the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS) to initiate inmates on antiretroviral treatment (ART) as global efforts to take health care services closer to the people gain momentum.

On Monday, approximately 30 nurses from NCS facilities throughout the country met in Windhoek for a five-day training on how to initiate inmates living with HIV on ART and manage them. UNAIDS funded the training while the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) provided technical support.

Speaking at the start of the training, the newly-appointed Country Director for UNAIDS Namibia, Alti Zwandor, an epidemiologist, said Namibia had done remarkably well in one of 10 global targets agreed by world leaders at the High-Level Meeting in 2016 related to Ending AIDS by 2030, but there was scope for more to be done.

Progress but…

“Namibia met the 90-90-90 targets three years ahead of schedule. That is the good news. The bad news is that Namibia is unlikely to reach the target of reducing new HIV infections by 75% by 2020. That is why this training of nurses working in prison settings is very important,” Zwandor said.

The world has set ambitious targets to ensure that by 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression.

Other targets seek to reduce new HIV infections by 75%, ensure that there is social protection for all people, particularly the vulnerable, and ensure that 30% of all resources for responding to HIV are channeled through Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) by the year 2020.

While noting that treatment was an important tool for prevention, she said globally, the prevalence of HIV among people in prison settings was much higher than in the general population.

Plight of key populations

“People who are incarcerated have a prevalence of five times more than the general population. Key populations that include people who inject drugs, sex workers, transgender people, gay people and men who have sex with other men tend to be over-represented in prison populations,” Zwandor said.

She said certain environmental, social, cultural, human rights and biological factors exacerbate the vulnerability of people in prison settings to HIV infection.

“This could be due to risky behavior such as sharing needles and syringes, unprotected sex, sexual violence and lack of access to comprehensive HIV prevention and harm reduction services,” she said.

UNAIDS advocates for a minimum package of services for people in prison that includes but is not limited to: access to HIV testing; availability of ART programmes; access to condoms; opioid substitution therapy; and provision of sterile injecting equipment.

It calls, also, for the availability of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) services.

Yawning gaps

At the Melbourne AIDS Conference in 2014, UNAIDS released a report now popularly known as the Gap Report, which identifies yawning gaps in the global response to HIV and AIDS.

Notably, the report identifies 12 key population groups including prisoners, who are deemed central to ending the global HIV epidemic.

The identified key population groups comprise people who have increased risk of HIV infection, who lack access to services and experience a plethora of human rights violations.

The report recommends concerted efforts and attention to providing services and increasing access to those population groups lest the target to end AIDS by the year 2030 remains a pipe dream.

Similarly, another UNAIDS global report made available on the 28th of October 2019, notes that despite the relative ease of access to HIV- related services for all people, prison populations remain underserved.

A recent review of country reports to UNAIDS in the last three years, showed that many prisoners are lacking basic HIV services.

The review found that very few countries reported programme data on the provision of HIV services in prisons with only one in three countries providing condoms, 24 countries providing opioid substitution therapy while three countries provided sterile injecting equipment in prisons.

With regards to HIV testing and treatment, the report found that 74 countries reported programme data on antiretroviral therapy coverage while 83 countries reported HIV testing in prisons.

Building capacity

On why UNAIDS had supported the nurse-initiated antiretroviral programme in Namibia, Zwandor said the last five years had demonstrated the need for Member States to rapidly expand and scale up access to HIV prevention and treatment services to everyone including key populations.

“If we are going to depend on just medical doctors, we might as well forget about our dreams of ending AIDS. We are at a point where if nurses are well-trained ,there is no reason why they cannot initiate and manage a stable person on ART. Complicated cases can be referred to medical doctors but if we are going to roll out and take services closer to the people, we must involve nurses,” she said.

She argued that bringing nurses on board to initiate patients on ART treatment would increase the pool of skilled health professionals while improving the quality of care that people living with HIV get.

She explained that the nurse-initiated antiretroviral programmes was not unique to Namibia but had been tried and tested elsewhere.

“It is a global initiative that the World Health Organization (WHO) encourages. It falls within the global guidelines for managing people
living with HIV,” she said.

Stressing that population and location are important considerations in the quest for universal access to comprehensive and equitable health care, Zwandor said capacity development and empowerment of every cadre in health was imperative given the widespread shortage of specialized human resources for health in many developing countries.

She was optimistic that the ongoing training of nurses would increase the number of skilled professionals to manage people living with HIV in correctional settings.

“It will make it possible for people who test positive for HIV to be started on ART immediately. We know that the earlier we initiate people on treatment, the better the outcome.”

Right direction

Idel Billah, a medical doctor and the Deputy Director of Clinical Services at I–TECH, also hailed the training as a giant leap in the right direction, saying it would “phenomenally increase” the number of people who can provide expert care to people living with HIV in prison settings.

“The training will boost human and organizational capacity for the NCS to respond to HIV. We are trying to task-shift the job of looking after people living with HIV from medical doctors to nurses.

There are many facilities with inmates living with HIV but not enough medical doctors. It would be good for NCS to have people able to look after such inmates,”
he said.

The trained nurses are expected to support inmates on counselling, HIV testing, initiation on treatment, adhering to treatment and managing complications that might arise.

-Moses Magadza is Communications Officer for the UNODC Regional
Office for Southern Africa.z

BY TAFADZWA MHLANGA

Resources group RioZim Limited reported an 8% fall in gold output as rolling power cuts hit production at its Dalny Mine despite paying for uninterrupted power supply in United States dollars to the power utility.

It reported a gold output of to 962kg for the six months to June from 1 050kg over the same period last year.Net profit at $38,2 million was up on $406 000 in the prior period.
Revenue grew to $136,7 million, a 207% increase from $44,3 million previously despite the decreased gold production.

In the period under review, the gold price firmed up to an average of US$1 346 per ounce from US$1 298/oz in the same period last year.The southern African nation is in the throes of power outages that last for up to 20 hours daily and have decimated the manufacturing and mining sectors.

Power utility Zesa asked miners to pay for power in foreign currency in return for uninterrupted supplies, but has failed to stick to the agreement.

“As a direct result of these power cuts, the group recorded a decrease in production by 8% to 962kg from 1 050kg achieved in the comparative period in 2018. Power supply deficit remains a key risk in the second half of 2019. Even though the company is paying for uninterrupted power supply in United States dollars, the group has continued to experience intermittent load-shedding,” chairman Saleem Beebeejaun said.

He said the miner would continue to pursue its power projects: the 178MW [megawatts} solar plant and the Sengwa Thermal Power Station, to guarantee stable power supply for its operations and tackle the country’s power deficit.

“The company continues to vigorously pursue its power projects to guarantee stable power supply not only to its operations, but also to assist in improving the electricity deficit in the country,” Beebeejaun said.

At Cam and Motor Mine, output was 7% higher at 489kg from 458kg previously. Dalny Mine experienced acute power cuts and it afforded to run up to four to six hours of plant per day as production fell 7% to 215kg from 232kg last year.

Renco Mine experienced some plant breakdowns, which reduced production by 28% from 360kg to 259kg.The Express Nickel Refinery remained under care and maintenance.
Output at Murowa Diamonds rose 16% to 390 000 carats from 343 000 carats previously.Its chrome claims in Darwendale are subject to legal battles before the courts.

BY PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI

DANCEHALL artiste Enzo Ishall’s latest single, Highest Score — which dropped late on Monday has been trending on YouTube clocking nearly 40 000 views in less than 48 hours.
Produced by Passion Java Records (PJR), the video is littered with preacher Passion Java’s fingerprints, with its extra-terrestrial feel and themed around a hell-like experience as the persona seeks to evade devil-like creatures seeking to devour him.

Enzo Ishall explained that the theme of the video song, done mainly in Jamaican Patois, was centred on God’s protection over his life.

“God will protect me from all evil no matter how hard these demons will try to destroy me… I will get the highest score,” he said in an Instagram post.

“This video shows how demons are fighting me in my dreams and in real life, but I no longer fear, I have gathered up all the strength I need.”

The video — which has an international flair courtesy of its classy visuals — is likely to be a point of conjecture following the musician’s departure from Chillspot Records, from where he was lured by Java.

The development torched a storm with punters arguing it would mark the end of Enzo Ishall’s blossoming music career in its infancy.

Java is on record saying he was not investing into Zimbabwe’s unprofitable music industry, but was simply giving promising artistes a helping hand.

He said when he first met Enzo Ishall the musician could not even afford to pay for a trip into the city centre.

“It was tough. And I spoke to DJ Levels and said we should help the young man… I have used more than $10 000 on Enzo. We have a video coming out shortly called the Highest Score. That’s the best ever song that Enzo has ever sung,” he said.

“We used over R1,2 million. I flew over 20 people from Zimbabwe. I flew people from Cape Town to Johannesburg. We booked over 18 hotel rooms and fed people for four days. We signed an agreement and paid a big company to shoot the video. It’s more than a song. It’s a movie in itself.”

Enzo Ishall hit the limelight a few years ago with monster tracks such as Kanjiva, 50 Magate and Smart Inotangira Kutsoka.

BY FREEMAN MAKOPA

AFRO-FUSION songbird Sasha “Amadhuve” Chiedzo is the latest local artiste to perform at the Mafikizolo Back in Town concert scheduled for November 8 in Harare.

Sasha was yesterday over the moon after her name was included on the list of local artistes set to share the stage with the top South African duet.

She told NewsDay Life& Style that this was a stepping stone in her career and expressed hope that it would mark the beginning of greater things for her.

“I feel greatly honoured to be given a chance to play alongside one of Africa’s finest, especially after having played alongside Jah Prayzah just a few days ago at the braai out,” she said.

“For me, this is the stepping stone that every upcoming artiste wishes to lay their feet on. For me, this marks the beginning of greater things to come and I have now firmly set my eyes on the regional and international market.”

Sasha said she believed that having her music likened to Mbuya Madhuve — her late aunt — and the late Chiwoniso Maraire could have influenced the organisers of the show to rope her in.

“Most people think that I fit into the gap left by auntie, Mbuya Madhuve. Others say I remind them of Chiwoniso Maraire. Others feel I am a Stella Chiweshe in the making. So it is this deep root in Zimbabwean traditional music that made the organisers rope me into the show,” she said.

“It’s an honour to be playing alongside Selmor Mtukudzi, Andy Muridzo, Diamond Musica, Tocky Vibes this Friday at the HICC.”

A product of Progress Chipfumo’s Sound of Motherland outfit, Sasha said there was a possibility of striking a collaboration with the South African outfit as her management works on a possible deal.

“The possibility of me doing a song with Mafikizolo is very much there as my management is already working on that and if all goes according to plan, by Christmas of next year you will be dancing to the tune,” she said.

Sasha said although she has been dominated by best performing artistes who are no push-overs, she has learnt the tricks of the game.

“My greatest secret is that I don’t consider myself a female artiste. I am just an artiste and this allows me to venture into venues that only males play at and also I easily fit into those venues (frequented) by female artistes,” she said.

BY FIDELITY MHLANGA

THE Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) is set to unveil hyperinflation reporting (IAS29) implementation guidelines next week that will provide an index to use following the suspension of key data publication by Treasury.

Finance minister Mthuli Ncube in August scrapped the release of annualised inflation rate data until February next year.Consequently, the accounting profession is in a dilemma as to which index to use for hyperinflation reporting standard.

Already, the Public Accountants and Auditors Board has announced a broad market consensus to apply Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies Standard (IAS 29), in Zimbabwe.
The IAS 29 lists factors that indicate an economy is in a hyperinflationary cycle. One of the indicators of hyperinflation arises when cumulative inflation over a three-year period approaches, or is in excess of 100%.

When applying IAS 29, financial statements will have a two-fold balance sheet with one reflecting historical cost and the other one indicating an inflation-adjusted cost.

But to calculate the inflation-adjusted figure, accountants need an index that reflects the situation obtaining on the ground without misleading the market.

A balance sheet is a statement of the assets, liabilities, and capital of a business or other organisation at a particular point in time, detailing the balance of income and expenditure over the preceding period.

“Basically, the index is key because we hyper inflate the 2018 figures with a certain factor or index to make it comparable to 2019,” one chartered accountant said.At last week’s workshop, accountants discussed the pros and cons of using general price index and exchange rate as their key index.

They highlighted that using price index was noble as it was linked to inflation and also reflected change in general purchasing power.However, the deferment of year-on-year inflation figures was pointed out as a negative to the idea of employing general price index.

Using the exchange rate was also viewed as an alternative due to the fact that data is available day-on-day and as well, prices in Zimbabwe tend to move in line with the exchange rate.

“The implementation guideline which summarises what was presented at the workshop will be coming out next week,” ICAZ chief executive Gloria Zvaravanhu told NewsDay Business.

What makes the hyperinflation reporting adoption complex is that some chartered accountants are battling to comprehend the standard as it was never part of their syllabus during training insiders say.

Zimbabwe is listed on countries with projected three-year cumulative inflation rates exceeding 100% by the International Practices Task Force of the Centre for Audit Quality that monitors the status of “highly inflationary” countries.

The task force’s criteria for identifying such countries are similar to those for identifying “hyperinflationary economies” under IAS 29.

This is not the first time Zimbabwe has adopted hyperinflation reporting standard. In 2008 it resorted to the same before abandoning it after the adoption of the multi-currency system.
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency stopped publicising the inflation data then due to non-availability of price information.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

HIGHLANDERS coach Hendrikus Pieter de Jongh is confident that his team will reach the final of the Chibuku Super Cup ahead of their semi-final clash with bogey side ZPC Kariba at Barbourfields Stadium on Sunday.

ZPC Kariba will be the home side at Barbourfields Stadium.The draw for the semi-final was held in Harare on Monday and the venues were announced yesterday by the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Like in the quarter-final where Highlanders were away to FC Platinum at their traditional home ground Emagumeni, the Bulawayo giants will also be away to ZPC Kariba on Sunday.
Ngezi Platinum Stars await the winner of the quarter-final tie between Harare City and Triangle at Rufaro Stadium today for the semi-final to be played on Saturday at Baobab Stadium, in a match they will be the away team in their own home ground.

According to the competition rules and regulations, it is the responsibility of the PSL secretariat to supervise general preparations and decide the competition format, fix the dates and venues of the matches and determine the match schedule and kick off times for the matches.

Following the draw that was held in Harare on Monday, De Jongh was quoted on the club’s official website saying the draw was fair and he was interested in knowing the venue.

“I think we are in a very good mood, the mood is good, the spirit of the players is high and this week we are looking forward to good training and good focus. We will work hard and hope we can go to the final. (It is a) very fair draw — against (ZPC) Kariba. It is now important to know very soon where the match will be played, which place, which stadium for preparation,” he said.

The Bulawayo giants were away for the first round of the competition against Dynamos at Rufaro in Harare, where they booted their perennial rivals out of the competition following a 1-0 win through a goal by Prince Dube.

In the quarter-finals, they were paired against FC Platinum, whom they beat 3-0 at BF on October 27 with Dube on target once more and the other goals coming from Denzel Khumalo and Tinashe Makanda.

De Jongh is wary of ZPC Kariba.“ZPC Kariba are a good team with good players. The last time we played them two weeks ago, we drew, which was a good game, especially in the second half. It’s not going to be an easy game,” he said.

“ZPC Kariba are on position four on the log, and eyeing the title or position two. However, this is a cup game, a cup game is different and it can produce any result.”

By Richard Muponde/ Harriet Chikandiwa

The trial of former Health minister David Parirenyatwa on charges of criminal abuse of office failed to continue yesterday after trial magistrate Elijah Makomo did not avail himself.
This is the second time that the trial has failed to take off due to Makomo’s absence.

Makomo’s whereabouts are unknown as the State and defence counsel said they had failed to get hold of him.The court, which was yesterday presided over by magistrate Hosea Mujaya, had to briefly adjourn for the pair to call Makomo with the help of the clerk of court, but they found no joy.Prosecutor Brian Vito later advised Mujaya that they could not locate Makomo and did not even know his whereabouts.

“We have not been in a position to get hold of magistrate Makomo. He advised us that he was in a meeting. In the circumstances, we request the court that the matter be postponed to November 19. May I also seek the court’s indulgence to liaise with magistrate Makomo and secure his attendance,” Vito submitted.

Mujaya accepted the prosecutor’s request and postponed the matter, before he advised that he would help try to secure Makomo’s attendance.He, however, indicated that it was not the duty of the court but an administrative matter.

Parirenyatwa, who was accompanied to court by his wife and son, is out of custody on $500 bail.The State claims that on June 4, 2018, the former minister ordered NatPharm board chairman George Washaya to terminate Flora Nancy Sifeku’s contract as managing director, saying that he required her services at the ministry’s headquarters in Harare.

He also allegedly directed Washaya to appoint Newman Madzikwa as acting managing director of NatPharm with effect from June 1, 2018.The board complied and the two were given six-month contracts with effect from June to November 30, 2018.

The prosecution said the two ended up receiving salaries at the same time and thus prejudicing the company of $30 000.

BY FORTUNE MBELE

FOOTBALL fans in Bulawayo and its environs have once against been robbed of a high-profile Warriors match as the Zimbabwe senior men’s national team’s Group H 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against Botswana on November 15 has been moved from Barbourfields to the National Sports Stadium in Harare amid concerns of poor lighting.

The match had been scheduled to be played under floodlights at BF before Joey Antipas’ men take on Zambia four days later at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka.

Zifa spokesperson Xolisani Gwesela yesterday said the Confederation of African Football (Caf) had moved the match from Bulawayo due to uncertainty over lighting at the venue.

The Bulawayo City Council could not give guarantees over the functionality of the stadium lighting, and Caf could not take chances.

“The Zimbabwe Football Association wishes to advise the public and all stakeholders that the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Zimbabwe and Botswana, initially scheduled for Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo on November 15, has been moved to the National Sports Stadium in Harare,” Gwesela said.

“The decision to move the match follows communication from the Bulawayo City Council on the issue of floodlights at Barbourfields Stadium where they could not guarantee their good working order as they were last put to use in 2017 during the Cosafa Women’s Championship.

“In the absence of such a guarantee and in pursuit of conformance with their minimum requirements, Caf has switched the match to the National Sports Stadium to avoid the potential of floodlight failure during the match — a situation that could trigger security risk to the fans, players and officials.”

Gwesela claimed that they had made a request to have the match played at BF at 3pm, and the idea was shot down by the continental body.

“Zifa had pleaded with the continental mother body to move the match to 1500hrs on the same day, but Caf could not grant the request as all qualifiers, across Africa, will be played at 1800hrs,” the Zifa spokesperson said.

“The Zifa executive committee commits to host the next international match, which is to be played during daylight, at Barbourfields Stadium and that we remain committed to a rotational system that will allow all fans an opportunity to support their team in flesh and blood.”

The cheapest ticket for the match at the National Sports Stadium will be $20 for the rest of the ground, $50 for Bays 15-18 and $120 for the VIP.

In September, the preliminary round second leg 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Somalia, which had also been slated for BF, was moved to Harare as the Under-23 Young Warriors were hosting South Africa in an Afcon qualifier on September 10 at the same venue.

A change of dates for the Warriors-Somalia match caused a clash and the senior team had to switch to the National Sports Stadium.

The Warriors last played at BF in December 2013 in a friendly match against Mozambique as the team prepared for the 2014 African Nations Championship finals that were hosted by South Africa.

In 2000, Barbourfields Stadium hosted the Sunday Chidzambga-coached Warriors when they beat Lesotho 3-0 in the Cosafa Cup final second leg match.

BY CHELSEA MUSAFARE

YOUTH, Sport, Arts and Recreation minister Kirsty Coventry will be the guest of honour at this year’s edition of the Federation for Choral Music in Zimbabwe festival (FMCZ) set for November 30 at the Zimbabwe College of Music in Harare.

Event organiser Pedzisai Chiramba told NewsDay Life & Style yesterday that the choral music fete — running under the theme Choral Music Uniting Communities — will be held at national level for the first time this year.

The festival, designed to celebrate choral music and promote the fast-growing genre, will also be graced by National Arts Council director Nicholas Moyo, as well as the clergy from various denominations and representatives of the corporate world.

“The year’s edition is different from the previous ones in the sense that FCMZ has been rebranded. It has new stakeholders and is shaping up to world standards, matching the likes of the Old Mutual National Choir Festival of South Africa,” Chiramba said.

“The introduction of categories and provincial events is also a first from previous events. This year also marks the first time FCMZ has launched the festival at national level. It will start with regional eliminations feeding into the national event.”

Due to logistical and budgetary constraints, only three provinces — Masvingo, Harare and Bulawayo — will be represented.

“The event in Harare is a national call and is open to all choirs around the country who can travel to Harare,” Chiramba said.

He said prizes would include a floating trophy, money as well as miniature trophies and shields. Losing choirs would receive token rewards for participating.

FCMZ previously hosted two annual festivals in 2007 and 2014. It hosted its first competition featuring a set song composed by a renowned local composer George Tamisayi.